However, by the time Shen Chang was born, Shen Guoxing was in full control of the family power. Naturally, the boy was named “Shen.”
When Shen Lideng’s mother arrived seeking her “family,” she received no money. Instead, she was brutally beaten by bodyguards.
Afterward, the woman settled in Jing’an City. Having a daughter seemed to stir a spark of conscience; she didn’t return to her old profession. She began looking for honest work.
But what good work could a woman over thirty find without an education or skills? Beyond menial labor, there were few options.
By a twist of fate, she ended up working as a cleaner for the Shen family’s Shanya Group. She managed to secretly obtain a lock of Shen Guoxing’s hair for a paternity test.
Later, she fell ill and passed away. Before she died, she told Shen Lideng she must go to the Shen family to find her father.
A five-year-old Shen Lideng knelt in the heavy snow, wearing only a thin down jacket, her face flushed red from the cold.
At the time, Shen Guoxing wavered. She was his daughter, after all, and he considered taking her in, but Chang Fengying blocked him.
No one knew exactly what happened after that, but Shen Lideng eventually entered the Shen household.
But no one cared if she lived or died. she was left to scrape by under Chang Fengying’s thumb, allowed only to exist as long as she didn’t die.
As the saying goes, having a stepmother means having a “stepfather.” In that house, Shen Guoxing was the root of the problem—he wasn’t a fit father to begin with. And Shen Lideng’s “stepmother” was a stepmother in the truest, cruelest sense.
The fact that she was allowed to stay in the Shen house at all was considered an act of “mercy” by Chang Fengying.
Chun Liuyi had heard these pieces over time, never the full story. She could only piece together the narrative from the fragments Gu Qingshuang let slip.
Of course, Chun Liuyi didn’t relay all these details to Zhu Hanxing. she merely gave a brief, messy summary.
After listening, Zhu Hanxing simply tutted. “So even rich people can be this miserable.”
Chun Liuyi glanced at her. “Even?”
“Drink, drink.” Zhu Hanxing suppressed a fleeting, imperceptible sadness in her eyes and smiled, flattering Chun Liuyi. “Good sister, what else do you know? Tell me more.”
Chun Liuyi: “…”
“I don’t know anything else,” she replied coldly.
Zhu Hanxing didn’t press further. A heavy feeling sat in her chest after hearing those stories. As she chatted idly with Chun Liuyi, she opened another bottle of her long-treasured fine wine.
“Another one?” Chun Liuyi’s face was flushed, her eyes a bit hazy.
It had been a long time since she’d spoken of the past. Once brought up, it was hard not to think of Gu Qingshuang…
Those vibrant memories felt like they had happened just yesterday, yet in reality, over a decade had passed.
Perhaps the wine wasn’t that strong, but people drown in their own thoughts before the alcohol takes them.
Chun Liuyi knew she couldn’t keep drinking. If she did, she’d be drunk, and getting drunk in front of someone she didn’t know well was a recipe for disaster. Especially someone who was trying so hard to pry information out of her.
But Chun Liuyi watched as the other woman picked up the bottle with a bright smile and poured her another glass. “Chunliu, are you drunk?”
“Shut up,” Chun Liuyi glared.
“If you’re drunk, don’t drink,” Zhu Hanxing teased. “I guess I’ll have to drink this amazing wine all by myself.”
“Get lost,” Chun Liuyi said coldly. “It’s my wine.”
“What’s wrong with me having a little? I’ll treat you to dinner next time.”
“Not interested.”
“So, are you drinking or not?”
“…”
Chun Liuyi rested her chin on her hand, her lips curling into a soft smile.
Zhu Hanxing, wine glass in hand, froze as she saw that smile blossom.
Chun Liuyi rarely smiled on set. Her character, Hu Jia, was also someone who almost never smiled. Perhaps it was because of her shattered past or the chains she carried, but she was always melancholy, calm, and silent. Zhu Hanxing had almost never seen a genuine smile from her.
This smile was completely different from her polite, professional ones. It came from within, carrying a hint of provocation. In her drunken, hazy eyes, there was a shimmering light.
Two phrases suddenly flashed through Zhu Hanxing’s mind—lingering affection and words left unsaid.
For a moment, she was stunned. The red wine rolled down her throat, burning not just her stomach, but seemingly her heart as well.
Chun Liuyi tapped her glass. “Fill it up.”
Under a thin moon and sparse stars, Ming Li stood on the balcony for an unknown amount of time. She suddenly sneezed, rubbed her arms, and turned back to the room.
Gu Qingshuang was sleeping fitfully, curled up like a cat on her side. She looked like a completely different person compared to when she was awake.
In the darkness, Ming Li couldn’t see clearly. Although it was after 1:00 AM, she felt no drowsiness. She even suspected she might die if she kept staying up like this, but she couldn’t help it; even lying in bed, she just tossed and turned.
Ming Li switched on the lamp on her side of the bed. The dim, amber glow made the room feel a bit warmer.
She sat on the bed for a while, her thoughts still a mess. Eventually, she got up to go to the bathroom to dry her hair.
She was like a tireless machine. She might stall during operation, but she would always do her best to complete her tasks.
Just like when she returned to the room to find a mess and heard Gu Qingshuang’s “protective” words for Shen Lideng. She hadn’t been happy, but she still placed Gu Qingshuang on the bed, wiped her face and neck with a warm towel, changed her into clean pajamas, and tucked her in. She then cleaned up the wine bottles on the floor, working as quietly as possible so the clinking wouldn’t disturb the sleeping woman.
Only after finishing everything did Ming Li take her shower.
Now, she was the only one awake. The smell of wine from the trash can and the lingering scent in the air filled her nose. It was… unpleasant.
After drying her hair, Ming Li couldn’t take it anymore. She took the trash bag of bottles and placed it outside the door for the servants to handle in the morning.
The primary source of the wine smell was the person lying on the bed.
Gu Qingshuang seemed to be having a nightmare. Her brow was furrowed, a thin layer of cold sweat coated her forehead, and she was mumbling in her sleep. Ming Li leaned in to listen, but she couldn’t make out a single word.
