Chapter 34: The Princess and Her Mother Are Cut From the Same Cloth?

"Princess Luya, it is a pleasure to meet you here in Jingbei."

She was a princess from a small Nordic country, backed by generations of accumulated wealth. In terms of both status and financial capital, she was a standout on the global stage. What interested Yu Yue even more was that this princess held a coveted invitation spot for an elite art competition that everyone in the painting world was desperate to obtain.

Luya’s striking beauty, a blend of Central European heritage, was made even more noble by her deep blue eyes. Despite her youth, her temperament was enough to rival that of Fu Shiyong, the overlord of Jingbei. She spoke, shifting her chair away from Yu Yue, who was trying to lean in and curry favor.

"Paint a picture for me."

"What?"

"Tomorrow at three in the afternoon, come to this address. I want you to paint a picture for me."

With that, she left without a second’s hesitation.

Feeling slighted, Yu Yue’s eyes turned red. She clung to Fu Shiyong and complained, "Shiyong, that little brat! Even if she doesn't give me any face, she shouldn't treat you like you don't exist either."

Silence.

"Shiyong!" She looked up, displeased, only to find the man who should have been comforting her staring intently at the direction in which Luya had departed. In those dark, unfathomable eyes, a secret emotion seemed to be churning.

Downstairs, inside the embassy's Bentley, Luya pulled a pocket watch from her breast pocket. She flipped it open; inside the lid was a yellowed, old photograph, clipped from a graduation picture.

"Father, I will find her for you. I promise!"

The next day, Yu Zao was using a false identity to work as a cash-paid hourly cleaner at a housekeeping agency that provided room and board. The team leader kept emphasizing, "Our client today is a European aristocrat. Her most prized possessions are priceless oil paintings. Be careful while you're cleaning."

"She doesn't have a good temper. If you cause trouble, you'll be in for it."

The agency's van pulled up to the back door. It was a charming little villa filled with the essence of autumn; looking at the moss on the walls, it seemed to be an old building. Curiously, even though she had never been here before, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

She entered the living room and prepared to start cleaning. Suddenly, a sharp, angry roar echoed from the study on the second floor.

"Get out! Another fake!"

Yu Yue scrambled out of the study, nearly falling over. Luya followed, dumping an entire tray of mixed pigments over the head of the woman who always acted as if she were the future Mrs. Fu.

The little princess, eccentric and cold, scoffed, "I was a fool to think that just because you have the surname Yu, you would be her. In fact, you aren't worth a single finger of hers!"

"Princess Luya, first of all, in Jingbei, I am the only Miss Yu. I come from a scholarly family and have been immersed in an artistic environment since childhood."

"Secondly, my fiancé is the chairman of the Fu Group, Fu Shiyong. If you offend me, you offend him!"

"Finally, my painting skills are unmatched in the circle—no one would dare claim to be better than me!"

Confident and arrogant, the longer she was pampered by Fu Shiyong, the more invincible Yu Yue felt.

Luya chuckled and waved her hand. "Escort this famous 'great painter'... out!"

"Yes."

When the little princess said "get out," it meant get out. Yu Yue was bundled up by burly bodyguards and kicked toward the door, sliding out in a humiliating fashion right in front of Yu Zao.

Yu Zao didn't want to get involved, turning to slip away. But Yu Yue spotted her instantly. A nameless rage flared up; she couldn't stand being seen in such a pathetic state by the person she despised most.

In an instant—*crash!*

Yu Zao was knocked off balance, slamming into the fish tank behind her. The splashing water soaked the painting displayed in the most prominent spot of the living room, causing the oil inks to run.

The housekeeping team leader was stunned silent. She stammered, "Liu Zao, you... you... you are courting death!"

To avoid Fu Shiyong's blacklist, Yu Zao had adopted a fake name using her mother's surname.

Yu Yue seized the opportunity, shouting toward the second floor, "You lowly, impoverished wretch! Do you know this painting is the Princess’s most cherished piece? You've ruined it—do you not want to live?"

Luya rushed out at the noise, practically flying down the stairs. Her eyes were burning with rage, and she raised her hand to strike.

As if she had predicted the move, Yu Zao dodged with precision. The slap missed.

The little princess stomped her feet in frustration and snarled, "Commoner, don't move! Be good and..."

"...Stand there and let this princess hit you!"

Once again, she said the words Luya was about to speak before she could. Both women froze for a moment.

"You..."

"An acquaintance. You remind me of her."

It was her mother. Whenever her father upset her as a child, she would stand with her hands on her hips, just like Luya. When she couldn't land a hit, she would shout exactly those words. And her father would always play along, kneeling on one knee and laughing, "Yes, my Princess, your servant knows his error."

That time was one of the few warm memories Yu Zao had from her twenty-some years of life.

"An acquaintance? Who?" Luya asked, acting haughty.

It was truly strange. Why did this foreign princess, who should have had nothing to do with her mother, mirror her every expression, action, and even her habits?

"Hey, speak up! I’m asking you a question. Answer me, or I’ll punish you."

Yu Yue climbed up from the floor. Pouring oil on the fire, she pulled her phone from her pocket, having already dialed Fu Shiyong's number.

"Princess Luya, this woman is my fiancé’s ex-wife."

"Three years ago, she was greedy for vanity and abandoned her husband and child. Now she has received her retribution—penniless and working as a prostitute."

She emphasized the last few words. To ensure Luya believed her, she used a servant's phone to open the trending topic that had been number one for a week and held it out. In the video, Yu Zao was subjected to malicious editing and rumors, all designed to paint her as a shameless woman who ruined marriages for money.

"Princess, my sister’s character is appalling. She deliberately damaged your painting just now to frame me and seek revenge."

Every word was clear, reaching Fu Shiyong’s ears on the other end of the line. The Rolls-Royce heading toward the airport screeched to a halt, made a U-turn at the nearest toll station, and headed back to the city.

Meanwhile, Luya only asked one thing: "Sister? So, she has the same surname as you, Yu?"

"She..."

"My name is Liu, Princess Luya. If you give me one hour, I can restore this painting to its original state."

Before she could finish, Yu Yue burst into mocking laughter. "My dear sister, have you lost your mind? The composition of this painting is unique; even I am at a loss. You, a lowly servant, dare to spout such nonsense in front of the Princess?"