Chapter 18: Ying Li’s Tragic Past
Upon hearing this, Ying Tong slightly furrowed her brows. “Capture? Didn’t the people who brought you here tell you why?”
Ying Li shook her head. “No.”
At that time, a kind person had given her a bun. She was just about to enjoy the hard-earned meal when, in the next moment, she was snatched away by a large bird.
She watched helplessly as the bun, which she had obtained with great difficulty, fell to the ground and was devoured by stray dogs.
Thinking of this, Ying Li’s eyes began to fill with tears. It had been so long since she had last eaten a bun.
Ying Tong looked at the young girl, who suddenly emitted an aura of sadness, and found herself at a loss for what to do.
She hadn’t said anything harsh, so why was the girl crying?
At that moment, a loud growl suddenly echoed.
Ying Tong glanced at Ying Li’s stomach and asked, “You haven’t eaten?”
Ying Li nodded.
“Then let’s eat first.”
What was Ye Ying doing, not even arranging something as simple as this?
Hidden on the beam, Ye Ying shrank his neck when he sensed Ying Tong’s anger. It wasn’t his fault; he wasn’t used to eating, so it was natural that he had forgotten.
With just a word from Ying Tong, in no time, a group of maidservants brought out a wide variety of delicious dishes, including the bun that Ying Li had been craving.
Seeing the steaming bun placed on the table, Ying Li swallowed her saliva, but since Ying Tong hadn’t spoken, she didn’t dare move.
Ying Tong gave her a slight nod. “Go ahead and eat.”
With permission granted, the young girl immediately pounced like a ravenous dog, grabbing a bun and taking a big bite.
She didn’t even use the chopsticks the maidservants brought, reaching out directly for the dishes on the table.
In no time, the once beautifully arranged food became a chaotic mess.
However, faced with Ying Li’s crude eating habits, Ying Tong didn’t stop her; she merely watched quietly from the side, taking the opportunity to gather some information from Ye Ying.
Although Ying Tong had learned some general details about Ying Li through her dreams, she was still unclear on specifics—such as why, as a member of the Ying family, she had ended up wandering outside.
“Have you finished the investigation?”
“Yes, it’s all clear now. It’s quite a melodramatic mess.”
Ying Tong was a bit surprised. “For you to call something melodramatic, it must really be something. Tell me about it.”
“Ying Li is a member of a branch of the Ying family in Jinghai City. She’s the youngest daughter, with three older brothers. As the youngest, she should have grown up pampered and cherished.”
“But her father kept a mistress outside. That woman became pregnant around the same time as Ying Li’s mother and gave birth at almost the same time.”
“The mistress was his childhood sweetheart, and compared to Ying Li, he naturally preferred the child he had with his true love. So when Ying Li was five, her father and the mistress staged a plan.”
“They kidnapped the five-year-old Ying Li, and after some time, brought the mistress’s child back, passing her off as the real Ying Li.”
After hearing Ye Ying’s account, Ying Tong’s eyes widened. “How could something like that happen? Didn’t anyone notice anything was wrong?”
“Of course, some people did. But children grow quickly. While they don’t change as rapidly as newborns, they still grow fast enough. Ying Li’s father told people that the child had suffered a bit while away, which explained why she looked different.”
“After a while, people got used to it and naturally stopped doubting.”
After listening, Ying Tong could only sum up her feelings with three words: “What a scumbag.”
She now understood why Ying Li had eventually turned to darkness.
It was likely that at some point, she had been recognized and brought back to the Ying family but had not been treated well.
Watching the other girl enjoy what should have rightfully been hers, while her parents and brothers all stood behind someone else, it was no wonder Ying Li turned dark.
If Ying Tong had been in her shoes, she would have had the urge to kill those people herself.
“Notify them to cut off all supplies to the Ying family in Jinghai City,” Ying Tong ordered.
“Do you want to give them a reason?” Ye Ying asked.
“No need. When I do something, I don’t owe them an explanation.”
“I thought so.”
While they were talking, Ying Li was still eating non-stop. The large table of food was nearly gone by now.
“Um, can I have a bit more?” Ying Li asked, a little embarrassed.
Having spent most of her life hungry, and even when she could eat, it was never anything good, Ying Li had developed the habit of eating as much as possible when food was available.
Moreover, it seemed she had a natural talent in this regard—she could eat endlessly as long as she wanted to.
“Of course, there’s no problem. You can eat as much as you like today.”
Ying Tong remembered that Ying Li possessed a devouring physique, capable of absorbing the energy from food to enhance her cultivation. Later, when she turned dark and became a tyrant, this devouring ability evolved into a soul-consuming physique, allowing her to absorb not only the power of food but also the spiritual energy and souls of others to strengthen herself.
“By the way, how is the talent of the child Ying Li’s father brought back?” Ying Tong suddenly asked.
“Average,” Ye Ying replied calmly.
“Average?”
“Yes, very average. In every aspect, she’s quite ordinary. However, her acting skills are excellent. She seems to know she’s not the biological child, so from a young age, she’s been working hard to please everyone. So far, it’s worked well.”
“As for her brothers, while they have decent talent, their judgment is poor. Their hearts are so skewed they can’t see straight anymore. I wouldn’t recommend investing in them.”
Ye Ying wasn’t exaggerating. Each of the three brothers might be fine on their own, but the moment anything involved their fake sister, they acted as if they were blind.
To Ying Hongliang and his family, their youngest daughter Ying Li was the best in the world—innocent, adorable, and kind-hearted. If there was ever an issue, it was never her fault; it was always someone else’s. They were blind to reality, with not an ounce of critical thinking between them.
Ye Ying knew that if those three brothers ever tried to perform in front of Ying Tong, they’d be dead by the afternoon. He had no doubt about that.
*
Meanwhile, far away in Jinghai City, the Ying family was enjoying a moment of family bliss. Ying Li, the youngest daughter, was animatedly recounting amusing events from her day, and the rest of the family watched her with doting smiles.
She played, they laughed—a perfect image of familial happiness.
Just then, a steward burst in, looking distressed.
Ying Hongliang frowned with displeasure. “How many times have I told you not to interrupt during meals?”
The steward knew this rule well, but the urgency of the matter forced him to act. “Master, we’ve just received word—the main family has cut off all supplies to us. Even the arrangements for the three young masters and the young lady to study with the main family have been postponed.”
