SBCEJM -Chapter 261 A Bombshell Shocks High Society! Young Nobles Rush to Break Off Engagements Overnight!

Yun He froze in place.

The surrounding noise of street vendors, bargaining, and whispered conversations all blurred into nothing.

Only those two voices remained—clear, chillingly clear.

【So…】

The system spoke in the calmest tone, delivering the cruelest truth.

【Yun Shu, supposedly married into the Zhang family to enjoy a life of luxury, was actually sold in—】

【to serve those five mentally impaired “real young masters”…】

【She has to take care of their eating, drinking, bathing, and even their bodily needs!】

【One girl. Five grown men with intellectual disabilities!】

Only two words echoed in Feng Zeyan’s mind—

Animals.

The alley exploded.

“Se-serve five men…? That’s terrifying!”

“They bought a girl just to serve five idiots… My heavens!”

A woman covered her mouth, eyes full of horror.

Feng Zekai lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting shadows over his eyes.

Concealing the cold fury surging within.

The Zhang family’s actions were utterly inhuman.

【Wait!】

A flash of insight struck Feng Zeyan.

【“Special reason”?】

【Don’t tell me… incest marriage?!】

【Host is correct!】

The system immediately confirmed.

【Old Master Zhang and Madam Zhang are first cousins!】

【Back then, in the name of “keeping the wealth within the family,” their families forced the cousin pair into marriage.】

【And the result?】

【All five sons they had… without exception, were mentally impaired and abnormal.】

The crowd stirred again.

Incest marriage?

What kind of concept was that?

Feng Zekai frowned deeply.

He suddenly recalled medical texts he had once seen in his sister’s “immortal abode.”

They clearly stated in illustrations:

When bloodlines are too close, it is a grave taboo. Offspring are often born with congenital defects—mental or physical—and survival rates are far lower than normal.

【Simply put,】

the system began to explain.

【When bloodlines are too close, any hidden genetic defects get amplified tenfold or even a hundredfold in the children!】

【The closer the blood relation, the higher the risk of abnormalities!】

Feng Zeyan thought:

【So… is this Heaven’s punishment for violating natural order?】

At that moment—

A group of well-dressed, noble young men in the back of the crowd suddenly changed expressions.

They were members of imperial collateral branches and noble families who had secretly come to watch the commotion.

In royal and aristocratic circles, cousin marriages to “preserve noble bloodlines” were extremely common.

A prince from a ducal branch suddenly felt his mind go blank.

His legitimate son… had been frail since birth and still couldn’t speak clearly at age seven.

And he and his wife… were maternal cousins.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

Another heir from the Marquis of Encheng suddenly shattered the jade pendant in his hand.

Just last month, he had proposed marriage to his maternal aunt’s family.

His cousin was beautiful, their families well-matched—perfect, almost destined.

But now…

He abruptly turned and strode away.

He had to cancel the engagement immediately!

No matter how beautiful she was, he couldn’t gamble the family line on this!

Meanwhile, Feng Zeyan had no idea—

this “gossip bomb” between her and the system had already detonated across high society in the capital.

It would change the entire landscape of aristocratic marriages.

【So,】

the system continued revealing.

【For the sake of reputation and inheritance, Old Master Zhang officially adopted a healthy son born from a concubine, registering him under the madam’s name as the “legitimate heir.”】

【They let him appear in public and inherit the family business.】

【As for the five real sons… they were all locked in a hidden basement, kept like discarded waste.】

【And Yun Shu and girls like her were bought by Madam Zhang specifically to take care of those “shameful” biological sons.】

【How could Madam Zhang agree to imprison her own sons?】

Feng Zeyan could not understand.

【She couldn’t resist.】

The system’s tone turned mocking.

【In the face of family利益 and the husband’s absolute authority, a mother’s tears are worthless.】

【She could only watch her own sons being locked away.】

【While she raised the healthy children born of concubines as treasures.】

【As for Yun Shu and the others, they were given basic food and clothing, but their monthly allowance was tightly controlled.】

【To prevent them from saving enough money to escape.】

【So Yun Shu’s indenture contract was later even bought from her father by Madam Zhang herself.】

Feng Zeyan clenched her fists.

【Yun Shu still doesn’t know the truth. She thinks she was just deceived into marriage!】

【Every day, she stays in that dark basement courtyard.】

【Taking care of those five mentally disabled men who can’t even manage their own bodily functions…】

【At night, she even has to…】

The system did not finish.

That sigh alone was more terrifying than any explicit description.

【Because she works diligently and never complains, Madam Zhang occasionally allows her to leave the courtyard to buy medicine for the weak “young masters.”】

【But every time she goes out, she must return within a strict time limit.】

【Even one minute late means a brutal beating!】

【This…】

Feng Zeyan blurted out:

【This is fucking hell on earth!】

“Indenture contract.”

“Basement.”

“Mentally disabled.”

“Unable to control bodily functions.”

Each word struck like a burning iron nail, hammering into Yun He’s mind.

Two winters ago.

When his sister came home, he had seen bruises around her wrists.

He asked her what happened.

She smiled and said she had just bumped into something.

On his birthday last year.

She couldn’t afford to buy him the purple brush he wanted.

He had lashed out at her for the first time, calling her stingy, saying she was still poor and petty even after marrying into wealth.

She said nothing.

Only lowered her head quietly.

Later on.

Every time she came home, she was always in a rush—arriving hurriedly, leaving hurriedly.

He resented how rarely she visited and even complained:

“So after you got married, you look down on your family now?”

She had red eyes, but still smiled and said, “No… it’s just that the household is busy.”

Yun He began to tremble.

Those bruises—she must have struggled and been beaten!

Her “stinginess”—because she had no money left to save!

Her rushing—because being even a minute late meant punishment!

And he…

Every complaint he had ever made…

Was a knife.

Stabbing into his sister’s already shattered heart.

Yun He’s eyes turned red.

He picked up the muddy pear from the ground, his nails digging into the flesh.

Juice mixed with mud dripped through his fingers.

He suddenly remembered the restaurant earlier.

When his sister asked him to pay for his own meal, he had publicly humiliated her.

On the way home.

He had shouted at her, accusing her of looking down on her family.

Just moments ago.

He had kicked over the fruit basket and called her heartless.

And now…

The one truly heartless person…

Was him.

At the corner of the alley.

Yun’s mother, who had been quietly wiping her tears, stood frozen.

Her daughter was sold by her husband?

Locked in a basement?

Forced to serve five monsters?

And even—

Her mind exploded.

This time, she did not cry. She did not run.

She wiped away her tears sharply.

A light burst forth in her eyes—something she had never shown before.

A mother’s instinct.

Raw. Fierce. Unstoppable.

She lifted her skirt and ran after them!

Feng Zeyan watched the mother and son rushing forward, slightly stunned.

【Why did they suddenly run off?】

【Host, they’re heading toward the Zhang residence!】

【Don’t tell me they’re going back to argue with the sister again because they’re even angrier now?】

Feng Zeyan blinked.

【With Yun He’s body type, he’s basically going there to get himself killed.】

She finished her pear soup in one gulp and licked her lips.

Then she stood up abruptly.

【Under the broad daylight of the civilized world, such vile crimes exist!】

She grabbed Feng Zekai’s sleeve.

“Brother! Let’s go! Time to watch the show!”

Feng Zekai nodded, letting her pull him along.

Seeing this, the surrounding crowd of onlookers also grew restless.

“Let’s go! We must see this!”

“Yes! Let’s see if the Zhang family is truly a den of beasts!”

“If it’s true… I’ll report them to the authorities myself!”

People looked at each other.

And then, almost unanimously, they followed behind the siblings from the Northern Protectorate Prince’s estate.

Scholars, vendors, women, porters—even disguised nobles.

A vast, surging crowd.

Filled with righteous anger.

They headed toward the Zhang residence in the east of the city—like a rolling tide.