The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 423 - 425. Do you really understand Shen Qinglan? (1)

Chapter 423: 425. Do you really understand Shen Qinglan? (1)

"Jun Ze, what should I do now? Can I just watch as my father’s efforts are ruined by these people?" Shen Junze looked helplessly at Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan looked at him, "Didn’t you say it yourself? Whatever Lu Jincai gains now, you will make him spit it out in the future."

Although that was said, seeing Lu Jincai act, Shen Junze couldn’t help but feel choked up.

"If you really want to stop Lu Jincai, it’s not impossible. Go find my brother, try to convince him to collaborate with the Shen Family, then go find those shareholders, and lay out the interest relationships for them. One option is under the cooling shade of a big tree like Junlan Group, and the other is a future unclear path. How to choose—these cunning old foxes know better than you."

"Is it that simple?" Shen Junze widened his eyes.

"Heh, you think it’s simple? Shen Junze, my brother is a businessman, and a good one at that. You need to present sufficient benefits to make my brother help you. And he will not help you without a fee or lower the price just because you are the son of the Second Uncle," Shen Qinglan bluntly stated the crux, "This is also the second challenge we are giving you."

Shen Junze pondered for a long time before finally lifting his head to look at Shen Qinglan, "Sister, I understand now, thank you."

Shen Qinglan nodded, "Since you understand, then go on and do it."

Shen Junze stood up, thanked Shen Qinglan once more, and then left the Shen Family.

Presidential office of Junlan Group.

Shen Junyu was not surprised to see Shen Junze appearing here; after all, Shen Qinglan had just told him about the situation last night.

"Big brother," Shen Junze called out. Compared to Shen Qinglan, he was more afraid of Shen Junyu now, but he respected him even more.

Only after getting to understand him more did he realize how narrow his own understanding of Shen Junyu had been before.

"Sit down," Shen Junyu said warmly.

Shen Junze sat on the chair opposite him, hands on his lap, his posture perfectly proper and restrained.

"Tell me, what reasons do you have to convince me? If you can present a convincing reason, I am not unwilling to help you," Shen Junyu got straight to the point.

Shen Junze didn’t expect Shen Junyu to be so straightforward, giving him no time to buffer. He hesitated for a while, then slowly looked up at Shen Junyu, "Brother, I am willing to merge the Shen Family company into Junlan Group, and I myself will follow your dispatch."

Shen Junyu raised an eyebrow, "An indenture?"

Shen Junze nodded, "Yes." He also knew that even if he regained the company now, he lacked leadership capabilities, but he didn’t want to see Lu Jincai get off freely. For him, having the Shen Family owned by Shen Junyu was preferable to being destroyed by Lu Jincai.

"You should know I am not lacking talents," Shen Junyu spoke calmly, these conditions were not enough to compel him to act.

"I will work hard to learn and enhance my own value. Brother, you should have seen in these past months that my potential is not bad. If you are willing to help me, one year later, I am willing to manage a subsidiary, and within four years make this subsidiary become the second largest under Junlan Group."

"That sounds like you’re painting a pie in the sky, and I am not hungry right now," Shen Junyu’s manner remained indifferent, but internally, he reassessed Shen Junze anew. He remembered the last time Shen Junze came to negotiate, also offering him a pie in the sky, only it was too boring, making him not even desire a second look. Although this time’s ’pie’ might not necessarily be delicious, at least it was progress.

Utilizing one’s own advantages is a strength.

"Brother, I know that I still don’t have the capital to negotiate with you, but you should see my efforts. Just give me a chance and time, and I will work hard to become the person you need, to be the sharpest sword in your hand when you expand your territory," Shen Junze’s attitude was very sincere.

Shen Junyu seemed to contemplate, silently watching Shen Junze without a word, his fingers lightly tapping on the desktop, the sound particularly clear in the quiet environment.

After a long while, he finally spoke softly, "Your reason lacks persuasive power. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t even have the slightest interest."

Hearing this, Shen Junze looked dejected, as if he had anticipated this outcome. Ever since Shen Qinglan spoke to him, he had been thinking for two days and nights without coming up with a good reason to convince Shen Junyu. Were today’s reasons, the best he could come up with, inadequate?

"Even though your reason isn’t sufficient to persuade me, I still see potential in your future abilities. Here’s what we’ll do; I will buy out the Shen Family company and merge it into Junlan as a subsidiary. Then, I’ll put you in charge. You bear the profits and losses. After four years, if you can make the Shen Family become the second-largest subsidiary under Junlan Group, I will give you fifty percent of the Shen Family’s shares."

Shen Junze abruptly looked up, unbelievably staring at Shen Junyu. "Brother, you..." This condition wasn’t just favorable; it was essentially free aid.

"Are you, unwilling?"

"No, I am willing," Shen Junze nodded repeatedly.

"Let me be clear upfront, if you can’t achieve this, then the Shen Family will cease to exist, and you also better be prepared to work for me all your life," Shen Junyu spoke lightly.

"Okay," Shen Junze agreed, "Brother, thank you." He knew Shen Junyu was helping him.

"I am not doing this for you."

"I know, but still, thank you."

"I will start the acquisition of the Shen Family company today; within a maximum of a month, you must elevate your ability to a managerial level."

"Okay." Although Shen Junze felt enormous pressure, he gritted his teeth and agreed. Since Shen Junyu said it, he believed he could achieve it; even if it meant forcing growth, he could still develop well.

Once Shen Junze left, Shen Junyu couldn’t help but laugh, picking up the phone to call Shen Qinglan, "Lanlan, today, your brother made a losing deal. How do you plan to compensate me?"

Shen Qinglan slightly curled her lips, "What compensation do you want?"

"Hmm, let me think—I can’t really think of anything right now. Can I keep this compensation and ask for it later when I think of something?"

Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently, "Brother, are you trying to take advantage and act cute? I mean, I have sent a talent your way, haven’t I?"

"That talent still requires me to spend time training him, I am at a loss here."

"Then why didn’t you refuse?"

"My sister personally asked me, how could I refuse?"

"Really want to compensate? It’s simple, 20% shares of Junlan Group." Shen Qinglan said it casually.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Junyu scoffed, "Ha, Lanlan, if you want to be lazy, just say it."

Shen Qinglan’s lips curved into a light smile, "Since you know, why mention it?" She admitted without any sense of guilt.

"I don’t expect your compensation anymore. Let Hengyi do it, whenever he returns, let him cook a Manchu Han Imperial Feast for me as compensation," Shen Junyu said.

Shen Qinglan thought for a moment and immediately agreed, "Sure, as long as you dare to eat."

Shen Junyu raised an eyebrow. What’s there to be afraid of? He had wanted to eat the food made by Fu Hengyi for a long time, but this miser, despite knowing him for so many years, had never cooked for him even once. He didn’t even know Fu Hengyi could cook, and cook so well, until Fu Hengyi had made food for Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan had completely sold her husband out without a hint of guilt, chatted with Shen Junyu for a while, and when she heard Anan’s babbling, she knew he had woken up and hung up the phone to go soothe her son.

When Shen Qinglan entered the room, Anan was playing with his own little feet, babbling incoherently. He glanced at his mother when she entered but quickly returned his attention to playing with his feet, clearly finding them more interesting than his mother.

Seeing him enjoying himself, Shen Qinglan had no intention of picking him up right away. It was only when Anan put down his feet and started calling out to her that Shen Qinglan picked him up.

Now Anan drank milk from a bottle, especially since he had begun teething and enjoyed gnawing on things, particularly liking to bite during feeding. Shen Qinglan had been bitten several times, once even drawing blood.

Anan was six months old now, liked to hold the milk bottle himself during feedings and preferred sitting up while eating. Shen Qinglan had only discovered recently that Anan could sit, and she had specifically taken pictures to show Fu Hengyi.

She gently supported Anan’s back with one hand to keep him from suddenly falling and held the bottle with the other hand. Anan wore two silver bracelets on his wrists, which jingled crisply whenever he moved his hands. Anan kept shaking his little hands after finishing his milk, then he would just smile broadly, seemingly amused by something.

Chu Yunrong came over to bring a few clothes for Anan. "Mom, why did you buy more clothes? Anan already has a lot."

Chu Yunrong smiled, "It’s okay, Anan is growing fast. He won’t fit into these clothes before long, and I’ve already washed them, so he can wear them right away."

Shen Qinglan put the clothes away and, seeing Chu Yunrong about to leave, asked, "Mom, are you heading out?"

Chu Yunrong nodded, "Yes, I’m going to a concert with some friends. Do you want to come?"

"I’ll pass," Shen Qinglan declined, not much interested in concerts.

As Chu Yunrong was about to leave, Shen Qinglan suddenly spoke up, "Mom, who is this friend of yours anyway?"

Chu Yunrong paused, smiling as she replied, "Just an old colleague from the orchestra, now retired with not much to do, so we hang out and eat together."

"Next time take me with you, I’d like to meet this former colleague of yours."

"Why do you want to meet just an ordinary colleague so suddenly?"

"I’m curious, what kind of person could make my mom leave the house every other day? They must be really charming," Shen Qinglan said with a teasing tone.

Chu Yunrong laughed, "She’s a woman with a rather tragic fate. She has encountered some troubles recently and hasn’t been in a good mood. She doesn’t have many friends, and since I have some spare time, I thought of keeping her company, talking, and easing her melancholy, lest she becomes ill from it all."

"When the time comes, I’ll pick you up," Shen Qinglan offered, not knowing why, but she had recently felt somewhat restless.

Chu Yunrong waved a hand dismissively, "No need, Anan still needs you to take care of him. I’ll drive myself. I’m just going out for a meal or a concert; what could possibly go wrong?"

Seeing Chu Yunrong insisting, Shen Qinglan did not press any further.

Chu Yunrong left the Fu Family’s house and breathed a sigh of relief. This business of providing cover really wasn’t for her. She had almost blurted out Qin Yan’s name just now, but remembering how Qin Yan had repeatedly cautioned her, in the end, she didn’t mention it. But what kind of misunderstanding did Shen Qinglan have about Qin Yan to make Qin Yan so... wary?

She had asked Qin Yan twice, but Qin Yan hadn’t said a thing. Maybe she should ask Qinglan in the future, perhaps that could clarify their misunderstanding.

When Chu Yunrong arrived at the venue, Qin Yan was already there. The concert finished earlier than expected, and Qin Yan suggested they go for a drive to "relax a bit."

Chu Yunrong, having no other plans, agreed. Qin Yan was driving. "Xiao Yan, where are we going?" Chu Yunrong asked, noting the increasingly secluded surroundings.

Qin Yan smiled, "To the northern suburbs. There’s a beautiful maple forest there. The maple leaves are red at this time; the scenery is spectacular."

Chu Yunrong had never been to this area and was unfamiliar with it. Hearing this, she had no suspicions, until the car stopped. Chu Yunrong looked at the building in front of them, puzzled, "This is a prison, why have you brought me here?"

Qin Yan explained apologetically, "Yunrong, I’m sorry for not getting your consent before investigating your adopted daughter’s whereabouts. I’ve looked into it, and she’s serving a sentence here in this prison. Do you want to come in and see her?"

Chu Yunrong’s expression darkened, she clenched her purse tightly, "Let’s not, let’s just go back," she said, ready to leave.

"I heard she’s not in a good situation. Are you sure you don’t want to see her?" Qin Yan said slowly, halting Chu Yunrong’s steps.

A smile played at the corners of Qin Yan’s mouth, unseen by Chu Yunrong, "I know I took the liberty this time, but I think you’d want to see the child, too. It took me some effort to get this information. Apparently, since she’s been here, she’s often bullied, and the guards don’t care about her. I wasn’t going to tell you, but after thinking it over for a few days, I felt I should."

Chu Yunrong’s heart clenched tightly. She wanted to ask Qin Yan why she brought her here, why she was telling her this; she didn’t want to know anything about Li Xitong, but her body was more honest than her heart.

Chu Yunrong turned around, looking directly at Qin Yan, "Is everything you said true?"

"Yun Rong, do I have any reason to lie to you?" Qin Yan counter-questioned.

The question indeed made Chu Yunrong pause. Indeed, before this, she and Qin Yan weren’t close, and it didn’t seem Qin Yan had anything to gain from her. After pondering, Chu Yunrong, conflicted, spoke, "Can we see her now?"

A hint of triumph flashed in Qin Yan’s eyes, but her face showed nothing. "Yes, I’ve put in an application in advance. I’m sorry, Yunrong, for taking the liberty again."

Though originally none too pleased with Qin Yan’s arrangements, Chu Yunrong couldn’t fault her since her intentions were good. Seeing her apologize again, she naturally couldn’t complain, "It’s alright."

As they walked in, Chu Yunrong looked at the tall iron gates, her heart trembling. This was the first time in her life she had come to such a place.

**

In a certain room in prison.

"Dead woman, aren’t you going to come over here and wash my feet, wasn’t last night’s lesson enough?" a woman shouted fiercely at a figure in the corner.

The figure shuddered, evidently fearful of the woman, struggling to get up from the ground and walk over to her. But the woman kicked the figure, "Taking your sweet time to come wash my feet, are you unhappy with what I said?"

The figure was kicked right on the knee, immediately kneeling on the ground in pain, but she couldn’t afford to care about her own pain and looked up at the woman, "No, Sister Li, I didn’t."

The person called Sister Li grabbed the figure’s hair, forcing her to raise her head and reveal a beautiful face—it was Li Xitong.

"I thought you wouldn’t dare. If you’re not going to behave, I’ll teach you why the flowers are so red. Hurry up and wash my feet."

Li Xitong’s hair was tightly held in Sister Li’s hand, her face paled in pain, "Yes, yes, Sister Li, I’ll do it right away."

Sister Li released Li Xitong, "Make it quick."

Li Xitong hurriedly ran to the corner to grab the kettle, poured some hot water into the basin, and then placed it by Sister Li’s feet. Just as Sister Li put her feet in, she screamed and kicked straight at Li Xitong’s chest, "Are you trying to scald me to death?"

Li Xitong was kicked down directly onto the ground, clutching her chest and coughing violently.

"I knew you weren’t this obedient, so you want to scald me to death, huh? Well, I’ll teach you how to respect your seniors." Sister Li said and grabbed Li Xitong’s hand and submerged it in the basin. Li Xitong screamed—it turned out she only added a bit of cold water when she’d poured the hot water, making the water quite hot.

Li Xitong desperately tried to pull her hand back, while Sister Li glanced at the other inmates looking for a spectacle, "Aren’t you going to come over and help? Or are you just here to watch my show?"

The others, as if waking from a dream, rushed over and held Li Xitong down, "Sister Li, I was wrong, please give me another chance," Li Xitong begged through tears.

Sister Li slapped her, "Now you know you were wrong? It’s too late, Li Xitong, what do you think, is your head filled with tofu dregs? You’ve been taught so many times and still haven’t learned to listen? Do you still think you are the high and mighty daughter of a wealth family from before?"

The others looked on at Sister Li disciplining Li Xitong with a sense of normalcy, clearly this wasn’t the first time such an event had happened.

"Sister Li, I really didn’t do it on purpose, please forgive me," Li Xitong cried, nowhere near the proud figure she once was. Months of prison life had already eroded the last bit of her dignity and pride.

Sister Li scoffed, "You realize your mistake? I think you are just resentful. Li Xitong, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. We indeed were the kind of lower class people you despised, but how much better are you now? Aren’t you the so-called wealthy daughter who got kicked out? And oh, why were you locked up? Let me think... oh right, for drug use. I never would have guessed that a grand pianist would be a junkie. I hate you wealthy daughters with seemingly perfect exteriors but filthy insides."

Sister Li stood up, picked up the kettle, and gave Li Xitong a cruel smile. Li Xitong immediately widened her eyes, desperately shaking her head, "Sister Li, please no, I am begging you, don’t."

Sister Li snorted coldly and said to the others, "Hold her down well. If she gets away, you’ll take her place."

The others’ heads ticked and they tightened their grip on Li Xitong.

"Sister Li, I really know I was wrong, please spare me this time, I promise I’ll listen to whatever you say from now on, please spare me," Li Xitong cried, tears streaming down her face as she knelt before Sister Li.

Sister Li sneered coldly, her eyes icy and unmoved. If it weren’t for this woman, she could have been out enjoying her freedom, but she had stayed just to torture her more, sharing the same cell with Li Xitong meant she too couldn’t leave this damned place.

So, Sister Li truly hated Li Xitong and naturally wouldn’t go easy on her. After all, the prison guards here turned a blind eye, and thinking about this made Sister Li genuinely curious. Who exactly had Li Xitong offended? Being in prison was one thing, but to not have peace even inside, and that person had said she couldn’t be allowed to die easily—she had to be tortured slowly.

Li Xitong stared at the hot water looming above, her eyes wide with terror, "No!"

Just a second before the hot water was about to be poured, the prison door was opened from outside, and a guard forcefully knocked on the door with his baton, "What are you doing, trying to start a riot?"

A group of people quickly released Li Xitong, and they hurried back to their own beds. Sister Li placed the kettle on the ground, a smirk appearing on her face, "Officer, we wouldn’t dare start a riot. We were just joking with 0981 here." Saying this, she kicked Li Xitong who was sitting silently on the ground, crying, "0981, isn’t that right?"

Li Xitong looked up and met Sister Li’s warning gaze, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, Sister Li was joking with me."

"Xu Li, behave yourself. Stir up trouble again, and you’ll never leave here in your lifetime," the guard warned Sister Li.

Sister Li smiled sweetly, "Officer, I’ve been very well-behaved lately."

The guard was a veteran here, well aware of Xu Li’s dominance as the female boss of the prison, often bullying the newcomers. They used to intervene, but for Li Xitong, the guard glanced at her sitting and crying on the floor, then indifferently looked away.

"Disperse, disperse, what are you gathering here for? Have you finished today’s tasks?" The others, except for Sister Li, quickly retreated to their places, heads down, trying to make themselves inconspicuous.

Li Xitong was about to stand up when the guard suddenly turned to her, "0981, someone is here to see you, get ready and come with me."

At that, Li Xitong paused, "Who is here to see me?"

The guard rolled his eyes, "How would I know? Go out and see for yourself."

Li Xitong followed behind the guard, and as they left, the others looked at each other, "Can’t believe someone actually came to see her," one woman said.

"Right, I thought no one would visit her in this lifetime," another woman added.

"Who do you think it is, her foster parents?" someone curiously asked.

Someone immediately scoffed, "Dream on. The Shen Family would come to see her? She was kicked out by the Shen Family. I heard she not only tried to steal from the Shen Family’s biological daughter but also tried to harm her. Do you think the Shen Family would tolerate her? Just driving her out was already merciful of them."

"True, that Li Xitong is a fool. A foster daughter is a foster daughter, she fails to recognize her place and even dared to compete with the biological daughter for possessions, truly believed she was part of the Shen Family."

One of the women suddenly lowered her voice, speaking softly, "Do you know what she competed with the biological daughter for?"

The others, drawn in by her words, asked eagerly, "What?"

"She, she fancied the same man as the biological daughter, believed the daughter stole her love."

"Ouch, this Li Xitong is really shameless, ignoring a real daughter and choosing a fake one? Only someone with a sick mind would choose her."

The group was enthusiastically discussing when Xu Li quietly listened from the side. After a while, she finally spoke up, "Everyone seems very free, have you completed today’s tasks?"

The group immediately shut up, "Sister Li, let me wash your feet." The woman who initially brought up the topic said ingratiatingly.

Sister Li waved her hand, clearly annoyed, "Get away, I don’t need you."

Sister Li sat on the bed, thinking about Li Xitong.

Li Xitong walked through the long corridor with the prison guard, curious about the identity of the person who had come to see her. She had been here for over half a year and nobody had visited her. She felt as though she had been abandoned by the world, enduring the torment of her fellow inmates alone. At first, she resisted, but each resistance led to even more severe beatings next time, and the guards turned a blind eye to her pleas for help. After a few times, Li Xitong learned her lesson and did whatever they asked, but even so, Sister Li still found reasons to punish her.

She had even been severely injured and admitted to the hospital twice and almost died, leaving a shallow scar on her forehead and countless others on her body. She had applied to be transferred to another prison, but was denied, and when Sister Li knew she wanted to switch rooms, she was met with another brutal beating.

Li Xitong had more than once doubted whether she would be killed by these people before her time was up, but fortunately, despite the hardships, she was still alive.

Li Xitong was not foolish; she knew that someone had instructed them to treat her this way, and the only person who harbored such deep hatred for her was none other than Shen Qinglan.

Thinking of Shen Qinglan, a chilling hatred flashed in Li Xitong’s eyes.

"Officer, can you tell me who has come to see me?" Li Xitong tentatively asked.

The guard didn’t even turn his head, "You’ll see soon enough, no need to ask."

"Officer, you know this is the first time someone has come to see me, I’m a bit nervous."

"We’ll be there soon, stop talking."

In fact, after they passed through a door, they were at the meeting place.

The guard pushed Li Xitong, "Go in."

**

Chu Yunrong never expected to see Li Xitong again under these circumstances. Li Xitong was wearing a prison uniform, with the conspicuously painful number "0981" on her chest. Her long hair had been cut into a bob, her expression haggard, her complexion pale, even her eye bags were pronounced.

The moment Li Xitong saw Chu Yunrong, she immediately turned away. She had not expected Chu Yunrong to be the visitor.

Although it was just a glance, Chu Yunrong had already seen the injuries on Li Xitong’s face. She had heard from Qin Yan that Li Xitong was having a hard time inside, assuming it was just due to the harsh conditions of the prison and Li Xitong’s inability to adapt, but she had never imagined that she was being physically abused, "Xitong."

Li Xitong, with her back turned, said, "Leave, I don’t need you watching."

"Xitong, I just wanted to check on you, nothing more," Chu Yunrong explained, at a loss.

Li Xitong sneered, "Why are you looking at me? To see if I’m dead yet, or to see how miserable I am now so you can go back and tell Shen Qinglan and let her feel more triumphant, is that it?"

"Xitong, that’s not what I mean, I just wanted to see if you were doing okay."

Li Xitong suddenly turned around to face Chu Yunrong, "Now you’ve seen it, are you satisfied with what you see? I’m not doing well at all, in fact, I’m doing very badly, and all this is thanks to your Shen Family."

Facing her directly, Chu Yunrong could see the injuries on Li Xitong’s body more clearly. Her neckline was torn due to a recent fight, revealing the skin underneath, and on that skin were numerous scars that looked like they were made by scratching. Some of the scars had just scabbed over, clearly they were recent.

Chu Yunrong suddenly covered her mouth, looking at Li Xitong in disbelief. To give her a clearer view, Li Xitong yanked her clothes open, revealing large swathes of skin densely covered with even more frightful scars.

"How could this happen ... How could this be." Chu Yunrong unconsciously stepped back two paces.

Li Xitong let out a miserable laugh, her eyes desolate and cold, "You ask me how this could happen? You should go back and ask your precious daughter why I’ve ended up like this."

"What do you mean by that?" Chu Yunrong looked shocked.

Li Xitong stared straight at her, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred, "It was your daughter, Shen Qinglan, who ordered people to do this to me." She lifted her hair revealing a scar on her forehead, "See this? This is also evidence of me being beaten. The worst time, I had three ribs broken and was hospitalized for a month before I got out. I almost died, and all of this, because Shen Qinglan didn’t want me to have a good life, she deliberately instructed people to do this, do you understand now, my dear mother?" The last few words were squeezed out as if through clenched teeth.

"That’s impossible, Qinglan would never do such a thing." Chu Yunrong immediately rejected her words, "Xitong, I know you hate Qinglan. You always think that Qinglan stole everything that belonged to you, but that’s not the case. Qinglan is the child of the Shen Family, all those things rightfully belong to her. If you want to blame someone, blame me. If it wasn’t for the false hope I gave you, you wouldn’t have ended up on this path, it’s all my fault, it’s my fault."

"Of course, it’s your fault." Li Xitong raised her voice, her emotions running high. She looked at Chu Yunrong, tears glimmering in her eyes, "If you really cared about me that much, why didn’t you continue to care? Didn’t you say you would treat me as your own daughter? Why couldn’t you keep treating me as your daughter for a lifetime, why did you have to find my biological parents, why did you give up on me halfway? Don’t you know that since I was a child, I’ve always considered you my only mother, I loved you so much, but why did you abandon me?"

Li Xitong’s tears finally fell unchecked; during the long half year in the detoxification center and the half year in prison, the people she hated the most, apart from Shen Qinglan, were Chu Yunrong.

"You gave me a warm home, let me know the taste of a mother’s love, let me gradually let down my guard and treat you as the closest person to me, but then you cruelly took everything away. I used to be so proud to have you, such a gentle and beautiful mother who deeply loved me, but however much I loved you then, that’s how much I hate you now. Mother, you will never know that the person who hurt me the deepest isn’t someone else, it’s you. If you hadn’t adopted me, perhaps I would have grown up in an ordinary family, or maybe I would have stayed in an orphanage my whole life, possibly experiencing more life’s storms, but at least I would have been a whole person, not living like I am now, neither human nor ghost."

Tears streaming down her face, she accused, "Mother, why did you give up on me, why couldn’t you keep loving me?"

Chu Yunrong watched Li Xitong, whose emotions had collapsed, looked at the myriad scars on her body, and couldn’t help but remember the past when she truly loved her daughter, although not biological. She had raised her for so many years, and their mother-daughter relationship wasn’t fake, but why had things ended up like this? Was it really as Li Xitong had said, because of her abandonment?

Li Xitong covered her face and wept bitterly, her heart filled with endless grievances and hatred. The huge turn her life had taken in these two years had brought her crashing down from the clouds to hell. As proud and carefree as she had once been, now she was just as abject and pitiful.

"Xitong, don’t be like this, you’re still young, as long as you reform yourself well inside, you can start over once you get out." Chu Yunrong looked at her mournfully, unable to think of other words to console Li Xitong.

At those words, Li Xitong suddenly laughed, "Start over? With what shall I start over?"

"You still have your hands, you’re a very talented girl, if you just put in the effort, you can still achieve something in music," Chu Yunrong said eagerly.

Li Xitong suddenly stared at Chu Yunrong fiercely, "Music? Do you really not know, or are you just trying to provoke me?"

Chu Yunrong didn’t understand her meaning, and Li Xitong stretched out her hand in front of her face, giving it a shake, "See this? What should I use to continue my music, these hands that are already crippled?"