Stealing ML’s White Moonlight C46

Chapter 46

There was a school-level basketball tournament coming up soon, and naturally, Shen Lihuan’s Class 1-2 had to participate.

The class had plenty of tall boys, and many of them were skilled at basketball. However, since only five players could be on the court at a time, with seven substitutes, over twenty boys would have to be cut.

Boys cared about their pride—they wouldn’t voluntarily back out just because they weren’t good enough. So the P.E. teacher decided to have them compete against each other.

The referees? Him and the girls from the class.

Cheng Ziqian could play basketball, but his skills were just average. Bo Wen’an, on the other hand, was different—he was one of the best in the class. With a boyfriend that strong, how could Cheng Ziqian admit he wasn’t good enough?

So, as he warmed up, he bragged to Shen Lihuan and You Changqing, “Just wait and see me shine! I’m definitely going to be the best out there!”

Shen Lihuan sat on the steps outside the court and handed a bottle of water to You Changqing beside her. Hearing him, she glanced at him with amusement but decided not to expose his lie. “Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”

You Changqing accepted the water bottle but hadn’t taken a sip yet. She glanced at Cheng Ziqian’s thin arms and legs, then said meaningfully, “Good luck.”

Hopefully, he wouldn’t get knocked off the court in just two minutes.

Unfortunately, bad predictions always seem to come true. Not long after the game started, Cheng Ziqian was getting blocked and having the ball stolen from him left and right.

He really was taken off the court within two minutes, with both the P.E. teacher and the girls calling him off.

The embarrassment was too sudden—his movements slowed as he walked off the court. He had boasted too much and now had no face left to show.

Sitting side by side, You Changqing rested her head on Shen Lihuan’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “I wonder who was bragging about showing off just now? Lihuan, do you remember?”

Cheng Ziqian immediately froze in place before bolting over. “Mercy, Lady Hero! I misspoke!” He even made a pitiful crying sound—begging not to be humiliated any further.

Seeing his pleading face, You Changqing teased, “It’s fine if you weren’t selected. Wen’an will avenge you.”

Cheng Ziqian turned back to look at the court. Sure enough, the boy who had just blocked and stolen from him was now being completely dominated by Bo Wen’an. In no time, that guy was eliminated as well.

Cheng Ziqian instantly forgot his earlier frustration and jumped up in excitement, cheering, “Wen’an, you’re the best! Go, Wen’an!”

Bo Wen’an’s usually calm expression softened a little when he glanced over at Cheng Ziqian.

Cheng Ziqian plopped down beside Shen Lihuan and You Changqing, feeling so overjoyed he even started humming a tune.

Watching him and Bo Wen’an flaunt their affection right in front of them, You Changqing pouted and rubbed her head against Shen Lihuan’s shoulder. Shen Lihuan lowered her head and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Lihuan, Orange is showing off his relationship in front of me. I want to do the same!”

Shen Lihuan pinched her slightly upturned nose and teased, “Why are you so childish?”

You Changqing clung to her arm and whined, “I don’t care! You spoiled me into this, so now you have to take responsibility!”

“Alright, alright, it’s all my fault. I’ll take responsibility.” Shen Lihuan had no defense against You Changqing’s playful pouting. The moment she put on that sweet expression, Shen Lihuan could only surrender.

You Changqing wasn’t sure if Shen Lihuan was just humoring her or if she really meant it, but either way, she had said she would take responsibility. From now on, this person belonged to her—no one else was allowed to take her away!

—

Hu Family

Hu Zhiyuan was in his study, speaking with his most trusted assistant. This assistant had a shady past, once involved in the underworld. After Hu Zhiyuan saved his life, he swore loyalty to him, handling the tasks Hu Zhiyuan couldn’t personally deal with.

“Boss, Shen Lihuan is always accompanied by bodyguards, and she only travels between school and the Shen family residence. We haven’t had an opportunity to capture her yet. However, today we discovered that she and Miss You went to Ning’an Alley in the Eastern District. I suspect she’ll go back there, so I’ve assigned people to tail her and station another group in Ning’an Alley.”

“No matter what, capture Shen Lihuan as soon as possible. If there’s no opportunity, then just block her car and take her by force!”

The thought of Gu Qingrong crying so miserably made Hu Zhiyuan restless. He no longer cared about Shen Jiashu’s reaction.

Shen Jiashu had been away from the imperial capital for eighteen years—it was no longer his domain. Even if he inherited the Shen Corporation, so what? The imperial capital was treacherous. Did Hu Zhiyuan really believe that after twenty years of building his network, he would lose to someone who had just returned?

“Understood. If Shen Lihuan doesn’t travel alone within three days, we’ll intercept her car.”

“Good. You may go. I trust your work.” Hu Zhiyuan waved his hand dismissively and took a deep drag from his cigar, exhaling a swirl of smoke.

The assistant respectfully left the study, his footsteps silent as he exited the Hu family residence.

Hidden in the shadows, a woman who bore a slight resemblance to Gu Qingrong clenched her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, yet she didn’t feel the pain.

On one side was the father of her child. On the other, her conscience.

What should she do?

—

That Evening

During dinner preparations, Luo Yanrong nearly vomited from the fishy smell. She quickly called the family’s chef to handle the fish instead.

Hu Zhiyuan loved fish, so Luo Yanrong had even taken a cooking class for him. The once pampered young lady who had never touched household chores had become a housewife, yet Hu Zhiyuan still didn’t love her.

As she retched, her eyes suddenly turned red.

At dinner, Hu Zhiyuan took a bite of the fish and immediately frowned. “Why doesn’t it taste the same as before?”

Luo Yanrong set down her chopsticks and explained, “I wasn’t feeling well today, so the chef made all the meat dishes.”

“Next time, you should cook. Your fish tastes better.” Hu Zhiyuan paused. He wanted to ask her if she was feeling unwell, but the thought of Gu Qingrong made him shut his mouth.

Marrying Luo Yanrong was already a betrayal of Qingrong; he couldn’t offer Luo Yanrong the tenderness that belonged to Qingrong—that would be an even greater betrayal.

Luo Yanrong didn’t react to his cold attitude. She had gotten used to it, hadn’t she? Even when they were intimate, Hu Zhiyuan never called her name.

How ironic.

She never felt humiliated when she loved Hu Zhiyuan. But now, with a child on the way, could she really let her child be born into a loveless, warmthless family?

Luo Yanrong felt lost.

Ever since getting pregnant, she had been feeling drowsy. She used to prepare hot water and clothes for Hu Zhiyuan whenever he bathed, but tonight, she had no energy to care for him. After nearly falling asleep in the bathtub herself, she barely managed to get dressed before collapsing onto the bed and falling asleep.

When Hu Zhiyuan finished work and returned to their room, he found Luo Yanrong already asleep. There was no gentle voice greeting him, no busy figure tending to him—he suddenly felt unaccustomed to it.

But she was asleep, and she was still his wife. He couldn’t just wake her up to make her revolve around him.

With a stiff expression, Hu Zhiyuan grabbed his own pajamas and went to the bathroom for a soak. In the past, Luo Yanrong always prepared the hot water, and he never knew what she added to it, but after bathing, he always felt completely refreshed. Now, without her touch, even after a soak, he still felt tired.

Coming out of the bathroom, he casually ran a towel through his damp hair before lying down on the bed. If this had been before, Luo Yanrong would have scolded him and then dried his hair for him. But now, she had gone to sleep early.

Hu Zhiyuan suddenly felt unsettled. Why was he thinking about Luo Yanrong so much? He only loved Qingrong. Luo Yanrong was merely a substitute—he would never fall for her.

Repeating this to himself, he finally succumbed to sleep.

—

The next morning, Hu Zhiyuan received a call from Gu Qingrong again. Listening to his gentle voice, Luo Yanrong touched her belly. She had been foolish for over a decade—it was time to wake up.

Once Hu Zhiyuan left for work, she called home. Hearing her mother’s delighted voice, tears streamed down her face. “Mom, I want to divorce Hu Zhiyuan.”

Madam Luo’s heart ached upon hearing her daughter’s choked-up voice. She couldn’t help but nag over the phone, “Alright, alright, just divorce him. Your father and I never approved of your marriage in the first place, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you regret it, don’t you?”

Hearing this familiar lecture, Luo Yanrong laughed through her tears. She really had been foolish—she nearly severed ties with her family for a man who didn’t love her. Now, she truly regretted it.

After hanging up, she started packing her belongings. She had lived in this villa for nearly ten years, and every corner held her memories. But in the end, she realized she had bought very little for herself. She only packed her clothes, cosmetics, and jewelry.

Before leaving, she went to the storage room, where her wedding photo with Hu Zhiyuan was kept.

Hu Zhiyuan had said the wedding photo was too big and took up too much space in their room. Even though she had wanted to place it by their bedside, she had followed his wishes. Now, looking at it again, she noticed that Hu Zhiyuan hadn’t been smiling in the picture—only she had, foolishly believing that marrying the man she loved would bring her happiness.

Taking a pair of scissors, she stabbed the photo repeatedly until it was completely destroyed.

“Hu Zhiyuan, you couldn’t marry the woman you truly loved, so you let her marry someone else. Then you married me, but your heart still belongs to her. If you never loved me, why did you marry me?”

But no one could answer her question. Luo Yanrong put down the scissors, smiled bitterly, and muttered to herself, “Maybe you married me just because I look somewhat like Gu Qingrong. Since I resemble her, I was destined to be her substitute?

“I was foolish in the past, throwing everything away for so-called love. But now, I can’t love anymore—I’m exhausted.”

She had loved Hu Zhiyuan. Even if she had been just a stand-in, she had thought that as long as she stayed by his side, he would eventually see her worth and give his heart to her.

But after more than ten years of trying, she still hadn’t won his love.

In the past, she had accepted this cold reality because she loved him. But she was no longer the naive, fearless Luo Yanrong who would stubbornly run headfirst into a wall without looking back.

She had a child now. A mother must be strong. She couldn’t let her child grow up in such a cold household.

She was already in her thirties—love, that fleeting illusion, could go to hell!

—

Recently, Shen Jiashu had been so busy with an acquisition case that he barely ate or slept. Feeling sorry for her husband, Gu Qinglan prepared nutritious meals for him every day. Their daughter, Shen Lihuan, had never visited the Shen Corporation’s headquarters before and eagerly volunteered to deliver the food to her father.

The Shen Corporation headquarters was an impressive sight—two skyscrapers over fifty stories tall, towering into the clouds, serving as a landmark in the area.

The receptionists were all top university graduates, maintaining professional smiles for everyone who walked through the doors. Carrying the food box, Shen Lihuan walked in, and the receptionist greeted her with a smile. “Hello, Miss. Who are you here to see?”

“I’m looking for Shen Jiashu, President Shen. Which floor is he on?”

It was Shen Lihuan’s first time calling her father “President Shen,” and she found it amusing.

The receptionist’s smile faded slightly as she discreetly sized up Shen Lihuan. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No.” Shen Lihuan raised an eyebrow. Did she really need an appointment to see her own father?

“I’m sorry, Miss, but without an appointment, we can’t let you go up.”

The receptionist remained polite but firm.

The receptionist remained polite.

Shen Lihuan glanced at her and was about to call her father to have someone come down and pick her up when she heard a sneer from the side.

“Young girls these days, thinking they can latch onto powerful men just because they have a bit of beauty. Do they not see how much the president loves his wife?”

Shen Lihuan turned her head and looked at the woman who had spoken. She was a mature woman with a sultry charm, her fiery red lips and tight black business suit accentuating her curvaceous figure. However, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Shen Lihuan was filled with both disdain and jealousy.

Disdain was understandable, but jealousy… Could it be that this woman was also coveting her handsome father?

Shen Lihuan smiled playfully. “Whether I am or not is not for you to decide. But one thing you got right—President Shen is indeed very loving toward his wife. So, Auntie, please put away your jealousy. Even if you were as young and beautiful as me, President Shen wouldn’t spare you a glance.”

Hearing this, the Shen Corporation employees passing by couldn’t help but laugh.

“You—!”

Having her intentions so bluntly exposed and then ridiculed by the onlookers, the woman in business attire was both flustered and furious. She raised her hand, attempting to slap Shen Lihuan.

“You better shut up or I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart!”

Shen Lihuan simply stepped to the side, casually extending her long leg to trip the woman, who immediately fell to her knees.

Shen Lihuan smirked, just about to say something when Special Assistant Yuan walked in through the main entrance carrying a lunchbox. Seeing Shen Lihuan, he hurried over.

“Miss Shen! What brings you here?”

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere fell silent.

Seeing the lunchbox in Shen Lihuan’s hand, Special Assistant Yuan quickly put two and two together. “So, you’re the one delivering lunch to the president today? He’ll be thrilled!”

The woman in business attire had been about to curse, but upon hearing this, she choked on her words.

The two receptionists also widened their eyes in shock, feeling incredibly relieved that they hadn’t said anything inappropriate earlier.

Special Assistant Yuan belatedly noticed that something was off. Seeing the woman in business attire still kneeling on the floor, he frowned. “What’s going on here?”

Cold sweat broke out on the woman’s back. She hadn’t even gotten into Shen Corporation on her own merit—her brother-in-law was a senior executive and had used his influence to transfer her in. She had always set her sights high and quickly became infatuated with the president. However, she never had the chance to get close to him since he never even acknowledged her existence, and her department was far from his office.

When she saw a young and beautiful girl asking for the president earlier, she had been unable to suppress her jealousy and mocked her. Who would have thought this girl was actually the president’s daughter—the future heir of Shen Corporation?

Offending the young lady meant she had no future at Shen Corporation. Worse, even her brother-in-law might be implicated.

Now truly panicked, the woman began to plead, “Miss, please forgive me this once. I was blind, I had no idea who you were, and I spoke out of turn.”

“Enough,” Shen Lihuan said indifferently. “Go to the finance department, collect three months’ salary, and leave Shen Corporation.”

She continued in a calm but commanding tone, “As a Shen Corporation employee, your words and actions represent the company’s image. Without understanding the situation, you immediately resorted to slander. How did you even get into Shen Corporation? If today’s visitor hadn’t been me but someone else, imagine how much damage your words could have done to the company’s reputation. If you can’t even uphold the company’s integrity, what use do we have for you?”

The woman collapsed in despair. She was finished. Being fired from Shen Corporation for such a reason meant no reputable company would dare hire her in the future.

Special Assistant Yuan quickly signaled security to escort her out before personally leading Shen Lihuan to the president’s exclusive elevator.

As soon as they left, the once silent lobby erupted into conversation.

“My god, Miss Shen’s presence is incredible. I didn’t even dare to breathe in front of her!”

“Me too! I felt like even blinking too loudly would be disrespectful.”

“This is what true elite upbringing looks like. Compared to those rich second-generation kids who only flaunt their wealth, she’s on a whole different level.”

“After seeing Miss Shen, I suddenly realize how unimpressive all those so-called internet-famous rich kids actually are…”

Among those who had witnessed the scene, Luo Yanyong stood listening to the discussions.

Just moments ago, she had been hesitating about whether to tell Shen Jiashu about Gu Qingrong and Hu Zhiyuan’s plans. But now, after seeing this confident and capable young girl, she made up her mind.

She was also a mother. She couldn’t just stand by and watch such a bright young girl be ruined by Gu Qingrong and Hu Zhiyuan.