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

Shen Jingshu felt no ripples in her heart, nor any pity whatsoever.

Reborn into this life, she could never forgive and forget the Shen family. The years of exploitation, neglect, and favoritism she had suffered in her previous life were still vivid in her mind. She even secretly hoped that the selfish and cold-hearted members of the Shen family would all meet an unfortunate end.

In her past life, behind Shen Yifan's glamorous life and secure position as CEO, lay countless unseen sacrifices.

Back then, she endured hardship and humility, silently supporting the Shen family and Shen Yifan. Countless days and nights, she devoted herself to connecting resources, cultivating relationships, attracting investment, and securing major deals, single-handedly supporting the majority of the Shen Group's performance through her own abilities.

But all the glory and praise went to Shen Yifan, who was shining on the stage.

He never showed any gratitude, instead taking it all for granted and attributing it to his own abilities. He continued to favor and pamper Shen Xinyi, belittling and tormenting her at every turn, and deep down he felt that she was inferior to Shen Xinyi in every way.

How ridiculous, how heartbreaking.

Shen Jingshu's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.

In this lifetime, she had long since distanced herself from the Shen family, severing all ties, and would never again devote any effort to them or shield them from any hardship.

Without her silent support and protection behind the scenes, Shen Yifan would be nothing more than a pretentious, arrogant, and incompetent CEO.

She wanted to see how far Shen Yifan could go and how long he could remain in glory in this life, without her help and relying solely on his own impetuousness and arrogance.

The next morning, Shen Jingshu kept her promise and arrived at the small, secluded coffee shop where she had arranged to meet Bai Zhi.

It was during a weekday working hour, and the store was exceptionally quiet, with almost no other customers. The large space was peaceful and quiet, with only two bartenders busy at their desks. The atmosphere was relaxed and private, perfect for two people to talk.

The two chose a window seat with a clear view, where soft sunlight streamed through the glass and fell on the edge of the table, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

The moment her bottom touched the seat, Bai Zhi couldn't contain her eagerness. She looked up at Shen Jing Shu, her eyes filled with trepidation and anticipation, and softly asked, "Jing Shu, could you tell me more about what you said yesterday? I... I want to understand it completely."

"Can."

Shen Jingshu nodded in response, her tone calm and firm, "I have carefully examined your face. You have an excellent natural foundation, with a bright wealth star and a full fortune palace. You are destined for a smooth life, abundant wealth, and long-lasting good fortune. You should have a life free from worries about food and clothing, a stable life year after year, and a bright and worry-free future."

She paused slightly, then looked at Bai Zhi: "Your brother didn't go to the Li family banquet yesterday, so I didn't see him in person. Do you have a picture of him on you?"

Bai Zhi immediately replied, "Yes. I anticipated that you might need it, so I prepared it in advance."

As she spoke, she quickly took out a photo from her small bag and handed it to Shen Jingshu.

Shen Jingshu lowered her eyes and looked at the boy in the photo.

The boy in the picture was Bai Zhi's younger brother, Bai Haochen. Despite his young age, his eyes and brows were full of restlessness and shallowness. Shen Jingshu stared intently at his face and instantly understood.

Bai Haochen's original destiny was extremely poor; his eyes were dull and his luck was gloomy, making him a typical example of someone who would amount to nothing.

People with this kind of face are very likely to give up halfway through whatever they do in this life, and will find it difficult to achieve anything. They will live a mediocre life and have little to show for their efforts.

The reason why they end up with such a fate is all due to the karmic consequences of their past lives.

The cycle of Heaven and the law of cause and effect are infallible, leaving no room for chance. A person's destiny and fortune in this life are all the result of the accumulation of good and evil deeds in their past lives.

People often only look at the ups and downs of this life, thinking that evil deeds can go unpunished and good deeds may not bring blessings. Little do they know that the cycle of karma never fails to happen.

Some evil people seem to have a smooth and peaceful life, enjoying their remaining years without encountering any retribution in this world. This is not because Heaven is lenient, but simply because their karmic retribution has been postponed.

The punishments they escaped and the sins they committed in this life will be settled by the King of Hell and judges after death. They will be punished and sentenced according to their deeds in life, and sent to hell to suffer karmic fire and torture to repay all the evil deeds of their previous lives.

Even after serving their sentence and atoning for their sins, they cannot be directly reincarnated as humans. Most will fall into the animal realm and suffer through several lifetimes of reincarnation to wear down their anger and sins. Only after their karma is completely purified can they re-enter the human realm and be reborn.

Bai Haochen's mediocre, impoverished, and unsuccessful fate in this life is the result of committing too many evil deeds in his past life, and in this life he is paying off his debts and offsetting his karmic obstacles.

Bai Zhi listened quietly to these unheard-of secrets of the Heavenly Dao, her heart trembling.

It turns out that all the ups and downs of fate in this world never come from nowhere, but are all part of the cycle of cause and effect.

Shen Jingshu's gaze deepened as she focused on Bai Haochen's face in the photograph, slowly recounting the strange changes in his destiny:

"Your brother's original appearance was that of a mediocre and unproductive person. He had heavy karmic burdens in his past life, and this life was meant to be a time to pay off his debts and atone for his sins. He was destined to have a life where he would hardly achieve anything great, and he would be plagued by bad luck and setbacks in everything he did."

"But in the past two years, his luck has been rising against the trend and improving step by step. I can clearly see that there is an extremely thin but tough causal line on him, and the other end of the line is firmly wrapped around you."

She looked up at Bai Zhi, whose expression was trembling, and spoke clearly:

"Think back carefully, didn't your family's fortunes suddenly rise two years ago, leading to a windfall and entry into high society?"

"It was also two years ago that your life completely turned upside down. You used to be exceptionally talented, academically outstanding, extremely popular, and financially successful; you were a naturally blessed person. But after two years, you have been plagued by bad luck, your health has deteriorated, your spirit is exhausted, and nothing you do goes smoothly."

"Your brother is the complete opposite. He was plagued by bad luck and accomplished nothing from childhood until his coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen, after which his fortunes turned completely around, and he has enjoyed smooth sailing and continuous good luck ever since."

Bai Zhi was jolted, her mind exploding as all the scattered memories of the past instantly connected to form the complete truth.

She recalled in a daze that it all really did start two years ago with her younger brother's eighteenth birthday celebration.

That day, the Bai family held a grand banquet, with guests filling the hall, making it an extremely solemn occasion. From childhood to adulthood, it had been the norm for her parents to favor her younger brother. She had long been accustomed to all resources and favoritism going to Bai Haochen, and she had also long seen through the fact that she would only be a pawn used by the family to pave the way for a marriage alliance.

She has always worked hard and strived to be the best in everything, simply hoping to gain some autonomy in her future marriage and life through her excellence.

But after that coming-of-age ceremony, the parents' attitude suddenly changed completely.

For the first time ever, they prepared a gift for her as well: a jade pendant with a warm and lustrous color.

At that time, Mr. Bai spoke earnestly, saying that they had neglected and wronged her in the past. They explained that she was a few years older and took care of her younger brother more, not because they were biased.

Bai's mother solemnly promised that from now on, she would treat the two siblings equally, and that all children of the Bai family would be treated equally, so that they could support and rely on each other.

She was flattered and overwhelmed. The grievances that had been building up in her heart for many years softened instantly, and she actually believed that her parents had come to their senses and were truly sincere towards her.

She cherished a rare sense of warmth and wore the jade pendant close to her body every day, never letting it leave her side.

Looking back now, it wasn't compensation or favoritism at all; it was a carefully laid trap wrapped in warmth!

Bai Zhi's fingertips trembled, and she subconsciously reached out to touch her neck, taking off the jade pendant she had worn close to her body for two years and placing it on the clean table.