"Jiang Shuqin!" Su Haiqing crossed her arms and spat disdainfully, "You’re still flaunting your status as the wife of Starlight Group’s chairman in front of me, aren’t you?"
"You probably don’t know yet, but your precious Starlight Group is about to go bankrupt. My family’s company certainly doesn’t need to suck up to you anymore!"
Before this, she had bent over backward to please Jiang Shuqin for the sake of her business. But Jiang Shuqin had always looked down on her, ordering her around and scolding her whenever she pleased.
Now, at last, she could finally hold her head high.
Hah.
Jiang Shuqin.
Without Starlight Group, let’s see how you can keep up that arrogant act!
"No, that’s impossible!" Jiang Shuqin shook her head in disbelief. "My company is doing just fine. How could anything go wrong?"
"Jiang Shuqin," Su Haiqing sneered, "If you don’t believe me, go check online. Or better yet, go home and see for yourself. The truth will be clear soon enough."
A wave of panic surged through Jiang Shuqin’s heart.
No.
The company couldn’t fail.
If what Su Haiqing said was true—if Starlight Group was really on the verge of collapse—then she wouldn’t be able to spend money as freely as before.
"It’s fake. It has to be fake!"
Jiang Shuqin no longer had the mood to continue shopping, nor did she care to engage with Su Haiqing any longer. She hurriedly left the mall and quickened her steps toward the Lin family villa.
Su Haiqing watched Jiang Shuqin’s retreating figure, arms still crossed, and let out a cold laugh. "Jiang Shuqin, now that Starlight Group is about to fall, let’s see what you have left to be proud of!"
Starlight Group was on the brink of bankruptcy, while Tianmu Group was thriving.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
What a joke—mistaking a worthless pebble for a priceless pearl.
If only Jiang Shuqin had treated her own biological son better, she could have enjoyed endless wealth and luxury by now.
But look at her now. She deserved every bit of this misery!
And it wasn’t just Jiang Shuqin—the entire Lin family was a bunch of fools. What kind of family neglects their own flesh and blood in favor of a foster son?
On her way back, Jiang Shuqin frantically searched for news about Starlight Group online.
As she read the reports, her hands trembled around her phone. "How could this happen?"
It was all true!
Starlight Group really was collapsing. Only a few hotels remained, and their annual revenue was a pittance.
Was her life of luxury really about to vanish?
When she returned to the Lin residence, Jiang Shuqin paced restlessly around the living room, consumed by anxiety.
"Useless! Utterly useless! Lin Chang is nothing but a failure!"
How could such a massive company like Starlight Group be driven to the edge of ruin in just over a year?
Lin Chang returned to the villa, his face deathly pale.
"Worthless!"
Jiang Shuqin stormed up to him and slapped him hard across the face. The force of the blow snapped his head to the side, leaving a vivid red mark.
She jabbed a finger at him, her voice dripping with venom. "Lin Chang, you’re nothing but a failure. When you first started your business, it was my money from the Jiang Family that saved your dying company. And now? After all the effort to build it into a major corporation—a leader in the entertainment industry, a rising force in gaming—you managed to run it into the ground. Tell me, Lin Chang, if you’re not a failure, then what are you?"
Lin Chang clenched his fists, his expression darkening.
Nothing infuriated him more than being called a failure.
Back then, the Jiang Family patriarch had hurled the same insult at him, tossing him a sum of money to leave Jiang Shuqin.
With his company on the verge of collapse, he had no choice but to take the money and agree.
But Jiang Shuqin had believed her family forced him away. She fought with them and secretly continued seeing him.
The Jiang Family was wealthy and influential. If Jiang Shuqin was willing to throw herself at him, he wasn’t about to refuse.
Later, when his company faced ruin again, he begged Jiang Shuqin for help.
She went back to the Jiang Family for money.
She got it—but from that day on, the Jiang Family cut ties with her.
Throughout their marriage, Jiang Shuqin never missed a chance to boast that his success was built on her money.
People in their circles whispered behind his back, calling him a gold-digger, a worthless man.
Hearing the word "failure" from Jiang Shuqin’s lips now filled him with unbearable shame.
"Lin Chang, do you know what my biggest regret is?" Jiang Shuqin hissed through gritted teeth. "It’s marrying you."
"If I had listened to my family and never gotten involved with you, I’d still be a daughter of the Jiang Family. I wouldn’t have to worry about every penny I spend!"
She dreaded the thought of running into the Jiang Family after Starlight Group’s collapse.
They would surely laugh at her.
Blind to Lin Chang’s worsening expression, Jiang Shuqin continued her tirade. "If I’d known you were such a hopeless loser, I would never have married you."
"Lin Chang, you’re nothing but a spineless man who leeches off women!"
"Jiang Shuqin!"
Lin Chang finally snapped. His hands shot out and closed around her throat.
The servants turned their backs, pretending to work, as if oblivious to the scene unfolding behind them.
Jiang Shuqin had always treated them harshly. If she died, so be it. Why would they lift a finger to stop Lin Chang?
"Dad, what are you doing?" Lin Qingwan and the others rushed into the room. Seeing the situation, they immediately grabbed Lin Chang’s arms.
"Dad, you can’t do this to Mom! She’ll die!" Lin Qingwan pleaded, her face etched with panic.
Lin Chang’s rationality returned slightly.
He released Jiang Shuqin.
No.
He couldn’t kill her.
Not only would he go to prison, but he’d also alienate his daughters. Though he didn’t care much for them, Wan'er and Yan'er were capable. They could still earn money to support him in the future.
Freed from his grip, Jiang Shuqin collapsed weakly to the floor.
"Cough—cough—!" She clutched her throat, hacking violently.
"Jiang Shuqin, if you want to blame someone for my failure, look no further than your precious son—Lin Xuan!" Lin Chang snarled. "The reason our company is in this state is all because of him! If not for Lin Xuan, Starlight Group would still be thriving!"
How could things have come to this?
"Lin Xuan… always Lin Xuan!" Hatred burned in Jiang Shuqin’s eyes.
Lin Xuan truly was the calamity the fortune-teller had warned about!
Born to bring ruin to her and the Lin Family!
"Achoo!"
"Achoo!"
Lin Xuan sneezed several times in a row.
Another day of drowsily tapping away at his keyboard. Ugh, so sleepy.
Goodnight, folks. Time to have some fun.
Thanks to "The Longing for Life" and "Starry Cosmos" for the explosive support!
And thank you to Little Panda 06 and the other sweethearts for the gifts!
Whew.
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
