Chapter 12: The Adopted Daughter of a Wealthy Family Leaks Telepathy 12 In Life, Luck…

Chapter 12: The Heiress’s Inner Monologue Leaks 12

In life, luck is everything...

Ding Jie had always been sensitive. After taking the game from Xu Ziyan’s bag, he waited for her to get angry and confront him, already planning how to coax her.

But Xu Ziyan never reached out, leaving him unsettled—like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Now, he finally understood. Xu Ziyan *was* angry, but instead of confronting him directly, she resorted to underhanded tricks against his mother to force him to apologize first.

From the shrimp-peeling and bag-carrying last time, he had already noticed. Xu Ziyan believed she had sacrificed for him by being kicked out of the Fu family and had even helped him tremendously, so she now acted superior, expecting him to cater to her!

Ding Jie’s expression darkened. No one could force him like this!

He called Xu Ziyan and immediately demanded, “Was it you who told Yang Anni to post those photos? Now the internet is full of people cursing my mom.”

Xu Ziyan replied blithely, “Why are netizens so trigger-happy with insults these days? Being a celebrity is tough. Anni just had coffee with me and got accused of having a sugar daddy—of course she had to clarify. I bankrolled her series; I can’t let it tank before it even starts.

Your mom’s been a star for years—she’s weathered every storm, right? Surely she can understand how hard it is for newcomers?”

What could Ding Jie say? That his mother *couldn’t* understand? He gritted his teeth. “You should’ve told me first.”

Xu Ziyan feigned surprise. “How was I supposed to know the rumors would shift from Anni being a sugar daddy to your mom buying hot searches to sabotage her? What was I supposed to tell you in advance? Honestly, your mom could just clarify too. Unless… she really *did* buy the hot search?”

Ding Jie’s patience snapped. All his composure crumbled today. Hearing Xu Ziyan repeatedly say “your mom” felt like she was pointing at his nose, mocking and belittling him.

He took a deep breath, reminding himself that this was a crucial juncture, and softened his tone. “Are you still upset about the game? I had an emergency that day and forgot to tell you. I’m sorry.”

Xu Ziyan chuckled. “I was surprised then, but now that I think about it, it’s not so strange after all. Anyway, I’m about to eat. Let’s talk later.”

She hung up, but Ding Jie kept replaying her tone and her last words. She had been surprised that day because he took the game without asking and left abruptly. Now, she wasn’t surprised—was it because his mother’s hot-search-buying made her think “like mother, like son,” that both of them were terrible?

Clutching his phone, Ding Jie spiraled into overthinking, his expression darkening. When a knock came from his secretary, saying his father, Ding Yukun, wanted to see him, he schooled his expression, grabbing the game files and slipping into work mode.

Meanwhile, Xu Ziyan had already forgotten about him the moment she hung up. The sizzling grilled lamb chops on the table made her beam—she had specifically requested this dish! But seeing the entire Fu family (except Fu Qixuan, who was overseas) gathered for dinner was odd.

“Since when do wealthy families eat together so often? Breakfast and dinner every day—don’t they have busy schedules?”

Fu Dongfeng spoke first. “The private investigator did uncover some unusual things, but as long as we’re all unharmed, that’s what matters.”

Fu Qiming suppressed his anger. “Sis, don’t worry. I’ll make sure Zheng Wenbo won’t know what hit him. Just stay at home—with so many people and surveillance, he won’t be able to hurt you.”

Xu Ziyan understood. This family seemed destined to be collateral damage. They had discovered the truth about those around them and were now huddling together for comfort—and safety. A loving family is a shelter, after all.

And now, she was part of that safe haven too. “Happiness!”

Her appetite soared. Suddenly, 001 announced, *Host has completed the plot of launching a smear campaign on Song Jie and earned one skill point.*

Xu Ziyan paused. “I followed the plot?”

After thinking carefully, she was stunned. “That counts? In the original plot, two months later, I’d realize she treated me like a servant while doting on Bai Qingqing. Furious, I’d retaliate, costing Bai Qingqing her job and hiring trolls to attack Song Jie.

Ding Jie would scold me, but I’d refuse to back down, making veiled digs. He’d have to continue to use me, so he’d temporarily endure and placate me, secretly holding a grudge and plotting revenge for later.

But I wasn’t even making veiled digs at him just now.”

001: *The judgment likely prioritizes the male lead’s perception.*

“So Ding Jie thought I was being sarcastic just now? And he 'swallowed his pride to appease me'? Hah! So absurd—but if that counts, then we can get creative! As long as the pretext and form match, we can make creative substitutions. Great, I get to live a few more days.” She devoured another lamb chop while scheming. The Fu family exchanged glances. This was excellent news. If they could make creative substitutions like this, they’d help her complete every plot point.

001 prompted, "Host, you currently have a total of three skill points that haven't been allocated to any attributes yet."

Xu Ziyan replied without hesitation, "Add them to luck."

"Huh?" 001 nearly crashed. It had considered health, intelligence, or even Xu Ziyan trying acting and adding points to acting skills—anything but luck.

Xu Ziyan explained, "Consider this—life's full of uncertainties. Healthy people can still meet with accidents; smart people can still go bankrupt or fail. Look at Yang Anni—she's beautiful and talented, yet she gets slandered out of nowhere. And me? In my past life, I killed myself working and was already a poster child for rags-to-riches among ordinary people, yet I still ended up as a villainess who died suddenly.

So, I’ve come to realize that luck is the most important thing in life. Look at Ding Jie, look at Bai Qingqing—as long as their luck is good, everything that happens benefits them. That’s the real game-changer."

Convinced, 001 immediately allocated all three skill points to luck. However, luck is a fickle thing—it’s not something that can be easily boosted. Adding just three points made no noticeable difference in her fortune.

Xu Ziyan wasn’t bothered. Every little bit helps, and haste makes waste. Keeping cool and living in the moment was far more important.

The Fu family also admired her insight. They had assumed that since she was investing in dramas and starting an entertainment company, she’d focus on career-related attributes. They never expected her to choose luck.

But upon reflection, it made sense. The Fu family excelled in many areas—background, intelligence, health, ability—yet what became of them? A family of cannon fodder, simply because they were rivals with the Ding family, the male lead’s clan. Wasn’t that just bad luck?

Take Bai Qingqing, whom Xu Ziyan had mentioned. They had investigated her—she was completely ordinary: average background, average education, low emotional intelligence, mediocre IQ, overemotional, and poor at handling tasks. The only thing special about her was that in the complex, dog-eat-dog world, she resembled a helpless kitten.

Someone like her couldn't cut it in society—she’d inevitably face trials and tribulations, eventually becoming just another ordinary person. But she was lucky. She met Ding Jie at a time when he had the power to protect her and happened to favor her fragile, kitten-like demeanor. So, Ding Jie became her guardian, sheltering her under his wing, and she became the female lead of this world.

There were countless people like her, but Ding Jie happened to encounter Bai Qingqing. That’s why luck truly was the most crucial factor.

Fortunately, the Fu family’s luck had also turned around. Xu Ziyan’s arrival was their lucky break, giving them a chance to change their fate. No matter what, they would protect her and strive to improve her luck.

Li Yunhui slid another lamb chop on Xu Ziyan’s plate. "If you like it, have more."

Fu Dongfeng said, "This time, we should all thank Xiao Yan. If not for her reminder, we wouldn’t have realized how many scheming people were around us."

Fu Qiming even threw Xu Ziyan a lifeline. "I think you were deceived by Ding Jie before. Luckily, you realized it in time and didn’t suffer any losses. Just stay alert from now on."

Xu Ziyan nodded. She had previously wondered why the Fu family, who in the original plot had grown cold toward the original host, were so kind to her. Now she understood—they believed she had come to her senses, all because she had been tricked by Ding Jie.

Since they all had such villains around them, she was seen as another victim, in the same boat as them. Naturally, they had no reason to be angry with her—their fury was reserved for outsiders.

Xu Ziyan took the opportunity to distance herself from the original host’s past malice, putting that whole mess behind her for good.

The Fu family also breathed easier. Finally, they had found an excuse to smooth things over and move forward. From now on, they could start fresh.

After dinner, Li Dong arrived, mentioning that Ding Corporation was about to launch a game—the very one Fu Qiming had developed. Worried that Fu Qiming might be upset, he came to check on him. While speaking, he glanced at Xu Ziyan, as if afraid Fu Qiming’s anger toward her had lessened.

When Li Dong went to the restroom, Xu Ziyan curiously asked Fu Qiming, "You still haven’t confronted him?"

Fu Qiming scoffed. "Ending things just like that would be letting him off too easy. He deceived me for years—I’ll play along and see who outsmarts whom in the end!"

Xu Ziyan hadn’t expected the quick-tempered Fu Qiming to be so patient. Perhaps the childhood friendship was too precious to let go of lightly, and he wanted to deceive Li Dong in return as payback?

Fu Yazhen seemed to share the same mindset. Xu Ziyan overheard Zheng Wenbo calling Fu Yazhen, who gave no hint that she had investigated him, remaining as composed as if nothing had happened.

These siblings really knew how to play their cards close to the vest.

In truth, they weren’t reluctant to burn bridges—they were afraid that doing so outright would disrupt the plot and cause the world to collapse. So, they kept their enemies closer, staying vigilant while figuring out how to exploit them to complete key plot points.

That night, while scrolling through her phone, Xu Ziyan noticed that the trending topics about Yang Anni and the backlash against Song Jie had disappeared—likely Ding Jie’s doing. Now, the only remaining discussions were speculations about Ding Yao’s identity.

Just as she was about to put her phone down, she saw Ding Yao’s new Weibo post:

*Yang Anni and I are in a serious, monogamous relationship. I was planning to gift her a one-of-a-kind diamond set—one my mother acquired at an auction during her lifetime. Consider it a meeting gift from the Ding family to their future daughter-in-law.*

The post included a photo of the jewelry.

The dying hype immediately reignited. Many rushed to look up Ding Yao’s identity, and upon discovering he was a genuine wealthy heir, they were stunned—was Yang Anni really marrying into a rich family? This was official recognition! Though the "monogamous and loyal" description was cringeworthy.

Then, someone noticed something odd—the jewelry in the photo looked familiar. Wasn’t that the same set Song Jie had flaunted on Weibo months ago? If it was one-of-a-kind, what did that make Song Jie’s version?

Suddenly, old gossip came back to haunt—one claiming Song Jie’s son was fathered by a certain tycoon… whose surname happened to be *Ding*?