Chapter 19

After returning from visiting her father-in-law, Qin Fu clenched her emotions all the way home but finally lost control. With the college entrance exams over, she no longer needed to hold back arguments with her husband in front of their son.

Shang Huilan and Shen Xingbang had been at an impasse for two days, and their lawyers had already begun drafting the property division agreement.

These past few days, Shen Peixiang had been taking Shen Lexian to visit the elderly man daily. Qin Fu watched anxiously from the sidelines. Though she had married into the Shen family years ago and appeared to live a glamorous life, in truth, her husband only held a small fraction of shares in Yuanxing, and their real estate consisted solely of the villa they currently lived in and a downtown apartment.

Most of the Shen family’s assets were under the names of Shen Xingbang and Shang Huilan. Besides Yuanxing, the couple had invested in numerous ventures. Now that these assets were being divided, their lawyers naturally had to discuss the specifics of ownership.

Seeing her husband remain calm and unmoved, Qin Fu felt that if she didn’t speak up now, the Shen family fortune would have little to do with their son.

As soon as she entered the house, she went straight to the walk-in closet upstairs. When she saw her husband following her to change clothes, she threw her bag down and shouted bitterly, “At a time like this, you’re still not worried? If you don’t take the initiative, do you think Dad sees you as his son?”

Shen Luan was in his room playing video games, but the muffled voices from his parents’ room caught his attention.

He put down his controller and walked to the door, gradually hearing his mother’s voice clearly: “Dad’s getting old; something as big as a divorce can’t just be decided behind our backs. Mom has suffered for Dad all these years, but the shares, money, and houses are all going to that woman and her son. Is that fair to us? If you won’t think for yourself, then at least think for Luan!”

The “Mom” Qin Fu referred to was naturally Shen Shaozhou’s mother, Sun Lanxiang.

Shen Shaozhou frowned displeased. “Dad has three sons, and only I am married with a child. He already said that Luan would get an extra share. What more do you want?”

Qin Fu grew more agitated. “That’s exactly what Luan deserves!”

Shen Xingbang was nearly seventy, with only his eldest son married and having a child. While others had many grandchildren doting on them, he had only Shen Luan. The patriarch had already declared that those with families or partners would receive an extra share, and those with children, regardless of gender, would get even more.

Qin Fu snorted coldly. “I don’t know where Shen Peixiang found a match for Shen Lexian, then brought him to meet Grandpa—it’s obvious what’s going on! And An Wu is of marriageable age, but Grandpa wants him to settle down; he refuses, but with Shang Huilan’s temperament, she’ll probably arrange someone for her son this time! Even if they don’t marry, they can at least get engaged. After all the calculations, how much will be left for us!”

Speaking of Shang Huilan, Qin Fu no longer bothered to keep up appearances of grace and sneered, “I don’t know what kind of brainwashing that woman has given you all, that you’re so afraid of her... I just can’t stand her arrogance. After all, she was Dad’s mistress back then! How is she any better than Shen Lexian’s mother?”

“That’s enough!” Shen Shaozhou interrupted, annoyed at his wife’s increasingly excessive words. “I think you’re just blinded by money! If you’re so dissatisfied, then go find a wife for Luan yourself!”

He tore off his necktie, threw it on the floor, and stormed out angrily.

Qin Fu yanked off her earrings and shouted after her husband’s retreating figure, “Why should she have the final say? I’m going to bring Mom here now!”

...

Shen Luan couldn’t remember how long it had been since his parents last argued, but this quarrel was loud enough to shake the roof.

He lost all interest in his game, went downstairs to leave, when suddenly the landline rang.

Shen Luan turned to answer, hearing a middle-aged man’s voice. After some polite small talk, he realized it was Xu Qingling’s father.

Frowning, Shen Luan wondered why he was calling.

The man spoke with a practiced friendliness: “You’re Shen Luan, right? The exams are over, why haven’t you come over to visit? I even held you when you were little, at your aunt’s house…”

Xu Demao rambled on, and Shen Luan interrupted: “Uncle, is there something you need?”

Xu Demao brought the conversation back to the point: “My eldest daughter’s wedding is next Tuesday. We’re hosting a banquet at the Xun residence and would like to invite your whole family to join us for a meal and some fun. We’re all family, so no need to be formal. Just come when you can. When would be convenient? I’ll have Xu Qingling deliver the invitation.”

A vivid image of a smiling face flashed through Shen Luan’s mind. Long ago, he’d met Xu Qingling’s parents at his aunt’s house. That middle-aged couple’s enthusiasm was so flattering when they learned he was the Shen family’s eldest grandson that it made him feel sick.

Xu Qingling herself was no different, constantly bringing him things from home during their three years of high school, claiming her parents sent them for him. Clearly, her ways of ingratiating herself were learned from them.

Suppressing his annoyance, Shen Luan said, “Uncle, there’s no need to send an invitation personally. When my parents return, I’ll tell them.”

Xu Demao insisted, “It’s only right. Be sure to tell your parents.”

Shen Luan gave a grunt and hung up. He had no intention of telling them. His parents certainly wouldn’t be free to attend the Xu family’s wedding—not that they were close relatives.

*

A newly opened Pony Club billiard hall in Xun City offered food, karaoke, billiards, and arcade games. The owner even set up a few computers with internet access.

During summer vacation, the city center’s new internet cafes were almost always crowded. Young people unable to find a spot there came to Pony Club to surf the web.

Though the prices were a bit steep, it was worth it for the experience. Shen Luan reserved a table here and invited some close classmates to gather.

He found the venue; Qin Fu paid the bill. Her mind was entirely occupied with her father-in-law’s divorce, so she barely cared about her son. If he wanted to take classmates out, it was up to him.

A pile of skewers lay on the table, but Shen Luan didn’t eat a single one, keeping his head buried in his phone, playing Snake.

Li Zhengqi knew Shen Luan was in a bad mood. He’d heard about the Shen family’s elder generation going through a divorce and all the fuss over dividing assets.

Li Zhengqi’s own family was in business. His grandfather had four sons, all vying to curry favor with him, hoping to secure a bigger share of the estate.

He was used to this kind of wealthy family intrigue. Leaning over to Shen Luan, he said, “Your mom always thinks your family’s share is small. Why don’t you just find a girlfriend and get engaged? Maybe Grandpa will give you an extra share for your future wife.”

Shen Luan, deeply focused on a critical moment in Snake, barely lifted his head and growled through clenched teeth, “Shut up!”

Li Zhengqi wasn’t offended. “Fine, shut up then. I don’t have time for you!”

Military training was scheduled a month early, and Shen Luan was about to report to school. He spent every free moment with Zhao Zibei, barely able to part from her.

Indeed, once couples crossed that threshold, their relationship leapt forward.

...

Snake game ended again at just over 5,000 points. Frustrated, Shen Luan put down his phone and glanced up to see Wanyue standing under the dim yellow light, looking around uncertainly.

Most of his irritation melted away as he stood and waved at her, grinning broadly with his usual sunny charm.

It was Wanyue’s first time in such a place, and she felt overwhelmed, unsure where to look.

The hall was filled with tables, each piled with food and drinks, surrounded by groups of young men and women, occasionally bursting into laughter and cheers.

At a nearby table, a girl sat on her boyfriend’s lap, arms around his neck, smiling flirtatiously with sultry eyes. The crowd egged them on to perform a kiss.

The loud smack of lips drew mischievous grins from the boys at Shen Luan’s table, while the girls blushed and lowered their heads.

Under the dim light, Li Zhengqi and Zhao Zibei squeezed onto one chair, sharing a microphone to sing. Zhao Zibei wore a cropped top, exposing a patch of snow-white skin at her slender waist when she raised her arm.

Li Zhengqi wrapped his arm around her waist, occasionally running his hand over the exposed skin. Zhao Zibei playfully pinched the flesh on his side in return.

Wanyue pretended not to notice their flirting, bending down to grab a cup from the table. She felt Shen Luan’s gaze flicker to her now and then, making her cheeks flush. She lifted the cup and took a sip of beer.

Shen Luan’s eyes burned into her. After a moment, he said, “You’re drinking from my cup.”

Wanyue’s face flared red. “I didn’t know! Who told you to put your cup in front of me?”

Shen Luan smiled but said nothing. He picked up the cup she’d just used and drank the remaining beer.

Girls dressed in green cheongsams wandered the tables, selling beer. One girl looked especially familiar. As she approached Wanyue, it dawned on her that the girl was from the neighboring regular class.

The girl skillfully popped open beer bottles, unhesitant even when the rowdy men cheered her on, blowing into the bottle’s mouth. One of the men eagerly bought two more beer mugs from her.

She slipped the blue-green bills into the stockings at her thigh and sashayed away. The man took the opportunity to grope her buttocks.

The boys around stared wide-eyed. They wore their school uniforms at school, so they had no idea the girl was so uninhibited off-campus.

“Lots of people find part-time jobs during summer,” Wanyue remarked. “A few days ago, I saw Xu Qingling handing out flyers on the street.”

Wanyue looked at one boy. “What kind of flyers?”

“Seems like ads for an art studio owner.”

“I’ve done that kind of flyer distribution before,” Wanyue said quietly. “You get paid a dime per flyer, but it’s exhausting and barely makes any money.”

She lowered her gaze, silent. So Xu Qingling had gone out to work, handing out flyers. As Wei Dong had said, girls who work part-time and want to earn more often end up enduring exploitation, being taken advantage of.

And those grueling jobs barely pay enough.

Shen Luan hadn’t expected Xu Qingling to be handing out flyers during summer break. He’d always thought she was obedient to her parents, managing their hotel and supermarket business. Yet here she was, delivering flyers. But it didn’t concern him; his full attention was on Wanyue.

Seizing a moment when no one was watching, he grabbed her hand. “Let’s go play billiards.”

“I don’t know how,” Wanyue whispered, trying to pull her hand away, but it wouldn’t budge.

Meeting Shen Luan’s deep, unfathomable dark eyes, her heart fluttered, and she stopped resisting.

“No worries. I’ll teach you,” Shen Luan said, leading her to a nearby billiard table, patiently explaining the rules.

He showed her how to break the balls and choose angles, “You have to hit the lowest-numbered ball on the table first…”

Holding his beloved girl in his arms, smelling the fragrance of her hair, his heart trembled with emotion.

*

In a private room at Pony Club, the smoke was thick and choking. Four men sat around a mahjong table.

Wei Donglai had been playing mahjong with Shen Lexian for days, and the money lost was no small sum. Now, every time he saw mahjong tiles, he felt nauseous and wanted someone else to take over, but Shen Lexian refused.

So Wei Donglai kept playing. If it weren’t for business ties with the Shen family, he wouldn’t bother.

The Wei family was well-established in Xun City, with considerable status, but to get close to the Shens, they had to go through Shen Peixiang. Two uncles had spent much effort and money currying favor with her. Now, all the excavators and bulldozers used in Shen projects came from the Wei family, and they had also contracted construction for two Shen housing developments.

Wei Donglai had lost at least ten thousand yuan that night before Shen Lexian’s gloomy face finally brightened.

Wei Donglai pushed the tiles away and stood up. “Enough! My eyes are going blurry! Who’s going to pay me back?”

On his way to the restroom, he suddenly saw a very familiar figure in the hall.

Wanyue wore a white dress, her face shy and smiling, held closely by a boy still barely covered in fuzz. The boy held her hand, his lips almost brushing her ear.

Wei Donglai’s blood rushed to his head, his facial muscles twitching slightly. The next second, he grabbed a nearby beer bottle and smashed it down on the boy’s forehead with full force.

The boy’s head split open immediately, blood dripping down his face.

Girls at nearby tables screamed in terror as chaos erupted.

Li Zhengqi and his friends jumped up to fight Wei Donglai, but he had been in the streets since junior high, infamous for his fighting skills. These high schoolers were no match.

Wanyue, pale and shaken, stood trembling and stammered, “Wei Donglai! Stop hitting him!”

...

Shen Shun hadn’t expected that when he went out for a late-night snack with classmates, he’d run into a fight between a classmate and a thug. Though his relationship with Shen Luan was average, he couldn’t just watch him get beaten.

He was about to intervene when Xu Qingling pushed both of them aside. “I know that guy. You two don’t get involved.”

Her tone was like scolding children, causing Shen Shun and He Jinghui to stare at her blankly.

Xu Qingling didn’t notice their looks. She glanced at Shen Luan, who held a bloodied hand to his head. Wei Donglai was held back by several classmates, but he struggled, wanting to attack Shen Luan again.

She had long since withdrawn from this mess. She knew it was only a matter of time before Shen Luan and Wei Donglai clashed, but not this soon.

Wanyue said nothing; Xu Qingling stepped forward and grabbed Wei Donglai’s arm. He turned to meet the clear, calm eyes, and after a moment, recognized her as Wanyue’s close friend. His eyes reddened again.

Xu Qingling remained calm, saying, “If you don’t want your dad to beat you, let go now.”

She whispered in his ear, “Before you hit anyone, remember, he’s Shen Xingbang’s grandson.”

Wei Donglai was stunned for a moment, then roared furiously, “I don’t care whose grandson he is! I saw him holding Wanyue and playing billiards just now!”

Wanyue was already crying, her face streaked with tears. “Wei Donglai, I’m not your girlfriend! Mind your own business!”

Xu Qingling, hungry and tired, hadn’t expected to have to mediate at dinner. Wanyue and Shen Luan were progressing faster than she thought. She just wanted them to be together, but Wei Donglai kept interfering.

She had no patience for such obstinate men and said coolly, “Since you both like Wanyue, compete fairly.”

Huh? For a moment, a dozen pairs of eyes turned to her, surprised at her words.

Xu Qingling knew Wanyue’s heart already leaned toward Shen Luan. Wei Donglai had no chance. But with his temper, he wouldn’t give up easily. The more Shen Luan invested, the harder it would be to back down.

Men were just like that.

Wanyue cried, using a handkerchief from her bag to stop Shen Luan’s bleeding. Wei Donglai glared at Shen Luan with dark, brooding eyes, his chest heaving fiercely.

Someone had called an ambulance. Outside, sirens wailed as paramedics rushed in with a stretcher, ready to carry the bloodied Shen Luan.

He covered his head with one hand and pushed them away with the other. “I can walk myself!”

Amid the chaos, a paramedic asked, “What’s your blood type?”

Shen Luan replied coldly, “I don’t know.”

A chilling voice sounded behind him, “He’s AB blood type.”

The paramedic asked, “Are you sure?”

Xu Qingling bit her tongue, regretting her words. “I’m not sure. You should test again.”

Shen Luan looked back, seeing only the curve of her ponytail.