Chapter 59: Threat
Li Qiulian feigned ignorance, shaking her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Strange, did no one close this door?”
Outside the stairwell, a nurse scratched her head, walked over, and pulled the door shut, muttering under her breath.
“So annoying. Why is the lock broken? I can’t stay in this crappy hospital for another day.”
The subtle click of the latch sounded like a massive lock sealing Li Qiulian’s heart in the quiet space.
The person she had avoided for years stood hidden in the darkness, his expression rippleless. Like a dormant beast, he could hunt her down at any moment. She shrank back into the corner as hard as she could.
The next second, her arm was grabbed. She let out a terrified scream.
“Does Li Shen (Auntie Li) want to attract people here?” The man’s fingers pressed maliciously, almost casually, onto her blue and purple bruises.
The lingering pain on her body reminded her of the consequences of running away.
And now that she was caught, another round of even harsher beatings was inevitable. She finally whimpered and cried out in fear, “What… what exactly do you want, Shen Shao (Young Master Shen)?”
Shen Yunqian released his hand and said in a deep voice, “The truth about the car accident four years ago. Tell me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! No one wanted the accident to happen to the Master and Madam. It was just an accident. My husband also died in that crash. I can understand your feelings, but the dead cannot come back to life. Young Master should look to the future.”
Even in this situation, she’s still protecting him?
Shen Yunqian remained unmoved, enunciating every word clearly: “Plastic surgery, changing names, pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes.”
He chuckled dryly. “Li Shen doesn’t think I haven’t investigated, does she? Do I need to tell you which hospital Zhang Shu (Uncle Zhang) had his face done at?”
With every sentence he spoke, Li Qiulian’s face grew paler, until finally, she didn’t even have the strength to hug her knees.
“Your husband betrayed you, your son abandoned you, and the family stepping on your flesh and blood is currently warm and harmonious. If you can endure all that, then what if I told you your husband and his mistress pulled a bait-and-switch long ago, swapping your biological son the moment he was born?”
“These past few years, while you lived in a dilapidated old neighborhood worrying about firewood, rice, oil, and salt, physically and mentally exhausted from your husband’s illegitimate son constantly demanding money, your husband was using ‘work’ as an excuse to live in deep affection with his mistress in a high-end district.”
“Your biological son was sold to a mountainous area, living in deep water and scorching fire for over twenty years.” Shen Yunqian sighed here. “You should be glad he’s a boy.”
He didn’t make it explicit, but Li Qiulian was already biting her lip so hard it nearly bled. The fate of a girl sold into the mountains could only be imagined.
Thinking back to how she often couldn’t hear any movement from next door during the day, panic rose in her heart. But her mouth still refused to believe it. “Impossible. That vixen’s money was all given by my husband. They can’t afford to rent in a high-end district.”
“Rent?” Shen Yunqian crouched down on one knee. “It seems you really are foolish.”
Li Qiulian raised her head helplessly. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see anything clearly. “W-what do you mean?”
“Your husband has a fully paid-for residence in Tingwan District under his name.”
Tingwan District was one of the top ten wealthy neighborhoods in Haishi. Even though the salary of the Shen family’s driver wasn’t low, it was absolutely impossible for him to buy a place there, let alone pay in full.
A thick sense of unease rose in Li Qiulian’s heart. The sound of something shattering echoed in her ears.
Four years ago, the Shen couple went out under the guise of buying a back-to-school gift, hiding the fact that they were going to court from their youngest son.
After the case concluded.
Zhang Shu, who was still working as a driver for the Shen family, was instructed by someone to place knockout incense in the car. The Shen couple, mentally and physically exhausted, didn’t suspect anything and fell into a deep sleep.
Later, at a crossroads, a truck lost control and rushed over, causing a major accident. At the time, it was announced to the public that the three people in the small car and the truck driver had all met with misfortune and died on the spot.
Li Qiulian hugged her son and cried for months. But her husband, who was supposed to be dead, appeared at home with a different face. He said he had been possessed by ghosts and believed someone’s words to harm his employer, but now that person had gone back on their word and wanted to make him a scapegoat.
He came back this time to take Li Qiulian and their son to live elsewhere under assumed names.
For the first two years, the family of three moved from place to place, finally settling in this old neighborhood for two years. Zhang Shu always said he wanted to start a business. When there wasn’t enough money, she sold her house to cover it.
Whenever she asked about the business, he would fly into a rage out of humiliation, scolding her for having long hair but short knowledge, telling her not to dictate things she didn’t understand.
Previously, Li Qiulian and Zhang Shu didn’t often live together, so she didn’t know about his relationship with the woman named Little Wei.
But in these four years, she constantly saw this person in her own neighborhood. Her husband perfunctorily told her it was a colleague delivering things.
Although she was suspicious, she had no evidence and could do nothing. Plus, the other party treated Little Sheng quite well, so she let it go.
But she had ignored the fact that since that person appeared, her son’s scales had been tipping towards her bit by bit, always comparing the two women, intentionally or not.
Maybe there was a wondrous blood connection, or maybe her son had long recognized his biological mother.
The three of them watched her toil like a cow and horse; who knows how many times they cursed her behind her back like a jumping clown.
Li Qiulian simply couldn’t dare to think about it. All of this was a scam her husband created to mess around with his mistress. Her teeth bit into her lip until it bled, but nothing could extinguish the fire of hatred in her heart.
Just then, a bewitching voice rose like a gale on a turbulent sea, lifting the shocking waves to another height, yet the tone remained flat.
“I don’t need you to do much. As long as you act as a witness and return everything he stole, I can help you reunite with your biological son. His properties and the house you sold to cover his debts will all be transferred to your name.”
Shen Yunqian stood up calmly and elegantly, his footsteps echoing in the stairwell piled with debris. “Of course, I won’t force you to do something difficult.”
“It’s just that without my help, you will likely spend the rest of your life here in peace, and you will never see your biological son.”
“In this hospital, you’ve experienced the consequences of running away.”
As he spoke, he reached out to pull the door open. The light from the corridor illuminated the space once again, refracting faint rays off the diamonds on the bracelet on his wrist.
Li Qiulian covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably. Gone was the image of the shrew known far and wide; there was only a pitiful victim.
A doctor walked past the door. Shaking, she remembered the pain of electrotherapy and agreed profusely, “Okay, I promise you, don’t open the door!”
Half of Shen Yunqian’s face was hidden in the shadows. He hooked his lips.
Noticing this scene, Li Qiulian’s eyes widened. She looked at him as if looking at a ghost, her back already soaked with cold sweat.
For the past two days, Lu Xunye had been very anxious. Guarding his remaining 22 days of life value, he had avoided Shen Yunqian for two whole days.
Coincidentally, no matter where he went, as long as he didn’t go home for more than two hours, he would always run into Shen Yunqian.
Lu Xunye cursed silently: Indeed, people are more awkward when they have a guilty conscience.
On a lounge chair by the river in the park, he leaned back lazily.
There were three paths before him.
One: Max out the points within 22 days.
Two: Complete the “Death of the White Moonlight” hidden plot within 22 days, obtain 365 days of life value plus three Mission Boosts, and continue to grind points.
Three: Wait for death.
Music drifted faintly from the other side of the park; the aunties and uncles were square dancing.
Accompanied by the lively beat, the wandering wind gradually calmed the restless fire in Lu Xunye’s chest, making him drowsy.
He wrapped his coat tighter, planning to nap for a bit before heading back. Suddenly, the seat beside him sank as someone sat down. The iron chair creaked. He glanced to the side through hazy eyes.
Unconcerned, he closed his eyes again. Two seconds later, his fingers, crossed over his stomach, twitched uncontrollably as his brain received and digested the information.
He opened his eyes again, tilted his head to look at the person next to him, and considered his opening: “What… a coincidence?”
“It is quite a coincidence.” Shen Yunqian rubbed his phone case, placed a plastic bag between them, and rustled around to pull out a can of alcoholic beverage. “Want one?”
“Rio?” Lu Xunye snorted and snatched it. “Looking down on me?”
The cold liquid entered his stomach, making Lu Xunye shiver. After only a couple of sips, his head started to spin. “Y-your alcohol packs quite a punch.”
Shen Yunqian said indifferently, “It’s because you’re sleepy.”
“Is that so?” Lu Xunye shook his head vigorously, only to become even dizzier.
He rested his elbow on Shen Yunqian’s shoulder, blinked at the blurry figure before him, and used his lack of sobriety to complain, “You… why are you like a homeroom teacher, catching me everywhere? It’s not like I climbed the wall to skip class.”
By the end, he had confused himself. He asked uncertainly, “…Right?”
Shen Yunqian ignored his nonsense, reaching out to steady the hand holding the half-empty can that was swaying back and forth, preventing a spill.
Lu Xunye struggled in dissatisfaction a few times before tossing the matter to the back of his mind.
He leaned his upper body against Shen Yunqian. “I was just thinking… if one day I leave or become another person, will you… remember me?”
Shen Yunqian sneered, sounding like he was mocking himself. “As expected.”
Lu Xunye blinked blankly, feeling the grip on his wrist loosen.
“You’re drunk.” The young man’s pleasant voice floated into his ears like a clear spring in a mountain ravine, crisp and melodious.
He got stubborn, mumbling “I’m not drunk,” before passing out on the chair.
…
Jiang City.
Inside a suburban villa.
Hiss.
Lu Xunye had slept exceptionally heavily. After waking up, he stretched under the quilt, then hugged the bolster in his arms—only to hug empty air.
He didn’t think much of it, pulling the quilt higher to hug it to his chest and burying his face in it. It wasn’t until he heard a crackling electric current sound in his brain that he instantly opened his eyes and sat up.
He rubbed his heavy head. “Do you want to die? What are you making noise for?”
System: 【Do you want to look at where you are right now?】
Lu Xunye lifted his eyelids to look, saying speechlessly.
“My house, where else could it—” His voice paused as he saw the unfamiliar room around him. This room was more than twice the size of his bedroom, with exquisite decoration.
He looked at the bed beneath him, which was half again as wide as his own, then looked up at the crystal chandelier in the center. His heart skipped a beat, thinking: Did I transmigrate again?
Suppressing his panic, he crept downstairs. On the way down, he glanced up and realized there were four floors here. Looking at the corridor opposite, he discovered there was actually an elevator!
Holy crap, what the hell.
“I’ll ask one last time, are you eating or not?”
Shen Yunqian’s voice made Lu Xunye’s eyelid twitch. He looked towards the sound.
Shen Yunqian stood in front of a man, his slender fingers gripping the rim of a bowl, holding it to the other person’s mouth with one hand.
The man’s right arm was suspended in a sling, and the gauze pad on his forehead added a touch of frailty to his raised eyebrows.
Facing the bowl before him, he furrowed his brows, his disdain overflowing. He clicked his tongue, “Plain porridge? I won’t eat it.”
Bang—
The bowl was slammed onto the table, the white porridge splashing onto the dark sandalwood surface, creating white specks.
Shen Yunqian hooked a nearby stool with his leg, sat down, and methodically wiped his hands. The two looked at each other in silence—one solemn, the other lazy.
An indescribable smell of gunpowder permeated the quiet air.
Lu Xunye gripped the handrail and turned his back. Suddenly, a light but hoarse voice rang out behind him.
“Yo, we meet again.”
He pinched his palm and slowly turned around. The gazes of the two people at the dining table converged on him, giving him the creeps.
Lu Xunye covered his lips and coughed lightly. Only upon getting closer did he see the many small scratches on this stranger’s face. He was puzzled. “You know me?”
“I was the one who saved you when the warehouse caught fire last time.”
The other party pointed at Shen Yunqian with his relatively good finger. “My name is Gu Jiang. Hurry up and tell him, I’m absolutely not some Shen Yunji. I got into a car accident on Punan Bridge last night. I thought I’d wake up in the hospital, but who knew he would actually kidnap me here.”
Lu Xunye said sincerely, “Then thank you very much for saving my life.”
Wait, Punan Bridge?
Jiang City?
This is Jiang City?!
Lu Xunye looked down at Shen Yunqian. “Why am I here too?”
Shen Yunqian raised his eyes slightly and lied without changing his expression. “You got drunk last night and insisted on clinging to me to come along.”
“Huh?” Lu Xunye repeated in disbelief. “I clung to you?”
“Otherwise?” Shen Yunqian asked back. “Do you think I could drag you?”
Lu Xunye: “…” That makes sense.
He sat down, pulling a chair closer. “But why did you bring him here?”
Shen Yunqian looked at the man opposite and coldly spat out two words: “Revenge.”
He turned his head to meet Lu Xunye’s stunned gaze. “Any more questions?”
Lu Xunye vaguely felt something was wrong. Just as he opened his mouth, a person barged into his line of sight.
The man wore white clothes and carried a medical kit. He walked up to Shen Yunqian and nodded. “Mr. Shen.”
By the looks of it, he was clearly a doctor.
Shen Yunqian lifted his chin towards the man who looked like it was none of his business, signaling the doctor to examine him.
The doctor met Gu Jiang’s eyes. The doctor’s steps paused, then he walked forward pretending nothing was wrong, placed the medical kit on the table, and blocked Gu Jiang from view.
Gu Jiang tilted his face up, allowing a pair of hands wearing sterile gloves to poke at his face. When his eyelids were lifted, he narrowed his eyes carelessly and mouthed a few words.
The doctor nodded under the cover of his movements.
He examined Gu Jiang’s face thoroughly, finally shaking his head helplessly at Shen Yunqian.
Lu Xunye watched, baffled. Seeing Shen Yunqian’s clenched fist from the corner of his eye, he was even more full of doubts: 【Who is Shen Yunji?】
System: 【It’s the Protagonist Shou’s older brother.】
Brother… Isn’t the Protagonist Shou’s brother dead?
Wait!!!!!
Lu Xunye unconsciously bit the fist pressed against his mouth and silently shifted further away. Then doesn’t that mean Shen Yunqian has regained his memory!
Shen Yunqian didn’t have time to care about Lu Xunye’s small movements. He pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. “Take it.”
At his words, the doctor took out tools, disinfected Gu Jiang’s arm with an alcohol swab, and then drew a vial of blood.
Following the same steps, he also took Shen Yunqian’s blood.
Watching the doctor pack up the medical kit, Shen Yunqian rolled down his sleeve. “When is the soonest the results can be out?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“En.” Shen Yunqian responded. “Take care, I won’t see you out.”
“Young Master, you’re back!” The nanny, who came to clean routinely once a week, pushed open the door. Seeing Shen Yunqian, she ran over happily.
The doctor, passing her to leave the yard, had a grave expression. He touched the object Gu Jiang had just stuffed into his pocket, then left quickly.
Recommended Reads
![[ABO] After Accidental Marking, I Became Everyone’s Darling](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ABO-225x300.jpeg)
