Shen Li sneaked into the basement.
What met her eyes were countless boxes—each as tall as half her height.
She opened the nearest one. Inside were precious calligraphy and paintings, all masterpieces—the favorites of her mother.
All of it was her family’s wealth. Not a single piece could be left behind.
Shen Li opened every box: U.S. dollars, Hong Kong dollars, antiques, rare jewelry, precious medicinal herbs like ginseng, deer antler, lingzhi, and even some herbs that had long disappeared from the world.
Imported clocks of all kinds—pocket watches, wristwatches—three full boxes. Shen Li guessed these must have been her scumbag uncle’s favorite things.
The boxes at the back were all gold bars. Shen Li had never seen so many. There were enough to build houses.
No wonder her scumbag uncle refused to return the family assets—there was so much.
She hadn’t realized her family was this wealthy, and she had almost failed to protect it all.
Every single item represented her parents’ love for her.
Love that had allowed her to survive in these turbulent times.
Collect, collect, collect—all of it went into her space, except the boxes.
Her scumbag uncle had spent so much money shipping things to Hong Kong; at least leave some for him.
So she left the boxes behind.
Shen Li finished collecting everything and turned to leave—but stepped on something.
She picked it up and opened it. It was a detailed route map—wasn’t this the escape route her scumbag uncle had used, the same one Gu Xu had just held?
Ha! It had fallen into her hands!
Shen Li stored it in her space. She knew those people would be back soon, so she acted quickly, moving at top speed.
She gave a piece of candy to a little boy, asking him to deliver a blue scarf to Uncle Lu.
Blue symbolized success.
The scarf was made directly from the harvested cotton in her space. As a product of the space, it was of the highest quality—sure to keep someone warm in winter.
Shen Li handled her business swiftly. Aunt Zhao was still shopping, so Shen Li arrived just in time.
Aunt Zhao was surprised, but thought, “Shen Li is just hiding a bankbook—it won’t take long.”
After this trip, Aunt Zhao bought a month’s worth of daily necessities. Shen Li helped carry them, and the two returned home together.
Shen Liren was completely drained. He sat on the living room sofa. Zhong Shuhua, concerned, asked, “Why are you still like this?”
“You’ve been taking the medicine the doctor prescribed, doubled the dose even, and it still isn’t working?”
Zhong Shuhua had been caring for her son since early morning. Not long after, someone came to deliver a message—Shen Liren had diarrhea, and she needed to buy more medicine quickly.
He had been taking medicine for so long, yet there was no improvement.
“Who gave you something that poisoned you? Was it that little Shen Li?”
Shen Liren’s condition was extreme—far worse than Shen Ming Tang’s.
There was no way he hadn’t been drugged.
Thinking back to that morning, it had to be the soybean cake.
The soybean cake had only passed through Shen Li and Gu Xu’s hands. Shen Li had touched it right in front of him, and Gu Xu had held it too.
Right under his nose, Shen Li had no way to poison it.
“The breakfast was bought by Gu Xu.”
His suspicion fell squarely on Gu Xu.
Zhong Shuhua didn’t quite believe it. “How would Xiao Xu poison you? It wouldn’t benefit him.”
“It’s definitely that little Shen Li. Lao Shen, I feel like she’s getting more and more cunning. Our family’s been terribly unlucky because of her lately.”
Shen Liren had a bad feeling. Why hadn’t Gu Xu returned to report yet?
By now, everything should have been handled.
He had negotiated with Boss Jin many times, even given plenty of gifts. Everything should have gone smoothly.
The uneasy feeling drained Shen Liren completely. Just then, Shen Li returned home. She didn’t come too close, seemingly still disgusted: “Uncle, are you still—?”
Her words were like a knife to him. He remembered the humiliation in front of his juniors that morning. Anger and embarrassment surged.
His emotions fluctuated—and his stomach reacted again.
“Uncle needs medicine. Has our family run out of money for it? Should I lend you some? But you’ll need to use items as collateral. Even though Gu Xu isn’t here, I can’t do anything that would make him angry.”
Shen Li’s expression of complete loyalty to Gu Xu made Shen Liren even angrier.
“We’re family, yet it’s always Xiao Xu this, Xiao Xu that.”
Shen Li’s deep affection for Gu Xu was exactly what they wanted.
But now she was using his belongings for Gu Xu—Shen Liren was displeased.
If she liked him so much, why not register their marriage quickly?
If they registered sooner, all this trouble wouldn’t exist.
Shen Li bit her lip, feeling wronged, yet determined to speak bravely. She looked at Shen Liren: “But after I marry Gu Xu, all my belongings are his. He promised he’d always be with me and take care of our home.”
Shen Liren wanted to roar. Her possessions weren’t Gu Xu’s—they were his.
But for some reason, he thought of Shen Li’s missing household registration book.
A doubt flashed in his mind.
Indeed, if Shen Li married Gu Xu, all her family assets would belong to him. If Gu Xu didn’t want to share with them, he could just leave…
The thought was terrifying.
Yet he reassured himself. A prestigious family like the Gu’s wouldn’t do such a thing.
Just then, the person he had sent to inquire returned—with a letter.
Shen Liren was anxious and didn’t even care that Shen Li was there.
As long as everything was shipped to Hong Kong, he had nothing to fear.
The letter was from Boss Jin, stating all the boxes had been loaded onto the ship, which would set sail at five o’clock, already en route to Hong Kong.
Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly.
Shen Liren’s earlier doubts dissipated.
It couldn’t be Gu Xu—otherwise, why would he allow the dowry and assets to be shipped?
The messenger left, and a new one arrived.
Police officers.
“Shen Liren? Zhong Shuhua?”
Despite Zhong Shuhua’s usual sternness, she hid behind Shen Liren like a quail when she saw the officers.
Shen Liren had some worldly experience and stayed composed. “Yes… may we ask what this is about?”
“You’ll see once you come with us to the police station.”
“Quickly now.”
With the officers urging, Shen Liren and Zhong Shuhua followed anxiously.
“Hello, may I come too?”
A girl near the doorway spoke. Fresh-faced, her large, moist eyes met the officers’, causing their faces to flush.
Shen Li feared being refused, so she explained: “They are my uncles. I want to go along to see if I can help.”
The officers understood—she was the victim.
If she realized later that her uncles were out to harm her, how dreadful that would be.
“All right, but don’t worry, and don’t be sad.”
Sad? She was just here to watch the show.
Her only worry was laughing too loudly.
Shen Li sweetly replied, “Mm.” The officers thought: what misfortune, such a lovely girl almost harmed.
At the police station, a familiar face appeared—the officer who came to the small villa last night and arrested Gu Xu in the afternoon. Only now did Shen Li learn his surname was Chen.
Officer Chen nodded gently at Shen Li, then fixed a sharp, authoritative gaze on Shen Liren and Zhong Shuhua. “Why is it just you two? Where’s Shen Man?” Shen Man was the true culprit in this matter.
Shen Li remembered—today was supposed to be the day the Red Committee announced their decision.