As a lawyer, Qin Mu had dealt with no shortage of complicated situations over the years. Having seen the vastness of the seas, he naturally did not fear stepping into a muddy pit; even if he accidentally set a foot in one, he could still pull his leg out with dignity. He would not turn red in the face and flee just because of a bit of unclear, awkward circumstance. As for the person who dug the pit, there would always be a chance to ‘repay’ that in the future.
Since it could not be explained clearly, he simply did not explain at all. Qin Mu’s gaze swept quickly around the room, pausing for a moment on a familiar face.
Years had passed, but Shen Yan remained unchanged. His upright sitting posture was like a tall, solemn tree standing on a ridgeline. He was also looking at Qin Mu, with a flash of surprise that vanished just as quickly. Clearly, he had not expected to meet again here, but he accepted the situation almost immediately.
Qin Mu did not greet him. He turned toward Shen Liu and said, “I’m going to change clothes first. You all start eating.” His demeanour was incredibly natural and open, showing no trace of embarrassment. He even seemed like another long-term host of this place. The guests could not help but begin forming their own guesses in private.
“Alright,” Shen Liu replied with a smile. Others did not understand, but he did. If a gaze could kill, then in that brief moment of eye contact earlier, he would have already been reduced to ashes.
While Qin Mu exited the scene with steady composure, on the other side, the Shen family elites, unable to suppress their curiosity, temporarily set aside their old grievances and formed an informal alliance to mine for gossip.
“This lawyer looks quite capable,” Shen Rong said, smiling with a hidden implication.
“Anyone Liu ge sets his sights on is naturally impressive,” Shen Xiao remarked, his words carrying undertones. “I wonder if he handles financial cases or personal matters?”
Even the hungover Shen Li perked up, his grin insincere. “Liu ge, are you exploiting your employees? Forcing someone to work overtime all night? He didn’t even have time to change clothes.”
Shen Anning sneered, “I heard some time ago that you and that plastic-surgery freak from the Xu family were hitting it off and about to get together. I thought that was true.”
“Hitting it off is an exaggeration, but about to be married, that part was true,” Shen Liu answered casually.
Shen Anning, who was the same sort as Shen Liu when it came to sharp tongues, spoke viciously enough to kill, “If you’re going to pick someone, at least pick someone that looks naturally pleasing. Her face is sculpted so much that her nose is about to puncture the atmosphere, a kiss could slice someone’s throat with that chin, and her chest shifts position the moment she lies down. What exactly do you see in her? The novelty of waking up to a new face every three days?” She and that Xu girl had never gotten along since childhood, and now that they were both over thirty, their mockery was still as cutting as ever.
“It’s all an act. The partner doesn’t matter,” Shen Liu said lightly. “You’re not unaware of my preferences, are you?”
Shen Anning choked on her retort.
The others at the table also fell silent. They did, of course, know Shen Liu’s sexual orientation—but knowing was one thing, saying it openly in public was another. The Shen family had strict rules. They had understood from childhood that an egg could not crack a stone, and personality could not outweigh power. No matter how outrageous one was in private, one still had to maintain the proper facade in public.
Like Shen Rong, no matter how many girlfriends he had, he could only bring that sickly fiancée to formal occasions.
Like Shen Xiao, no matter how much he loved music, he would never be allowed to become a bassist.
Like Shen Ting, no matter how much he hated hypocrisy, he still had to sit upright on the stage giving empty speeches.
Like Shen Jiahe, no matter how young she was, would remain the lonely widow of a magnate until the family approved otherwise.
Preferences, individuality, and sincerity—these were all peas hidden beneath the cushions, making only the one sitting on them uncomfortable. One could not take them out in public. That would break the rules.
But today, Shen Liu had violated those rules outright. Not only had he stated it openly, he had also brought that person here in a legitimate, aboveboard manner. What did that imply?
“You didn’t invite us just to meet him, did you?” The always-silent Shen Ting finally spoke.
“We’ll discuss business after the meal,” Shen Liu replied, not in any hurry to reveal anything.
“Then let’s eat first. I’m starving.” Shen Rong’s stomach had been growling for a while. “Is that lawyer friend of yours done changing? Don’t tell me he got shy and isn’t coming back?”
“He wouldn’t,” Shen Liu said with a laugh.
Sure enough, not long after he said so, the person appeared.
The matching grey-blue suit fit snugly over his tall and upright frame, and the fully buttoned shirt collar appeared solemn and formal. The sunlight traced a faint golden outline along the edge of his glasses. The eyes behind the lenses were deep and sharp, as though they had quietly seen through everyone present. In formal wear, Qin Mu had a certain austere, solitary air that made others instinctively hold their breath.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He walked slowly to the empty seat.
Shen Liu stood up and pulled out a chair for him; after Qin Mu sat down, he introduced everyone one by one. These people were already the backbone of the family, and the strength of the capital behind them could be glimpsed from their lengthy titles.
With Qin Mu present, and adhering to the principle that family disgrace should not be aired publicly, the Shen family members all restrained their words quite a bit. Shen Ting, seated nearby, made some small talk with him. Upon hearing that Qin Mu mainly handled economic cases, he asked two questions regarding financing. Qin Mu analysed them in an orderly and precise manner. Shen Liu joked, “His consulting fees aren’t cheap; remember to settle the bill on your way out.”
“In that case, I’ll ask something else.” Shen Anning cut in. “When did Lawyer Qin and Liu ge meet?”
“Many years ago,” Qin Mu answered vaguely.
“From your accent, you’re from K City?”
“Yes.”
“I recall Liu ge attended university in K City.” Shen Anning was skilled at connecting dots. “The two of you were university classmates?”
“Yes. He was my senior. He always took good care of me.” Qin Mu said, “I came to J City a couple of days ago to meet a client and ran into some trouble, so I had no choice but to trouble him. I stayed over here last night.”
Just a few short sentences clearly explained why he had appeared earlier in sleepwear, and neatly distanced his relationship with Shen Liu.
The shift from ‘ambiguous romantic involvement’ to ‘promising junior’ was so sudden that Shen Anning was stunned for a moment. All the critical probing questions she had prepared were blocked off at once. She had to switch to a softer line forcibly and tossed out a harmless question, “I heard my brother had someone he was crazy about back in university… What kind of person was that?”
Back then, Shen Liu suddenly went off to study far away in K City and nearly cut off contact with all of them. Later, there were vague rumours that he once caused a huge stir over a certain ‘lover’, but it had been suppressed by his father, Shen Lan. The details were never clear. Shen Anning only asked out of curiosity, but by pure chance, the question struck directly at Qin Mu’s softest spot.
Shen Liu made no move to help him, instead taking on the posture of an observer watching from the sidelines, calmly waiting to see how he would handle it.
Qin Mu felt a headache coming on. Fearing he would create contradictions he could not patch later if he made up something too elaborate, he simply resorted to feigning ignorance, “I don’t remember.”
Shen Liu gave him a dismissive look.
The perfunctory tone was too obvious, and Shen Anning was dissatisfied. “It happened so long ago, and you still can’t tell me?”
“If you’re so curious, why don’t you ask me?” Shen Liu asked.
“You won’t tell me,” Shen Anning rolled her eyes at him.
“He was someone very worthy of being loved,” Shen Liu said as he slowly lifted his eyes to look at Qin Mu, “the kind of person who makes you feel that even losing everything for him would be worth it.”
Qin Mu continued cutting the beef on his plate without a change in expression, only his eyelashes trembling ever so slightly.
Shen Anning snorted, “That’s the same as not saying anything.”
Shen Rong’s mouth twitched. “Did you put too much Sichuan pepper in that beef? Why is it this making me teary?”
“Liu ge is very devoted, that’s all,” Shen Li said with a mix of laughter and exasperation. “Why not get back in touch? Who knows, maybe the person is still single… and if not, well… You can always loosen the soil around the roots.”
“It’s been so many years, he might be married by now.” Shen Xiao wiped his mouth with a napkin. “My first love is already a mother of two.”
Failing to dig up any interesting gossip, Shen Anning turned to Qin Mu and asked, “Lawyer Qin, are you married?”
“No.” Qin Mu set down his knife and fork politely.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Oh? Single for a while or a staunch believer in remaining single??”
“I just haven’t met the right person.”
“Oh? Then what does Lawyer Qin think of me?”
She was the bold type, the kind who often teased men until they didn’t know where to put their hands. This time, she even lifted her hair deliberately, showing off her allure.
Qin Mu always treated others with cold indifference, and he turned people down without hesitation. But this one was Shen Liu’s younger sister, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to answer. His gaze couldn’t help drifting toward Shen Liu.
Their eyes met; there was a clear smile in Shen Liu’s eyes.
Qin Mu’s ears grew warm. Irritated, he averted his gaze.
“You’re not suitable for him,” Shen Liu finally spoke to rescue him.
Shen Anning raised an eyebrow with displeasure. “What’s not suitable about me?”
“Your gender isn’t suitable.”
The man slid the plate of beef he had already cut into small pieces over to Qin Mu, smiling as he said, “Your memory’s so bad. Eat more meat and help your brain.”
Shen Anning stared for a moment, then immediately reacted with a soft “Oh.”
Everyone at the table was a shrewd individual. At this point, what was there left not to understand? Their gazes toward Qin Mu shifted—complex, assessing, even a little stunned.
So he was the old lover whom Shen Liu had once loved so deeply that he was willing to have his own legs broken over it.
The stage Qin Mu had painstakingly set up was toppled in one kick. NLawyer Qin, whose performance had been cut short halfway through, sat motionless, eating his meat. If the beef weren’t so tender and juicy, he might have slammed the plate into that bastard’s face right then and there.
Shen Anning, realising she had just dug up a years-old explosive scandal, was in an excellent mood. For these past years, Shen Liu had been like a machine—calculating and manoeuvring for the family, thunderous methods, razor-sharp efficiency, life nearly swallowed whole by work. Even his leisure time was just business disguised as entertainment. He looked put together, yet lifeless.
Now, seeing the way he was with Qin Mu was like he had come back to life, and he was actually more agreeable. She wanted to tease him, but thinking of the many years they had loved and been forced apart, she suddenly couldn’t bring herself to do so.
Jiahe was likely thinking the same. Usually silent, she intentionally opened her mouth to shift the subject, and soon the table drifted from financial storms to global politics. The meal progressed in a strange sort of harmony.
Qin Mu guessed they had business to discuss and withdrew to the study.
The others moved to the receiving hall, waiting for Shen Liu to speak.
Tao Ze came in carrying a stack of envelopes and handed them out. Only Shen Anning and Shen Jiahe did not receive one.
The moment Shen Rong opened his envelope, his face flushed in anger. “Shen Liu, are you insane?”
The others’ faces didn’t look much better. Shen Ting frowned. “What is the meaning of this?”
Shen Liu lounged lazily on the sofa, full from lunch, speaking unhurriedly, “I went to all this trouble collecting your little scandals. Obviously, they’re for leverage.”
“What do you want us to do?” Shen Li asked. His face had gone pale—he clearly feared what was inside the envelope.
“I want you to stand with me,” Shen Liu said.
“You want to break off your engagement?” Jiahe asked softly.
Shen Liu lowered his eyes and smiled. “Something that small isn’t worth all this effort.” He paused, then said, “I want to bring down the Zhao family.”
He spoke the way one would when ordering food, but beneath it lay a mad, world-destroying force.
The room froze in disbelief.
Shen Yan’s heart lurched. He said instinctively, “The Old Man will never agree.”
He was one of the few who knew about Shen Liu and Qin Mu’s past. He knew how deeply they had loved. From the moment he saw Qin Mu today, he had felt that trouble was coming. And now, at some subconscious level, he believed… There was no one left who could stop the present Shen Liu.
“I had no intention of seeking his approval.” Shen Liu met his gaze, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening, showing a calm and effortless confidence. “It’s exactly because the Shen family has grown increasingly conservative over the years that the Zhao family has been able to keep expanding. The old man is old now, and the elders are content to guard their past achievements and live comfortably. When it finally comes time to fight for our position, we realise we can no longer outplay them. So, it’s time for the Shen family to change blood.”
Not only did this bastard intend to overthrow the Zhao family, but he also wanted to overthrow his own family as well. No one had expected him to say something like that. The entire room was stunned.
“You acting this recklessly will ruin the Shen family!” Shen Yan said urgently.
“When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? The general election is coming soon. Everyone knows whether the Zhao family will have good days once they get into power. All the rotten accounts you have—if I could find them, the Zhao family could find them just as easily. Keeping your peaceful lives won’t be easy. The walls they build are not places where you can freely come and go.” Shen Liu spoke lightly. “Rather than being driven to a dead end and losing everything in disgrace, it’s better to break the cauldrons and sink the boats now, change the blood, and fight head-on. I do not need neutrality or ambiguity. Anyone who is not on my side is the enemy. I suggest you consider it carefully. With your current strength, your chances of winning against me are not good.”
“So you’re forcing us to pick a side,” Shen Ting said.
“That’s right.” Shen Liu smiled. “What I set today is a Hongmen Banquet1banquet set up with the aim of murdering a guest. Either we form an alliance, or we break apart. You choose.”
“Why is there no envelope for me and Jiahe?” Shen Anning asked. “I don’t believe you didn’t find anything on us.”
Shen Liu was silent for a few seconds. “You two are the younger sisters I watched grow up. I wanted to ask for a favour from you, personally.”
Shen Anning’s gaze shifted slightly. Her red lips curved, her smile tinged with resignation. “Calculating interests is one thing, and now you want to calculate feelings too. When have I ever not stood on your side?”
Shen Jiahe pressed her lips together and spoke softly, “Back then, when they married me off to that old man, you were the only one who strongly opposed it. I told myself then that if you ever needed me in the future, I would stand by you unconditionally. All the assets under my name can be used by you, including the Shi family’s portion.”
“Thank you.” Shen Liu slowly looked around at the others and said, “Although we are not deeply close, we are, after all, bound by blood. How we’ve fared these past years, what we’ve sacrificed—others may not know, but we all know very well. Unless there is absolutely no other choice, I do not want to use what’s in those envelopes to threaten you. I cannot guarantee we will win this war, but I can guarantee that if we do, you will no longer be the family’s puppets. You will become true power-holders, with the greatest possible autonomy.”
He was truly skilled at understanding the human heart. The transition of power between old and new forces was a long one. For these younger ones, who held partial power yet still had to bow to the “emperors behind the curtain,” the temptation was enormous.
Guns and roses, which side to choose?
The hall fell utterly silent. Everyone was weighing and thinking.
Shen Rong spoke first. He blew out a breath, annoyed. “Alright, fine. Isn’t it just joining in for a fight? I’ve hated those shameless Zhao bastards for a long time anyway. Just tell me what you need me to do. But—whatever’s in here, you have to cover it for me.”
“No problem,” Shen Liu replied.
With him leading, the others also stated their positions after some consideration. They were all people who competed at the top of their respective circles, sharp in judgment.
When they were leaving, Shen Liu personally saw them to the door. Shen Yan stayed until the end and asked, “For him?”
“For myself.” Shen Liu watched the birds playing in the branches and said, “I used to think that living life like this was fine. Just a few decades. Nothing much. But he was like a slap, waking me from a dream of being a living corpse. Yan ge, your identity is special, and you are one of the Old Master’s people. So I won’t force you to choose a side. Just observe.”
“What, you’re not going to ask me for a favour?” Shen Yan asked. The envelope he had received contained only blank paper; they both understood what that meant.
“You already helped me once back then. You told me that if I don’t yet have the power to resist, don’t make decisions I’ll regret. I have always remembered those words.”
“And now, are you confident you’ll win?”
Shen Liu smiled, but did not answer.
Shen Yan sighed, patted his shoulder, and got into his car.
In the rearview mirror, the villa grew smaller and smaller, looking from afar like a beautiful, delicate cage. Once, it had imprisoned the brightest puppet of the Shen family. Now that the puppet had died, the awakened beast had silently bared its fangs.
Outside the car, the sun had disappeared behind the clouds at some point. Birds flapped their wings across the grey sky. The world sank into a swirling, oppressive gloom.
The world was about to change.
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