As expected.

The next instant, Ming Yue, her lips curled into a sly smile, suddenly sprang to her feet and, like a gust of wind, shot over to the Liu family in an instant. Before Liu Qinxin could even utter the word “careful,” Ming Yue had already kicked out with a swift, thunderous kick that struck Liu Fan squarely in the back of his knee, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Liu Fan let out an immediate cry of pain, completely bewildered as to what had just happened. The rest of the Liu family was equally stunned, staring around in confusion.

Liu Qinxin hurried forward, scolding anxiously, “Ming Yue, what are you doing? Stop this nonsense! If you dare act recklessly, I’ll call the police!”

“Call the police? Fine! Go ahead and call! But if you do, I’ll immediately file a counter-suit against the entire Liu clan for all the dirty tricks you’ve pulled! Let’s see then—will it be me who gets arrested, or will your dear older brother end up behind bars?”

Ming Yue let out a cold snort, grabbed Liu Fan by the hair, and dragged him forward until he stood right before Liu Qinxin. In her hand she still held a thick glass cup. It was obvious what she intended to do.

With a deathly pale face, Liu Qinxin was still puzzled when Ming Yue casually tossed the man she’d been dragging to the ground with a loud clang at Liu Qinxin’s feet. Then she swiftly raised her foot and stomped hard on Liu Fan’s chest, suffocating him so badly that he struggled frantically but couldn’t muster the strength to shout back at her.

Ming Yue then pulled out her phone and began playing the recording of the man’s confession from last night—loud and clear—in the Ming family living room. Of course, she only played the most crucial part: the section where the man confessed that Liu Fan had ordered them to kidnap Ming Yue, threaten her, and even film the whole ordeal as evidence to blackmail her.

When the audio finished, Ming Yue put her phone away.

“I’m not turning this recording over to the police, and those three brutes I sent to the station last night won’t be confessing anything anytime soon. But if you don’t let me vent my anger today, Ms. Liu, I might as well make up for it right here and now!”

With that, Ming Yue twisted her foot sharply on Liu Fan’s chest and turned to look at Liu Qinxin with a smug grin. “So, what do you say, my little Miss Liu? Are you going to send your brother to jail, or are you willing to let me beat him senseless right here, in front of both our Ming family and yours, just to get my revenge? Don’t worry—I’m not going to kill him. After all, I just want to vent my anger; I don’t want to go to jail.”

By the time the Liu family snapped out of their shock, they had all gathered around, looking ready to devour Ming Yue alive, spewing every vile insult they could think of. Unfortunately, no one actually dared to get close to Ming Yue.

Ming Yue, however, didn’t care about those foul-mouthed idiots. She simply kept her foot firmly planted on Liu Fan, glancing over at Liu Qinxin, who was biting her lips tightly, and then, taking a moment, gave a quick wink to her good father, Ming Shuo, who sat on the sofa with a blank expression, as if to remind him of something.

“Oh, by the way, Dad, I almost forgot to ask you: what’s your choice? But before you decide, let me give you a heads-up—your beloved daughter always remembers that we’re one family.

For the sake of your great reputation, for the sake of your glorious empire—

Even though last night I nearly had your dear uncle-in-law ruin everything, I still showed great magnanimity and didn’t make a big deal out of it. Instead, I quietly had those bastards locked up and fed special rations. But if you side with him today and defend him, then I’m done playing nice—I’ll go all out! I don’t mind completely destroying whatever bit of reputation you’ve worked so hard to restore.

After all, I’m not someone who puts up with being pushed around.

Either you let me vent my anger, or you’ll have to take the full brunt of it with me—and we can keep the fun going all the way to the underworld, too. I sure won’t find that boring!”

“Ming Shuo, you can’t agree to this! She’s a madwoman—she’ll beat my son to death!” Liu Old Lady cried, pleading with Ming Shuo, yet daring not to step closer to Ming Yue.

Wang Zhi also looked to Ming Shuo for help. “Ming Shuo, please speak up for Liu Fan! Those things definitely weren’t his doing—he wouldn’t be that foolish.”

End of Chapter 71: The Choice