Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

If her childhood sweetheart and nominal fiancé, Jiang Che, secretly took the USB drive, there's only one explanation—

He handed over the USB drive containing all her core research data to another person.

Li Yanran's face suddenly turned pale, and she murmured:

"Could it be... that he took my USB drive and gave it to... Wu Qian, the senior student in the same research group who's been competing with me for a project spot?"

The live stream chat exploded instantly.

Wow! It's a senior from my group! Is academic competition really this shady?

Using a childhood sweetheart to steal core data—that's incredibly dirty tactics!

[This young lady is incredibly intelligent; she grasped the concept immediately and guessed the key person right away!]

What was Jiang Che thinking?! The girl he grew up with actually helped an outsider steal her hard work!

Li Yanran gripped her phone tightly, her mind in turmoil.

"But... why would Jiang Che do this? This research project is the core result of countless sleepless nights I've worked on. If someone publishes it beforehand, all my hard work will be wasted, and I might even be accused of plagiarism..."

Shen Jingshu spoke calmly, her voice clearly coming through the screen:

"Wu Qian promised him many benefits. She knew that Jiang Che was eager to use your family's resources to climb the social ladder, but he was unwilling to live in your shadow forever."

"She exploited Jiang Che's hidden jealousy and greed, and with a little enticement, he was willing to sacrifice your hard work for his own benefit. Wu Qian agreed to buy your research results for 30 million."

Li Yanran staggered and leaned against the desk, all color draining from her bare face.

In her smooth-sailing life of the past twenty years, she realized for the first time that the two people closest to her, whom she should have unconditionally trusted, harbored such despicable scheming in their hearts, all for a mere thirty million.

Shen Jingshu's voice, coming through the phone receiver, clearly and calmly dissected the schemes hidden for many years, each word piercing the cold truth beneath the surface.

"You are the only daughter in your family; you are your parents' only child. In the future, the Li family's vast business, resources, and connections will all be inherited by you alone."

Li Yanran trembled slightly as she listened quietly.

"But Jiang Che's situation is completely different from yours. His father is a womanizer and has many illegitimate children. Over the years, there have been undercurrents and he has been coveting the Jiang family's property at all times. Jiang Che grew up under his mother's daily indoctrination—his mother knew very well that it would be difficult for Jiang Che to secure the position of heir in the competition among a group of illegitimate children on his own."

"So maintaining the engagement with you and coaxing you into willingly marrying into the Jiang family is the safest move they've been planning for years. Once you marry into the family, the entire Li family's wealth, resources, and reputation will become Jiang Che's sharpest bargaining chips. With the Li family as his backing, those illegitimate children outside will never be able to shake Jiang Che's position."

These words were like ice water poured over her head. Li Yanran stood there stunned in the large, empty study, her fingertips icy cold.

Many trivial matters that she had deliberately ignored in the past resurfaced at this moment.

Jiang Che's mother would always bring up the idea of ​​the two families getting engaged soon; Jiang Che would often ask her about the progress of her father's company; every time she achieved something in her studies, Jiang Che's eyes would not show pure joy, but rather a hint of tension that was not easily detected.

She used to think it was just a young man's pride, but now she suddenly realized what it meant.

The live stream chat was in an uproar.

[My God! It was all part of a scheme from beginning to end! Only the young lady was kept in the dark!]

[Jiang Che and his mother are too calculating; they've used the female lead as a bargaining chip to turn the tables since she was little!]

That senior student perfectly exploited his weakness—he didn't want to live in the shadow of the Li family forever; he wanted his own achievements!

[That's why I was willing to steal the younger sister's research results and give them to the senior student in exchange for extra networking opportunities!]

Li Yanran's throat tightened, and her voice trembled slightly:

"So... his approach to me was never entirely based on childhood friendship. I was just a trump card he used to secure the Jiang family's position?"

"Most of the time, yes." Shen Jingshu spoke frankly without any euphemism. "He can't be said to have no affection for you from childhood, but in the face of the huge temptation of inheriting the Jiang family, that affection is no longer worth mentioning."

"That senior promised him resources and paved the way for him in the future. He felt that by getting in touch with the connections behind this senior, he could have another way out without relying on the Li family. So he chose to take the risk and secretly took your USB drive."

Li Yanran remained silent for a long time, and the clear and gentle light in her eyes gradually dimmed.

For twenty years, she had enjoyed a smooth and carefree life, and everyone fawned over her. For the first time, she saw clearly that beneath her gentle and affectionate exterior lay such heavy and cold-blooded scheming.

"Is it still possible to get that USB drive back?" she asked softly, with a hint of pleading in her voice.

Shen Jingshu lowered her gaze slightly and spoke slowly:

"It's not too late, but you can no longer be as defenseless, soft-hearted, and yielding as before. If you want to protect your hard work and everything the Li family has given you, you must start planning for yourself from now on."

"Furthermore, judging from your appearance, Jiang Che has never been your destined partner. Your love star has not moved yet, indicating that you are destined to marry late. The person who is truly compatible with you has not yet appeared."

Shen Jingshu spoke calmly, revealing the ending of their relationship in a single sentence.

"Seeing Jiang Che's true intentions early on is not a bad thing for you; it can save you years of detours and regrets. Also, there should be surveillance cameras outside your study. Jiang Che bribed one of the Li family's servants to tamper with the footage, but the original surveillance data was not completely destroyed. It can be fully recovered technically, which is solid evidence."

With that, all the clues, evidence, and hidden schemes have been laid bare. The decision and course of action are now entirely in Li Yanran's hands.

Li Yanran looked up at Shen Jingshu in the phone camera, her expression solemn. She took a deep breath and earnestly thanked her, "Thank you, host. I know what to do next."

Having been carefully raised from childhood to be the family heir, the girl's initial sadness and shock quickly subsided, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor, clear thinking and unwavering composure in the face of adversity.

Shen Jingshu gently comforted him: "Don't worry. Jiang Che is just a fleeting passerby in your life. Once you get over this, your future will be bright and promising."

"Thank you, host. I need to hang up now; I have to make a call about an urgent matter."

"It's alright."

After the video call ended, Li Yanran didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately dialed her father's number, who was overseas.

It was already late at night in China, while her parents were overseas negotiating a multinational project, separated by a significant time difference.

When the call connected, Mr. Li's voice carried a mixture of surprise and gentleness:

"My darling daughter? It's so late back home, why aren't you resting yet?"