33. Snow in a silver bowl
So I wanted to hide my despicable nature before approaching you.
Shang Xinuan sat curled up on the sofa, unable to tell whether she was angry or heartbroken.
She used to always show more respect to Chen Shaoyi out of consideration for Li Xiran and because of her status as a junior. Even knowing that Chen Shaoyi didn't like her, she would still treat her with a tolerant attitude.
But I never imagined that things would turn out so badly, with people completely disregarding the friendship between our two families and resorting to verbal abuse to the point of wanting to physically harm me.
What was even more unexpected was that her desire for control and her emotional suppression of Li Xiran far exceeded any of Li Xiran's verbal accounts.
In Shanghai, Shang Xinuan had heard about Chen Shaoyi more than once, but most of the stories were positive.
Chen Shaoyi was born into a wealthy family with a strong academic background. In that era, she stood out in every way, from her education to her appearance, and was the preferred daughter-in-law candidate of all the wives.
Li Qianyun was also a well-known refined and gentlemanly young man in Shanghai.
The phrases "marrying someone of equal social standing" and "a handsome man and a beautiful woman" perfectly describe this situation.
So when the news of her engagement to Li Qianyun broke, it immediately drew sighs from countless people.
Their wedding was the envy of many, but the couple later struggled to conceive, leading to rumors that Li Qianyun was infertile.
It wasn't until Li Qianyun suddenly died in a car accident in London that Chen Shaoyi, in order to secure her position in the Li Group, had no choice but to take back her illegitimate son, Li Xiran, and only then did everyone learn the truth about the favoritism.
The fairytale marriage shattered, turning into a terrifying nursery rhyme filled with curses.
Some people felt sorry for her, while others mocked her.
Naturally, some people also noticed that the eldest branch of the Li family had no desire for Li Shi and wanted to take the opportunity to get close to this widow who was worth over 10 billion.
At that time, the Li family was also in turmoil due to the loss of the male head of the family. It was Chen Shaoyi who held a press conference with the young Li Xiran and declared that she would never marry for the rest of her life.
Even today, outsiders believe that the achievements of the Li family and Li Xiran are inextricably linked to Chen Shaoyi.
It was because of this bond that a group of "old-timers" who had followed Li Qianyun resolutely stood behind Chen Shaoyi, becoming an unbreakable Empress Dowager faction that rivaled the adult Li Xiran.
Shang Xinu stared blankly at the bustling financial street scene outside the floor-to-ceiling window. Those high-class white-collar workers holding iced Americanos looked so glamorous on the outside, but when you peeled back the shell, it seemed that they could not hide their tired and numb hearts.
Through these things, she seemed to see the world that Li Xiran truly lived in.
Every step is difficult, and every move is subject to constraints.
Cheng Guoan's clamor and outrage are just another form of Chen Shaoyi's attack.
Even from the brief glimpse she caught today, she could already imagine how helpless Li Xiran would feel when he was brought to Shanghai and faced Chen Shaoyi alone.
Therefore, it's not hard to guess who dug up the small animal remains this morning.
Shang Xinuan turned her gaze away and looked at the figure reflected on the blinds at the doorway.
Li Xiran was standing there, surrounded by the most bustling place, yet he was filled with a sense of loneliness and solitude.
She used to complain that all she knew about Li Xiran, his plans, and his business goals, could only be found through news reports and other people's accounts. But now that she has seen it with her own eyes, she is still shocked.
Li Xiran's life seems to have always been burdened with immense weight, thus destined to be unlike her, who saw things in black and white.
Thinking of this, she suddenly stood up and opened the wooden door to the office.
Li Xiran hadn't reacted yet, as he was on a work call. Seeing her standing there with red eyes, he hurriedly hung up.
"I scared you just now, didn't I?"
"That's the biggest reason why you wouldn't respond to me before, isn't it?"
The two spoke at the same time, instantly transporting us back to the auction where Feng Ruochu had caused such a ruckus.
They did the same, nervously asking each other questions first.
Li Xiran sighed and said, "I'm really afraid she'll scare you."
His tenth birthday was like a watershed moment in his life.
The night before, although his biological father was not by his side, his mother gave him unique love.
Anya never complained that his unexpected appearance ruined her life, which could have had endless possibilities.
She would even thank him for coming into her life whenever he was frustrated, because it gave her a family in this world.
The gentle and gentlemanly demeanor he possesses today is a result of Anya's upbringing.
It was his mother's open-mindedness and optimism that gave him the courage to face the unknown alone all these years.
After that night, Li Qianyun died in a car accident, and Anya became a vegetable but then mysteriously disappeared from the hospital.
Just as he was about to be sent to an orphanage, Chen Shaoyi appeared dressed in mourning clothes and took him back to Shanghai.
From that moment on, he transformed from a carefree young man on the streets of London into the successor of a wealthy family.
Before meeting Chen Shaoyi upon his first arrival in Shanghai, Li Xiran had heard his father talk about his wife.
In Li Qianyun's eyes, his wife is a gentle and considerate woman.
She is not only beautiful, but also very talented.
The two met through a blind date and made a deep impression on each other at their first meeting.
Chen Shaoyi is never hesitant when it comes to relationships; in fact, she took the initiative to confess her feelings to Li Qianyun after confirming her own.
For ten years of marriage, she accompanied Li Qianyun through countless difficult times and witnessed the Li family's gradual rise to power.
The young couple had originally promised to stay together until old age...
"But what I'm more afraid of is that you know all of this is because of my willfulness."
During the days and nights that Chen Shaoyi left him to live alone in Wan Gong No. 1, the boy also developed a fear of ghosts and gods.
Once summer was over in that courtyard, the grass in the garden grew even taller than him.
Every time that happened, he would feel incredibly remorseful for ruining everyone's peaceful lives because of his impulsiveness and disregard for the bigger picture.
Chen Shaoyi has called him a murderer more than once, a shameless, despicable, and disgraceful illegitimate child, but he can't even find a rebuttal, because even he himself thinks so.
Even his father's death was due to him, and his mother's disappearance was due to him.
Even the originally gentle and understanding Chen Shaoyi was killed by him.
Therefore, when he met the bright and generous Shang Xinuan, his first reaction was actually timidity.
He was like a piece of broken glass that had been left in a dark corner for years. The first time he saw the sunlight, he felt both its warmth and its dazzling light, but at the same time, he was blinded by its intense halo.
Ultimately, what killed his only sentimentality was Chen Shaoyi's words: "No one likes a murderer. Of course, I won't stop you from pursuing happiness, but then I'll let your mother go to hell in your place."
The lights in Wan Palace stayed on all night, and the next day, he arranged for the entire place to be demolished.
He said, "I'm afraid that if you know my true, despicable side, you'll also choose to stay away from me. So I want to hide those dark sides before I come to you."
A note from the author:
I had dinner with my mom today, so I didn't have time to write much. I'll post two updates tomorrow!
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the story will turn sweet after tomorrow's episode.
------------------------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
