Rebirth: The Villainous Young Master in a Novel

Chapter 18: The Changing Fate of the Female Protagonist

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Bang!

“I’ve raised you all these years! Is this how you talk to me?!”

Shen Guotao slammed the teacup onto the carpet, stood up abruptly, and raised his hand, ready to slap Shen Xiaoyan across the face!

“Darling, let’s talk this through!”

Suddenly, a beautiful woman rushed over and grabbed Shen Guotao’s arm just as his hand was about to strike Shen Xiaoyan.

“Calm down, darling. Your blood pressure can’t afford to spike again,” the woman pleaded, then turned to scold Shen Xiaoyan. “Xiaoyan, what have I always taught you? Whatever your father says, you just listen and obey. How could you talk back? Look how angry you’ve made him. What if his high blood pressure acts up again?”

Despite the looming threat of the slap, Shen Xiaoyan continued to wear a bitter smile, staring fixedly at her biological father, who was only connected to her by blood.

Shen Guotao glared at her for a long moment before finally lowering his hand, fuming. “Look at the rebellious daughter you’ve raised!”

The woman was Lin Meizhu, Shen Guotao’s second wife.

Although Lin Meizhu had given birth to Shen Xiaoyan and had been devoted to Shen Guotao for over twenty years, she still had no official status as Mrs. Shen. To outsiders, her position in the Shen family was only slightly better than that of a servant.

Of course, as a concubine, Lin Meizhu lived a life of luxury. Even in her forties, she was still as well-maintained as a young woman.

Hearing Shen Guotao’s words, Lin Meizhu quickly tugged at her daughter’s arm and urged, “Hurry up and apologize to your father!”

“My father…”

Shen Xiaoyan’s eyes reddened, tears welling up as she spoke word by word, “In all honesty, have you ever truly fulfilled your duties as a father these past twenty years? And now you’re forcing me to marry that despicable playboy from the Song family, all for the sake of your business. Is this really okay?”

“What? Marrying the Song family’s young master?”

Lin Meizhu was stunned and quickly asked, “Is it Song Shicheng? Wait, isn’t he engaged to Yixian?”

“Mom, the Song family is on the verge of collapse. Dad thinks it’s not worth marrying Sister off to them, so he’s making me take her place,” Shen Xiaoyan said, tears streaming down her face, filled with heartbreak and despair. “I’m just a business throwaway.”

“If you’re not happy about marrying him, then get out! Don’t you dare insinuate anything about me. I, Shen Guotao, don’t need a little girl like you to judge me!”

Shen Guotao roared, showing no trace of guilt or remorse.

“Darling, Xiaoyan is probably just overwhelmed by how sudden this is. I’ll talk to her and guide her. Please don’t be angry.”

Lin Meizhu, fearing the situation would escalate, quickly coaxed and pulled her daughter upstairs.

“More and more disrespectful!”

Shen Guotao grumbled as he sat back on the sofa, staring at the teacup on the carpet, deep in thought…

—

Once inside her room, Shen Xiaoyan immediately threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow and sobbing uncontrollably.

Lin Meizhu watched for a while, processing the sudden turn of events, then began to console her: “Xiaoyan, don’t be so upset for now. Just listen to me for a moment. Although the Song family isn’t doing well right now, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Marrying into their family isn’t exactly a bad deal.”

“Mom, enough!”

Shen Xiaoyan angrily sat up and confronted her mother. “Are you really okay with treating your daughter’s marriage as a bargaining chip for profit, without caring whether I like it or not?”

“Silly child, why are you still so naive?” Lin Meizhu said dismissively. “In this day and age, love and romance are just empty words. They don’t put food on the table. The most important thing in marriage is the other person’s circumstances.”

“Just like how you were drawn to the Shen family’s wealth, even without a proper title, you shamelessly forced your way in. For the sake of endless credit cards, you’re willing to live as a concubine for the rest of your life!” Shen Xiaoyan lashed out, almost losing control of her emotions.

Lin Meizhu’s eyes widened in shock and anger. “Xiaoyan, how can you say that to your mother?”

Shen Xiaoyan immediately regretted her words and softly said, “I’m sorry.”

“Child, you’ve never experienced hardship,” Lin Meizhu sighed. “Yes, you’re right. I admit my position is awkward, and I’ve been the subject of countless rumors behind my back. But at least now I live comfortably, with everything I could want. Do you know what my life was like over twenty years ago, before I had you? I lived in a basement, eating plain buns and drinking tap water. If I hadn’t shamelessly stood at the Shen family’s doorstep with you in my arms, do you think you’d have had a good home, good food, nice clothes, and the chance to study all the way to a master’s degree?”

“But we live without dignity, Mom.”

Shen Xiaoyan said despondently, “Ever since I can remember, I’ve endured countless cold stares. Just look at how many times Shen Yixian and Shen Yizhu have bullied us, and all you’ve done is endure, endure, and endure some more, always telling me to be obedient and sensible. But all that’s done is make them push us around even more! And then there’s my career. I never even liked being a doctor, but because you said studying medicine could help Dad’s business and improve our standing in the family, I worked hard every day, finished my bachelor’s and master’s degrees three years early, gave up the chance to study abroad and offers from public hospitals, and became a junior doctor at Qingmao Hospital. I’ve worked tirelessly day and night, wasting my youth, and now I’m this old and haven’t even had a single relationship. I feel like my life is such a failure!”

“On the other hand, look at Shen Yixian and Shen Yizhu. All they’ve ever done is play and enjoy themselves. It didn’t matter if their grades were bad—Dad just threw money at donations to pave their way. They went abroad, got some diplomas, and came back to take over several hospitals and companies. Meanwhile, I’m the one who has to take orders from them. And now I have to replace Shen Yixian and marry that good-for-nothing Song Shicheng. You know his terrible reputation—all he does is drink, gamble, and cause trouble everywhere. Mom, how can you bear to watch me fall into this pit and ruin my life?”

“Xiaoyan, I know this is unfair to you, but you need to see the bigger picture. This is just fate,” Lin Meizhu said, holding her daughter’s cold hands. “Besides, this kind of situation is very common in our circle. How many couples are arranged by their families? If the couple can’t get along, they just live their own lives. The man can go out and have fun, and we women just hold onto our credit cards tightly. In the end, don’t shortchange yourself.”

Seeing her daughter shaking her head, clearly still unconvinced, Lin Meizhu finally sighed and left her alone to calm down.

However, before leaving, she added one last thing: “If you really don’t want to do this, I’ll prepare to move out with you.”

Although she said this, Shen Xiaoyan knew her mother would never give up her current life of luxury. Otherwise, why would she have endured so much humiliation for over twenty years?

Was she really destined to never escape this miserable fate?

Shen Xiaoyan thought bitterly, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her face.