Chapter 6

Disturbed by the commotion, my stepfather emerged from his study.

In fact, he’d known I was there all along. He’d deliberately hidden himself away so Lin Yao could put me in my place first and take me down a peg.

Then he would step in as the good guy to stop her, slipping in one “small” request that I’d find difficult to refuse.

The scene before him was plainly not what he’d expected.

Lin Yao scrambled up and ran to him in tears. “Dad! That little bitch hit me!”

His expression darkened. Then he seemed to remember something, changed tack before the words left his mouth, and gave me a kindly smile.

“Xiaoxue, don’t stoop to your sister’s level. She’s still young. She doesn’t know any better.”

I waved a hand. “Of course. She’s so young—just a twenty-four-year-old baby. I completely understand. Couldn’t be more understanding if I tried!”

He choked, his face souring.

Still, he managed a stiff smile. “Marrying into a wealthy family has certainly sharpened your wit.”

He came closer and finally changed the subject. “Now that you’re one of the Shens, helping your sister marry their second son shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?”

“They’re already in love. They only need a little push from you. Surely you wouldn’t refuse to do this small favor for your own family?”

Well, would you listen to that!

Daddy really was in a different league. He could make such a shameless demand sound perfectly reasonable.

He’d looked down on the elder Shen son’s blindness but coveted his money, so he’d sent his stepdaughter to marry him.

Now he wanted to guilt her into paving the way for his own daughter, too?

Did he and his daughter think every good thing in the world belonged to them?

The original woman’s mother chimed in. “That’s right, Ah Xue. We’re family. This is what you ought to do.”

I laughed again, but this time it was out of sheer anger.

The original woman had deserved so much better.

A moment ago, when Lin Yao called her daughter a “little bitch,” she’d stood by and hadn’t dared say a word.

Now she had the nerve to talk about family?

She knew better than anyone whether that father and daughter had ever treated her child as one of their own.

But then a more entertaining idea occurred to me.

“Sure. I’ll help. I’ll give it my very best effort!”

I sent my stepfather my bank account number.

“But getting everyone in the Shen family on side will cost a great deal. How about this? Send over a quick five million to start with. If that’s not enough, I’ll ask for more.”

Lin Yao shrieked. “Five million? A quick five million? Why don’t you just rob us?”

I put on a regretful face. “Oh, you must hate to see your father part with his hard-earned money. That’s all right. I won’t force you.”

“After all, the Shens are nothing special. Just an old family that’s been prominent in City A for a century, with connections all over the world. And a measly few tens of billions in assets!”

The man swayed and nearly landed face-first on the floor.

He swallowed with difficulty. His voice shook. “I’ll send it… right now… Whatever it takes!”

Well!

What an unexpected bonus.