His words left Shen Weilan silent. Recalling their past warnings, a sudden ache rose in her throat; she had been such a fool.
How could anyone who had once hurt her truly love her?
It was merely exploitation.
"Come back. I need you here," the man’s voice softened, though a trace of resentment lingered. They had fought side-by-side for years, but their relationship had fractured over a man, and Shen Weilan had left their team without a second thought.
"Xi Heng, give me a little more time."
Xi Heng misunderstood. His voice dropped. "You still haven't let him go? You still need time to heal your wounds?"
"No," a cold glint flashed in Shen Weilan’s eyes. "I am going to take back what belongs to me. I won’t let them off easily."
Xi Heng breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s the Shen Weilan I know. If you need help, just ask."
"To deal with a scumbag like him, I can handle it myself." Shen Weilan understood Gu Yunze’s character too well; she only needed to employ a few tricks, and he would fall for them. He was far too arrogant. How many times over the years had she cleaned up his messes?
"Ok! I look forward to the next headline I see being about your divorce and the news of the Gu Family’s downfall."
Shen Weilan’s lips curved upward. "Hmm, it won't be long."
"Then I’ll hang up now."
After ending the call, Shen Weilan drove back to the Gu residence. It was Saturday, so Gu Haoran didn’t need to go to kindergarten, and Gu Yunze was still in the hospital receiving an IV drip. After the incident at the birthday party, the dynamic between Shen Weilan and Gu Haoran had been laid bare. Gu Haoran no longer bothered to pretend. Despite being only three years old, he had completely inherited Lin Huichu’s viciousness. Perhaps he was even more ruthless than her—after all, he was only three!
"Where the hell were you last night? You didn't come back at all! I haven't had breakfast yet—go make it for me right now." The tiny child stood with his hands on his hips, head tilted back, glaring at Shen Weilan with a fierce intensity, looking exactly like a wild beast.
Shen Weilan was taken aback. This was the first time she had seen Gu Haoran like this. No matter how much he had disliked her in the past, he had never acted this way. Suddenly, she found her past stupidity laughable. With genes like Lin Huichu’s, how could the child be anything but rotten?
Shen Weilan ignored him and turned to head upstairs. But Gu Haoran hurried over to block her path, fuming, "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me? I told you to go cook for me."
Shen Weilan’s gaze darkened. Suppressing her anger, she said, "Move."
"Go cook for me," Gu Haoran continued to command. He had actually eaten breakfast long ago; he was merely trying to make things difficult for her, hoping to drive her out of the house.
"I’ll say it one more time: move." Shen Weilan looked at him with cold fury, raising her voice. This was the first time she had been harsh with him; in the past, even when he gave her cold looks, she had always responded with a smile.
Gu Haoran was startled. This woman dared to snap at him? She used to always fawn over him. "I’m not moving. Do you dare hit me?" He balled his fists, looking like an enraged little lion.
In Shen Weilan’s eyes, however, it was ridiculous. Without a word, she grabbed him by the collar and tossed him onto the sofa. It didn't hurt, but Gu Haoran was stunned. By the time he regained his senses, Shen Weilan was already upstairs. He smashed his fists against the sofa in a rage and immediately called Gu Yunze. "Daddy, Shen Weilan hit me! Come home quickly!"
***
Back in her room, Shen Weilan took out the laptop she hadn't touched for over two years. She touched the slightly worn keyboard, her heart filled with complex emotions. After she and Gu Yunze registered their marriage, she had poured her heart into the family, and this laptop had been shelved ever since.
She turned it on and watched the text pop up on the screen: [Sihuang, welcome home].
Shen Weilan’s lips curled into a faint smile. It must have been them. She logged into her old work account; the group chat was filled with discussions about her.
[It’s so good to have our Sihuang back at last. We’ve finally cleared the clouds to see the moon.]
[Waaah! I’m crying! For the two-plus years Sihuang was gone, we were beaten into submission by the JY Research Team. We almost vanished from the industry entirely.]
[It’s okay! Now that our Sihuang is back, it’s time for us to strike back.]
[Though, come to think of it, the JY team has been quiet lately. I wonder if something happened internally?]
Reading the chat logs, Shen Weilan remembered Jingfeng, whose skills matched her own. He had founded the JY team. However, he was elusive, and despite clashing with him for years, she had never actually met him. She had only assumed he was a boy based on his team’s name and his personal nickname. Had they not been rivals, they might have become good friends.
*Ding, ding.*
A message arrived on her private account from Xi Heng.
[Online?]
Shen Weilan replied instantly: [Of course.]
Since she had chosen to return to the team, she naturally needed to understand their current situation, even if she couldn't fully commit just yet.
Xi Heng: [After you left, we were constantly suppressed by Jingfeng, so we haven't had any major breakthroughs these years.]
They were a scientific research team, but their work wasn't limited to technology; they also conducted research on niche areas like Gu worms.
Shen Weilan: [Now that I’m back, the JY team will be the ones under pressure.]
Xi Heng: [That’s the important thing I wanted to discuss. I received news that Jingfeng went missing six months ago. Their team has lost its backbone, and everyone is in a panic.]
That explained why the JY team hadn't been causing trouble lately. Jingfeng was their greatest asset; without him, they lacked both a leader and a direction.
Shen Weilan was surprised, a dark thought occurring to her: [Could Jingfeng have been assassinated?]
In their line of work, being assassinated was common, especially for someone as capable and arrogant as Jingfeng.
Xi Heng: [Not sure, but there hasn't been any news for half a year. I’m afraid the outlook is grim.]
Shen Weilan pondered for a moment before asking: [So, what is the important thing you wanted to say? Surely you didn't just contact me to talk about Jingfeng’s disappearance?]
Xi Heng: [I want to absorb the members of the JY team to strengthen our own.]
Shen Weilan rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. Xi Heng wanted the people from the JY team? They had been rivals, openly and secretly, for years.
Shen Weilan: [Let me ask you: why do you think the people from the JY team would be willing to join the LH Team?]
LH was named after both her and Xi Heng.