Sheng Yanzhou really did try.
However, before her hand could touch Ji Jingxing, Sheng Yunshu pulled her over and met her gaze head-on.
“There is no need to involve the younger generation in our business.”
The smile on Ji Jingxing’s face faded. “Yunshu, I have told you: your business is my business.”
Sheng Yanzhou scanned the two of them and suddenly chuckled. “After losing the Sheng family, you immediately latched onto the Ji family. You really have a lucky life, do you not?”
She drew out her tone, making it sound particularly unpleasant.
Sheng Yunshu, not wanting to entertain her sarcasm, pulled Ji Jingxing to leave. But seeing Ji Xi and her partner approaching, Sheng Yunshu stopped in her tracks.
Sheng Yanzhou naturally noticed them as well. She offered a polite greeting, but as she left, she cast a mocking glance at Sheng Yunshu, who was pressed close to Ji Jingxing.
“What is wrong?” Although Ji Xi had not seen the whole scene, she could guess what happened just by looking at her niece’s expression. “Did she come to give you trouble?” she asked Sheng Yunshu.
Sheng Yunshu shook her head, not wanting to discuss the topic.
Cheng Nuo, however, stared in the direction Sheng Yanzhou had left for quite a while, only snapping back to reality when Ji Xi snapped her fingers in front of her face.
“She is already gone, and you are still staring? Did she catch your eye that much?”
Cheng Nuo quickly clarified, “She does not compare to you. It is just that she gave me a sense of familiarity, but I cannot quite put my finger on it.”
Ji Xi hummed twice, feeling satisfied, and did not press the matter further.
But Ji Jingxing was relentless.
In the middle of the crowd, Sheng Yunshu could not make too much of a scene, so she signaled to Ji Xi, asking her to keep an eye on her younger relative.
The latter started having intermittent blindness, discussing with her wife which dessert was the most successful that night, completely ignoring Sheng Yunshu’s pleading gaze.
Sheng Yunshu took a deep breath and lowered her voice to tell Ji Jingxing, “Let go of me first.”
“No.”
Ji Jingxing’s answer was crisp and decisive. Her fingers were locked around Sheng Yunshu’s wrist, and her warm body temperature made Sheng Yunshu’s ears flush.
“You…” Sheng Yunshu choked. “How old are you?”
“Twenty.” Ji Jingxing leaned in closer. “I am an adult. I can take responsibility for what I say.”
Sheng Yunshu was so angered by her attitude that she almost laughed. Just as she was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of someone striding towards them: Sheng Qingshan.
She did not show much expression on her face, but having spent so many years with her, Sheng Yunshu could instantly tell she was suppressing her temper.
“What is wrong?” Sheng Qingshan reached them, her gaze lingering for a moment on Ji Jingxing’s hand clutching Sheng Yunshu, then shifting to Sheng Yunshu’s face. “What did she say to you?”
“Nothing,” Sheng Yunshu said quickly. “We were just chatting.”
Sheng Qingshan clearly did not believe it, but she did not probe further. Instead, she looked at Ji Jingxing.
Ji Jingxing met that gaze without flinching, even raising her chin slightly.
Sheng Qingshan’s lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing. She simply reached out, placed her hand gently on Sheng Yunshu’s shoulder, and guided her away from Ji Jingxing’s side.
“Grandmother Ji is looking for you,” Sheng Qingshan said to Ji Jingxing. “Go on now, do not keep your elder waiting.”
Ji Jingxing looked at the person standing beside Sheng Qingshan. Though unwilling, she eventually walked away.
After she left, Sheng Qingshan was about to ask Sheng Yunshu what was going on when she heard Ji Xi’s suppressed laughter.
“…” Looking at the person laughing until tears were almost forming, Sheng Qingshan’s expression softened slightly. “Are you just going to watch your younger relative bully my sister?”
“I am not watching,” Ji Xi said innocently. “I am chatting with my wife. Qingshan, you have to have evidence for what you say and do. Being a dictator is not good.”
“You start arguing the moment I say two words. Xixi, when will you ever change this personality of yours?”
“When did I… hiss… baby, why are you pinching me?” Ji Xi clutched her waist, her eyes widening involuntarily.
Cheng Nuo rubbed the spot for her, smiling sweetly. “There was something dirty on you. Did I hurt you? I am sorry, sister.”
“Um, it is fine. Be gentler next time.”
Sheng Yunshu pulled at Sheng Qingshan’s clothes. “Sister, I am hungry. Can you keep me company while I get something to eat?”
Sheng Qingshan pulled back her gaze, the smile in her eyes fading slightly. “Alright. Xixi, we are leaving now.”
“Go ahead, go ahead.”
In the lounge, Sheng Yunshu ate the yan du xian (bamboo shoot and pork soup) in small bites. Her hunger was satisfied, but her heart still felt heavy.
It was even more uncomfortable than when Sheng Yanzhou had come to stir up trouble.
She snuck a glance at Sheng Qingshan sitting across from her, remembering the smile in her eyes when she had been talking to Ji Xi earlier.
Just thinking about it made Sheng Yunshu’s chest feel tight, and even the soup in her bowl did not taste as good anymore.
“Did you not say you were hungry?”
Seeing her stop eating after only a few bites, Sheng Qingshan was confused. “Are you not feeling well?”
Sheng Yunshu crossed her arms and leaned back on the sofa. Recalling being held under house arrest for two months last time, she did not dare bring up Ji Xi again:
“…” It is getting late. I want to go back first. Zhouhang just messaged me to hurry back.”
Hearing this, Sheng Qingshan frowned. “If she is not capable enough, we can replace her.”
“…”
Sheng Yunshu shut her mouth. She was afraid that if she said anything more, Sheng Qingshan would really fire Shen Zhouhang.
Sheng Qingshan could not stay with her the whole time, so she left after a while, telling her to find Ji Xi and the others if she was bored.
Sheng Yunshu agreed on the surface, but as soon as Sheng Qingshan left, she immediately slipped away.
By the time Sheng Qingshan found out, the banquet was drawing to a close.
She wanted to go to the film set to pick up Sheng Yunshu for a reunion dinner, but as soon as she walked out the door, she was blocked by Sheng Yanzhou.
“Sister,” Sheng Yanzhou said, pushing Shi Yun and blocking her path, her eyes crinkling. “Let us be a family together tonight. Later, whether you want to bring her back or whatever you want to do is fine, but please do not go looking for her tonight, can you?”
Sheng Qingshan was surprised by her change of heart. “You… you do not mind anymore?”
“I mind, of course,” Sheng Yanzhou shrugged, her earrings jingling softly. “But since you are my sister and you have been so good to me, I do not want to make things difficult for you.”
“I am so glad you think that way.”
Before Sheng Qingshan could say more, a soft chuckle came from below.
Both of them looked down at the same time, only to see a very faint smile on that pale face.
Sheng Qingshan glanced at her and looked away, feeling a trace of unease in her heart.
Sheng Yanzhou, however, leaned down, pinched her chin, and kissed her directly, ignoring Sheng Qingshan’s presence.
“A-Yun, do you also wish for me to do this?”
Fists clenched, Shi Yun kept her eyes tightly shut, resisting her in silence.
Sheng Qingshan did not comment on their relationship dynamic.
As the three of them headed toward the restaurant, Sheng Qingshan opened her smart device and sent a few messages.
The atmosphere at the dining table was harmonious.
The Sheng family had been riding high recently. Sheng Qingshan had succeeded in her candidacy, and Sheng Yanzhou had seized control of the underground forces. In a few years, once Sheng Qingshan gained enough experience, she could advance to the Federal Governing Committee. At the very least, before Ji Jingxu retired, she would have stepped into that social tier.
During the meal, Sheng Jiuyuan drank quite a bit. She asked if Sheng Qingshan was tired at the committee, then asked if Sheng Yanzhou was adapting to her current life, even showing concern for Shi Yun, who had been silent the whole time.
Watching the smiles on her mother and grandmother’s faces, Sheng Qingshan’s mood relaxed, and she raised her glass toward Sheng Yanzhou.
Sheng Yanzhou had just finished serving soup to Shi Yun. Seeing this, she immediately picked up her wine glass, stood up, and clinked it with Sheng Qingshan’s. “Sister, I have caused you trouble during this time.”
“What are you saying?” Sheng Qingshan had been drinking, and her eyes were soft as she looked at her. “We are family; it is only right that we help each other.”
Sheng Jiazhen watched this scene with relief. “That is right. You two sisters must support each other in the future so that you can go further.”
“I know, Mom.”
Just as the family was enjoying themselves, as if all estrangement had vanished with this banquet, a piece of news suddenly tore through the beautiful facade:
“The Third Miss has sent people to kill the Second Miss. The attempt was unsuccessful, but the Second Miss sustained a head injury and has been sent to the hospital.”
The lively atmosphere plummeted to freezing point along with Sheng Qingshan’s expression.
Sheng Jiazhen panicked. “Qingshan, what happened? Qingshan!”
Sheng Qingshan did not speak. She walked straight over to Sheng Yanzhou and grabbed her by the collar, throwing a punch!
Sheng Yanzhou did not dodge and took the blow solidly. Behind her, Shi Yun continued to eat her food quietly, not even giving her a glance.
Sheng Jiuyuan was baffled by the sudden turn of events, but she knew Sheng Qingshan would not lash out without cause.
The problem could only lie with Sheng Yanzhou.
Sheng Jiazhen had the same thought.
For a moment, everyone present, except for Shi Yun, stared at Sheng Yanzhou.
Sheng Yanzhou wiped the blood from her nose and laughed. “Sister, you really hit hard. Was that not a bit much?”
“I warned you not to touch her.” Sheng Qingshan did not let go of her, the air pressure around her dangerously low. “You had already planned to move against her tonight, had you not? You even deliberately stopped me? She was just a child back then; this whole thing was never her fault! I gave you what you wanted, and she moved out of the house. Why can you not let her go? What did she ever do wrong?”
“So I deserved it?!”
Sheng Yanzhou pushed her away, the mask of obedience fading to reveal sharp hatred. “That is right! She did nothing wrong! She lived a good life for over thirty years, enjoying your protection for thirty years. She is innocent! It is all my fault! It is all me!”
She closed in on Sheng Qingshan step by step. “Should I have screamed for Mom when I was snatched away back then? And then crawled back to find you all, right? Yes, I should not have stayed away so long, I should not have been out of touch with the family for so many years, I should not have touched your beloved sister!”
Conflict and violence shattered the peace Sheng Qingshan had struggled to create.
Sheng Yanzhou’s sharp, ragged breathing and reddened eyes left her at a loss for what to do.
Anger and heartache intertwined in her heart, but she could not distinguish which of these feelings was meant for whom.
Sheng Jiazhen tried to smooth over the relationship between the sisters, but Sheng Yanzhou’s gaze remained fixed on Sheng Qingshan, forcing her to respond.
“Yunshu… she did not have a very good childhood either; she would also be…”
Sheng Qingshan tried to use the experience of Sheng Yunshu being abandoned to diffuse the hatred in Sheng Yanzhou’s heart.
But she had underestimated Sheng Yanzhou’s resentment toward Sheng Yunshu.
“Did she ever have to fight a dog for food?”
Sheng Yanzhou said these words calmly. She stared into Sheng Qingshan’s eyes, articulating each word clearly:
“Does she know what swill tastes like?”