The prison visitation room.
Shang Wu sat quietly at the table, waiting. Her palms had already grown faintly damp.
A burst of footsteps sounded outside.
The door opened, and a staff member pushed someone inside.
“Visiting time is thirty minutes. No physical contact, and no shouting.”
At that, Shang Wu raised her eyes and saw her elder brother, whom she had not seen in more than six months.
Shang Yunshen wore handcuffs and a prison uniform. His hard, handsome face now bore several more faint scars.
He was no longer the impeccably dressed, high-spirited young master of the Shang family in a clean white shirt. Three years in prison had long since worn away the refined, scholarly air about him.
Shang Wu’s eyes reddened. She clenched her fists tightly and called softly, “Older Brother.”
Shang Yunshen smiled and came over to sit opposite her. He started to raise his hands, then paused and hid his swollen, reddened hands—and the handcuffs—with them beneath the table.
“It’s not New Year’s or any holiday. Why did you suddenly come to visit me? Did something happen with Mom and Dad?”
Shang Wu shook her head. “Older Brother, how did you get those scars on your face? What happened to your hands? Let me see.”
Shang Yunshen froze for a moment and leaned farther back. “My hands are fine. I just fell and scraped my face. Don’t worry.”
“That’s not true! Show me your hands!” Shang Wu gripped the edge of the table, so anxious she was on the verge of tears.
Shang Yunshen pressed his thin lips together and slowly raised his hands.
Shang Wu’s breath caught.
His hands were covered in swollen bruises, and every knuckle was scabbed over.
Shang Wu bit her lip. Tears instantly welled in her eyes as she asked in a trembling voice, “Someone hit you, didn’t they?”
Shang Yunshen could never bear to see her cry. He immediately raised a hand.
Shang Wu leaned toward him.
The staff member behind her warned, “No physical contact!”
Shang Wu stiffened. She stared at the hand so close to her that she could even feel the warmth radiating from her brother’s skin.
But she could not move any closer. She retreated sadly to her seat and looked at Shang Yunshen through silent tears.
There were all kinds of people in prison.
Even if they obeyed the rules in public, who knew what might happen after lights-out at night?
Her brother was physically frail. He had loved literature since childhood and studied business when he grew up. He had nothing to do with fighting or violence.
If it hadn’t been for her—if it hadn’t been because of her…
Shang Wu’s hands trembled.
She suddenly remembered that night she refused to think about.
Amid her despair, she had seen her brother charging toward her. His usually gentle eyes had held a fierce killing intent, and his figure as he shielded her had seemed so tall, so reassuring…
Shang Wu turned her head away and bit her lip, forcing back her sobs.
Shang Yunshen grew distressed as well. He forced a smile and said, “A-Wu, don’t worry about me. I’m doing quite well here. Everyone who gets sent in is a troublemaker, so fights are unavoidable. Once you’ve been beaten a few times, it’s nothing. As long as you and Mom and Dad are well, I can endure any hardship. Stop crying.”
Instead, Shang Wu cried even harder.
Shang Yunshen broke out in a sweat. Pretending to be relaxed, he joked with her, “You didn’t have a fight with Zhou Yanci, did you? Last time you came, you said you were going to get married. When exactly is it?”
Shang Wu’s heart sank. The moment he mentioned Zhou Yanci, she felt sick.
Over the past three years, she had asked Zhou Yanci countless times to take good care of her brother.
Perhaps the beatings and persecution her brother suffered had been deliberately arranged by Zhou Yanci.
Shang Wu answered vaguely, “Soon. Older Brother, I came this time to ask whether you want to get out as soon as possible. Within six months.”
Shang Yunshen said helplessly, “Stop talking nonsense. I was sentenced to eight years. Even with a reduced sentence, I won’t be getting out anytime soon.”
“I’m only asking whether you want to. Answer me.” Shang Wu leaned forward anxiously.
Shang Yunshen was silent for two seconds, then met her gaze directly. “Something happened outside, didn’t it? You’re acting very strangely today.”
Shang Wu ignored him. “Write down everything that happened when you injured that person back then—every action, every word. Don’t leave out a single detail. I’ll have someone come collect it next week.”
Her eyes shone with determination, and she forced herself to make it convincing. “Older Brother, trust me. I’ll get you out as soon as possible.”
Shang Yunshen was not looking forward to getting out at all. He stood up, worry furrowing his brow. “Explain yourself! A-Wu, what exactly happened outside? Don’t make me worry.”
“Nothing. Really, nothing. Wait for my news.”
Shang Wu dug her nails into her palm, forcibly restraining her emotions.
She could not tell him anything.
She had trusted her enemy by mistake and sacrificed herself for three years.
She herself hated it so much that she felt she could vomit blood. She could not bear to let her brother suffer even one more ounce of pain.
She would complete everything alone.
Shang Wu did not look at Shang Yunshen again. She turned and walked out.
A cold wind blew against her as she looked up.
The prison stood in a remote area. Whenever she raised her head, all she saw was the sky and the mountains in the distance.
The view had remained unchanged for years. She was sick of it at a glance.
But her brother had been looking at it for three years after Zhou Yanci set him up in prison.
More than a thousand days and nights, without the French podcasts he listened to every morning, without the hot pot the whole family loved, without the detective and suspense comics he enjoyed.
Day after day, her brother had wasted his time here, living as a criminal, obeying the rules every day, and completely losing himself.
How innocent he was. How pitiful.
Shang Wu’s heart ached for him so badly that she could not breathe. She got into the car, gripped the steering wheel, and lowered her head.
Zhou Yanci had already obtained every benefit he wanted, yet he still intended to exterminate every member of the Shang family, even squeezing the last drop of value out of her.
From now on, she would return all of it to Zhou Yanci.
Shang Wu tightened her grip on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white and the veins on the backs of her hands stood out.
Knock, knock-knock.
Someone tapped lightly but firmly on the window.
“Miss, could you move your car, please?”
Shang Wu looked up. Before she had even composed herself, she wiped away her tears, turned the car around, and drove off.
Yan Yue scratched his head and stood there with his hands on his hips.
“I’m not seeing things, am I? That was… Shang Wu, the fiancée of the president of Chengzhou Group?”
“Yan Yue.”
A deep voice came from behind him.
Yan Yue turned around and hurried over to take the documents from Lu Rang. “Did you find out the details?”
Lu Rang nodded slightly. “What were you saying just now?”
He glanced at the car disappearing into the distance.
“Oh,” Yan Yue said. “I just saw Shang Wu. She seemed to have come to visit her brother. She was crying so hard. Tsk, her brother injured someone by accident for his sister’s sake and was sentenced to eight years, ruining his future. If it were me, I’d be crying my eyes out every day too.”
Lu Rang said nothing. After checking the contents of the recorder, he turned around.
“Let’s go back.”
Yan Yue hurried after him. “Hey, you really aren’t curious at all, are you? Speaking of which, are you going to take her case? Lawyer Lu, wait for me!”
…
Meanwhile, after leaving the prison, Shang Wu sent Zhou Yanci a message.
【Yanci, the finance department needs your password.】
【Are you still asleep?】
Shang Wu sent several more messages.
She was preparing to use the depositors’ money to go after Dingfeng, but she had not expected that she would also need one of Zhou Yanci’s security keys.
It was already ten in the morning, yet Zhou Yanci had still not appeared.
He had not gone to the company, and he was not answering her calls or messages.
Had he spent the night with his white moonlight and worn himself out?
Shang Wu frowned, stepped on the accelerator, and headed straight for Zhou Yanci’s residence.
Zhou Yanci’s house was located behind Junyue Residence Complex, at the far end of Lincheng Bridge—a luxury villa with the finest sea view.
She arrived in only ten minutes.
She got out, took out her key, and opened the door.
With a beep, the lock released.
Shang Wu stepped inside and nearly tripped over the shoes on the floor.
They were a pair of black high heels.
Beside them were Zhou Yanci’s leather shoes and another pair of small, round-toed women’s shoes.
“A-Wu? You—you’re here? Why did you come?”
Ji Yu came out of the kitchen carrying coffee. The expression on her face was practically that of someone who had seen a ghost.
Shang Wu cast her a glance.
Ji Yu was wearing a black spaghetti-strap dress that matched the black high heels.
Then the other pair of round-toed shoes must belong to Shen Mian.
Shang Wu walked over, tossed her bag onto the sofa, and ignored Ji Yu’s frightened, nervous gaze.
“You can come here, so why can’t I? Where’s Zhou Yanci?”
Her voice was still as cold and impolite as ever. Ji Yu was irritated for a moment, but she had no time to dwell on it.
She nervously glanced upstairs. “He’s still sleeping. Did you come here to see him about something? I can pass on a message for you. You should go back to the company and get on with your work.”
Shang Wu gave her a mocking smile. “I’m looking for my fiancé. Do I need you to pass messages between us?”
Ji Yu froze.
Shang Wu parted her red lips and said even more coldly, “Besides, I hold a higher position in the company than you do. You have no right to order me back to work. And you—why aren’t you at work clocking in? What are you doing here?”
“You—you…” Ji Yu was startled by her aggressive manner.
She even felt that Shang Wu’s tone showed more than dislike and disapproval. It sounded as though she hated her.
Furious, Ji Yu set down her coffee. “Are you done yet? Shang Wu, what exactly have I done to offend you that you have to keep needling me like this? All I did was advise you not to act so reserved and to do what you and Zhou Yanci ought to do. Do you really have to be this angry?”
“Yes, I’m very angry, and I don’t want to forgive you right now.” Shang Wu raised a brow. “So can you leave now? I have something to discuss with Zhou Yanci in private.”
As for Zhou Yanci, she still needed to maintain a false front for the sake of revenge, lying low until she achieved her goal.
But who did Ji Yu think she was?
A nobody whom Shang Wu had made famous, yet who had secretly harmed her entire family—a thankless, ungrateful wretch who no longer deserved even a pleasant expression from her.
Ji Yu’s lips trembled. She gave a series of cold laughs. “Fine. I’ve treated you with all my heart, and because I said one thing you didn’t like hearing, this is how you treat me? Shang Wu, don’t regret this!”
Blinded by anger, she turned and stormed out.
The instant the door closed, Ji Yu’s face went deathly pale.
Oh no.
Zhou Yanci and Shen Mian were still upstairs.
Ji Yu hurriedly turned around and knocked on the door.
No one opened it for her.
She quickly pulled out her phone and called Zhou Yanci, then went around beneath the rear window, picked up a stone, and threw it at the glass.
After a barrage of noise, the people upstairs finally woke up.
Zhou Yanci rose from the sofa and glanced at Shen Mian, who was still sleeping on the bed. His eyes flickered.
The previous night, he had gone to a bar and seen Shen Mian drunk, kissing and embracing strangers.
He had had no choice but to bring her home and take care of her while she was unconscious.
As if possessed, he had kept asking Shen Mian why she had left without a word all those years ago. He had tormented himself until dawn before finally falling asleep.
Zhou Yanci pinched the bridge of his nose, regretting that he had been unable to control himself. He got up and answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Shang Wu is at your house!”
Those five short words made Zhou Yanci’s heart jolt violently, waking him fully in an instant.
At the same time, knocking sounded outside.
“Yanci, are you in there?”
Zhou Yanci’s entire body tensed. Without time to think, he grabbed a quilt and piled it over Shen Mian, then rolled up her coat and threw it beneath the bed.
Hearing the commotion inside, Shang Wu narrowed her eyes.
“Yanci? I heard you in there. Why aren’t you answering me? I’m coming in.”
The next second, the bedroom door opened.