The night deepened, the silver moon hung high.

Shen Jun, being of advanced age, slept lightly. The old mansion demanded silence after 10 PM, and the estate was now profoundly still.

Inside the main building, he stood by the window for a long time a rare night when he hadn’t retired early his gaze fixed on the pure gold photo frame in his hand.

The photograph had aged over the years, showing a young boy sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, holding a bamboo dragonfly up toward the camera.

The childish face was strikingly familiar; anyone looking closely would easily recognize it as Shen Yanli in his childhood.

The transparent cover showed signs of repeated rubbing over the facial area by fingertips. Shen Jun looked down at the face he had longed for day and night, his thoughts drifting far into the past.

They had searched for this boy, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Yuli, for a long time, scouring orphanages across the country without finding anyone close.

Just as they were about to give up, an orphanage in Shanzhou called, saying they had just taken in a boy who looked very similar.

Shen Jun had personally promised that if a matching child were found, the “reward” would be substantial.

Consequently, many calls came in during that period, each claiming to have found a lookalike.

As expected, most were exaggerations by opportunists seeking attention. Shen Jun had little faith in this particular call, and due to prior commitments, it was several weeks before he met the boy described over the phone

The one who looked “quite similar.”

At first sight of Shen Yanli, Shen Jun almost thought his eyes were deceiving him. This wasn’t just “quite similar”; it was an exact replica.

He even wondered if Shen Yuli had been kidnapped and brought here. After confirming by phone that Yuli was still safe at home, he began to examine the child before him.

Alike. Too alike.

Except for the teardrop mole under his eye, he was the spitting image of Shen Yuli.

Overjoyed, Shen Jun immediately arranged for the paperwork and planned to bring Shen Yanli back to the Shen family the very next day.

To avoid confusion, Shen Jun did not remove the teardrop mole under Yanli’s eye but instead had it concealed with makeup during public appearances.

Yuli had always been a gentle and kind-hearted child. He showed no resistance to Yanli’s arrival and genuinely treated him as his own younger brother.

On the day Shen Jun brought Yanli back to the old mansion, Yuli waited specially at the entrance, holding a gift for his new brother.

Beaming, he slung an arm over Yanli’s shoulder. “Hello, Yanli younger brother, I’m Yuli, your older brother.” Welcome to our family.”

Young Yanli was withdrawn and taciturn. He accepted everything indifferently, including Yuli’s gift.

As the only son of the Shen family, those who approached Yuli usually did so either to seek favors from the family or with ill intentions. But Yanli was different this new younger brother treated him coolly and never took the initiative to be friendly.

This made Yuli all the more attentive to his unique new brother. For seven years, Yuli called him “younger brother.”” Though Shen Jun was reluctant, he couldn’t withstand his biological son’s persistent pleas, and so Yanli endured it for seven years.

From the day he was brought to the Shen family, Yanli was drilled daily to imitate Yuli’s every word and action. He learned quickly, mastering about seventy to eighty percent of the mannerisms within a week.

After that

Without the teardrop mole, he was the revered young master of the Shen family.

With the teardrop mole, he was merely a stray cat living under someone else’s roof.

As they grew older, the two became increasingly similar, and Shen Yanli’s impersonation of Shen Yuli grew more and more masterful.

Without that teardrop mole, Shen Jun dreaded to think what might happen. He intended to eliminate him, but with the internal strife still unresolved and Shen Yuli unable to appear in public yet, the matter had to be postponed.

As their Powerful Enemies were gradually eliminated, the Shen Corporation grew stronger day by day. Shen Yuli no longer needed to hide, and Shen Yanli, the puppet, had outlived his usefulness.

When Shen Jun informed Shen Yuli of this, his foolish son actually felt happy for that bastard.

Watching the legitimate heir of the Shen family grow closer to the impostor, Shen Jun sighed inwardly at the troubling development and immediately ordered Shen Yanli to be taken away and disposed of in secret.

Unfortunately, the plot was exposed, and Shen Yuli discovered Shen Jun’s scheme. Faced with his foolish son’s pleas for mercy, he remained unmoved: “We can’t let this bastard child destroy the Shen family’s century-old legacy.”

When Shen Yuli refused to accept this, he desperately threatened suicide to buy Shen Yanli a temporary reprieve. Left with no choice, Shen Jun locked him in the storeroom and starved him for five full days, which only strengthened his resolve to eliminate Shen Yanli as soon as possible.

Everything that happened that day remained vivid in his mind. Shen Jun clenched the photo frame in his hand, painful memories flooding his heart.

He had finally managed to send Shen Yuli away, with the blade already poised above Shen Yanli’s head, when a phone call plunged him into despair.

“President Shen, something terrible has happened… the young master…” the caller stammered, too afraid to continue.

Shen Jun sensed disaster. Forcing himself to remain calm, he urged the caller to finish.

“There was a bomb planted in the car… the young master is… gone…”

Shen Jun didn’t even bother to pick up his fallen phone, frantically rushing out in panic.

That day, he fell down the stairs and broke his leg

When he woke up, he was lying in a hospital bed.

His son was gone, his leg was broken, and Shen Yanli had escaped.

During those days without his leadership, the internal strife that had just calmed half a month ago reignited. Stock prices plummeted, projects were snatched away, and the capital chain broke.

Suddenly, all troubles came knocking at his door. He didn’t even have time to prepare his own son’s funeral, working nonstop for three days just to barely keep things under control.

Before he could catch his breath, the clan used his lack of an heir as an excuse, attempting to drag him down. With no other choice, he had to recapture the escaped Shen Yanli, declaring that he, Shen Jun, had more than one son.

Shen Yanli was clever too. He deliberately waited to be captured. After returning to the Shen family, he remained calm and composed, even negotiating terms with Shen Jun

He demanded to appear under a different name.

Shen Jun had been considering the same idea; he equally disliked having his son’s name attached to an impostor.

Originally planning to eliminate him quietly after the turmoil passed, he never expected that before that day arrived, the retired Grand Elder Shen would suddenly appear and take Shen Yanli away for personal tutelage.

Shen Yanli was allowed to return to the old mansion once every month on the fifteenth.On the surface, Shen Jun missed his son, but in reality, he made Shen Yanli repent for his faults in the ancestral hall, kneeling for thirteen full hours before being permitted to rise.

All because Shen Yuli had just turned thirteen the day he died.

As he grew older, Grand Elder Shen allowed him to return to the old mansion and learn to take over the Shen Corporation’s business.

With a face identical to Shen Yuli’s and manners no different, Shen Jun would often be dazed whenever he saw him.

If his Yuli were still here, he would probably be just like this.

He had grown old, gradually losing the strength to handle high-intensity work. One erroneous judgment led the company to incur losses of hundreds of billions. Shen Yanli, who had been impeccably taught by the patriarch, corrected the mistake amid his panic, averting even greater losses.

The ordeal landed him in the hospital, where Shen Yanli’s round-the-clock care nursed him back to health.

During his hospital stay, he reflected deeply and came to a realization: the Shen family would never again have an heir as exceptionally talented and capable as Shen Yanli.

At least until someone more suitable could be found, the corporation needed an infusion of fresh blood to sustain its operations.

He didn’t care whether the one managing the entire corporation was of true Shen bloodline so long as his family’s legacy was preserved. This vast enterprise could not be ruined in his hands.

If Shen Yanli ever did anything even slightly detrimental to the corporation, he would remove him immediately.

“President Shen.” The newcomer stood behind him, bowing in greeting.

His thoughts were interrupted; his unfocused gaze sharpened once more. Shen Jun stroked the face of Shen Yuli in the photograph through its transparent cover, his tone devoid of emotion. “Speak.”

“Little Director Shen has left, taking the one from the Lin family with him.”

Before hearing Shen Jun’s next instruction, Helin remained in a deep bow, the oppressive weight in the air pressing in relentlessly.

“The young wolf has grown disobedient…” Shen Jun murmured as he caressed the photo, as if talking to himself or consulting with Shen Yuli. His expression was benevolent, yet his words were icy and detached. “Then dispose of him.”

Helin straightened up, observing Shen Jun’s aged but unbent frame. After careful consideration, he asked, “Shall we handle it ourselves, or…?”

Shen Jun was the epitome of hypocrisy he never dirtied his own hands. But times had changed. With Little Director Lu already in play, they need not act directly. Still, this was, after all, a descendant of the Shen bloodline.

Shen Jun understood his concern. In the struggle between wolves and tigers, only the last one standing would be the victor. Neither of these two would obediently follow orders. He would make his move only when they had exhausted each other.

“Deliver the materials to Yuchen,” he said offhandedly, wiping the surface of the photo frame.

There was no genuine familial affection in the Shen family Lu Yuchen should understand that better than anyone. With such a massive family enterprise at stake, no one could swallow it without paying a price.

Shen Jun turned and walked methodically to the bedside table. Taking a neatly folded cloth, he gently wiped away the fingerprints left on the protective cover.

He wanted to see for himself what mattered more blood ties or capability. Let them fight it out.

In the end, whoever was willing to stake everything

Would claim the Shen family.

After leaving the old mansion that night, Shen Yanli became exceptionally busy, disappearing for days on end. Though he claimed everything was fine, Lin Zhiyu could faintly sense that someone from the old mansion had made a move.

Distractedly, she picked at her food with a fork, her thoughts drifting back to that night at the old mansion before she went looking for Shen Yanli, when she encountered Lu Yuchen.

The old mansion was eerily quiet late at night. Ignoring Shen Yanli’s warnings, she had asked the butler for directions and headed alone to the ancestral hall.

“Kneeling in the ancestral hall in the middle of the night?”

Lin Zhiyu muttered under her breath.

Why all the secrecy about kneeling in the ancestral hall? Was he afraid she’d laugh at him?

The path was long and dimly lit by sparse streetlamps. Lin Zhiyu walked slowly, scanning her surroundings as she went.

She was afraid of missing Shen Yanli if he returned.

She didn’t find Shen Yanli instead, she saw Lu Yuchen.

He stood upright beside a bench, as if he had just ended a phone call. Hearing her approach, he turned to look at Lin Zhiyu.

“Miss Lin.”

This time, he didn’t call her “auntie.”

Lin Zhiyu watched his unchanged expression, curious about how he would address his previous remarks.

He showed self-awareness by taking the initiative to mention it. “Still troubled by what I said before?”

“It seems you know exactly what you’re saying. What benefit do you gain from letting Ji Xianlin misunderstand me?”

Lin Zhiyu took two steps back, afraid that Ji Xianlin would find another excuse to cause trouble.

“What are you talking about, Miss Lin? What has Ah Lin misunderstood?” Lu Yuchen remained composed, looking completely unbothered.

She had expected him to apologize, but never imagined he would twist the truth like this.

Lin Zhiyu curled her lips.

She thought he was insane.

Lu Yuchen refused to acknowledge his behavior at the pool that day, shifting all the blame onto her. “Miss Lin, please don’t seek me out again. If Ah Lin sees, she’ll misunderstand. I don’t want her to be upset over this.”

“Lu Yuchen, does your conscience not ache when you say such things?” Lin Zhiyu couldn’t help interrupting him.

“Why would it ache when I’m stating the facts? You must be joking, Miss Lin. Someone else should be the one feeling the pain.” His gaze fixed directly on her face.

Though he didn’t say it explicitly, Lin Zhiyu knew he was implying it was her.

Watching him deliberately keep his distance, she let out a scornful laugh.

Not only was Ji Xianlin insane, but this man was too.

Her eyes lingered on his retreating figure, and she couldn’t help but double-check the male lead’s name in the book.

How could someone like him become the male lead?

The main characters disliked them intensely, even going out of their way to make things difficult. No matter what, they didn’t seem like they would ever accept her.

Faced with such a situation, she lost her appetite and couldn’t bring herself to eat. Perhaps someone had reported her condition to Shen Yanli, as the household chef kept changing the menu repeatedly.

Watching them act as if disaster was imminent, Lin Zhiyu reluctantly sat at the table and picked at her food, taking only a few bites.

If she helped Shen Yanli, she couldn’t return. If she didn’t, the main characters would surely try to eliminate her.

Her fork scraped against the plate, producing a sharp, grating sound.

This was a dead end!

She glanced around above her head, but there was no sign of the system she had imagined.

Seriously, why did other people who transmigrated get systems, but hers was missing? Was it intentional? Was it hiding and waiting for her to find it?

What was going on?

Lin Zhiyu’s scraping grew more vigorous, the eerie noise drawing attention.

Noticing the strange looks from those around her, she smiled awkwardly, lowered her head, and pretended to eat to avoid their gazes.

Angrily, she stabbed a piece of peach blossom pastry and put it in her mouth. The pastry was fragrant and rich, finally stirring a bit of her appetite. But just then, a loud, high-pitched female voice abruptly interrupted her chewing.

“Madam, it’s terrible! Something has happened to the master!” A maid stood in front of the coffee table, shouting loudly. Lin Zhiyu turned to look and saw Shen Yanli’s figure frequently appearing in a live news broadcast on the TV.

“The government recently received an anonymous tip-off alleging that the Shen Group colluded with political figures to illegally acquire land. This morning at 10 a.m., the police raided and sealed the group’s offices, and the relevant persons in charge were taken away for investigation…”

The clear, standard news anchor’s voice echoed throughout the living room. Lin Zhiyu’s newly sparked appetite vanished instantly, and whispers from the servants continuously reached her ears.

The doorbell rang, and the monitor showed police officers holding a search warrant, demanding to be let in.

They were really trying to drive them into a corner.

Lin Zhiyu sighed inwardly, feeling helpless. She put down her knife and fork and calmly said, “Let them in.”

From this moment on, the true internal strife of the Shen family began. Even if she wanted to return home, she had to survive to do so. The book had not described her future fate or outcome.

Lin Zhiyu refused to believe that after transmigrating, she could actually be allowed to die. Well then, let’s give it a try and see what this damned book pulled her in for.

Amidst this sudden upheaval, compared to the panicked servants in the villa, Lin Zhiyu appeared exceptionally calm.

As Shen Yanli’s wife, she naturally couldn’t escape investigation. After draping a coat over herself, she rode in a police car to the station to cooperate.

The vehicle was filled with the unpleasant odor that lingered after exposure to high temperatures. Lin Zhiyu uncomfortably rubbed her temples, leaned the back of her neck against the seat, and closed her eyes in discomfort.

A strange dream suddenly surged, uncontrollably pulling her into past events.

“A Yan, let’s get a divorce.”

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