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

Li Beichen's gaze was deep and his aura imposing. He spoke coldly, each word sharp and intimidating:

"That's right, Aunt Lin. Regarding the cooperation with the Mo family, President Mo has already stated publicly that he was only willing to cooperate deeply because he recognized the project proposal submitted by our company. It has nothing to do with the Shen family or anyone else. Why do you insist on making trouble and trying to frame us?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone carrying a subtle mix of sarcasm and intimidation:

"Or does Aunt Lin genuinely believe that my vision, Li Beichen's, and the Li family's company are inferior to your son, Shen Yifan's?"

This question carries immense weight.

In an instant, Lin Wanqing, who had just been blinded by anger, suddenly became much more sober.

She looked at Li Beichen, whose aura was gloomy, and then at Li Wenqian, whose face was cold and who was clearly angry. Her heart tightened, and she hurriedly explained:

"Beichen, no! I absolutely didn't mean that! I just..."

That's what you mean.

Li Beichen interrupted directly, his tone cold, firm, and impartial, showing no mercy:

"Market competition, company bankruptcy, and investment failures are all business consequences that adults should bear. What does it have to do with a little girl like Jing Shu?"

"You always favor the Shen family and your eldest son, and you forcefully pin all the misfortunes and failures on Jing Shu. In my opinion, you are the most unfit mother."

"You only care about the Shen family's reputation and Shen Yifan, but don't forget—Jing Shu is also your daughter, whom you carried for ten months and gave birth to. Aren't you afraid that your unfairness and harsh treatment will completely break her heart and she'll never come back?"

Lin Wanqing was forced to retreat step by step, her face turning pale and then red, but she stubbornly retorted:

"Where have I been mistreating her? I'm just a mother, teaching her to be sensible, family-oriented, and considerate. Am I wrong?"

That's enough.

Shen Jingshu, who had been silent and patient all along, finally spoke slowly.

She looked up at Lin Wanqing, her eyes devoid of anger or tears, only a completely frozen indifference remained, her voice calm yet each word resolute.

"mom."

"This is the last time I'll call you that."

"From the moment you rushed up to me without asking why, forced all the blame on me, and even physically dragged me to force me to apologize, I understood."

"In your eyes, I have never been your daughter, but just an enemy and tool that the Shen family can sacrifice at any time and use as a scapegoat."

She smiled faintly, her eyes filled with desolation.

"If you think I'm not worthy to be your daughter, then I don't need to force myself to cling to your cheap maternal love anymore."

"I'm already an adult, and I'm no longer that little girl who longed for you to look at me more or show me more affection."

"But from this day forward—all matters concerning the Shen family will have nothing to do with me, Shen Jingshu."

"The rise and fall of the Shen family, Shen Yifan's fortune and misfortune, the honor and disgrace of the Shen family—you shall never again casually pin these on my head."

"If you continue to be unreasonable, slanderous, and forcefully frame me, then I don't mind simply confirming all the crimes you've accused me of."

The moment the words left his mouth, the air fell into a deathly silence.

Li Wenqian and Li Beichen looked at her at the same time, their eyes filled with surprise, followed by understanding and heartache.

They all knew that Shen Jingshu was truly hurt to the extreme and completely enraged.

With her current connections, abilities, and methods, if she really wanted to take down the Shen family and make sure Shen Yifan could never recover, it would be a piece of cake.

She had always yielded before, simply because she cared about that meager blood relation.

Now, that last bit of affection has been completely exhausted.

Lin Wanqing, trembling with rage in the corridor, pointed at her, her voice filled with fury: "You, you unfilial daughter! How dare you speak to me like that!"

Shen Jingshu was too lazy to argue any further, her expression utterly indifferent:

"If there's nothing else, you can all leave. I need to rest."

As soon as she finished speaking, she twisted her wrist slightly, skillfully using her strength to break free from Lin Wanqing's tight grip.

The force wasn't heavy, but it was swift and decisive, completely drawing a line between them.

She turned around, pushed open the door, and went straight back into the room. With a "click," the door closed tightly.

Keep all arguments, all favoritism, and all suffocating family ties out.

Suddenly, only three people remained in the corridor, creating an awkward and heavy atmosphere.

Lin Wanqing stood there, stunned, her face pale, her mind in turmoil.

She looked at the closed door, then at the two cold-faced Li family father and son beside her, feeling utterly lost.

She was just "educating her daughter" according to her own ideas, how could it have escalated to the point of a complete break?

Could it be... that she really was wrong?

Looking at her stubborn and bewildered expression, Li Wenqian sighed helplessly and reached out to pull her along: "Let's go back first."

The two turned and left.

Only Li Beichen remained standing there, silently gazing at the tightly closed door, his eyes filled with heartache and helplessness. After a long while, he sighed softly before turning and returning to his own room.

Back in the bedroom, Lin Wanqing remained silent the whole way. Looking at Li Wenqian, whose face was cold and indifferent, she felt increasingly flustered.

Since she and Li Wenqian got married more than half a year ago, he has always been gentle, tolerant, and accommodating to her in everything. He has never treated her with such a cold and distant attitude.

Tonight is the first time.

Li Wenqian's face was cold and stern as he looked at Lin Wanqing, who remained stubborn and unrepentant, his tone filled with deep disappointment.

"I've reminded you more than once not to be too biased, to pay more attention to Jing Shu and show her more affection. But you never listen."

"Tonight, you acted so blatantly, criticizing and wronging her in public, and placing all the blame on her. You have truly broken this child's heart."

He sighed softly, his eyes filled with helplessness and detachment.

"In the end, you are mother and daughter, and this is your family matter. I am an outsider and should not interfere. But I want to remind you one last time—Jing Shu is no longer the little girl who was manipulated and silently endured. She has ability, confidence, and competence."

"You have treated her coldly, pressured her, and wronged her today. In the future, you will definitely regret what you have done."

After saying this, Li Wenqian said no more, turned around and walked into the bathroom, completely cutting off any room for conversation, unwilling to argue with the stubborn Lin Wanqing any further.

The room fell silent instantly.

Lin Wanqing sat alone on the edge of the bed, a tightness in her chest that she couldn't calm down for a long time.

She was angry at Shen Jingshu's cold attitude and resolute words, showing no regard for mother-daughter affection; she was angry at Shen Jingshu's ruthlessness and indifference, disregarding her brother's life and death, the overall situation of the Shen family, and showing no brotherly affection.

From beginning to end, she firmly believed that what she saw and thought was correct, stubbornly convinced that it was Shen Jingshu's selfishness, cold-heartedness, and willful actions that had caused the current disaster for the Shen family. She felt no remorse, only resentment and bitterness.

The night passed quickly, with many twists and turns.

The next morning.

After last night's bitter argument that completely tore their relationship apart, Lin Wanqing felt extremely awkward and knew that seeing Shen Jingshu again would be incredibly embarrassing. She lingered in her room, reluctant to go downstairs.

In contrast, Shen Jingshu remained calm and composed. After returning to her room last night, she went to bed early and slept soundly through the night. This morning, she got ready and planned to go straight back to school after breakfast, completely escaping the troubles of the Shen family.

She walked downstairs with ease, and as soon as she reached the restaurant, she saw a tall, elegant-looking stranger sitting at the table.

Hearing footsteps, the man turned around.