Madam Shen hugged the young girl with heartache: "Alright, alright, we won't marry you off. Our Yinyin is so beautiful, of course she should marry the best. Since you don't want to marry into that family, let your sister go instead!"
"She's not my sister; she doesn't have the Shen family blood in her," Shen Yinyin said disdainfully, then shifted her tone: "If I were to marry, it would be to He Yining—he's the future head of the He family, after all."
Shen Qi returned to her room in a daze. As the door closed behind her, she leaned against it and slowly slid down, landing on the carpet. Hugging her knees, tears streamed down her face.
Zhan Bo was still in critical condition, and yet her family was already forcing her to take Shen Yinyin's place in marriage. If she refused, the Shen family would cut off the funding for her brother's treatment. But if she agreed... what would happen to Zhan Bo? Why was fate treating her so cruelly?
A knock came at the door: "Xiao Qi, I know you're in there. Can I talk to you?"
Shen Qi's body stiffened, her fingers tightening. After a moment of silence, she opened the door.
Madam Shen, ignoring whether her daughter had changed out of her wet clothes, walked in and said, "Xiao Qi, I know you resent me. But I have no choice! When I brought Xiao Liu and you along after remarrying into this family, I endured so much hardship. The Shen family treated you both as their own, gave you their surname, funded your education, and paid for your brother's medical care. You know your brother's condition will likely never improve. Without a good hospital, he won't live long."
Shen Qi's lowered eyes hid endless sorrow.
"Just thinking about the He family coming to collect debts from us makes me uneasy. If we lose everything, what will happen to you and Xiao Liu?" Madam Shen wiped her eyes theatrically. "I'm doing this for your own good. Even if that He family member is just an adopted son, he's still the eldest. Marry him, and you'll be the eldest mistress! Even if he's not the head of the He family, He Yining will ensure you live a life of luxury out of brotherly duty."
Seeing Shen Qi unmoved, Madam Shen deployed her ultimate weapon, turning and wailing loudly: "Oh, how miserable I am! I've given birth to three children in my life—one has been foolish since childhood, another is unfilial and wants to drive me, her mother, to death! My poor Yinyin is still so young and might become motherless... Wuwu... I might as well die now! What's the point of living?"
Every time Madam Shen acted like this, Shen Qi would give in. But this time, Shen Qi only asked calmly, "Mom, Zhan Bo has always been filial to you, visiting with gifts every holiday. Now that something's happened to him, have you ever asked me how he's doing?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Shen Qi's eyes reddened, nearly breaking into tears again.
"Isn't he dead already? What's there to ask about a dead man?" Madam Shen blurted out. "If it weren't for Zhan Bo's family having some influence, I would never have agreed to you two dating!"
Shen Qi squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down uncontrollably. She couldn't bear to admit that the person saying these things was her own mother. In her eyes, besides herself and Shen Yinyin, who else mattered?
"Besides, I've found you a better match now! Shen Qi, don't be ungrateful. What kind of family is the He family? What's the Zhan family compared to them? I'm warning you—if you dare refuse to marry, I'll have Xiao Liu's treatment stopped immediately!" Madam Shen's patience ran out. She stood up and left the room without even glancing at Shen Qi.
Listen to what she said—that was her son! She was threatening her daughter with her own son!
Hearing the door slam shut, Shen Qi could no longer hold back her emotions. She hugged her knees and burst into loud sobs.
A figure timidly stood before Shen Qi, speaking hesitantly: "Xiao Qi, clothes, wet."
Hearing this voice, Shen Qi slowly looked up. Shen Lu's stunningly beautiful face came into view. She immediately stood up and threw herself into his arms, letting her tears pour out all her grievances.
No one in the entire household had noticed she was soaked through—only her brother, who suffered from autism, had.
"Brother..." Shen Qi clung tightly to Shen Lu's waist, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Don't cry, Xiao Qi, don't cry." Shen Lu's body stiffened, but he mechanically patted Shen Qi's head.
After coaxing Shen Lu to sleep, Shen Qi sat nearby in a daze. For as long as she could remember, taking care of her brother had been her responsibility. At some point, he was diagnosed with autism and stopped communicating with anyone. No one could get close to him except Shen Qi.
She gently stroked her brother's cheek, her heart softening. Her brother was extraordinarily beautiful, with an androgynous allure that rivaled He Yining's in appearance—one was enchanting, the other seductive. Yet their circumstances were worlds apart. Her brother was confined to his room, trapped in a lonely world, while He Yining was a financial titan.
Just thinking about He Yining made Shen Qi's mood plummet. After prolonged treatment, her brother had begun to communicate with her. The doctor said with a little more time, he could interact like a normal person. How could she let the treatment stop at this critical juncture? But all the money she earned was taken by her mother under the pretext of nourishing her brother, and now she was also a million in debt. If the Shen family refused to pay...
Shen Qi dared not think further. She couldn't imagine Shen Lu sinking back into darkness and isolation. No, absolutely not!
He Yining swirled the glass in his hand, squinting at his suddenly visiting elder brother. "Give me a reason to marry in your place."
He Yining's elder brother, the He family's adopted son—He Yiqi—downed his red wine in one gulp and let out a long sigh: "Yining, I've officially renounced my claim to the He family inheritance."
"But that's not enough to make me sacrifice my marriage as a bargaining chip." He Yining chuckled, a sharp glint flashing in his phoenix eyes. "Change the terms."
"What if I told you I've found a lead on the little girl you've been searching for all this time?" He Yiqi suddenly looked up at his younger brother, who had already risen to prominence and dominated the financial world.
He Yining's fingers tightened abruptly, his handsome, seductive face shifting instantly. "Are you serious?"
He Yiqi nodded. "The last place she appeared happens to be where I'm headed. I can make inquiries for you along the way."
He Yining hesitated slightly.
He Yiqi pressed on: "If she doesn't get pregnant within a year, the old lady will drive her out. You're only giving up a year of your freedom."