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

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the Li family's house. Shen Jingshu was about to open the door and get out of the car to politely thank them.

Just then, the man who had been silent the whole way spoke up, his voice clear and crisp: "Miss Shen, would it be convenient for us to exchange contact information?"

Shen Jingshu was stunned. She never expected that Lu Jingxing, who was usually indifferent to women, would take the initiative to ask her for her WeChat.

The driver in the front seat was so shocked he almost lost his composure, his mind reeling with astonishment:

What's going on? The CEO actually asked a girl for her contact information? That's more outrageous than the sun rising in the west!

Seeing that she didn't react for a long time, a faint look flashed in Lu Jingxing's eyes. He thought she was unwilling, so he decided to give up.

Shen Jingshu suddenly snapped out of her daze, coughed twice, and deliberately acted distant: "President Lu, I think we probably won't have much contact in the future, so there's no need to exchange contact information, is there?"

"Miss Shen, do you not want to see me again?"

She was so anxious that she kept muttering to herself: Of course I want to! I wish I could stick to it every day! This is a walking treasure trove of top-tier purple energy; refining it once will greatly increase my cultivation level!

But then she remembered what Li Hanting had said, and the rumors circulating online—this man was always cold-hearted and abstinent, keeping women at arm's length.

After a moment of hesitation, for the sake of cultivation and to break the curse, I'll give it my all!

She immediately changed her tune: "Then...Mr. Lu, should you sweep me, or should I sweep you?"

I'll sweep you.

Shen Jingshu pulled up the QR code, and Lu Jingxing scanned it incredibly fast and decisively, as if afraid she might change her mind at any moment.

"Okay, I've sent the friend request. Ms. Shen, please accept it."

"Okay, right away."

She opened her friends list; the profile picture was a minimalist black silhouette, exuding a cold and unapproachable aura.

After her application was approved, she nodded politely: "Thank you very much, Mr. Lu, for bringing me back today. Goodbye."

"goodbye."

Shen Jingshu pushed open the car door and got out, then quickly walked into the Li family home.

After washing up at night, she leaned against the bed and couldn't help but open Lu Jingxing's WeChat Moments—

It was completely blank, spotless, with no movement whatsoever.

As her name suggests, she was aloof and indifferent, utterly devoid of any warmth or human touch.

She thought to herself: He probably only added her as a friend out of politeness, out of respect for Li Hanting.

That's fine, let nature take its course from now on.

She was reborn and could predict good and bad fortune, but she couldn't figure out Lu Jingxing.

When they first met, she tried to deduce his fate. He was surrounded by a purple aura, and she could not see through his secrets at all.

If everything depends on fortune telling, life becomes meaningless. Besides, he is an exception that he cannot predict.

At night, Li Wenqian finished washing up and went back to his bedroom to go to bed.

Lin Wanqing was leaning against the bedside reading a book. When she saw him coming over, she gently put down the pages and looked up at him. Li Wenqian could tell from her hesitant expression that she had something on her mind.

Last night, Lin Wanqing was so busy welcoming Li Hanting back that she forgot about Shen Xinyi's request for a banquet invitation. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke up.

Li Wenqian stepped forward and gently put his arm around her: "Wanqing, we are husband and wife now, so just speak your mind."

"President Li..."

"I've told you so many times, don't call me President Li. Call me Wenqian, or Brother Qian, it's fine."

Lin Wanqing pursed her lips and said softly, "Brother Qian, do you... have any extra banquet invitations?"

"What? You want to send these to a close friend? I have invitations."

"No,"

She said in a low, hesitant voice, "My children also want to attend the dinner. If it's convenient, give me a few tickets; if it's inconvenient, just pretend I never mentioned it."

"Your children? Those from the Shen family?"

Li Wenqian's gaze darkened slightly.

He never minded Lin Wanqing's concern for her biological children, but the Shen family's children insisted on coming to the Li family's private banquet. He had been in the business world for many years and could see through their intentions at a glance, but he was unwilling to point it out to their faces.

After a moment, he gently agreed, "Sure. How many do you want? I'll have the housekeeper prepare them for you tomorrow. You are their mother, so it's only right that you come to offer your congratulations."

Lin Wanqing quickly nodded in agreement: "Yes, they just wanted to congratulate us, they had no other intentions."

She spoke with a lack of confidence, clearly aware that her children harbored schemes to curry favor with others, but as a mother, she ultimately couldn't bear to expose them.

Li Wenqian knew perfectly well what was going on, but he remained tolerant and didn't expose her protectiveness towards her son.

"You stayed up so late waiting for me just for this?"

"Um."

"Next time it's something small, just call and tell me directly. Don't stay up all night. Your health is already weak, so get some rest."

After saying that, the two turned off the lights and lay down side by side.

During this time, Li Wenqian had always treated her with respect, and although they shared a bed, they had never crossed any lines. At this moment, Li Wenqian reached out and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.

Lin Wanqing froze instantly, her heart tightening slightly.

His deep, gentle voice reached her ear: "Don't be nervous, I'll just hold you like this while we sleep, relax."

Lin Wanqing gradually relaxed, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

Li Wenqian always treated her with consideration and respect, and always took her wishes into account.

Unlike the Shen Mobai of the past, who never cared about her health and would only indulge his desires even when she was unwell, showing no pity whatsoever. Recalling the past and comparing it to his gentle treatment now, Lin Wanqing felt a slight sting in her nose.

Later, Shen Mobai became increasingly indifferent to Lin Wanqing and simply kept several women outside the marriage.

At that time, Lin Wanqing was completely focused on her children. It wasn't that she couldn't see her husband's change of heart, but she kept comforting herself—that deep affection would eventually turn into kinship, and she stubbornly believed in Shen Mobai.

Even now, married into the Li family, she still harbors unease in her heart. Li Wenqian holds the vast Li Group, his power and status far surpassing Shen Mobai's, and he is extremely busy with state affairs every day.

She was, after all, entering this world on her second marriage, and there were countless women outside who coveted Li Wenqian and tried to climb the social ladder. She couldn't help but feel apprehensive, fearing that one day, Li Wenqian would also seek affection elsewhere, just like Shen Mobai.

After much deliberation, she had long since become indifferent to love and romance.

She doesn't crave a passionate love now; respect and stability are enough. Even if Li Wenqian finds someone else in the future, as long as it's not public and doesn't disturb her peace, she won't delve into it.

After all, she had already experienced heartbreak, and moreover, she and Li Wenqian had made an agreement: three years later, when their children had all grown up, she would leave and live out the rest of her life alone.

That night, Lin Wanqing's thoughts were churning, contemplating the past and the future, until she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Li Hanting, who had just left in a hurry, received an urgent call from his subordinates at the police station.

Although he was on vacation, he had been handling this major case from beginning to end, and all informants and leads only recognized him.

Left with no other option, he rushed back to the police station that night to work overtime, staying until midnight before finally dragging his exhausted body home. He learned from the servants that Shen Jingshu had already safely returned home, so he went straight to his room to rest.

The next morning, the butler delivered several banquet invitations to Lin Wanqing on time: "Madam, these are invitations specially prepared for you by the head of the family."

"Thank you, butler."

The moment Lin Wanqing received the invitation, she called Shen Xinyi to tell her the good news.

Lin Wanqing wished to visit the Shen family's old residence again, so she instructed the housekeeper to arrange for someone to deliver the invitation directly to the Shen family.

When Shen Xinyi returned home from school in the evening, she immediately saw the invitation to the Li family banquet displayed in the living room and was overjoyed.

These past few days, she's spent all her free time shopping and picking out outfits, putting all her effort into making a splash at the banquet and shining brightly.

Besides, she had other thoughts in mind: the Lu family's influential figure would definitely be present at the Li family's grand banquet.

With her current social circle and connections, she would never normally have access to top-tier wealthy families, let alone get acquainted with the Lu family. This banquet is the perfect opportunity for her to squeeze into high society and curry favor with the powerful.