Before Chen Jinlan could open her mouth to scold Shen Niantang, Shen Rou forcibly pulled her away, dragging her into the kitchen to the side and slamming the door shut with a loud "bang."
"Mom! Do you believe me?"
Shen Rou gripped Chen Jinlan’s hands tightly, her face full of anxiety. "Mom, I’m telling you a secret, and I’m being completely serious. Don’t look at Xiao Liang as just a poor kid right now; in the near future, he will become the richest man in the capital! When that time comes, you’ll be able to live the high life with me."
Chen Jinlan, standing to the side, was left stunned and bewildered.
The richest man in the capital?
That poor kid… Xiao Liang?
Seeing that Chen Jinlan was still hesitant, Shen Rou was nearly dying of anxiety. She absolutely could not let this monumental fortune fall into Shen Niantang’s hands.
"But…"
Chen Jinlan still wanted to try and persuade her daughter. How could she possibly know that Xiao Liang would become the richest man in the capital? Or was Shen Rou just completely losing her mind and playing a trick on her?
Chen Jinlan did not want to take that risk.Seeing this, Shen Rou narrowed her eyes, leaned close to Chen Jinlan's ear, and whispered softly,
"Mom~ Are you planning to steal Dad's little gold bars lately and give them to Uncle Wang Yong? You two... are still secretly seeing each other, aren't you?"
After saying this, Shen Rou fixed her gaze squarely on Chen Jinlan.
This was something she had known about in her past life as well. Her mother had just met Old Wang from next door around this time. Old Wang was slick-tongued; at first, Chen Jinlan hadn't been willing, but after experiencing Wang Yong's superb skills late one night not long ago, she had actually agreed.
Only then had the two of them begun their secret affair, with Chen Jinlan occasionally stealing good things from her father, Shen Kuo, to give to Wang Yong.
Chen Jinlan looked at Shen Rou in shock. With her illicit affair exposed by her own daughter, she was suddenly at a loss for words.
Shen Rou looked at her mother with satisfaction and said very casually,"I know much more than that, Mom. Don't worry. Right now, only the three of us know about this, and I will help you keep it a secret."
Chen Jinlan’s heart pounded, yet she still managed to ask, "Rou Rou... how... how do you know all this?"
"Because... I have been reborn. Mom, trust me, you won't go wrong. In my past life, Shen Niantang married Xiao Liang and became the wife of the richest man in the capital, enjoying endless wealth and splendor! In that same life, I married Gu Tingchuan, and he nearly killed me!"
"Oh... this..."
"Fine. Since you say so, then let's swap the marriages! This time, let Shen Niantang marry Gu Tingchuan, and you will marry Xiao Liang."
Seeing that Chen Jinlan had agreed, Shen Rou hurried to hug her, her face filled with triumph. "You're the best, Mom!"
The kitchen door swung open, and Shen Rou happily linked her arm with Chen Jinlan’s, her arrogant expression exuding a sense of haughty superiority.
"Shen Niantang, our Rou Rou likes Xiao Liang, so you’ll be the one marrying Gu Tingchuan instead. You’ve come into a huge bargain this time! You should be secretly thrilled!"
Shen Niantang looked at the arrogant, overbearing mother and daughter before her and felt a profound sense of relief.
Chen Jinlan was right about one thing: in this life, she would never marry that idiotic scumbag Xiao Liang, and she was certainly going to be secretly thrilled about that.
Shen Niantang’s expression remained indifferent. In this household—with a biased, incompetent father, a sinister and cunning stepmother, and a brainless, green-tea sister—the whole family was a collection of eccentrics. She needed to find a way to get out of here as soon as possible.
In her memories, the original owner’s aunt was generous and sophisticated, having treated Shen Niantang like her own daughter since she was little. It was only after her father married Chen Jinlan that the original owner had been forced to take on all the household chores like a Cinderella, gradually drifting apart from her aunt.Shen Niantang, carrying her small cloth bag, headed downstairs and crossed the street. Relying on her borrowed memories, she easily navigated her way to the military compound.
Stepping through the main gate, she found herself in a courtyard occupied by three elegant, three-story detached villas. Her aunt lived in the second one, a white building.
A large sunshade canopy stood in the open space of the compound. It was March, and the lawn had turned a lush, vibrant green. The sunlight was gentle; as a breeze brushed against Shen Niantang’s long hair, the fabric of her bamboo-green dress swayed softly, accentuating her fair skin.
In a villa not far away, Lu Hanze, tall and lean in a white shirt, stood by the window, momentarily lost in thought. He watched the graceful figure at the gate walk straight toward Aunt Su Jia’s house. Only when she had disappeared from view did he finally pull his gaze away. As he turned and caught his reflection in the mirror, he noticed that his ears had turned a deep shade of red.
Shen Niantang took a deep breath and stepped into the living room. It was the weekend, and her aunt’s door was unlocked.
"Auntie? Are you home?"
Entering the living room, she saw a man sitting bolt upright, his skin snow-white and his nose high and straight, holding a cup of tea in one hand. If she wasn't mistaken, this was He Yanjing, her aunt’s eldest son—her cousin.
Hearing her voice, He Yanjing, who had been sipping tea on the sofa, looked up toward the entrance. His eyes were as clear and beautiful as glass, like a cat’s. He was momentarily stunned.
Since starting university, He Yanjing had rarely been home, and after becoming a doctor, he had been constantly busy in the capital. He had only met Shen Niantang a few times when they were children; this was their first meeting in a long time.
"Oh! Tiantian is here!"
Upstairs, her aunt had just prepared to come down when she heard the familiar voice. Sure enough, looking down, she saw that it was indeed Shen Niantang.
Her aunt, Su Jia, had adored Shen Niantang since she was a child. When Shen Niantang was born, it was Su Jia who had given her the nickname "Tiantian."
Su Jia hurried downstairs and took hold of Shen Niantang’s hands. It had been so long; Shen Niantang had grown into such a beautiful young woman, looking exactly like her mother.
"Tiantian, come, come, sit over here. Have you had breakfast? Come, let Auntie look at you. My, my, you've grown more beautiful by the day."
To Shen Niantang, Su Jia was technically a stranger, yet she could clearly feel the warmth and genuine affection radiating from her. She couldn't help but feel a natural affinity for the woman before her.
"I've already eaten, Auntie."
Su Jia pulled Shen Niantang to her side, and the two sat together on the sofa. Su Jia introduced her eldest son, who had just returned home.
"Tiantian, this is your cousin, He Yanjing. He’s a doctor now. Yanjing, this is your cousin, Shen Niantang. You two should get to know each other properly now that you're grown."
He Yanjing set down his newspaper and looked at Shen Niantang with a gentle gaze. He had to admit, his cousin was truly stunning.
Shen Niantang greeted him very politely.
"Hello, Brother Yanjing."
"Mm, hello."
Although He Yanjing kept his expression neutral, he was inwardly thrilled. *Goodness, what an angelic cousin,* he thought. *Not only is she beautiful, but her voice is so sweet.* When she called him "brother" just now, his heart had skipped a beat. He decided right then and there that he would watch over her carefully—he couldn't let his circle of rowdy friends lead his cousin astray.