Ch 6: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Huo Siheng had just finished a meeting and was preparing to leave when he overheard a heated argument in the room next door. He instinctively glanced over and saw Shen Yunxuan, the same person he had noticed before.

Madam Shen, unable to hold back any longer, questioned angrily, “We’re all family. Do you really have to push us like this? You’re taking 80% of the dowry and leaving only 20% for your sister. Don’t you feel guilty?”

Shen Yunxuan lowered her gaze, sipped her tea, and chuckled lightly. “Why wouldn’t I take what’s offered? You expect me to help the Shen family after marrying into the Huo family, yet you’re unwilling to show sincerity?”

Huo Siheng frowned, then turned and walked away briskly.

His assistant followed closely, whispering, “President Huo, isn’t she the Shen family’s eldest daughter? But Madam Huo mentioned the second daughter would be marrying you. Besides, she’s already throwing her weight around before getting married, forcing her parents to compromise. Her character seems questionable. Should we inform Madam Huo?”

“There’s no need. It doesn’t matter,” Huo Siheng replied coldly as he got into the car.

The assistant thought for a moment and realized it truly didn’t matter. President Huo was a workaholic, entirely focused on his career. He didn’t care about who he married, and the only reason he agreed to this marriage was because Madam Huo had fallen ill and insisted on seeing him settle down.

While the Shen family was considered upper-middle in elite circles, their recent financial losses left them in no position to negotiate with the Huo family. If the engagement fell through, Madam Huo would simply find someone else of equal standing, potentially complicating matters for President Huo in the future. A greedy eldest daughter from the Shen family posed no real threat to the Huo family’s wealth, so marrying her might even be convenient.

Still, the assistant sighed inwardly. After working with President Huo for years, he had hoped marriage might make him less cold and more human. Yet from what he had seen—Shen Yunxuan’s smugness at her mother’s anger last time and now her bullying her family using the Huo family’s name—her impression in President Huo’s mind was likely already at rock bottom. Their marriage would probably be as distant as strangers’.

What bad luck for Shen Yunxuan—before even officially meeting, her reputation with President Huo had already plummeted. If fate had a hand in this, it was clearly a cruel one.

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They left quickly and missed what Shen Yunxuan said next.

She dropped her smile and spoke coolly. “After years of favoritism, you think a bit of money can make up for the hurt you’ve caused me? I’ve only asked for a slightly larger share of the dowry, and even that is too much for you?”

Sensing the growing tension, Shen Guobang intervened sternly. “Enough. This is settled. We’ll sign the paperwork today, and no one will bring it up again.”

Madam Shen, knowing that dragging this out would only worsen things, begrudgingly decided to stay silent. They had already agreed to the terms. Her priority now was to mend her relationship with Shen Yunxuan, ensuring she could rely on her daughter to support the family once she was married into the Huo family. That was the only way to maximize their benefits.

But she felt suffocated. How could her once-obedient daughter suddenly become so ruthless after 22 years of compliance? Now she had to play the role of a doting mother? Unthinkable!

In her mind, Madam Shen resolved that Shen Yunxuan was only acting out of anger. Once married into the Huo family, surrounded by unfamiliar people and struggling to navigate social circles, she would inevitably come back for help. At that point, Madam Shen would make sure her daughter understood who truly held the power.

Despite Shen Guobang’s pointed looks urging her to soften, Madam Shen ignored him, choosing silence over appeasement. Shortly after, Shen Yunrui returned from her phone call, and the assistant arrived with the documents. They all signed the agreement in relative quiet before Shen Yunxuan prepared to leave for her hotel.

Worried about potential complications, Shen Yunrui stopped her. “Last time, you took my money and didn’t listen to me. How do I know you won’t go back on your word this time?”

Sighing, Shen Yunxuan replied, “Sister, let me teach you something: every agreement must clearly define its terms. Last time, our agreement was that you’d show sincerity, and I’d trust you. I saw your sincerity and fulfilled that agreement. What you said about switching the marriage was never part of it.

This time, the agreement states I won’t disclose anything about this matter. I’ll honor that because it’s explicitly stated. Do you understand? If you don’t even grasp this, you’re far too easy to deceive.”

Turning to Madam Shen, Shen Yunxuan added, “If you truly care for her, you should keep her dowry in the family for now. Let her mature after marriage and give it to her bit by bit. That way, she won’t lose it all to someone and end up heartbroken.”

Her words planted seeds of doubt in her parents. They were already suspicious of Lin Huaizhi’s intentions, given Shen Yunrui’s recent drastic changes. Keeping her dowry safe seemed like a reasonable precaution, and they wouldn’t be withholding it forever.

Madam Shen declared decisively, “It’s settled. Your dowry will stay with me for now. Also, return your father’s supplementary card. We’ll give you 100,000 yuan for now. When that’s gone, come to me for more.”

Shen Yunrui’s face turned pale with anger. “You just can’t stand to see me happy, can you? Why are you doing this to me?”

Shen Yunxuan appeared helpless. “Don’t you think you’re acting too impulsively? I’m doing this for your own good. If you’re so upset, is it because you don’t trust Mom and Dad? Or are you in a hurry to use the money for something else?”

No matter how Shen Yunrui tried to respond, her words were twisted against her. Her parents’ suspicions deepened, and Madam Shen made up her mind. “That’s final. Your dowry stays with me. As for the supplementary card, hand it over. We’ll give you an allowance when you need it.”

Shen Yunrui had no choice but to point at Shen Yunxuan and say, “Then why don’t you leave hers at home too? Sister, surely you don’t distrust Mom and Dad, do you?”

Shen Yunxuan replied calmly, “I trust them. But if the Huo family suspects the Shen family of trying to gain something for nothing, it would reflect poorly on us and might affect future collaborations. Besides, unlike you marrying into the Lin family to enjoy a peaceful life, I’ll have plenty of social engagements as Mrs. Huo. Without sufficient funds, I’d be at a disadvantage. Imagine attending an auction and not being able to bid—wouldn’t that embarrass the Huo family too?”

What peaceful life? Shen Yunrui felt like she was about to have a heart attack. That was clearly a jab at her marrying into a rural family with no social obligations. “Didn’t I just give you assets worth a billion? How could you not have money?”

At the mention of this, Shen Yunxuan sighed again. “That billion—I invested it in a piece of land, but it turned out to be worthless. Investments are never guaranteed. But now that I have more assets and I’m marrying into the wealthiest family, I’ll learn as I go. Anyway, let’s not talk about this—you don’t need to worry about it. I’m leaving.”

Shen Yunrui took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger. What does she mean I don’t need to worry? Is she saying I’ll never have the chance to invest after marrying into a poor family? The thought made her furious. Let’s see how smug you’ll be when the Huo family collapses, and the Lin family rises to the top!

Shen Yunxuan, seeing Shen Yunrui too angry to speak, smiled faintly and walked past her. Why didn’t I realize before how satisfying it is to throw shade and speak sarcastically?

Outside, Shen Yunxuan chuckled, pulling out her phone to schedule a meeting with potential partners she had already chosen. Opportunities wait for no one, and with money in hand, she could invest and let the funds grow. Two of her prospects were future tycoons who had just started their businesses and were eager for investments. Putting money into their ventures was like striking gold—she wouldn’t even need to do much besides collect dividends in the future.

She silently thanked Shen Yunrui for focusing so much on the Lin family. If it weren’t for that, she wouldn’t have been able to secure so much money in such a short time and might have missed this golden opportunity. Shen Yunrui really is my lucky star.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunrui was fuming. Shen Yunxuan is insufferable! She’s using this as revenge for all the years I bullied her in secret. Sure, she’d wronged Shen Yunxuan plenty of times, but hadn’t Shen Yunxuan just taken it all without fighting back? If not for her interest in the Lin family, would Shen Yunxuan have even had the chance to marry into the Huo family? Yet here she was, seizing the opportunity to exact revenge. She deserves to be stuck on the sinking ship that is the Huo family!

But Shen Yunrui had other priorities.

She grabbed Madam Shen’s arm and said hesitantly, “Mom, I originally planned to pay for a grand wedding myself, but with only 100,000, it’s not enough. After the wedding, I still need to buy a house in Beijing.”

Madam Shen was stunned. “You’re paying for the wedding? Did the Lin family ask for this? Aren’t they handling it?”

Shen Yunrui lowered her head. “The Lin family doesn’t have money. If they organize it, it would just be a few tables in the village. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Mom, can you really bear to let me marry like that?”

Of course, Madam Shen couldn’t bear it. But with her suspicion that the Lin family was trying to manipulate them for money, she was unwilling to pay up. Based on everything that had happened recently, she felt this was just another excuse for the Lin family to siphon money from them.

“Absolutely not,” Madam Shen said firmly. “If word got out, people would mock Lin Huaizhi as a live-in son-in-law. Their so-called dignity wouldn’t allow that. If they truly care about appearances, they wouldn’t like it if you bought a house for them to live in. Besides, his mother might think you’re too pampered to endure hardship. I think you should stay in the Lin family’s home for a while first. Then, when the timing feels right, find a reason to move out. That way, you can truly integrate into their family.”

Madam Shen’s real intention was for Shen Yunrui to test the waters and back out if it got too tough. If Shen Yunrui and Lin Huaizhi broke up on their own, even the old master couldn’t blame her. Then, Madam Shen could arrange a better match for her daughter, which would be perfect.

Although unhappy, Shen Yunrui felt her mother’s reasoning had some merit. However, she couldn’t shake the thought of how grand her wedding to the Huo family was in her previous life. If her wedding this time was pitifully simple, how could she bear to see Shen Yunxuan have a grand celebration instead?

The thought of it was unbearable. From childhood to adulthood, she had always overshadowed Shen Yunxuan. How could she lose to her now on the first major event of her reborn life?

Shen Yunrui tugged on Madam Shen’s arm and pleaded, “Fine, I won’t buy the house. But, Mom, can we hold a joint wedding instead? Two sisters getting married on the same day, two happy couples—it would look so lively. It would also show how much Grandpa values his benefactor. Otherwise, people might think you don’t care about me anymore. Can you agree to this at least?”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆