Bai Huina’s message was brief, mostly discussing Han Shixu and the villa, while the mother and daughter were mentioned only in passing.
She hadn’t taken the mother and daughter to heart at all, finding them merely amusing, and naturally wouldn’t bother Jing Yuanxi with such trivial details.
Yet, upon receiving the message, Jing Yuanxi’s heart sank to the depths.
In the darkness, she lay in bed with her eyes open, staring at the pitch-black ceiling.
At first, she was shocked that Han Shixu had actually done something that had occurred in her dream. Then, a trace of fear crept in—she dreaded the nightmare becoming a complete reality.
But after the shock and fear, what followed was more anger and intrigue.
Han Shixu—was he truly willing to break off the engagement with the powerful Jing family for the daughter of a nanny?
Even with the backing of the Jing family, he refused to marry her, preferring instead to love the daughter of a nanny?
Jing Yuanxi found it laughable.
In the stillness of the night, she tried to recall reasons that had long existed but been overlooked.
Yet there were none. Everything had been so ordinary.
They had walked to school together every morning, attended extracurricular classes together, and when in a bad mood, they would go on shopping sprees in the mall… facing the flattering and ingratiating gazes of everyone together.
This had been their routine for over a decade.
As dawn broke, Jing Yuanxi finally drifted into sleep amidst her memories.
…
Raging seawater crashed violently, the only lifeboat drifting farther away, the sky darkening ominously.
The sound of the waves abruptly ceased, replaced by a servant’s voice outside the door:
“Young Miss, the master is waiting for you downstairs.”
Jing Yuanxi jolted awake and glanced at the time.
Eight in the morning.
She had another nightmare.
Rubbing her head, Jing Yuanxi got out of bed to freshen up.
…
Jing Yuan sat solemnly at the dining table, not looking up at the sound of movement.
“Have you met Han Shixu?”
For reasons unknown, Jing Yuanxi curled her lips and replied, “No, he didn’t have time to see me.”
“He hasn’t taken over the group yet—how busy could he be?” Jing Yuan’s expression turned displeased.
After a moment’s thought, he added, “School starts in a couple of days. There will be time to catch up then.”
Who knew when that commoner girl had gone to Di’an International.
Jing Yuanxi remained silent, unable to help recalling the dream.
But such minor details had long since faded from memory.
Seeing her silence, Jing Yuan assumed she was upset again, though this time he refrained from harsh words.
It was true that the Jing family wanted to marry into the Han family, but the Jings were no less influential than the Hans.
The Jing family had done all they could, yet it was Han Shixu who was being unreasonable, putting on airs.
Jing Yuanxi was the Jing family heir he had personally groomed. Even after marriage, she would take over the Jing enterprises. It was only natural for her to have a temper—she wouldn’t be blinded by love.
The fault in this matter did not lie with her.
Jing Yuan was also deeply dissatisfied with Han Shixu, but being a rational man, he calmly stated, “Even if Han Shixu has no feelings for you, remember this: the least valuable thing in the entire Han family is Han Shixu himself. You don’t need his affection.”
His words were cold and detached, like a profit-driven monarch.
“I know a thing or two about that boy. His heart isn’t in the group, making him the ideal candidate for a marriage alliance. Once you’re married, you’ll take over the Han Corporation.”
Jing Yuan finally looked up at his daughter, the heir who was almost a carbon copy of himself.
What reassured him most was that, unlike Han Shixu, Jing Yuanxi was pragmatic, rational, determined, and ambitious.
As if to reassure her, he added, “Once the marriage alliance between our families is successfully completed, I will immediately transfer the promised shares to your name.”
For the past fifteen years, Jing Yuan had negotiated with his daughter in this manner.
He still remembered that Jing Yuanxi was only three years old at the time, having just lost her biological mother, and was at her most vulnerable.
She clung to his leg, crying pitifully, “I’ve already lost my mom. Dad, please don’t send me away.”
But he only replied coldly, “No one owes you anything, even if you are my daughter. From now on, you must earn everything yourself. If you lack the ability, the Jing family heir will be someone else.”
From that day on, Jing Yuan priced everything she did with shares, from winning competitions to using herself for a marriage alliance.
“I’m not foolish enough to actually want Han Shixu as a person,” Jing Yuanxi scoffed with an ambiguous tone.
Fifteen years had passed, and she had completed every task flawlessly, to the point where she now held seven percent of the Jing family’s shares.
In such a large conglomerate, owning more than five percent already qualified as a major shareholder.
While other heirs had yet to take over the family business, Jing Yuanxi had already secured her place within the Jing family.
Under such circumstances, how could she possibly pursue a marriage based purely on love?
She simply couldn’t understand.
Why, in Han Shixu’s eyes, was she, the heir of the Jing family, inferior to a commoner?
…
After the meal, Jing Yuan left early for the company as usual.
Jing Yuanxi initially wanted to confront Han Shixu and demand an explanation.
He could refuse to marry her, or even secretly pursue other relationships, but he couldn’t openly humiliate her, nor could he make her a laughingstock at their engagement banquet!
But then it occurred to her that, for now, Han Shixu had only brought a nanny home. None of the things that happened in her dream had actually occurred.
Jing Yuanxi quickly calmed down, her gaze dark and steady as she stared out the window.
While the Jing household settled into calm, the turmoil in the Han family was just beginning.
The moment Han Shixu stepped through the door, crying echoed through the house.
“Who is this woman? Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t mess around again?!”
Ji Hua angrily threw a stack of photos onto the table.
In the photos, a man had his arm around a woman’s waist. The woman only showed an elegant and graceful back, while the man’s face was partially visible.
Upon closer inspection, it was unmistakably Han Wenzhou, the CEO of the Han Group.
“You swore to me when we got married. Are you tired of me now?”
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Ji Hua sat down on the sofa, crying and making a scene.
Han Wenzhou’s expression grew slightly impatient. “You believe whatever others tell you. Am I not your husband? I’ve already said it’s a misunderstanding. With so much going on at the company, do you really have to cause trouble at home?”
“Am I the one causing trouble?”
Ji Hua suddenly stood up, wiping away her tears as she demanded, “Then who is she? Tell me, who is she?!”
Han Wenzhou was getting a headache from her noise and turned to leave, only to see Han Shixu standing at the door.
“Shixu, come quickly and talk some sense into your mother. She’s making a scene again.”
Ji Hua, still furious, saw her son as a pillar of support and instantly grew even more assertive.
“If you have nothing to hide, stay and explain this to me!”
Han Shixu glanced lightly at the photos on the table and calmly asked, “Where did these photos come from?”
“Aunt Liu found them at the door.” Ji Hua grew angry just mentioning it. “They were delivered right to our doorstep, Han Wenzhou! How could you let that mistress provoke me, your legitimate wife, like this?”
“Enough, Mom.”
Han Shixu tossed the photos into the trash bin and stared at the stunned woman across from him. “Do you really want to push Dad into actually divorcing you?”
Ji Hua choked back her words.
Last time, when she had made a scene about wanting a divorce, it was just for show. Who in their right mind would divorce Han Wenzhou?
He was the chairman of the Han Group, powerful and influential.
But Ji Hua couldn’t swallow her anger and blurted out furiously, “Why should I? I’m the legitimate wife! I’d rather die than let those vixens outside get their way!”
Something in her words made Han Wenzhou’s expression turn even uglier. “You—”
He was about to scold her when Han Shixu cut him off:
“Dad, this time it was just Mom being used, but there’s no guarantee others won’t make a big deal out of it. You should be more careful when socializing outside. As for Aunt Liu…”
“Tell her not to come back tomorrow.”