Jiang Meng was born into a family with strong patriarchal values. Unlike her numb, oppressed, and lifeless sisters, or her younger brother—the only son and her twin—Jiang Meng was quite rebellious.
After all, they were twins from the same parents, yet their lives were worlds apart due to gender. One was the pampered and adored only son, while the other was a slave expected to toil and endure oppression. The imbalance in Jiang Meng’s heart grew worse with age.
Eventually, Jiang Meng, who excelled academically, was locked at home and beaten severely by her father, who wanted her to obediently drop out of school and work to support her younger brother. Meanwhile, her academically incompetent brother was fully funded by their parents and sisters. This was the final straw that ignited Jiang Meng’s resentment and fury.
Years of struggle had taught Jiang Meng that being too aggressive brought no real benefits—people naturally sympathized with the weak. So, she learned to disguise herself, to feign fragility and exhaustion, to manipulate others’ pity to secure the benefits and resources she desired.
In the end, Jiang Meng obtained a sum of money and successfully severed ties with her patriarchal family. The man who had beaten her—her father—was imprisoned for his misdeeds. As for her weak-willed mother and helpless sisters, Jiang Meng had no interest in dealing with their troubles.
Jiang Meng was determined to rise above others. Those people were nothing but dead weight, holding her back. She wanted nothing more to do with them.
So, she continued playing the fragile victim, drained her mother and sisters of their money, and left without looking back.
Jiang Meng was a thoroughgoing egoist. Even if her mother and sisters had raised her, what did it matter? They had still allowed her to be bullied and exploited by her father and brother. She was focused on a brighter future and refused to be dragged down by them.
To Jiang Meng, her own well-being was all that mattered. As for others? Ha, what did they have to do with her? They were of no use to her anymore.
Thus, Jiang Meng polished her image, leveraging her silver tongue, acting skills, and striking looks to navigate life effortlessly. Later, she met Rong Guohai and even managed to make him fall in love with her.
Of course, how deep that love truly was… well, that was debatable.
After all, when forced to choose between Jiang Meng and his inheritance, Rong Guohai unhesitatingly chose the latter, abandoning her.
And Jiang Meng? She had orchestrated one scheme after another to meet Rong Guohai and kindle his love (or rather, his infatuation with her), all because she coveted his status, wealth, and power. To Jiang Meng, the only person she truly loved was herself.
Later, Jiang Meng left Rong Guohai. Having met him during university, she neglected her studies and never graduated. Without skills, connections, or prospects, life after Rong Guohai was harsh.
Rong Guohai’s father had forcibly separated them, leaving no time for Rong Guohai to provide for Jiang Meng. And the elder Rong, who despised Jiang Meng for trying to lead his son astray (by marrying a woman with no background), certainly had no intention of supporting her.
Broke and jobless, Jiang Meng refused to take on menial labor. Preferring easier ways to earn money, she entered the red-light district. Her beauty, charm, and willingness to please quickly made her famous—and wealthy.
As for Rong Haisheng? She abandoned him the moment he was born. Jiang Meng had no intention of sacrificing her youth, time, or energy on a baby. A useless burden like that wasn’t worth her attention.
In her eyes, giving birth was already an act of mercy. Whether the child lived or died was up to fate.
In truth, if not for the doctor’s warning that terminating the pregnancy might harm her health, Jiang Meng would never have let Rong Haisheng be born at all.
Later, while happily “working,” Jiang Meng met He Ming.
At the time, He Ming and Shen Mufan’s father were as close as brothers, so He Ming enjoyed many privileges. Unfortunately, He Ming was never satisfied. He constantly complained about being humiliated by the Shen family, wallowing in resentment.
Had He Ming cut ties with the Shen family and struck out on his own, they would have supported him. But he refused to leave the luxurious life they provided, even as he privately cursed them.
So, Jiang Meng set her sights on He Ming. If she could help him take control of the Shen family… well, she couldn’t resist the temptation.
Being a mistress, no matter how favored, had an expiration date. What would she do when age caught up with her? Jiang Meng was a spendthrift with no savings. The position of a wealthy man’s wife, however, promised security—even after divorce.
Thus, Jiang Meng married He Ming.
But she soon discovered that her reckless lifestyle in the red-light district, including multiple abortions, had left her infertile.
He Ming, however, was a traditionalist like Rong Guohai’s father, obsessed with having a son to carry on his bloodline. If Jiang Meng couldn’t produce one, he might seek another woman. To protect her position, Jiang Meng faked a pregnancy.
And so, He Maozhe came into the picture.
Yes, He Maozhe was not their biological son. Jiang Meng had conspired with a male obstetrician to steal a newborn from another family, passing him off as their own stillborn child.
He Ming never learned the truth, and Jiang Meng used He Maozhe to secure her status. For a time, He Maozhe’s childhood was blissful.
But when He Ming’s secret marriage was exposed, leading to conflict with the Shen family, he genuinely cared for Jiang Meng—enough to steal money and elope. Yet Jiang Meng refused.
She had only married He Ming for the Shen family’s wealth. Without it, she wouldn’t waste her youth on him. Learning of Rong Guohai’s newfound power, she abandoned He Maozhe with He Ming and fled.
Between a powerless, dependent He Ming and the wealthy, influential Rong Guohai, the choice was obvious.
Not only that, Jiang Meng even tracked down the long-abandoned Rong Haisheng, weaving a new web of schemes around Rong Guohai.
In the end, Jiang Meng became Rong Guohai’s beloved “white moonlight,” while Rong Haisheng became his favorite child. Jiang Yinglu and her parents were mere casualties in this game.
After reading this, Shen Mufan and Xie Jinghong shook their heads in disbelief.
Shen Mufan sighed, “If only Jiang Meng had channeled her cunning into something legitimate! With her skills, she could have achieved so much. Why did she choose this path?”
Xie Jinghong scoffed, “Lazy and greedy, unwilling to work for what she wanted. She overestimated herself, always feeling shortchanged. Her jealousy and twisted darkness blinded her to anything beyond her own gain. The real victims are her mother and sisters—having such a daughter and sister is truly unfortunate.”
Shen Mufan shrugged. “At least they’ve cut ties with her now. That’s for the best, isn’t it?”
“Mhm,” Xie Jinghong agreed. “The real question is, what does He Maozhe want now?”
Shen Mufan squeezed Xie Jinghong’s hand, planting a shy kiss on his cheek. “We’ll figure it out eventually. Besides, with you by my side, nothing can hurt me, right?”
Xie Jinghong responded with a deep kiss, then nuzzled him affectionately. “Exactly. I’ll always protect my Fanfan—no doubt about it.”
Shen Mufan felt a surge of sweetness. “Then you’d better keep your promise! If you ever bully me, I’ll ignore you!”
“I won’t give you the chance,” Xie Jinghong teased, pinching Shen Mufan’s nose. They shared a smile, their bond radiating warmth and understanding.
As for He Maozhe… with the enemy exposed and allies by their side, what was there to fear?
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