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

Li Beichen paused slightly, but finally replied, "I understand, Dad."

No sooner had he finished speaking than his cell phone rang in his pocket.

Li Beichen did not hide it from everyone. In front of Li Wenqian, Lin Wanqing and Shen Jingshu, he directly pressed the answer button.

A sweet, coquettish female voice immediately came through the receiver, her voice sticky and tinged with urging and coquettishness.

Li Beichen sat at the dining table, a fleeting look of obvious impatience crossing his face, his brows furrowing slightly.

But when he spoke on the phone, his tone softened inexplicably, carrying a coaxing tone of resignation: "Okay, I know, I'll be back right away, don't make a fuss."

This scene was witnessed by onlookers.

Li Wenqian thought it was an urgent matter at the company and was about to ask when he saw Li Beichen suddenly stand up and apologize to everyone, "Aunt Lin, Dad, I have something to do and I have to go first."

"Is it company business again?" Lin Wanqing asked with concern. "You have to handle both company matters and external affairs. Don't overwork yourself."

"It's not work, it's just a personal matter," Li Beichen said casually.

"Personal matters?" Li Wenqian glanced at his son, seeing his hurried expression, and didn't ask any more questions. He just waved his hand and said, "Alright, go ahead, be careful on the road."

Li Beichen responded, casually took the coat handed to him by the maid, quickly put it on, and strode out of the restaurant, disappearing in an instant outside the gate of the Li family mansion.

Only after that figure had completely disappeared did Shen Jingshu slowly withdraw her gaze, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.

While she was eating with her head down, she had already subtly observed Li Beichen's face.

The man's forehead was slightly dark, but a seductive, alluring aura emanated from the corner of his eye, clearly indicating that he was entangled with a harbinger of bad luck.

What's even more intriguing is that the rotten peach blossom is showing signs of taking its place—it is clinging tightly to Li Beichen's original destined affinity, with a strong momentum to devour the destined affinity and replace it itself.

Unfavorable romantic encounters may turn into true love, but true love will gradually fade away.

Shen Jingshu lightly tapped the table with her fingertips, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

It seems that the days ahead are going to be quite lively for this second brother who rarely returns home.

The next day happened to be a weekend, and Shen Jingshu accompanied Lin Wanqing to the mall for shopping.

Since the last family reunion banquet, Lin Wanqing has gradually become more outgoing, and many ladies from wealthy families in Beijing often take the initiative to invite her to go shopping and have tea together.

Having witnessed firsthand how those wealthy ladies doted on and cherished their daughters, Lin Wanqing felt increasingly guilty, her heart filled with remorse for Shen Jingshu.

So she made a special trip over the weekend to take Shen Jingshu shopping and buy her daughter some exquisite dresses and jewelry, trying her best to make up for the lack of maternal love over the years.

The Li family driver drove the mother and daughter to a high-end shopping mall frequented by the wealthy and powerful in Beijing.

The interior design here is extremely luxurious, and all the tenants are top domestic and international brands. Every passerby is impeccably dressed and exudes an air of elegance.

The mother and daughter strolled side by side through the mall. Lin Wanqing was mostly in high spirits, her eyes full of joy, and she would stop from time to time to pick out clothes and jewelry suitable for a young girl. Shen Jingshu, on the other hand, was gentle and quietly accompanied her mother. Whenever Lin Wanqing picked out clothes for her to try on, she would obediently cooperate without showing the slightest impatience.

The two stopped in a high-end women's clothing store. Lin Wanqing was focused on choosing elegant dresses for Shen Jingshu, while Shen Jingshu waited quietly by her side.

He glanced up casually and saw two figures walking towards him. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the person was none other than his second brother, Li Beichen, whom he had met at the Li family's old residence the night before.

And he was holding a woman's arm.

The woman had an ordinary appearance, was easily lost in a crowd, had a very average figure, and possessed no outstanding qualities whatsoever.

In contrast, Li Beichen was handsome with striking features and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which made him appear even more refined and noble. His tailor-made high-end suit accentuated his tall and slender figure, making him look every bit the wealthy young master.

Even though the woman beside him was dressed in designer clothes, her appearance, figure, and fashion sense were completely out of place with Li Beichen. The two of them standing together were an extreme contrast, as if they were two people who had never crossed paths and had been forcibly put together, creating an overwhelming sense of incongruity.

The woman was tilting her head back and speaking softly to Li Beichen. Li Beichen looked down at her, his face showing a rare tenderness, but this tenderness only made the incongruity even more glaring.

Pedestrians passing by the two in the mall couldn't help but turn around and glance at them frequently.

Such a handsome and outstanding young man was accompanied by a female companion who was extremely mediocre in every way. Anyone who saw this would be curious and would secretly feel that the two were completely mismatched in terms of appearance, temperament and aura. They did not look like a suitable couple at all.

Just then, Li Beichen's gaze swept over and he spotted Shen Jingshu not far away. A look of joy flashed across his face, and he immediately took the arm of the woman beside him and walked quickly toward Shen Jingshu.

The woman beside him noticed his unusual behavior and followed his gaze to Shen Jingshu. Seeing her boyfriend smiling at such a beautiful girl, a strong sense of jealousy and unease flashed in her eyes. She sneered inwardly: "She looks so alluring, she's obviously trying to seduce her boyfriend. These vixens are all sluts!"

A surge of malice welled up in her heart, and a ferocious look flashed across her face. Her already ordinary face looked even uglier at this moment. In an instant, she forced a docile appearance and clung tightly to Li Beichen's arm.

Li Beichen walked closer, his tone tinged with surprise, and called out, "Jing Shu, what are you doing here? Are you alone?"

"No, I came shopping with my mother," Shen Jingshu replied softly, her eyes subtly gesturing.

Li Beichen then noticed Lin Wanqing picking out clothes not far away and quickly nodded, saying, "So it's Aunt Lin here too. I should go over and greet the elder."

As soon as he finished speaking, the woman beside him immediately spoke in a coquettish and affected tone, her voice sweet and deliberately gentle: "Achen, who is this young lady?"

"This is my younger sister, Shen Jingshu," Li Beichen introduced.

Upon hearing the word "sister," the woman's previously tense and guarded expression relaxed slightly. However, after a moment, as if suddenly remembering something, her wariness and hostility intensified, and she lowered her voice to ask again, "Achen, is she the stepsister your father's stepmother brought with her?"

Upon hearing this, Li Beichen's face instantly darkened, his tone filled with obvious dissatisfaction, and his brows furrowed tightly, clearly showing his extreme aversion to his girlfriend's deliberate and distant remarks.

Li Beichen frowned, his tone clearly displeased: "It's true that her surname is Shen, but to me, Jing Shu is a member of the Li family, no different from my own sister. You can't say that again."