Chapter 13

Meanwhile, at the Liang house.

Shen Linyan had also returned home with her stepson. Seeing Shen Qingqing’s stream end, she let out a relieved sigh. Even though she had been wearing a figurative mask since childhood, keeping up appearances on a high-intensity live broadcast was exhausting.

To play the role of a “stepmother” well, she put most of her energy into Liang Tianyi. He was obedient, but it still left her little time for herself.

Now, as Liang Tianyi showered, Shen Linyan finally had a moment to check Shen Qingqing’s live stream.

Currently, Shen Qingqing’s live broadcast was the most popular on the show Almighty Mom.. Many bloggers on Weibo had edited the best moments, making it easier for Shen Linyan to catch up.

The more she watched, the deeper her frown became. Shen Qingqing’s carefree attitude had sparked mixed reactions.

But controversy meant attention, and in the internet age, attention was everything.

As long as Shen Qingqing stayed relevant, the show would support her, no matter what she did.

And ultimately, none of her actions were bad enough to get her kicked off the show. In the end, she could always ask the producers to edit footage that showed her “growth” and clear her name.

Shen Linyan had always felt a bit jealous of her younger sister.

As daughters of the Shen family, Shen Linyan grew up with her mother away from the family home and was looked down upon as the daughter of a mistress, while Shen Qingqing was treated like a princess, always in the spotlight.

But her mother had met their father first, and she was born before Shen Qingqing.

However, Shen Qingqing had all the advantages just because her mother was powerful. Even when Shen Linyan’s mother finally became “Mrs. Shen” when she turned 16, she still had to work hard to make her father favor her more.

As an adult, Shen Qingqing could effortlessly connect with the powerful Zhou family, while Shen Linyan had to struggle just to associate with the second-tier Liang family.

She wasn’t particularly fond of children, but winning over Liang Tianyi was crucial to securing her place in the Liang family.

Before marriage, her husband, Liang Hongyu, told her he had undergone sterilization and that his only child would be Liang Tianyi.

She found it difficult to accept, but her mother insisted that the Liang family was the best choice. If she was capable, she could raise Liang Tianyi as her own.

So, she worked hard to play the role of a loving mother and never slacked off. After years of effort, she finally gained the trust of her husband and in-laws, as well as a good reputation in the entertainment industry.

Shen Linyan clenched the bedsheet tightly. Now that she had finally suppressed Shen Qingqing, she wouldn’t let her rise above her so easily.

Building a straightforward and carefree persona wasn’t that simple. If she wasn’t careful or if someone with bad intentions stirred things up, public opinion could change instantly.

Shen Linyan snapped back to reality when Liang Tianyi ran out in his pajamas, calling, “Mom.”

Since Liang Hongyu was on a business trip abroad, only she and Liang Tianyi were at home.

Every day, she made sure to call her husband, often doing so during live broadcasts. Their affectionate conversations made netizens gush about their sweet relationship.

At this age, Liang Tianyi was very clingy and insisted on sleeping with her every night. Shen Linyan saw this as an opportunity to strengthen their bond and agreed without hesitation.

She carried Liang Tianyi to bed, picked up a picture book, and prepared to read.

Before she could start, Liang Tianyi hesitated before saying, “Mom, that aunt said we can choose subjects we like. I don’t want to join the piano competition. Can I skip it?”

Shen Linyan was stunned. That Shen Qingqing was dangerous! Just one conversation today, and she had already influenced the child she had been raising for so long!

Liang Tianyi was only five years old. After Shen Linyan talked to him, he nodded obediently, agreeing that learning these things was for his parents’ sake.

Once she put Liang Tianyi to sleep, she stared at his peaceful face, her eyes darkening.

Then, she picked up her phone and messaged her PR team.

_

After turning off the live broadcast signal, Shen Qingqing moved on from the earlier events. She had no interest in arguing with ignorant netizens.

Her bedroom was well-equipped with entertainment devices, so she planned to take a shower, watch a TV show, and then sleep.

On the way back to her room, she passed by Zhou Jiayan’s room and noticed the light was still on.

Recalling what had happened earlier, she wondered if he was crying alone. She walked closer and heard him talking to someone.

At his young age, he wouldn’t have a phone, but he did have a watch with a GPS and calling function.

The other voice was deep and mature—Zhou Jiayan’s father, Zhou Yexuan.

So, the brat wasn’t lying earlier. They really did have a daily call.

Unlike the cold tone Zhou Yexuan used with her, he was warm and patient when speaking to Zhou Jiayan.

Ha! So, Zhou Yexuan only cared about his son. She and he were just a fake couple.

Seeing that Zhou Jiayan was fine, Shen Qingqing lost interest in eavesdropping and went back to her bedroom.

After her shower, she lay in bed and noticed a WeChat notification—it was a reply from Zhou Yexuan to the message she had sent earlier.

Zhou Yexuan: “Sorry, I just saw this. Yanyan looks adorable in that outfit. Thank you for taking care of him.”

Shen Qingqing hesitated on how to respond. She thought about playing the victim and expressing how hard it was to take care of the child, but after typing and deleting several times, she only sent four words:

Qingqing: “You’re welcome [smile].”

_

Shen Qingqing woke up with stomach pain, feeling cold all over.

Checking her phone, she saw it was only 2 AM.

The system inside her spoke up, “Host, you probably have gastroenteritis ^[1]which is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, often causing stomach pain and nausea..”

Weakly, Shen Qingqing complained, “I know that already! Do you have a quick fix?”

“Host, I’m just a program, not a doctor. But I suggest taking medicine. There are relevant medications in the first-aid kit in the living room.”

Shen Qingqing mentally cursed the useless system. It was supposed to be advanced technology, yet it couldn’t even cure a simple illness!

She then recalled how she had “threatened” Zhou Jiayan earlier that night and felt like she was getting a taste of her own medicine.

Embarrassed by the irony, she decided not to call the family doctor. If she felt better in the morning, she could keep it a secret.

Struggling to get up, she realized that while gastroenteritis wasn’t serious, the dizziness that came with it made things much harder.

As soon as Shen Qingqing stood up, she felt dizzy and collapsed onto the floor. Luckily, the bedroom had a thick carpet, so she wasn’t hurt.

Seeing this, the system panicked, thinking that humans were so fragile, and quickly suggested, “Host, why don’t you just call a doctor or dial 120 ^[2]which is the emergency number for medical help..”

Shen Qingqing wasn’t too concerned about saving face, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her “retribution” being exposed so soon. If Zhou Jiayan or the netizens found out, it would be so humiliating!

Determined, she forced herself up again and slowly made her way out of the bedroom and downstairs.

Thankfully, the corridor had railings. Shen Qingqing clung to them tightly, moving cautiously so she wouldn’t fall again.

On her way down, she had to pass by Zhou Jiayan’s room. Feeling guilty, she instinctively slowed her steps.

She reassured herself that children usually sleep soundly and wouldn’t hear anything.

However, the more anxious she became, the more uncooperative her body felt. In a panic, she tripped and fell straight to the ground!

Zhou Jiayan had a strict daily routine and usually slept well, but sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night.

Tonight was one of those times. Feeling the need to use the bathroom, he switched on the night light, got out of bed, and sleepily walked towards the bathroom in his suite.

The bathroom was next to his bedroom door. Though half-asleep, Zhou Jiayan had sharp senses, so when he stepped out, he noticed suppressed footsteps in the corridor.

As the heir of a wealthy family who had received security training from a young age, Zhou Jiayan had a strong sense of caution. His first thought was: could an intruder have broken in?

Countless possibilities raced through his mind. Was this person here to steal? To hurt someone? Or to kidnap him and his stepmother for ransom?

He needed to alert the housekeeper to call security immediately!

Then, he recalled the times Shen Qingqing had bullied him. Hmph, that bad stepmother! He didn’t want to care about her!

But then, memories of Shen Qingqing buying him a figurine, taking him out for good food, and even treating him to ice cream surfaced in his mind…

Fine, he would at least warn her.

Zhou Jiayan was a smart kid. Instead of going out, he grabbed the children’s watch on his bedside table and called the housekeeper.

Lowering his voice, he said anxiously, “Grandma Chen, I heard footsteps in the corridor. Could it be a bad guy? You should ask security to check.”

Aunt Chen, who had always regarded Zhou Jiayan as a mature and sensible child, took his words seriously.

She comforted him while immediately notifying the security team in the manor.

After that, Zhou Jiayan picked up his watch and dialed a number he had never called before.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingqing had no idea she had been discovered—or that she was mistaken for an intruder. At this moment, she was struggling to get up, but her dizziness made every attempt futile.

The system was baffled. “Host, why don’t you just call for help? You’re making things harder on yourself.”

Shen Qingqing’s stubborn pride made her reject the suggestion, and she continued her struggle.

Just then, the phone in her pajama pocket rang. Seeing that it was Zhou Jiayan, she had a bad feeling, but her hands moved faster than her brain, and she answered the call.

A childish voice came through, “I heard footsteps in the corridor. I think it might be a bad guy. I already called security. Stay in your room and don’t come out.”

At that moment, all the lights in the house turned on, and a group of security guards stormed in, wielding electric batons.

Realizing what had happened, Shen Qingqing wished the ground would swallow her whole.

To make things worse, after security was mobilized, Zhou Jiayan opened his bedroom door. The moment he stepped out, he saw his stepmother—the very person he had just warned—not far from him, lying helplessly on the floor!

Zhou Jiayan froze in shock, his eyes widening, mouth forming an “O” shape.