[As expected, my levelheaded mom was better suited to conquering the business world than staying home as some so-called devoted wife and mother.]
Hearing her daughter's thoughts, Shen Shuyi's lips curved slightly. It felt wonderful to be appreciated!
Unlike before, when Xu Junshan had constantly manipulated her into believing women should never appear in public,
that they should stay home to support their husbands and raise their children, following the tradition of men handling outside affairs and women managing the household.
He had manipulated her so thoroughly that she had nearly handed her family's ancestral business to that scumbag herself and led her entire family to their deaths.
"Shuyi, you're going back to work?"
"Mom, you're going back to work?"
Father and son asked in unison, one stunned and the other delighted.
"Yes. Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well go to work and help lighten your load." Shen Shuyi nodded with a smile.
"You're perfectly fine at home. If you're bored, travel or go shopping. Why work? It's not as if I can't afford to support you!" Xu Junshan's face darkened as he snapped at her.
If Shen Shuyi really went back to work at the company,
how could he ask her to transfer her shares to him so he could secure the chairmanship of the Board of Directors at the upcoming shareholders' meeting?
Naturally, Xu Junshan had no wish to see that happen.
"It's not a question of whether you can afford to support me. Besides, I don't live off you!" Shen Shuyi replied, looking at Xu Junshan with a faint, knowing smile.
Xu Junshan froze. His mouth opened slightly, but he could not muster a single rebuttal.
Shen Shuyi earned over a hundred million a year from dividends alone, not to mention her other investments or the value of the shares she owned.
The dividends from his meager holdings and his annual income had mostly gone to Lin Xiyue's family. He really had never supported Shen Shuyi.
But that was something he could only acknowledge privately, not lay out in the open for discussion.
"I just thought I'd find something to do to pass the time while I'm free and still young enough to think clearly.
"In a few more years, Lingyun and his brothers will be able to take over the Shen Corporation completely, and the two of us can retire.
"Then we'll have all the time in the world to travel, shop, and visit exhibitions."
Shen Shuyi effortlessly deflected his objections.
"Besides, even if I'm only the Shen Corporation's chairwoman in name, I can't keep doing nothing.
"After all, I draw a salary from the company, and it's hardly a small one."
Shen Shuyi had originally planned to announce it next week, then simply head to the company to start work.
But yesterday, around dusk, the Finance Department had called her to confirm a transfer of twenty million.
She had already instructed them to call her for confirmation on any large transfers or expenditures, even if the paperwork bore her signature.
The moment Shen Shuyi heard about it, she realized Xu Junshan had forged her signature. Still, to avoid alerting him, she told the Finance Department to proceed as usual.
Once the paperwork reached her, she could simply hold it up by withholding approval. Xu Junshan would then come to her with an explanation on his own.
So today, she took the opportunity to say she would return to work next week.
For one thing, it allowed her to sidestep the question Xu Junshan had thrown at her.
For another, it was a warning shot.
She wanted to see what Xu Junshan would do next to keep his actions from coming to light.
She was not afraid of him playing tricks now. What worried her was that he might lie low, leaving her with nothing she could use to strip him of his position and throw him out.
Xu Junshan's expression grew even uglier.
If Shen Shuyi really returned to work, she would become involved in the company's operations and gain a deeper understanding of its finances. Many things would become impossible to conceal.
And just yesterday afternoon, he had forged Shen Shuyi's signature to embezzle company funds.
His original plan had been to have Shen Shuyi act as guarantor for his son Xu Pengcheng's shell company, obtain a bank loan, then transfer the money overseas.
But Shen Shuyi had discovered that the blank guarantee document he had prepared was merely a blank sheet of paper and refused to sign it.
He had no choice but to forge her signature and divert working capital from the company's accounts to keep his son's company running before moving on to the next step.
After all, the company's internal reviews were not as strict as a bank's.
Yet less than a day later, Shen Shuyi announced that she would return to work at the Shen Corporation. Caught completely off guard, how could he not panic?
Meanwhile, Shen Banxia had focused on eating her breakfast the entire time.
Since sitting down, Shen Banxia had already finished a serving of Jade Shrimp Dumplings, a bowl of Beef and Goji Berry Porridge, and a small plate of dressed greens.
She appeared utterly uninterested in the business matters her parents and brothers were discussing.
Only Shen Shuyi and Shen Lingyun knew that she occasionally made a snarky remark in her thoughts-and every remark struck right at the heart of the matter.
After breakfast, the members of the Shen Family left for school or work.
Xu Junshan and Shen Lingyun, however, each had concerns weighing on their minds.
Shen Lingyun wondered whether the thoughts he had heard from his seventh sister were true.
If they were, Fu Ya had exploited him completely.
He could hardly imagine that Fu Ya, who had grown up with him and was supposed to marry him at the end of the year, would treat him like that!
Xu Junshan, meanwhile, was thinking about how to transfer that ten million out as quickly as possible without leaving any evidence.
But in reality, once Shen Shuyi officially returned to work, pulling that off would be harder than reaching the heavens.
At that moment, Shen Banxia was still battling the last cherry tomato on her plate.
She stared intently at the cherry tomato and held her breath, only for it to slip from her chopsticks again. This was already her third attempt.
"Banxia, if you can't pick it up, use a spoon or fork," Shen Shuyi reminded her with a smile.
"It's fine, Mom. I'm in no hurry!" She had plenty of patience.
With that, Shen Banxia tried again. This time, she held the cherry tomato firmly between her chopsticks and immediately showed it off to her mother.
"Look, Mom! I told you I could do it!"
"You're amazing!" Her daughter's triumphant smile was infectious, and Shen Shuyi smiled as she praised her.
Sometimes happiness really was that simple!
Then another thought struck her: her daughter seemed to be telling her that some things could not be rushed. She had to be patient!
"I'm going to Aunt Cui's house for tea later. Come with me and meet her while we're there," Shen Shuyi invited her daughter.
"Would I get in the way of whatever you and Aunt Cui need to discuss?" Shen Banxia asked.
"Of course not! I'm only having tea and chatting with your Aunt Cui. There's no business to discuss," Shen Shuyi replied gently.
"Sure!" Shen Banxia agreed.
In fact, even if her mother had not invited her, she would have asked to tag along.
For one thing, spending time with wealthy society wives meant hearing plenty of juicy gossip. She loved joining the fun and watching the drama unfold.
For another, in her previous life, this tea gathering had been where Shen Shuyi first met the mistress, setting the stage for a spectacular showdown. How could she bear to miss this chance for a front-row seat?
Before you continue