The Third Orange

On the outskirts of Tang City stood the Shen family villa.

Before the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, Shi Jianren pinched the bridge of his nose while on the phone: "...Yes, Mrs. Su, it's my fault for not disciplining her properly. Once she's home, I'll... yes, yes, yes..."

The woman leaning on Shi Jianren's shoulder, in a white dress with long black hair, lay bonelessly on the sofa, creating a striking visual contrast against the red upholstery.

"What's wrong, Jianren? Something troubling you?"

Shi Jianren pinched his brow again and looked down at the woman. His mistress's gentle caring soothed his nerves somewhat, but the anger in his heart still blazed fiercely.

Seeing this, the woman willingly offered her lips, closing her eyes in the midst of his tobacco scent, losing herself in the kiss.

Shi Jianren maintained a shred of rationality, but his hand slipped into the woman's collar.

When Shen Qiancheng pushed open the door, this was the scene that greeted her—having seen it once before, now it was happening a second time so soon.

Shen Qiancheng watched the two kissing with interest, scrutinizing the woman Shi Jianren had newly taken. White dress, long black hair... after all these years, Shi Jianren hadn't changed his old habits. Shen Qiancheng couldn't help but roll her eyes.

If she didn't intervene, they'd soon turn the room into a bed. Shen Qiancheng spoke up abruptly.

"Father, we're at home."

The implication: don't bring random women back to the Shen residence.

Shi Jianren released his hold and looked at Shen Qiancheng, who had finally returned home. The anger he had barely suppressed shot up like a three-meter flame.

Shen Qiancheng didn't flinch under Shi Jianren's glare that seemed ready to devour her. She spoke to the woman: "Rather than him, you'd be better off with me. I like white dresses and long black hair too."

Already seething, Shi Jianren, upon seeing Shen Qiancheng openly flirt with his mistress in front of him, grabbed the ashtray from the table and hurled it at her, causing the woman in his arms to shriek.

Shen Qiancheng dodged it and said coldly to the woman, "Aren't you going to get lost?!"

With a pitiful, helpless look, the woman glanced at Shi Jianren, who showed no intention of comforting her, so she had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

The empty first floor now held only Shi Jianren and Shen Qiancheng.

Shen Qiancheng bent down to pick up the ashtray from the floor. The vast villa lay empty—Shi Jianren had likely sent the servants home on leave.

Rain was coming with wind. Shen Qiancheng knew what awaited her tonight.

Shi Jianren struck first with a cold snort. "You have the nerve to come back? You think bullying Su Zeye will dissolve the engagement? Don't dream about it."

Shen Qiancheng shot back without backing down: "This is the Shen residence. My surname is Shen. This is my home. Why shouldn't I come back?"

Shen Qiancheng had taken her mother's surname, a humiliation for Shi Jianren.

"I'm your father! Would I do anything to hurt you? I'm doing this for your own good! Marrying into the Su family, you can still live like a pampered young lady. Haven't I treated you well enough?"

"Heh, so you remember you're my father! What kind of father makes his daughter go on a blind date right after her college entrance exams?! As for Su Zeye, no one needs to look into his reputation to know what he's like. What father would marry his daughter to such a bastard?!"

"Shen Qiancheng, I'm doing this for your own good. In this circle, who would dare marry you? If you don't marry into the Su family, can I support you for the rest of your life?"

"Hahaha, I know exactly what you're plotting. Don't put on this act of the loving father here. Your clever scheme is just to marry me off as soon as possible, afraid I'll cause you more trouble. I refuse to let you have your way!"

"Shen Qiancheng, you know yourself that you're always stirring up trouble. Look at this! You couldn't stay at Qiwu, so I transferred you to the city's top school, and you managed to drive someone to death."

On the screen of Shi Jianren's phone was a photo—red blood nearly filled the entire image. A girl with bangs lay in a pool of blood, a scar on her forehead. It was Lin Senyu, whom Shen Qiancheng had seen at noon.

Shi Jianren nearly shoved the phone screen into Shen Qiancheng's eyes, forcing her to witness how she'd added another life to her tally.

"I didn't push her. She committed suicide, didn't she?"

Shen Qiancheng's tone was as calm as if she were sipping soy milk in the morning, and she didn't even scrutinize the photo. Shi Jianren, however, caught a hint of excitement in her eyes.

Shi Jianren closed his eyes. How could he still try to reason with this madwoman, to evoke a conscience she never had?

Shi Jianren sighed. "I'll handle this. Afterward, you'll marry into the Su family. Out of respect for the Shen name, Su Zeye won't dare harm you."

Shen Qiancheng asked seriously, "So I can do whatever I want to him?"

Shi Jianren's brow twitched uncontrollably. Looking at Shen Qiancheng's face—barely youthful, exuding wickedness—the fury he had suppressed deep inside erupted like a volcano.

"SHEN! QIAN! CHENG!"

Shi Jianren's words squeezed out through gritted teeth. Shen Qiancheng shrugged helplessly. It always ended this way; he had to go through the motions.

"Get to the study and kneel properly."

Shen Qiancheng turned nonchalantly toward the study. The room was spacious, with rows of tall bookcases lining all four walls, crammed with all sorts of thick tomes.

Had Shen Qiancheng not been curious enough to flip through them and discover blank pages, Shi Jianren would have fooled anyone.

Shen Qiancheng went straight to the window and knelt down, her back to the door.

Even though she was used to being beaten, the fear within her body surged like a tide through her limbs and bones, especially with her back to the door, never knowing when Shi Jianren might enter.

Shen Qiancheng clenched her fingers, gritted her teeth to suppress the shameful fear, and closed her eyes without a trace of regret or remorse.

The silent study held only Shen Qiancheng's faint, rapid breaths, until the sound of footsteps joined this symphony of dread.

The steps stopped behind Shen Qiancheng. She deliberately straightened her back and heard Shi Jianren's voice, tinged with pleasure.

"Shen Qiancheng, this is a brand-new whip I just got."

Shen Qiancheng then remembered—last time she was expelled from Qiwu, Shi Jianren had broken the whip striking her.

His new mistress must have kept him company, but he'd still remembered to restock.

"Oh." Shen Qiancheng showed utter disinterest.

Shi Jianren waited for Shen Qiancheng's pleas and repentance, as he had when she was a child. But since the third beating, he'd never heard them again.

In response to Shen Qiancheng's bland reaction, Shi Jianren's anger flared hotter. He raised his hand and immediately lashed the whip across Shen Qiancheng's back.

Shi Jianren put what seemed like all his strength into it. The whip cracked against Shen Qiancheng's spine. The immense pain caused her waist to collapse instantly, forcing her to support herself with both hands on the floor to keep balance. The spot where the whip had struck burned like chili powder thrown on a fresh wound. Shen Qiancheng bit her lower lip, enduring in silence.

Another lash landed on her shoulder. The arm supporting her on the ground convulsed uncontrollably; then her elbow gave way, her shoulder drooped, and Shen Qiancheng sprawled on the floor. Any movement of her arm or shoulder sent pain like thousands of needles piercing.

After two lashes, seeing Shen Qiancheng knocked down in a posture of submission, Shi Jianren's anger was mostly appeased. If only Shen Qiancheng would say a few nice words, Shi Jianren could call off the beating.

Shen Qiancheng broke out in a cold sweat. The welts from a month ago still covered her back. New wounds atop old ones—the whip had specially crafted barbs, and striking unhealed wounds was akin to a thousand cuts.

Shen Qiancheng took two slow, deep breaths. When she felt she could manage, she propped herself up again, gazing through the window at the setting sun. The brilliant, romantic sunset had been daubed like playful child's colors on a blue canvas. Shen Qiancheng felt like laughing, turning her head to bask in the glow.

"Done?"

Shi Jianren snorted and raised the whip for another strike: "You can still talk? Then you haven't had enough."

A few more lashes. Shen Qiancheng let out muffled groans, and Shi Jianren grew increasingly addicted to the act, until a phone call interrupted his abuse.

"What? She's making a fuss, wants to see me?"

Still on the phone, Shi Jianren casually tossed the whip into a drawer and barked at Shen Qiancheng, "You kneel here and reflect. No dinner tonight. Let this be a lesson."

With that, Shi Jianren rose and stepped out to take the call.

Sweat dripped onto Shen Qiancheng's lashes, making them wet as if she'd been crying.

The call was just one of Shi Jianren's mistresses. The one from earlier had no doubt been frightened and wouldn't call soon. So it must be another, who'd heard that Shi Jianren was extremely stingy—after two or three years with him, the breakup fee was only a million or so, not even enough for a down payment on a house. The dramatic 'I want to die' act was probably just to squeeze more out of him.

Shen Qiancheng spotted a photo on Shi Jianren's desk: a radiantly happy woman embracing Shi Jianren, smiling at the camera. White dress, long black hair—that was Shen Qiancheng's mother.

Back then, Shi Jianren had been a penniless poor boy who hit the jackpot by dumb luck. He met Shen Qiancheng's mother, Shen Ya, the only daughter of the head of Shen Corporation. He used every trick to win her heart, talked her into marriage, and became a live-in son-in-law of the Shen family.

A year after the wedding, Shen Qiancheng's maternal grandfather died unexpectedly. Shen Ya was pregnant at the time. Shi Jianren seized the opportunity to systematically take control of Shen Corporation, inside and out. By the time Shen Ya discovered his affair, it was too late.

Then came a parade of mistresses—number one, two, three—calling Shen Ya, threatening and provoking her to step aside. But all their insults paled in comparison to Shi Jianren's smug, contemptible demeanor, cursing her to death. Shen Ya's heart grew cold. From then on, she fell ill and never recovered, passing away when Shen Qiancheng was two.

Shen Qiancheng's sole impression of her mother was a beautiful but frail woman lying in bed, her eyes lifeless, as if they couldn't even move.

She felt no affection for this mother, only frustration at her weakness.

The sunset outside faded into darkness, and from the night came the sound of a car engine starting.

Shen Qiancheng rubbed her numb legs, rose from the floor, and pulled the cushion from Shi Jianren's seat. This cushion had been 'made' by Shen Qiancheng as a token of apology after the first time Shi Jianren beat her. In truth, it was a child's sleeping mat bought from a store. Laid on the ground, a meter long, it was just right for her to lie on.

Then she found a pillow and a blanket. The mistress should keep him occupied for a while—tonight promised a good sleep.

Shi Jianren kept some shameful items in the study, so there were no surveillance cameras installed at all.

Shen Qiancheng pulled out her phone and saw messages from friends asking why she hadn't come to Embracing a Hundred Rivers yet—the cake and drinks were ready.

Reading between the lines, Shen Qiancheng transferred the money over.

The recipient joyfully replied—Thanks, boss Shen.

Shen Qiancheng fumbled in the pillowcase and pulled out a utility knife. She stood, opened the drawer, took out the whip, inspected its structure, and began sawing through it.

The last whip, the one before that, and the one before that... all broke this way.

While sawing, Shen Qiancheng spotted a file in the drawer.

Shi Jianren never kept files in this unlocked drawer.

Her curiosity piqued, she pulled the whole drawer out.

Might as well swipe some documents to spite Shi Jianren.

At the top were two nearly identical documents—two paternity test reports.

Shen Qiancheng gave a bitter laugh, thinking she was about to have a little brother or sister. This time, a mere million wouldn't be enough. Releasing these would shatter Shi Jianren's 'devoted lover' image.

But...

Shen Qiancheng's eyes widened. Why did the first report bear her name, and the result state 'no biological relationship'?

She quickly flipped to the next report. This one was marked 'biological relationship exists.'

And the name on it was someone called Liao Xue.

Who the hell was that?