The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 191. The Unexpected at the Meet-and-Greet

Chapter 191: 191. The Unexpected at the Meet-and-Greet

Under overwhelming generosity, Zhang Lin finally accepted the artwork, and Zhang Shanshan was absolutely delighted, treating the painting like a treasure and wanting to take it out to admire it from time to time.

After the meal with Zhang Lin and the others, Shen Qinglan had other matters to attend to and went to find Daniel.

Daniel had a studio and a gallery; Shen Qinglan’s works were all managed by him. This time, on Daniel’s suggestion, she had published a book of her paintings, a hundred of which needed her autograph.

"My dear lady, you finally showed up. If you hadn’t come, I would have had to call you," Daniel exclaimed excitedly upon seeing Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "Wasn’t it agreed for three o’clock?" She checked the time, it was two-fifty; she had arrived ten minutes early.

"My dear lady, couldn’t you have arrived a bit earlier? Today you have to sign all hundred books, and there’s a signing event tomorrow that you promised to attend."

Shen Qinglan paused, realizing that she had truly forgotten about this matter. Daniel had orchestrated everything; she was only responsible for listening. Daniel had come to know and understand her; seeing her expression, he knew she hadn’t taken it seriously, and he couldn’t help but sigh again over why he had ended up on Shen Qinglan’s "pirate ship," causing himself so much worry. He was certain that one day Shen Qinglan would be the death of him.

"Daniel, it’s too late for regrets now," Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently.

Daniel’s face turned a shade of green. Could this person read minds? How else did she know exactly what he was thinking?

"I can’t read minds, but your emotions are all over your face. It’s tough to pretend I don’t know," she said.

Daniel didn’t want to talk anymore and just piled a stack of books in front of Shen Qinglan, "You must sign all of these today, and if you don’t finish, you’re not going home. I’m going to sit here and watch you." Knowing her lax approach to work, Daniel was determined to stick by her side, and he pulled up a chair to sit there.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the table piled high with books, "Daniel, there are more than a hundred here, right?" She estimated there were definitely more than a hundred.

"One hundred and fifty, to be precise. The extra fifty are special commemorative editions, and they must have your signature," Daniel explained.

Shen Qinglan knew that aside from creating her works, Daniel handled all the subsequent tasks and put in a lot of effort, so she didn’t oppose many of Daniel’s decisions. Resigned to her fate, she sat down, picked up a pen from the table, and began signing.

Daniel, watching her cooperate, was finally satisfied. To speed up the process, he took it upon himself to turn the pages to the title page to facilitate her signing.

With Daniel’s assistance, Shen Qinglan’s signing sped up considerably and she finished in a little over an hour.

Early the next day, Daniel came to pick up Shen Qinglan. Although she was now a public figure, not many people paid close attention to her life, and she wasn’t followed by paparazzi when she went out. Was it because the journalists deliberately didn’t take pictures? Of course not. It was the result of the joint effort between Shen Junyu and Fu Hengyi, and with the backing of the Han Group’s media power, including Han Yi’s assistance, there naturally wouldn’t be any reckless journalists trailing her.

But today, as Leng Qingqiu, Shen Qinglan was having her first published a collection of paintings and the signing event had to have journalists present. However, the journalists coming today were carefully selected by Daniel, from several mainstream media outlets in Beijing; what should and shouldn’t be written wasn’t a cause for concern.

When Shen Qinglan arrived at the venue, there were already many people there. The sight of the dense crowd made her slightly uncomfortable.

"I know you don’t like this kind of setting, so I’ve only arranged half an hour for you. After that, you can leave, and I’ll handle the rest," Daniel whispered, his face towards the audience full of smiles.

Shen Qinglan was satisfied and her brow unfurled. Although her face maintained its usual icy expression, no one thought she was displeased. Seeing her arrival, some fans on-site started getting excited, loudly calling out Leng Qingqiu’s name, while others shouted for Shen Qinglan; these were fans won over by the video of Shen Qinglan’s heroic rescue.

Han Yi, seeing Shen Qinglan’s online popularity, even remarked to Shen Junyu that if Shen Qinglan were willing to join the entertainment industry, she would definitely become a generation’s beloved superstar. Unfortunately, she wasn’t interested, having rejected Director Wang’s invitation last time. Han Yi had seen the script too; it really was excellent, and the female lead’s character matched Shen Qinglan’s outward persona quite well.

Han Yi wouldn’t have known about this, but Director Wang felt regret after being rejected, and somehow learned of Han Yi’s acquaintance with Shen Qinglan, hoping Han Yi could persuade her. However, once Han Yi knew, he flatly refused. Are you kidding? Could he influence Shen Qinglan’s decisions?

Besides, if he were to pull Shen Qinglan into the entertainment circle, the heads of the Shen and Fu families would probably seek out his father for a tea chat.

"Ah, Leng Qingqiu, I love you."

"What does it mean to have both beauty and talent? This is it, truly worthy of being my goddess."

"I finally see her in person, I’m so excited. She looked so cool when saving people, and she’s still so cool now. Even without smiling, she’s so striking."

...

The number of fans on the scene was actually only about two hundred or so, all fervent followers of Shen Qinglan. Daniel had been very thorough in this regard.

Shen Qinglan greeted them first before accepting questions from the reporters. The reporters posed very proper questions, mostly about creativity, and Shen Qinglan, who had already reviewed the detailed list of questions Daniel provided, answered in a very regular and proper manner.

"Miss Shen, I heard that there were rumors of you being kept as a mistress. Is that true?" a reporter asked, pushing the microphone toward Shen Qinglan.

Yet before she made any move, the fans on-site exploded, looking indignantly at this reporter.

"What status does our Qingqiu have that she would need to be kept? Are you trying to be funny?"

"Exactly, did you leave your brain at home?"

"This person must have had their head stuck in a door when leaving the house, to not be able to distinguish such obvious slander."

Despite being sprayed with fan indignation, the reporter did not show a hint of panic and pushed up his glasses. "Miss Shen, I believe that with your status, such rumors must be false, but I heard that after the matter was investigated, you sued the rumor-monger, resulting in their conviction. Yet this person had already apologized to you, which you did not accept, and even had the school expel them. Isn’t this a bit too aggressive? After all, he didn’t actually cause you any harm, did he?"

Shen Qinglan’s gaze flickered slightly as she looked straight at the reporter. Meeting her gaze, the reporter felt as if he was being seen through entirely, a discomfort at the bottom of his eyes, yet he strove to maintain his composure.

The color drained from Daniel’s face as he glanced at the reporter, only to realize he didn’t recognize the person; he had never invited this individual. So, the question was, who was this person? And how had they gotten in?

"Miss Shen, can I ask you to answer this question?" The reporter moved the microphone a little closer.

"Those who dare to spread rumors must be prepared to face the consequences. Our Qinglan was simply defending her rights normally. What’s wrong with that?" A fan retorted directly.

"Exactly, such a person deserves to be in jail. The rumor of being kept, if it weren’t for our Qinglan who has the ability to clear her own name, would have been a lifetime of ruin for a girl with no means to defend herself. What’s wrong with an irresponsible person paying for their actions?"

"What do you mean Qinglan had the university expel someone? That’s utter nonsense. I’m from B University, and I was a witness to that incident. In reality, it was that person who had a crush on Qinglan and after being rejected, took revenge. The incident caused a very negative impact on both Qinglan’s and the university’s reputations, which is why the school leaders expelled that person. It had nothing to do with Qinglan. Everyone at our school knows about it, so don’t go around here pulling the wool over people’s eyes." A petite girl stood up, and to everyone’s surprise, it was Jin Enxi.

She finished her tirade against the journalist, and while nobody was paying attention, she winked at Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan saw it was her and a hint of a smile crossed her eyes. With so many people around earlier, she hadn’t realized Jin Enxi was there too.

However, seeing how the fans were defending her at the scene made Shen Qinglan feel touched. These people were strangers to her, yet here they were, standing by her side, defending her and believing in her unconditionally.

"What do you want me to say? I have but one thing to say about this matter, ’My conscience is clear.’" Shen Qinglan finally spoke up.

The journalist had thought Shen Qinglan wouldn’t respond, so a flash of delight crossed his face when she did. "Miss Shen, from what I understand, that student came from a rural area and was the only child in his family. It wasn’t easy for them to send him to university. While you might have been defending your own rights, don’t you think you were a bit too heartless? Since the person already apologized, if you had given him a chance to mend his ways, he undoubtedly would have known to correct his errors. Now you’ve ruined someone’s future. There was also a video of you saving someone online recently, but now I’m starting to doubt the authenticity of that video."

With those sharp and unapologetic words, the journalist once again angered the crowd. Some fans even looked ready to start throwing punches, itching to teach him a lesson.

Fear was evident on the journalist’s face, yet excitement gleamed in his eyes. If the fans dared to hit someone, tomorrow’s headline would be set, and Shen Qinglan’s good reputation would undoubtedly be tarnished. "These are your fans, and now they’re hitting people. As their idol, you must be responsible for your fans’ actions."

Jin Enxi naturally noticed the journalist’s excited expression, exchanged a glance with Shen Qinglan, who then took the microphone and gestured for everyone to quiet down. Her cool, calm voice soothed the fans’ agitated emotions.

"Everyone, please quiet down and listen to me for a moment," Shen Qinglan said, smiling at the emotionally charged faces of the fans. "I actually have a question for this journalist."

"What?" The journalist asked subconsciously.

"Do you have a daughter? If so, how old is she this year?"

The question seemed casual, but the journalist did have a daughter, "Yes, she’s fifteen." His daughter was a junior high school student.

"What if one day someone came forward and said your daughter, at such a young age, was being indecent with others, dating several people at once, and even uploaded questionable photos online, causing her immense mental distress? What if she had to endure pointing fingers and filthy language only to have the rumor spreader emerge later, claiming it was just a joke, never intentional? Would you forgive him?"

The journalist’s face turned pale. If his daughter was subjected to such treatment, he would beat the rumor-monger to death; that was practically ruining her life.

Everyone saw the journalist’s reaction clearly, and many of the fans couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

His expression sour, the journalist then realized he had fallen into Shen Qinglan’s trap.

"I believe you should understand how I felt at that time," Shen Qinglan continued. "It’s true that I wasn’t physically injured, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t hurt. We’re all adults here, not three-year-old children; we all have the capacity to make decisions, and we should be responsible for our actions. If an apology could fix everything, then why would we need laws?"

"Yeah, if an apology worked, what’s the use of laws?"

"This person is just here to pick a fight."

"I knew about that incident back then, I also went to B University. During that time, Qinglan was so tormented by him that she couldn’t even come to school. Isn’t that harm?"

More and more people echoed the sentiment, and the reporter’s face grew increasingly ugly. He was just a small entertainment gossip journalist who wouldn’t normally attend such an event, but someone had approached him with a sum of money, instructing him to expose at Shen Qinglan’s fan meeting the fact she had someone thrown in jail. He thought everything would go smoothly, but things turned out to be a complete disaster.

He wanted to flee, but there were too many fans surrounding him tightly; they didn’t lay hands on him, but they wouldn’t let him leave. The reporter was sweating profusely, regretting taking the money.

Shen Qinglan, however, appeared completely calm. She could confirm that someone was behind this reporter, but she was not yet sure who it could be. After all, she had not offended that many people.

Shen Qinglan looked at the reporter and spoke indifferently, "Mr. Reporter, before you start accusing others, please think carefully whether what you’re saying is true and reliable. If you’re just spouting nonsense, then consider whether you can take responsibility for your words."

"Right, absolutely, everyone has to be responsible for their own words," a clear and beautiful female voice rang out, and people looked to find Yu Xiaoxuan.

Although Yu Xiaoxuan was not a top-tier celebrity, she was definitely a rising star heavily promoted by Shengxuan. Just looking at her recent resources would tell you, Sister Linda has arranged several advertising contracts for her, plus a TV drama personally directed by Director Wang, she’s been so busy she’s spinning like a top.

As a newcomer, she immediately got great resources upon joining the company, naturally attracting a lot of criticism and even someone in the company trying to trip her up. From the initial confusion, Yu Xiaoxuan was not someone who played the game masterfully, but at least she was no longer an easy target for bullying.

Shen Qinglan was somewhat worried at first, but seeing that Yu Xiaoxuan could handle it, she did not involve herself, knowing she had been busy recently, so she didn’t even tell her about today’s fan meeting.

Seeing Yu Xiaoxuan appear here, Shen Qinglan was a bit surprised but not overly shocked. After all, this event was heavily promoted by Daniel, and quite a few people knew about it.

Because of her recent exposure, there were quite a few people who recognized Yu Xiaoxuan at the scene, and there were some who really liked her. Seeing her appear, they eagerly requested to take photos with her.

"I’m here today to cheer on my best friend Qinglan. Can we talk about signatures and photos another time?" She spoke with a warm smile and a soft voice, a stark contrast to the girl who used to be loud and boisterous.

The fans on site were very cooperative and dispersed laughing. They were surprised to find out that Shen Qinglan and Yu Xiaoxuan were good friends. Other than the people from B University, not many were aware of this fact. What Shen Qinglan and Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t expect was that because of this, Yu Xiaoxuan’s popularity would rise further.

Yu Xiaoxuan walked over to Shen Qinglan and playfully winked. A hint of a smile crossed Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

Because of Yu Xiaoxuan’s arrival, the fans’ attention shifted from the reporter to her, and the reporter took the opportunity to escape the scene. He didn’t realize, however, that someone else had also left the place following him.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the direction in which the reporter had left with an almost imperceptible look and then returned her attention to the signing event. It was supposed to last half an hour, but most of the time had already gone by. Due to the recent disturbance, it was an hour later when Shen Qinglan and Yu Xiaoxuan left the site.

"Geez, Qinglan, you’re more famous now than I am as an entertainer. Have you considered joining Shengxuan as well?" Yu Xiaoxuan exclaimed as she sprawled in the back seat.

Shen Qinglan was driving, glancing at Yu Xiaoxuan through the rearview mirror, "Where do you want to go? Back to the company?"

Yu Xiaoxuan quickly waved her hands, pretending to be pitiful, "I’m not going back to the company. I took a special leave from Sister Linda today. I’ve been so busy recently that I barely have time to eat or sleep. Look, I’ve lost so much weight. Do you have the heart to send me back to the company to be tormented?"

Shen Qinglan gave her a once-over; indeed, she had lost a lot of weight. The baby fat was gone, leaving her with a sharp chin and big eyes that looked quite pitiable.

"Well, if you’re not going back to the company, why don’t you come to my place? Fang Tong will be there later too."

"Speaking of which," Yu Xiaoxuan finally remembered the thing she had forgotten, "Right, I haven’t seen Fang Tong today. I rushed over here early in the morning, afraid I’d miss your new book signing event. How could she not show up?"

"It was me who asked her not to come. It’s only half an hour anyway; it’s uncertain whether she’d even make it here before everything was over."

Yu Xiaoxuan pouted and stopped talking, leaning on Shen Qinglan’s back, "Qinglan, when is your guy coming back? He said he’d treat us to a meal before the New Year, and now the holidays are long over and I still haven’t had my treat."

"He’ll be back at the end of the month. We’ll treat you to a meal then."

"I want to eat what he cooks himself." Yu Xiaoxuan still remembered the incident where Fang Tong mooched a meal off Mr. Fu and even sent her photos to boast about it. She was very fixated on Mr. Fu’s cooking, which looked tantalizingly tasty.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Okay."

When they arrived at Jiangxin Garden, Yu Xiaoxuan couldn’t help but look around. This was her first time at Shen Qinglan’s home, "Qinglan, your guy isn’t short on money, so why not get a bigger house?" She had been to the Shen Family residence, and this house was simply too small in comparison.

But she didn’t think it was a matter of Mr. Fu not being able to afford it, after all, the wealth of the Fu Family was there for everyone to see.

"It’s just the two of us, what would we do with a bigger house?" Shen Qinglan came out of the kitchen with a plate of cut fruit, all nicely prepared.

Yu Xiaoxuan thought about it and agreed. Usually, it was only Qinglan at home. Too big a house would feel too empty. If it were her, she’d also prefer a smaller home. More importantly, it was convenient to clean a small house. Cleaning a big one would be exhausting.

Seeing the fruit in Shen Qinglan’s hands, Yu Xiaoxuan took it without reservation, sat cross-legged on the sofa, and began to eat heartily. In the middle of her feasting, she suddenly let out a curious "huh," "Qinglan, are these fruits cut by a machine?"

Shen Qinglan looked at her puzzled.

Yu Xiaoxuan picked up a slice of apple, "The pieces are all cut to the same size and shape. If it’s not machine-cut, then did you cut them yourself?"

Shen Qinglan smiled. Although her cooking skills were mediocre, her knife skills were indeed not something the average person could match.

Yu Xiaoxuan was about to continue when the doorbell rang. Shen Qinglan got up to open the door. Yu Xiaoxuan hurriedly unfolded her legs and sat up straight. But as soon as she saw Fang Tong enter, she crossed her legs again and continued eating the fruit.

"I’ve only just arrived and you’re already eating. Are you a pig, Yu Xiaoxuan?" Fang Tong couldn’t help but tease upon seeing the contentedly munching Yu Xiaoxuan.

Yu Xiaoxuan rolled her eyes without any concern for her image, "I’m going to eat, none of your business."

"You’re a celebrity to some extent now; can’t you be a little more conscious of your image? If Sister Linda saw you like this, you’d be done for." Fang Tong gave her a look, sat down on the sofa, and grabbed the fruit plate, picking up a strawberry.

"Sister Linda’s not here, so what’s there to be afraid of?" Yu Xiaoxuan was unconcerned.

***********

After the reporter left the scene, he hailed a cab right away. Jin Enxi also stopped a cab and followed him, believing this man would definitely seek out the person behind the scenes. By trailing him, she’d learn who was causing the trouble.

She followed the reporter to a shopping mall.

Jin Enxi kept up, but saw that the man didn’t enter the mall. Instead, he loitered around the entrance, occasionally checking his phone—it looked like he was waiting for someone. Jin Enxi entered a dessert shop nearby and found a seat by the window. From that spot, she could clearly see the reporter, and it wasn’t far from the door, meaning if he made any move, she wouldn’t lose him.

The reporter was indeed waiting for someone, but the person he was waiting for didn’t show up. Instead, he got a phone call.

"I’ve done what you said. Where’s the money?" The reporter asked in a low voice, clearly dissatisfied. He had just checked his bank account, and not a penny had been added. The person had promised him that if he made things difficult for Shen Qinglan during the interview, he’d get a sum of money equal to half a year’s salary.

A man with a very deep voice was on the other end of the line, "I didn’t see Shen Qinglan get troubled. Instead, it was you who fled in disgrace. You still want to get paid after that? I should be asking you for money."

The reporter clenched his teeth, "Are you planning on reneging on our deal? I’ll have you know I have a recording of our conversation. If you dare to back out, I’ll send the recording to Shen Qinglan. I might not end well, but neither will you."

The man on the phone’s face changed at first, but he quickly laughed lightly, "Send it. I’m waiting."

After he hung up, the reporter stared at his phone, clenched his teeth, but was helpless.

After looking around, he turned and left. Jin Enxi’s lips curled into a cold smile and she followed suit.

Fortunately, the man, fearing being overheard, stood in a corner. This position allowed her to see clearly what he was saying.

They were all trained in lip-reading; for such a short distance, discerning what the reporter said was easy.

"What... what do you want?" the reporter backed up against the wall, nervously looking at the woman in front of him. The woman had a childish face, was petite, and looked young. He glanced at the closed door, "This is a men’s room."

He had been planning to head home but needed to take care of urgent business first. No sooner had he stepped into the restroom that this woman followed him in and casually closed the door behind them.

"What could I possibly want with an old man like you?" Jin Enxi rolled her eyes, clearly disdainful of assuming a defensive stance against the man before her.

Even if a tall, blond, blue-eyed handsome man stripped down to show off his abs in front of her, she might not spare him a glance, let alone the sorry specimen before her.

The reporter thought so as well. He was a grown man; what was there to fear? If anything happened, it wouldn’t be a loss to him.

With that in mind, his eyes involuntarily swept over Jin Enxi and lit up. He couldn’t help swallowing his saliva—she was indeed beautiful.

Jin Enxi’s pretty face turned icy as she saw the murderous look in the reporter’s eyes. He shivered involuntarily, and the bit of boldness he had gathered disappeared without a trace.

Jin Enxi stretched out her delicate hand, "Hand it over."

The reporter was baffled, "What? I don’t have any money."

Jin Enxi rolled her eyes once more, "Who needs your money?" Do I look like a girl who’s short of cash? If I used my money to smash you, I could turn you into a meat paste, and not only do you look atrocious, but you are also blind."

"I have a wife at home," the reporter stammered, but there was a faint hint of anticipation.

Jin Enxi laughed, her smile especially charming. Today, she had encountered a lunatic. But before she could finish her laugh, a fist fiercely struck the reporter’s abdomen. He bent over in pain in an instant and let out a miserable shriek.

"Dare to play dumb with me, huh? You think I’m a tame cat if I don’t show my claws? Hand over the recording right now or I’ll beat you until even your parents can’t recognize you."

She blew on her little fists, speaking fiercely, but even with her face, she couldn’t quite muster a vicious look; in fact, she seemed even cuter. However, the reporter certainly didn’t think the girl in front of him with a Lolita face was really a Lolita now. Her punch was heavy—it was killing him.

Due to the extreme pain, he collapsed onto the ground, his body curving like a shrimp. "I... I don’t know what you’re talking about, what recording, I have no recording."

His entire face scrunched up as he spoke, his voice seeping through the gaps in his teeth.

Jin Enxi squatted down in front of him, grabbing his hair and forcing him to lift his face. "Just now, you were threatening others on the phone, and now you’ve forgotten so soon? Your memory isn’t that good, is it?"

The reporter’s eyes suddenly widened, looking at her in disbelief, "You... Are you someone he sent?"

Knowing he had misunderstood, Jin Enxi didn’t bother to explain, "Quickly, hand over the recording, don’t wait until I get physical."

Aren’t you getting physical right now? The reporter wailed internally.

"I have no recording; I was just trying to scare you guys. I don’t want that money anymore; I assure you, no one other than me will know about this. Let me go."

Jin Enxi smiled, patting the reporter’s face, "Can’t you understand my words? I said I want the recording. Don’t say you don’t have it. If I’m doing this, it means I’m sure of it. Although I look pretty, I really don’t have much patience. If you give it to me now, you can suffer less. But if my patience runs out, guess what will happen to you?"

A trace of fear flickered in the reporter’s eyes, but he was reluctant to just hand over the recording. He had planned if these people didn’t give him the money, he would use the recording to trade with Shen Qinglan for money, believing she would be interested in someone trying to harm her.

However, dreams are beautiful, and reality is cruel. When Jin Enxi walked out of the men’s restroom with a satisfied smile, the reporter’s face was already bruised red and blue—truly beyond recognition.

Some people saw Jin Enxi, a woman, coming out of the men’s restroom with a smile of satisfaction. They shook their heads, lamenting the decline of public morals. The hotel was right next door; getting a room was simple, why the indecent rush? This was a public place, for goodness’ sake; couldn’t they mind the impact? What’s with young people these days?

Jin Enxi couldn’t care less about others’ gazes; she took her phone and headed home. As soon as she arrived, she couldn’t wait to turn on the computer and import the recording she had obtained. Soon, a man’s voice in conversation with the reporter filled the air.

The more she listened, the deeper Jin Enxi furrowed her brows. From this recording, she couldn’t guess who the other party was. Remembering what the reporter had said earlier about the man giving him a sum of money as a deposit, her eyes lit up, and her fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard.

Looking at the screen that appeared on her computer, Jin Enxi whistled. It was the first time she realized a woman could be so intent on courting death.

"Hey, An, what are you up to?" Jin Enxi called Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the living room, "Is there a result?"

"That goes without saying. You obviously have no idea who I am or who is out to get you," Jin Enxi spoke excitedly, brimming with smug satisfaction.

"And it’s Shen Xitong again?" Shen Qinglan interjected calmly.

The smile on Jin Enxi’s face instantly froze as she exclaimed dramatically, "An, how did you find out? I went to great lengths to investigate and uncover this."

"I guessed," Shen Qinglan replied, certain people seemed intent on seeing her suffer, and these were matters that could be figured out with some careful thought.

Feeling a bit dejected, Jin Enxi said, "An, every time I face you, I feel particularly deflated. You have a saying in your Z country, something about fish and brightness. I think it describes how I feel right now very well."

"It’s ’If Yu lived, what need for Liang?’"

"Yes, that’s it. But your foster sister has wised up this time, actually knowing to reach out to that journalist through several intermediaries. If I hadn’t traced the transfers they made and dug up the links layer by layer, I wouldn’t have been able to pin it on her. It seems being beaten by you has actually improved her IQ."

Shen Qinglan was not surprised to learn it was Shen Xitong. After all this time seeking out Shen Xitong’s parents, if she didn’t take action, Shen Qinglan would begin to doubt if Shen Xitong had been switched at birth.

"An, do you want me to take care of this woman for you? I can ensure nothing traces back to us, so she stops jumping around annoyingly and getting in the way," Jin Enxi slouched on the sofa, munching on a large apple that Fu Hengyi had specially ordered for Shen Qinglan from abroad, having just air-shipped it the previous day. The apple was a Red Rose variety, delicious to the taste. Yesterday, just by chance, when Jin Enxi visited Shen Qinglan’s house, she cheekily took half a box with her.

"Enxi, have you forgotten what I told you before?" Shen Qinglan’s voice grew heavy.

"I get it, I get it, it was just a casual remark. Don’t take it so seriously," Jin Enxi shrugged, all smiles.

Shen Qinglan had to take it seriously; she knew what Jin Enxi was capable of. If she had nodded just now, Shen Xitong probably wouldn’t live to see the sun rise tomorrow.

This method would be momentarily satisfying but would bring endless troubles. Most importantly, Shen Qinglan didn’t want Fu Hengyi to find out her true identity someday and see her as a cruel and heartless demoness.

For dealing with someone like Shen Xitong, she had better methods—ones definitely a hundred times more painful than what Jin Enxi envisioned.

It wasn’t because Shen Qinglan was heartless, rather, it was because Shen Xitong coveted what she shouldn’t have and had even dared to reach out and take it.

"Send what you’ve found to my email." Shen Qinglan gave the instruction before hanging up the phone.

"Qinglan, we were just saying we should have hot pot at your place for lunch, what do you think?" Yu Xiaoxuan spoke excitedly as soon as Shen Qinglan stepped out of the bedroom.

"We can go to the supermarket and buy some ingredients, then cook it ourselves at home. Doesn’t that sound great?" The more Yu Xiaoxuan thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She craved fatty beef, prawns, squid, meatballs...

"Better wipe your drooling first." Fang Tong tossed a napkin to Yu Xiaoxuan with a look of disdain.

Yu Xiaoxuan subconsciously caught it, wiping her mouth, and then realized she had been tricked by Fang Tong again, letting out a cold snort, "Fang Tong, just you wait."