The trending topic controversy caused by a series of events came to an end with Su Huan's explosive self-revelation. Many fans turned against her, and her formerly aloof goddess persona was completely shattered after she publicly humbled herself before Shen Xiaoyu seeking forgiveness.
Online discussions about their past were in full swing, with various gossip posts appearing one after another.
Recent gossip about a certain Best Actress, anyone want to dig deeper? Want to hear it!!!
1st Floor: Front row seats, munching on sunflower seeds
2nd Floor: I thought something was off between them years ago, turns out there really is big gossip.
3rd Floor: Isn't this all old news! When that actress got pregnant out of wedlock, it caused quite a stir online. Why is it being brought up again?
4th Floor: Upstairs, your internet is a bit slow. The actress's child is her manager's, she admitted it personally.
5th Floor: Holy shit! Is this real? Back then the internet was so heated cursing her manager, turns out they had an affair.
6th Floor: Everyone step aside, let me explain. Simply put, the actress is a huge scumbag. For ten years she used her manager as a tool while creating CP hype with some Tang person who was blacklisted. Then things got out of hand! The actress regretted it deeply, gave birth to their daughter trying to reconcile, but we all saw the result - now Shen Xiaoyu completely ignores her.
7th Floor: My god, this is so melodramatic!
8th Floor: My goddess is actually a scumbag!! No, I don't believe it!!!
9th Floor: Heh, that actress really isn't anything good.
...
Online discussions were rampant, and with deliberate manipulation by interested parties, public opinion quickly fermented.
Headlines on major portal websites were occupied by related information, and some people even went to Su Huan's official blog demanding she come out and respond.
At this point, Li Xiang, the head of Su Huan's studio, finally couldn't sit still. She knocked on the office door.
Su Huan was sitting in front of her computer video chatting with Shen Nian'an, and her expression didn't look very good. Li Xiang waited quietly. Su Huan didn't hang up the call, just waved her hand indicating she should continue.
"Sister Huan, the situation is very bad now. We can't let public opinion continue developing like this!"
Su Huan stopped what she was doing, thought for a moment, then instructed: "Issue another statement in my personal name. I did indeed wrong Shen Xiaoyu back then, and Nian'an is indeed mine and Shen Xiaoyu's child. Other personal privacy matters are inconvenient to disclose!"
"But..."
"Don't say anything more, go prepare!"
Li Xiang nodded helplessly. Although she was still very worried, since Su Huan had decided, she could only comply.
After Li Xiang left the office, Su Huan's expression as she stared at the computer suddenly became ugly. Her hands gripped the mouse tightly, nails digging into her flesh without feeling any pain.
On the screen were two familiar figures leaning against a railing. Shi Qiubai had her arms around Shen Xiaoyu's waist, chin resting on her shoulder, saying something unknown.
Most importantly, Shen Xiaoyu wasn't pushing her away.
In an instant, intense jealousy filled Su Huan's heart.
She gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to immediately rush over and pull Shi Qiubai out of Shen Xiaoyu's embrace, pull her into her own arms, and never let go.
But reason told her now wasn't the time. She had to endure and couldn't make Shen Xiaoyu hate her more.
Su Huan's chest heaved as she tried to suppress the overwhelming sourness, until Shen Nian'an's indignant voice came through:
"Mommy, what should we do?! That bad auntie clings to Mama every day, I can't compete with her." By the end, she was obviously very aggrieved.
"Don't worry, Mommy will handle it."
Shen Nian'an nodded her little head: "I believe in Mommy!"
She forcibly suppressed the bitterness in her heart and smiled with effort: "Nian'an, do you want to come home?"
"Mm, I miss Mommy."
"Then how about Mommy comes to pick you up later?"
"Yes!"
After hanging up the video call, Su Huan took a deep breath and walked into the washroom. Looking at her disheveled appearance in the mirror, she couldn't help but sneer, mocking her own uselessness.
She cupped some cold water and splashed it on her face to clear her head, then restored her usual indifference before taking out her phone to video call Shen Xiaoyu.
She did it on purpose.
She didn't believe Shen Xiaoyu would still be so intimate with Shi Qiubai while answering the phone.
Unfortunately, the phone rang for a long time with no answer.
She bit her teeth in frustration, then redialed, but still no one answered.
"Damn it!" Su Huan cursed under her breath and stubbornly called again.
This time it connected, but Shi Qiubai's impatient face appeared, saying irritably: "Are you trying to kill me with calls! Are you annoying or what, what do you want?"
Su Huan suppressed her anger: "Where's Xiaoyu?"
"Sister doesn't want to take your calls. If you have something to say, tell me. If not, hang up!"
Shi Qiubai was arrogant, completely treating Su Huan like air, even with a hint of showing off.
"Shi Qiubai, give the phone to Xiaoyu. I have something to tell her." Su Huan said coldly.
"Sister is busy! Just tell me whatever you want to say!"
Shi Qiubai's tone was matter-of-fact.
"Shi Qiubai!"
Su Huan was really angry, but so what? Shi Qiubai didn't care at all.
She even said impatiently: "Why are you yelling! Trying to show how loud your voice is? Say what you need to say, or I'm hanging up!"
"Don't go too far..."
Before she could finish, Shi Qiubai directly hung up.
Su Huan gripped her phone tightly, trembling with anger. The next moment, she dejectedly put down the phone, her face ashen, laughing in self-mockery.
Shi Qiubai could be so arrogant naturally because of Shen Xiaoyu's indulgence. Thinking of this, even her anger became cautious.
...Did she already hate her this much?
She suddenly didn't dare think deeper. Despair surged up instantly like a flood, rushing toward her. She felt her chest aching terribly.
Su Huan slowly covered her face with the back of her hand, and a tear flowed down her palm.
Drip!
She looked down and saw the wet patch on the back of her hand, stunned.
She thought she could hold on, but apparently not.
After a long time, Su Huan finally calmed her emotions and wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes with her fingers.
She picked up her phone again and dialed.
This time it was quickly answered, and Shi Qiubai's displeased voice came through again: "Su Huan, are you annoying or not..."
"I'm coming to pick up Nian'an at eight tonight. Tell Xiaoyu."
After saying this, without waiting for Shi Qiubai to respond, Su Huan hung up first.
On the other side, Shi Qiubai was furious, her delicate beautiful face twisting with anger.
"Su Huan, just you wait! I won't let you have another chance to hurt Sister!"
Shen Xiaoyu, who had just finished talking with Nian'an and returned, saw Shi Qiubai with a bitter expression, muttering something unknown.
Shen Xiaoyu walked over and patted her shoulder, asking: "What's wrong? Why do you look so sour?"
Shi Qiubai didn't hide her disdain: "Su Huan just called."
Shen Xiaoyu frowned slightly: "What did she say?"
"Nothing much." Shi Qiubai paused, then said casually: "She wants us to send Nian'an home."
Shen Xiaoyu nodded without thinking much about it.
"Nian'an was just crying looking for me, also saying she missed her mommy. Let's send Nian'an back later!"
"Okay, I'll drive her back later." Shi Qiubai said this, then deliberately paused, looking at Shen Xiaoyu: "Sister doesn't need to go. You don't want to see Su Huan anyway, right!"
This tone... was strange, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was strange about it. Shen Xiaoyu was somewhat stuck.
Seeing her silence, Shi Qiubai looked resentful: "Sister isn't still thinking about Su Huan, is she? You weren't really moved by her fake sincerity."
So sour with jealousy. For a moment, Shen Xiaoyu seemed to grasp something. Just as she was trying to sort out this strange feeling, the system suddenly and abruptly rang out.
[Target corruption value +1]
[Target corruption value +2]
[Target corruption value +5]
[+...]
[...Current corruption value 90. Please immediately find the cause of corruption and prevent the target from further corruption.]
Good lord, in just a few dozen seconds, Shi Qiubai's corruption value had shot up to 90. Shen Xiaoyu was about to cry from anxiety over how she had provoked this little ancestor.
The system kept issuing alerts: [Please quickly find the cause of corruption, please quickly find the cause of corruption, prevent the target from further corruption…]
Shen Xiaoyu was driven nearly crazy by its nagging and irritably shouted: "Shut up!"
Perhaps she was too worked up, she actually shouted aloud. Shi Qiubai, who was yelled at, looked at her in disbelief: "Sister, you're being fierce to me. You really still care about her."
[Target corruption value +1]
Ancestor, please don't add any more.
Shen Xiaoyu hurriedly denied: "I... I wasn't yelling at you."
"You just told me to shut up!" Shi Qiubai pouted aggrievedly.
"I... I wasn't yelling at you." Afraid she would continue corrupting, Shen Xiaoyu quickly improvised: "I hate Su Huan so much I don't even want to hear her name."
"Really?"
"Really."
Shen Xiaoyu nodded hastily.
Shi Qiubai's eyes suddenly lit up, the corners of her mouth rising so high she could barely contain them.
The system promptly announced: [Target corruption value -2]
There was hope.
Shen Xiaoyu somewhat understood. Shi Qiubai really hated her having any connection with Su Huan - she exploded at any mention.
So she tentatively said: "Don't worry, Su Huan and I are completely in the past. I've decided I won't eat yesterday's bread."
[Target corruption value -5]
As expected.
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoyu immediately drew on the original's past suffering, genuinely cursing Su Huan as a scumbag, and repeatedly promising she would never be love-brained again or be deceived by Su Huan's sweet words.
Under Shi Qiubai's increasingly upturned smile, her corruption value was reduced to 55 and temporarily stopped moving.
Shen Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, let's go send Nian'an home first."
Shi Qiubai was even happier hearing this.
That little girl Shen Nian'an was an undercover spy Su Huan had sent with ill intentions, like a searchlight constantly watching them. Whenever she and Sister got slightly intimate, she would immediately find opportunities to cling to Sister, very cunning.
Earlier she had finally found an excuse to have Sister help her rehearse lines and hugged her, but this little girl started wailing at the top of her lungs, immediately calling Sister away. She was still grinding her teeth in anger, wanting to grab the little girl and teach her a good lesson.
But now she was too lazy to bother with this little girl. Getting her sent away quickly was better than anything.
So the two returned to the living room. Shen Nian'an was lying on the sofa watching cartoons. Seeing Shi Qiubai and Shen Xiaoyu enter, the little one cheered and ran over to hug Shen Xiaoyu's arm.
"Mama, play games with me!"
Shen Xiaoyu crouched down and pinched her chubby cheeks: "Sure! What do you want to play?"
"Let's do puzzles!" Shen Nian'an looked up, blinking her big dark eyes with an expectant expression.
Just as Shen Xiaoyu was about to agree, Shi Qiubai immediately stepped forward with a smile: "Nian'an, didn't you say you missed Mommy? Auntie will send you to find Mommy now, okay?"
Little head, big confusion.
Shen Nian'an was puzzled. Didn't Mommy say she was coming to pick her up?
"What are you standing there for? Let's go, I'll take you home." Shi Qiubai urged impatiently.
Shen Nian'an hesitated, pointing at Shen Xiaoyu: "Then... what about Mama?"
"Sister still has things to do so she won't go. I'll take you!" Shi Qiubai was all smiles.
Shen Nian'an immediately refused, stepping forward to hug Shen Xiaoyu's arm and rolling her eyes at Shi Qiubai: "No, I want to wait for Mommy to pick me up!"
Shi Qiubai gritted her teeth, suppressing her anger, and smiled: "Be good, your mommy asked me to take you home."
"You're lying. Mommy said she'd come pick me up."
Mommy was coming to see Mama, Shen Nian'an secretly added in her heart.
Unable to deceive Shen Nian'an, Shi Qiubai directly used force, picking up Shen Nian'an and heading outside: "You little girl is so difficult. Come with me now."
Shen Nian'an was carried in the air, angrily flailing her hands and feet in struggle: "Put me down! Bad person! Mama save me! Help, Mama!"
She struggled while shouting loudly.
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoyu quickly stopped Shi Qiubai: "Forget it, Qiubai, put Nian'an down first."
Shi Qiubai had no choice but to put Shen Nian'an down.
Shen Nian'an immediately rushed to Shen Xiaoyu's side, reaching out to hug her neck, burying her face in her embrace and complaining aggrievedly: "Mama, she lied. Mommy said she'd come pick me up."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyu understood that Shi Qiubai definitely hadn't told the truth earlier.
She looked at Shi Qiubai, who snorted coldly: "Su Huan did say she'd come at eight to pick her up. I just thought it would be easier to send her back directly."
Shen Xiaoyu helplessly rubbed her forehead. Neither the big one nor the small one was worry-free.
In the end, she could only watch the two battle wits and courage. Shi Qiubai used every trick trying to send Shen Nian'an away, while the little one stubbornly insisted: You liar, I don't believe you. I want to wait for Mommy to pick me up.
The two went back and forth, arguing for over an hour with neither gaining ground.
Shen Xiaoyu really couldn't watch anymore, so she went to the kitchen to cook. Once the range hood was on, she couldn't hear anything.
Little did she know that once she left, the two became even more confrontational.
Shen Nian'an puffed her cheeks, looking fiercely cute as she glared at Shi Qiubai: "Don't think I don't know you want to steal my mama! You big bad person, I won't let you be my stepmother."
"Pfft!" Shi Qiubai almost spat out laughing: "You little brat, do you even know what a stepmother is!"
Shen Nian'an huffed: "Of course I know. You like my mama, you want her to be your wife."
"Haha, you're quite smart, little girl." Shi Qiubai was amused.
Children were always the most innocent. She was completely right.
Hearing this, the little girl became even angrier: "You can't steal my mama! Mama is Mommy's wife! You can't steal her!"
Shi Qiubai raised an eyebrow: "Tch, your mama doesn't even like your mommy."
"You're lying." Shen Nian'an stomped her foot angrily: "Mama likes Mommy and likes me too."
Shi Qiubai teasingly provoked her: "Your mama doesn't like lying children."
Shen Nian'an covered her head, remembering what Shen Xiaoyu had said before, and reflexively shouted: "You're lying! Mama likes me, Mama likes me..." By the end, big tears were falling.
Seeing her cry so sadly, Shi Qiubai quickly comforted: "Oh my, little miss, why are you crying just like that? Is it necessary?"
Shen Nian'an cried with hiccups but still stubbornly repeated: "Mama likes me, Mama likes me, Mama likes me..."
"Okay, okay, likes, likes. I never said your mama didn't like you."
Shi Qiubai pulled out tissues and handed them to her: "Here, wipe your nose. You've cried yourself ugly."
"Annoying!"
Shen Nian'an sniffled and took them, forcefully sucking in her nose, then looked up with her tear-filled big eyes, asking pitifully: "Can you please not compete with me for Mama?"
"Sure."
Shi Qiubai agreed readily, and only then did Shen Nian'an stop crying.
The next second, Shi Qiubai mischievously added: "I'm competing with your mommy for a wife, not competing with you for a mama."
Shen Nian'an immediately objected, crying and shouting: "That's not allowed either!"
Shi Qiubai raised an eyebrow and asked seriously: "Nian'an, do you want Mama to be happy?"
"Of course!"
"But your mama isn't happy with your mommy. Can't you see?"
"But..."
Mama and Mommy were supposed to be together. Mommy said a family of three was a family, but Mama really didn't seem happy...
She was confused.
She was too young and couldn't understand many things. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so uncomfortable and wanted to cry.
She sniffled, looking at Shi Qiubai with red-rimmed eyes, as if she might cry the next second.
Shi Qiubai sighed, her heart softening as she patted her shoulder comfortingly: "Nian'an, you're still young and don't understand many things."
"Just remember, no matter whose wife your mama is, she'll always be your mama and will always love you." At this point, Shi Qiubai smiled mischievously: "If you agree to let me be your stepmother, then you'd have three mamas to love you. How great would that be?"
Shen Nian'an blinked her big eyes several times, thought about it, then shook her head: "No good! Stepmothers are all bad people. I don't want a stepmother!"
Shi Qiubai couldn't help but laugh, continuing to tease: "Then do you want a little sister? How about your mama and I give you a sister?"
"Sister!" Shen Nian'an got excited for a moment, then frowned, seeming to think. After a moment, her little head shook like a rattle drum: "No good, no good. I only want Mama! I don't want a sister!"
"Why?"
"Because a sister would steal my mama!"
"..."
Shi Qiubai admitted defeat helplessly: "You win!"
Shen Nian'an huffed and climbed onto the sofa, turning her back to ignore Shi Qiubai.
When Shen Xiaoyu finished cooking and came out of the kitchen, she saw one big and one small girl occupying opposite ends of the sofa, as if engaged in some kind of standoff.
Shen Nian'an sat pouting on one side of the sofa while Shi Qiubai sat lazily on the nearby single sofa.
Shen Xiaoyu couldn't help but smile, clearing her throat to break the deadlock: "Alright, time to eat. Aren't you hungry?"
Hearing this, Shi Qiubai immediately sat up from the sofa: "Sister, what delicious food did you make today? It smells so good, like ribs."
"Your nose is quite sharp. I stewed ribs."
While talking, Shen Xiaoyu went to coax Shen Nian'an, noticing her red-rimmed eyes as if she'd just cried. She leaned close to her ear and whispered: "Nian'an, what's wrong?"
"Mama, you'll always like me the most, right?!" Shen Nian'an threw herself into her arms, rubbing against her as tears streamed down.
Seeing the little one tattling, Shi Qiubai hurriedly explained: "Sister, please don't misunderstand! I just joked with her a little, absolutely didn't bully her."
Shen Xiaoyu laughed helplessly: "Alright Nian'an, let's go eat first. After eating, Mama will help you teach her a lesson, okay?"
Shen Nian'an glared at Shi Qiubai, then obediently nodded and followed Shen Xiaoyu to sit at the table.
Three dishes and one soup: braised ribs, sweet and sour fish, green pepper and pork strips, plus sea cucumber and corn soup. Everything looked, smelled, and tasted delicious.
Shi Qiubai showered her with compliments while picking up chopsticks to dig in heartily. Shen Xiaoyu also started eating, but when she turned around, she found Shen Nian'an looking like she wanted to say something but didn't dare.
Shen Xiaoyu put down her chopsticks and asked gently: "Nian'an, what's wrong?"
"Aren't we waiting for Mommy?" Shen Nian'an said quietly.
Shen Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment. Shi Qiubai beside her said irritably: "Wait for what, hurry up and eat."
"Your mommy probably ate at the company. Nian'an, eat quickly." Shen Xiaoyu comforted.
Shen Nian'an nodded and obediently ate.
So delicious. Mama's cooking was so good. As she ate, she felt sorry for Mommy, who couldn't eat Mama's cooking.
The three quickly swept clean all the dishes on the table, leaving only some soup. As soon as they finished eating, Shi Qiubai volunteered to clear the table, telling Shen Xiaoyu to quickly go back to the bedroom and rest.
How could Shen Xiaoyu not see through her thoughts? She simply didn't want her to meet Su Huan. But she didn't want to see Su Huan either, so she agreed.
When Su Huan arrived, only two people remained in the living room.
Seeing her, Shen Nian'an immediately threw herself into her arms, acting spoiled: "Mommy, I missed you so much~"
"I missed you too." Su Huan hugged Shen Nian'an while walking toward the living room, immediately seeing Shi Qiubai sitting elegantly on the sofa drinking tea.
"Where's Xiaoyu?" Su Huan looked around.
Shi Qiubai ignored her, then looked up and pointed toward the living room: "Look, Nian'an's things are over there. I packed them all up."
The implication was too obvious: Get lost quickly, no need to see you out.
Su Huan didn't respond. Shen Nian'an quickly went over and whispered in her ear: "Mommy, Mama went back to the bedroom."
Hearing this, Su Huan's expression changed. The suppressed anger instantly burst out, her cold gaze fixed on Shi Qiubai.
Shi Qiubai didn't dodge or hide, meeting her gaze calmly with a "what can you do to me" expression.
Su Huan gritted her teeth: "Shi Qiubai, don't push your luck."
Shi Qiubai feigned confusion, looking innocent: "I don't understand what you're talking about."
Su Huan sneered: "Don't think I can't see your intentions. I'm warning you to stay away from Xiaoyu, or I'll make you pay."
Shi Qiubai raised an eyebrow, her tone flat: "I'm so scared. I wonder what method Director Su plans to use to make me pay?"
The two faced off with sharp tension, as if they might fight at any moment.
Shen Nian'an, watching from the side, quickly went to knock on Shen Xiaoyu's door while shouting: "Mama! Mama! Come out quickly! Mama!"
Shen Nian'an shouted loudly, and soon Shen Xiaoyu opened the door.
As soon as she came out, she saw Su Huan standing there, radiating cold anger like a Shura from hell.
"Su Huan, what do you want now??" Shen Xiaoyu frowned, looking at Su Huan with some wariness.
Shi Qiubai stood nearby with an expression of enjoying the drama.
Su Huan was so angry she trembled, but helpless. She could only glare hatefully at Shi Qiubai, but under Shen Xiaoyu's cold gaze, she was defeated, her nose tingling with sourness. Her mind became momentarily confused as she looked at Shen Xiaoyu and blurted out: "Xiaoyu, I'm hungry."
Just like before, no matter how late she came home, as long as she said to Shen Xiaoyu: "Xiaoyu, I'm hungry," her favorite dishes would immediately be served.
Shen Xiaoyu would always sit nearby with smiling eyes, watching her eat while occasionally asking: "You must be exhausted, right?"
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment, as if something flashed through her mind before disappearing.
Was it the original's memory?
For some reason, she suddenly felt extremely annoyed and said impatiently: "If you're hungry, hurry home and eat!"
Hearing this, Su Huan's expression changed dramatically. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but under Shen Xiaoyu's impatient gaze, her face turned pale as she closed her lips.
Only then did she seem to clearly realize that the person in front of her was no longer the Shen Xiaoyu who would wholeheartedly care for her. The so-called fresh start, returning to the beginning, was all just her own delusion.
In an instant, enormous fear seized Su Huan.