Song Qi Nian stood frozen at the entrance of the Lin family villa. Despite its obvious luxury and grandeur, the building loomed before her like a predator ready to strike. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run.
Why had Shen Chi Yan brought her to Lin Xing'an's birthday celebration? What was his true motive?
Noticing her hesitation, Shen Chi Yan's expression hardened, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Having second thoughts? Afraid to face the Lin family's grief? Or perhaps you're worried about their revenge?"
Before she could step back, he pulled her against him, his lips brushing her ear. His breath was warm, but his words cut like ice. "Let me make this clear – if they strike you or curse you today, you'll take it. This is between you, your father, and them."
The realization hit her: Shen Chi Yan had brought her here to pay for her sins.
Every instinct urged her to flee. She'd always believed in her father's innocence. But with him still languishing in prison, running wasn't an option. If she tried, Shen Chi Yan wouldn't just stop her – he'd make her father suffer for it.
The Lin estate was renowned throughout Jinghua City, its grounds sprawling and magnificent.
Shen Chi Yan strode ahead without a backward glance, clearly expecting her to keep up. Song Qi Nian trailed behind him, watching his tall frame, her stomach churning too much to notice the elegant surroundings.
"Brother Chi Yan, you made it!"
Lin Lanxing appeared, resplendent in a pink gown, her hair elegantly swept up. She hurried toward them, holding up her skirts as she moved.
Shen Chi Yan deftly avoided her reaching hand, offering a practiced smile. "Lanxing, it's been a while. You've grown."
"Not that long – we just saw each other at my sister's hospital room..."
Lin Lanxing's voice died as she spotted Song Qi Nian behind him. Her warm expression instantly turned to ice. She pushed past Shen Chi Yan, advancing on Song Qi Nian with fury in her eyes. "Song Qi Nian! How dare you show your face in my home?"
At that moment, other members of the Lin family emerged to welcome their guests. Lin Xing'an walked arm in arm with his wife, Ye Fanglin.
The instant they spotted Song Qi Nian, their welcoming expressions vanished. Ye Fanglin's face contorted with hatred as she stared at Song Qi Nian, her hands balling into fists.
Despite the crowd of guests at their home, Ye Fanglin held her tongue, clearly mindful of the Lin family's reputation. Though the guests didn't recognize Song Qi Nian, Lin Lanxing's outburst had drawn everyone's attention to her.
The weight of their stares made Song Qi Nian's skin crawl, but the Lin family's gazes chilled her to her core. Their looks held enough venom to kill her a thousand times over.
Lin Lanxing's rage seemed to build with each passing second. She shoved Song Qi Nian hard. "Get out! We don't want the daughter of the monster who destroyed my sister under our roof!"
The force of the push nearly sent Song Qi Nian sprawling.
The crowd knew that the Lin family's eldest daughter had been kidnapped and left in a vegetative state after a car accident, though the details had remained private. Now, seeing this woman's connection to the tragedy, the whispers began.
"That woman hasn't said a word after being pushed. Is she mute?"
"Didn't you hear? Her father put the Lin family's eldest daughter in a vegetative state."
"Oh, that family. I heard her father kidnapped their daughter for ransom. No surprise she looks suspicious too. The whole family must be rotten."
"How dare she show her face here?"
"The eldest daughter was such a bright, lovely girl. Three years in a hospital bed. Such a waste."
"They'll get what's coming to them. People like that always do."
Their voices carried clearly to Song Qi Nian's ears. Each whispered judgment, each contemptuous glance, made her face darken as her fingernails dug into her palms.
Song Qi Nian's eyes stayed fixed on Shen Chi Yan. The ice in his stare cut deeper than any knife.
When Lin Lanxing noticed Song Qi Nian watching Shen Chi Yan, her fury exploded. She shoved Song Qi Nian again, spitting the words, "Get out, you bitch! Why don't you just die!"
Song Qi Nian stumbled, nearly falling in front of the crowd. She looked at Shen Chi Yan, but he watched with detached coldness, as if she were a stranger. His icy stare hurt more than Lin Lanxing's insults, the shoving, or the crowd's judgmental looks combined.
But the fall never came. Someone caught her from behind.
When Song Qi Nian steadied herself and turned, she found herself staring at a head of pink hair.
"Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
The last person Song Qi Nian expected to help her was Shen Ke Qin. In the three years of her marriage to Shen Chi Yan, she'd met his cousin only once, but that distinctive pink hair had stuck in her memory.
Song Qi Nian quickly signed that she was fine, then realized with growing anxiety that Shen Ke Qin might not understand sign language. More than that, she worried that helping her might turn both the Lin family and Shen Chi Yan against Ke Qin.
As if reading her thoughts, Shen Ke Qin gave her a conspiratorial wink and grabbed her hand. "Sister-in-law, I told you to stay with me, but you ran off with my brother instead. Left me juggling two gifts all by myself."
She emphasized "sister-in-law," deliberately announcing to everyone present that Song Qi Nian belonged to the Shen family.
Her words sent ripples of shock through the crowd.
Sister-in-law?
This woman was Shen Chi Yan's wife?
Hadn't Shen Chi Yan been in love with the Lin family's eldest daughter?
Had he married her only to deliver her to the Lin family for revenge?
But if the Shen family's matriarch favored her...
Their marriage had been kept secret, and Song Qi Nian hadn't expected Shen Ke Qin to acknowledge their connection so publicly. She nervously glanced at Shen Chi Yan, whose face had darkened even further.
Song Qi Nian flinched, but before she could react, Shen Ke Qin pressed a box into her hands.
"Sister-in-law, you can handle grandmother's task yourself."
Then Shen Ke Qin turned to the Lin family, her smile sharp and brilliant. "Uncle Lin, my grandmother hasn't been well lately. She sent my sister-in-law to celebrate your birthday in her place. Yet you let your daughter treat her like this. Is this how the Lin family welcomes guests?"
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