Chapter 57

“I still have this bit of integrity. Just wait, tonight I’ll arrange a meeting with you and Shen Jiashu!”

Hu Zhiyuan clenched his fists, suppressing the anger within him as he spoke.

Fortunately, he now had complete control over the Hu Corporation. Even if he had to transfer a portion of his shares, no one would dare to say anything.

The only one who would surely take this opportunity to mock him was his older brother, who had always looked down on him.

“Uncle Hu is a man of his word—truly a role model for us all.”

Shen Lihuan cast him a meaningful glance before turning to Jun Ruyu. “Elder Sister Jun, I must trouble you to be my witness. This is a rare occasion. At noon, Changqing and I will treat you to lunch. Do you have time?”

“Of course, I do. To dine with a beauty like Little Sister Lihuan—what an honor.”

Jun Ruyu shook her folding fan and made a slight bow with it resting in front of her.

You Changqing puffed out her cheeks. This Jun Ruyu was definitely eyeing Lihuan’s beauty.

She had to put her on the top of her watch list.

Hu Zhiyuan, weighed down by his thoughts, strode away quickly, even forgetting about his business negotiations.

Master Kang watched his retreating figure, wanting to speak but ultimately sighing instead. Then he too turned to leave—but in a different direction than Hu Zhiyuan.

His disciple had lost every single match against a young girl who had just started learning about stone gambling. His reputation had been utterly ruined.

Thinking back to how he had previously boasted that his disciple shouldn’t hold back, he now felt utterly humiliated. Staying any longer would only invite more ridicule.

Yun Le watched his master walk away, unwilling to leave as he looked longingly at Chen Youhong. It was rare for him to see Senior Brother Chen, and he didn’t want to leave so soon.

Besides, his master and Mr. Hu’s behavior earlier had left a bad taste in his mouth. Miss Shen hadn’t even come of age yet, and if Mr. Hu and Master hadn’t deliberately pressured her with words, she wouldn’t have suggested a bet in the first place.

Now that Miss Shen had won, they were just running away? No sense of responsibility at all…

Thinking this, Yun Le became even more determined to stay. He awkwardly turned to Shen Lihuan and apologized, “I’m sorry, Miss Shen. My master was rude to you earlier. I apologize on his behalf.”

Shen Lihuan looked at his flushed face and smiled. “You don’t need to apologize to me. I didn’t take it to heart. You’re really talented—every single one of your three stones increased in value. I believe you’ll be even better in the future.”

Yun Le had principles, and Shen Lihuan didn’t dislike him. In fact, someone like Yun Le was truly pure at heart. She had only won because of her special ability; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to defeat him.

“Thank you for your understanding, Miss Shen. I still have a lot to improve on, but I’ll work even harder from now on.”

Yun Le’s eyes shone brightly. Now that Miss Shen had forgiven him, he no longer felt burdened. He immediately ran over to Chen Youhong—he had so many questions to ask Senior Brother Chen.

Gu Tingyu looked at Shen Lihuan with pride. “Lihuan, you did an amazing job. Your uncle is proud of you.”

Shen Lihuan curled her lips into a smile. “Thank you for the compliment, Uncle. I think I’m pretty great too.”

You Changqing burst out laughing. “Lihuan, you narcissist!”

Shen Lihuan extended her long arm, wrapped it around You Changqing’s waist, and whispered flirtatiously in her ear, “How dare you laugh at me? Just wait for tonight.”

You Changqing’s knees almost gave out. Remembering the intoxicating pleasure from before—the kind that seemed to drain her very soul—her heart pounded wildly, and she found herself eagerly anticipating the night ahead.

Shen Lihuan had the master appraise and store the imperial green jadeite, then sold the remaining two jade pieces along with the three she won from Yun Le.

Even though she couldn’t buy the imperial green, the other five jade stones were still excellent. The jewelry companies nearly fought over them, and in the end, they sold for over a hundred million.

After putting the bank card back into her bag, Shen Lihuan playfully tapped You Changqing’s upturned nose. “More money coming in. You just focus on spending, and I’ll focus on earning.”

You Changqing bit her red lips. “Then I have to work hard to earn money too. I can’t just spend yours—I want to support our family together with you.”

Shen Lihuan felt as if her heart was soaking in warm water—soft and full of joy. She wanted to tease, So you’ve already decided to marry me? but found it too flippant. In the end, she said nothing, only fixing her peach blossom eyes firmly on You Changqing’s face.

Since Gu Tingyu had business to attend to, Shen Lihuan exchanged phone numbers with him before saying goodbye. Then she held You Changqing’s hand and left the trading center with Jun Ruyu.

Jun Ruyu had her own car, so the three split into two vehicles.

As soon as they got in, Shen Lihuan had the driver raise the partition. She then trapped You Changqing beneath her, gripping her chin and locking eyes with her. You Changqing’s gaze was hazy as she murmured, “What’s wrong, Lihuan?”

“You little seductress… I just want to die on you…”

Shen Lihuan lowered her head and captured You Changqing’s soft red lips in a fierce kiss. You Changqing wrapped her arms around Shen Lihuan’s neck, obediently parting her lips to let Shen Lihuan’s slippery tongue sweep inside and tangle with hers.

A hint of pride flickered in You Changqing’s misty eyes. Only she could stir Lihuan’s heart like this. Only she could make Lihuan burn with such passion. Only she could fill Lihuan’s gaze with such raw desire.

They were a perfect match.

When the kiss ended, Shen Lihuan patted You Changqing’s back to help her catch her breath. You Changqing buried her face in Shen Lihuan’s embrace, her porcelain-like skin now dusted with a rosy glow—utterly bewitching.

Shen Lihuan wrapped one arm around her slender waist while the other toyed with her silky hair. You Changqing adjusted into a more comfortable position, nestling herself deeper into Shen Lihuan’s warm embrace. She nuzzled against Shen Lihuan’s neck and lazily murmured, “Lihuan, why the sudden wolfish appetite? Did my charm finally get to you?”

She playfully batted her eyes at Shen Lihuan.

Shen Lihuan chuckled indulgently. After that passionate kiss, her voice was husky and intoxicating. “Of course. Changqing, you’re too tempting. Just looking at you makes my heart race.”

You Changqing cupped her face in her hands and grinned foolishly. “I knew it! You like me—you like me so much!”

Shen Lihuan crossed her left leg and planted a kiss on You Changqing’s black hair. “Changqing is so smart.”

“Hee hee~”

Since she was treating Jun Ruyu to a meal, it couldn’t be at an ordinary restaurant. Shen Lihuan led her to a private dining establishment. The decor had a strong antique charm, and the dishes were quite unique.

After ordering, Shen Lihuan set down the menu. “Sister Jun, would you like some wine? They have house-brewed fruit wine and grape wine here, both of which taste great.”

“I have to drive, so I won’t drink. But since Shen Meimei praises it so much, I can take a few bottles home to try.”

Jun Ruyu leaned lazily against the chair as she spoke.

“I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.”

After saying this, Shen Lihuan signaled the attendant taking note of their order to prepare the dishes. Since Jun Ruyu wasn’t drinking, there was no need to make special arrangements.

“Please wait a moment, honored guests.” The attendant quickly retreated, and the three of them started chatting casually.

Jun Ruyu had always considered herself a leader among the younger generation, but after conversing with Shen Lihuan and You Changqing, she had to admit that these two were equally outstanding.

Especially Shen Lihuan—her words were flawless, her demeanor warm and easygoing on the surface, but in reality, she was distant and reserved, with no shortage of scheming and depth.

It was both impressive and intimidating. Being friends with someone like this was fine, but becoming their enemy… just look at Hu Zhiyuan—he had to hand over five percent of his shares without a fight.

Fortunately, the three major families had always advanced and retreated together. She would never be Shen Lihuan’s enemy. Otherwise, she’d probably lose sleep over it.

Jun Ruyu had a pragmatic mindset. Since she didn’t want to be enemies with Shen Lihuan, she might as well become her friend. So, she extended a gesture of goodwill. “Now that we know each other, there’s no need to be so formal. Let’s just call each other by name.”

“You’re a few years older than us, so we’ll call you Sister Ruyu.”

Shen Lihuan wasn’t sure why Jun Ruyu’s attitude had shifted, but having more friends meant more opportunities. She certainly wouldn’t refuse a friendly gesture.

“Alright! I’ve gained two smart and beautiful little sisters—what a great deal!”

As they chatted, the dishes were served. While they didn’t order wine, they still needed drinks. Shen Lihuan ordered three glasses of freshly squeezed fruit juice—sweet, tangy, and appetite-whetting.

No one here followed the rule of eating in silence. With laughter and conversation, the meal passed quickly.

Before leaving, Jun Ruyu remembered that Shen Lihuan had a piece of emerald jadeite with her. After exchanging contact numbers, she took her leave. Meanwhile, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing took a car back to the Shen residence.

It was only a little past noon. Gu Qinglan had just returned home and was surprised to see them back so early. “Didn’t you say you were going to shop around? Why are you back already?”

“I already achieved my goal, so I came back early.” Shen Lihuan took out a neatly wrapped box. “Mom, I have a gift for you.”

“A gift?” Gu Qinglan curiously took the box. The moment she opened it, the beautiful jadeite inside caught her eye. “This is… emerald jadeite!”

“Aunt Gu, Lihuan personally picked out this rough stone. You wouldn’t believe how shocked everyone was when it was cut open.”

You Changqing proudly recounted the scene. “Just thinking about their dumbfounded expressions makes me want to laugh.”

“My precious daughter is amazing! I’ll transfer you the market price for this jade—can’t let you take a loss.”

Gu Qinglan hugged Shen Lihuan and gave her a big kiss. This emerald jadeite was now the centerpiece of their company.

“There’s no need, Mom. I’ve already made over a hundred million from gambling on stones. I’m a rich woman now.”

Shen Lihuan patted her wallet proudly, looking like she had money to burn.

Gu Qinglan was a bit taken aback. “Over a hundred million? My precious daughter is a stone gambling expert now?”

“Mhm!”

“In that case, I’ll have the kitchen prepare a feast to reward you.”

“No need, Mom. Changqing and I already had lunch before coming back.”

Shen Lihuan waved off the idea of a reward. “Have you eaten yet, Mom?”

“Not yet, I just got off work.”

Gu Qinglan rubbed her temples. “Since you two already ate, let’s save the feast for dinner. We’ll celebrate together as a family.”

“That works.” Shen Lihuan nodded. “Mom, guess who I ran into at the jade auction?”

“Who?”

“I met my little uncle.”

“Little uncle? What little—”

Gu Qinglan was momentarily speechless, then suddenly realized. “You mean Gu Tingyu?”

“Yes. I think he’s a decent person, and he even looked out for me. I quite like him. But if you don’t like him, Mom, I won’t stay in contact with him.”

Between a newly met uncle and her mother, Shen Lihuan would always choose to stand by her mother.

“Gu Tingyu…”

Gu Qinglan murmured the name, falling into deep thought.

She wasn’t unaware of Gu Tingyu’s efforts to mend their relationship. But back then, their mother had died from anger because of Luo Jiangyue, who then brought both him and Gu Qingrong into their home. How could she have seen him in a favorable light?

Even though he later fought with Gu Qingrong on her behalf, that small gesture wasn’t enough to make her accept a child born from an affair.

Now, after so many years, Gu Tingyu still cared about his estranged sister…

Gu Qinglan wasn’t sure what she felt in her heart. But she no longer rejected him outright.

In fact, when she first saw Gu Tingyu as a child, she had a strange feeling—almost as if he were her real little brother. But her mother had only given birth to her.

No… if she counted the little brother who died at birth, then her mother had indeed given birth to two children.

But she had never even met him. It was only when their mother was ill that she accidentally mentioned having once had a son who passed away as a newborn. If not for that, Gu Qinglan would never have known about it.

“If you like him, you don’t have to worry about me. He is, after all, innocent in this.”

They say the past fades with the wind. Gu Qingrong was dead, and Luo Jiangyue and Gu Xiujin were old now, no longer able to stir up trouble. Gu Qinglan was willing to accept this younger brother who had always sided with her.

“Alright, since Mom is willing to accept him, I’ll also recognize him as my uncle. I don’t know why, but every time I see him, I just get this feeling that he’s my real uncle.”

Shen Lihuan found her own words amusing—after all, Gu Tingyu and her mother were half-siblings, so he technically was her real uncle.

Something flickered through Gu Qinglan’s mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. She chose not to dwell on it and instead sent the two kids upstairs to rest.

That day, Gu Tingyu had a pleasant meeting with his niece, putting him in a great mood—until he received a call from Luo Jiangyue that evening.

“I heard you met with Shen Lihuan today?”

The voice on the other end was cold.

“Yes. You weren’t at the trading center—how did you know about this?”

Gu Tingyu instinctively frowned.

“If you don’t want people to know, then don’t do it.” Luo Jiangyue took a deep breath, softening her tone. “Do you not realize that Shen Lihuan is the one who killed your sister? How can you take her side? I’m so disappointed in you.”

“How is Lihuan responsible for Gu Qingrong’s death? Mom, stop making things up.”

Annoyed, Gu Tingyu loosened his tie and slumped onto the couch.

“How is she not? If she hadn’t drugged your sister, would Qingrong have committed suicide?”

Luo Jiangyue’s voice was filled with hatred. She blamed that wretched girl, Shen Lihuan—it was her fault that her daughter was dead.

“What reason would Lihuan have to drug Gu Qingrong? And if you knew she had been drugged, why didn’t you take her to a doctor?”

Gu Tingyu hadn’t seen Gu Qingrong in years and had no idea what had happened to her. Even if he did, he wouldn’t have cared.

“Of course we took her to a doctor, but it was useless. That’s why she felt so hopeless.”

Luo Jiangyue started crying. “Qingrong was your real sister, yet you’re siding with that b**ch Gu Qinglan’s daughter! What kind of brother are you?”

“Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? Stop calling my sister that word! Have you forgotten? You were the one who became a homewrecker. Even if you married Father later, it doesn’t change the fact that you were a mistress. You have no right to insult my sister!”

What Gu Tingyu hated most was this—his mother, despite being in the wrong, acted like the victim. She despised his sister, constantly calling her that vulgar name, and it disgusted him.

“I have no right? Fine! I raised you all these years, and now you dare look down on me? You ungrateful brat! I wasted my life raising you!”

Luo Jiangyue was so furious that her chest hurt.

“If I was a mistress, then you’re just a mistress’s child—just as lowly! Why did I insist on marrying your father? It was all for you!”

Gu Tingyu let out a bitter laugh. “For us? You knew full well that giving birth to an illegitimate child would bring shame and ridicule, yet you did it anyway. Did you ever think about whether Gu Qingrong and I wanted to be labeled bastards? In the end, you did it for yourself—to become a rich man’s wife.”

“I don’t want to argue about this. Bottom line, in my heart, Gu Qinglan is my real sister.”

“You’re so heartless. Qingrong was the one who grew up with you! How can you side with Gu Qinglan, someone who never even treated you kindly?”

Luo Jiangyue sobbed bitterly. Her tears had always been her greatest weapon. In the past, Gu Tingyu would have wavered, but now his heart had hardened.

“And why should I stand with Gu Qingrong? She doesn’t deserve it!”

Frustrated, Gu Tingyu took a gulp of ice water. “Do you remember when I had a high fever when I was four?”

“I do. But what does that have to do with Qingrong?”

Luo Jiangyue felt an uneasy chill creeping in.

“It has everything to do with her! That fever—she caused it!”

Gu Tingyu had always had a sharp memory. Even as a child, he had never been particularly close to Gu Qingrong.

When he was four years old, on a cold winter night, he had been sleeping soundly when he suddenly felt a chill. Half-asleep, he reached out to pull up his blanket, only to find it had been kicked to the foot of the bed. He struggled to cover himself again and drifted back to sleep.

But not long after, he felt cold again. Reaching out, he found nothing. Then, he felt an icy hand pressing against his neck, and a voice whispering in his ear—”Strangle you… strangle you…”

At first, he thought he was dreaming and couldn’t wake up. But as the pressure on his neck grew stronger, the pain became real. He fought desperately to open his eyes and, when he finally managed, he saw only a blurry silhouette retreating. The door was wide open, cold wind rushing in, and his blanket lay on the floor.

The next morning, he was too sick to get out of bed. After spending the night exposed to the cold, he developed a high fever and had to be hospitalized for a week. He lost several pounds.

From that moment on, he could never bring himself to be close to Gu Qingrong. He wasn’t stupid. Though he hadn’t seen her face clearly, there was only one person in the house small enough to match that silhouette—Gu Qingrong.

“I don’t know why she wanted to strangle me, and I don’t care. But someone who tried to kill me? She doesn’t deserve to be my sister!”

Gu Tingyu was practically shouting now, his voice raw. He had buried this memory for nearly thirty years, but now, at last, he could bring it to light.

“No… No! That’s impossible! Qingrong was such a sweet, well-behaved girl. How could she have tried to strangle you? You must have been dreaming! You’re confusing dreams with reality!”

Luo Jiangyue’s panic was evident. She had never expected Gu Tingyu to hide this for so long. How had he coped all these years? Every time he looked at Qingrong, had he been thinking about revenge?