"There's no one else here, so stop pretending with me. It's pointless. We both know the truth, don't we? After all these years as husband and wife, there's no way we wouldn't recognize each other."
"What exactly are you trying to do? You're an old widower now. Don't say things that could be misunderstood. I still plan to get married and have children in the future."
The moment Sheng Sinian heard her say she wanted to marry and have kids, his entire demeanor turned dark and gloomy.
"Qingyu, give up that hope. I will never allow you to marry anyone else. You are mine, always mine. Even in death, I'll keep you bound to my side."
"But why is that? If you truly have such deep feelings for Lin Qingyu, why did you keep a mistress outside and break her heart? If you don't love her anymore, can't you just part ways amicably?"
Lin Mengxing absolutely refused to admit she was Lin Qingyu. Even if Sheng Sinian recognized her, so what? She simply wouldn't acknowledge it.
"Are you trying to trick me into talking?" Sheng Sinian asked with a hint of amusement.
"Even if I am, I just want to know why you're so determined to keep Lin Qingyu by your side. This does neither of you any good."
Sheng Sinian let out a light laugh. "Since you're asking so directly, I won't hold back. I will never let you go because you bring good fortune to your husband. Even if you die, I'll trap you in this villa. So don't think about pulling any tricks. As for that little girl, if you enjoy playing with her, let her stay here to keep you company. Otherwise, bury her on the spot."
"You're insane." Lin Mengxing felt as if she were seeing Sheng Sinian for the first time. The person before her still looked the same, yet there was something eerily sinister about him. Like a madman.
"Heh, tell me, how many people in this world wouldn't go crazy for wealth? Isn't it normal for me to be mad for profit? To be honest, that funeral was set up to lure you out. If you hadn't come, I really wouldn't have found you. Do you have any idea how long I searched for you after you ran away?" As Sheng Sinian spoke, his eyes narrowed, as if recalling the process of searching for her.
Lin Mengxing kept shaking her head. This couldn't be true.
"That's utter nonsense. Everyone's success is tied to effort—either their own or someone else's. How could it be because someone has a fortune-bringing destiny?"
Even as she said this, Lin Mengxing had already believed his words in her heart.
She thought back to the past. Sheng Sinian had suddenly taken a liking to her. At the time, their families weren't well-matched, and she and Sheng Sinian had no connection. But for the Lin family, it was an incredible stroke of luck—being favored by the heir of the Sheng family was like a common peasant girl catching the eye of an emperor on tour. It was a blessing from their ancestors.
To curry favor with the Sheng family, as soon as the engagement was set, her parents gleefully packed her off.
Although she felt utterly humiliated, Sheng Sinian treated her well back then. For a time, she even believed she had found true love.
Later, during her pregnancy, she discovered he was cheating.
Young and headstrong, still holding onto illusions about love, she couldn't accept it and demanded a divorce from Sheng Sinian.
She stormed back to the Lin family in anger. When her parents heard that Sheng Sinian had someone on the side, they didn't stand up for her or even question him. Instead, they blamed her for being immature, saying she couldn't keep her man and had no one else to blame.