The Fifth Orange

Shen Qiancheng's birthday was June 21st. Every notable figure in Tang City had received an invitation to the Shen Corporation heiress's coming-of-age banquet. Unlike the typical yacht party on the high seas, Miss Shen had chosen a floating hotel as the venue.

The floating hotel was just three nautical miles from shore. Except for a single main road connected by a wooden bridge, the entire establishment was almost entirely cut off from land. The banquet was scheduled to begin at seven. It was only a little past five when Shen Qiancheng lounged in a reclining chair before a mirror lined with bulbs, her body nearly sprawled across the seat.

The makeup artist held a mascara wand in one hand and extended a handheld mirror to Shen Qiancheng with the other, asking cautiously, "Miss Shen, do these lashes work for you?"

This makeup job would pay a hundred thousand yuan—three months' salary for her. Before taking the gig, the makeup artist had been specifically warned that the client had a notoriously bad temper, so she should avoid provoking her at all costs.

The makeup artist's usual clientele were D-list celebrities in the entertainment industry—actors with no fame but plenty of attitude who loved to nitpick. She'd endured worse, so she'd confidently accepted the job.

Shen Qiancheng studied her reflection. Her naturally elongated eyes had been transformed into round, doe-like shapes. She raised an eyebrow, noticing her brows had been shaped into delicate willow-leaf arcs.

"Do you really think this looks good?"

Her voice was calm, betraying no emotion, but it made the makeup artist's heart skip a beat. She quickly explained, "I did coordinate with your team earlier, but given the time crunch, we only finalized this 'lady of leisure' look. If you don't like it, I can wipe it off and start over."

'Lady of leisure'? Shen Qiancheng let out a soft laugh. As if she needed a makeup style to prove she was a lady of leisure.

She pushed away the handheld mirror, took the water Xiao Wang offered, and stepped closer to the large mirror. "It's my birthday today, and I'm in a good mood. This will do."

The makeup artist finally exhaled, the stone lodged in her throat dropping away. She finished the final touches.

The banquet began soon after. Under the spotlight, Shen Qiancheng descended the second-floor staircase arm in arm with Shi Jianren, walking slowly to the first floor amid applause.

The first floor was bedecked with riotous flowers. Ribbons burst into the air. Amid laughter and chatter, a towering three-meter castle cake was wheeled out.

The dreamy pink cake held eighteen candles, their flames dancing cheerfully.

Shen Qiancheng murmured, "Father, blowing out candles before midnight?"

Shi Jianren replied with a smile, "Hurry up and blow. We still need to announce your engagement to Su Zeye. Time's tight."

Shen Qiancheng smiled, then bent down and blew out the candles as everyone chorused "Happy birthday."

During the gift-giving segment, all she had to do was smile, say thank you, and let Xiao Wang take the presents.

After she'd said thank you ninety-eight times, she spotted someone unexpected.

A sharp, tidy haircut that grazed the ears, a single gold earring, pure black outfit, lipstick in shade 999—and a face with sharp, handsome features marred by a scar that added a hint of ruthless savagery.

"Shen Qiancheng, long time no see."

Shen Qiancheng propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her hand, and regarded Su Tongqin with interest. "Su Tongqin, I can't believe you actually made it back from Vietnam alive."

Su Tongqin was Su Zeye's half-sister. Su Zeye's father had married into the Su family as a second husband, and Su Tongqin was the daughter from his first marriage, leaving her in a precarious position within the Su household.

As a child, Shen Qiancheng had tormented this vulnerable girl relentlessly, becoming a psychological shadow for Su Tongqin. When Su Tongqin finally grew up enough to see through Shen Qiancheng's lies, Shen Qiancheng left that scar on her face.

Since then, the two had been at each other's throats, using every scheme and means to make the other miserable—to the point of wanting each other dead.

Given Su Tongqin's awkward standing, she managed the Su family's shadier dealings. Shen Qiancheng knew only that the Su family had a shipment problem in Vietnam, and Su Tongqin had been sent to handle it.

At the time, Shen Qiancheng had thought: Vietnam's not exactly a safe place—if Su Tongqin died there, that'd be just perfect!

Su Tongqin curled her red lips. "Disappointed I came back alive? I brought you a gift—an engagement gift."

The words "engagement gift" were enunciated with emphasis. Su Tongqin studied every subtle shift in Shen Qiancheng's expression.

But there was nothing.

Shen Qiancheng's face remained composed as she took the box and casually handed it to Xiao Wang.

Su Tongqin leaned in. "Aren't you going to open it?"

Their faces were barely a centimeter apart. Shen Qiancheng could see the excitement and mockery in Su Tongqin's eyes.

Mocking her for what? Marrying a bastard? Being shut out of the power and money game?

Shen Qiancheng flashed a brilliant smile, her sly, upturned eyes blinking. "Animal carcass? Severed hand, foot, or head? Or maybe a cursed doll? Oh, you were in Vietnam—did you pick up some dark magic there? Something with my name on it, wishing me a horrible death?"

These were all gifts Su Tongqin had given Shen Qiancheng for past birthdays—none of them particularly thoughtful.

Xiao Wang opened the box. Shen Qiancheng took it and froze.

A gem-encrusted bracelet lay nestled in the black velvet case.

Diamonds like a galaxy surrounded the central stone—a striking orange-red gem cut and arranged to resemble a flower.

Su Tongqin straightened up. "It's Cyrtanthus ventricosus—fire lily. Just a small gift. I have a bigger one coming later."

Cyrtanthus ventricosus: rebirth born from destruction. Shen Qiancheng gave a mocking smile. Could she, mired in a pit of despair, truly know rebirth? Su Tongqin was probably just twisting the knife.

Shen Qiancheng offered a faint smile and, as if possessed, slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. "Thanks."

Su Tongqin said nothing more and walked away.

At the party, lights shimmered, and stars dotted the black sky. Shen Qiancheng stood with a glass of wine, gazing upward. The wind had picked up, lowering the temperature. She asked Xiao Wang to fetch a blanket and wandered over to the fountain on her own.

"Shen Qiancheng, if you're looking to die, don't drag the Su family into it."

Shen Qiancheng knew it was Su Tongqin without turning around—her mortal enemy, the sister of the man she was to marry.

"Marrying into the Su family means I can annoy you every single day. How is that courting death? Stay out of my business. It's none of yours."

A red glow flickered between Su Tongqin's fingers. The acrid scent of burning tobacco drifted over on the sea breeze, making Shen Qiancheng's nose itch.

Shen Qiancheng pressed her middle finger to her philtrum and rolled her eyes. "Keep smoking, keep smoking. Hope you die of lung cancer soon."

Su Tongqin took a drag, smoke curling dreamily from her painted lips. Against the backdrop of sea and sky, Shen Qiancheng had to admit Su Tongqin had a certain allure.

"Stop barking. Haven't you noticed Su Zeye never showed up? This is your engagement party. Doesn't his absence seem a bit off?"

Shen Qiancheng replied, unfazed, "He's a regular at the police station. Maybe he got himself locked up again."

"You've investigated him. And you still agreed to marry him?!"

Shen Qiancheng didn't understand why Su Tongqin was so worked up. She looked at her with slight surprise.

Su Tongqin seemed to realize she'd overreacted and turned without another word, walking away.

Shen Qiancheng was genuinely curious now. Where was Su Zeye?

Fireworks suddenly exploded in the night sky, bursts of dazzling color flooding the heavens, painting the darkness in every hue imaginable.

And then a massive hot-air balloon drifted over the fireworks toward the venue. When it came close enough, Shen Qiancheng squinted—the figure aboard, wearing a scarlet tailcoat, with slicked-back hair and a sleazy grin, was none other than Su Zeye!

For a few stunned seconds, Shen Qiancheng could only stare as the balloon closed in, hovering about three meters above the ground.

Her heart pounded. What was Su Zeye planning?

The balloon's burner blazed fiercely. Shen Qiancheng watched his every move.

"Shen Qiancheng, marry me!"

The voice came through a loudspeaker, loud enough for every guest on the hotel to hear.

Shen Qiancheng narrowed her eyes. So this was the big gift Su Tongqin mentioned? This was Su Zeye's counterattack? The reason he'd stayed away all night?

She hiked up her skirt, marched straight to the buffet table, grabbed a steak knife, and hurled it at the balloon.

The first to react was Su Tongqin, staring at Shen Qiancheng like she was insane. "Have you lost your mind?!"

Shen Qiancheng watched the balloon deflate as Su Zeye scrambled to grab the ropes, his face a mask of panic. She replied calmly, "I'm not crazy. Let me go."

Su Tongqin stared at Shen Qiancheng in silence, then looked up at Su Zeye plummeting, grinding her teeth. "You're something else, Shen Qiancheng."

Shen Qiancheng gave a faint smile. "Thanks for the compliment."

The chaos sent a shock through the crowd. Everyone surged toward the railing to see what had become of Su Zeye.

Shen Qiancheng slipped away in the confusion to the outdoor restroom, stripping off the elaborate gown to reveal a swimsuit underneath. Xiao Sui slipped out of a stall and locked the door behind them.

"Miss, all the ropes on the hotel bridge have been cut, and every boat has been disabled."

Shen Qiancheng patted Xiao Sui's shoulder. "Nice work."

Xiao Sui smiled along, then continued, "The paternity test results aren't back yet—"

Shen Qiancheng paused. "Doesn't matter now. Give me the stuff I prepared."

Xiao Sui handed her a waterproof pouch. "There's some cash and survival supplies inside."

Shen Qiancheng slung the pouch over her back, stepped out of the restroom, took one last look at the noisy crowd, then dove off the far side of the deck.

Under the cover of darkness, she swam quickly to shore.

The engagement was nothing more than a temporary expedient. Shen Qiancheng would never be manipulated by anyone.

At dawn, having changed into casual clothes, Shen Qiancheng paid the taxi fare in cash, stepped out, and walked into the airport, planning to buy a ticket to Switzerland.

"Hello, how can I assist you?"

"I need a flight," Shen Qiancheng said.

Her phone buzzed—a message from Xiao Sui.

[Miss Shen, the two of you share no biological relation.]

Included was the paternity report showing no biological relationship.

"Which destination would you like? Miss? Miss?"

Shen Qiancheng suddenly felt like laughing. The other sample she'd sent in was her own.

She wasn't Shi Jianren's biological daughter. So what had all those eighteen years of suffering been for? Why should she, Shen Qiancheng, have paid for someone else's sins?

Jealousy and rage churned through her chest, grinding against each other.

She took a deep breath. "To Liao Family Village."

She wanted to see just how wonderful a life Shi Jianren's real daughter was living!

Su Zeye's hair had caught fire, and his clothes were singed and soaked, but luckily he'd landed in the sea. Aside from losing half his hair, he had no other injuries.

Shi Jianren breathed a sigh of relief at the news. Shen Qiancheng's earlier words—"What does it matter who I kill? Su Zeye would do fine"—hadn't been an empty threat.

Someone came to report: "Mr. Shi, Miss is gone. Her phone's unreachable."

Shen Qiancheng was gone! She was gone! Gone!

Agreeing to the engagement, taking the college entrance exam, studying abroad—No. 1 Middle School, Qiwu... Piece by piece, Shi Jianren suddenly realized that all of it had been nothing but Shen Qiancheng's stopgap measures. Step by step, she'd been peeling herself away from the identity of the Shen family's precious daughter, until finally she'd slipped free—a cicada shedding its shell, a wild horse running unbridled.

And as long as Shen Qiancheng lived, the trust left by Shen Ya would never fall into his hands.

He'd always thought he held Shen Qiancheng firmly in his grip, a sparrow in a cage. He'd never realized she was actually a hawk playing possum.

Shi Jianren roared, "She's gone, and you're all standing around? Get out there and find her! Are you waiting to die? Now search—check every international flight today. Go through them one by one."