Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

The girl was touching up her lipstick in front of the mirror, her eyes constantly fixed on Shen Jingshu, her jealousy impossible to hide.

She considers herself to be exceptionally beautiful and have exquisite makeup, and tonight's haute couture gown is flawless; many socialites present might not be able to outshine her.

But the moment Shen Jingshu stood there, her simple, light makeup and cool, indifferent demeanor instantly overshadowed the exquisite image she had carefully cultivated.

Her natural bone structure, naturally fair skin, and naturally stunning eyebrows and eyes show no signs of cosmetic procedures, making her so clean that it inspires envy.

The girl felt increasingly uncomfortable, so she turned her head away, deliberately pretending to be arrogant and indifferent, and stopped looking at Shen Jingshu. In her heart, she muttered to herself: "She just has a pretty face. She looks cold and aloof. She can't be anyone important."

Shen Jingshu took in all the changes in her expression, but her own expression remained calm and composed.

She didn't care about the other person's narrow-mindedness at all; what really made her stop and pay attention was the lingering gloomy aura around the girl.

Ordinary people are full of yang energy and have a vibrant life force, but this girl's energy channels are disordered, and a very faint black mist surrounds her shoulders. Death energy is mixed with weak life force, tightly binding her limbs and bones.

This kind of aura cannot be caused by staying up late or being under a lot of stress; it is a sign that one has been truly tainted by evil spirits and filth.

Moreover, the yin energy had penetrated very deeply, already entering the body and lingering for more than a day.

Shen Jingshu's gaze narrowed slightly as she scrutinized her closely.

The girl's forehead was dark, and there was a layer of dark circles under her eyes. It seemed to be dark circles caused by staying up late, but in fact it was a typical face sign of yin energy invading the body and damaging one's fortune.

She was destined for good fortune and a wealthy family, but now her blessings are being suppressed, her luck is declining, and her life is quietly slipping away.

Just then, the girl finished fixing her makeup, turned her head and met Shen Jingshu's gaze, and couldn't help but speak coldly, "Why are you staring at me like that? Don't you know it's very impolite?"

Her tone carried a hint of arrogance and impatience, completely befitting a spoiled young lady.

Shen Jingshu calmly withdrew her gaze, offering no explanation, and simply said softly, "It's nothing."

After saying that, he looked away and went to the side to wash his hands.

Seeing her silent retreat, the girl assumed she was just feeling guilty and afraid to cause trouble. Her frustration subsided slightly. Before leaving, she turned back to look at Shen Jingshu one last time, secretly comparing them, before turning away with an air of arrogance in her high heels.

But as soon as she stepped out of the restroom, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She felt a sudden tightness in her chest and a chill run through her body, as if a pair of cold, invisible hands had suddenly gripped her heart.

A feeling of dizziness and lightheadedness instantly swept over my entire body, and my vision blurred.

Her face turned deathly pale instantly. She instinctively grabbed the wall for support and it took her several seconds to regain her balance.

But after a short while, the discomfort completely disappeared, as if the palpitations and chill just now were just an illusion.

The girl rubbed her chest, assuming it was just because the banquet was crowded and stuffy and she had low blood sugar, and didn't take it to heart. She frowned, straightened her skirt, and walked quickly back to the banquet hall.

And inside the restroom behind them.

Shen Jingshu turned off the tap and watched the girl's hurried departure, her eyes darkening completely.

It's not an illusion.

This girl is being haunted by a ghost.

Moreover, the other party's yin energy is both gentle and insidious; it doesn't kill or disturb sleep, but silently absorbs her luck day after day.

The unfamiliar girl suppressed her discomfort and straightened her back as she returned to the brightly lit banquet hall.

But as soon as she stepped into the crowd, a strange misfortune began to strike.

She was holding a glass of champagne and about to turn around to exchange pleasantries when a waiter passing by tripped over something, spilling the entire glass of golden champagne onto her meticulously styled haute couture gown.

The warm wine flowed down the hem of her skirt, spreading out a large, glaring wet patch, instantly ruining the exquisite dress and leaving it in a sorry state.

The girl's pupils constricted, and she froze on the spot, both angry and bewildered.

This was a custom-made new dress for her, quite expensive, and tonight was the first time she wore it, yet it was ruined in such an embarrassing way.

Passing guests turned their heads, and whispers arose quietly, sounding particularly jarring to her ears.

She suppressed her anger and wanted to lash out, but a strange tightness in her chest and a throbbing headache made her too weak to even argue.

Before she could compose herself, the heel of her high heel snapped without warning.

She lost her balance instantly and stumbled forward, looking extremely disheveled. Fortunately, she managed to grab onto the carved railing beside her in time, preventing herself from falling and embarrassing herself in public.

In just half a minute, a series of unexpected events caused her to lose face completely.

The girl felt cold all over, and a sense of fear finally arose in her heart.

The palpitations I felt in the bathroom just now, and the bad luck that is now following me, are not coincidences at all.

On the other side, in the crowd not far away, Shen Xinyi was surrounded by a group of young ladies her age, enjoying the treatment of being the center of attention.

She took in the whole scene, a faint sneer flashing across her eyes.

In public, she maintained her gentle and graceful demeanor, chatting softly with the socialite beside her: "How careless of you! You caused such a mess at a perfectly good banquet."

Others quickly echoed her words, praising her composure and elegance.

"Xinyi, you are so calm and composed. You were in such a great state tonight, elegant and proper from beginning to end."

"As expected, following Young Master Lu has completely changed my aura. I'll definitely be the young mistress of the Lu family from now on."

Every word of flattery made Shen Xinyi overjoyed.

She waved her hand modestly, but her gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept towards the rest area, precisely locking onto Shen Jingshu, who was sitting quietly.

Seeing Shen Jingshu quietly staying in the corner, ignored and unapproached, with no powerful figures talking to her or celebrities chasing after her, Shen Xinyi's sense of superiority instantly exploded.

Sure enough, so what if she's the Li family's stepdaughter?

Ultimately, it was just an empty title without any real substance, not worthy of respect, and still not valued by anyone in the truly elite circles.

In contrast, I hold Lu Ze as my trump card, and everyone fawns over and respects me; I am enjoying immense prestige.

Envious glances rained down from all sides, and Shen Xinyi was completely immersed in this vanity and glory, becoming even more certain that she had won against Shen Jingshu.

She thought she held the key to future glory and was firmly in the lead over Shen Jingshu.

Shen Jingshu never took Shen Xinyi, who was deliberately showing off, to heart.

She watched as the Jiang family's daughter suffered a series of unexpected mishaps and lost her composure, eventually leaving hastily to save face. Only then did she turn around and find Xu Zhixia, who was entertaining guests, and quietly inquire about the other party's identity.

Xu Zhixia had just noticed the little commotion over there, and upon hearing this, she casually explained, "You mean her? She's the Jiang family's daughter, the same age as us. She studied abroad for a long time and only just returned to China this year. It's normal that you don't know her since you rarely attend these kinds of social gatherings."

It turns out to be the Jiang family.

Shen Jingshu nodded slightly, having already grasped the situation in her mind, and silently memorized the name.