Volume One, Chapter 13: Third Brother Returns Home

The boy’s ambition was bold and clear, easy to understand. The moment Shen Chaowu handed over her business card, she never considered the possibility that Fu Ming would refuse her. Shen Hanchuan had enjoyed his success for too long. The old king yields to the new, the rising wave overtakes the one before it—such is the eternal truth.

The person across from her had already vanished. Shen Chaowu picked up a sugar cube, dropped it into the thick coffee, and her fingers paused abruptly. When she looked up, she was met with Jiang Yao’s red, swollen eyes. The oval face was pale and frail, but those round eyes were rimmed with red, filled with the injustice she felt on Jin Yao’s behalf.

"Chaowu, how could you do something like this behind Jin Yao’s back?" Jiang Yao’s voice trembled with accusation. She could barely bring herself to say it, her small face flushing and paling in turns. "You already have such an outstanding man like Jin Yao. How can you keep another pretty boy on the side?"

With her upbringing, she would never do such a thing! If Jin Yao were to find out...

Jiang Yao pinched her fingertips, determination settling in her eyes. She was going to let Jin Yao know Shen Chaowu’s true colors. He deserved to know the truth—he was so good, he shouldn’t be kept in the dark by such a wicked woman.

Her mind was in turmoil. Who would have thought that a casual outing with a friend would lead her to stumble upon Shen Chaowu in a clandestine meeting with another man? Deep down, there was a thrill she couldn’t quite name. In Haicheng’s circle of elites, Shen Chaowu had always been the darling, admired by all. If people found out what she was really like behind closed doors...

Just the thought of it made Jiang Yao’s blood race with excitement.

A low, mirthless laugh from the woman before her pulled her back to reality.

Shen Chaowu found Jiang Yao rather amusing. She wished her dead, yet acted so intimately; she couldn’t stand to see her happy, yet played the innocent victim. "And which eye of yours saw me keeping a pretty boy, exactly?" Shen Chaowu asked.

"I..." Jiang Yao stammered.

With no one else around, Shen Chaowu dropped the pretense. "Jiang Yao, there’s nothing on my computer proving you planted those funeral photos in my room to frame me. You’re just feeling guilty because you know what you did."

Jiang Yao’s expression changed instantly, her smile stiff and unnatural. "Chaowu, I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Shen Chaowu picked up her bag and stood. Her five-foot-six frame was imposing. "You don’t know? Fine, let’s pretend you don’t. You’re terrified of losing your golden status, so you’re desperate to take everything from me. Go ahead and try, but don’t forget—I once truly regarded you as my own little sister."

To say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie.

Relationships between women do not always have to be battles of wit and will. Sometimes, women can be far more trustworthy to each other than men are among themselves. It was just a pity that Jiang Yao was obsessed with female rivalry, seeing a man’s attention as the highest prize.

Jiang Yao turned pale, as if Shen Chaowu had struck the darkest part of her soul. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I didn’t mean to take everything from you, I swear I didn’t..."

Shen Chaowu had no desire to explain. She simply left.

Upon returning to the Shen family estate, she had just stepped out of the car when a brazier landed with a clang at her feet.

Shen Hanchuan was muttering prayers, "Namo Amitabha, may the Buddha protect my sister from all evil, burn away these wicked spirits..."

Unfazed, Shen Chaowu asked, "How much did you lose buying this brazier?"

Shen Hanchuan finished his chant, glanced at her, and replied, "What do you know? The master put his life’s energy into this brazier. It’s not about money."

"So how much did you lose?"

"... Eight hundred and eighty thousand."

That was an auspicious number.

Shen Chaowu gave a hollow smile. "And what about my thirty-million necklace?"

At the mention of the necklace, Shen Hanchuan deflated. He rubbed his head, despairing. "I can’t get that kind of money together. I asked our eldest brother, but he refused. I even tried going to a moneylender, but as soon as they found out who I was, they shut their doors."

He looked utterly defeated.

Shen Chaowu hadn’t expected her second brother to try borrowing from loan sharks. Her expression froze. When she was little, she’d been closest to him. His pockets always held her hair clips, chocolate, jelly, and glass candy wrappers she couldn’t bear to throw away...

He had been so good to her.

Her first words were taught by him. Her first steps were encouraged by him. When had things changed?

A heavy, sodden sponge seemed to press down on Shen Chaowu’s heart, suffocating her with its weight.

"Forget it," she said, stepping over the brazier. The firelight danced over her slender ankles beneath her skirt. "You don’t have to pay me back."

Still too softhearted.

Shen Chaowu was annoyed at herself, ignoring her brother’s stunned look as she went upstairs.

Shen Hanchuan had noticed the glint of tears in her eyes as she turned away. He didn’t understand why she cried. He would never truly grasp what his cherished little sister had been through, or that the affection once reserved for her had long since been given to someone else. By the time he realized this, she no longer cared.

He rubbed his chest, feeling an ache as though he’d lost something precious from his life. He shook his head—he was losing his mind with A-Yao gone.

He took out his phone and sent Jiang Yao a message: "A-Yao, remember to come home for dinner tonight. Your third brother is back. I had Mrs. Wang make your favorite abalone in sauce."

The girl replied with an "OK" emoji.

Shen Hanchuan finally relaxed, the tension in his brow easing, the weight on his heart lifting. He scoffed quietly—Shen Chaowu had simply been spoiled, growing up pampered and willful. Not like A-Yao, who had suffered so much, yet was so considerate it made one ache.

That evening, the sound of cars cut through the air.

Shen Chaowu came downstairs and saw that her third brother, Shen Xingchen, had returned. Since her rebirth, this was the first time she’d seen him. Memories of his cold indifference in her previous life cooled her enthusiasm.

Shen Xingchen was handsome, the most similar to her in appearance among the three brothers. He was quiet, and as a child, she’d loved sticking close to him, trailing behind like an inseparable shadow. But he always found her annoying. Eventually, Shen Chaowu stopped seeking affection where there was none.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Yao to break through his cold reserve, becoming the most important person in his heart—so much so that he’d let Shen Chaowu die for her.

A distant smile curved Shen Chaowu’s lips. She greeted him politely, "Third Brother."

She glanced at the table, where every seat was taken. Jiang Yao was seated between her second and third brothers. Her plate was piled high with abalone in sauce, and she said sweetly, "Chaowu, come sit! This abalone is delicious—sweet and tangy, really whets the appetite!"