Ch 3: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

The first thing Shen Yunrui accomplished was transferring her assets to Shen Yunxuan.

This was easy for her—just a few signatures—and she was more than willing. After all, with her upcoming marriage, she was about to receive a large dowry and step into a promising future. The assets in her hands now seemed insignificant. Besides, she still had access to Mr. Shen’s supplementary credit card, so she gave them up without hesitation.

Shen Yunxuan, of course, accepted them. After all, even a skilled housewife cannot cook without ingredients!

Despite her competence in her previous life, she was currently starting from nothing, and achieving anything without resources was incredibly challenging. Since Shen Yunrui was scheming against her, she wouldn’t hold back. A shortcut handed to her on a silver platter—she’d be a fool not to take it. And just like that, with only a few words, she secured her first fortune.

Calculating her newfound resources, Shen Yunxuan realized she now had not only the two hundred thousand in savings she started with but also an apartment, a shop, and cash from Shen Yunrui. A quick sale could bring in 100 million yuan.

She paid no mind to what Shen Yunrui planned next, spending her days leaving early and returning late, focused entirely on gathering market information. Although she remembered many details from her previous life, she still needed to confirm the current situation and align events with the right timeline.

Within just a few days, she sold off the assets and selected the most suitable investment. At an auction, she purchased a plot of land in the western suburbs.

The land, located in a remote area, had previously housed a pesticide factory and still contained chemical residues in its soil. Priced at just 100 million yuan, it was considered cheap by real estate standards. However, after evaluations deemed it unsuitable for development, no one was interested, and in her previous life, it had failed to sell.

But Shen Yunxuan knew that in just a month, reliable news would surface about the city government’s relocation to the west, with plans for a subway line nearby. The land’s value would skyrocket tenfold, and the cost of soil remediation would pale in comparison.

Her goal was to seize this opportunity and make a fortune!

To avoid complications, she attended the auction wearing sunglasses and a mask, standing out among the elegantly dressed bidders. Her purchase of the land immediately sparked a wave of gossip.

“Who’s so foolish? Bidding on anything without a second thought.”

“Throwing 100 million away like that—what a waste!”

“Find out who she is and make sure our kids stay away from her.”

The man sitting next to Shen Yunxuan, noticing her youth and concealment, sneered openly. “Why so mysterious over a land purchase? What shady business are you hiding? Probably laundering money or doing something illegal.”

In high spirits after securing the land, Shen Yunxuan couldn’t be bothered to argue and simply got up to leave with her bag.

Laughter erupted behind her, and someone teased the man, “She doesn’t even acknowledge you—guess you don’t exist to her!”

“Right, she didn’t even spare you a glance. Must be looking down on you.”

“Arrogant much? Just wait until that plot of land becomes worthless. We’ll see who’s crying then!”

Ignoring the mocking comments, Shen Yunxuan left the auction hall, leaving the noise behind. Such ridicule was nothing new—she’d experienced far worse in her previous life. It wasn’t worth her time to engage with these strangers. Once the land’s value became evident, their derision would naturally turn into a slap in their own faces, saving her the effort.

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With the investment settled, Shen Yunxuan returned home earlier than usual one afternoon, only to sense an unusual tension. In the living room, Old Master Shen and Madam Shen sat solemnly, with all the servants lined up in front of them. Shen Yunrui was crying.

When she noticed Shen Yunxuan, Shen Yunrui paused before continuing her sobs. “Grandpa, I really don’t want to believe Aunt Qin could do such a thing, but the surveillance footage doesn’t lie—she did take my necklace. I’ve always treated her like a senior, but how could she betray my trust like this?”

Aunt Qin’s face turned pale as she defended herself. “I didn’t take it! Second Miss, how could you frame me? You told me your necklace was in your room and asked me to fetch it. How could you now accuse me of stealing it? Old Master, you’ve known me for over two decades—you know my character. How could I possibly steal something?”

Shen Yunxuan quickly understood. This was Shen Yunrui targeting the housekeeper. Originally, Shen Yunxuan had intended to have Aunt Qin keep a low profile and avoid bothering her until she left, but Shen Yunrui had escalated matters by accusing the housekeeper of theft.

This was a severe accusation. Being dismissed for theft by the family would ruin Aunt Qin’s reputation in their social circle, making it impossible for her to find another high-paying job. Although she had earned a decent amount over the years, her two sons were studying abroad and spent lavishly, leaving her with little savings. Without a good income, her family would face financial difficulties.

Shen Yunrui’s ruthlessness was astonishing. Despite Aunt Qin’s years of care and favoritism toward her, she had chosen the most vicious method to deal with her. This spoke volumes about how cold-hearted she truly was.

Not that it had anything to do with Shen Yunxuan. It was merely a case of the opportunist being bitten back. Aunt Qin wasn’t a good person either, often abusing her authority.

After watching the spectacle for a while, Shen Yunxuan went upstairs, only for Shen Yunrui to come knocking soon after.

“Are you satisfied now? Aunt Qin is gone, and the other servants will keep their heads down from now on. Even if things return to the old ways, you’ll already be married off. I’ve transferred my assets to you, spent the past few days speaking well of you outside, and boosted your reputation. I’ve done everything you asked. Now it’s your turn to talk to Grandpa about switching the marriages!”

Shen Yunrui’s frustration was evident. She had initially seen her rebirth as a stroke of great fortune, a chance for everything to go smoothly. Yet, nothing seemed to be going as planned.

Normally, Shen Yunrui would have used underhanded tactics to manipulate their parents into dealing with Shen Yunxuan. But with the Lin family marriage now tied to Shen Yunxuan, she didn’t dare offend her and was forced to curry favor instead—a situation that made her feel deeply aggrieved. If not for her desire to tie Shen Yunxuan to the sinking ship of the Huo family, she would have lost her patience long ago.

Shen Yunxuan raised her eyebrows. “Satisfied? About what? I only said that if you could do those things, I’d believe you. I never promised to switch the marriage.”

Shen Yunrui’s expression immediately darkened. “Shen Yunxuan! Are you playing me?”

Circling Shen Yunrui, Shen Yunxuan studied her with an inquisitive look. “Why are you so eager to marry into the Lin family? The more determined you are, the more curious I get. What’s so special about the Lin family? Your excuses might fool Mom and Dad, but they won’t fool me. If you tell me the real reason, I might actually consider it.”

Shen Yunrui avoided her probing gaze, her heart sinking. She realized Shen Yunxuan was starting to suspect something. If Shen Yunxuan investigated the Lin family and discovered that the “poor boy” had a talent for business, she’d never agree to switch the marriage.

The thought filled Shen Yunrui with urgency. She had hoped to manipulate Shen Yunxuan into directly requesting the swap. After all, she had always maintained the image of an obedient and understanding daughter. Even in this second chance at life, she wanted to uphold that image to keep her family’s support. If she insisted on marrying into the Lin family against their wishes, it would upset them—a scenario she didn’t want.

But now, she realized the more effort she put into proving her desire to switch the marriage, the more suspicious Shen Yunxuan became. Worse, with Madam Shen already arranging for her to meet the Huo family’s young master, things were about to get even messier.

Frustrated, Shen Yunrui faced Shen Yunxuan and gritted her teeth. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll convince Mom and Dad to completely cut you off? Do you really think Grandpa’s promises of compensation mean you’ll get to enjoy a carefree life? I could make sure you don’t see a single cent!”

Shen Yunxuan suddenly burst into laughter, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “So angry? The Lin family really must be a good catch if it’s making you this worked up. That just makes me even less willing to give it up. Growing up, everything good went to you. Now that the Lin family marriage is mine, I won’t give it to you—not even if I get nothing out of it.”

Shen Yunrui felt a wave of rage choke her, the urge to tear Shen Yunxuan’s smirking face apart almost overwhelming. She never imagined that threatening Shen Yunxuan would backfire like this. Now Shen Yunxuan was clinging to the Lin family marriage even tighter.

It was her own fault for showing how much she wanted it. Her eagerness had made the Lin family marriage seem all the more valuable. Shen Yunxuan, envious of her since childhood, would never willingly let go of something she desired.

Convinced she understood Shen Yunxuan’s mindset, Shen Yunrui regretted her approach but decided not to waste any more effort on her. Taking a deep breath, she went to Madam Shen instead.

The next day, when Shen Yunxuan noticed both mother and daughter wearing sour expressions, she knew their discussion hadn’t gone well. Shen Yunrui might still try to find a way to marry into the Lin family, but she could no longer feign selflessness and sacrifice to burden Shen Yunxuan with a sense of guilt.

Shen Yunxuan planned to build her reputation and network in the social circle, and her public image was crucial. She couldn’t let people think her marriage was a pity gift from her sister or that Shen Yunrui had taken a huge loss by marrying a poor boy. Otherwise, any tension with her family in the future would make her appear ungrateful.

She needed to leave the Shen family’s quagmire cleanly, with no room for gossip.

For now, the real pressure was on Shen Yunrui. All Shen Yunxuan had to do was occasionally throw in a remark, without lifting a finger, and watch the drama unfold. Sharing a rebirth with Shen Yunrui, Shen Yunxuan had no intention of revealing her own secret, so she adopted a strategy of maintaining her position and waiting to see what Shen Yunrui would do next.

As expected, within days, Shen Yunrui grew desperate and made her move. She suddenly brought the “poor boy” from the Lin family directly to the Shen residence!

Shen Yunrui took him straight to Old Master Shen. When Madam Shen found out, she was momentarily stunned before rushing over. Naturally, Shen Yunxuan followed to see what was happening.

In the living room, the two young people stood with flushed faces, looking shy. Shen Yunrui was speaking to Old Master Shen, “I had no idea he was from the Lin family. As soon as I found out, I brought him here to meet you.”

Even with his extensive experience, Old Master Shen was at a loss for how to respond to this scene. When he caught sight of Shen Yunxuan entering the room, his head began to ache.

It was supposed to be a simple marriage arrangement. How had it turned into such a chaotic mess?

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