Chapter 12: Zhao Zhenzhen

"What relation are you to Aunt Zhao? Her niece?" Shen Xing asked directly.

Zhao Zhenzhen shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Young Master Shen."

Shen Xing narrowed his eyes, his expression turning somewhat sinister. "I asked you a question. Do you dare not answer me?"

Zhao Zhenzhen was stunned; this version of Shen Xing felt like a stranger. But the panic lasted only a moment. She quickly regained her composure and said, neither servile nor overbearing, "I mean no disrespect, but you are being unreasonable. Please urge Miss Xue'er; we shouldn't keep the Madam waiting too long."

Inside the bathroom, the sound of water continued. It was clear it wouldn't be over for a few minutes. Shen Xing stared at her, a bold idea suddenly crossing his mind.

"Do you know any self-defense?" Shen Xing asked out of the blue.

"What?" Before Zhao Zhenzhen could react, a blur moved before her eyes. Then, a massive force pushed her entire body into the room behind her.

Zhao Zhenzhen didn't understand what was happening and instinctively tried to call for help, but the next moment, a large hand clamped over her mouth. Through the mirror on the wall, she saw the person holding her in terror: Shen Xing.

This was a private walk-in closet used for Tang Xue'er's clothes and bags. Aside from the wardrobe and a sofa, there was nothing else. Moments later, she was thrown onto the sofa, and Shen Xing hovered over her.

"I'm letting go now. You are not allowed to scream. If you dare make a sound, I will crush your throat with one blow."

They were almost nose-to-nose as Shen Xing issued his stern warning. Zhao Zhenzhen’s eyes filled with tears; she was genuinely frightened and nodded like a bobbing bird.

Hmph.

Shen Xing released her and shifted his position to sit beside her. Sitting was much more convenient for movement than hovering.

"What... what do you want?" Zhao Zhenzhen asked guardedly, instinctively pulling her collar tighter.

Shen Xing glanced at his watch. "It's a quarter past nine. Xue'er will be done with her bath around nine-thirty. That means we have about fifteen minutes."

Having caught her breath, and perhaps embarrassed by her earlier display, Zhao Zhenzhen turned defiant. "Shen Xing, I warn you, don't do anything you'll regret! If you dare hurt me, I won't let you get away with it!"

Shen Xing nodded. "Reasonable. That’s the right reaction. So, you really do... have someone in the Tang family backing you, don't you? I felt something was off shortly after you arrived, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

He reached out and gripped Zhao Zhenzhen’s chin, smiling with a touch of madness. "But just now, when I learned your surname is Zhao, everything became clear! What was it that felt so wrong? Heh, that's right—your eyes. From the moment you arrived at the Tang estate, the way you looked at me has never changed."

"Logically, there should be a process of moving from stranger to acquaintance. Before knowing my true situation in the Tang family, you should have been respectful. But you weren't. From the very beginning, you looked at me with condescending disdain."

Shen Xing’s right hand gently hovered around Zhao Zhenzhen’s throat. The touch was light, yet it made her shudder.

"Yes, disdain. You weren't just looking down on me; to be precise, you couldn't be bothered to spend any energy on me, which is why you were always so perfunctory."

"It's as if... you already knew I was someone who would die, and likely soon. So, the question is, who told you all this? Naturally, it was Zhao Sujuan."

Zhao Zhenzhen countered, "This is all your wild speculation! It's not true at all! I never treated you like that. I strongly suspect you have paranoid delusions! Let me go! Otherwise, I'm going to get angry!"

She began to struggle, seemingly convinced that Shen Xing had too much to lose to actually harm her. She was no longer as afraid, even attempting to bite his fingers.

"Be quiet." Shen Xing frowned, clearly annoyed by the interruption. He applied a bit of pressure with his right hand, instantly pinning her throat. Zhao Zhenzhen tried to pry his hand away, but found his grip tighter than iron pincers, forcing her to settle down once more.

"Actually, you don't need to be so worked up, because all of that is unimportant. Even if you look down on me, so what? I'm not some lunatic with an inferiority complex. What I'm about to say next is the real main event. Don't you want to hear it?"

Zhao Zhenzhen gritted her teeth and shook her head violently, a terrible premonition rising within her.

"Strange, isn't it? People's sixth sense is truly inexplicable. Just a moment ago, I was asking if you were Zhao Sujuan's niece or some relative, because you two really have... how should I put it? A resemblance? If you don't look closely, you don't notice it, but once the thought is planted, it becomes very obvious."

"But at that moment, a bolder idea crossed my mind. Care to guess? No? That's fine, I'll tell you. I was wondering, what if you are Zhao Sujuan's biological daughter?"

"Tsk, it's a magical feeling. Knowing it's an absurd thought, yet it grows wildly in the mind, quickly overshadowing every other hypothesis. Zhao Zhenzhen, answer me seriously now: am I right?"

Zhao Zhenzhen shook her head fiercely. "You're crazy! If I were the Madam's daughter, why would she bring me here? Wouldn't that be walking straight into a trap?!"

Shen Xing raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps it's that 'the most dangerous place is the safest place' strategy? At least so far, it’s been quite successful. No one has ever suspected your relationship."

Zhao Zhenzhen rolled her eyes. "I can't be bothered to explain to you! If you went to such lengths just to play this boring detective game, then enough is enough! I have no interest in playing along! Let me go!"

"Fine. Since you won't cooperate, I'll just have to arrange a paternity test! If it turns out I'm wrong, I'll apologize."

Shen Xing said softly, then, without a hint of mercy, plucked several long strands of hair from her head.

"No! Give that back!" Zhao Zhenzhen’s face changed, and she reached out to grab them.

Shen Xing didn't resist, letting her snatch the hair back. But the next moment, Zhao Zhenzhen realized something, and her face turned deathly pale.

"I think we can talk properly now. Time is limited, so let's skip the foolish charades, shall we?"

Zhao Zhenzhen sat on the sofa, dejected, right beside Shen Xing. She gritted her teeth and asked, feeling deeply unwilling, "How exactly did you figure it out? Don't give me that 'sixth sense' trick to fool children! I don't believe you'd dare bluff me like this without some certainty!"

Shen Xing met her gaze, surprised. "So this is the real you? A 'cool girl' after all. You're right, I was at least seventy percent sure. Because... you deliberately mimic Zhao Sujuan in many details. You may not realize it, but it's true. I suspect it's an instinctive imitation of an adult by a child, seeking some form of psychological validation. Furthermore, your imitation is just too spot-on. Looking back at those details, you and she are almost identical—one hundred percent similar."