The two of them instructed the nanny to watch the two children, bid them farewell, and then headed out to the mall.
The mall was filled with a dazzling array of goods, suitable for all ages. Shen Qingqing intended to choose a gift of great significance for the elder madam, with the value being secondary.
Just then, Fu Jingshu's phone rang. He glanced at Shen Qingqing and said, "I'll take a call. You look around first."
"Okay."
Shen Qingqing began to browse by herself. Perhaps she was too discerning, as nothing she saw seemed satisfactory, and she couldn't find a suitable gift for the elder madam for quite some time.
Suddenly, she stopped in front of a wooden display shelf and peered through the gaps between the displayed items.
A man was sitting on a sofa, with a woman beside him. The woman was dressed provocatively and wore exquisite makeup. It was none other than Chen Xiang.
However, she was a far cry from her usual haughty demeanor. A faint smile played on her lips, and while still beautiful, there was an added hint of sycophancy and fawning.
And the man, Shen Qingqing recognized him.
She had investigated Chen Xiang long ago. Before Chen Xiang married Shen Zhizhong, she had a sugar daddy, who was the man before her.
This man owned several companies and possessed considerable assets. Although he was in his forties, he was well-maintained. Most importantly, he was a notorious womanizer.
The women by his side were countless, yet Chen Xiang was the one who had been with him the longest.
This showed her methods.
Shen Qingqing was supposed to be picking out a gift for her grandmother today and didn't want to get into a conflict with Chen Xiang or waste time. So, she pretended not to see her and turned towards another antique shelf.
To her surprise, while she didn't intend to provoke, Chen Xiang had no intention of letting her off.
Her sharp eyes spotted Shen Qingqing. It was a classic case of enemies meeting with intense hatred. She immediately pursued, "Shen Qingqing, stop right there!"
"Do you need something?"
Shen Qingqing stopped, turning her body slightly, her impatience evident.
Seeing Shen Qingqing's attitude, Chen Xiang was incensed. "I'm still your elder, your stepmother. Shouldn't you call me 'Mom'?"
She knew this statement would surely provoke Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a wave of nausea. "If you have something to say, say it. If not, I'm leaving. Don't say such disgusting things."
As she said she was leaving, her foot was already moving. Chen Xiang stopped beating around the bush. "I ask you, was it you who asked Fu Jingshu to barge into my house earlier?"
Shen Qingqing asked with amusement, "Who are you referring to?"
Seeing the teasing and sarcasm in Shen Qingqing's eyes, Chen Xiang was convinced she knew. "So you are aware. Fu Jingshu has no grudges against me, there's no reason for him to do this. Moreover, as the CEO of Ruisi Group, doing something like that is too malicious. On the other hand, you, you detest me."
She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"Because I stole your mother's husband, and my daughter stole your father, you've always harbored resentment towards my daughter and me."
Hearing this, Shen Qingqing was abruptly pulled back to those ignominious memories.
She suppressed herself repeatedly, but her voice turned extremely cold. "I once heard a saying: 'One who is shameless is invincible.' Seeing you, I now know that saying is true."
Was she calling her shameless?
Chen Xiang's face flushed from green to white. "You, you truly have no upbringing! But that's not surprising. After all, your mother died early and didn't teach you etiquette or respect for elders. You lack even the most basic manners, and you still dream of marrying Fu Jingshu? You must be dreaming!"
As she spoke, a faint smile appeared on her face, but her words were the complete opposite of her expression.
"You do." Shen Qingqing couldn't hold back the resentment of years, transforming it all into words, laced with malice, and unleashing it upon Chen Xiang. "If you had any, you wouldn't have become a third party."
"Then what about you? You stole your sister's fiancé. Aren't you a third party?" Chen Xiang retorted sharply.
"I think you've misunderstood something," Shen Qingqing felt compelled to remind her. "Fu Jingshu is a person. Who he chooses to be with is his freedom, it has nothing to do with me. I didn't steal him. Don't worry, I won't learn from you."
Her words were filled with disdain, clearly looking down on Chen Xiang.
Being mocked by the daughter of her defeated opponent felt terrible. Chen Xiang clutched her bag. "You are indeed a bit stronger than your mother. If you had been my opponent back then, perhaps she wouldn't have ended up in that state."
Her mother's death had always been a thorn in Shen Qingqing's heart. For Chen Xiang to bring it up now was undoubtedly venomous, intentionally trying to hurt her.
"Now, I am also your opponent, but you still can't defeat me."
Shen Qingqing taunted her back in the same manner.
Chen Xiang was so angered she laughed. "Very well, your words admit that you took action against me. You do have some tricks up your sleeve, getting Fu Jingshu to really listen to you. How did you do it? By whispering in his ear?"
In reality, she knew Shen Qingqing's pride and aloofness made such actions impossible, but she wanted to say it.
To disgust this little b*tch to death!
Shen Qingqing neither admitted nor denied. "Karma will catch up to the wicked."
This single sentence completely ignited Chen Xiang's fury. She sneered, "Then today, I'll show you what 'karma will catch up to the wicked' really means!"
She raised her hand to strike Shen Qingqing, relying on the fact that this was a public place and Shen Qingqing, as the junior, could only endure it even if she was hit.
She never expected her hand to be grabbed, rendering it immobile.
Shen Qingqing then delivered a swift kick to Chen Xiang's abdomen. Chen Xiang instantly fell to the ground, completely stunned. The pain made her unable to get up, her eyes filled with tears.
She wanted to curse, to question, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she realized she was too pained to speak.
This sudden turn of events startled the sugar daddy, Diao Kangcheng, who had been sitting on the sofa all along. Diao Kangcheng watched as Chen Xiang slid a considerable distance on the floor, finally stopping by his legs. He looked up at Shen Qingqing in disbelief.
Upon seeing her face, a flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes, but it quickly turned into anger.
In front of him, hitting his woman? This was an insult!
"Who are you? How dare you hit someone?"
Shen Qingqing glanced at him, shook her wrist, and said, "This doesn't seem to concern you, does it?"
Her attitude clearly conveyed: I don't care about you.
Diao Kangcheng was furious. He had brought bodyguards with him today and immediately commanded them, "Bring that woman over here! Make her kneel and apologize to me."
Several bodyguards surrounded Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing remained motionless. Diao Kangcheng assumed she was too scared. She was just a woman, after all. He mocked, "Do you know fear now? Too late!"
He failed to notice that Shen Qingqing's left hand, held behind her back, was clenched into a fist, and her left foot was subtly shifting, preparing for an attack.