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On her first day touring the house, Shen Baili had been stunned speechless.

The mansion even had several private butlers, a large staff of servants, and muscular mercenary bodyguards who worked around the clock in shifts. They looked like they could handle themselves in a fight.

From what Shen Baili had learned over the past few days, this was the legendary Xie Family of Haicheng, the foremost of the elite families, perched at the very top of the pyramid.

Xie Chengyue was the head of the Haicheng Xie Family, the man steering its vast ship. He wielded immense power, dealt ruthlessly with people, and had all the money and influence anyone could want.

Of course, her mother, Shen Wan, was exceptional: a gentle, elegant beauty who was brave and independent, and whose charm shone through in both her life and her work.

But a worldly, powerful tycoon had fallen in love with her mother at first sight? And after years of being single, he had married her?

Shen Baili's first reaction had been, Was he out of his mind?

She had long since outgrown fairy tales. Rather than believe in sudden riches, she preferred to trust her own hands to create wealth and make miracles happen.

Ever since elementary school, she had dreamed of building a wealthy family of her own and giving her mother and herself the best of everything.

To that end, Shen Baili had planned her life early. She studied while working part-time and had saved up a fund to start a business.

Once the National College Entrance Examination was over, she could put her business plan into action. Shen Baili was confident she could give herself and her mother the life they dreamed of.

But plans could not keep up with change.

Before she could build a wealthy family, her mother, Shen Wan, had married into one of the wealthiest families of all.

Sigh.

Compared with the colossus that was the Xie Family, she and her mother were like ants beside an elephant. They had little ability to protect themselves if anything went wrong in that family.

Shen Baili worried that her mother would be hurt or mistreated in this relationship.

She decided to keep watching for now, while reminding herself to stay true to herself and not let the wealth before her turn her head.

A mountain could crumble, a river could run dry, and a man could let you down. The only person you could truly rely on was yourself.

Shen Baili pressed a hand to her aching head and looked out the window.

The courtyard was lush with greenery. Sunset painted the horizon red, and she had not noticed when the sky began to darken.

Before long, someone knocked on her door, and Butler Lin's familiar voice came from outside. "Miss Baili, the dinner you ordered is ready. Would you like to come downstairs and eat now?"

Shen Baili: "..."

She was not used to conversations that sounded so theatrical. She had tried to correct him, but it had not worked.

"Uncle Lin, I'll be right down," Shen Baili answered quickly.

Her anxiety could wait. She needed a full stomach before she could think.

At that moment, Shen Baili could never have imagined that, in just a few hours, something would happen that would give her enough anxiety to make her hair fall out.

At the enormous dining table, Shen Baili sat alone. She looked at the empty seats and lowered her eyes without a word. Butler Lin offered an explanation. "The master and both young masters are workaholics. Madam said she would be eating out tonight."

Xie Chengyue was on a business trip to M Country. The Xie Family's Eldest Brother, Xie Zhiyu, was in another province discussing a partnership, and Second Brother, Xie Tingsi, was away filming. Everyone was busy.

Aside from the family dinner held the day after her mother and Xie Chengyue registered their marriage, they had not all been in the same room again.

Shen Baili nodded. "All right, I understand."

Her mother had messaged her an hour earlier. She did not care about the others.

Shen Baili was quite happy with things as they were. As long as they could live together in peace, that was enough. She had no desire to become one big, loving family with the Xies.

This social distance, neither too close nor too far, suited her perfectly.

Her attention stayed on the lavish meal before her. Every dish looked and smelled wonderful, and tasted delicious too.

Dinner that night was Cantonese cuisine, focused on bringing out the ingredients' natural flavors. Everything tasted unbelievably fresh.

Shen Baili ate with relish and even had a slice of lemon cheesecake for dessert.

Good food

made people forget their troubles.

She had eaten a little too much, so she went out into the spacious, beautiful courtyard for a walk.

Between the food and the scenery, three hours slipped by.

She returned to her bedroom, washed up, and read in bed for a while before quickly falling asleep.

Shen Baili had a strange dream. She dreamed that a car hit her, and her soul left her body and arrived in a white corridor.

She walked and walked, but the corridor had no end.

Just as her strength ran out, a vortex appeared beneath her feet. It sucked her in, and she fell into scorching lava.

It was so hot that her organs seemed to melt, and the pain was too great for her to make a sound.

Shen Baili wanted to wake up, but no matter how she struggled, she could not break free. She could only endure the endless agony.

As the pain intensified, it felt as though every bone in her body was being taken apart and put back together. At the same time, countless pieces of unfamiliar information flashed through her mind.

Shen Baili seized on the crucial point: she had crossed into another world, and she had landed in a book.

She focused, trying to learn more. Memories of her past and unfamiliar information surged over her like a tidal wave, bringing such intense pain that she finally passed out.

Late that night, Shen Wan came home exhausted. The shallow socializing of high society did not come naturally to her, and each day left her mentally drained and overwhelmed. Despite how hard it was, she had no intention of backing down. Once she had decided to marry into the Xie Family with her daughter, Shen Wan would not shirk her responsibilities. She could not selfishly leave her daughter to bear everything alone.

Whenever Shen Wan came home, she checked on her daughter. She went to her daughter's room and knocked three times.

"Suìsuì, are you asleep?"

Shen Wan waited a few seconds outside the door. Hearing no answer, she said gently, "Suìsuì, Mom's coming in."

She pushed the door open softly. The panda lamp by the bed cast a gentle light that did not hurt the eyes.

Shen Wan stepped closer quietly and sat at the edge of the bed.

Warm orange light fell across the woman's graceful, lovely face. She looked like a lily touched by morning dew, fresh and beautiful.

Time had been kind to the beauty. The years had only lent her a mature charm, making her lovelier still.