Chapter 2

When Shen Hongxing returned home, she happened to run into Lu Ping’an and Shen Jiaojiao.

This was their first meeting after her rebirth.

They were standing at the entrance of the wool textile factory, talking face to face.

Shen Jiaojiao also saw her.

Suddenly, her body went limp, and she dramatically fell into Lu Ping’an’s arms.

“Oh, Brother Ping’an, I didn’t mean to!” she pretended to try to escape.

But Lu Ping’an held her tightly, “Jiaojiao, I knew you liked me!”

Hearing Shen Hongxing’s approaching footsteps, Shen Jiaojiao pretended to struggle, “Brother Ping’an, don’t do this, you and my sister are about to get married, we should keep our distance!”

“No!” Lu Ping’an hugged Shen Jiaojiao, anxiously expressing his feelings, “Jiaojiao, you know, the reason I agreed to marry Shen Hongxing is firstly because of my grandfather, and secondly because you’ve always kept me at arm’s length. I just wanted to use Shen Hongxing to stimulate you…”

Before he could finish, he was pushed away forcefully by Shen Jiaojiao.

She explained in a fluster, “Sister, don’t misunderstand, things aren’t as you see them, Brother Ping’an and I have nothing going on!”

Lu Ping’an turned around sharply.

Seeing Shen Hongxing standing behind, he immediately felt guilty, opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

“Heh!”

“No, sister, it’s not like you think, Brother Ping’an and I really don’t have anything!” Shen Jiaojiao anxiously explained.

However, Shen Hongxing didn’t want to be involved with them anymore, and walked past them into the factory.

Shen Jiaojiao, unwilling to give up, quickly chased after her and grabbed Shen Hongxing. Before she could speak, she started crying, “Wuwu, sister, are you angry that Brother Ping’an didn’t keep his appointment today? Don’t blame Brother Ping’an, he didn’t mean to, it’s because I had my first stage play performance today, and he was worried I’d get stage fright, so he forgot about his appointment with you.”

Every word told Shen Hongxing that Lu Ping’an truly cared only for her.

Even though their wedding date was set, as long as it concerned her, Lu Ping’an would unhesitatingly choose her.

In her previous life, how could she have been so stupid?

She believed Lu Ping’an’s words that they were just childhood sweethearts with a brother-sister relationship.

It was clearly just an excuse he made after he couldn’t get Shen Jiaojiao.

Shen Hongxing sneered, “Heh, Shen Jiaojiao, what are you to Lu Ping’an? What right do you have to explain things to me on his behalf?”

“Shen Hongxing, Jiaojiao explained to you because she was afraid you’d misunderstand, why are you so ungrateful?”

Lu Ping’an shielded Shen Jiaojiao behind him.

His protective stance infuriated Shen Hongxing, making her eyes well up.

What did he think of her?

When Shen Jiaojiao distanced herself from him, he wanted to marry her.  When Shen Jiaojiao beckoned him, he became infatuated and daydreamed?

Fueled by all the hatred from her past life, she raised her hand and slapped Lu Ping’an hard across the face.

A sharp “slap!” echoed.

Lu Ping’an’s mouth bled from the blow.

He tilted his head, looking at Shen Hongxing in disbelief.

“Wuwu…” Shen Jiaojiao cried beside him, tears streaming down her face, “Brother Ping’an, it’s all my fault, I caused you and my sister to fight, I caused you to be misunderstood by my sister! My sister is right, I shouldn’t stay in the Shen family!”

Having said that, she made a show of leaving.

Lu Ping’an panicked and hugged Shen Jiaojiao, “Jiaojiao, this has nothing to do with you, she’s just narrow-minded, I just forgot about my appointment with her, and she’s making a fuss!”

He looked at Shen Hongxing, using a commanding tone, “What are you still standing there for? Don’t you see that Jiaojiao is crying because of you? Hurry up and apologize to Jiaojiao!”

Everyone knew Shen Hongxing was madly in love with him.

She was completely obedient to him.

Whatever he asked her to do, she would do it.

But this time, Lu Ping’an miscalculated.

Shen Hongxing stood motionless.

She looked at Lu Ping’an, her voice ringing out, “Lu Ping’an, listen to me, I’m breaking off our engagement!”

Lu Ping’an was stunned.

He still remembered when he proposed to Shen Hongxing, her eyes seemed to sparkle with countless stars.

Clear and bright.

Exceedingly beautiful.

Now, the words of rejection were coming from her mouth.

He refused to believe that Shen Hongxing would really cancel their engagement.

Shen Jiaojiao saw that she had successfully driven a wedge between Lu Ping’an and Shen Hongxing.

She envied Shen Hongxing.

Why was Shen Hongxing born the daughter of the factory director? She was the daughter of a gambler.

Why, even though she had usurped Shen Hongxing’s identity, Shen Hongxing was still found?

And why, even though she and Lu Ping’an had been childhood sweethearts for many years, Old Master Lu always looked down on her, and as soon as Shen Hongxing returned, the old geezer eagerly pushed them together?

She was not satisfied!

In this world, she wanted everything Shen Hongxing cared about.

Including Lu Ping’an, whom she didn’t even like.

She wanted to keep Lu Ping’an dangling.

Even if he married Shen Hongxing, she wanted Shen Hongxing to live in her shadow for the rest of her life.

Her lips… She raised a triumphant smile.

She continued to pour fuel on the fire, “Sister, how can you throw a tantrum and threaten to break off the engagement with Brother Ping’an just because you’re angry for a moment? Brother Ping’an is the grandson of Old Master Lu, although he can’t join the army and make achievements like Uncle Lu, his future is undoubtedly limitless, the girls chasing him could line up from the wool textile factory to the department store! You’re different, you grew up in the countryside, and your reputation isn’t good, if you break off the engagement, probably no one will dare to marry you!”

Lu Ping’an didn’t speak.

He was confident that he was the most outstanding and promising young man in the whole town besides his uncle.

Being able to marry him was Hongxing’s good fortune from eight lifetimes, how could she possibly give it up?

Besides, for all these years, she had already been engaged to him, everyone knew she was his woman.

Besides him, who else in the town would want her?

Thinking this, he said to Shen Hongxing with a stern face, “As long as you apologize to Jiaojiao and get her to forgive you, I’ll accompany you to buy wedding supplies tomorrow!”

“Lu Ping’an, you’re young but your eyes are blind, and now it seems your ears are deaf too, didn’t you hear me say I’m breaking off the engagement?” Shen Hongxing was furious.

Why did he think she had no one else?

Shen Jiaojiao sobbed pitifully, “Sister, how can you do this? Brother Ping’an didn’t do anything wrong, how can you treat him like this? You really disappoint me!”

She’d seen shameless people before, but never one this shameless.

Shen Hongxing also slapped Shen Jiaojiao, “Shen Jiaojiao, since you’re asking for a beating, I’ll grant you one!”

Although she didn’t use much strength, Shen Jiaojiao was knocked to the ground.

“Shen Hongxing, you dare to hit Jiaojiao in front of me? Are you trying to die?” Lu Ping’an grabbed Shen Hongxing’s arm furiously, “Apologize, apologize to Jiaojiao immediately! Otherwise, you really won’t be able to marry me!”

A resolute gaze.

A venomous vow.

Lu Ping’an and Shen Jiaojiao had never seen such a strong Shen Hongxing before.

Shen Hongxing didn’t bother to tangle with them any longer, and quickly walked into the factory.

Lu Ping’an roared from behind, “Shen Hongxing, don’t regret this!”

……

Father Shen was the factory director of the wool textile factory, and the whole Shen family lived in the apartment building behind the factory.

Entering the house.

Father Shen and Mother Shen were sitting in the main room with stern faces, as if they were waiting for her on purpose.

Seeing her, Mother Shen raised her hand and… A teacup crashed towards her face.  “You dare come back, you little wretch?”

Fortunately, Shen Hongxing dodged in time, avoiding the blow.

She retorted sarcastically, “This is my home, not that fake’s. Why wouldn’t I dare come back?”

Shen’s father flew into a rage.

He stood up, his voice filled with righteous indignation as he pointed at Shen Hongxing, “Shen Hongxing, how can you be so narrow-minded? When you and Jiaojiao were switched at birth, she was just a newborn baby. What could she have done wrong to deserve your resentment for all these years? Why do you constantly target and frame her?”

Shen’s mother chimed in, “Exactly! Wang Meili did those things, not Jiaojiao! Besides, she’s already returned your identity, and you’ve already come back to the Shen family. She even gave up Lu Ping’an, whom she’d liked since childhood, to compensate you. What more are you not satisfied with?”

“She gave Lu Ping’an to me?” Shen Hongxing scoffed. “Your ability to twist things around is truly eye-opening!  It was clearly because she thought Lu Ping’an wasn’t good enough for her that she rejected him. How did it become her giving him to me in your mouths?”

After stealing Shen Hongxing’s college entrance exam spot, Shen Jiaojiao believed she would get into a top university and reach the pinnacle of success.

Lu Ping’an, a mere supply and marketing cooperative section chief, was not worthy of her, a high-achieving individual, so she actively distanced herself from him.

Unexpectedly, Shen Jiaojiao failed the college entrance exam, not even scoring high enough for a vocational school.

So, she turned around and tried to hook up with Lu Ping’an again.

Shen Hongxing, her head held high, eyes red with anger, retorted, “She usurped my identity and stole my life. Why should I let her off? Doesn’t she always say she wants to leave? Go ahead, get her out of the Shen family immediately and back to her originally impoverished Wang Meili family! She should suffer like me, enduring the abuse and beatings of that gambler for thirteen years, instead of shamelessly clinging here!”

“You little wretch, you’ve gone too far! You dare to talk back to me? I’ll beat you to death today!” Shen’s mother said, approaching Shen Hongxing.

She raised her hand to slap Shen Hongxing.