Shen Weilan remained indifferent to Gu Haoran’s pleas for help; she wanted to see just how heartless Lin Huichu truly was.
"Waaaah..." Gu Haoran sobbed hysterically. In that moment, he felt as if the entire world had abandoned him. He was both terrified and in pain.
Lin Huichu shoved her phone into Shen Weilan’s face, demanding, "Miss Shen, how can you be so cruel? Ranran is begging you, how can you just stand there unmoved?"
Shen Weilan watched them as if she were viewing a performance, completely unfazed.
Seeing she could get nowhere, Lin Huichu finally took Gu Haoran down. She patted his back, whispering comfortingly, "It's okay, Ranran. Mommy is here; I won't let anyone hurt you."
Shen Weilan smirked. It was clearly Lin Huichu who was hurting Gu Haoran, yet she dared to put on this act of righteous protection! It was utterly nauseating.
Gu Haoran pushed Lin Huichu away, his eyes filled with a trace of resentment, though he kept his lips tightly pressed together.
Lin Huichu realized Gu Haoran was angry. She lowered her voice and said, "Be a good boy, Ranran. Mommy is doing this for our little family. You know Mommy loves you the most. How about I take you to the amusement park tomorrow?"
At these words, Gu Haoran looked up at Lin Huichu abruptly, his face lighting up with surprise. "Really?"
The amusement park was the place he wanted to go most, but Gu Yunze had never taken him because he felt it was too crowded and that some of the rides were too dangerous.
"Of course. When has Mommy ever lied to you?"
Children’s tempers come and go quickly, and Gu Haoran was easily placated by Lin Huichu.
"Miss Shen, I’ll take Ranran back to his room to rest now. I won't disturb you any further." Lin Huichu picked up Gu Haoran and turned to leave.
Shen Weilan walked over and locked the door. Then, she took out her phone and opened a mobile surveillance app. She played back the video recording; the figures on screen were none other than Lin Huichu and her son. She had installed a pinhole camera in the room long ago, and the entire farce Lin Huichu had staged had been captured in full.
She figured it wouldn't be long before the video Lin Huichu had filmed herself ended up online. Lin Huichu would then become the mistress who had ousted the legitimate wife, despised by everyone.
...
The next morning, while Shen Weilan was still fast asleep, a crisp ringing of her phone woke her up. She groggily reached out to answer it, and Shen Huaibei’s urgent voice came through the line.
"Don't go out lately. I’m afraid some people might be extreme and try to harm you."
Shen Weilan’s expression faltered. She sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes. "What’s wrong? Has the sky fallen?"
Shen Huaibei was frantic on his end, yet Shen Weilan acted as if nothing had happened.
"Lin Huichu posted a video of you online, and now you’ve become a target of public outrage."
Shen Weilan had already anticipated this, so she remained calm. "Oh, I see."
"The fire is burning at your eyebrows and you’re still this steady?"
Shen Weilan chuckled softly. "Brother, don't worry. The real show is yet to come."
Shen Huaibei frowned. "You knew about this all along?"
"As one of the leads, how could I not? I was merely using myself as bait."
Shen Huaibei finally realized what was happening and let out a long, heavy sigh of relief. "You should have told me in advance. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
"Brother, I just didn't want you to worry."
Shen Huaibei sighed helplessly. "But if you don't tell me, I’ll worry even more when I see the news."
"I'm sorry, brother."
"What do you plan to do next?" Shen Huaibei asked.
"Just keep an eye on the news and you'll see." Shen Weilan deliberately left him in suspense.
Shen Huaibei didn't press further and laughed. "Then I'll sit back and wait for the news."
"I have things to attend to, so I'm hanging up."
After ending the call, Shen Weilan got up, washed, changed, and went downstairs. In the living room, Gu Yunze and Chen Yujuan sat on the sofa with angry expressions. Shen Weilan glanced at them briefly, looked away, and headed toward the dining room.
"Stand still!" Gu Yunze roared, jumping to his feet and glaring at her. "I always knew you were narrow-minded, but I never imagined you would go after a child. You don't even deserve to be human."
Chen Yujuan also stood up and pointed an accusing finger at Shen Weilan. "Weilan, you’ve truly disappointed me. I thought you treated Ranran with sincerity, but I never expected you to be so vicious. Ranran is just a three-year-old child; how could you bear to hang him on a floor-standing drying rack?"
"I did hang him, so what?" Shen Weilan turned back to look at the mother and son and smiled. "But Lin Huichu watched me do it while she pulled out her phone to record a video. Did she not have enough time to stop me? Oh, and let’s not forget, she ignored Gu Haoran’s pleas for help."
However, she suspected the video Lin Huichu had posted would be edited in her own favor—certainly, the part where Gu Haoran cried and begged for help would be cut out.
"What nonsense are you spouting? From beginning to end, Ranran was begging you! Chuchu only recorded the video to prove her innocence. Are you trying to smear her?" Gu Yunze’s voice rose, and his fists clenched until they cracked.
"Fine, if that’s what you believe, there’s nothing I can do. Or perhaps you should go ask Gu Haoran?" Shen Weilan teased. She didn't care at all what Gu Yunze thought of her; she just wanted to see the look on their faces when they were slapped by the truth later. It would be highly entertaining.
"Mom, you see? Not only is Shen Weilan unfit to be a stepmother, she isn't even fit to be a human being. How could she possibly be the Young Mistress of the Gu family?" The implication behind Gu Yunze’s words was clear.
Although Chen Yujuan was furious at Shen Weilan’s actions, the Gu Corporation still had to rely on the Shen Corporation; they couldn't afford to divorce her!
"Weilan, you know I’ve always cared for you like a daughter, but you must give me an explanation regarding this incident with Ranran. It’s not fair to him otherwise," Chen Yujuan said, looking at Shen Weilan.
Shen Weilan raised an eyebrow and asked with interest, "Oh? And what kind of explanation do you expect me to give Gu Haoran?"
Chen Yujuan immediately signaled to Gu Yunze. He was stunned for a moment but quickly caught on.
Gu Yunze gave a cold hum and said, "Sign a property division agreement."
He had expected Shen Weilan to refuse and lash out at him again. Instead, she readily agreed. "Sure, that works."
Gu Yunze and Chen Yujuan exchanged a silent look, both feeling surprised. Gu Yunze sneered internally; he knew Shen Weilan was hopelessly in love with him, and her behavior last night was nothing more than an act of jealousy. Look! As long as he showed he was angry, Shen Weilan would agree to sign a property division agreement without even thinking twice.
"Fine. Once I have the lawyer prepare the agreement, I’ll have you sign it." Gu Yunze’s tone was light. After all, once the property division agreement was signed, even if he divorced Shen Weilan later, she wouldn't be able to get a single cent from him.
Shen Weilan hadn't missed the flicker of calculation in Gu Yunze’s eyes, and she felt a wave of disgust. However, thinking about the show that was about to begin, her mood improved considerably.
After leaving the Gu family residence, Shen Weilan returned to her own apartment, a gift from her father for her coming-of-age. She sat on the sofa, took out her phone, and dialed a number. "Lawyer Sun, there’s something I need your help with."