The police officer opposite him expressionlessly put away his notebook: "Ms. Murong, you are suspected of kidnapping and intentional assault. The evidence is conclusive, and the court has rejected your bail application."

"What?!" Murong Xue jumped up, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. "Impossible! My brother promised to come pick me up!"

The policeman sneered: "Not a single member of the Murong family has come in the past three days."

Murong Xue's expression finally changed.

She bit her lip, her nails digging deep into her palms: "I need to make a phone call."

The phone rang for a long time before being answered.

"Brother!" Murong Xue's voice trembled with tears, "Why didn't you come to pick me up? They said I couldn't be released on bail, how could that be? Our Murong family—"

"Enough!" Murong Jing's voice was icy cold on the other end of the phone. "Murong Xue, do you know what the Murong family has become because of you?"

Murong Xue was stunned: "I...I don't know..."

"The stock price has plummeted, partners are withdrawing investment, banks are pressing for repayment, and Grandpa was so angered by you that he was hospitalized!" Murong Jing practically roared, "The Murong family's century-old legacy is about to be destroyed in your hands!"

Murong Xue trembled all over: "Brother, I didn't mean to... that bitch Shen Chumo framed me..."

"Are you still shirking responsibility?" Murong Jing's voice was filled with disappointment. "Do you know why no one has come to bail you out? Because the entire Murong family is busy saving themselves, and no one has time to deal with your mess!"

I already promised you I'd make Shen Chumo pay! Why did you have to act on your own, and so stupidly, getting caught red-handed?

There was a lot of background noise coming from the other end of the phone, as if someone was urging Murong Jing.

"Brother! Don't hang up!" Murong Xue panicked. "You can't leave me... I'm your own sister!"

Murong Jing was silent for a few seconds, then finally said only one sentence: "Reflect on your actions in prison."

"Beep beep beep..."

The muffled sound was like a dull knife, slowly slicing through Murong Xue's heart.

She stood there blankly, the phone slipping from her hand and falling to the ground.

A prison guard walked over and said expressionlessly, "Time's up. Go back to your cell."

Murong Xue suddenly broke down in tears: "No! You can't do this to me! I'm the eldest daughter of the Murong family! I—"

The prison guard sneered and forcefully grabbed her arm: "Here, you're just a prisoner."

As she was dragged away, Murong Xue, through her tear-filled eyes, saw the mottled stains on the visiting room wall. She suddenly remembered that last look Shen Chumo gave as Lin Yuan led her away on the cruise ship—

That look in his eyes was like looking at a dead person.

In the dark and damp cell, Murong Xue huddled in a corner.

The female prisoners in the same cell whispered among themselves:

"I heard she used to be a rich heiress..."

"Pah! You bully who uses their power to oppress others, you deserve it!"

"Judging from her appearance, her family definitely doesn't want her anymore..."

Every word was like a knife stabbing into Murong Xue's heart.

She bit her lip hard until she tasted blood. No, she was right.

It was clearly that bitch Shen Chumo who harmed her first; it was clearly Rong Jingtian who abandoned her.

What's wrong with her retaliating?!

Murong Xue was unaware that this was the most peaceful moment of her life; what followed would be an absolute catastrophe.

As the school bell rang, Shen Chumo packed her schoolbag and stepped out of the school gate. She saw a low-key yet luxurious black Maybach parked on the side of the road. The window was half-rolled down, revealing an old but dignified face.

He was an elderly man of about seventy years old, with his silver hair neatly combed. His brows exuded a sense of oppression from someone who had long held a high position, and his sharp eyes were fixed on her.

Shen Chumo paused, her intuition telling her that this person was coming for her.

Sure enough, the car door opened, and a well-dressed middle-aged man strode over and said respectfully to her, "Miss Shen, the old man wants to see you."

Shen Chumo narrowed her eyes, her tone calm: "Who are you?"

The middle-aged man bowed slightly: "Shen Group, Old Master Shen."

Shen Chumo's eyes flickered slightly, and he instantly understood.

—The Shen family has finally come knocking.

Confrontation inside the car

Shen Chumo did not refuse and got into the car directly.

The car door closed, leaving only her and Grandpa Shen in the cramped space.

Old Master Shen looked her up and down with sharp eyes. After a long while, he slowly said, "You and your mother look very alike."

Shen Chumo's expression remained unchanged as she said calmly, "Is that so? It's a pity I can hardly even remember what she looks like anymore."

Old Master Shen frowned slightly: "You've suffered all these years."

Shen Chumo chuckled lightly: "Old Master Shen, you didn't come to see me today to reminisce, did you?"

After a moment of silence, Old Master Shen finally got straight to the point: "Chu Mo, you have the blood of the Shen family flowing in your veins. It's time for you to come home."

Shen Chumo tapped her fingertips lightly on the armrest of the chair, her tone playful: "Go home? When the Shen family abandoned my mother back then, why didn't they think of letting her go home?"

Old Master Shen's expression darkened slightly: "What happened back then was very complicated."

"Complex?" Shen Chumo raised her eyes, a hint of coldness flashing in them. "Is it complex, or do you think my mother is not worthy of the Shen family's reputation?"

Old Master Shen's breath hitched; he clearly hadn't expected her to be so direct.

He took a deep breath and softened his tone: "Back then, your mother insisted on marrying your father, and the family objected because they were afraid she would suffer. Later... it was indeed our oversight that we failed to find you and your mother in time."

Shen Chumo scoffed, "Don't you think it's too late to say all this now?"

Old Master Shen stared at her intently, then suddenly took out a document from his pocket and handed it to her: "This is the agreement for the transfer of 5% of the shares of the Shen Group. As long as you are willing to come back, it is yours."

Shen Chumo glanced at the document but did not reach out to take it.

"Mr. Shen, do you think that as long as you give some money, you can make up for everything?"

Old Master Shen said in a deep voice, "This is not compensation, it is recognition. I have seen your performance in the Jiang family. You are capable, and the Shen family needs you."

Shen Chumo looked at him quietly, then suddenly smiled: "What if I said I have no interest in the Shen family?"

Old Master Shen's gaze sharpened: "Chu Mo, the Shen family can give you far more than you can imagine."

Shen Chumo shook her head, reached out and pushed open the car door, her tone indifferent: "Sorry, I have no interest in the feuds of the wealthy."

She stepped out of the car, and before leaving, she glanced back at Old Master Shen, a slight smile playing on her lips: "However, if the Shen family ever needs help, perhaps... I will consider it."

After saying that, she left without looking back, her back view resolute and free.

Old Master Shen sat in the car, watching her figure gradually disappear into the distance, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

After a long silence, he slowly said, "Send someone to keep an eye on her, but don't disturb her."

"Yes, sir," the middle-aged man replied in a low voice.

Old Master Shen closed his eyes and murmured to himself, "This child is even more stubborn than her mother..."

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