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Five hours passed, and Jiang Chengyu still couldn’t get through to Shen Tang’s phone.
He learned from Shen Ge that she had gone abroad with Xie Yuncheng.
She didn’t even leave him a message.
Jiang Chengyu stepped out of the Jingxu Building. Ten minutes ago, his father called, saying he hadn’t been home for nearly a month and asking him to come back for dinner.
It was a clear day; the setting sun had descended. On the western half of the sky, shades of blueberry purple and tomato red embraced each other, painting the horizon in a brilliant array of colors.
It was hard not to steal a few more glances.
Jiang Chengyu gazed out the window, unaware that a message had just come in on his phone.
Lu Zhifei: 【Now it’s all over the news. Does this mean Shen Tang doesn’t plan to be with you anymore?】
It wasn’t until the second WeChat notification came in that Jiang Chengyu pulled his attention away.
Lu Zhifei: 【Your family is so low-key. You’ve always avoided being linked to the entertainment industry. With Shen Tang’s background exposed, every time she steps out, she’ll trend online.】
No more peace would be possible.
Lu Zhifei was also indulging in the drama, having spent the entire afternoon devouring updates.
Like all netizens, she was still in shock.
With Shen Tang causing such an uproar, no matter how much effort Jiang Chengyu put in, she had effectively created an insurmountable obstacle on her path to marrying into the Jiang family.
Jiang Chengyu didn’t respond.
The car stopped at the courtyard of the old mansion.
His niece was interning elsewhere, so only his parents were home.
Grandpa Jiang was reading a book in the living room. Madam Jiang had just returned from a small gathering with friends and was upstairs changing clothes.
Seeing him return, Grandpa Jiang placed a bookmark and closed his book, took off his glasses, and pointed to the sofa opposite. “Sit.”
This posture bore no resemblance to a father—it was more like a superior talking to a subordinate.
There was freshly brewed tea on the table. Jiang Chengyu picked up a small cup from the tea tray.
Grandpa Jiang crossed his legs and leaned back in the sofa, observing his son.
Jiang Chengyu sipped the hot tea. “You already know?”
Grandpa Jiang admitted frankly, “Mm. When you stayed up watching TV dramas during the New Year, I guessed about eighty or ninety percent.” As long as he wanted to know something, there was nothing he didn’t know—including his son’s romantic life.
He simply hadn’t cared enough to interfere, trusting his children’s sense of responsibility.
But now, things were heading in a direction he’d never anticipated.
“What are your plans for the future with Shen Tang? Are you just casually dating?”
Jiang Chengyu: “I intend to move towards marriage.”
It wasn’t easy—she had managed to sway his once unwavering stance against marriage.
Some words Grandpa Jiang had to say: “I won’t comment on what kind of people Shen Tang’s parents are. The way things have blown up now, it’s hard to find a resolution. In the future, anything related to her will be scrutinized closely.”
Jiang Chengyu had already guessed what his father would say next.
“You and your mother might not care, but you need to think about your older brother and the many others in the Jiang family. Living under constant scrutiny, where even a single photo can spark a story thousands of words long, is terrifying. Public opinion is like water—it can carry a boat but also overturn it.”
Grandpa Jiang paused deliberately before continuing, “Think carefully about what you’re doing right now.”
Jiang Chengyu drank four small cups of tea, neatly arranging the empty cups.
He looked up at his father, “How do you let go?”
“I’m on a diet and don’t eat at night. You and your mother eat. I have a meeting to attend after I return.” Jiang Chengyu found an excuse to leave.
Back in the car, Jiang Chengyu checked his phone. Shen Tang still hadn’t contacted him.
Someone in the Jiang family’s younger generation group @’d him. The group name, chosen by his niece, was ‘Outstanding Little Jiangs.’
【Xiaomi Porridge @ Jiang Chengyu: Uncle, any exclusive gossip for me to munch on?（grin）（grin）】
This was his cousin’s daughter. Now everyone in the family knew he and Shen Tang had once been lovers.
Zhen Zhen had just returned from her internship but didn’t miss chiming in.
【Zhen Zhen @ Xiaomi Porridge: Sister, his gossip is probably found online too.】
【Xiaomi Porridge: Actually, I’ve long suspected that Uncle and Shen Tang are a couple. Last year, Uncle even asked my husband to restore a damaged surveillance video that favored Shen Tang. It showed that Chu Ran pushed Shen Tang first.】
They chatted enthusiastically, flooding the group chat.
Others in the group joined in the casual conversation.
【Hai Na Bai Chuan @ Jiang Chengyu: Did you go to London to see Chairman Xiao because of Shen Tang?】
【Jiang Chengyu: Mm.】
【Hai Na Bai Chuan: The Xiao family has been in business in Europe and America for almost fifty years. Their roots run deep, and their web of interests is intricate. Their strength rivals that of M.K.】
【Xiaomi Porridge: Is the Xiao family really that powerful?】
【Hai Na Bai Chuan @ Xiaomi Porridge: You and Zhen Zhen talk among yourselves. Adults are speaking; kids shouldn’t butt in.】
【Xiaomi Porridge: How am I a kid? My son just got scolded and obediently went back to studying.】
Xiaomi Porridge married into an ordinary family, and Hai Na Bai Chuan married a girl from an ordinary household. To this day, their marriages weren’t recognized by the Jiang elders.
【Hai Na Bai Chuan: Shen Tang’s background was exposed by Chen Nanjin himself. She held the initiative, but her one Weibo post turned the situation against her. Our family’s old-fashioned members won’t tolerate such a chaotic family. You’ll have your hands full.】
Gradually, others popped into the group chat.
【Little Four @ Jiang Chengyu: Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. There will be a family gathering, and that will be your trial session.】
【Little Five @ Jiang Chengyu: Why don’t we all skip it this year? Let them catch up on their feelings. They’ve always complained about us making them angry. If we don’t show up, they’ll enjoy the meal thoroughly. Raise your hand if you agree—I’ll count myself in first.】
【Zhen Zhen: +2】
【Xiaomi Porridge: +3】
【Hai Na Bai Chuan: +4】
......
【Jiang Chengyu: +16】
And with that, the decision was made cheerfully.
Jiang Chengyu had no interest in the group chat and exited the conversation.
He tried calling Shen Tang again, but still couldn’t get through.
On various online platforms, the controversy surrounding Shen Tang’s background continued to escalate. Over ten versions circulated about her mother and Chen Nanjin’s ex-wife.
None mentioned Xiao Zhen.
This was the result of the Xiao family’s PR interference—confusing the public and burying the truth.
Meanwhile, in their seaside villa abroad, silence reigned, suffocating and heavy.
Their passports hadn’t been replaced yet, so they were stuck there.
Chen Nanjin turned off his phone after posting that Weibo. He didn’t care about the online reaction but could imagine the storm it stirred.
He picked up a magazine and flipped through it, barely managing to read a line.
In front of Fan Yu, the tablet screen was shattered, coffee spilling everywhere—on the coffee table, the carpet.
‘Plop’ ‘Plop’
Coffee dripped silently from the edge of the table.
Her tears slid across her lips, tasting like seawater.
Upstairs in the bedroom, their daughter hadn’t come out all afternoon, refusing to open the door even when knocked on.
The shattered tablet and spilled coffee were casualties of her rage. Yet, even as Fan Yu lost control, Chen Nanjin remained indifferent.
“I thought you loved Yino.”
After an hour of silence, Chen Nanjin finally spoke. “Stop being unreasonable.”
“Unreasonable?” Fan Yu could hardly cry anymore, her strength depleted, her voice losing its roar. “You suddenly went crazy and acknowledged Shen Tang. What will people think of Yino now?”
“Why did you have to make it public?”
“The image of our happy family that I’ve maintained for over twenty years has become a joke.”
“Shen Tang is so wicked...”
Halfway through her words, Chen Nanjin threw down the magazine and went upstairs.
He knocked on his daughter’s door. “Yino, it’s me.”
Chen Yino sat slumped at her vanity, staring blankly at herself in the mirror, ignoring her father.
“Yino, say something to your father.”
“I don’t know what to say to you.”
Chen Yino’s head throbbed painfully. Slowly sitting up, she suddenly remembered a question she needed to ask her father—otherwise, it would weigh heavily on her mind.
She stood up, holding onto the chair. “Wait, I want to ask you something.”
Her door wasn’t locked. After receiving permission, Chen Nanjin pushed it open.
“What’s your question? Go ahead and ask.”
Chen Yino stared straight at her father, afraid to miss even the smallest change in his expression. “Dad, do you still love me?”
Fan Yu wanted to know too. She was already on the stairs, hearing every word of the conversation between her daughter and Chen Nanjin clearly.
Chen Nanjin: “Yino, stop obsessing. Once the hype dies down, no one will talk about these things every day. I’m going for a walk by the sea. Do you want to come?”
Chen Yino dodged the question. “Dad, I want to know the answer.”
“No matter what I say now, you’ll think I’m brushing you off.” Chen Nanjin released the doorknob. “Rest well.”
He turned and walked downstairs, ignoring Fan Yu leaning against the staircase.
Unable to contain her anger, Fan Yu blurted out recklessly, “Chen Nanjin, I want a divorce.”
Chen Nanjin didn’t pause his steps. “Alright, let’s file for divorce once we’re back.”
Fan Yu watched his cold, indifferent back, consumed by rage. “Chen Nanjin!”
Her scream was swallowed by the roaring waves outside.
Chen Nanjin didn’t look back. He went to the beach to clear his mind.
________________________________________
Late into the night, the phone lay silent, as if sealed in a signal-less box.
Jiang Chengyu poured another glass of red wine—his third of the evening.
Thirteen hours had passed since Shen Tang turned off her phone.
【Call me when you land.】 He sent her a message.
This night felt as endless as the one he spent taking care of Grandpa.
Early in the morning, Jiang Chengyu was woken by his phone vibrating. Shen Tang finally called him back.
“Hello,” his voice raspy with sleep.
Shen Tang was by the sea. Dusk enveloped the island. She held a stick, drawing against the waves. Her sketches were crude, only decipherable to herself.
From one end of the beach to the other, each drawing depicted memories of her childhood outings to sea with Grandpa.
Grandpa’s number could no longer be reached.
No one understood her destructive approach—not even Xie Yuncheng.
If Grandpa were here, he would surely say, “Our Tang Tang is a kind and sensible child.”
Aside from the sound of the waves, her voice couldn’t be heard over the phone.
“Shen Tang? Why aren’t you speaking?”
“Aren’t you the one who told me to call?” Shen Tang finished another sketch. “I thought you had something to tell me.”
Jiang Chengyu’s voice carried clear dissatisfaction: “You’ve been unreachable for hours, without leaving me a single word.”
Shen Tang flicked fine sand grains with her stick. “You’re not my boyfriend. I don’t need to report everything to you.”
“...” Jiang Chengyu was left speechless.
Now wasn’t the time to argue with her. “That Weibo post dragged you into a massive vortex. No one can escape unscathed.”
“I know.”
Her response was light, as if she didn’t care.
Shen Tang moved to a different spot on the damp sand, continuing to draw. This time, it was a picture of Grandpa holding her hand. In the drawing, she was small, reaching only to Grandpa’s thigh, with two braids, looking up at him.
At that time, Grandpa was healthy.
Bit by bit, Jiang Chengyu’s patience was worn thin by her silence. “Shen Tang, have you thought about our future together?”
The drawings were simple stick figures, easily sketched out.
Shen Tang propped her stick against the ground and spoke into the phone, “I used to think about it—about marrying you, having children, making midnight snacks when you’re not busy. I even wondered whether I should let go of my hatred for you.”
She looked at the drawing. “But then I stopped thinking about it.”
The waves surged forward, white foam washing over the sand.
Jiang Chengyu disliked wallowing in regret—it was futile.
“We’ll find a way for you to extricate yourself. Don’t stubbornly trap yourself in this mess.”
“I’ve thought about it, but it wouldn’t satisfy me.” Shen Tang held her stick and walked toward the shore. “Fan Yu started retaliating today, whitewashing herself. All the media outlets are praising her generosity.”
Jiang Chengyu had just woken up and hadn’t checked the trending topics yet. He opened them now.
Fan Yu was confident that Xiao Zhen wouldn’t admit anything, so she began fabricating stories. She claimed that Shen Tang was awarded to her mother when she was young, but all of Shen Tang’s education was handled by her personally. She even personally arranged for Shen Tang to attend an international school and had her assistant pay the fees.
She also encouraged Chen Nanjin to visit the child more often to build a father-daughter bond.
Including That Early Summer , which she supposedly tailored specifically for Shen Tang and Yino as a sisterhood drama. To make it convenient for Shen Tang to visit her grandfather, she deliberately stationed the production team in Haitang Village.
The reason she hadn’t disclosed Shen Tang earlier was to avoid disturbing Shen Tang’s mother, who was an outsider and had started a new life.
There were also several statements implying that Shen Tang was ungrateful.
Fact and fiction intertwined; netizens consuming the drama didn’t know whom to believe.
Jiang Chengyu urged her, “There are plenty of ways to deal with Fan Yu without resorting to mutually assured destruction. It’s not worth it.” He paused. “Shen Tang, leave a path for both of us.”
Shen Tang didn’t directly respond to this question.
“Jiang Chengyu, you’re right. I’m stubborn and selfish.”
Reaching the shore, Shen Tang sat in the sand, grabbing a handful, only to have it slip through her fingers until only a small amount remained in her palm.
Back in school, she had already developed this isolated, stubborn personality when bullied and ostracized by classmates. It was unchangeable.
“Thank you for being so good to Grandpa. From now on, try not to contact me.”
“Are you afraid of implicating me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
Before hanging up, Jiang Chengyu said, “If your personality won’t change, then so be it. I’ll yield to you. Not contacting you is fine, but you can come to Jingxu to see my office. Shen Tang, give us both a chance to fall in love.”
That day, Shen Tang sat by the sea until late into the night.
She had originally planned to stay on the island for a while, but the online narrative had clearly shifted in favor of Fan Yu, while Chen Nanjin quietly benefited as a father figure.
Shen Tang decided to return early. Xie Yuncheng was on a business trip, so arrangements were made for someone else to fly her back via helicopter.
“Tang Tang, the corn and potatoes on the island are about to ripen. Once you’ve sorted out matters in Beijing, hurry back to help harvest the corn.”
This was Xie Yuncheng’s message to her.
Shen Tang’s return to Beijing had been leaked in advance, and the media were already waiting.
After exiting through the VIP channel, she was surrounded by reporters at her car, unable to move.
Countless cameras pointed at her, bombarding her with questions.
“What was your Weibo post hinting at?”
“What do you have to say about Teacher Fan Yu’s statements?”
“More than ten people have been rumored to be your mother online, and their lives have been affected to varying degrees. Can you reveal your mother’s surname?”
Shen Tang gave a faint smile, answering only the last question. “Regarding my mother’s surname, I think you’d better ask Chairman Xiao of Xiao Ning Group.”
A wave of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
Even Chairman Xiao himself was utterly shocked. Shen Tang had openly provoked and declared war against him in front of the media.
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