No reconciliation, no forgiveness! Mr. Pei leaves with nothing.

Jiang Hua didn't receive a reply from Shen Yebai. Seeing his silence, her phone suddenly rang. It was a message from Bao'er. When she opened the long string of text, Jiang Hua could hardly recognize it.

Bao'er: Huahua, I overheard Great-Grandma and Brother discussing their marriage last time. Actually, the child was indeed Brother's, but he never intended to have it at first. It was Pei Zhan who secretly protected Brother's child until Xu Xiangjun gave birth, and only then did she bring the child to the Shen family.

Huahua, actually, I did find Xu Xiangjun quite annoying at first, but after she entered the Shen family, I saw everything she did for my brother. She seems to genuinely like him, after all, she's the only one who's stayed by his side for so many years.

Many people who marry into the Shen family are only after the brother's status and position; they don't have much genuine affection for him.

If possible, and if Xu Xiangjun doesn't want anything else, I think it would be good for her to stay by her brother's side.

I've already talked to my brother, but he yelled at me and won't listen to me at all.

Brother, you're my best friend.

What you said, your brother will listen to.

After reading these messages, Jiang Hua finally understood that Pei Zhan was also responsible for Xu Xiangjun giving birth to this child.

Jiang Hua sighed, watching the performance on stage, as if a stone was pressing on her chest. After all, the trouble for Shen Yebai was brought to him by Pei Zhan, and perhaps it was also because of her.

Regardless of whether Shen Yebai wanted the child or not, it was indeed forced upon him.

She knew that Shen Yebai didn't like being schemed against.

The two were silent for a long time.

Jiang Hua bit her lip, unable to concentrate at all. After a long while, she turned to look at him, "...Don't you really like Xu Xiangjun at all? If you didn't like her, you wouldn't have let her follow you for so many years, right?"

She carefully observed his expression. Like Pei Zhan, Shen Yebai was someone who rarely showed his emotions, and his micro-expressions at this moment were difficult to read.

Jiang Hua thought so. She felt that Shen Yebai had a place for Xu Xiangjun in his heart. If he didn't, how could he have tolerated her by his side for so many years?

Shen Yebai, who has always been self-disciplined and respectful of propriety, is not a man who is obsessed with women, but Xu Xiangjun is an exception.

"Give it a try. If there are no better options, why not try being with her?"

"Even if you have other options, there's no need to compromise yourself and marry someone you don't like. When it comes to children, there are always better ways to make them stay with you, even if they don't stay by your side. No matter what, they are still your children."

After remaining silent for a long time, Shen Yebai suddenly said, "Fine, if you want me to stay, then I will stay."

"Right now, I really don't have a better option."

Blame it on his initial wavering decision to leave.

He slowly glanced away, noticing a faint smile playing on his lips.

Jiang Hua was stunned, unsure of what to say for a moment.

The more he compromised, the more guilty Jiang Hua felt, not because of the child, but because of Pei Zhan's scheming against him.

"I don't want you to accept Xu Xiangjun because of me. It's not up to me. This is your own business. She's the person you'll spend the rest of your life with. If you don't want to be together, then don't be together. Never force yourself to compromise."

Seeing her earnestness and concern for him, Shen Yebai's lips curled into a slight smile, but it was very faint. "Okay."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Hua's phone rang. Upon seeing who was calling, she immediately frowned, hung up the phone, and put it on silent. She didn't answer when they called again.

The two of them quietly continued reading the rest of the content.

An hour later, Jiang Hua had already slumped to the side, her head propped up by her hand, her eyes filled with a listless weariness.

"This is the first time I've seen you like this. Bao'er told me that you've been recovering a lot recently, and you've been taking medicine for the sake of the baby?"

Jiang Hua nodded. "What if I actually win the gamble and give birth to the child safely? I want to give it a try."

Shen Yebai: "I'll have Xie Huai invalidate those documents after a while."

Jiang Hua knew what he meant. "No need. Even if it's not for my own sake, consider those shares as a gift for you and the children in the future. Anyway, I have more money than I can spend. The Huo family business is so big, no matter how much I squander, I won't go bankrupt."

Even if she gambles, the money will ultimately end up in her own pocket.

During that time at the First City Under Heaven, she lost so much money and thought he was really protecting her, which is why she wanted to win the money back. But she never expected... that bastard had been putting on an act with her all along.

Really good at pretending!

Just then, the director of the drama theater walked up to Jiang Hua and said, "Ms. Jiang, I'm sorry to bother you, but someone called me looking for you."

find her?

Jiang Hua answered the phone, holding it to her ear. She heard a deep, familiar voice come from the phone, "Mrs. Pei, shouldn't you be going home?" The voice was accompanied by the sound of steady footsteps.

She hung up the phone and returned it. In the blink of an eye, she saw Pei Zhan at the door. He slowly put down the phone that had been hung up.

"Then I'll go back first."

"Well, be careful on the road."

Jiang Hua stepped down the stairs and walked out the door. As she passed Pei Zhan, she reached out and hooked her arm around his waist, but Jiang Hua didn't even give him a glance.

Shen Yebai shifted slightly, his gaze turning cold as he looked at the two figures…

...

As they walked out of the theater and sat in the car, Jiang Hua looked at him with annoyance. "Pei Zhan, why did you have to provoke Shen Yebai and scheme against him? He clearly doesn't want Xu Xiangjun's child. Why did you have to interfere in the Shen family's affairs?"

Pei Zhan stepped forward and helped her fasten her seatbelt, "So that he'll give up any improper thoughts he might have about you!"

"If Shen Yebai and Xu Xiangjun were truly innocent, I would never have had the opportunity to stir things up behind the scenes. It wouldn't be considered me meddling; at most, it would be a good deed."

"Ha," Jiang Hua laughed, "A good deed?"

"I think you're sick."

Pei Zhan: "Why did the Shen family break off the engagement back then? Doesn't Mrs. Pei understand better than I do why?"

"Back then, I concealed my identity and managed the Jiang family business, making Chairman Jiang the richest man in the capital. Now that Mrs. Pei has been cared for for so long, her health is starting to improve. Do you think the Shen family doesn't have other intentions?"

Back then, it was publicly claimed that the Jiang family broke off the engagement with the Shen family, but that wasn't actually the case. It was just to make it sound better to outsiders because of the relationship between the two families. It was the Shen family that wanted the Jiang family to take the initiative to break off the engagement.

Although the marriage was off, the help the Shen family had given to the Jiang family over the years cannot be denied.

"Could you please stop projecting your wild and unfounded suspicions onto the Shen family?"

"nausea."

It's disgusting. The elders in the Shen family treated her very well, but it shouldn't be like this. Because of the Jiang family's business, they were trying to get her to divorce Pei Zhan and then try to match her up with Shen Yebai.

After leaving the theater, the two found a restaurant to eat at. Thinking about what Pei Zhan had told her, perhaps he was right. If Shen Yebai truly didn't like Xu Xiangjun, why would he have allowed her to become pregnant with his child? It was just that the timing of this child's birth was wrong. In a few years, Xu Xiangjun, who remained by his side, would inevitably become pregnant sooner or later. It was just that Pei Zhan had brought this child to the fore.

As time goes on and the two spend more time together, Shen Yebai will eventually fall for him.

Jiang Hua ate very slowly, taking almost an hour to finish her meal. She got up and went to the restroom. As she passed a private room, the people inside were probably discussing marriage and arguing about the bride price.

She didn't listen much and quickly walked past. When she came out of the restroom again...

Jiang Hua hadn't expected such a coincidence. As soon as she came out, she saw Song Qingran by the sink, her eyes red, washing her face with cold water. Seeing her again, Jiang Hua didn't react much. She calmly washed her hands beside her and then took out lipstick from her bag to touch up her lips.

There were no extra opportunities for communication during that time.

Song Qingran wasn't actually unattractive; she was a pure and innocent beauty with many suitors since childhood. However, she paled in comparison to Jiang Hua. The pure and pretty white flower would always be overshadowed by the vibrant red rose. Jiang Hua was too beautiful, breathtakingly so, and exuded an aggressive allure. She was practically made with money, radiating the air of a wealthy heiress. Even every strand of her hair was exquisitely crafted. The aura emanating from her was captivating, filling every space around her; wherever she was, it seemed to become her territory.

Her beauty makes every man, regardless of gender, willing to give everything for her and submit to her at her feet.

"Was it you who made those problematic incense sticks in the room at the Dynasty Hotel last time?"

"Senior Jiang, I don't understand why you did this. If it's because my relationship with Mr. Pei makes you feel insecure, why are you treating me like this!"

Jiang Hua didn't rush to answer her question, but slowly twisted the cap off her lipstick. "Are you worth dealing with? If I were you, I wouldn't humiliate myself by saying these things to me!"

She turned around and gave her a once-over. "In what way do you compare to me?"

"Is it about birth or family background?"

"An ordinary person like you doesn't even deserve to see me. What Pei Zhan did to you before was nothing more than charity. He pitied you... or perhaps, it was for his sister's sake?"

"I heard her organs are in your body?"

“If it were me, I would do the same. After all, it’s my sister’s organs. I’d keep her as a substitute. After all… before Pei Zhan became the heir of the Huo family, I really looked down on such a country bumpkin. If his sister hadn’t died, you wouldn’t have had a chance to live in that seaside villa.”

"And the sense of security you mentioned!"

Jiang Hua took a step forward, a step that was extremely oppressive. Song Qingran was overwhelmed by her aura and took a step back, almost falling over. She could only hold onto the sink for support. Seeing her timid appearance, she smiled mockingly, "Don't you think too highly of yourself?"

"Ah~ I forgot, back at the hotel, when he forced you, he said those things. If it were me, I would have agreed. But unfortunately, you couldn't control yourself. Otherwise... you might be the matriarch of the Huo family now."

What?! She was there too!

So she heard everything?

Her already pale face turned even paler.

Jiang Hua probably saw through her thoughts, because this time she didn't say anything in rebuttal.

"Xia He is the best example, but unfortunately... you are not as smart as her."

"Song Qingran, live your own life well and don't fantasize about things you shouldn't be fantasizing about."

Happy holidays, Song!

"Oh, I forgot, you've been fired."

"Without Pei Zhan, you really are... nothing."

Song Qingran clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her grief, and retorted, "Yes, I am a stand-in."

"Miss Jiang, I'd like to pass on those words to you as well."

"If Sister Ah-Xu hadn't died, the first person Mr. Pei would have married would have been her."

"You'll never know how much Mr. Pei cares, Sister Xu. No one can compare, not even you!"

These words caused Jiang Hua a slight pain in her heart, as if a thorn had been stuck in her heart.

Jiang Hua didn't bother to look at her again and turned to leave.

As we left the restaurant, the arguing started again behind us.

"Eighty-eighty thousand? You really have the nerve to ask for that much. How much money did my son give your daughter? A room, and even the place you're living in now—wasn't it all provided by Yuanzhou? How dare you ask for eighty-eighty thousand like that!"

"If this marriage is a big deal, then we won't get married."

As Jiang Hua linked arms with Pei Zhan and walked down the corridor, Song Qingran's figure slowly appeared in front of them not far away at the opposite corner.

It seems she's still not giving up.

Her eyes were fixed on Pei Zhan, filled with deep longing and affection, completely ignoring Jiang Hua.

"Wait a minute, your collar is all messed up." Pei Zhan noticed her little scheme and stopped. Jiang Hua, looking every bit the dutiful wife, reached out to straighten it for him. After doing all that, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips.

In that instant, his eyes held a defiant glint as he looked at Song Qingran. "Let's go."

She saw all of this, and Jiang Hua realized that she seemed to be breaking down.

The man who was once within her reach is now out of her reach. The sense of loss she feels is probably because she feels that something that originally belonged to her has been taken away; otherwise, she wouldn't be like this.

No wonder, she's the little girl Pei Zhan raised; these two are practically identical.

She possessed the same arrogance that Pei Zhan had.

We never cherish what we have until we lose it completely, and then we regret it and want to get it back.

But she discovered that even if she regretted it, she didn't even have the right to make amends.

As soon as she got home, Jiang Hua sat or lay on the tatami mat by the window and thought of Pei Zhan's deceased sister, Zhou Xu, once again.

She looked up from her book and her gaze fell on the man at her feet who was trimming her toenails with nail clippers.

"If Zhou Xu hadn't died, would you have married her?"