Volume One, Chapter 19: Paying a Heavy Price for Compensation

She nearly uttered something she shouldn’t, but managed to stop herself in time, letting out a venomous, cold snort.
“Trying to pry information from me—do I look stupid? Don’t think I’d tell you anything. You don’t deserve to know the merchant family's schemes. You'd do better to obey, and perhaps your ending will be less bitter.”
Certain she could never outplay the merchant family.
Yan Qiuning’s eyes flickered, lowering her gaze to conceal the depth within; she spoke nothing, yet said everything.
Was she truly as foolish as they believed?
A faint smile played at her lips as she finished tidying up, moving slowly across the room.
People like Liu Mei would surely prove useful someday; best to keep her around, just in case.
“Pretending to be pure—who knows how many men you’ve slept with? Do you really think you’re still clean and untouched?” Liu Mei’s shameless words were nothing short of hateful.
Yan Qiuning paused at the door, turning to cast a single glance at her. The look was as sharp as a blade, slicing straight to the bone—a silent warning that drained the color from Liu Mei’s face.
Without another word, Yan Qiuning left.
Liu Mei kicked the chair beside her, cursing incessantly in frustration.
After a moment’s thought, she decided to chase after her. She would tell the lady just how foolish this woman truly was.

In the main hall.
The man who should have gone to the company was rarely still at home; Qin Zhan sat in the seat of honor, almost ignoring the woman seated below him, whose laughter had faded altogether.
He looked absorbed in his paperwork, every fold of his suit immaculate, his refined aura making the chair seem more like a throne.
His face was strikingly handsome—sharp brows and bright eyes, features more alluring than any fictional hero; even sitting motionless, he exuded an air of cold, unattainable nobility.
Madam Shang tried several times to speak, but the young master of the Qin family was notoriously temperamental and unpredictable. Without his approval, any further words would only put her at a disadvantage.
She was on edge, wondering why that woman hadn’t arrived yet.
“Ninth Brother.” Yan Qiuning strode in directly, spotting the man in the executive jacket at the head of the table. Her smile bloomed like a flower as she approached, diligently offering tea and water.
The icy atmosphere in the room finally began to thaw with her arrival, as if a spring breeze had stirred the pond, awakening the surrounding flowers and trees to life.
Qin Zhan glanced at her face and dress—the dress he had chosen himself. She truly suited these pale, flowing gowns.

“We’ll be dining soon. Is there anything you’d especially like?”
After all, every chef in Full Spring Court served only her.
Yan Qiuning considered it. “Chef Qian’s hawthorn balls are quite good.”
“Sour cravings mean a boy—Ning Ning must be carrying a son this time.” Madam Shang, who had been waiting for an opportunity, finally spoke, staring directly at her.
Yan Qiuning acted as if she’d only just noticed her.
“Madam Shang, what brings you here?”
Madam Shang’s expression shifted; this wretched girl, what kind of attitude was that? Did she resent her visit?
“If I hadn’t come, would you not plan to return? Aunt knows you’ve suffered, but childish tantrums won’t solve anything. Besides, you and my son have genuine affection; he would never willingly see you upset. It’s all a misunderstanding. Come home with me and hear his explanation.”
She finished in one breath, watching the girl closely. The Shang family had already compromised so much—she hoped this girl wouldn’t push her luck.
Yan Qiuning glanced at the man beside her. “Ninth Brother, didn’t you promise to help me break off the engagement?”
She sighed, as if forced into a corner. “Madam, this engagement was never mine to begin with. I’ve simply returned it to my sister. Why should Shang Lu and my sister hide their feelings? If they feel guilty toward me, I only ask for their happiness.”
Her words left Madam Shang nearly humiliated. Her son—who knew what was wrong with him—if he truly liked that Li Qingran, couldn’t he have kept it discreet? Did he not understand what was at stake?
Now everyone knew, and the Shang family had become the real laughingstock.
Especially with rumors circulating that Shang Lu had been cuckolded, raising another man’s child.
“Don’t be silly, child. It’s all a misunderstanding—they’re just siblings. I’ve already accepted Qingran as my goddaughter.”
“After all these years, can you really sever ties so easily? I know my son can’t let you go; otherwise, he wouldn’t have told the old master you’re carrying his child.”
“Ning Ning, I watched you both grow up; I’d never deceive you. Trust Aunt—my son will surely treat you well in the future.”
Truthfully, it didn’t have to be her, but to please the old master, it could only be her.
Madam Shang couldn’t fathom why the old master favored this girl so deeply, even offering shares as a condition: if they married and had a child, the Shang Group would belong to her son.
Otherwise, there were other young, capable heirs in the Shang family.
Yan Qiuning thought of how, in her previous life, she had struggled desperately for something that now seemed so cheap in the present moment.

So many things—they should have begged her, yet she had humbled herself, giving up her interests and paving the way for others with her own life.
“Madam, this engagement exists because of the child, not because of feelings between us. The child isn’t his. He’s unworthy.”
“Li Qiuning, don’t refuse a toast only to accept a penalty!” Madam Shang could no longer hold her composure; this shameless girl dared to push her so far!
Had she forgotten how she once sought favor with the Shang family?
Qin Zhan’s gaze swept over calmly, his face radiating authority without anger, intimidating all present. “What are you so anxious about? You weren’t invited in to throw your weight around.”
“If Ning Ning wants to break off the engagement, compensate her with the shops on East Street.”
Ninth Master’s dominance spared no one.
To him, it was simple: obey and thrive, resist and perish. Anyone who crossed him wouldn’t even get a chance to beg for mercy.
Madam Shang stared at him in shock and disbelief. “Not only does the Shang family have to be rejected by such a woman, but now we have to hand over a whole street to her? The annual rent from East Street alone is worth billions!”
“Qin Zhan, you’re going too far!”
She had hoped that if she couldn’t take Li Qiuning away, she could at least extract some benefit from Qin Zhan; never did she expect to lose both the lady and her assets!
Ninth Master’s words stunned Yan Qiuning, who had never experienced such bold, take-all behavior in either of her lives.
It wasn’t that she disapproved of Ninth Master’s methods—it was simply astonishing. She hadn’t known people could act this way; apparently, whether others were happy didn’t matter, so long as you were.
She composed herself, adopting Ninth Master’s assertive tone. “Madam Shang, do you remember how much kickback your family received when you agreed to the engagement from Ninth Master?”
“These were meant to be my dowry. Now that the engagement is void, shouldn’t they be returned? One street may not even suffice.”
“Or is Madam Shang blinded by profit, scheming only for Ninth Master’s assets, hoping to walk away with everything while your family alone wins?”
Her words were sharp, each one a dagger.
Ever since her identity as a Li heiress was revealed, she hadn’t dared speak with her head held high; her dignity had become their weapon for ridicule.