The chill could be felt even through the screen.
Just as Shen Juexia thought her sister was going to ignore her forever.
“Xia Xia, don’t ever say such things again.” Phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, Shen Tinghan bit the tip of her tongue, suppressing
emotions that were nearly impossible to control.
Hearing her sister’s voice again, Shen Juexia felt as if she had been granted a reprieve. She pleaded in a soft, pitiful voice,
“Sister, I was wrong. I’ll never say such things again. Shen Juexia’s favorite person is Shen Tinghan.”
Like spring melting the snow.
The frost between her brows suddenly dissipated.
The fleeting ferocity in her eyes seemed like nothing more than a passing illusion. After a moment of hesitation, Shen Tinghan
asked again, “What’s wrong with you today? Why did you suddenly call me at this hour?”
Gazing at the city lights just beginning to glow, Shen Tinghan pressed her lips together.
At this time, it was still the middle of the night back home.
At the same moment, Shen Juexia, sitting on her bed, also looked out the window. Endless darkness, clouds lingering reluctantly
around the moon. Her world was pitch black.
Holding her breath, whether out of fear or greed, Shen Juexia instinctively lied, “I had a nightmare and woke up scared. In the
dream, for some reason… Sister suddenly didn’t want Xia Xia anymore.”
“Sister, I miss you.”
The pitiful tone softened Shen Tinghan’s heart.
She had thought it was another case of Shen Juexia eyeing some new jewelry, but this time, it was a real nightmare. Silly girl,
even if she abandoned herself, she would never let go of her.
A helpless chuckle escaped her lips as she quietly gazed into the distance.
A barely detectable tenderness flickered in Shen Tinghan’s eyes. “Xia Xia, Sister misses you too.”
I’m sorry, Sister.
Lowering her eyelids slightly, Shen Juexia’s gaze was filled with unspeakable bitterness.
“Once I finish the work at hand, I’ll come back for a visit. And as always, I’ll prepare a surprise for Xia Xia.” Rubbing the tip
of her nose, Shen Tinghan’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
Her sorrow instantly vanished. Shen Juexia blinked her almond-shaped eyes and asked eagerly, “When are you coming back, Sister?
What surprise will you prepare for me?”
Still such a child.
“If I reveal the answer, it won’t be a surprise anymore.” A skilled hunter adept at luring prey, she effortlessly hooked the little
rabbit with her usual tactics.
Her curiosity thoroughly piqued, Shen Juexia sat up straight and cooed in a sweet, pleading voice, “Sister, just tell me~”
If she gave in so easily, she wouldn’t be Shen Tinghan.
Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Shen Tinghan glanced at her secretary standing awkwardly at the end of the hallway.
A smirk played on her lips as she spoke into the phone, “The meeting room is full of people waiting for me. I’ll talk to you
later.”
Shen Juexia froze.
Her dewy, almond-shaped eyes widened like a startled kitten’s. Puffing her cheeks, she exclaimed, “Shen Tinghan, you did that on
purpose!”
The smirk deepened. Shen Tinghan replied lazily, “Oh? What if I did? Is the little rabbit angry now?”
“How could you! Shen Tinghan, you’re such a child!” Roughly kneading the plush toy in her arms, Shen Juexia pouted. “Mean sister!”
“I’ve always been a mean sister.” Fingers twitching slightly at her side, Shen Tinghan teased, “This mean sister has to go make
money now. Otherwise, if I can’t afford gifts later, the little rabbit really won’t pay attention to me anymore.”
Two faint blushes colored Shen Juexia’s cheeks. She muttered in protest, “I would never!”
“Be good, wait for me to come home.”
“Okay… Sister, can you come back early?”
After hanging up the phone, Shen Tinghan didn’t immediately return to the meeting room. Instead, she stood still and dialed another
overseas call.
“Mmm… who is it?” A soft, feminine voice answered, still husky from sleep.
Her gaze icy, Shen Tinghan cut straight to the point. “Put Shen Congjun on the phone.”
“Who are you? Why are you calling in the middle of the—”
“Shen Tinghan.”
The drowsiness in the woman’s eyes vanished instantly as she hurriedly shook the middle-aged man sleeping beside her. “Wake up!
Wake up now!”
A rustling argument could be heard on the other end.
A minute later, Shen Congjun’s voice came through. “Tinghan, why are you calling at this hour?”
“Did you go after Xia again?” Straightforward and blunt, her tone carried unmistakable displeasure. No trace of respect for her
father.
“Is that any way to talk to me? I’m your father.”
“Does Grandfather know about your glorious exploits out there?”
“You—!” Scratching his messy hair, Shen Congjun sighed and rolled his eyes. “With you protecting her, I wouldn’t dare provoke that
little princess. I’ve been staying in City C this whole time haven’t even seen her.”
“Good. That’s all.”
“Wait, I wanted to talk to you about—”
Before he could finish, Shen Tinghan decisively ended the call. She swiped open her chat with Shen Juexia, her phoenix eyes
narrowing slightly as her fingers tapped lightly on the screen.
Crying like that, it couldn’t have just been a nightmare. But if it wasn’t Shen Congjun, then what was wrong with Xia?
She glanced down at her watch.
Suppressing her thoughts, she strode back toward the meeting room. As she passed her secretary, she instructed, “After the mid-
month joint meeting, book me a flight back to City S. The earliest one available.”
“But—”
Turning her head, Shen Tinghan’s gaze was unyielding.
“Understood.”
Swallowing the words of persuasion she had prepared, Secretary Zhang sighed inwardly. The moment that little princess at home
beckons, this “Ice Queen” CEO would probably throw her life away without hesitation.
Here, she worked like a machine, attending meetings day and night, and now she was ready to fly back across a dozen time zones over
some trivial matter.
Tsk. Spoiling her sister to this extent—no one else does it like her.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world—City S.
The Shen Residence.
The night was thick as ink, the house swallowed in silence and darkness.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Juexia didn’t return to sleep or turn on the nightlight. She simply sat on the bed, staring
blankly at the wooden photo frame on the nightstand.
Inside it was her favorite picture, the one of her and her sister.
Because it was the only one.
The only photo where she and her sister looked even slightly alike.
Outside, the crisp chirping of birds began, and the morning breeze slipped through the half-open curtains, carrying a faint chill.
But it couldn’t dispel the gloom weighing on Juexia’s heart.
Her gaze was hollow and distant.
As if searching for something or perhaps seeing nothing at all.
A bitter ache slowly spread through her chest.
Her lashes fluttered slightly as Shen Juexia turned over in bed, reaching for the photo frame on the cabinet. Holding the picture
in her hands, memories buried deep within her heart surged forth in an instant…
“Xu Qing, haven’t you noticed how Mr. Shen has always been indifferent to the second young miss?” After trimming the lawn, the
gardener leaned against the white fence, gossiping about the wealthy family’s secrets.
Xu Qing, who had come out to collect the laundry, flashed a look of disgust in her eyes. “Just do your job and stop talking nonsense.”
“But I’m telling the truth!” The gardener grew more excited as he rubbed his chin, analyzing on his own. “The eldest young miss
looks so much like Mr. Shen. Logically, sisters should share some resemblance, but the second young miss doesn’t resemble either
Mr. Shen or the eldest young miss. Could it be she takes after the late Mrs. Shen?”
“Shut your mouth!” Xu Qing snapped sharply, her face darkening.
Seeing her genuine anger and fearing she might report this to the Shen family, the gardener forced an awkward smile. “I was just
rambling. Please don’t spread it around.”
“Do you think everyone is like you?” Xu Qing placed the dried clothes into the basket, not sparing the gardener any dignity as she
turned and walked away.
Though she appeared resolute, Xu Qing’s heart was unsettled. Having worked for the Shen family for over a decade, she had seen Mrs.
Shen before and the second young miss bore no resemblance to her.
Standing on tiptoe, Shen Juexia drew the curtains. Dressed in a light pink puffy dress, her expression shifted from indifference to
sorrow upon hearing footsteps outside the door.
Sunlight, like delicate golden gauze, slipped through the half-drawn curtains and gently bathed the corners of the room. In the
play of light and shadow, the little girl curled up.
Shen Juexia sat quietly in the sunlit corner, her small shoulders trembling slightly. The world around her fell silent, leaving
only the sound of her soft sobs. Tears rolled down her fair cheeks, each drop seemingly voicing her heart’s grievances and
helplessness.
The understanding sunlight wrapped her in a faint golden halo, making her appear both fragile and sacred. Like an angel fallen to
earth, compelling one to draw near and wipe away her tears.
Shen Tinghan did just that. Setting down her book, she knelt beside Shen Juexia, backlit by the sun, and used her fingertips to
brush away the tears. “The little rabbit is crying so sadly.”
“Sister, why don’t I look anything like you?” Lifting her tear-stained almond eyes to meet Shen Tinghan’s amber-clear gaze, Shen
Juexia asked weakly.
Light diffused behind Shen Tinghan like rich strokes of oil paint. Pressing her lips into a straight line, she gently wiped Shen
Juexia’s tear-streaked face with a silk handkerchief, her gaze tender and focused. “Because Xia is even more beautiful, a gift from
heaven.”
Her high nose bridge, jade-like fair skin, and the air of detachment in her every movement everything about Shen Tinghan captivated
Shen Juexia. Unlike her sister, she felt like nothing more than a gaudy, cheap candy wrapper in comparison.
Still bearing traces of childish innocence, Shen Juexia forgot her earlier sorrow as she stared dazedly at her sister, now
blossoming into grace. “But Xia thinks sister is the most beautiful person in the world,” she murmured.
Shen Tinghan rarely smiled, having been taciturn since childhood.
But now, her exquisite phoenix eyes curved into crescents, even the tips of her brows tinged with a faint trace of amusement.
After the rain cleared, the world bloomed anew.
In her amber-colored eyes, the small figure of Shen Juexia swayed gently. Smiling, Shen Tinghan reached out, ruffled her hair, took
her arm, and pulled her into an embrace.
Resting her chin on the girl’s rounded shoulder, she lightly poked Shen Juexia’s soft, fair cheek. Her voice was unusually
lighthearted as she said, “Xia Xia thinks I’m pretty, and I think Xia Xia is pretty. Even though we don’t look alike, we’re both
beautiful in our own way. So, don’t be sad about things like this anymore, okay?”