Chu Xiaomeng's babyish words sent shivers down everyone's spine.
Lu Cheng and the bodyguards looked at Chu Yanshen in shock.
When did their boss get a daughter?
Chu Yanshen, on the other hand, fixed his gaze on the child before him.
The little one was very pretty, with shoulder-length black hair, a pair of clear, peach blossom eyes, and a baby-faced, chubby-cheeked little visage. Despite her young age, she already showed signs of devastating beauty.
But—Daddy?
Chu Yanshen's brows furrowed, "I am not your..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the little one took a step forward and grasped his finger, "Daddy, stop talking nonsense. Big brother just sent me a message saying they're surrounded by people. If we're late, they'll start beating people~!"
Lu Cheng, who had been eagerly listening to the gossip, was perplexed: ??
Did the child get it wrong? Shouldn't it be 'they will be beaten'?
Chu Yanshen's eyes, however, were on the small hand holding his rough one, and his gaze darkened. He softened his voice unconsciously: "Who is your mother?"
"Shen Bijun."
-
In the backyard of the Shimao Intercontinental Hotel, chaos reigned.
A dozen bodyguards lay on the ground, battered and bruised, too pained to get up.
Lin Wanru had been thrown back into the water and was desperately treading water to avoid being swept away. She shouted in humiliation and anger, "Shen Bijun, how dare you bully me. Madame Chu won't let you get away with this! …And neither will Master Shen. You're done for... your whole family is done for!"
Shen Bijun calmly clapped her hands and nodded slightly to the butler, her voice cool and detached, "I apologize for disturbing Madame Chu's birthday feast."
The butler stood not far away, staring at her in shock and fear.
Wasn't she famously known as a vase, beautiful but useless? How was she able to fight like this?
Shen Bijun, holding Chu Tianye's small hand, walked out.
If Chu Yanshen wouldn't come, then there was no reason for her to stay here.
Chu Tianye frowned, asking worriedly, "Mommy, will Daddy's family really not let us go because you hit that Lin person?"
"It's fine."
Knowing her son was overly concerned and carrying the weight of the family on his young shoulders, Shen Bijun reassured him, "Once we see your father, the misunderstanding will be cleared up."
Even if Chu Yanshen had changed, the child was still his, and from what she knew of that man, he wouldn't make things difficult for them.
Half an hour later, Shen Bijun cycled home, turning into a three-story Western-style villa.
As soon as she entered, she was stunned by the scene in front of her.
On the living room sofa, a stunningly handsome man lay there, his peach-blossom eyes wide with unfocused shock, his complexion as pale as paper, and his white shirt soaked with a shocking amount of crimson blood. It was a harrowing sight.
Anyone returning home to this scene would scream in fright.
Shen Bijun, however, only twitched her mouth, while Chu Tianye walked over reluctantly. He crouched down next to the "corpse," rested his chin in his hand, and looked into the "lifeless" eyes.
Thirty seconds later, the man blinked his sore eyes and asked earnestly, "Junjun, was my portrayal of a corpse convincing? When you first came in, did you feel like it was a crime scene?"
"..."
This person was Shen Bijun's father—Jing Zhen, a minor actor.
Shen Bijun took her mother's surname because Jing Zhen was the Shens' live-in son-in-law, commonly known as a kept man.
His face was more distinctive than that of A-list stars, with delicate features, romantic peach-blossom eyes that shimmered with passion, tall and slender. Time had left no mark upon him, and he was devastatingly handsome.
What a pity that he is not famous.
Fortunately, after acting for over twenty years, he had some income, and this small villa was his private property, which was not confiscated when he was kicked out of the Shens.
Jing Zhen, holding the script, bragged with an air of pride, "…Don't look at me as just a supporting role in this series, but the entire show revolves around me, I'm the core of the series! I'm incredibly important…"
Shen Bijun asked, "Tell me, how many scenes do you have in this series?"
Jing Zhen, "…One."
Shen Bijun: !
So he dies in the opening scene?!
Jing Zhen was very dissatisfied, "What's with that look? Although I have only one scene, in this suspense series, I am the victim! Everything they play afterward is about finding my killer!"
"…"
The ringtone of Jing Zhen's phone suddenly went off, and as he took the call, Shen Bijun led Chu Tianye toward the room. Before entering the bedroom, they heard Jing Zhen's voice rise, "What? I can't act anymore? Why, Director? I've analyzed this character in detail, and I even wrote a biography for him, guaranteeing the corpse will look lifelike..."
The director's roar could be heard from the other end, "You wrote a biography for a corpse? Are you out of your mind?"
Jing Zhen sighed, "You won't even let me play a corpse?"
The director fell silent for a moment, then said, "Forget it, let me tell you the truth. I have no idea how your daughter offended the Chus, but recently all the crews won't allow you in. Just a heads-up, if you value your life, you better leave quickly. The Chus are not to be trifled with. Your acting career is over, goodbye."
Jing Zhen hurriedly opened WeChat and noticed his agent had sent a message canceling all his upcoming schedules.
Jing Zhen frowned and after a moment, he slowly looked up at Shen Bijun with a commanding presence, "Bijun, don't be afraid, is it just the Chu's? Whatever happens, I'll support you."
Chu Tianye was startled for a second. In that instant, the image of his grandfather suddenly grew in stature...
But the next moment, he was brought back to reality. With a frown, he asked, "Do you think we should sell the house first? This way, we'll have money for the road when we flee..."
Chu Tianye: !!
He knew it! The grandfather was never reliable!
Shen Bijun clenched her jaw.
Despite Jing Zhen's jests, he actually loved acting. Even though he wasn't popular and not well-received in the crew, he enjoyed it tirelessly, delving into every character meticulously...
She was just about to explain something when her phone also rang. Picking it up, a frivolous male voice came through, "Boss, how did you offend the Chus? Why has the Chu family suddenly started spreading the word that they want your entire family to disappear from Sea City?"
Shen Bijun promptly hung up the call.
But the phone rang again, and she pressed the answer button impatiently, "I don't know if the Chus can make me disappear, but do you believe I can make you disappear from Sea City?"
"…"
Realizing something was amiss, Shen Bijun glanced at the incoming call and discovered it was from an unfamiliar number.
After a brief pause, a long-missed, deep voice came from the other end, "This is Chu Yanshen."
His voice was deep and forceful, both familiar and strange... it made her heart clench violently, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say. All the words she wanted to say ultimately boiled down to one question, "Where are you?"
"Airport."
"Good, I'm coming to find you."
In forty minutes, Shen Bijun covered a distance that usually took an hour to travel.
She strode into the airport's VIP lounge and immediately saw that man standing tall like an emperor.
He had shed some of the youthful immaturity and gained a more mature and steady demeanor.
She was certain, this was the man she had been searching for five years.