“Fine! You make sure to get revenge for me and your mom! I’ve given that bitch too much face already!”
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll make sure she suffers!” Shen Liya gritted her teeth, her eyes—inherited from Wang Fengqin’s same sinister, downturned gaze—filled with malice.
After leaving the police station, Shen Zhiqiu went to the hospital and told Ye Yunlin and the others what had happened.
“Uncle, Aunt, I suspect Shen Liya will come looking for you here.”
“If Shen Daqiang is to walk free, you and Xiaowu would have to formally withdraw the charges. Chen Can wouldn’t dare intervene directly.”
“Wang Fengqin and Shen Liya won’t just abandon Shen Daqiang. I’m worried Shen Liya might resort to underhanded tactics to get him off the hook.”
Wang Fengqin and her daughter were both the type to stop at nothing to get what they wanted—and both were experts at manipulating men. It wasn’t hard to guess what methods they might use.
“Zhiqiu, what do you think? Should we face her head-on or avoid her?” Li Shuying asked for Shen Zhiqiu’s opinion.
Ye Jiawen cut in before she could answer. “Face her head-on? Dad and Xiaowu wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“That woman Shen Liya has no shame. She’d absolutely throw herself at them, grab their hands, and put them on her body if it suited her.”
Ye Yunlin and Ye Jiawu both flushed red at the thought.
If something like that really happened, they’d have no idea how to handle it—left speechless and helpless, forced to swallow the injustice.
Li Shuying made an immediate decision. “Let’s go. We’re discharging and going home.”
Since Ye Yunlin and Ye Jiawu weren’t seriously injured anyway, they quickly packed up and left the hospital before Shen Liya could arrive.
When Shen Liya found the room empty, she rushed home to discuss countermeasures with Wang Fengqin.
“Mom, what do we do now?” she fretted.
“We definitely can’t get to Shen Zhiqiu, and her uncle won’t come out. We’ll have to target someone else.” Wang Fengqin had anticipated this possibility.
“Who, then? Shen Zhiqiu herself?”
Hearing this, Shen Xiang—who had been sitting nearby—flinched, torn over whether to warn his eldest sister.
“Leave Shen Zhiqiu for later. Now’s not the time.”
Wang Fengqin glanced at Shen Xiang, then beckoned Shen Liya closer and whispered a name in her ear.
After Shen Liya left, Shen Xiang claimed he was going out to play—but Wang Fengqin stopped him.
“Xiao Xiang, tell me the truth. Where are you really going, hm?”
“Mom, stop nagging me!” He waved her off impatiently. “You never asked before—why start today?”
“Mom’s just worried about you.”
She straightened his clothes, her voice softening. “Xiao Xiang, your dad, your sister, you, and me—we’re family. Don’t forget what I’ve always taught you, understand?”
“I haven’t forgotten.” He lowered his head guiltily, toeing at a pebble on the brick floor.
“Good. I’d hate for you to forget.” She sighed. “Everything I do is for you. If you disappoint me, I might as well not live.”
“Mom, why are you saying stuff like that?” His heart pounded nervously as he dropped onto the nearest stool. “If you don’t want me to go out, I won’t.”
“With your dad in trouble and your sister running around trying to fix it, Mom’s heart is heavy. If you stay and keep me company, I’ll feel better.”
She patted his cheek. “My Xiao Xiang is really growing up—learning to care for his mother. Go back to your comic books. I’ll stew some meat for you.”
Once she left, Shen Xiang stared blankly at the comic in his hands, unable to focus.
Ever since that day, his eldest sister’s words had lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
On one side was the sister he adored—and everything she said made sense.
On the other were his parents and his birth sister. Just as his mom said, they were his real family.
He’d known since he was very young that his second sister was his biological sibling. Back then, he’d shared a bed with his parents, and though they thought he was asleep, he’d heard every word they said.
But he never wanted her as his sister. The sister he imagined had always been like his eldest sister.
The more he thought, the more agitated he became. Scratching his head roughly, he spotted the stray dog he often fed loitering by the gate. He clicked his tongue, and the dog wagged its tail as it trotted into the yard.
Shen Xiang tossed it a bone he’d saved, and the dog nuzzled his leg before settling at his feet to chew.
“Do you ever have things that bother you?”
He crouched down, stroking the dog’s fur as he murmured, “Should I tell Big Sis that Second Sis and Mom are planning to hurt her?”
“But Mom said there’s no rush—so it’s not Big Sis this time. Then who is it?”
“If it’s not her now, she’ll still be in danger later. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“Mom seems to suspect something. If I warn Big Sis, Mom will be heartbroken—and I don’t want that either.”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
After a long pause, he nudged the dog’s head lightly—it was too busy gnawing the bone to pay him any mind.
“Eat, eat, eat. That’s all you care about. After all the times I’ve fed you, can’t you even help me out?”
The dog’s ears twitched as if it understood, tilting its head to look at him.
“What am I doing? Talking to you won’t solve anything.”
With a wry laugh, he picked up the bone and tossed it back toward the gate. The dog immediately scampered after it, then turned to glance at him, bone in mouth. Shen Xiang waved. “Go on, get out of here.”
Half an hour later, as Ya-Ya was drinking her milk, sudden barking erupted at the gate.
Huo Jiusi noticed the baby pausing mid-suck, her big round eyes flickering with unreadable emotions.
“Wah—”
Once she finished the milk, Ya-Ya waved her tiny fist and let out a single loud cry.
Usually, one cry meant she needed to pee; two meant something else.
Shen Zhiqiu immediately came over and lifted her from the crib. Huo Jiusi tactfully left the room.
After Ya-Ya had taken care of business, Shen Zhiqiu cleaned her up and changed her into fresh clothes. Babies sweat easily, so she changed outfits three or four times a day to keep her comfortable.
[That old witch and the ugly freak are scheming against Mom again! Ugh, why won’t they just disappear? I wish I could punch them to death!]
Ya-Ya puffed out her cheeks, shaking her little fist angrily.
[But this time, they said they won’t target Mom—but they’re still going after someone! Who is it?]
[Last time, it was Second Uncle and Little Uncle. Is it Auntie now? Or Big Aunt?]
Shen Zhiqiu’s eyes sharpened.
So Wang Fengqin and Shen Liya are going after Ye Jiawen.
With her uncle and cousin out of reach, the only leverage left to force their compliance was Jiawen.
