I Am Already A Queen

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Dig Her Information

”Fine!” Yang Mingxia let out an exaggerated sigh before suddenly turning back toward Qiao Meixia with a bright, scheming grin. ”Next time, you have to lend me one of your high-performance superbikes. I want to take one for a spin.”

”Hmm...” Qiao Meixia nodded casually. ”You can just go to the garage and pick one up yourself whenever you want.”

”Now that’s more like it!” Yang Mingxia smiled brightly, flipping her long, silky hair dramatically over her shoulder.

Without another word, she strutted away alongside Yin Zemin toward his waiting vehicle.

Meanwhile, Qiao Meixia turned and walked toward her own dark purple Ducati Panigale V4 R. She straddled the superbike, fastened her matte-black helmet securely, lowered the dark visor, and fired up the powerful engine with a roaring growl.

Only Yin Jiehao remained standing near the elevator bank, silently watching the entire exchange unfold. In truth, he was far more thoroughly shocked by Yin Zemin’s unexpected appearance than by anything else he had witnessed tonight.

He knew Yin Zemin. The two of them belonged to the exact same prestigious Yin Family. Strictly speaking, they were biological cousins. However, years ago, Yin Zemin had been abruptly and dishonourably expelled from the core Yin Family because of a taboo incident that no elder in the clan was ever willing to discuss. After that mysterious expulsion, he had completely vanished from high-society circles, and Yin Jiehao had never set eyes on him again.

He certainly had not expected to cross paths with his exiled cousin in a place like this today. What surprised him even more was that Yin Zemin appeared to be intimately acquainted with both supermodel Yang Mingxia and the mysterious penthouse girl, Qiao Meixia. Judging from their casual interactions, he seemed especially close to Yang Mingxia.

Yin Jiehao’s intense curiosity was immediately re-ignited. Years ago, he had repeatedly asked several high-ranking elders in the Yin Family about the truth behind Yin Zemin’s sudden disappearance, but every single one of them had harshly shut him down.

Eventually, as the years drifted by, Yin Jiehao had gradually pushed the cold case to the back of his mind. It was not until today, after unexpectedly witnessing Yin Zemin standing right before his eyes, that all those buried, unanswered questions resurfaced in full force.

...

Meanwhile, Qiao Meixia tore through the night traffic on her superbike, riding all the way back to the gated perimeter of the Jiang Family Residence.

The moment the security team posted at the main iron gates spotted the unfamiliar, roaring superbike approaching at high speeds, they immediately stepped forward and lowered the heavy barrier arm to block the path.

”Halt right there!” One of the uniformed security guards raised a stern hand. ”This is private, gated property. Please turn your vehicle around and leave immediately.”

Qiao Meixia smoothly brought the Italian machine to a complete stop, idling the rumble of the engine. She calmly reached up and lifted the dark visor of her helmet, revealing her icy, striking eyes.

”It’s me.” Qiao Meixia said flatly.

”Who?” The guard asked, straining to recognise the rider beneath the heavy protective gear.

Before Qiao Meixia could offer an answer, another senior security officer on duty stepped closer and squinted at her face.

”Are... Are you the Eldest Young Miss?” He asked with sudden, hesitant uncertainty. ”Miss Qiao?”

”Hmm...” Qiao Meixia gave a small nod.

”My apologies!” The senior guard immediately straightened his posture into a rigid stance, bowing slightly before gesturing toward the open drive. ”In that case, please proceed inside, Miss Qiao!”

The security guard clicked the button, and the road barrier lifted up, allowing Qiao Meixia to come in.

He turned sharply toward the rest of the guard detail. ”Raise the barrier immediately! Move aside!”

The automated barrier arm was instantly lifted into the air, opening the private road into the estate.

”Thank you.” Qiao Meixia nodded politely before twisting the throttle and riding smoothly through the iron gates.

After her purple superbike disappeared down the long, tree-lined estate driveway, one of the younger security guards turned to his senior officer with a confused expression.

”Was that really...” One of the security guards tried to guess.

”That was indeed Miss Qiao. We have already received explicit, direct instructions from Eldest Young Master Jiang himself.” The senior guard confirmed in a low, serious tone. He looked sternly at every guard standing on the night shift. ”From this moment onward, do not dare to stop or delay the Eldest Young Miss whenever she enters or leaves the estate grounds. Is that completely understood?”

”Understood!” The security team immediately responded in unison, standing sharply at attention as the roar of the superbike faded into the distance.

Qiao Meixia smoothly navigated her superbike down the driveway and into the underground parking garage, parking it with surgical precision in an empty bay before heading into the main house. This time, the sprawling living room was unusually quiet and devoid of drama. Neither Jiang Yanna nor Feng Lan was lurking around to initiate another tense exchange. Without stopping anywhere else, Qiao Meixia glided directly up the stairs to her private bedroom. After washing up and changing into comfortable clothes, she climbed onto her large bed and quickly drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

....

Meanwhile, deep into the night, Yin Jiuqi finally received the encrypted intelligence dossier he had requested.

After visiting his aunt at the boutique earlier that afternoon, he had immediately instructed one of his most trusted, high-level operatives to conduct a private background check on Qiao Meixia. There was a subtle, dangerous intrigue about that young girl that had instantly hooked his interest.

It certainly had nothing to do with his aunt’s playful teasing regarding the long-standing, unfulfilled marriage agreement between their respective families. Rather, it was the uncanny, razor-sharp impression she had left on him.

His dark, contemplative gaze swept slowly over the crisp lines of the report.

Qiao Meixia. Seventeen years old. Raised in a modest orphanage in B City. Recently confirmed through DNA testing to be the biological daughter of Jiang Lukang and formally brought back to the Jiang Household.

Yin Jiuqi narrowed his eyes, leaning back in his advanced wheelchair as his thoughts slowly drifted back to his memories of Jiang Lukang.

Before the devastating car accident two years ago that had stripped him of his mobility, Jiang Lukang had persistently visited the Yin Family Estate dozens of times, aggressively pushing to lock in the corporate marriage arrangement between his daughter and Yin Jiuqi. At that time, Patriarch Yin had agreed to the union on Yin Jiuqi’s behalf without even bothering to inform or consult him beforehand.

However, after the tragic accident occurred, everything shifted overnight.

Scandalous rumours rapidly circulated throughout the city’s high-society circles claiming that Yin Jiuqi had been permanently crippled and rendered mentally unstable. From that exact moment onward, Jiang Lukang’s frantic enthusiasm for the alliance noticeably cooled. His eager visits to the estate became fewer and farther between until they ceased entirely.

Even so, judging from the current sequence of events, Jiang Lukang had clearly never abandoned his desperate ambition to forge a powerful blood tie with the formidable Yin Family. He had simply swapped out the candidate.

Yin Jiuqi tapped his slender fingers rhythmically against the edge of the printed document.

However, from what he had personally observed of the young girl at the boutique today, this newly reclaimed biological daughter did not appear to be someone the hypocritical Jiang Family could ever hope to manipulate or control.

Her absolute, frosty aura...

Her unnerving, impenetrable composure...

And above all, the underlying, dangerous authority radiating from her very presence...

None of those traits belonged to an innocent, docile pawn who would obediently surrender her life to suit someone else’s corporate board games. Instead, she possessed the distinct, lethal temperament of a predator, someone who would ruthlessly retaliate the second anyone attempted to shackle her freedom.

A faint, deeply amused smile curled the corners of Yin Jiuqi’s lips. For the time being, he had zero intention of stepping in or disrupting the board. Observing the unfolding chaos from the sidelines would prove to be vastly more entertaining.

....

The following morning, Qiao Meixia awoke to the soft vibration of her smartphone.

It was a priority notification from MadDog. She glanced down at the exact timestamp of the incoming message.

2:00 a.m.

Her dark eyebrows rose ever so slightly. It was extremely rare for MadDog to ping her private line at such an ungodly hour of the night unless something notable had transpired within their network. She swiped the screen open to read the message.

[MadDog]: Boss, someone out there has been aggressively digging around trying to unearth personal data on you.

She scrolled down for another message.

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