Mommy, don't be afraid, I'll bring you blind boxes and scam you out of a wealthy family to

01

The backstage lounge was filled with a strong scent of perfume.

Wen Shulian sat in the innermost seat, silently reciting the zither score that she already knew by heart.

She wore a pure white long dress, not glamorous, and no expensive jewelry around her neck, except for a pair of pearl earrings on her earlobes.

A few days ago, Chen Xiulan accompanied her to the mall to pick out the clothes, saying that she couldn't dress too shabbily for such a competition.

Although it hurt to pay the bill, the mother couldn't help but feel overjoyed when she thought about how happy her daughter would be after winning the prize.

Wen Shulian always found it strange that neither Chen Xiulan nor Wen Guoliang seemed to care for or love their child like other parents did; they seemed to treat her more like a tool for making money.

Perhaps every family has its own troubles.

"I heard the prize money for the champion this time is quite substantial." Someone nearby deliberately spoke up, "No wonder some people are working so hard."

Someone immediately chuckled softly, "That's right, taking the bonus home will make things much easier for the family."

"In this industry, what's the use of playing well? How high you can go in the end depends on how rich your family is."

"Their conditions aren't great, making it to the finals is already amazing..."

It sounded like a compliment, but the unfriendly tone was practically overflowing.

Wen Shulian's fingers caressed the notes that swirled like fish, without saying a word.

Seeing that they hadn't elicited a reaction from her, the men became even more enthusiastic.

"Some people can't afford haute couture, so they rent clothes to wear. How pathetic."

"Really?"

"Don't you even consider her family's financial situation? Tsk, they can't even afford jewelry..."

Someone joked, "A musical instrument competition isn't a beauty pageant."

"That's hard to say." Someone glanced at Wen Shulian meaningfully. "Being good-looking is always an advantage. What if the judges like this type?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Wen Shulian's eyes were a little sore, and she blinked.

She naturally had no intention of arguing with them; she wasn't here today to prove a point.

They're right, she's here to win the championship.

Wen Guoliang's business ran into some problems, and all the family's money was used to bribe officials, which suddenly made their finances tight.

Chen Xiulan didn't say anything, but every time she went to her piano lesson, she was exceptionally attentive, picking her up and dropping her off in a car.

The prize money from this competition is not a small amount; it should at least give my family some relief for a while.

Hobbies are hobbies, and reality is reality.

There's no need to confuse them, but there's also no need to distinguish them too clearly.

Wen Shulian closed the sheet music, stood up, straightened her skirt, and left.

It's not peaceful outside either.

"Did you hear? Tonight's guests include someone from the Duan Group!"

"The Duan family? Which Duan family?"

"Who else could it be from the Duan family of Tan City?"

"Wow, is Duan Hetong, the eldest son of the Duan family, coming too?"

"Probably. I heard he just came back from abroad recently. It would be beneficial for him to show his face at an event like tonight."

"My God, young master is so handsome! I've seen him once before..."

"When? When? The Duan family's identity is something I have no way of knowing."

"You guys really can't even imagine it. If it were me, I'd dream of becoming Mrs. Duan someday..."

This discussion had far less impact on Wen Shulian than the previous sarcastic remarks.

After all, the Duan family, Duan Hetong, who are far away, will never have anything to do with her.

A staff member hurriedly approached: "Are you number 07, Wen Shulian? It's almost your turn, get ready."

In recent years, she has emerged as a rising star, winning numerous major competitions and gaining some fame.

Upon hearing the name "Wen Shulian," the people around fell silent.

Soon, discussions arose again.

Wen Shulian pretended not to hear anything and walked into the long backstage corridor.

The lights gradually came on, like the only hope in her monotonous life.

She walked onto the stage, lifted her skirt, and sat down in front of the piano.

Raise your hand.

The sound of the zither flowed like water, cascading gently.

02

Backstage, a side door was pushed open.

When Duan Hetong walked in, the competition on stage had already gone through several rounds.

Fortunately, he didn't care, and he wouldn't regret missing out.

He didn't want to come today.

Or to put it bluntly, he has never liked these kinds of public, deliberately staged social occasions.

But one of the organizers today was an old acquaintance of my mother's, and someone persuaded my mother to invite him, so he finally agreed.

Soon someone recognized the eldest son of the Duan family, and they bowed and scraped, asking him what was wrong.

He didn't pay any attention, just nodded slightly, and found an inconspicuous spot to sit down.

Musical instruments, a refined art form, become a boring transaction when they are involved in competitions, selections, and prize money.

From childhood to adulthood, he has heard too many similar performances and seen too many people who meticulously prepare for competitions.

Some people want to win awards, some want to become famous, and some want to use such occasions to meet people they wouldn't normally have the opportunity to meet.

He was very tired of it.

Until contestant number seven stepped up.

Duan Hetong looked up and saw the girl on the stage through several rows of seats.

He didn't go to the VIP seats reserved by the organizers. The seats weren't good; he could only see the girl's back and her snow-white dress.

The light shone down from above her head, onto her slightly exposed profile, and onto her slender waist, making her appear exceptionally serene.

So cold. Like moonlight.

Duan Hetong's gaze lingered there without him noticing.

The people around him were still saying something very attentive, but he couldn't hear anything anymore.

He didn't know who she was, but he felt that she looked too clean and was somewhat out of place in this noisy and glamorous world of fame and fortune.

Soon, the music, which I had initially thought would be tedious, came to an end.

As the last few notes faded, the girl stood up and bowed slightly to the audience.

The applause was thunderous.

As the lights dimmed, she didn't linger and turned to walk off the stage.

Duan Hetong's gaze followed the pure white figure.

He only looked away when the object had disappeared completely from sight.

A sense of regret lingered in my heart.

For the first time, he had this thought: he wanted to know who a complete stranger was.

Upon learning of Young Master Duan's arrival, the organizers took turns coming over to greet him.

Duan Hetong answered absentmindedly, but his gaze unconsciously followed the place where the girl had just left.

After the competition, there was a sham dinner.

Tonight, I was just there to go through the motions, arranged by my family.

Now, he suddenly has a slight urge to stay.

03

Wen Shulian styled her loose hair into a bun and walked into the banquet hall.

She performed well on stage, and even before the final rankings were announced, quite a few people had already come up to talk to her.

"Miss Wen, you played that piece really well."

"Thanks."

"I heard you've been learning piano since you were little?"

"Yes."

"What are your plans for the future? Will you pursue further studies abroad?"

"I haven't decided yet."

It's already difficult to get an answer that's more than two words long.

The other person clearly hadn't expected her to be so difficult to talk to, so they changed the subject: "Ms. Wen, do you have a boyfriend now?"

Wen Shulian smiled, but answered distantly, "No."

"Oh?" The man smiled meaningfully. "Someone as beautiful and talented as you must have many suitors. May I ask your criteria for choosing a partner?"

Wen Shulian's gaze was somewhat cold.

She really wanted to say that it was inconvenient.

But her parents repeatedly reminded her that the competition and winning awards were only one of the goals; the dinner party was the more important occasion.

If we could get to know some suitable young talents and get to know them better, that would be ideal.

To put it bluntly, it's about letting her snag a rich husband.

She couldn't accept love that was bought with ulterior motives—no, that couldn't even be called love.

She loathed that kind of life.

But he also knew that he could not escape.

Wen Shulian was pondering how to respond without seeming too sharp when someone else came to offer the man a toast, so she had to leave regretfully.

Wen Shulian breathed a sigh of relief.

However, some worries remain.

She didn't like this kind of occasion, but she also knew what she was there to do.

If I come up empty-handed today, I'll definitely face my parents' interrogation when I get home.

...We still have to give it a try. Getting to know each other won't hurt us.

But what kind of person could make you have such thoughts?

On the other hand, Duan Hetong's situation wasn't much better.

He was taken to meet several elders, each of whom was accompanied by a glamorous young woman.

"He Tong, this is Uncle Li's daughter. She goes to the same school as you."

"Ah Tong, this is Mr. Zhang's granddaughter. Her movie is about to be released!"

"And this is...?"

Duan Hetong shook hands with each girl and greeted them.

The attitude wasn't impolite, but there was no indication that they wanted to continue the conversation.

His gaze, however, would occasionally wander.

Someone noticed he kept getting distracted: "Mr. Duan, are you looking for someone?"

"No," he replied.

But then a white dress appeared before my eyes.

He was restless and agitated; his normally high alcohol tolerance, which allowed him to drink a lot without getting drunk, made him feel unsteady on his feet tonight.

It was a good excuse to sober up and temporarily leave the crowd.

There weren't many people on the terrace. Wen Shulian leaned on the railing, holding a glass of juice in one hand.

I probably don't drink much alcohol, because even though I didn't drink much, I still felt very dizzy.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

She turned around and easily recognized the man.

Before the match, at the banquet, so many people mentioned this name.

Duan Hetong.

The eldest son of the Duan family and the successor of the Duan Group.

Wen Shulian suddenly found it amusing that if her parents were here, they would definitely push her out immediately.

A man like Duan Hetong is probably the kind of "golden bachelor" they dream of.

However, even the most audacious and delusional thoughts of their parents never dared to associate with the Duan family.

So she didn't expect Duan Hetong to take the initiative to walk up to her and ask the unknown girl, "Is this place taken?"

She shook her head.

He then stood beside her.

At first, they kept a distance that was neither too close nor too distant, and neither too intimate nor too distant, and neither of them spoke.

The faint strains of symphonic music drifted from the banquet, mingling with the sounds of conversation.

Duan Hetong asked, "Did you go on stage to compete just now?"

Wen Shulian was somewhat surprised that he would notice her.

"Yes," she said.

"You played very well."

"...Thank you." Wen Shulian actually doubted whether he knew which one was her.

After all, she changed her makeup, hairstyle, and clothes after stepping down from the stage.

Seeing her lukewarm attitude, Duan Hetong carefully considered his words: "If I said, 'You don't know me,' wouldn't that seem too arrogant?"

Wen Shulian was taken aback, never expecting that this young master Duan would be this kind of person. Then she laughed and said, "If my answer is yes, wouldn't it make me seem too ignorant?"

Duan Hetong also laughed: "Arrogant and ignorant people are happy."

Looking at his smile, Wen Shulian thought, even if Duan Hetong was a penniless man, his appearance alone was enough to drive people crazy.

What's more, he also has such a dazzling family background.

Who wouldn't be captivated by him?

She gracefully raised her glass of juice: "Respect arrogance and ignorance."

Duan Hetong looked at her with slight surprise, but soon, the faint smile on his lips took on a hint of inquiry, and he clinked glasses with her: "Respect to your arrogance and ignorance."

After that, their conversation became much more relaxed.

"Why did you participate in this competition?" Duan Hetong asked.

Wen Shulian lowered her head and swirled the juice in her glass, the pale moon reflected in it: "For the bonus."

Duan Hetong paused for a moment: "So frank?"

"There's nothing wrong with admitting it," Wen Shulian said casually. "Many people need money; I'm just one of them."

Duan Hetong gazed at her quietly.

This seemingly delicate little white flower possesses an unexpected resilience within.

"What about the bonus?" he asked.

"If I have time, I probably will."

Why?

"Because I like it." She looked up. "Liking something doesn't necessarily need a reason, right?"

Duan Hetong didn't answer immediately. After a long while, he chuckled softly, "Indeed."

She thought he wasn't the arrogant, wealthy young master she'd heard about.

He also thought that she wasn't as unattainable as the cold moon in the sky.

At least, at this moment, he and she are both standing outside the noise.

Nobody wants to go back.

04

While escapism may be useful, it is ultimately unsustainable.

Soon, the two were pulled back to the banquet hall by acquaintances.

Before leaving, the two did not exchange contact information or make any promises to meet again; it was not until that beautiful figure was completely out of sight that Duan Hetong realized that he had not even asked her name.

Wen Shulian was soon pulled to drink again, and became increasingly dizzy.

The lights flickered in my eyes, as if they might catch fire at any moment.

She simply stopped touching the wine glass and switched to a cup of tea.

"Miss Wen, this isn't sincere enough."

"I'm sorry, I really can't..."

"Young man, you just need to work on your drinking capacity. Come here, this is a senior executive from Qinghui Group..."

When someone poured her more wine, their forced smile betrayed a predatory intent.

Knowing she couldn't refuse these people, Wen Shulian had no choice but to take a sip.

The taste was a little strange, and she frowned but didn't think much of it.

Duan Hetong, on the other side, didn't have a moment's rest either.

Several elders, whose status was not much different from that of the Duan family, pulled him along, drinking one cup after another.

"It's rare for He Tong to come back, so we have to give his uncles some face."

Duan Hetong wore a perfect smile on the surface, but in his heart he was thinking that once he had cleaned up all the key members of the Duan Group, he would make sure that all these old fogies who were occupying positions without doing their jobs got out.

He has a good tolerance for alcohol, but he still felt drunk tonight.

When I looked up again, I saw the girl I had talked to on the terrace earlier.

She seemed a little unwell, pressing her fingers to her temples, and had to put on a smiling face when others came over.

Duan Hetong's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He refused any further greetings and walked straight past.

When he was almost next to Wen Shulian, he stopped in his tracks.

Given his status and position, his sudden approach to a young woman, and the inevitable protective actions he would take, would undoubtedly bring her countless rumors and gossip.

Although she kept saying she participated in the competition for money, for some reason, he felt that this was definitely not what she wanted.

Wen Shulian felt dizzy and disoriented. Just then, a waiter came over and whispered, "Mr. Duan, please go to elevator number 3."

part……

Wen Shulian was already somewhat out of her mind.

Hearing that surname, she knew this was her only chance to escape tonight.

Only that young master Duan could disregard everyone else and make no lame excuses to take her away.

She suppressed a strong feeling of nausea and quietly left the banquet hall, finding door number three.

Duan Hetong was indeed waiting there.

"Mr. Duan..."

She spoke up. She didn't even realize how soft her voice was.

Duan Hetong frowned when he saw her: "Are you feeling unwell?"

Wen Shulian shook her head repeatedly: "I probably drank too much. It's nothing, I'll be fine after lying down for a while."

Duan Hetong noticed that her forehead was covered in cold sweat and instinctively felt something was wrong. He touched it with the back of his hand—it was burning hot!

He must know how much filth is hidden beneath the seemingly glamorous facade of "high society."

"I'll take you to the hospital," he said decisively.

"No...don't." Wen Shulian grabbed his arm, her eyes wet and glistening, almost appearing to hold tears in the dim light. "We can't...let anyone else know."

The task the Wen family gave her was very clear, and the most important prerequisite for this task was her reputation.

Reputation in all senses.

Duan Hetong laughed in exasperation: "You trust me that much? What if I'm not exactly a saint either?"

Wen Shulian's eyelashes trembled, and she lowered her eyes.

"What if that's exactly what I'm after?" she said softly.

Duan Hetong lifted her chin, his eyes sharp.

The predator's gaze sent a chill down Wen Shulian's spine.

But they stubbornly refused to back down.

"You wouldn't be," Duan Hetong said. "You're smart enough to see that I'm not so easily manipulated; besides, if you had this intention from the beginning, you would have known when to show weakness and when to ask me for help—there would have been no need to wait until now, would there?"

Wen Shulian stared at him blankly, then smiled weakly: "You really are... arrogant and insecure."

"Quite a few people say I'm arrogant." Duan Hetong wasn't angry; instead, he seemed thoughtful. "However, this is the first time someone has said I'm insecure—do I even know why?"

Because he actually thought that a commoner like her could be "manipulated" in relation to the young master of the Duan family.

But she decided not to tell him now.

"Mr. Duan," she suddenly said, staring intently at him, "I don't want to be my parents' obedient daughter anymore. I want to rebel this time."

The man's eyes calmed down, and he looked at her as well.

"Duan Hetong." With a martyr-like resolve, she approached him. "Don't ask my name, just take me away—now."