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

The moment Li Siya saw Shen Jingshu, she was already making plans in her mind.

This stepdaughter of the Li family was stunningly beautiful, with a calm demeanor and impeccable manners. If she were to be used as a pawn in a marriage alliance, her figure, appearance, reputation, and family background would all be impressive, making her quite valuable. In just a few brief exchanges, she had already secretly included Shen Jingshu as a bargaining chip.

The group chatted casually in the living room. Shen Jingshu's attitude was neither too close nor too distant, neither deliberately warm nor impolite. She handled the situation with perfect tact, and to outsiders, she seemed to be very well-mannered, gentle and considerate.

Not long after, there was a commotion outside the door, and Li Wenqian, Li Beichen, and Li Hanting, father and sons, returned home one after another.

As soon as everyone gathered, the butler bowed and whispered that the banquet in the restaurant was ready and they could begin eating.

The group moved to the restaurant and took their seats. Shen Jingshu was seated between Li Hanting and Li Beichen. During the meal, her two older brothers subconsciously took care of her in every way, serving her food from time to time and paying attention to her favorite dishes.

Sitting across the table, Su Xingyue witnessed everything. A strange pang of jealousy welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but complain in a spoiled voice, "Big cousin, second cousin! Now that you have a new little sister, have you forgotten about me? Don't you like me anymore?"

Upon hearing this, Li Beichen paused slightly, only then realizing that he had indeed subconsciously favored Shen Jingshu today. In the past, when Su Xingyue visited, she was the only girl among this group of juniors, and he and Li Hanting had always indulged and treated her with special consideration.

A hint of apology flashed in his eyes as he reached out and placed a piece of steamed ribbonfish on Su Xingyue's plate, gently reassuring her, "It's nothing, we just don't see each other often, don't overthink it. Don't be shy, help yourself to whatever you like. This steamed ribbonfish was specially made for you by Aunt Zhang, it used to be your favorite."

Su Xingyue gave a soft hum, her expression softening slightly.

Shen Jingshu sat quietly to the side, completely unconcerned about the little tricks of the young girls vying for favor and jealousy. She simply lowered her eyes and ate quietly, her expression calm and undisturbed.

After dinner, Li Siya went to Li Wenqian's study alone. The study door closed softly, and it seemed that the brother and sister had something important to discuss in private.

Su Xingyue and Su Xingchen pestered Li Beichen, insisting that he drive them out for a shopping trip. Unable to resist their nagging, Li Beichen remembered that Shen Jingshu might also like to go out for a change of scenery, so he approached her and suggested they go together.

Shen Jingshu gently shook her head and declined, "I'm a little tired today, you guys go and have fun."

Li Beichen didn't insist and had no choice but to drive away from the villa with the Su siblings.

Once the surroundings quieted down, Shen Jingshu pondered for a moment, then turned and walked towards her elder brother Li Hanting's room, gently knocking on the door.

The door opened quickly, and Li Hanting saw Shen Jingshu standing outside. His expression softened slightly: "Jingshu, what is it? Come in and talk."

Shen Jingshu stepped into the room, her expression calm and solemn.

Li Hanting rarely saw her with such a serious and composed expression. He paused for a moment, then immediately asked with concern, "What's wrong, Jing Shu? What happened?"

Shen Jingshu looked up at him and slowly spoke, revealing what had been weighing on her heart for a long time.

"Brother, it's like this. As you know, I understand metaphysics and feng shui. From the first day I moved into the Li family's house, I sensed that a feng shui formation had been secretly set up in this Li family villa."

"Before, my strength had not fully recovered, and I did not want to act rashly and cause complications. I planned to wait for the right time to deal with it. Later, one case after another came to my door, and I neglected to put it aside. Until today, my sister-in-law suddenly came to my door. When I looked at her face, many hidden clues were connected, and I realized that the situation was probably not so simple."

She had her own considerations. Among the entire Li family, only the two brothers, Li Hanting and Li Beichen, truly cared for her. Compared to the gentle and soft-hearted Li Beichen, Li Hanting was meticulous, composed, and more reliable and decisive in handling matters. Therefore, she chose to tell him about this first.

Upon hearing these words, Li Hanting, who had been calm just moments before, suddenly changed his expression. His gentle aura vanished instantly, and a chilling coldness appeared in his eyes.

"Feng shui formation? Someone has disturbed the Li family's residence?"

"That's right."

Shen Jingshu's gaze was solemn as she spoke clearly, "This feng shui arrangement was not set up recently; it has existed for many years."

A chilling aura suddenly emanated from Li Hanting, his eyes filled with seriousness. He pressed on in a deep voice, "What kind of formation is it? Who set it up?"

"It's a feng shui luck-borrowing technique." Shen Jingshu slowly revealed the truth, exposing the core crisis in one sentence. "Someone has set up a luck-stealing formation in the Li family's ancestral villa, which has been continuously stealing the Li family's foundational fortune and blessings for many years. I have observed for a long time that the formation has been operating for many years, and most of the Li family's accumulated prosperity has already been drained away."

She paused, her tone turning cold and stern: "At this rate of continued depletion, the Li family's fortune will be completely drained within three years. At that time, the Li family's foundation will collapse, its wealth will dissipate, and its population will dwindle, resulting in a tragic end."

The second half of the sentence needs no further explanation; Li Hanting already fully understood it.

Aristocratic families value their fortune and foundation above all else; when their fortune is exhausted, it marks the beginning of their downfall and decline.

Li Hanting frowned, his thin lips pressed together, suppressing his shock and anger, and pressed for the key question: "What does this have to do with my aunt, Li Siya?"

Shen Jingshu raised her eyes and looked directly at him: "Big brother, do you believe me?"

"I believe you." Li Hanting didn't hesitate for a moment, his tone firm and resolute. "I will always believe in you."

Upon receiving this reply, Shen Jingshu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Hanting then said in a deep voice, "This is the first time you've met Li Siya. You're complete strangers with no grudges against her, so you have absolutely no reason to slander or defame her. You've come all this way to tell me this, so you must have seen something conclusive, right?"

"That's right." Shen Jingshu nodded and began to sort out the clues one by one to confirm her judgment. "My uncle and my mother held a grand wedding banquet, a wedding banquet that caused a sensation in the capital. Li Siya's family was far away abroad and used the excuse of being busy with business to ultimately miss the wedding."

"Over the years, she has rarely appeared at the Li family's banquets and family gatherings. It may seem that she has been living abroad for many years and has neglected family ties, but in fact, she is deliberately avoiding the Li family members to keep quiet."

"Today was the first time I saw her. Looking at her face, all the doubts came together."

Shen Jingshu's eyes were cold as she meticulously analyzed, "Li Siya's appearance doesn't suggest great wealth and nobility. Her life has been smooth sailing for half her life, her wealth has skyrocketed, and her children are settled. This unexpected and abundant fortune doesn't belong to her at all; it's something she's obtained by stealing the Li family's fortune over the years!"

"Moreover, her face has an ominous look and a hidden sense of debt, typical of someone who has long relied on the good fortune of others and overdrawn the foundation of other families. Combined with the fact that the Li family's fortune has been declining year by year and that there is a hidden decline, the answer is self-evident."

Li Hanting listened quietly, the atmosphere around him growing increasingly heavy, his eyes surging with an unbelievable, chilling rage.

For many years, they have secretly laid out insidious formations to silently steal the family's fortune and erode the foundation of the Li family!

Seeing his solemn expression, Shen Jingshu continued:

"Her sudden visit today, seemingly to visit relatives and friends and renew family ties, actually has another purpose. I suspect she's here to steal the last bit of fortune from the Li family."

"She endured for many years, never showing her face, just to borrow fortune quietly without being noticed by anyone. Now that the formation is almost complete and the Li family's fortune is about to run out, she has returned to the Li family."