Chapter 12: His Name Would Scare You to Death

Liu Xiaohan's laughter cut through the tension as she quickly ushered Song Qi Nian inside. "It's nothing, really. My daughter's here- we'll talk more later! Let’s continue"

The tiny apartment - barely sixty square meters - felt suffocating. A mahjong table dominated the cramped living room, and a nauseating blend of cigarette smoke, stale sweat, and beer assaulted Song Qi Nian's senses the moment she entered.

Four people were scattered around the room: Liu Xiaohan, two women dressed in provocative clothing, and a shirtless man. Everyone had a cigarette, wisps of smoke hanging in the stale air. Song Qi Nian's temples throbbed, her eyes burning with a mix of anger and pain.

"Your mute daughter?" one of the women asked with a sneer. "Didn't you say she married some wealthy guy? What's she doing in a dump like this?"

Another voice chimed in, "Seriously. If she'd really married rich, she'd be living in some fancy villa by now, not this run-down place."

A hint of nostalgia crept into the conversation. "Nian was something else back in the day. Every boy in the neighborhood had a crush on her."

Liu Xiaohan let out a dismissive laugh. "Of course my daughter's beautiful - she takes after me. And she did marry a wealthy man. His name? It would scare you to death!" She waved her hand, turning back to the mahjong game. "Now, I'm about to turn my luck around..."

She never finished the sentence.

Song Qi Nian erupted, flipping the mahjong table with a sudden, violent motion. Tiles scattered, chips flew, and shocked cries filled the room as everyone jumped to their feet.

Cold fury etched every line of Song Qi Nian's face. She grabbed a broom, her meaning crystal clear: get out, or face the consequences. Her silence wasn't weakness - it was a warning.

The group, already tired from a long night of gambling, needed no further persuasion. They shuffled out, embarrassment mixing with lingering frustration.

"Hey! Wait!" Liu Xiaohan shouted after them. "You can't just walk away with my money!"

Liu Xiaohan tried to chase after the departing gamblers, but they were long gone. Fuming, she stormed into her room and jabbed a finger at Song Qi Nian's face. "You're my absolute worst nightmare! I was about to turn my luck around, and you scared everyone away. You'll pay for the money I lost..."

Song Qi Nian threw the broom aside and signed furiously, "Did you go begging Gu Zhiyan for money?"

A flicker of guilt crossed Liu Xiaohan's face. She avoided Song Qi Nian's piercing gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Hoping the gamblers might have left some cash behind, Liu Xiaohan frantically checked the drawers of the mahjong table.

Song Qi Nian wasn't backing down. She stepped closer, signing with sharp, angry movements. "Why did you go to Gu Zhiyan? Why?!"

Liu Xiaohan tried to ignore her, but Song Qi Nian's persistence wore her down. Finally, she snapped, "Fine! I went to ask for money. My daughter's been married to his son for three years - basically just sleeping with him for three years. What's wrong with asking for some pocket money? Is that not allowed?"

The revelation hit Song Qi Nian like a punch. She'd already been humiliated in front of the Shen family, and now her mother was shamelessly asking her mother-in-law for money.

"Didn't I give you money every month?" Song Qi Nian signed.

Liu Xiaohan scoffed, "How dare you! You're married to a billionaire CEO, and you give me peanuts? Am I supposed to be grateful for these crumbs?"

Taking a deep breath, Song Qi Nian demanded coldly, "How much did you ask Gu Zhiyan for?"

Liu Xiaohan's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do?"

"Tell me!"

"About 500,000," she admitted. "She’s a big star with tons of money. I'm her in-law, and she only gave me 500,000. So stingy!"

Song Qi Nian's fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms. "Where's the money?"

"Gone!" Liu Xiaohan's voice rose dramatically. "Your brother needs to study. The family needs support. I'm maintaining connections to make sure your father's comfortable in prison. Isn't that what the money was for? I'm holding this entire family together. And you have the nerve to embarrass me in front of everyone?" She collapsed onto the sofa, unleashing a theatrical cry. "Oh, why is my life so impossible!"

But Song Qi Nian knew better. Her father had been in prison for over three years, and Liu Xiaohan had visited only once. Every prison arrangement, every support system - Song Qi Nian had managed it all.

"You're lying," she signed forcefully. "You gambled every last cent away!"

Liu Xiaohan leaped up from the sofa, her face twisted with rage. "This is all your fault! I was losing all night, and just when my luck was about to change, you showed up and ruined everything. If you hadn't interfered, I would've won back everything I lost!"

Song Qi Nian stared at her mother's contorted face, feeling a deep weariness settle in her bones. Her mother had always loved gambling, but now - with their family falling apart and her father in prison - the addiction had grown worse. And now she'd stooped to begging Gu Zhiyan for money.

Five hundred thousand.

Gone. All of it.

Fury and helplessness warred inside Song Qi Nian. She couldn't stand to look at her mother anymore and turned to leave.

Liu Xiaohan lunged forward, grabbing Song Qi Nian's arm with desperate fingers. "Don't you dare leave! I'm broke, you-"

Song Qi Nian yanked her arm free, her hands moving in cold, sharp gestures. "I have no money. If you don't stop gambling, you'll never see another penny from me."

As her mother's face darkened with anger, Song Qi Nian continued signing. "And don't even think about going to Gu Zhiyan again. The Shen family already hates me. If you keep causing trouble, Shen Qiyan will divorce me, and everything you schemed for three years ago will slip through your fingers."

Leaving her mother's curses behind, Song Qi Nian stepped out of the suffocating apartment. Outside, a gray drizzle had started to fall, matching her mood. Her thoughts kept circling back to Gu Zhiyan's five hundred thousand.

Even though her mother had begged for the money, Song Qi Nian knew she had to pay it back somehow. But on her measly six-thousand-a-month salary, how long would that take?

Her phone buzzed twice. A message from Li Nanxun lit up the screen: "Ms. Song, President Shen needs you to bring a gray suit from his cabinet and a blue striped tie to the Venus Hotel within the hour."

Something felt off the moment Song Qi Nian entered the villa. Usually, three or four servants would be bustling around Shen Chi Yan's home, filling the space with chatter and laughter when he was away.

Today, an eerie silence hung over everything.

"Madam."

Zhang Qiaoqiao?

Song Qi Nian blinked in surprise at the familiar face.

"Yes, starting today, I'll be taking care of you and Mr. Shen."

Zhang Qiaoqiao was Zhang Ma's daughter - the same Zhang Ma who served the old lady. Everyone knew Zhang Qiaoqiao for her bright personality and easy way with people.

The old lady, after learning how the villa's servants had mistreated Song Qi Nian, had sent Zhang Qiaoqiao to look after her and keep tabs on Shen Chi Yan.

"Madam, we can use sign language to talk," Zhang Qiaoqiao said eagerly. "I'm learning it, and I'm picking it up pretty fast!"

The girl's earnest, almost goofy expression drew a small smile from Song Qi Nian. "Alright, thank you for doing this."

"Oh no, please don't thank me! It's my job, after all."

But Song Qi Nian couldn't stay to chat - she still had to deliver those clothes to Shen Chi Yan. She grabbed the suit and tie, then rushed to the Venus Hotel as quickly as she could.

When she reached the room Li Nanxun had mentioned, she found the secretary waiting outside. As always, Li Nanxun's pristine appearance made everyone around her straighten up instinctively.

"Secretary Song, President Shen is waiting inside."

Li Nanxun held the door open. Song Qi Nian gave a quick nod, then paused. She gestured to Li Nanxun, "Secretary Li, could you tell me what's going on?"