Chapter 36

After being coldly rejected by Shang Yushang, Lin Jingxian’s pride took an unprecedented hit. As a proud and dignified socialite, being treated with such disregard was unbearable. Fury surged in her heart—she was determined to make Shang Yushang pay.

In her mind, the only reason he treated her this way was because of He Changning. If that man weren’t in the picture, Shang Yushang would’ve at least shown her some respect for the sake of their past, maybe even spared her uncle. With more interaction, he might have even rekindled old feelings, and they could have had a happy ending. But all of that was ruined by that damn man. She absolutely wouldn’t let it slide. She was going to make sure he knew his place and got out of Shang Yushang’s life on his own.

After digging into He Changning’s background and the details of his marriage to Shang Yushang, Lin Jingxian reached out to Yin Hao. The two had a long talk, and the very next day, Yin Hao returned to the country.

Da Zhou reported the latest update to his boss. Shang Yushang’s already cold expression turned even icier.
“If they’ve got a death wish, I’ll gladly help them out. Assign a few sharp-eyed people to monitor them. And make sure Xiao Liu and Thirteen are watching over Changning. If anyone dares lay a finger on my wife, they’re not getting out alive.”

These days, Shang Yuchen had been staying home obediently, answering the police summons promptly, and giving honest, detailed accounts of the entire situation. He was genuinely scared now. If Shang Yushang hadn’t stepped in to protect him, he’d probably be behind bars already—and his fate wouldn’t be much better than Lin Changqing’s.

Qiu Huilin had cried to the old matriarch several times, but every time was coldly shut down. She knew her son’s actions were disgraceful, and acting unreasonable would only deepen the old lady’s disgust. So she had no choice but to stay home and look after her son, sighing and scolding him all day long.

Shang Yuhe, on the other hand, took it all rather well. She found time to speak with her mother and brother, trying to make them see reason. She urged them to stop being stubborn and learn from their mistakes. She reminded them to understand their place—what could and couldn’t be done. She also hoped their father wouldn’t completely give up on her brother, if only for the sake of the children her mother bore him.

Truth be told, she wasn’t feeling great either. Even though she hadn’t been involved in her brother’s schemes, she was still inevitably affected. Her colleagues at the company treated her the same on the surface, but the atmosphere had changed—it felt off. She couldn’t do anything about it, though. Her idiotic brother had brought this on himself. The fact that she hadn’t been kicked out of the company meant Shang Yushang was already showing her grace. So she did her best to ignore the discomfort and focus on her work.

As for his younger sister, Shang Yushang never held anything against her. He knew she was calculating, but she hadn’t done anything to harm He Changning or the company, so he was willing to be generous. He acknowledged her capability at work. So during the time Shang Yuchen was expelled from the Shang Group, Shang Yushang promoted Shang Yuhe and gave her a raise, publicly praising her contributions.

Shang Guozhang, their father, felt conflicted. On one hand, Shang Yushang was extraordinarily capable—he had single-handedly taken the Shang Group from a small-to-midsize family business to a multinational corporation in just eight years. Everyone recognized his talent and leadership.

But the father-son bond between them had long been severed. And it was his own fault. His actions had led to the separation from Shang Yushang’s mother for over twenty years. Now, his son treated him with only the most basic respect—nothing more. Sometimes, he could even see disdain in Shang Yushang’s eyes. Disdain for his lack of integrity as a man, for his irresponsibility, for abandoning his original family.

His feelings toward Shang Yuchen were even more complicated. His existence was a constant reminder of Shang Guozhang’s betrayal—of the wife he had wronged and the son he had failed. Ever since the divorce, Shang Yushang had harbored nothing but resentment toward him. The admiration a son should have for his father was long gone. Out of guilt, Shang Guozhang had poured all his remaining fatherly love into Shang Yuchen. Even Shang Yuhe received more of his affection than Shang Yushang ever did.

This vicious cycle destroyed what little remained of their father-son bond. The only reason he was still trying to protect Shang Yuchen was to avoid tarnishing the Shang family’s reputation. As for familial love, it had faded like a cup of lukewarm water—dull and indifferent.

But the son he had loved the most, Shang Yuchen, turned out to be selfish, short-sighted, and greedy. His actions had left him no place in the Shang Group. What future did he have now? Shang Guozhang didn’t even have the energy to plan a way out for him anymore. Maybe Shang Yushang wouldn’t mind offering some advice… but would he?

Meanwhile, Yin Hao and Lin Jingxian had come to an agreement over the phone. The next day, Yin Hao returned to the country.

In the wretched living room of the Yin household.

Old Madam Yin sat stiffly, her face wrinkled and worn, looking both aged and weary.
“Why did Yin Hao suddenly come back?” she asked coldly. “Lin Changqing might’ve been convicted in the first trial, but word is he’s filing an appeal. That old fox definitely still has some dirty tricks up his sleeve. You should lie low again.”

Yin Hao hadn’t had an easy time lately—neither had the rest of the Yin family. Everyone looked gaunt, tense, and on edge, fearing they might get dragged into the fallout from Lin Changqing or Shang Yuchen. Things had already escalated to this point, and Shang Yushang still hadn’t made a move against the Yins. But that silence only made them more restless—none of them could eat or sleep properly.

Yin Zhiyan’s temples had already started turning gray in the past few days, and he looked like he’d aged years. He went through the motions each day to keep the company running, but his energy was gone.

Yin Hao loosened his tie.
“Lin Changqing was convicted in the first trial. Shang Yushang won’t give him the chance to make a comeback. As for me—so long as Shang Yuchen stays untouched, I’ll be fine. But if anything happens to me, I swear I’ll take Shang Yuchen down with me. His family won’t let anything happen to me if they still want to protect him.”

Cong Min let out a sigh of relief.
“Good. That’s good—as long as you’re safe.”

Yin Hao’s face darkened.
“Just because I’m fine doesn’t mean Yin Corp is.”

Cong Min tensed at his words.
“What do you mean by that?”

“Mom, don’t forget how He Changning left our house back then. With Shang Yushang’s personality, there’s no way he’ll just let that go.”

“But… that guy, Dao-ge or whatever his name was—didn’t he disappear too? If Shang Yushang tries to blame us, we can just pin it on him, right? Wasn’t that the plan all along?”

“That’s true, but it doesn’t mean the truth will never come out. So if we want to tie off this mess once and for all, the only option is to go after He Changning directly.”

The old lady’s dim, murky eyes flashed with a glint of sharpness.
“What are you planning to do?”

“Shang Yushang used to have a childhood sweetheart—Lin Jingxian, daughter of the prestigious Lin family. I’m back this time at her invitation. She said that if we help her kick He Changning out of the Shang household, and she wins Shang Yushang’s heart again and marries into the Shang family, then she’ll speak up for us. With Shang Group backing Yin Corp, what future wouldn’t be within our grasp?”

The old lady was old and cunning, and remained skeptical.
“Can that Lin Jingxian girl be trusted?”

“I had someone look into it. A few years ago, she and Shang Yushang were indeed very close. There were even rumors that she was the guaranteed pick for the Shang family’s daughter-in-law. She only left because she went abroad to study.”

“Hmm. The Lin family is a prestigious one. As for Lin Changqing’s case, they’ve been pulling every string they can. If not, he might’ve been sentenced to death. Getting life imprisonment instead is already far better than expected. Now that they’re filing an appeal, they must’ve found some way to turn the tables. If Lin Jingxian really has the power she claims, then we may as well help her. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Just make sure you’re careful—Shang Yushang is not an easy opponent.”

“Don’t worry, Grandma. We’re not planning to go up against Shang Yushang directly. We just need to get some dirt on He Changning—force him to leave on his own. Once he loses Shang Yushang’s protection, it’ll be easy to deal with him.”

“Good. But be cautious—don’t let Young Master Shang catch wind of any of this.”

“I understand, Grandma.”

Yin Zhiyan hadn’t said a single word from beginning to end, as if he didn’t exist. In truth, he no longer had the energy or will to concern himself with any of it. Ever since He Changning left the Yin family, it was as though he had aged ten years overnight. A child he had all but forgotten—someone whose existence he’d long neglected—had announced the severance of their relationship in such a final, brutal way. From that moment on, guilt gnawed at his heart relentlessly.

His ex-wife’s face kept appearing in his dreams—those bloodshot, hollow eyes brimming with hatred and curses. He hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in what felt like ages. He was scared—terrified that she’d come for his life, demanding justice. His mental state teetered on the brink of collapse. So now, he let the old matriarch and Yin Hao do as they pleased. Yin Corp no longer meant anything to him. In the face of existential despair and helplessness, all the external power and wealth in the world lost its luster.

Out of everyone, the one living the most relaxed and happy life was none other than He Changning.
He stayed home every day, living his best life as a devoted writing gremlin. My World 1 had already been published, and his editor recently got in touch with great news: a foreign publisher was interested in acquiring rights to his book and hoped to arrange an in-person meeting. He Changning happily agreed and said he’d work around the publisher’s schedule. They settled on a time for the meeting.

Meanwhile, his other projects were also nearing completion. My World 2 already had a 300,000-word manuscript ready to go. Every day was fulfilling and joyful for He Changning—well, except for the minor inconvenience of never being able to get out of bed before noon because of one very energetic man.

He honestly couldn’t understand how Shang Yushang, after a full day at work, still had the stamina and drive to wear him out like that—leaving him dizzy and begging for mercy night after night. Sometimes, in the aftermath of those exhausting evenings, Changning could only mutter curses like “pervert” or “bastard” under his breath. But in the end, after being cleaned up and tucked into a warm embrace—his personal human furnace—he’d drift off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

During those moments, Shang Yushang was nothing short of blissful—willingly working hard and tending to every detail with care, content to both exhaust and pamper his beloved. He’d clean up his wife, sneak in a few last cheeky gropes, and fall asleep holding him close.

Life, as far as Shang Yushang was concerned, was absolutely perfect.