Chapter Five: Not an Ordinary Person

After all matters had been settled, Father Shen accepted the betrothal gift list, a flash of greed flickering in his eyes. Yet, in the very next moment, a man’s warning voice sounded, “I hope you’ll hand over the betrothal gifts to Qingli in their entirety, Uncle Shen.”

A shiver ran down Father Shen’s spine, but before he could reply, a servant burst in, panic-stricken, “Sir, the eldest and second young ladies got into a fight—something’s happened to the second young lady!”

“What did you say?” Father Shen shot to his feet. Jingrong had already lost her mother—if something more happened, how could he answer to her departed mother?

Without a moment’s hesitation, he strode out with long, hurried steps.

Since it involved Shen Qingli, Xie Jinchuan naturally stood up and followed.

But when the two arrived in the garden, they found Shen Jingrong sitting by the lake in a daze, while Shen Qingli was sinking deeper into the water, her lifeless form vanishing beneath the surface.

Had they come any later, even her head would have disappeared from sight.

Father Shen was aghast. “What are you standing there for? Save her, quickly!”

Even before the words had finished, a dark figure leapt into the water with a splash, and within moments, Xie Jinchuan had pulled her out, drenched and limp, making Father Shen’s heart pound with terror.

“I’ll take her with me,” Xie Jinchuan stated, his gaze sweeping coldly over the still-stunned Shen Jingrong, his eyes as dark as an abyss.

Frightened by the chilling aura, Father Shen didn’t dare utter a word, hastily forcing a smile. “Take care, President Xie.”

Only after they had left did Father Shen breathe a sigh of relief. He rushed to grab Shen Jingrong. “What on earth happened here?!”

Old Xie had come to formally set the marriage date today—this proved he wasn’t just interested in Shen Qingli on a whim. If they offended this powerful man from Jin City, even ten Shen families couldn’t pay the price!

Shen Jingrong’s face was ashen; she shook her head desperately. “I don’t know, I don’t know how she fell into the water…”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She had intended to be the one to fall in, but somehow that wretched girl had gone in instead, sinking with alarming speed before she could even react.

After all, how could a normal person sink so quickly!

“You!” Father Shen stamped his foot, his face a livid hue. After a long sigh, he groaned, “You’re going to be the death of me!”

In contrast to his agitation, Xie Jinchuan’s side was eerily quiet.

Incense burned gently in the room. Shen Qingli lay on the bed, her face devoid of color, her breathing barely perceptible.

The man sat at the bedside, watching her unblinkingly, his eyes fathomless. Even though the doctor had assured him she would wake, Xie Jinchuan’s heart still throbbed with sharp pain.

He kept vigil for two hours before the butler knocked softly on the door. “Sir, the old master has arrived.”

Xie Jinchuan’s expression sharpened slightly. He laid her hand down and went downstairs.

As soon as Old Master Lu saw him, his deeply wrinkled face twisted with fury. He snatched a teacup from the table and hurled it at him. The cup shattered at Xie Jinchuan’s feet, tea splashing everywhere.

“An uncle stealing his nephew’s fiancée—if this gets out, what face will the Lu family have left?” Old Master Lu glared coldly. “Do you want all of Jin City laughing at us?”

Xie Jinchuan’s expression remained utterly calm, as if he were immune to the old man’s rage.

“The Lu family laughed at?” He sat across from the old master and looked up coolly. “If I hadn’t intervened back then, the Lu family would have ceased to exist.”

His words landed like a slap, but they were the truth.

Years ago, the Lu family had weathered a financial crisis. Their capital chain snapped, projects collapsed, and they stood on the brink of bankruptcy.

It was Old Master Lu himself who had begged Xie Jinchuan to return. In just half a year, Lu Corporation emerged from its troubles and thrived.

In fact, over the years, it had become the largest conglomerate in Jin City, and the Lu family had risen to be the most prominent clan.

The old master was momentarily at a loss for words, but prideful as ever, he thumped his cane hard against the floor. “No matter what, you can’t steal Ziyi’s fiancée! What kind of talk is this?”

Xie Jinchuan’s gaze turned even colder, his tone unkind. “That boy came to you about this?”

Old Master Lu frowned. “Ziyi only knows you went to break off the engagement, he has no idea you’ve now proposed to that girl. Stealing from your own family—how could you stoop so low?” The old master’s anger returned, his glare growing ever more hostile.

“Family?” Xie Jinchuan’s lips curled with icy disdain. “Have you forgotten how I was driven from the Lu family? How my mother died? Do I need to remind you again?”

The chill in his words was layered and biting, making even the old master shudder.

“I am still your elder! Is this how you speak to me?” Old Master Lu gripped his cane, chest heaving in anger.

Xie Jinchuan couldn’t be bothered to argue further. He placed an envelope on the table. “See for yourself.”

Old Master Lu shot him a suspicious look and opened the envelope. Inside was a stack of photographs.

Each one showed Lu Ziyi and Shen Jingrong in intimate poses.

The old master’s eyes widened, his face quickly turning an ominous shade. He furrowed his brows, staring at Xie Jinchuan in disbelief.

“Would I lie to you?” Xie Jinchuan’s voice was lazy, but brooked no argument.

Old Master Lu threw the photos onto the table, so enraged his head spun. “That brat! I’ll kill him!”

No wonder Ziyi had been talking about breaking off the engagement a few days ago, unable to give a proper reason. So it was all because of that illegitimate daughter from the Shen family.

Disgraceful! Utterly disgraceful!

With things as they were, Old Master Lu had lost any standing to interfere. Before leaving, he forced out, “Handle this as you will, but don’t drag the Lu family’s name through the mud!” With that, he departed in a hurry.

A trace of mockery flashed in Xie Jinchuan’s eyes. He rose and went upstairs, just as a cough sounded from the room.

He quickened his pace, and upon entering, saw Shen Qingli trying to sit up in bed.

“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?” Xie Jinchuan’s voice was gentle, his brows slightly furrowed.

She shook her head, but coughed a few more times, her throat raw from all the water she’d swallowed. “I’m fine, Third Uncle.”

Glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings, Shen Qingli couldn’t help but ask, “Third Uncle, why am I here?”

Xie Jinchuan looked into her eyes, his voice steady and calm. “You’ll be living here from now on. Our marriage is already settled.”

Shen Qingli’s eyes widened in shock. What on earth!?

As she grappled with the news of both the broken and the new engagement, the internet had already exploded.

An anonymous insider posted: [Do you know why Shen Qingli broke off her engagement to the Lu family’s youngest grandson only to get engaged to Xie Jinchuan? Because she looked down on Lu Ziyi and wanted to soar higher, so she did everything she could to seduce Xie Jinchuan.]

Below were two photographs.

One showed her at the hospital, pitifully clutching Xie Jinchuan’s sleeve, hiding behind him.

The other showed her, soaked after falling into the lake at the Shen house, being held in Xie Jinchuan’s arms.

Unfazed, Shen Qingli scrolled down, watching as public opinion turned overwhelmingly against her.

Had it not been for living in the wrong era, she would have suspected that, in these people’s eyes, she was the second coming of Daji.