The Film Empress's Secret Marriage and Child - Chapter 4

The air fell silent for a moment.

Before Sheng Qingshan could speak, Sheng Jiazhen stepped in first to block her words: “Yanzhou, you and Shi Yun have traveled a long way and must be tired. Whatever the matter is, let’s discuss it after we have finished our meal.”

“That will not do.”

Sheng Yanzhou rested one hand on the wheelchair. She tilted her head, her gaze passing over Sheng Qingshan to look at Sheng Yunshu, who was blocked behind her. The inverted cross earring she wore swayed under the lights.

“I am not a person who knows how to use polite pleasantries,” Sheng Yanzhou’s voice was devoid of any emotion. “While she is here, I am uncomfortable. When I am uncomfortable, I tend to do things that make others even more uncomfortable.”

The woman in the wheelchair, Shi Yun, kept her head lowered, her hands resting on her knees, motionless. She seemed long accustomed to such scenes.

Sheng Yunshu was locked in by her gaze, unable to move, her face paling slightly.

Had this been yesterday, she would have likely rushed up to argue with her. She was the Second Miss of the Sheng family; from childhood, who had not indulged her? When had she ever been cursed at like this to her face?

But now, standing there and hearing phrases like “expelled from the family register” and “announcing her status to the public,” she could not even find a single word to defend herself.

Because she had no right to.

Sheng Qingshan sensed the breathing of the person behind her become rapid.

She did not turn around, but she grasped her hand, offering silent comfort.

“Yanzhou.” Sheng Qingshan looked at her biological sister, her tone calm. “I will pretend I never heard what you just said. Yunshu is my sister, and so are you. You do not have to like her, but you cannot hurt her.”

Hearing this, Sheng Yanzhou narrowed her eyes, her smile not fading. “Is big sister trying to protect her?”

Big sister…

This title made Sheng Yunshu’s heart ache and caused a tremor in Sheng Qingshan’s eyes.

Over the past month, the two had met no fewer than several times, but Sheng Yanzhou had never called her “sister.” She had not expected that the first time she heard this title from her, it would be under such circumstances.

Sheng Qingshan’s thoughts were like a turbulent tide, but she did not show it on her face. “You are both my sisters. I do not wish to see any of you get hurt.”

Sheng Yanzhou let out two low chuckles after hearing this and sighed lightly: “What a dutiful and good big sister you are. It is just that I am quite greedy and do not like to share. If you insist on keeping her, then I have no choice but to kill her.”

“Sister, Mom only gave birth to one sister for you.”

As the words fell, Sheng Yanzhou did not give the others time to react. The hand that had been resting on the wheelchair suddenly rose, and a miniature pistol slid from her sleeve. Almost without aiming, she fired at Sheng Yunshu, who had poked her head out from behind Sheng Qingshan!

Sheng Qingshan’s pupils constricted. Her years of experience in executing missions allowed her to react quickly! But the distance was too close; the bullet grazed her arm, and soon, a metallic scent of blood filled the air.

“Sister!”

Sheng Yunshu stared at the mark on her arm soaked with blood and screamed, “Doctor! Call the doctor!”

The servants outside the door had already notified the resident physician the moment they heard the gunshot. Now, they were all huddled at the doorway, afraid to make a sound.

The older ones were better off, but the younger ones were so scared their legs turned to jelly, thinking about resigning as soon as the day was over. Although they knew a little bit about the Sheng family, what era was this? Who still went around killing each other?

They wanted to earn money, not lose their lives. They were still young; it was not worth it.

Sheng Jiazhen was also frightened by the shot and surrounded Sheng Qingshan along with Sheng Yunshu, trying to examine her wound.

“It is fine, just a scratch.”

Sheng Qingshan comforted them both for a few moments, then turned to look at Sheng Jiuyuan. The latter stood leaning on her cane without saying a word, but Sheng Qingshan understood her meaning.

She pushed their hands away and proceeded to walk toward Sheng Yanzhou.

Sheng Yanzhou casually placed the gun on the wheelchair armrest, her long, slender fingers tapping lightly against the weapon. She watched Sheng Qingshan, who was closing in step by step. There was no fear in her eyes; instead, she fixed her gaze on the patch of blood spreading on Sheng Qingshan’s arm, her eyes filled with a curious, probing intent.

“Big sister’s reaction is truly fast,” she said, her tone filled with sincere admiration. “I had actually only intended to scare her. If she died just like that, it would be too easy.”

Before she could finish, Sheng Qingshan struck first!

Sheng Yanzhou was not someone to be trifled with. As she side-stepped to dodge, she locked onto Sheng Qingshan’s wrist, dragging her to the side, away from Shi Yun.

Catching sight of Shi Yun at a safe distance, Sheng Qingshan twisted her wrist back, elbowing toward her temple! Sheng Yanzhou tilted her head to avoid it, drawing a dagger from behind her waist. The blade pressed against her palm, thrusting directly at Sheng Qingshan’s throat!

Sheng Qingshan dodged by tilting her neck, the edge of the blade cutting off a few strands of hair. She grabbed Sheng Yanzhou’s wrist, slamming her right palm into the joint of her elbow. The crisp sound of a dislocated joint was clearly audible.

Sheng Yanzhou groaned, the dagger slipping from her hand.

She took the opportunity to lower her head, smashing it violently into the bridge of Sheng Qingshan’s nose.

Sheng Qingshan’s vision went black, and the taste of blood surged into her throat, but she did not let go. She twisted Sheng Yanzhou’s arm to flip her over, pressing her knee onto her back and pinning her to the ground.

Both their breathing was unsteady. Two or three drops of blood fell to the floor; they were all Sheng Qingshan’s.

Sheng Qingshan had practiced martial arts since childhood. After becoming an adult, she joined the IFIB, where she underwent long, systematic training and executed many dangerous missions. In close-quarters combat, Sheng Yanzhou was not her match.

But she still held back.

Today was Sheng Yanzhou’s first day home. Even though she had violated family rules, Sheng Qingshan could not truly bring herself to deal a heavy blow.

However, Sheng Yanzhou’s attacks were too ruthless.

Sheng Qingshan could have dodged that last hit, but she had to guard against Sheng Yanzhou suddenly pulling out another concealed weapon. Dressed so heavily, she did not know how many things were hidden on her.

Moreover, everything Sheng Yanzhou had learned since childhood was aimed at killing her opponent. Sheng Qingshan dared not gamble on whether those cold weapons were coated in poison.

“Have you had enough?”

Sheng Qingshan’s voice came from above. Nosebleed dripped across her lips, landing on Sheng Yanzhou’s jacket.

Sheng Yanzhou lay on the floor, not struggling.

She turned her head, pressing her cheek against the cold marble floor, looking at the spreading bloodstain on the ground, and suddenly smiled.

“Big sister fights better than I imagined.”

Sheng Qingshan remained silent for a moment, let go, and stood up.

She looked down at Sheng Yanzhou on the ground and extended a hand.

Sheng Yanzhou looked at the blood-stained hand, did not take it, and stood up on her own, snapping her dislocated joint back into place with a few quick movements.

“Under no circumstances should a gun be pointed at family.” Sheng Qingshan took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her face, looking down at her sister. “If there is a next time, it will not be as simple as today. Do you understand?”

Sheng Yanzhou put away the dagger, gazing into those calm, ripple-less eyes, with madness flashing in her own:

“Who is family? Her?”

Her finger pointed at the anxious and uneasy Sheng Yunshu, her eyes fixed on Sheng Qingshan:

“Does she have a blood relation with me? Or with you? What is the problem with removing her from the family register? Why should a bastard live under the same roof as me? Must you insist on protecting her? Fine, when you are not around, I will lock her in a place where no one can find her and slowly torture her to death!”

This sentence completely infuriated Sheng Qingshan.

Just as Sheng Qingshan’s slap was about to land on her face, Sheng Yunshu’s voice suddenly rang out:

“I will leave!”

Sheng Yunshu took two steps forward, her eyes reddened, but she held back the tears. “Remove me from the register, move my household registration. Move it out. I will not come back in the future. Please, do not fight with big sister anymore. She is a good person.”

Sheng Yanzhou sneered. “Do you have a say in this?”

“Shut up!” Sheng Qingshan glared at her, then looked at Sheng Yunshu. “You shut up too. This matter is not for you to decide.”

“Sister!” Sheng Yunshu looked at the blood on her face, her voice choked.

“What a deep sisterly affection.”

Sheng Yanzhou stuffed her hands into her pockets and took a step back, her gaze remaining fixed on Sheng Qingshan. “I will state this clearly as well: it is either her or me. Big sister, you do not have two sisters, nor is it possible for you to have them.”

Just as the atmosphere reached a deadlock, Sheng Jiuyuan, who had been observing the whole time, finally spoke.

“Do as Yanzhou says.” With a single look, she stopped Sheng Qingshan from protesting. The old lady continued: “There is no need to make a public announcement. For all these years, she never explicitly told the public about her relationship with the family; there is no need to go through the extra trouble.”

“Alright then, let us leave it at that.” Sheng Yanzhou raised her eyebrows and walked slowly behind Shi Yun. “By the way, remember to clean up the building she is currently living in; I want to live there. A-Yun, you are hungry, right? Let us go eat.”

Shi Yun kept her head low, remaining silent.

Sheng Qingshan clenched her fists, wanting to negotiate with her grandmother again, but the moment she took a step, her wrist was grabbed.

“Sister.” Sheng Yunshu looked at the wound on her arm, the heartache in her eyes nearly overflowing. “Let us treat it first. Like you said, with or without those records, are we not sisters regardless?”

Sheng Qingshan looked at her suddenly mature sister, unable to say a word.

After bidding farewell to Sheng Jiazhen, the two left first.

In the dining room.

“Here, these ribs are quite good. You like them.”

Sheng Yanzhou attentively served food to Shi Yun. The plate in front of Shi Yun was piled up like a small mountain, but she did not even look at it.

“Yanzhou.” Sheng Jiazhen wanted to speak with her, but every time she opened her mouth, Sheng Yanzhou would serve Shi Yun more food.

If it were not for the sour expression on Shi Yun’s face, Sheng Jiazhen suspected she would have tried to feed it to her directly.

Sheng Jiuyuan saw everything, but she did not say anything.

Having character is a good thing. To have one’s own ideas on the foundation of having ability; such a child, if polished, could achieve great things in the future.

A figure suddenly appeared in her mind, and the smile on Sheng Jiuyuan’s lips deepened.

That child is doing quite well right now.

Three generations of the family ate a meal that felt tasteless. After returning, Sheng Yanzhou lost all the docility she had when she was first found; in her eyes, both her mother and grandmother were like air.

It was not until Shi Yun frowned and pushed her away that she stopped. “I am full.”

“Really full?” Sheng Yanzhou put down her chopsticks and reached out to touch her stomach. “Hmm, alright then, let us go out for a stroll.”

Sheng Yanzhou rose to push the wheelchair away, and before leaving, she did not forget to bid farewell to the two at the table:

“Grandmother, Mother, wait until her affairs are handled, and then I will formally acknowledge my ancestors. By the way, host a welcome party for me, let me get to know everyone as well.”

After they left, Sheng Jiazhen also lost her appetite, her face full of anxiety:

“Mom, I know she does not like Yunshu, but I did not expect that the moment she returned, she would want to kick Yunshu out, and even raise a hand against Qingshan. If she had told me earlier, I would have been prepared. Qingshan values Yunshu so much, and now that the sisters are fighting like this, how will they get along in the future? Will she take her anger out on Qingshan?”

Compared to Sheng Yunshu, who had little value, Sheng Jiazhen valued Sheng Yanzhou more. Not only because she was her biological daughter, but more importantly, she could help Sheng Qingshan.

To enable Sheng Qingshan to enter the committee, the Sheng family had been lying low for over twenty years, finally using the connections of Ji Xiaxu to go through the special talent introduction channel, allowing Sheng Qingshan to secure a spot to start work on the eighth of next month.

The most urgent matters now were the assets under the Sheng family’s name and the financial declaration of Sheng Qingshan herself, which had to be handled as quickly as possible.

Before finding Sheng Yanzhou, Sheng Jiuyuan had originally intended to hand over the assets that were inconvenient to expose to cousins, letting them check and compete with each other.

But that would easily lead to the loss of power. The core of the Sheng family was not the “Sheng World” group, but the businesses operating under aliases behind the scenes. If the bulk of the power was given to the cousins, and if Sheng Qingshan were to be further restrained, they would have no chance of success.

Sheng Yanzhou’s appearance resolved the urgent need.

Her experiences made the elders feel heartbroken, but they also believed she had the ability to handle the family’s affairs.

In this way, whether in the light or the dark, the decision-making power remained in the hands of the sisters.

“Yanzhou is a smart child.”

Sheng Jiuyuan put down her chopsticks and picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth. “She knows that some things are more important than personal likes and dislikes.”

If anything happened to Sheng Qingshan, even if the Sheng family could tolerate it for the sake of profit for a while, Ji Xi would not let her off.

And Ji Xi’s choice was the choice of the Ji family.

On the other side, after bandaging Sheng Qingshan, Sheng Yunshu made an excuse to get her something to eat and escaped from the old family estate.

She did not return to her residence but went to the film set; this was the first movie she had decided to produce in her transition to working behind the scenes.

When Sheng Yunshu arrived, work had just begun.

The assistant director saw her and froze for a moment before jogging over.

“Sister Yunshu? Why are you here? Did Director Shen not say you had things to attend to these past two days?”

“I am finished with my business.” Sheng Yunshu glanced at the monitor. “Which scene are you filming?”

“Scene 32, where the female lead discovers her background.”

The corners of Sheng Yunshu’s mouth moved; she did not know whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

She pulled up a chair and sat beside Shen Zhouxing, watching the actress on screen with red eyes questioning her adoptive mother: “You raised me for twenty-five years, why did you not tell me?”

The actress playing the adoptive mother was a veteran actress; she remained silent for a long time, then said: “Because you are my daughter.”

“Cut!” Shen Zhouxing shouted, snapping his fingers in satisfaction. “That one is a wrap!”

Sheng Yunshu sat there, motionless.

Only then did Shen Zhouxing notice her arrival and pull her over to watch the recording repeatedly: “Sister Ruan is worthy of being a triple-crown best actress; look at the change in her expression in this second. You… what is wrong with you?”

Shen Zhouxing had been talking for a long time before turning his head to find Sheng Yunshu burying her head in her hands.

Glancing at the surroundings, Shen Zhouxing patted her lightly:

“Yunshu, did something happen at home?”