An Qing, imprisoned in Shen Tingfeng's private villa, took advantage of the days he was recovering from illness to get chummy with the guards watching her, using her looks to escape. Disheveled and looking like a survivor of a disaster, she ran frantically without caring about her route. The woman who usually prized her appearance now ignored the strange looks from others, her mind focused on just one thing: going home!
An Qing had been missing for days. An Deyu sent people everywhere to search for her, but with a new project about to launch, reporting it to the police would affect the upcoming press conference. Besides, the An family now only had one "An Qing"—An Ruo, who had married into the Shen family. If they rashly alerted the Shen family, the new project would be ruined!
Mrs. An shed her usual composed demeanor, crying and demanding that An Deyu call the police. They had only one daughter, always pampered and cherished, and couldn't bear to have her vanish without a trace. An Deyu, equally troubled and unable to handle her tantrums, ended up staying at a hotel.
When An Qing stumbled home, ragged as a beggar, they were shocked. Mrs. An wept with joy and held her tightly. Once the mother and daughter had calmed down a bit, An Deyu asked An Qing where she had been. Upon learning the whole story, the calculating man immediately urged his daughter to return to Shen Tingfeng's side and continue serving him.
"Dad, am I really your daughter?" An Qing sobbed bitterly. "Shen Tingfeng is a madman. Do you know what he did to me? And you still want me to go back to him?"
An Deyu did feel for his daughter, but Shen Tingfeng, as a younger generation of the Shen family, had a high chance of inheriting the position of family head! Shen Xiaoxing was a useless cripple, and An Ruo, who had married into the family, was of no use to him either. Those two were essentially dead ends.
"Shen Tingfeng is Shen Yu's only son, the future heir of the Shen Group! If we cozy up to him, it's for the An family's sake, and for your own good." Mrs. An gradually regained her composure. Always calculating, she also urged An Qing. "Being noticed by Shen Tingfeng means you're exceptionally beautiful. How many socialites and noble ladies in Shen City would kill to get into his bed? Listen to your mother, go back obediently. Stick with him, and you'll live a life of luxury. Maybe you'll even become the matriarch of the Shen family."
An Qing never imagined that after escaping death and running home, her parents' first reaction wouldn't be care or sympathy, but to send her back to that demon and serve him with all her heart. She ran to her room crying, and when she was too exhausted to weep anymore, she lifted her eyes, filled with hatred.
She would never forget the scene of those men ravaging her body. The humiliation plunged her into a vortex of vengeance. The one who caused all this was An Ruo! Since Shen Tingfeng liked her, An Qing would destroy An Ruo. She had to vent this anger and make sure they didn't get off easy!
...
The talent competition was in full swing. As the person in charge, An Ruo naturally attended in person. In the first round, several contestants performed well, winning the staff's favor, and the judges gave high scores. An Ruo took their files and knocked on the door of the president's office.
The two men leisurely drinking tea inside were startled. Shen Xiaoxing reacted first, quickly hiding in the secret room behind the bookshelf. Gu Chao straightened his suit, leaned back in the executive chair, and calmly said, "Come in."
The girl pushed the door open and handed over the files. "President, these are the contestants' scores. Please take a look."
"Since I've put you in charge of selecting the spokesperson, you can decide on such small matters." He played the role of a hands-off boss, happy to be idle.
"Are you sure you don't want to see them?"
He nodded confidently. "No need. I trust your judgment."
Feeling a strong sense of validation from him, An Ruo still left the files on his desk before leaving. "Take a look when you have time. A few of them are really talented. The endorsement is minor, but since we're picking the lead actress for Lan Zhen's upcoming film, strength should speak for itself."
With that, she nodded slightly and left the office with light steps. The man emerged from the secret room and reached for the files on the desk, but Gu Chao wasn't fast enough and grabbed air.
"Hey, those were for me to see..."
"She's my wife."
Oh, oh, oh, calling her "wife" now, with that lovesick grin on his face, and still refusing to admit he's smitten?
"She's my little sister-in-law."
Shen Xiaoxing's tone was domineering as he raised an eyebrow at him in challenge. "So I should see them first."
Gu Chao couldn't be bothered to argue. After all, this guy was the company's behind-the-scenes big shot, while he was just a poor wage slave, left to pout in his chair.
The man read very carefully, not focusing on the female stars' looks or competition scores, but on the notes the girl had jotted down in the margins. He could read them over and over again. Her elegant handwriting was as beautiful as her smile.
"Bro, you didn't care about the new product launch, but a few semi-famous actresses are worth this much of your time?" Gu Chao raised an eyebrow, suddenly leaning forward with his elbows on the desk. "Don't tell me you've taken a liking to someone?"
Shen Xiaoxing shot him a cold glare and tossed the files back onto the desk. Gu Chao pouted, shook his head in boredom, sighed, and flipped through them. Suddenly, his gaze froze on one file—the one belonging to Song Weiwei. He stared deeply at the girl's photo... His heart, as if resurrected, began to beat faster, heavier, louder. He couldn't help but touch the face in the picture.