Chapter 62 The Full Moon Banquet is a disaster; the apocalypse is over, and her best friend and her life are in danger...
It turns out that once your net worth has ballooned to a certain amount, money seems to lose its meaning.
Ling Shu sat on the terrace, calculating again and again, still feeling that something was not real.
Two months ago, when she first transmigrated here, she was just a pitiful heiress with no more than five thousand yuan in her account, unloved by her father and mother. Her biggest dream was to hoard as much goods as possible and survive the apocalypse.
Compared to then, her current situation is completely different.
Oh, by the way, she probably spends money faster than the Sheng family's stock price rises.
What have Ling's parents been up to lately? They haven't shown up or caused any trouble in a long time.
Ling Shu touched her chin, silently shifting her thoughts and no longer thinking about the two of them.
She has so many relatives in the Sheng family now, and good friends like Guan Mengxing. She's so busy every day that she doesn't have time to think about those things.
This is the best news.
Ling Shu has overcome the initial discomfort. Apart from ruining the Zhao family, she will carefully consider her future life goals.
Live well.
Live life to the fullest, as if tomorrow were the end of the world.
After looking at the long string of numbers on her account again, Ling Shu shook her head, turned off her phone screen, and lazily stood up.
The most important thing right now is to bring down the Zhao family.
She picked up a glass of champagne from the small table beside her, leaned against the railing, and gazed at the scenery of Beijing below.
After the heavy rain stopped, every day was sunny. Today was no exception, with bright sunshine and a sky as blue as a jewel, elevating the beauty of the entire city of Beijing to a whole new level.
The beautiful sunny day put Ling Shu in a good mood.
She swirled her wine glass, slowly considering how to deal with the Zhao family.
The Zhao family's personnel structure is not too complicated. Old Zhao has three sons. His eldest son, Zhao Lixin, is already married, and his first child is also a son. He can be said to be the "eldest son of the main branch," which is extremely prestigious. No wonder they are holding a grand celebration. The invitations for the full moon celebration have been sent to almost all the wealthy families in Beijing.
Unfortunately, Zhao Liheng is now completely ruined.
He arranged for Bai Yue to drug Sheng Yunqi, but Ling Shu ended up feeding the drug directly to him, and the people caught in the act became him and Bai Yue.
Afterwards, under the pressure from the Sheng family, he had no choice but to reluctantly take Bai Yue home.
Having been outmaneuvered once, Old Zhao was already somewhat dissatisfied with Zhao Liheng.
Later, Zhao Liheng instigated the Su family to smear the Sheng family, but failed to manage the relationship between Bai Yue and Su Yao properly. At the banquet, Su Yao directly attacked Bai Yue, pushing her off the stairs and causing her to miscarry.
In order to escape punishment, Su Yao publicly revealed that he was impotent.
From that moment on, Zhao Liheng was completely ruined.
Old Zhao decisively sent his son abroad, out of sight, out of mind.
With Zhao Liheng gone and a son born, Zhao Lixin is now riding high, practically floating on air.
However, as the saying goes, the higher you fly, the harder you fall.
After the full moon celebration, Zhao Lixin will regret it. He might even envy Zhao Liheng, who has been exiled abroad.
Ling Shu downed her champagne in one gulp, then lowered her eyes, discussing things with Sheng Yunshen in her mind.
"Hey dog, come on, let's go over the plan again and see if we've missed anything..."
-
A few days later, good news came from Li Yin's side.
He found the person Ling Shu asked him to find.
only……
Li Yin said on the phone, "That person's condition is very bad. Her mental state is unstable. She is in a daze most of the time and only has short periods of lucidity. The people I sent were completely unable to communicate with her."
Ling Shu sighed: "It's alright, it's already a great achievement to be alive."
That person has endured so much suffering; just living is an immense struggle.
Li Yin asked with some curiosity, "This woman... could she be the daughter of Old Zhao who is rumored to have died young?"
After deciding to deal with the Zhao family, Li Yin carefully investigated Old Zhao's background and naturally knew about the death of Old Zhao's eldest daughter ten years ago.
To be honest, the Zhao family used to be considered only average in Beijing, nothing special. It was only through the ruthless efforts of Old Master Zhao ten years ago that the Zhao family has risen to its current position.
His most beloved eldest daughter, Zhao Li'en, also passed away ten years ago.
The timing was so coincidental that it made Li Yin think twice.
Is there any connection between the rise of the Zhao family and the death of Zhao Li'en?
In some stories, unscrupulous fathers will choose their daughters as sacrifices, offering them to powerful figures in exchange for fame, fortune, and wealth.
Could the story of Boss Zhao and Zhao Li'en be similar?
Since Ling Shu asked him to find a woman around the same age as Zhao Li'en, Li Yin couldn't help but overthink it.
Does this mean Zhao Li'en is not dead?
Instead, they changed their identities and are now eking out a living somewhere?
His deduction was refuted by Ling Shu: "The woman I asked you to find is not Zhao Li'en. Her name is Mu Ting. She was a tutor hired by the Zhao family eight years ago. When she went to the Zhao family, Zhao Li'en had already disappeared."
Li Yin was not disappointed; instead, he astutely caught the key information in Ling Shu's words: "Missing? You mean, Zhao Li'en didn't die of illness, but has disappeared?"
The Zhao family has always maintained that Zhao Li'en died of illness.
"yes."
Ling Shu confirmed, "She disappeared at the time. This matter is not a secret within the Zhao family. Bai Yue used to stay at the Zhao family and once overheard the servants talking about it."
Before leaving, Bai Yue made a special call to Ling Shu to tell her the news.
"Missing..."
Li Yin pondered, "So, is she alive or dead? Ling Shu, what is the connection between this person you asked me to find and Zhao Li'en?"
He's a bit confused now.
Based on his intuition, Zhao Li'en must be crucial, the most important piece in bringing down the Zhao family. But with the limited information he had, Li Yin couldn't glean any useful clues.
Ling Shu smiled meaningfully: "Li Yin, knowing too much about some things will make them less surprising. Please have your people bring Mu Ting to me. As for the rest, just wait and see."
"In short, the Zhao family's full moon celebration will definitely be a wonderful event and will not disappoint you."
Li Yin sighed: "...Alright."
At least this time, he was involved, not just a bystander.
He has always known how to be content.
-
After hanging up the phone with Li Yin, Ling Shu was about to arrange for someone to pick up Mu Ting when an unexpected guest arrived.
A maid came to report that Chen Zui had come looking for her and was already waiting at the Sheng family's gate.
Ling Shu hasn't been paying much attention to Chen Zui lately; she's only heard that he's successfully buried his father and his emotions have stabilized considerably.
Hearing that he had come to visit, Ling Shu thought that Chen Zui must have come to express his gratitude, so she asked the servant to take him to Xiao Ming Lou.
She went to wait for him in the living room on the first floor.
Upon seeing Chen Zui enter, Ling Shu looked up, paused for two seconds, and subconsciously asked, "...Are you moving?"
Chen Zui was carrying a large bag, which was bulging with contents, and several swords and other weapons were hanging on it.
It looks like they're moving.
Chen Zui placed his bag beside the sofa, stood in front of her, and earnestly clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Sister Ling, I want to stay in the Sheng family, please take me in!"
"ah?"
Ling Shu stood up in surprise, thinking she had misheard. "You want to stay in the Sheng family?"
"right."
He responded calmly and steadily, looking up to meet her gaze. His eyes were completely calm, clearly indicating that he was not joking.
Ling Shu frowned in confusion: "What about your martial arts school? You don't want it anymore?"
She knew how important Changming Martial Arts School was to Shen Zui, and always thought he would choose to stay at the school, carry on his father's legacy, and continue to run the school.
Chen Zui shook his head: "Times have changed. Martial arts schools no longer have a place to exist, so I've temporarily closed it. And I..."
He paused, and a crack finally appeared on his calm face. "I dare not stay there now. Every corner of the martial arts school... causes me great pain."
The place that once held all his fond childhood memories has become the source of his pain.
Whenever he saw the osmanthus tree in the corner of the yard, he would think of how he had unknowingly allowed his father to suffer injustice here for more than ten years, and he dared not go near it.
Chen Zui knew it wasn't his fault. He was only six years old then, just an innocent child.
He knew it, but he was still in pain.
Ultimately, Chenzui chose to leave temporarily.
Perhaps time will heal all of this.
Ling Shu remained silent for two seconds, then understood his pain.
However, she still didn't understand: "Why the Sheng family? Chen Zui, you have the ability and the courage. If you want, there are many opportunities in Beijing and even the whole of China. Staying in the Sheng family is a waste of your talents."
With his stunning looks, he could easily debut in the entertainment industry. He could easily become a martial arts star and completely outshine today's pretty-boy idols.
His gaze, filled with intoxication, was full of composure: "Sister Ling, those are not the places I want to go."
Of all the world's wonders, he only sought a place where his heart could find peace.
He used to only care about the martial arts school and the memories and bonds he had with his father before he was six years old. So he locked himself in the martial arts school and never gave up on leaving, no matter what he faced.
He no longer dares to return to the martial arts school. In this vast world, the only place he wants to go is the Sheng family.
It was the Sheng family and Ling Shu who helped his father clear his name, and Chen Zui was willing to repay them with his own life.
"Hmm..."
Sensing Chen Zui's resolute determination, Ling Shu hesitated.
According to the original story, after leaving the martial arts school, Chen Zui wandered around Beijing and by chance rescued Guan Mengxing, who had escaped from the hospital. In a crisis where they were being chased by zombies, the two supported each other and successfully built a revolutionary friendship.
Afterwards, Chen Zui stayed by Guan Mengxing's side and never left.
Oh no, the apocalypse is over, and her best friend and destined boyfriend seem to have gone astray as well.
As Ling Shu was struggling with her decision, Sheng Yun Shen spoke in her mind: "Ling Shu, let him stay. I can sense that he has nowhere else to go. You didn't immediately agree or refuse, are you considering his relationship with Guan Mengxing?"
Ling Shu was surprised: "You heard what I was thinking?"
Sheng Yun Shen chuckled: "I didn't hear it, but I can guess. The apocalypse is over, and the two of them are no longer the male and female leads. You're worried that they won't be able to fall in love again, but you don't want to interfere too much, right?"
He accurately guessed Ling Shu's thoughts, and Ling Shu admitted, "Yes. I was thinking, can love that's artificially created still be considered love? If I stay and remain in Chen Zui for Guan Mengxing, wouldn't that be unfair to both of them?"
She is an outsider who knows the plot well, and apart from dealing with the bad guys, Ling Shu doesn't want to interfere with anyone's fate.
She had hoped that Guan Mengxing and Shen Zui's encounter would happen naturally.
Sheng Yunshen asked, "Ling Shu, are you willing to make a bet with me?"
"Um?"
Ling Shu asked him, "What are you betting on?"
Sheng Yunshen said gently, "I'm willing to take the gamble. No matter what happens in the world, those who are meant to love each other will eventually love each other. No matter how long the road or how far the distance, they will always meet their destined one. If you keep him here now, consider it... to help them avoid some of the detours in their destiny."
"But we'll leave him alone, without interfering with their fate or giving them any hints. You'll come with me and see if my bet comes true, okay?"
"Moreover, staying in the Sheng family is a good thing for Chen Zui. Ling Shu, you currently lack a truly capable assistant. Chen Zui is very reliable and perfectly meets your requirements. You can train him well. I know you've always been very generous to your own people."
Ling Shu was completely convinced by Sheng Yun Shen's words.
Whether it was the bet he mentioned or his suggestion to have Chenzui become her assistant, both of them were tempting to her.
After a moment's hesitation, Ling Shu finally made up her mind and nodded to Chen Zui: "Okay, you'll stay in the Sheng family and be my assistant. Are you willing?"
Seeing that Ling Shu had finally relented, Chen Zui relaxed a little, his eyes shining brightly: "I do, Sister Ling!"
"As for the compensation..."
Ling Shu, who was running her business for the first time, had just started when Chen Zui interrupted her: "Sister Ling, I don't want money, I just need a place to stay. How about I try it out for three months first, and if you're satisfied, we can talk about the salary?"
He's quite a clever child; he knows how to express himself through actions.
She couldn't say this to his face, so she could only feel a silent sense of satisfaction.
Just as Chen Zui arrived, Ling Shu decided to assign him the job of picking up Mu Ting. Without any hesitation, she said, "Your first job is to go to the south to pick up a woman named Mu Ting. Make sure she arrives in Beijing safely, and keep a low profile as much as possible."
He readily agreed without hesitation, appearing very reliable.
Recently, Butler Wang has been struggling with the design of the fire pit restaurant, wanting to do everything himself and keeping him extremely busy every day. Ling Shu felt that Sheng Yun Shen's suggestion was very correct; they couldn't keep taking advantage of Butler Wang all the time.
After explaining the situation, she smiled and saw Chen Zui off. In her heart, she and Sheng Yunshen were thinking, "Once the Zhao family matter is settled, it's time to invite Meng Xing over for a meal, so that the two of them can at least meet in person..."
-
The Zhao family.
At this moment, the most important thing for the entire Zhao family is to hold a grand and solemn full-moon banquet for their eldest grandson. This will not only proclaim to the wealthy families of the capital that the Zhao family has a worthy successor, but also demonstrate the Zhao family's current strength and status.
All the servants were mobilized and busied themselves inside and out.
The style of the cakes on the dessert table, the color of the bouquets decorating the railings, the warmth or coolness of the lighting in the hall... every detail is meticulously crafted, with every effort made to create a luxurious atmosphere.
Zhao Lixin got up very early today and is now sitting in his study, full of energy, practicing his speech for the full moon celebration in front of the mirror. He forced a smile, practicing a "perfect, noble, and elegant" one, until his face was almost stiff.
However, Zhao Lixin continued to enjoy it.
After laughing for a while, he looked at himself in the mirror and said, "The Zhao family will be yours in the future, and it will belong to your son. You and your son will lead the Zhao family to long-term wealth and prosperity, becoming an evergreen among the elite families in Beijing."
Ideally, we should be like the Sheng family.
The pillar of the family, Sheng Yunshen, was in a car accident and became a vegetable. Surprisingly, the Sheng family was able to overcome the situation and even gain prestige by donating supplies, causing their market value to soar.
That's something to be envious of.
In the future, the Zhao family will be just like the Sheng family... no, even more powerful than the Sheng family!
After finishing his practice with great confidence, Zhao Lixin turned and walked out.
All the servants along the way bowed respectfully when they saw him. Zhao Lixin kept his eyes straight ahead, not giving these servants a single extra glance.
Zhao Lixin stopped when he saw the family's old housekeeper and asked, "Uncle Zhang, is Dad up yet?"
The old butler had worked for the Zhao family for thirty years and was the most trusted confidant of the old Zhao family. Even Zhao Lixin had to force a smile when facing him and dared not go too far.
The old butler nodded and bowed to him with a natural smile: "Young Master, President Zhao just got up."
Zhao Lixin raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Is breakfast ready? I'll go invite Dad to have lunch with us."
In the Zhao family, Old Master Zhao is the absolute authority, clinging tightly to power. Even Zhao Lixin has to find a way to see him.
The old butler smiled and shook his head: "Young Master, Mr. Zhao has gone to the small garden. Why don't you wait a little longer?"
"The little garden..."
Zhao Lixin's smile faltered slightly, seemingly surprised. "Why so early today?"
The old butler smiled but did not answer his question.
Zhao Lixin looked around and, seeing that there were no outsiders, took a few steps closer on his own initiative and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Zhang, tell me the truth, what exactly is in the small garden? Why does Dad often go there for a while, but never allow us to go in?"
In the Zhao family, "small garden" refers to a specific place. It's a greenhouse garden of less than twenty square meters, located in the far corner of the Zhao family villa, filled with all sorts of flowers and plants. The small garden's keypad door is always locked, and outsiders are not allowed to enter; only Old Master Zhao and the old housekeeper have the keypad.
To be honest, Zhao Lixin had been curious about the small garden for a long time.
Previously, Old Zhao doted on his youngest son, Zhao Liheng, who was arrogant and domineering, behaving like a tyrant at home. Zhao Lixin dared not confront him and lived a life of quiet resentment, feeling utterly invisible. Now that Zhao Liheng is ruined and he has a son, his confidence has swelled considerably, and he even dares to inquire about the details of the small garden.
He is definitely the future heir of the Zhao family, so the old butler should give him some face, right?
Zhao Lixin had a pretty good idea, but the old butler just glanced at him with a half-smile, as if he could see through all his thoughts: "Young Master, you have crossed the line."
Zhao Lixin's smile froze abruptly, a flash of anger crossing his eyes.
Crossing the boundary?
ridiculous!
A lowly laborer, does he really think he's the master?
He felt a surge of anger, but dared not show it on his face. He could only laugh awkwardly twice before turning and leaving.
The moment he turned his back, Zhao Lixin's face fell, and his eyes narrowed in obvious displeasure.
This unhappy state continued until he entered the room and saw his son sleeping soundly in the crib, at which point Zhao Lixin's mood finally brightened.
Her chubby little face is pleasing to the eye no matter how you look at it.
His wife was also with the child, and she smiled as she said to him, "Uncle Zhang just sent over a few sets of baby clothes that were custom-made from abroad, so we can see which one to wear for the full moon celebration. Apparently, the father personally picked out the brands, and each piece is hand-sewn by a tailor, making them one-of-a-kind."
Zhao Lixin loved hearing this kind of talk, and his expression softened considerably: "Our son is the eldest grandson of the Zhao family, so of course Dad loves him very much."
The wife laughed and said, "When Dad came to visit the baby last night, the baby was sleeping soundly with little bubbles coming out of the corners of his mouth. Dad laughed as soon as he saw it and said that our child looks exactly like my older sister when she was little, even the milk bubbles she spit out are similar."
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. The word "elder sister" immediately turned Zhao Lixin's face, which had just brightened, sour again.
He snapped impatiently, "Stop saying such unlucky things!"
How could his son be like Zhao Li'en, a short-lived ghost?
Zhao Li'en is unlucky, but his precious son is not!
Realizing her slip of the tongue, the wife awkwardly covered her mouth and said, "But... Daddy likes my eldest sister the most. Our baby looks like her, wouldn't that make him like her even more?"
His wife had experienced the era when Zhao Liheng was all-powerful at home with Zhao Lixin, and had a strange obsession with "winning over Old Zhao's favor".
Zhao Lixin snorted and remained silent.
He knew, of course, that what Old Master Zhao cared about most was his eldest sister who had died young. If Zhao Li'en hadn't died, the Zhao family's assets wouldn't have gone to his three sons at all.
From a young age, Zhao Li'en was the smartest and boldest of them all, like a born queen, managing her three younger brothers like clockwork. In addition, she inherited all the best features of her parents, Mr. Zhao and his wife, and was beautiful and dignified, already a well-known beauty in the area when she was in elementary school.
Back then, countless people were eagerly awaiting Zhao Li'en's growth.
Who would have thought that this peony, which bloomed until it was eighteen, would suddenly wither away?
Zhao Lixin wasn't doing well in school back then, so he had to go abroad to get a degree, and he didn't even get to see his older sister one last time. When he learned of his sister's death, he was heartbroken and secretly got up to cry several times at night.
Now, all Zhao Lixin felt was an indescribable annoyance.
No matter how good Zhao Li'en was, she has been dead for ten years. But Old Zhao seems to be obsessed, mentioning her from time to time, always saying things like, "If Li'en were still alive, how wonderful that would be" and "You useless people are no match for her."
After listening to this for ten years, Zhao Lixin was really fed up.
He reached out and touched the child's chubby little face, putting Zhao Li'en aside, and calmly said, "They say grandparents are always closer to their grandchildren. Take the baby to his father's place more often. As he watches the baby grow up, he'll naturally forget about Zhao Li'en."
The wife nodded: "Okay."
She paused for a moment, then asked, "By the way, are we really going to invite the Sheng family and the Li family to the full moon banquet? Didn't you say before that we've already fallen out with the Sheng family? What if something else happens then?"
Zhao Lixin's wife married into a wealthy family from out of town. Having no roots in Beijing, she could only rely on Zhao Lixin for survival. She valued her son's one-month celebration highly and didn't want anything to happen that would be detrimental to the Zhao family.
Zhao Lixin scoffed: "Make trouble? If the Sheng family wants to make trouble, they'd have to find a reason, right? Have you forgotten how our Zhao family rose to power? In the past ten years or so, countless people have tried to cause trouble for the Zhao family, but which one of them actually succeeded?"
Even if the people they sent to stage an accident involving Sheng Zhujun and Ling Shu were arrested, it only resulted in the loss of Master Hong. It had nothing to do with the Zhao family. The Zhao family has cultivated many people like Master Hong, but they usually remain hidden in the shadows.
The Zhao family, originating from the underworld, can be said to have fought their way out of a bloodbath. If they had any weaknesses, they definitely wouldn't have made it this far.
Zhao Lixin was exceptionally confident in this regard.
As the couple were talking, the baby in the cradle woke up, clenched his little fists, and made soft whimpering sounds. The wife stopped talking, bent down, and picked up her son.
Zhao Lixin stood by and watched, his gaze gentle.
However, as he looked around, he was momentarily distracted and couldn't help but recall his conversation with the old butler.
What exactly is in the small garden...?
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