The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 176. Art exhibition, real and fake Leng Qingqiu

Chapter 176: 176. Art exhibition, real and fake Leng Qingqiu

The location of the art exhibition was in Beijing’s largest art museum, and it only featured the works of Leng Qingqiu alone—an outstanding achievement among the younger generation of painters.

Originally, the venue for the exhibition was not here, but after the news of Leng Qingqiu’s award had circulated, the Painter Association’s representatives took the initiative to approach them.

At that time, the fake Leng Qingqiu had not yet announced the termination of her partnership with Daniel, so those from the association, unaware of the fake Leng Qingqiu’s contact details, naturally turned to Daniel. Upon hearing from them, Daniel immediately agreed.

After returning to the country, the partnership between Daniel and the fake Leng Qingqiu had ended, but all of Leng Qingqiu’s paintings were still in Daniel’s possession. The fake Leng Qingqiu was powerless in this regard; she could repaint them, but several of the works displayed were new creations by Shen Qinglan. Aside from Daniel, no one had seen these works, nor did she know their content. She could only silently observe and wait for Daniel to finish arranging the exhibition hall.

She did not understand why he would play out this seemingly meaningless charade, especially when she had no choice but to follow his directives.

Fortunately, Daniel completed the venue setup; otherwise, she really couldn’t have continued this act.

When Shen Qinglan and the others arrived, Daniel was already waiting at the entrance, standing in a corner unnoticed. When he saw Shen Qinglan, he walked over to greet her.

"Qinglan," Daniel greeted Shen Qinglan.

"Daniel," Shen Qinglan responded, only then did everyone realize that he was Daniel. Previously, when Shen Qinglan mentioned she knew Daniel, Shen Xitong might have thought it was just Shen Qinglan talking nonsense, but it seemed their relationship was not bad.

However... she glanced at Daniel with disfavor. This man had actually been secretly selling Qingqiu’s works. Thinking of the two works Shen Qinglan had purchased, she couldn’t help but suspect that these might have been sold to Shen Qinglan by Daniel himself. The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and her gaze towards Daniel grew even colder.

Daniel ignored her glare, but he didn’t show much of a pleasant expression to Shen Xitong either. He was a top-tier agent in the art circle, and Shen Qinglan was not the only artist he had promoted to stardom, but their collaboration had been the most enjoyable.

His gentleness toward Shen Qinglan didn’t mean he had to be gentle with others, so when Shen Qinglan introduced him to her family, Daniel greeted everyone except Shen Xitong.

Feeling ignored by Daniel, Shen Xitong’s eyes flashed with anger, and she glared fiercely at him, "Isn’t this Qingqiu’s former agent, Daniel?" She deliberately emphasized the word "former," letting others sense a hint of schadenfreude.

Chu Yunrong frowned—she disliked Shen Xitong’s rude behavior, which seemed very uncultured. She glanced at Shen Xitong, hoping she would be more mindful of the occasion, but Shen Xitong was oblivious to Chu Yunrong’s look.

"Who is this miss?" Daniel asked, pretending to have just noticed Shen Xitong’s presence.

Shen Xitong seethed inwardly, sure enough, a person acquainted with Shen Qinglan was no good.

"I am Qinglan’s sister, my name is Shen Xitong." A proper smile spread across her face; outside, she always maintained a good image.

Daniel made a curious noise, turning to Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, I thought you only had a brother. Since when did you have a sister?"

The remark made Shen Qian and Chu Yunrong look slightly displeased, feeling that Daniel was somewhat tactless. Regardless, Shen Xitong, even if adopted by the Shen Family, bore the identity of the Shen family’s young lady outwardly.

Shen Junyu watched Daniel, a spark of interest in his eyes. This man seemed to have more than just an acquaintance with his sister; it was clear he was siding with his own sister, and his opinion of Daniel instantly improved several degrees.

"Mr. Daniel is very close to our Qinglan?" Shen Qian spoke up, his gaze sizing up Daniel.

Daniel gave a slight smile, his mixed Chinese-European features strikingly handsome. "Qinglan and I have been good friends for many years."

He even threw Shen Qinglan a flirty wink, causing Fu Hengyi’s expression to darken as he gripped her hand tighter.

Shen Qinglan found it amusing inside, this jealous man, gently scratching the palm of his hand. Only then did the coldness in Fu Hengyi’s eyes dissipate, yet he still seemed displeased with Daniel.

Shen Qinglan gave Daniel a warning look, and he shrugged. Daniel knew this man was the grandson of the Fu Family. He hadn’t met him before, but today he felt like teasing him a bit. He hadn’t expected Qinglan to feel concerned, though.

"Mr. Daniel, what brings you here today?" Shen Qian asked.

"There’s an interesting show here today, naturally I came to watch," Daniel answered matter-of-factly. A rare encounter like True Qingqiu meeting the fake would be something he wouldn’t miss.

Others thought he was here because Qingqiu had unilaterally ended their partnership and he wasn’t content with it.

Only Fu Hengyi, looking thoughtful, glanced at Daniel and then at Shen Qinglan. When Daniel had spoken earlier, he had specifically looked at his wife.

Could this matter be related to Shen Qinglan in some way?

Anyone with a significant status in the art circle would recognize Daniel. As he approached, some had noticed him, and remembering the rumors spreading online recently, everyone sensed today’s art exhibition wouldn’t be simple.

"Didn’t he say he terminated the partnership with Leng Qingqiu? What’s he doing at Qingqiu’s exhibition?" someone whispered to their companion.

"Who knows, and besides, it was Qingqiu who announced the end of their partnership. Daniel didn’t seem to say much."

"Their breakup is odd too. Qingqiu’s statement was unclear, it’s hard to tell if it’s true or false."

"It’s probably not true. Think about it, Qingqiu was basically brought into the spotlight by Daniel. No one knew who Qingqiu was before, and now that he’s famous, he wants to ditch his agent and go solo. I don’t think Qingqiu is a good person."

Though spoken in low voices, Shen Qinglan and her group could still hear some of it. Daniel glanced at Shen Qinglan awkwardly, his expression innocent, as if to say this wasn’t his intention.

Shen Qinglan, however, had no particular reaction. It was better to take these speculative comments lightly and not to heart.

"Xitong, Grandpa Shen, Aunt, you’re here," the False Qingqiu called out, approaching from a distance with a smile, greeting everyone warmly.

Recently quite active in Beijing, many knew her, and seeing her walk towards Daniel stirred even more whispers.

Daniel had seen this woman before, but this was their first close encounter.

The False Qingqiu had anticipated meeting Daniel today, but hadn’t expected it to be here, and with the Shen Family as well.

"Qingqiu, you’re here," Shen Xitong stepped forward and warmly linked arms with the False Qingqiu. "Our whole family came to attend your exhibition."

"This is my father, and this is my brother. The last time you visited us, they happened to be out. Now, at last, you get to meet them. My father particularly likes your paintings; we have several of them at home," Shen Xitong introduced, pointing to Shen Qian and Shen Junyu to the impostor Leng Qingqiu.

The impostor Leng Qingqiu smiled gracefully and appropriately, although seeing Daniel here was somewhat unexpected, it didn’t affect her at all.

"I never expected Uncle Shen to like the paintings I made."

Shen Qian replied with a gentle smile, "Your paintings are very good. I didn’t expect you to be so young. The young people nowadays are really impressive."

"You flatter me, Uncle. I’ve just been lucky that some people appreciate my art, and of course, I owe a lot to Daniel early on." She said, looking towards Daniel, "Even though we’re not working together anymore, we’re still friends, right, Daniel?"

Daniel’s expression was a mix between a smile and non-smile. This woman really had some nerve. Was she genuinely sure he couldn’t expose her, or did she believe that even if he did, she could still get away unscathed?

"Friends or not, that’s debatable," Daniel replied coolly.

He wasn’t afraid to offend this woman. After today, everyone would know Shen Qinglan was the real Leng Qingqiu, and this woman in front of him was nothing but a fraud—someone everyone would denounce.

Although he didn’t know how Shen Qinglan would go about proving her identity, he was certain she had a way, given his years of knowing and trusting her.

The impostor Leng Qingqiu gave a slight smile, showing an understanding expression, "Although you’re no longer my agent, I’m still glad you could attend my exhibition."

"I naturally had to attend today’s exhibition." How else would he enjoy the spectacle? Daniel put on a forced smile.

The impostor Leng Qingqiu stopped looking at him and instead turned to Fu Hengyi, a man she hadn’t met before. Shen Xitong hadn’t introduced him, but since he was with the Shen family, he must be someone close to them. Most importantly, she felt threatened by this man.

This man was very dangerous, even more dangerous than the woman who had caught her last time.

"Who is this gentleman?"

Shen Xitong’s smile seemed a bit forced; she wasn’t keen on introducing Fu Hengyi’s identity outside, especially not with Shen Qinglan, but just because she was unwilling didn’t mean others wouldn’t.

"This is my husband, Fu Hengyi," Shen Qinglan interjected, her eyes glancing briefly at Shen Xitong, catching the slight change in her expression and feeling a trace of satisfaction.

Shen Xitong, the real show is just starting.

Jin Enxi had recently cleared up Shen Xitong’s background, revealing an interesting plot twist. It was unexpected that Shen Xitong, who viewed herself as the "Heavenly Pride Girl," had living relatives. It was intriguing to anticipate her reaction when she found out, especially when those relatives would show up.

A slight curve appeared on Shen Qinglan’s lips. Anyone familiar with her would know this meant trouble for someone.

"So, this gentleman is Miss Shen’s husband, truly a match of talents and looks," the impostor Leng Qingqiu said with genuine laughter.

Fu Hengyi didn’t speak but simply smiled.

The impostor Leng Qingqiu’s eyes flashed slightly. Indeed, his appearance was captivating—even a slight smile was alluring.

"Uncle, Auntie, I must excuse myself as I have something to attend to."

"Alright, go ahead," Chu Yunrong replied with a smile.

Many well-known figures from the painting circles attended the art exhibition today, as well as many art collectors.

Many people knew Daniel. As soon as the faux Leng Qingqiu left, several people came to greet Daniel. Knowing that Shen Qinglan didn’t like crowds, after the third person came to speak with him, he followed them away.

After all, the opening ceremony of the art exhibition was about to begin.

This exhibition marked the formal public debut of Leng Qingqiu, so the organizers had specially planned this opening ceremony to formally introduce Leng Qingqiu.

Initially, Daniel’s studio was the main organizer. After the faux Leng Qingqiu announced the termination of their contract, he quickly established a cooperation with a media company in Beijing, changing the primary organizer to them. They requested from Daniel the paintings to be exhibited by Leng Qingqiu, but he refused, claiming an agreement with the Painting and Calligraphy Association. Since the organizer’s personnel were not acquainted with the association members, Daniel’s people still managed the exhibition setup.

At ten o’clock sharp, the person in charge from the organizers took the stage to speak, formally introduced Leng Qingqiu’s identity, and invited the faux Leng Qingqiu to speak.

There were quite a few media friends present, with cameras all focused on the impostor Leng Qingqiu on stage. Although Leng Qingqiu was very famous, not many people had actually seen him in person. The turnout of so much media suggested not only Leng Qingqiu’s fame but likely also significant backing from the media company they collaborated with this time, determined to boost the impostor Leng Qingqiu’s popularity even further.

The impostor Leng Qingqiu didn’t actually know there would be so many media present; the organizer had only mentioned a few close media friends attending. Now, she was forced into a situation she couldn’t avoid, even if she was unwilling.

The organizer’s people were also perplexed when they saw the media friends, some of whom were not on their invitation list, assuming they were invited by the faux Leng Qingqiu.

Faux Leng Qingqiu spoke eloquently on stage, and the host occasionally asked her questions about her creative process. Although she wore a smile and cooperated with the host, her eyes were cold—the situation had gone beyond her expectations.

"She is not the real Leng Qingqiu," Daniel suddenly stood and declared while the faux Leng Qingqiu was cheerfully chatting with the host.

His voice was loud, attracting a lot of attention the moment he spoke. Some recognized Daniel, and many immediately thought he was causing trouble.

Daniel enjoyed a strong reputation in the industry, not only because he had promoted many successful artists but because of his unique eye for talent, ensuring that all promoted artists possessed genuine skills.

Therefore, to most people, it seemed unlikely that Leng Qingqiu’s account of Daniel privately selling her artwork and infringing on her rights was true; it was more probable that after gaining fame, Leng Qingqiu wanted to sever ties with Daniel, her agent.

Thus, Daniel’s act of causing a scene at her exhibition seemed normal and understandable to the public.

The smile on the impostor Leng Qingqiu’s face clearly stiffened, and her eyes darkened. She looked at Daniel with a smile, but it was far from friendly, "Daniel, I know you are discontent since I terminated our contract, but you cannot just slander without evidence. You say I am not Leng Qingqiu—do you have any proof?"

The impostor Leng Qingqiu asked confidently, unafraid of Daniel’s words. After all, the person who had her impersonate Leng Qingqiu would surely not let her be exposed so easily, suggesting the real Leng Qingqiu might be unable to prove her own identity. In that case, what was there to fear regarding her authenticity?

Unfortunately, she didn’t understand that person at all. Had she known even a little about them, she would have realized this was just a trivial game to them, whose processes and outcomes they neither cared about nor took seriously, even if it failed.

Daniel’s expression was a mix of amusement and seriousness as he observed the woman on stage, seemingly unbothered. Internally, he couldn’t help but commend her for her exceptional composure; he had stirred the pot, yet she remained cool and collected.

His gaze momentarily shifted to Shen Qinglan, noticing her indifferent expression, he curled his lips and turned to the imposter Qingqiu, "Whether what I’m saying is true or not, you and I both know it. Saying it this way, not just you, but even those present won’t believe it."

Everyone nodded, indeed that was the logic.

"Daniel, I know you’re dissatisfied with me terminating the contract on my own. Considering our years of cooperation, you can state your conditions. If I’m able to comply, I’ll consider them." The imposter Qingqiu looked at Daniel with a "I understand your feelings and am willing to make concessions, please don’t be capricious" expression.

Her demeanor, to those unaware of the truth, seemed like Daniel was attempting to gain more benefits. A few, looking at the woman on the stage while contemplating Daniel’s words, looked pensive.

Seeing this, Daniel couldn’t help but want to laugh, and he indeed laughed. Was she so sure that he wouldn’t have evidence?

"Who I am, Daniel, I believe many here know me. Some of you have also cooperated with me. You all have your own judgment about my character," Daniel didn’t argue with the imposter Qingqiu but shifted the topic to the people present.

Many well-known figures in the painting world attended today, most drawn here by Qingqiu’s paintings, especially since promotions had mentioned that most of her artworks, including recent ones with stylistic changes, would be exhibited, making people eager to see the real deal.

Among these, quite a few knew Daniel and had previous collaborations with him. With so many artists wanting to collaborate with Daniel, his reputation and abilities were beyond doubt.

As Daniel spoke, the attendees cast doubtful looks towards her, the imposter Qingqiu’s eyes flashing with coldness, her gaze at Daniel filled with hidden anger. She should have completely ruined Daniel’s reputation earlier.

Although she was certain that Daniel had no evidence to prove she was not Qingqiu, similarly, she had no evidence to affirm she was Qingqiu. Now, she could only hope for another move from that person.

"Everyone knows that three years ago, oh, it’s been four years now, four years ago, I announced that from then on, I would only manage Qingqiu exclusively as her agent," Daniel spoke nonchalantly, ignoring the imposter Qingqiu, "When I met her, she was a high school senior, an eighteen-year-old girl."

Daniel dropped a figurative torpedo in the crowd, causing a splash. Hearing this, everyone was surprised. So, the Qingqiu that everyone had speculated about for three years was just an eighteen-year-old girl?!

"Daniel, I trust your character, but after all, this is a significant matter," a well-known painter stated carefully, his expression serious.

He highly admired Qingqiu’s artworks. He always thought she was a woman in her thirties or forties, who had seen much of the world, experienced hardships, and had a life filled with stories. The emotions in her artworks couldn’t be expressed by someone without significant life experiences.

When the imposter Qingqiu first appeared before them, he was surprised by her age, which was far from what he had expected. But at least it was still within an acceptable range; however, now Daniel was claiming this woman wasn’t Qingqiu, who in reality was just a little girl in her early twenties.

Daniel anticipated the skepticism and showed no surprise, merely stating, "Qingqiu is usually low-profile and doesn’t like appearing in public, which is why she entrusted me with handling all her artworks. You haven’t seen her in person, so you were deceived by the imposter here, but I swear on my integrity and dignity, she is definitely not Qingqiu."

He pointed at the woman on the stage, his voice firm.

Fu Hengyi glanced at Shen Qinglan, noticing her cool features, his eyes flickered, seeming to understand something. He then looked back at the woman on the stage with a colder gaze.

The imposter Qingqiu calmly watched Daniel and spoke, "Daniel, you’ve talked a lot but still haven’t produced evidence to prove I’m not Qingqiu. Whether I am or not isn’t for you to decide alone." But a careful observer would notice the stiffness in her smile.

The painter who had just spoken added, "Right, Daniel, can you present evidence proving she isn’t Qingqiu?"

But Daniel merely shrugged and said, "I don’t have evidence that can prove she isn’t Qingqiu."

A certain young author heard this, his expression stiffened, then filled with indignation, "Daniel, we believed you, but you can’t just play us like this."

On stage, the pretended Leng Qingqiu’s face was cold, seeming angry at Daniel’s behavior, but there was actually a sigh of relief in her heart — indeed, Daniel could not prove he himself was not Leng Qingqiu.

Before she could fully relax, Daniel continued to speak, "Although I have no evidence to prove she isn’t Leng Qingqiu, today, the real Leng Qingqiu has also come here. Let the two of them confront each other face to face, so the truth of the matter will be crystal clear."

With these words, a metaphorical stone stirred up thousands of waves among the audience. Everyone started looking around to see who Daniel was referring to.

Fu Hengyi’s hand was holding Shen Qinglan’s, he squeezed her hand. Shen Qinglan turned her head to look at him, met his eyes that seemed to see everything, and was slightly stunned, then smiled. This man was really clever; she hadn’t said anything yet, and he had already guessed it.

"Mr. Daniel, who are you referring to?" a reporter was the first to ask, by now all cameras were pointed at Daniel.

Daniel stretched out his hand, pointing, and everyone followed the direction of his pointing, only to see that the person was Shen Family’s second young lady, Shen Qinglan.

"Isn’t she the Shen Family’s second young lady, Shen Qinglan? Could Daniel be mistaken?" someone whispered doubtfully.

"I don’t think so," another mused, considering their age, "This Miss Shen fits quite well."

Daniel previously mentioned that when he met Leng Qingqiu, she was only eighteen years old; logically, by now, she should only be twenty-two. And Miss Shen Shen Qinglan... as he knew, was indeed twenty-two this year.

"I think it’s impossible," others expressed disbelief, "Given the Shen Family’s background, if Miss Shen had such talent, she would be widely known, not obscure like this."

Most people leaned towards the latter guess; wasn’t she unnoticed? Before the video incident, who knew who Shen Qinglan was? If she really was Leng Qingqiu, even if she kept a low profile, the Shen Family wouldn’t let her stay that low-key. Look at her elder sister upstairs; everyone knew that Miss Shen Shen Xitong was a very talented pianist.

Nine times out of ten, this was a ruse thrown by Daniel.

"This can’t be possible." Shen Xitong blurted out instinctively, Shen Qinglan couldn’t possibly be Leng Qingqiu, this was simply a joke.

When Daniel spoke, the camera had already been directed towards where the Shen Family was. When Shen Xitong said this, she immediately drew everyone’s attention.

To date, the Shen Family had not reacted, each of them, looking stunned, even the weathered Old Sir Shen was in shock at this moment.

Shen Qinglan’s face didn’t show any particular expression, and since Fu Hengyi had already guessed, he wouldn’t be surprised either.

"Miss Shen Xitong, don’t you know that your sister is Leng Qingqiu?" a reporter caught Shen Xitong and moved the microphone closer to her mouth.

"How could my sister possibly be Leng Qingqiu? She has never learned painting, I’m sure Mr. Daniel made a mistake," Shen Xitong said, word by word.

Daniel’s expression darkened, "Miss Shen Xitong, your ignorance doesn’t mean Qinglan can’t paint. Her artistic talent is well acknowledged."

"So what if she is talented? Before she returned to the Shen Family, she was just an orphanage..."

"Enough." Before Shen Xitong could finish, Old Sir Shen interjected, breaking off Shen Xitong’s words. Seeing Old Sir Shen’s face grow cold, Shen Xitong realized what she had said.

Looking at the other members of the Shen Family, indeed, everyone’s expression was not good; Chu Yunrong’s gaze towards her was filled with blame.

Shen Qinglan had disappeared from the Shen Family for ten years, her whereabouts unknown. It was always a deep, unmentionable wound in the hearts of the Shen Family members, and Shen Xitong’s current actions were clearly exposing their wound to the air.

Realizing what she had done, Shen Xitong’s complexion turned somewhat pale.

"Miss Shen Xitong, did you mean to say earlier that Miss Shen Qinglan has never studied painting and it’s impossible for her to be Leng Qingqiu? Is that what you meant?" Seizing the opportunity, the reporter asked.

Shen Xitong remained silent.

Old Sir Shen stood up, his face wearing a gentle smile. He had often appeared on TV, and even though he had retired and stayed out of the public eye in recent years, many still recognized this elderly man who had made outstanding contributions to the country.

Watching him stand up and make a quieting gesture, everyone immediately fell silent.

Old Sir Shen looked into the camera lens, his tone calm, "As her family, we are indeed unaware that our Qinglan is Leng Qingqiu, but I believe our child would never lie about such a matter; there must be some hidden story behind this."

He turned to Daniel, "I hope Mr. Daniel can offer us an explanation."

Daniel gave a slight smile, "Naturally. In fact, the truth about Shen Qinglan being Leng Qingqiu is known only to her and me. It is precisely because of this that some people have taken advantage of the situation and impersonated our Qinglan to deceive the public."

The "certain people" on stage at that moment wore a stiff expression. Although they maintained a smile, their eyes were full of surprise. They hadn’t anticipated that Shen Qinglan was Leng Qingqiu, meaning Shen Qinglan had known all along that they were an imposter. But why hadn’t she exposed them during their last visit to the Shen Family?

Reflecting on the person who had instructed them to get close to the Shen Family and foster good relations, they felt a growing unease.

"Mr. Daniel, you mentioned that Miss Shen Qinglan is Leng Qingqiu. Do you have any proof?" the reporter asked.

"Is there any better way to prove one’s identity than for one to verify it themselves?" Daniel replied with a light smile, appearing casual.

Some of the reporters present were actually invited by Daniel; naturally, they wouldn’t contradict him. Listening to him say this, they immediately understood and the camera directly panned to Shen Qinglan.

Fu Hengyi subtly shifted his body to avoid the camera capturing his face. Moreover, he was wearing a pair of sunglasses. His identity was special and not suitable for public exposure.

Shen Qinglan was aware of this and stood up, drawing the attention of all the media reporters. Her exceptionally beautiful face remained calm as she scanned the reporters and gently parted her red lips.

"Leng Qingqiu is indeed my pen name." This statement caused a stir, and flashbulbs blinked incessantly as reporters rushed forward to interview her, yearning to capture this exclusive scoop.

Looking into the camera lens, Shen Qinglan said, "I know you have many questions. I will answer them one by one. But now, I’d like to ask the lady on stage, what was your purpose in impersonating me?"

The fake Leng Qingqiu had already recovered from her initial shock, her expression returning to normal. Upon hearing this, she gave a slight smile, "This is also a question I’d like to ask Miss Shen. Clearly, I am the real Leng Qingqiu, so why are you teaming up with Daniel to claim that I’m not?"

Her composure was too calm, showing no sign of panic at all. This left the media reporters glancing at each other, temporarily unable to discern who was telling the truth.

"The artist who spoke up first now spoke again," "All of you claim to be Leng Qingqiu, then bring out evidence to prove it."

The others nodded in agreement.

The fake Leng Qingqiu smiled gently, "Of course, just how do you want us to prove it?"

"Each of you paint a picture. We are familiar with Leng Qingqiu’s paintings, and there are also a few appraisal experts here who can come to examine them. Then, the truth will be clear," the artist spoke again.

Although he said this, his heart still leaned slightly towards Shen Qinglan; Shen Qinglan usually kept a low profile, but ever since the video incident, her reputation had been excellent, and being a top student from B University, she was not someone who would stoop to impersonating others.

Both Shen Qinglan and the fake Leng Qingqiu had no objections to this, seeing it as indeed the best solution.

The staff had already been instructed and were now preparing the tools. Shen Qinglan stood up, walked to the stage, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the fake Leng Qingqiu.

"Miss Shen, you can still leave now if you want. If you wait and are exposed and driven off later, it won’t be just you who loses face, but the entire Shen Family as well," said the fake Leng Qingqiu with a smile on her face and a slight movement of her lips. She spoke softly, audible only to Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes flashed gently, "I could say the same to you." Her expression was cool, betraying no real emotion.

The tools were already set up, and both moved to their respective positions. Shen Qinglan first inspected the tools before picking up the brush.

The media reporters were excitedly, having thought it was just a Leng Qingqiu exhibition, they hadn’t expected to capture such explosive news. The cameras were all focused on the two people on the stage; under such circumstances, there was no chance of cheating.

"Did you know from the start?" Shen Junyu quietly asked Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi shook his head, "Just guessed it now."

Shen Junyu felt instantly relieved, feeling quite proud. After all, it was his sister, and she hadn’t been raised in vain.

If Shen Qinglan knew what Shen Junyu was thinking, she would probably only have two words for him - "childish."

Old Sir Shen watched his granddaughter, who was focused on painting on the stage. Even in such an environment, her expression remained calm and composed.

The most shocked person, besides Shen Xitong, was Chu Yunrong, who watched Shen Qinglan painting with undisguised astonishment.

This daughter had been back by her side for six years, but she seemed never truly to have cared for her. She didn’t even know she could paint, much less paint so well. Chu Yunrong had never doubted that Shen Qinglan was not Leng Qingqiu; she believed it from the first moment, without reason.

Her hands clenched tightly, her eyes unblinkingly fixed on Shen Qinglan on the stage, her eyes shimmering with light. Qinglan, what did mom miss in all the years you were away?

She glanced at Shen Xitong, seated beside her, the excellent daughter she had raised herself, everyone praised her for raising such a good daughter, talented in both arts and skills, and although not her biological daughter, their relationship was close. In the years she lost Shen Qinglan, she somewhat filled the void in her heart, and her affection was inevitable.

Yet, in her heart, she never forgot her own daughter, nor did she give up searching. But after finding her biological daughter, seeing her daughter’s unfamiliar and alienating eyes, Chu Yunrong admitted she was scared.