The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 250. Shen Qinglan Who Can Only Sing Nursery Rhymes

Chapter 250: 250. Shen Qinglan Who Can Only Sing Nursery Rhymes

The graduation ceremony proceeded as they always do, and by the time it was Shen Qinglan’s turn to speak, nearly an hour had passed. Shen Qinglan stood up and walked to the podium. There wasn’t a student at B University who didn’t recognize Shen Qinglan, especially those in her year. When she appeared on stage, cheers immediately erupted from the crowd. Shen Qinglan made a quieting gesture, and the auditorium fell so silent you could hear a pin drop, the stark contrast demanding admiration.

Shen Qinglan looked around the room and slowly began to speak; her clear voice filled every corner of the auditorium. Her speech was neither impassioned nor fervent, yet everyone who listened was visibly moved and excited.

The university president, with a smile that blossomed like a chrysanthemum upon his face, watched the scene unfold.

As soon as Shen Qinglan finished her speech, the auditorium quickly erupted into thunderous applause. Yu Xiaoxuan clapped vigorously, her palms turning red without her noticing as she gazed adoringly at the radiant Shen Qinglan on stage—her best friend!

Shen Qinglan’s gaze was gentle and serene when she suddenly looked towards a corner of the room where a tall man was standing, smiling at her.

Locking eyes with him, Shen Qinglan’s eyes filled with a smile; she had not expected Fu Hengyi to show up at her graduation.

Walking down from the stage, Shen Qinglan didn’t return to her seat but instead walked towards the man. As the center of attention, every move she made was watched by everyone, and they finally noticed the man who had appeared in the corner.

Fu Hengyi watched Shen Qinglan as she approached him through the crowd and slowly extended his hand to her. Shen Qinglan placed her hand in his, "How did you get here?"

"Today is your graduation ceremony, such an important day, of course, I had to come," Fu Hengyi said warmly.

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly.

"Is that Shen Qinglan’s fiancé? He looks so handsome."

"That man is really handsome, and they look so good together standing there."

The classmates whispered among themselves.

Everyone watched them, most seeing Fu Hengyi in person for the first time. While they had all heard about Shen Qinglan’s engagement, seeing them together, so perfectly matched, they offered their sincerest applause.

The atmosphere was so lively, it interfered with the next part of the ceremony; Shen Qinglan bid the dean goodbye and left the auditorium with Fu Hengyi.

They did not leave the campus but strolled leisurely around it.

"Are you sure it’s really okay for you to come out today?" Shen Qinglan asked softly, her hand held by Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "It’s fine. I came to Beijing for a routine military meeting; I can spare this time. Seeing you on stage today, I suddenly felt so thankful that I had you by my side before others discovered your worth."

Watching Shen Qinglan shining so brightly on the stage today filled Fu Hengyi’s heart with both joy and complexity.

"No matter how high I stand, I am always your wife, forever." Shen Qinglan smiled gently and spoke softly. Even if I had not met you then, I would have waited for you because there is no one else in this world who could be as accepting, caring, and loving towards me as you are, nor is there anyone else I could love so deeply.

"Fu Hengyi, I think I’m starting to believe in fate now," Shen Qinglan suddenly said.

Fu Hengyi turned his head to look at her.

"Excluding childhood, I have been back at the Shen Family for six years, and I’ve been to the Fu Family countless times, yet I never met you until I was at my most helpless."

Fu Hengyi thought about the way they met and couldn’t help but smile, "I am also grateful that it was me who appeared before you at that time."

"Our wedding is in September. Did Grandpa say last time that you had someone start making the wedding clothes?"

"Yes." In fact, since deciding on a traditional Chinese wedding, Fu Hengyi had started preparing the wedding attire, which was complex to create. The embroidery alone required five embroidery women half a year to complete, and it couldn’t have been done without prior preparation.

Although Shen Qinglan had expressed a desire for a simple wedding, a wedding is a significant event in a woman’s life, and he wanted to give her the best.

They continued to wander around the campus, chatting casually.

**

Yu Xiaoxuan left the auditorium and found Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi by Weiming Lake. "Hello, Mr. Fu."

Yu Xiaoxuan, still somewhat reserved in Fu Hengyi’s presence, watched as he smiled and then spoke to Shen Qinglan, "Then, I will take my leave."

"Okay," Shen Qinglan nodded, watching as Fu Hengyi left. Yu Xiaoxuan looked bewilderedly at Shen Qinglan, "Why did he leave as soon as I arrived? Did I interrupt something?"

Shen Qinglan explained, "No, he had other matters to attend to today."

"Oh, then let’s go to the homeroom teacher and get our graduation certificates," Yu Xiaoxuan suggested.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Let’s go."

The homeroom teacher was already waiting in the office. Upon their arrival, he handed them their graduation and degree certificates. "These are yours, and this is Fang Tong’s. She already called me asking to give her certificates to you."

"Thank you, Teacher Li," Shen Qinglan expressed her gratitude.

As they were about to leave, Teacher Li stopped them, "Qinglan, there’s a class reunion meal later. Would you like to attend?"

Shen Qinglan paused, thought for a moment, and nodded, "Yes, Teacher Li, where will it be held?"

"Let me check," Teacher Li took out his phone and glanced at it. "At the Imperial Hotel."

After a moment of thought, Shen Qinglan spoke, "Let’s switch to Charming Color, I know the manager there. I’ll take care of this meal as a way to thank my classmates for their support."

Back when rumors of her being supported by a wealthy man had surfaced, many had slandered Shen Qinglan, but her classmates had steadfastly believed in her innocence. She had never mentioned it, but it was something she remembered and had always wanted to find an opportunity to thank them. This was the perfect chance.

Teacher Li hesitated, aware of the high expenses at Charming Color.

Seeing what she was worried about, Yu Xiaoxuan grinned and said, "Teacher Li, don’t worry about the cost on Qinglan’s behalf. She’s quite wealthy now."

After a moment of thought, Teacher Li nodded and agreed, "Then I’ll send a message in the group chat."

Shen Qinglan nodded, then made a call to the manager at Charming Color to prepare a luxurious private room and necessary dishes.

Shen Qinglan spoke up, and even without a VIP manager, she would have arranged a room for them. So, when the group arrived at Charming Color, everything was already prepared.

A portion of the group was visiting such a venue for the first time, and they were left in awe at the luxurious decor. Others looked on with envy, knowing that if it weren’t for Shen Qinglan bringing them here, they likely would never have visited such a place.

"Today, everything’s on me, just enjoy yourselves. There’s a bar downstairs and KTV upstairs, feel free to do whatever you like," Shen Qinglan said.

Although she said this, everyone was still very restrained. They passed the menu around hesitantly, no one daring to order. Seeing this, Shen Qinglan felt a bit helpless; she had chosen this place specifically to treat them well, but now regretted her choice as she watched them struggling to relax.

Yu Xiaoxuan noticed the annoyance in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, stood up, and took the menu, "What are you all standing around for? Order something. Today’s our chance to splurge on Qinglan’s tab, don’t you dare save on her behalf!" With that, she began to energetically order several dishes.

With someone livening up the atmosphere, the previously subdued mood in the private room finally lifted. Under Yu Xiaoxuan’s lead, the normally outgoing folks began to join in, and the private room quickly grew lively.

"Qinglan, we’ve ordered quite a few expensive dishes. Don’t feel bad when it’s time to pay," someone shouted at Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "Order whatever you want to eat, do whatever you want to do; I’m covering all the expenses tonight."

She rarely smiled, so this sudden display left everyone a bit stunned. Some of the boys even blushed, bowing their heads to cover their wildly beating hearts, mentally chanting: The flower is poisonous, the flower is poisonous.

A young man muttered this phrase out loud, and it eventually reached Yu Xiaoxuan, who later repeated it to Shen Qinglan, much to her mixed amusement and chagrin.

After dinner, being a group of young people, the night was far from over. They directly shifted the party upstairs to the KTV for more fun.

Shen Qinglan stayed for a while, but after receiving a call from Fu Hengyi, she slipped away, leaving Yu Xiaoxuan and the others to continue the revelry.

When Shen Qinglan walked out of Charming Color, Fu Hengyi was already waiting outside, "Let’s go," Shen Qinglan said.

Fu Hengyi shook his head, "I just came to see you. I need to rush back to the military region tonight. Now that I’ve seen you, you should head back up."

Shen Qinglan felt a bit disappointed; she had hoped that Fu Hengyi could return home that night.

Fu Hengyi patted her hair, "I’ll be back by the end of the month, just a few more days."

"Let me walk you out then," Shen Qinglan said.

Fu Hengyi chuckled, "Are you that reluctant to let me go?"

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Yeah, I don’t want you to go."

Fu Hengyi hugged her and kissed her forehead lightly, "Today is your class reunion, and you are the host. It wouldn’t be right for you to leave. Go back up."

Shen Qinglan thought it over and realized she might be overreacting. She nodded, "Alright, drive safely."

Fu Hengyi nodded, playfully tweaking her nose, "Got it, housekeeper."

Shen Qinglan watched as Fu Hengyi drove away, and only when she could no longer see his car did she turn to go upstairs.

"Eh, Qinglan, where did you just go? We couldn’t find you," a girl said as she entered.

The private room was filled with singing, and Shen Qinglan couldn’t hear clearly, so the girl repeated herself.

"I just went to the restroom."

The girl oh-ed and handed her the microphone, "We’ve all sung already, it’s your turn to sing one." This suggestion was unanimously approved. Everyone looked at her with anticipation, and Shen Qinglan turned to Yu Xiaoxuan. Far from helping her, Yu Xiaoxuan egged her on, "Yeah, Qinglan, sing one. We’ve known you for so many years and haven’t heard you sing yet."

Shen Qinglan gave Yu Xiaoxuan, who enjoyed watching the excitement, a silent look.

"I don’t sing," Shen Qinglan said.

Everyone thought she was just being modest, "It’s okay, just sing any song. Today’s a rare opportunity, Qinglan, you really should do us this favor." Their class president started off.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Shen Qinglan scanned everyone’s faces, finally nodding under their expectant gazes, "Okay. But I only know one children’s song."

"What children’s song?" someone asked.

Shen Qinglan pursed her lips and then spat out a few words, "Two Tigers."

The room instantly quieted down, everyone looking around in disbelief, feeling as though thunder was roaring. They must have heard wrong, their goddess-like Shen Qinglan could only sing children’s songs, specifically "Two Tigers"?

Yu Xiaoxuan was initially stunned, then barely held back her laughter. If not for Shen Qinglan’s glance her way, she would have certainly burst out laughing. She too hadn’t expected Shen Qinglan to know only children’s songs.

Someone had already chosen "Two Tigers," and it was lucky that a place like Charming Color actually had children’s songs. As the familiar tune started, Shen Qinglan had no choice but to sing, watching the screen depicting two little tigers.

"Two tigers, two tigers running fast, running fast, one without a tail, one without ears, how strange, how strange..."

No sooner had she begun than the expressions of the crowd turned even weirder than when they’d heard Shen Qinglan admit to only knowing a children’s song.

Shen Qinglan’s singing was... indescribable...

Even the tone deaf sounded better than her. Others sang for money, her singing seemed life-threatening, now they finally understood why Shen Qinglan only knew one children’s song.

Even a simple song like "Two Tigers" turned into something soul-stirring, other songs would obviously be too difficult for her.

After the song ended, everyone clapped out of politeness – I mean, it wasn’t pleasant but at least she sang, right? Shen Qinglan handed the microphone to someone else, and everyone continued singing and drinking, no one suggested Shen Qinglan sing again, and she finally got some peace.

Midway through the singing, some people had already headed down to the bar. In Charming Color, Shen Qinglan wasn’t worried at all; this was somewhat her territory, unlikely to present any problems. However, she hadn’t expected that this would almost lead to a big mess.

"Go ahead and laugh," Shen Qinglan said resignedly, seeing Yu Xiaoxuan staring, wanting but afraid to laugh, knowing full well the level of her own singing.

"Phahaha," Yu Xiaoxuan burst into laughter, holding her stomach, "Qinglan, I really didn’t expect your singing to be like this, phahaha."

Seeing Yu Xiaoxuan laugh uncontrollably, Shen Qinglan’s hand twitched. Finally, Yu Xiaoxuan laughed enough, stopped, and looked at Shen Qinglan with a look of astonishment in her eyes.

"Qinglan, I’m not trying to criticize you, but you dance so well and you’ve got a strong sense of rhythm. How come when it comes to singing..."

Shen Qinglan couldn’t answer that question. Despite her strong musical sense, she was tone-deaf.

While she was talking to Yu Xiaoxuan, the manager of Charming Color suddenly opened the door of the private room and entered, "Miss Shen, your friend is in trouble."

"What happened?" Shen Qinglan asked.

The manager of Charming Color whispered something in Shen Qinglan’s ear. She stood up and, seeing others looking over, said, "The manager said he saw a friend downstairs who was drunk. I’m going to check."

"Go ahead, we’ll keep ourselves entertained here." Everyone was very understanding. Shen Qinglan gave Yu Xiaoxuan a meaningful look, and Yu Xiaoxuan nodded in agreement.

Shen Qinglan followed the manager of Charming Color out of the private room and directly pushed open the door of another nearby private room. In this room, several young men were reveling, and their source of entertainment was a young girl surrounded by them in the center, her face full of terror. Seeing Shen Qinglan enter, her face suddenly brightened, and she tried to run towards Shen Qinglan but was held back by one of the young men, "Beautiful, where do you think you’re going? You want to run before we’ve settled things?"

Shen Qinglan recognized the girl; she was a classmate named Tan Yuxin.

Tan Yuxin looked at Shen Qinglan with tears streaming down her face, "Qinglan, please save me."

Hearing this, the young men realized that the two knew each other, and their gaze towards Shen Qinglan suddenly turned curious—they recognized her.

"What happened?" Shen Qinglan asked lightly after glancing around the private room.

"So, Miss Shen, you know this beauty? Then this matter can be easily resolved," a man in a purple shirt said as he stood up. "Your friend here broke a jade piece belonging to my friend, a family heirloom, priceless in value. So, tell me, how should we handle this?"

The broken jade lay on the coffee table, and Shen Qinglan saw it as soon as she looked. She picked up a fragment and examined it. While its quality was decent, claiming it was priceless was far too exaggerated; these people were clearly trying to scam her.

The manager of Charming Color stood next to Shen Qinglan, quietly briefing her about the identities of these men, all notorious scions in Beijing.

Shen Qinglan turned to Tan Yuxin, "Tell me what happened."

Tan Yuxin had been shaking her head since the purple-shirted man accused her of breaking the jade. Now that Shen Qinglan asked her, she explained.

It turned out that Tan Yuxin and some friends had gone to the club downstairs to have fun, and she drank a bit too much. Wanting to rest, she mistakenly entered the wrong private room and bumped into someone. But she hadn’t been the one to break the jade; at the time, it had been in someone else’s hand, and it had taken a while before the jade piece actually broke after the collision.

Shen Qinglan looked at the man in the purple shirt, "My friend isn’t wrong, is she?"

The man in the purple shirt snorted, "So what? If she hadn’t barged in suddenly, would my friend have been startled and broken the jade? Doesn’t this have something to do with your friend? Miss Shen, I know you are the daughter of the Shen family, and our families combined can’t compare to yours, but the Shen family must also be reasonable, right? If you break something, you should pay for it. This jade isn’t expensive, just two million. For Miss Shen, that’s just a drop in the bucket, right?"

"You’re lying; you just said that the jade was worth five hundred thousand," Tan Yuxin said loudly.

The man’s face stiffened, but he quickly recovered, "I said that because you don’t have money—your entire outfit isn’t even worth one of my shoes. I was pitying you when I said that. This is my friend’s family heirloom, and five hundred thousand isn’t even close."

Tan Yuxin looked desperate; with her family’s financial situation, she couldn’t even afford fifty thousand, let alone two million.

"So, you are trying to extort money?" Shen Qinglan spoke calmly.

The man in purple clothes laughed, "Miss Shen, that’s not quite right of you to say. What do you mean by blackmail? This is already a friendly price. If we go by the market appraisal, this jade is worth tens of millions. If it weren’t for the sake of the Shen Family, this two million wouldn’t be enough."

Shen Qinglan looked at him coldly, "Then you could very well not have offered a ’friendly price.’ We can get an expert to appraise it, and I will pay whatever amount is correct, but if the appraisal is below five hundred thousand, well..."

Shen Qinglan didn’t continue, but the implication was clearly not pleasant.

Tan Yuxin had already run to Shen Qinglan’s side, hiding behind her and whispered, "I’m sorry, Shen Qinglan, I’ve caused you trouble."

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Leave this matter to me." These people were clearly here to cause trouble.

Shen Qinglan turned to the Charming Color Manager, "Package this jade for me, not a single fragment less, and have it sent to the antique appraisal office tomorrow for expert evaluation."

The Charming Color Manager nodded in agreement. The man in purple had initially not noticed the Charming Color Manager, but now recognizing him and seeing him obeying Shen Qinglan, he suddenly felt a bad premonition and blocked the Charming Color Manager from taking the broken jade, "Who allowed you to take the jade away? What if you switch it out?"

Shen Qinglan’s eyes were icy as she spoke coldly, "I, Shen Qinglan, am someone who dares to act and take responsibility, never stooping to petty tricks. If you’re worried, then keep the jade yourself, and I’ll accompany you to the appraisal tomorrow."

The man in purple still disagreed, "What appraisal? I told you it’s a family heirloom, invaluable, and now it’s damaged. Not only are you not compensating, but you’re also babbling here, what exactly do you mean?"

Shen Qinglan scoffed coldly, looking towards a corner covered by these men, "I’d also like to know what Mr. Lin means, hiding behind others and enjoying the show?"

The Charming Color Manager looked over and finally noticed sitting there was Mr. Lin Hao of Lin Group. He had been wondering, as Lin Hao had come with these people, why he hadn’t seen him upon their arrival.

Lin Hao laughed out loud, "Haha, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Miss Shen, yet you seem more imposing than ever."

He emerged from the shadows, his eyes on Shen Qinglan filled with a sinister look.

"I didn’t expect that Mr. Lin, after this time, would grow bolder. How so, wasn’t the beating last time enough for you?"

Lin Hao’s expression stiffened. Last year, after losing a race to Shen Qinglan and being lectured by her, he had wanted the Shi Gang to teach her a lesson, but those incompetents couldn’t even handle a woman. Not only that, but he had also been beaten by the Shi Gang afterward and had hidden at home for days, not daring to step out.

Later, learning of Shen Qinglan’s identity, Lin Hao did indeed fear her and would absolutely avoid appearing before her. Even though he had hooked up with Li Xitong, despite Li Xitong repeatedly trying to sway him with pillow talk to act against her, Lin Hao pretended not to hear.

However, just some time ago, Li Xitong entered the Detoxification Center, and under old affections, Lin Hao visited her once. Li Xitong told him that all her misfortunes, the crippling of her hands, the forced addiction injections of DP, and even his own scandal were orchestrated by Shen Qinglan.

Because of this scandal, he suffered quite a bit inside.

Moreover, the Lin Family had almost bankrupted themselves trying to save Lin Hao, but all they got in return was his bail—he was still a suspect who couldn’t go anywhere.

Thus, Lin Hao harbored deep hatred for Shen Qinglan and would be glad to trip her if he could.

Today, seeing Tan Yuxin with Shen Qinglan at Charming Color, he hadn’t planned on doing anything—after all, there was no reason to. But how could he ignore such a coincidence that Tan Yuxin had walked into the wrong room by herself?

Looking at Lin Hao, Shen Qinglan could feel that this man had become much more sinister compared to when she last saw him, "Lin Hao, I told you to take a detour whenever you see me; you haven’t forgotten that so soon, have you?"

The brooding in Lin Hao’s eyes deepened, as he stared coldly at Shen Qinglan, "Miss Shen, do you intend to get physical again? I wonder what would happen if it got out that Eldest Miss Shen, the renowned painter Leng Qingqiu was involved in a brawl at a KTV? Imagine how amusing that would be."

"You’re welcome to try," Shen Qinglan said calmly, her voice unhurried and unaffected by Lin Hao’s words.

"Heh, so this is the daughter of the Shen Family, speaking so boldly and assertively." Lin Hao said with a sarcastic tone.

Shen Qinglan frowned slightly, "Tell me, how do you want to resolve this? I’ve already examined the item, and we all know its true worth." Her gaze swept over the faces of the other young gentlemen, "I don’t think you really want to cause trouble, likely you were instigated by someone."

Her cold eyes carried a trace of subtle intimidation as the young gentlemen looked at each other but remained silent. Shen Qinglan continued, "Regarding the jade, whether it was indeed broken by my friend is simple to verify."

She turned around, pointing towards the entrance of the private room, which directly faced the staircase. At the staircase, a surveillance camera was pointed in their direction. Seeing this, the men’s expressions turned odd.

"Manager Li, please retrieve the surveillance footage to see what actually happened. If it was my friend who broke it, we’ll compensate at its market value, and charge it to my account," she paused, "If it wasn’t, I would like you guys to apologize to my friend."

She had just noticed the surveillance camera, which indeed saved her a lot of trouble.

The young gentlemen looked at each other, then all turned to Lin Hao, as it was he who had started all of this. Lin Hao sneered, "Miss Shen, are you trying to use your power to bully us?"

Shen Qinglan chuckled lightly, "Mr. Lin, you jest, I simply wish to speak based on facts."

The Charming Color manager nodded and was about to retrieve the surveillance video. This action immediately panicked the young gentlemen; the jade was only worth some tens of thousands, not some priceless heirloom. If the footage was reviewed, their intentional deception would be evident, and the situation could become either minor or severe.

If Shen Qinglan decided not to pursue this matter further, it would end there. But if she chose to make a fuss, then once they returned home, their families would certainly not let them off easily, given that offending the Eldest Miss Shen was tantamount to offending the Junlan Group. Their family businesses were no match for the Junlan Group.

On a normal day, they wouldn’t dare offend Shen Qinglan. Today, however, everyone had been drinking, and influenced by the alcohol coupled with Lin Hao’s provocations, Shen Qinglan seemed to them a soft target, perhaps even temperless. Stirred by Lin Hao’s words, they got excited, thinking that bullying the Eldest Miss Shen would be a thrill. However, things did not go as they had anticipated.

The man in the purple shirt pointed at Lin Hao, "Miss Shen, this matter has nothing to do with us. It was all Lin Hao’s idea."

Lin Hao didn’t expect this turncoat behavior from his companions and was immediately enraged, his face turning dark, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"We’re not spouting nonsense. You said Miss Shen is an easy target, that the Shen family is rich, and it would be a waste not to extort some money for our use," another young gentleman said, the others nodding in agreement.

"You traitors," Lin Hao said, his face turning even more livid.

The young gentlemen didn’t feel there was anything wrong with their actions; they were close to Lin Hao, but it was just a casual friendship.

The man in the purple shirt continued, "Miss Shen, today’s incident was just a misunderstanding. The jade isn’t valuable; it’s no big deal that it’s broken. It’s getting late, so we’ll be leaving now."

Upon hearing this, the others quickly agreed, chiming in, "Right, right, Miss Shen, we were just joking with your friend. Please don’t take it to heart." They exchanged glances, preparing to leave the private room.

"Stop." Shen Qinglan spoke calmly, causing the young gentlemen to immediately halt, all turning to look at Shen Qinglan. The man in the purple shirt spoke, "Miss Shen, do you have any instructions?"

"Is there no need for an apology after doing something wrong?"

They immediately understood, each apologizing to Tan Yuxin, and then hurriedly left the private room as if fleeing.

Tan Yuxin was dumbfounded by how things turned out, standing there not knowing what to say.

Shen Qinglan patted her shoulder, and seeing her come back to her senses, spoke softly, "You go back to the private room first."

"Oh." Tan Yuxin nodded and walked out, while the Charming Color Manager tactfully retreated, leaving Lin Hao and Shen Qinglan alone in the room.

Shen Qinglan looked at Lin Hao, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Lin Hao’s expression twisted grotesquely, a trace of fear still hidden deep in his eyes—the instinctual response left from the last time Shen Qinglan had disciplined him. Hearing Shen Qinglan’s words, he pointed at her and loudly accused, "So-called daughter of the Shen family, renowned painter Leng Qingqiu, is nothing but a poisonous woman. Everyone outside thinks you’re so kind, but who knows about the ruthlessness in your heart? Even if Xitong isn’t the Shen family’s biological daughter, you at least raised her for so many years. Yet you casually decided to kick her out of the Shen family, and that wasn’t all—you even crippled her hands. She’s a pianist, her livelihood depends on her hands; breaking her hands is basically forcing her to die, isn’t it? What did she do wrong? And to top it all off, you got her addicted to drugs. They say there’s nothing more poisonous than a woman’s heart, and that saying fits you perfectly."

Shen Qinglan’s demeanor remained indifferent. Facing Lin Hao’s accusations, not even her gaze wavered as she glanced at him faintly, "Are you done?"

"No, Shen Qinglan, it was you who did it, right? You were the one who reported me, weren’t you? Do you really think no one knows the things you’ve done?"

Lin Hao was arrested, and Shen Qinglan knew it was Wen Xiyao who had done it, but she didn’t deny it at this moment, "So what if I did? If you hadn’t really done those things, my report would have been pointless." At the end of the day, Lin Hao was just scum, but it seemed today he still had some feelings for Li Xitong.

Shen Qinglan stepped closer to Lin Hao, causing him to instinctively step back, his eyes full of terror, "What are you trying to do? If you lay a hand on me here, I can sue you."

Shen Qinglan scoffed, thinking Lin Hao might have really gained some courage, but he was nothing more than a paper tiger.

"Shen Qinglan, we live in a society governed by law now, not a time when your Shen family can cover the sky with one hand," Lin Hao gritted his teeth.

Shen Qinglan looked into his eyes as if she were looking at a buffoon, "Then you should also pay the appropriate price for your own actions."

At this, Lin Hao’s expression turned ferocious, "Shen Qinglan, you’re so ruthless in your actions, aren’t you afraid of retribution?"

Shen Qinglan’s expression stayed indifferent, "I have always acted with a clear conscience. But what about Li Xitong? Since she told you so much, did she ever tell you why she ended up in this situation, why the Shen family kicked her out? Lin Hao, a man can be foolish once, but not constantly. Take the chance to go back and ask her clearly."

After saying that, Shen Qinglan turned and left, leaving Lin Hao standing there, his complexion shifting uncertainly.

After leaving the room, Shen Qinglan made a phone call to Shen Junyu, believing some seeds must be nipped in the bud as soon as they appear.

When Shen Qinglan returned to the room, Tan Yuxin had already come back.

"Is everything settled?" Yu Xiaoxuan asked softly, unaware of what had happened but guessing it must have had something to do with her since she noticed a peculiar expression when Tan Yuxin returned.

Shen Qinglan nodded. Her departure had gone unnoticed by everyone, who had no idea about the conflict that had just occurred.

After the "frightening" encounter, Tan Yuxin, previously tipsy, had sobered up completely upon returning. She simply sat in a corner quietly drinking bottled water, not in high spirits.

The gathering continued till midnight, and when it finally dispersed, Tan Yuxin was the last to leave. She thanked Shen Qinglan as she left.

"It wasn’t your fault today; don’t overthink it."

Tan Yuxin thanked her again and then left.

Shen Qinglan drove Yu Xiaoxuan home before heading back to Jiangxin Garden herself. She had barely opened the door and entered when her expression abruptly changed, and she spoke softly, "Come out."

A light chuckle came from the darkness, and then the lights in the living room lit up.