The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 206. Taste of the Clouds (First Update)

Chapter 206: 206. Taste of the Clouds (First Update)

Shen Qian worked in the same Military Region as Fu Hengyi, but they belonged to different units. To enter Shen Qian’s area, one had to register first. The guard at the entrance called Shen Qian’s office, and soon, Shen Qian arrived.

"Qinglan, why are you here?" Shen Qian was quite surprised to see his daughter.

"I came to see you."

Knowing that she was Counselor Shen’s daughter, the guards naturally let her through.

"Why did you think to visit the Military Region?" Moreover, the guards at the main gate had even let her in.

"I came to see Fu Hengyi."

Shen Qian understood. He had forgotten that Fu Hengyi would be in the Beijing Military Region, right next door to them.

"Daddy forgot. Is everything okay at home?" He had been quite busy recently and hadn’t been able to visit home.

"Everything is fine. Grandpa and Mom’s health is good," Qinglan responded. Shen Xitong was also doing well. Her recent concert was a big success, and with extensive media coverage and praise, Shen Xitong’s popularity had soared. She even received offers from advertisers who saw her commercial value; these were booming times for Shen Xitong.

"That’s good. Are you planning to stay here for a few days?" Shen Qian, who didn’t spend much time with this daughter usually, did not know what else to discuss and only mustered this awkward conversation.

Shen Qinglan was merely stopping by and did not respond to Shen Qian’s question. Instead, she made a seemingly unrelated comment, "The troops are better than I imagined."

Shen Qian was slightly stunned, looking at Shen Qinglan whose expression remained cool and distant, "Are you thinking of joining the troops?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head. She would never join the military in this lifetime. Her past identity was like a ticking time bomb. If it were to be exposed, both the Shen Family and the Fu Family might suffer due to her. If she joined the military, the consequences...

"It just suddenly became clear to me that what you believe isn’t necessarily right," Shen Qinglan said, looking into the distance.

Shen Qian gave a gentle smile, "Qinglan, your mom and dad, and your grandparents never had any substantial demands on you. As long as you live happily according to your own will, that is enough. You probably don’t know, but before your grandma passed away, she told me that if you ever found yourself unhappy in the future, as long as I’m alive, I must protect you."

Recalling the deceased elderly lady still caused a faint pain in Shen Qinglan’s heart; that was her first warmth and the first ray of sunlight when she returned to the Shen Family.

"Dad, I’m doing well now, and Hengyi is very good to me. Granny would be at ease."

"Qinglan, seeing you so outstanding now, I really feel guilty inside. Regarding the incident with Xitong... I am very sorry." If it weren’t for his wife’s illness, he would never have adopted Shen Xitong.

"If she does something wrong, and you want to discipline her, I won’t say a word, and I will talk to your mom," Shen Qian spoke softly.

"Also, Xitong has found her biological parents. In a while, I will buy an apartment in Beijing for her so they can reunite as a family." That was something Shen Qian had been contemplating for some time but had not yet managed to accomplish.

Shen Qinglan’s beautiful eyes flickered, giving Shen Qian a glance, sensing that he knew quite a bit.

"Don’t look at your dad like that. I’m not senile or far-sighted yet," Shen Qian said with a gentle smile. "You are my only daughter, and you always have been."

Shen Qinglan remained silent, not knowing how to respond. Most of the time, the impression Shen Qian gave her was of a gentle and loving elder, yet she couldn’t feel close to him.

"What if one day, I bring trouble to the Shen Family?" Shen Qinglan said faintly, with a hint of probing.

"Qinglan, you are the daughter of the Shen Family, the only daughter of your mom and me. No matter what, I will protect you." Shen Qian spoke earnestly, without a trace of jest. His wife had almost died giving birth to their daughter; Shen Qinglan was born purple and suffocating while his wife, Chu Yunrong, suffered a severe hemorrhage due to the ordeal and almost died on the operating table.

The lives of both mother and daughter had been snatched back from death. That was why Chu Yunrong particularly cherished and cared for Shen Qinglan.

Back then, Shen Qian watched as they wheeled his wife and daughter out of the operating room. The tall man, holding his wife’s hand, wept openly.

Ever since returning to the Shen family, apart from the grandparents, she hadn’t accepted anyone else. She knew Shen Qian had investigated her background more than once before she returned, suspecting that her return to the Shen Family was manipulated by someone. Thus, she naturally couldn’t feel close to Shen Qian.

And with Chu Yunrong acting as she did, Shen Qinglan observed coldly, setting herself apart as an outsider. Even Shen Junyu had only gradually accepted her over time.

That car accident, the moment Chu Yunrong pulled her away, and what Shen Qian said today had left marks in Shen Qinglan’s heart. Perhaps she had been wrong from the very beginning.

"Dad, I was wrong before," Shen Qinglan said softly after a long while.

Shen Qian chuckled, "There’s no right or wrong. You are our child of the Shen Family, my daughter. If you make a mistake, can your father really punish you?"

"You could, if you wanted. I wouldn’t fight back," Shen Qinglan pursed her lips.

Shen Qian couldn’t help but burst into laughter; sometimes, he genuinely found his daughter’s personality quite adorable.

Shen Qinglan’s lips curled into a slight smile.

"Only Qinglan, your mom, she..." Shen Qian hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t reveal that Chu Yunrong’s depression hadn’t healed and that she had continued taking medication. Besides Chu Yunrong herself, only Shen Qian knew.

Even Old Sir Shen and Granny Shen thought that Chu Yunrong had long recovered and were thus very dissatisfied with her treatment of Shen Qinglan.

"Dad, I know."

Shen Qian knew that Shen Qinglan was someone with a mind of her own, so he didn’t say much more.

**

Shen Xitong recently has been on cloud nine. Newspapers and websites everywhere are filled with praises for her, calling her a "pianist prodigy," "the most beautiful pianist," "a pianist who is both beautiful and skilled," "piano goddess"...

She had been topping the trending searches for a long time.

Whenever Shen Xitong went out, she was met with waves of attention, with people chasing after her, calling her "Goddess." Now, she had to wear sunglasses and hats, fully covered, because if she were recognized, she wouldn’t be able to walk freely anymore. This kind of exaggerated frenzy was even more intense than that of some celebrities.

However, Shen Xitong’s good mood didn’t last many days before it was completely ruined by Li Family.

Facing Li Datou and Tian Cuifang standing before her, there wasn’t a hint of a smile on Shen Xitong’s face, "What are you doing here?" This was a band, and being seen here was embarrassing for her. The last time Tian Cuifang came to find her, she was already very displeased.

Tian Cuifang, still with that tragic and vengeful look as if the whole world owed her something, managed to squeeze out a smile when she saw Shen Xitong, "Xitong, are you busy now?"

"Can’t you see whether I’m busy or not?" Knowing their purpose, Shen Xitong didn’t beat around the bush, "Speak up, how much money do you want this time?"

Li Datou’s face darkened, and his eyes widened, expressing displeasure as he looked into Shen Qinglan’s eyes, "We are your parents, not beggars. What do you mean by dismissing us with money? If you don’t come to see us, can’t we come to see our daughter?"

Shen Xitong scoffed sarcastically, "So I should thank you for visiting me? You’ve seen me now. Since it’s not about money, you can leave then. I still have a lot of work to do in the band."

"Wait, Xitong," Tian Cuifang interrupted, grabbing the hem of Shen Xitong’s clothes. Shen Xitong paused her steps to leave, her lips curled in mockery, saying it’s not about money—who believes that?

Turning around, she faced them, "Anything else?"

"Buy a house for your brother. He is already grown up and still doesn’t have a house. As his sister, you should take care of your only brother," Li Datou stated matter-of-factly.

Shen Xitong laughed in frustration, so it really wasn’t about the small amount of money—it was about a house in Beijing. They had the audacity to demand a house right away, as if they were bargaining for cabbages at the market.

"Why should I buy him a house? They are your sons, not mine."

Li Datou glared at her, his expression turning fierce, "He is your only brother, the pillar of the home. You are his sister, with such capability, how can you not know to take care of him? And when you get married, having a brother to support you from your maternal home will give you more confidence."

Shen Xitong laughed, "Rely on him? Even if I died, I wouldn’t rely on him. If he thinks I’m going to buy him a house, he’s dreaming." Her words were quite impolite, and she had never been courteous with the Li Family.

Li Datou’s face turned green, and he was about to start swearing, but Tian Cuifang quickly grabbed him. They were outside, after all, and Shen Xitong was someone who cared about her image. If others saw this and she really did ignore them completely, they would be the ones crying.

"Xitong, don’t be angry. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s us, your parents, for being so useless that we need to rely on you to support us. We really have no other choice. Your brother recently got a girlfriend, and he ended up getting her pregnant. We can’t just turn our backs on the girl after that, right? Your dad thinks your brother should marry her, seeing as he’s old enough to get a wife now. But we need a house to get married, and we don’t have the money, so we had to come to you."

"The woman interested in him can’t be anything good either. I think just forget it, what marriage? If they can’t make it work, they should just break up. There’s no house. Whatever Li Yong wants to do, let him do it. I’m not involved."

No matter what Tian Cuifang said, Shen Xitong had one line, she wouldn’t buy, and she wouldn’t care. This family was like leeches, once they cling to you, they wouldn’t stop until they sucked all your blood. She wasn’t an ATM, so why should she?

"Then you just buy a house for me and your mom. Your mom and I are getting old, we need a place to retire. Right now, living in someone else’s house, paying thousands of dollars in rent a month, how is that reasonable?" Li Datou’s eyes flickered as he changed his approach. The person they had talked to in the past few days had visited them and told them that Shen Xitong was now so famous, earning huge amounts of money from her ads, and the Shen Family was so wealthy they wouldn’t need her money. All her earnings were hers to keep. If they didn’t ask for it now, once she got married, she would take all that money to her husband’s family.

Upon hearing this, Li Datou felt there was a lot of sense in that. Having a daughter was a disadvantage; in the end, she would belong to someone else’s family. So, he rushed to find Shen Xitong, fretting that she might get married the next day.

Shen Xitong looked at Li Datou in disbelief, seemingly shocked by his entitlement.

"Don’t tell me you don’t have money. You’re all over the TV and newspapers, even in the ads. You’re definitely rich. People are already talking about it, all that what’s-it endorsements, there’s a lot of money to be made. We are your parents. If you don’t provide for us, we can sue you for being unfilial," Li Datou continued, repeating the rhetoric taught by that certain individual. It was complicated and he couldn’t remember everything, but he had the gist of it.

Shen Xitong’s face turned steely, noticing the words Li Datou used, her expression darkened. "Listening to others? Who exactly told you?"

Li Datou flashed a moment of panic in his eyes—it was naturally not something he could admit. If Shen Xitong knew, she definitely wouldn’t give them a dime.

"What do you mean, who told us? Is it even necessary for others to tell us, when you’re all over the TV and computers? We are not blind, can’t we see for ourselves?"

Shen Xitong looked at him suspiciously but couldn’t discern anything.

Li Datou secretly breathed a sigh of relief, having nearly slipped up, "I know you don’t want others to know that your biological parents are poor, and you want to be the Shen Family’s daughter. We’re not insisting on you leaving them to live with us, but if you want us to keep quiet about your origins, you have to at least enable us to survive, right?"

Finally not playing the emotional card anymore? Shen Xitong sarcastically smiled, thinking she was surprised they didn’t continue a bit longer, but their true nature had revealed itself so quickly. She knew this couple, who had abandoned their child for their own comfort years ago, would never have truly repented.

Shen Xitong wasn’t upset, as she had no feelings for them anyway.

"I really can’t afford a house right now. Even a small one in Beijing costs millions. I’m earning a lot, but that money won’t be mine to use until later. Where would I get the money right now? The living expenses I give you are all saved from my own."

They might not play the emotional card, but Shen Xitong certainly had to play the hardship card.

Li Datou had anticipated Shen Xitong’s reaction even before he came. That person had already made things clear to them; naturally, they wouldn’t believe her. "I might be uneducated, but you can’t fool me. I specifically asked someone before I came, and you definitely have money. If you’re unwilling to buy a house for me, then it’s simple, I will find a lawyer and let the judge decide. I might even talk to some of your colleagues to see just how you treat your biological parents."

Li Datou finished speaking and made a move to leave. Shen Xitong’s face turned from pale to red, from red to purple, and from purple to black, quite dramatically. How could she ignore such a glaring threat?

"Stop right there. So, it’s just a house you want, right? Fine, I’ll buy it. I’ll go buy it tomorrow, alright?"

Li Datou, with a face full of joy, added a condition, "I want a house close to the city center. I don’t want anything too far. Both your mom and I can’t drive, and if it’s too far, it’s inconvenient to see the doctor."

Shen Xitong’s face was very dark, "Can you leave now?"

"We ran out of living allowance this month. Give us some," Li Datou extended his hand.

Shen Xitong, with a wooden expression, took out a stack of cash from her bag and handed it to Li Datou. He stuffed it into his chest pocket and glanced at Tian Cuifang. Tian Cuifang looked at Fang Tong and gently said, "Xitong, your father and I will leave now. Be careful alone in the Shen Family. If you are ever mistreated, come back home."

Shen Xitong waved her hand impatiently, now just wanting them to hurry up and scram, to get out of her sight; her chest heaved up and down with anger.

Looking around and seeing no one, she then left. After she did, someone emerged from behind a nearby tree, a weird smile on their face.

She was another pianist in the orchestra, not any less skilled than Shen Xitong. However, Chu Yunrong’s preference for pushing Shen Xitong forward meant many performance opportunities eluded her, leaving her feeling uncomfortable for a long time.

She had heard a long time ago that Shen Xitong was an adopted daughter of the Shen Family, but she did not believe it. After all, Chu Yunrong was too good to Shen Xitong, and no one would believe they were not biological mother and daughter, but it turned out to be true. Moreover, Shen Xitong denied her own parents just to claim the title of the Shen family’s young mistress. Did the Shen Family know about this?

She stared at the mobile phone in her hand, which contained the recording of their conversation. Although it wasn’t very clear due to the distance, it was still audible.

She smiled and casually walked back.

The next day, a piece of news suddenly broke online. Shen Xitong, the Xinjin Pianist, was not a biological daughter of the Shen Family but an adopted one. Furthermore, when her biological parents came to her, she even refused to acknowledge them because she wouldn’t give up her status in the Shen Family. The post contained not only text but also a recording of all the words spoken by Shen Xitong and Tian Cuifang, while Li Datou’s threatening words had been deleted.

As soon as the news was released, it caused a huge stir online. Many people’s first reaction was that the recording was fake, certainly a smear by Shen Xitong’s detractors for publicity. Then a popular social media influencer came out saying the recording was real and had not been tampered with, immediately proving those who claimed it was fake wrong.

Laying low online and not daring to speak out, Shen Xitong’s image instantly plummeted from the perfect goddess to being vilified everywhere online.

The strong backlash caused Shen Xitong to smash her own computer in fury. Her first thought was that this was the doing of the Li family; after all, they had just threatened her yesterday. But then she realized it couldn’t be, especially since she hadn’t yet bought the house for them. Spreading this news now wouldn’t benefit them at all.

If not them, then who? The only other person she had issues with was Shen Qinglan, who wasn’t even in Beijing at the moment. It seemingly couldn’t have been Shen Qinglan doing this. For a moment, Shen Xitong was completely bewildered. Following were the calls from various advertisers, questioning her about what exactly was going on with the statements online.

These advertisers had all recently signed advertising contracts with Shen Xitong, just waiting for her schedule to clear up for shooting the ads. They had even completed some preliminary work and invested money already. Now, with her embroiled in this scandal, regardless of its truth, the impact on her image was tremendous.

When the Shen Family received the message, the internet had already exploded. Old Sir Shen called Shen Xitong back with a phone call.

When Shen Xitong stepped into the Shen Family’s gate, she was nervous. The incident had not only damaged her own reputation but had also impacted the reputation of the Shen Family, although not significantly.

Looking at Old Sir Shen sitting in the living room with a stern face, Shen Xitong nervously called out, "Grandpa."

Old Sir Shen looked at her intently, while Chu Yunrong sat silently on the side, knowing this was not her time to speak.

"What exactly is going on with these things on the internet?"

Shen Xitong’s face stiffened as she dryly said, "Grandpa, those are all fake. That recording is also fake. I haven’t failed to support them. I even planned to buy them a house in Beijing these days to support them in their old age."

Seeing Old Sir Shen looking at her without speaking, Shen Xitong assured him, "Grandpa, what I said is true. Although I do not like them because they abandoned me since childhood, I have never resented them. I have been paying their living expenses for the past few months."

Hearing Shen Xitong’s grievance, Chu Yunrong’s heart softened and she spoke, "Dad."

Old Sir Shen glanced at his daughter-in-law, "Xitong, I hope you understand. Although you are not the biological flesh and blood of the Shen Family, you were also raised as our own child. I don’t want you to go out and have people say that a person from the Shen Family is uneducated, heartless, and vain. People from the Shen Family must bear their own responsibilities."

"Since people are saying that you are not supporting your own biological parents, for the sake of quelling rumors and for your own good, starting next week, you should move in and live with your biological parents. I will have the house ready for you. Just move in. The best way to silence those people is through action."

Chu Yunrong wanted to speak, but was silenced by a glance from Old Sir Shen.

Shen Xitong lowered her gaze, looking at her toes, not saying whether Old Sir Shen’s decision was good or not, but merely spoke softly.

"Grandpa, if today it were Shen Qinglan who encountered this kind of problem, would you let her face the rumors and gossip alone, neglecting her? You always say you raised me as a child of the Shen Family, no different from Qinglan and brother, but is it really no different?"

Old Sir Shen’s expression remained unchanged, but Chu Yunrong’s face looked very ugly. Upon reflection, she indeed gave her all for Shen Xitong, but now this child was saying that they hadn’t treated her as part of the family. Was this the difference between having one’s own children and not?

Chu Yunrong felt hurt; the words Shen Xitong had just spoken had saddened her.

Shen Xitong, however, was completely unaware of this and continued, "Grandpa, ask yourself, since Qinglan returned, have you truly been impartial? Not to mention Granny, from the day I arrived at this house, she never really liked me. Even when mom faced danger, she saved Qinglan first. Do you dare say you truly treated me as your own? Outsiders think the Shen Family is good, even treating an adopted daughter so well, but they don’t see the hardship behind my back. I have always been careful to please you, hoping to be recognized by you. I had to make myself excellent to make you like me, but what about Qinglan? She doesn’t have to do anything, and you give her your all—isn’t this differential treatment?"

Some words, long suppressed, burst out when the opportunity arises, and clearly, Shen Xitong could not hold back anymore.

Children are the most sensitive. When Shen Xitong first arrived in this family at the age of nine, after spending several years in an orphanage, she became very sensitive to people’s emotions and was the best at observing others’ expressions. From the first day she arrived at this family, she knew that Granny Shen did not like her, not only did she dislike her, but she also was very averse, although the old lady hid it well, making outsiders think she cared a lot about her.

Old Sir Shen looked coldly at Shen Xitong, "Since you feel that the Shen Family has treated you poorly and made your life difficult, and now that your own parents have also grown old and turned to you, you should live with them then. They are your blood relatives and will surely treat you better than the Shen Family can. The Shen Family has raised you and fulfilled all its responsibilities."

"You don’t think the Shen Family is close enough to you, then you should leave the Shen Family." He might as well pretend he never raised such a person.

Shen Xitong’s face was pale, and she looked at Old Sir Shen in disbelief. "Grandfather, you are driving me away at this time?" Leaving the Shen Family now, wasn’t he pushing her into the fire? She had always known Old Sir Shen was not as kind as he seemed, but she hadn’t expected him to be this cruel.

She turned to look at Chu Yunrong, pleading, "Mom, I don’t want to leave the Shen Family."

Chu Yunrong’s expression was inscrutable, and her gaze towards Shen Xitong lacked the usual affection. Shen Xitong’s words had genuinely hurt her. She remembered something her mother-in-law had said before she died, calling the child an ungrateful wolf, impossible to tame. At the time, she thought her mother-in-law was prejudiced against Shen Xitong, but now she realized she had been too naive, as everyone else in the family saw more clearly than she did.

"Tongtong, your grandfather is right. Rumors are rampant, and everyone believes that you do not support your biological parents. The best solution is for you to go live with them to quell the rumors, which will also benefit your future development," Chu Yunrong spoke gently, but her eyes lacked their former affection toward Shen Xitong.

Seeing that even Chu Yunrong did not support her, Shen Xitong was greatly shaken and took several steps back, her face as pale as paper. She looked at Old Sir Shen and then at Chu Yunrong, and laughed increasingly louder, "Ha, you bunch of hypocrites, talking about love, it’s all fake, isn’t it? You just want to drive me out of the Shen Family, you’ve probably wanted to do this since the day Shen Qinglan came back, haven’t you? Now you just couldn’t wait for an opportunity?"

"And you, my dearest mother, who always acts like you love and care for me the most, yet when danger comes, you push me away too. Shen Qinglan can marry Fu Hengyi, but I can’t even think about it, can I? To break my hopes, you even want to marry me off to some poor nobody—that’s what you call love? Utter hypocrisy."

"Shen Xitong, what nonsense are you talking about?" Shen Junyu had just arrived home and heard this rant, his face icy cold.

Shen Xitong was originally afraid of Shen Junyu, but at that moment, she felt no fear, and coldly looked at each member of the Shen Family. "Am I wrong? If it were Shen Qinglan facing this situation today, would you make her move out?"

Of course they wouldn’t. The answer was definite. But these words couldn’t be said openly.

"All this talk of being a prominent family, inside it’s all hypocrisy. Since this family cannot accommodate me, then I will leave, no need for you to drive me out."

Shen Xitong stood up straight, her head slightly raised, maintaining her pride. She glanced at the people present and elegantly walked out of the Shen Family home.

Reaching the gate, she looked back at the place she had lived for over a decade, her eyes full of hatred.

At that moment, everyone in the Shen Family looked troubled, especially Chu Yunrong, her face pale and transparent. Shen Junyu, worried, asked, "Mom, are you alright?"

Chu Yunrong seemed not to hear her son’s words but turned to look at Old Sir Shen, "Dad, have I been wrong all this time?"

Old Sir Shen looked deeply at his daughter-in-law and sighed deeply, "You are not to blame for this." Some people are just that way; you could be good to her in ninety-nine ways, but she will hold a grudge over the one way you weren’t, and Shen Xitong is clearly that kind of person.

"Jun Yu, help your mother go upstairs to rest. Tomorrow, make a public statement about Shen Xitong’s matter. We can’t let this situation develop further. Also, give her that well-furnished three-bedroom apartment in the city center; our Shen Family has done all it can."

That apartment was originally meant for Shen Qinglan, but Shen Junyu did not object, nodding his head. If this could sever the ties between the Shen Family and Shen Xitong, he was more than willing. As for the apartment, he could always buy another.

Chu Yunrong stood up and went upstairs.

"Jun Yu, do you think Mom really made a mistake?"

Shen Junyu couldn’t bear to hurt his mother’s feelings, but he didn’t want her to continue making mistakes. With a heavy heart, he spoke up, "Mom, Shen Xitong has never been as harmless as she appears. She fell down the stairs herself in order to frame Lanlan, to make you think Lanlan had malicious intentions and prevent her from being with Hengyi. During Lanlan’s recent art book signing event, a reporter caused trouble, instigated by her. Fortunately, Lanlan discovered this early and suppressed it; otherwise, Shen Xitong wouldn’t have been the only one caught in a scandal."

The more Shen Junyu spoke, the paler Chu Yunrong’s face became. Her eyes widened in disbelief, unable to accept that her well-behaved, considerate foster daughter could harbor such venomous thoughts.

"Mom, I admit I am biased towards Lanlan, not only because she is my sister and I feel guilty towards her, but most importantly because she is kindhearted. Though she may seem cold, her heart is soft."

Chu Yunrong bowed her head in silence, tears falling onto the back of her hand. Shen Junyu reached out, wiped away her tears, and looked at her tenderly. He had only recently found out that Chu Yunrong had been taking medication for depression, meaning her illness had never really healed over the years.

"Qinglan will never forgive me, will she?" Chu Yunrong asked her son sorrowfully. Shen Xitong’s actions today had hurt her, but her son’s words had stabbed her heart, shattering it. Recalling past events, Chu Yunrong suddenly felt very afraid. Was she going to lose Qinglan forever?

"No, Lanlan knows you love her. She has never blamed you." Shen Junyu comforted his mother, regretting his earlier words that had upset her, especially knowing she couldn’t handle stress well.

"Jun Yu, go out and let Mom be alone for a while," Chu Yunrong dismissed him.

After Shen Junyu left, she immediately pulled out several pills from a drawer, swallowed them without water, and lay on the bed, feeling her heart ache intermittently.

After leaving the Shen Family, Shen Xitong didn’t go to the Li family but checked into a hotel instead. The next day, she received a text from Shen Junyu informing her that the apartment downtown was now hers. She didn’t refuse; it was what the Shen family owed her, and she took it without guilt.

She quickly moved into the apartment and, albeit unwillingly, also brought over the Li family. Shen Xitong then immediately held a press conference to clarify the online rumors:

First, she indeed was the Shen Family’s foster daughter, but she hadn’t neglected her biological parents; she was living with them now.

Second, the online recording was fake, fabricated to frame her.

The Li family, now living in a significant house, had been very happy these past days. Shen Xitong had also told them that if her reputation was ruined, they wouldn’t get a penny, which is why the Li couple attended today’s press meeting.

At the meeting, Li Datou said that Shen Xitong had always treated them well and that she had paid for their living expenses. They had lived in rented accommodation because they had refused when Shen Xitong wanted to buy them a house. The words circulating online were not hers; it was all a misunderstanding.

With Li Datou’s honest and simple appearance, and considering his age, his words seemed particularly credible, leaving everyone uncertain about the truth.

"This woman really likes to play dramas," Jin Enxi said to Cissily while observing the online comments.

Cissily glanced and smirked, "Do you think we should give her a ’hand’ from behind?" Anyone with clear eyes would know this "help" wasn’t intended to be helpful at all.