HBWMA -Chapter 404 A “Fishing” Confession Game

Only the next day did news of Shen Qingyu being shot make its way back to the Shen residence. Shen Zhuang flew into a rage and rushed to the hospital immediately.

The rest of the household, aside from their initial shock, felt mostly worry. However, because Shen Zhuang had strictly ordered that no one leave the estate until his return, they could only wait anxiously in the courtyard for updates.

Shen Qian had a high-level meeting that morning, and by the time he learned of the incident, two hours had already passed.

He hadn’t slept for two consecutive nights, and after mentally sparring with Gu Lou during the meeting, he was already utterly exhausted.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Shen Qian asked wearily, “Qingyu’s injured—what explanation did the second branch give?”

Mo Ran replied, “President Shen said that Young Master Qingyu confronted him with a gun, questioning whether the attack at the mountain villa the day before had anything to do with him. The two argued, and during the scuffle, the gun accidentally discharged and wounded Young Master Qingyu.”

Shen Qian frowned. What kind of chaos was this, day after day?

Mo Ran handed him a cup of warm water. “Sir, there’s also news from the hospital. The old master caused quite a scene in the ward—he even reprimanded President Shen.”

Shen Qian’s expression darkened. He glanced at the time. “Reschedule the lunch meeting with Chairman Wang.”

“Are you going to the hospital?”

Shen Qian stood up and straightened his cuffs, hesitating briefly. “I’ll go back to the Shen residence to see A-Ling.”

In life, nothing invites comparison more than people.

Originally, Shen Qian had been displeased about Shen Guiling questioning him the night before. But with Shen Qingyu—the rebellious son—as a contrast, Shen Guiling suddenly seemed all the more rare and valuable.

Objectively speaking, aside from his less-than-ideal background, Shen Guiling was flawless in every other way. If Shen Nian had even half his capability, Shen Qian would be burning incense in gratitude to their ancestors.

Mo Ran was slightly surprised, though she didn’t show it, and silently updated the schedule.

Chrysanthemum Garden

Idleness breeds trouble.

Ever since hearing that Shen Qingyu had been shot, Jiang Huashan’s mind had been spiraling in chaotic overdrive.

What on earth happened this time?

Even if Shen Yuan was the traitor, he wouldn’t go so far as to harm Shen Qingyu. Others in the Shen family might be questionable, but Shen Yuan’s fatherly affection for Qingyu was absolutely genuine.

In her previous life, after Shen Qingyu died and his body was dumped into the sea, Shen Yuan had gone mad—ordering salvage teams to search the bay for half a year. In the end, only overwhelming public outrage forced Shen Qian to shut the operation down.

Back then, when she tore up the script, Shen Guiling had already become the governor of Nanwan. The first and second branches of the family had completely fallen out, and Shen Yuan, shattered by Qingyu’s death, lost all will to compete and withdrew early from the family’s power struggles.

“Young Master A-Ling, are you here to see Miss Jiang?”

Lost in thought, Jiang Huashan was startled by Zhang Ru’s voice from downstairs.

Footsteps echoed steadily up the stairs, then stopped just outside the door.

“Jiang Huashan…”

“…?”

She twitched at the formal, full-name address. Not even bothering with politeness—had Shen Guiling taken the wrong medicine today?

Clearing her throat, she pretended to be exhausted. “I’m sleepy. I’m going to sleep.”

The moment she finished speaking, Shen Guiling pushed the door open.

Caught off guard, their eyes met directly.

He glanced at her, his gaze lingering for a moment before walking slowly to the bedside. “Since when did you start lying?”

Jiang Huashan chuckled awkwardly, pretending not to understand the jab, lowering her eyes to her fingertips.

Pulling a chair beside the bed, Shen Guiling spoke first when she didn’t respond. “Does it still hurt?”

At first it had—but after she fainted from the pain and woke up again, the wound felt completely numb. If Doctor Meng hadn’t repeatedly assured her it was just the effect of strong painkillers, she would’ve thought she was paralyzed.

“It doesn’t hurt. I can’t feel much at all.”

Her eyes rolled thoughtfully before she suddenly looked up at him, studying his face.

They both had phoenix-shaped eyes, and they resembled each other by about sixty percent—but Shen Guiling’s seemed even more striking.

Long, slightly upturned eyelids, refined contours without a trace of softness. His gaze was deep as ink, his lashes casting shadows—Bai Mi was handsome in an aggressive way, but Shen Guiling carried an innate elegance.

For some reason, she recalled the look in his eyes when he shot Bai Zheng—killing, yet still somehow dignified.

Noticing her gaze lingering, Shen Guiling felt a subtle ripple in his chest and turned his head slightly. “What… is it now?”

Staring straight into his eyes, she said, “Nothing. I just suddenly think your eyes are quite good-looking.”

All his attention fixated on that one sentence—your eyes are beautiful—and the corners of his lips unconsciously lifted.

Completely unaware she had already “hooked the fish,” Jiang Huashan tested the waters. “You don’t look much like your father. Do you take after your mother? She must’ve been very beautiful, right?”

His eyes darkened slightly, his lips tightening almost imperceptibly.

Only then did Jiang Huashan realize she’d stepped on a landmine.

She quickly waved it off. “I was just asking casually. You don’t have to answer.”

Sensing his own reaction, Shen Guiling softened his tone. “It’s not that I don’t want to talk about her. It’s just been a long time… I’m a bit dazed. I don’t really resemble her.”

Seeing he wasn’t upset, Jiang Huashan cautiously continued, “What kind of person was your mother?”

He looked at her. “Why are you suddenly curious about my mother?”

“Huh?” She froze.

His gaze was calm, but probing.

“…I don’t know.” She forced a smile. “I guess I’m just suddenly curious about you.”

She had no idea how much impact that sentence carried. The calm in his eyes shattered instantly, and a faint smile followed. “My mother was very gentle.”

“Gentle?” Jiang Huashan was surprised. Wasn’t the Bai family full of ruthless lunatics? How did his mother not fit at all?

Had she guessed wrong?

“Yes. Ever since I can remember, she never once lost her temper with me. She always spoke softly.”

As he spoke of her, his eyes gained a rare warmth. Jiang Huashan watched, then fell silent, quietly abandoning her line of probing.

“She must have loved you a lot. My grandmother was the same—no matter how naughty I was as a child, she never had the heart to scold me.”

The only time her grandmother hurt her… was when she left without saying goodbye.

Jiang Huashan paused, a strange feeling passing through her heart. For Shen Guiling, his mother must have been the same.

Realizing the conversation had taken a heavy turn, she coughed lightly and forced a change of topic. “By the way, I heard Grandpa punished you yesterday?”

Seeing right through her, Shen Guiling simply nodded along. “Mm.”

She leaned forward, curious. “How did he punish you?”

At that, Shen Guiling suddenly thought of something. He lifted his gaze and studied her before asking in return—

“What exactly did you tell Grandpa?”

Jiang Huashan looked completely innocent. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Didn’t say anything? Then why did the old master come back and give everyone a hundred lashes?”

“A hundred lashes?!” Jiang Huashan sucked in a sharp breath, one hand propping her back molars. Just imagining it made her skin crawl.

Shen Guiling added, “Not just that. The old master also brought out a treasure chest.”

“A treasure chest?” Jiang Huashan perked up instantly, narrowing her eyes. “What treasure chest?”

The old master had gone to the ancestral hall after meeting Jiang Huashan, so Shen Guiling naturally assumed she already knew. But seeing her look like a complete outsider, he hesitated.

Grandfather couldn’t possibly distrust Jiang Huashan. Since he hadn’t told her, there must be his own reasons.

“Just tell me already,” Jiang Huashan urged, sensing this was crucial. Being left hanging like this made her eyes practically spit fire.

While Shen Guiling was still weighing things, she had already lost patience and kicked at him.

With a steel plate strapped to her leg, that movement scared Shen Guiling pale. He instinctively grabbed her injured leg.

“You—” He was about to scold her, but remembering she once said the grandmother who treated her best had never raised her voice at her, he forced himself to stay calm. “Do you not want your leg anymore?”

Jiang Huashan was stubbornly fixated on the treasure chest. “Just tell me, okay? If you don’t, I’ll feel terrible all over.”

Shen Guiling couldn’t meet her sparkling peach-blossom eyes. He lowered his head to avoid them—only to run into her bandaged foot in his arms.

“…”

White bandages wrapped from her sole all the way up to her knee. Only her five soft, pink toes peeked out. As he held her calf, those little toes pressed right against his chest, curling at different angles.

Shen Guiling’s gaze darkened. He quickly turned his head away—only to fall right back into those burning peach-blossom eyes.

“…”

Jiang Huashan grew annoyed. “Shen Guiling, what are you being so shy about?!”

“Do you really want to know that badly?”

She nodded seriously and firmly.

Shen Guiling slightly lifted his elbow, carefully maneuvering past her leg as he leaned closer to the bedside. At an arm’s length away, he lowered his gaze and crooked a finger at her.

“…”

A 99%-complete “fish” daring to bait her?

Jiang Huashan raised her brows and leaned right against his shoulder, bringing her ear directly to his lips.

Shen Guiling froze, his mind nearly short-circuiting. The heartbeat he had been suppressing suddenly went out of control, pounding wildly.

The chaotic rhythm startled even Jiang Huashan. The toes resting on his chest curled slightly.

She began to wonder—was she being too bold and scaring the “fish”?

Shen Guiling tried to ignore the ticklish sensation of her stray hair brushing his nose. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke awkwardly, “Actually, grandfather already knew…”

【Ding—!】
【Congratulations, Hidden Treasure Plot: Heart-Throbbing Arc “Saving the Pitiful One” triggered. Completion: 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999%】

“Shen Qian… was behind it. Not only that, even Shen Yuan, Shen Che…”

【Congratulations… Completion: 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999%】

“Grandfather already gathered all the evidence, just waiting… for us…”

【Congratulations… Completion: 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999%】

“…”

Jiang Huashan strained to filter the important information through the barrage of electronic notifications. But as the prompts grew denser, she could barely hear what Shen Guiling was saying anymore.

Finally, she snapped, turning to glare at him. “Can you not—”

At such close proximity, her sudden turn caught him completely off guard. All his focus had gone into controlling his heartbeat. Her lips brushed forward—and his parted lips accidentally landed on her eyelashes.

Both froze.

Jiang Huashan blinked instinctively, her curled lashes brushing lightly across his lips.

【Congratulations… Completion: 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999%】

Endless 99%.

Her gaze slowly dropped as she leaned back slightly.

“I’m not finished,” he murmured.

Shen Guiling supported himself on the bed, leaning down close—almost brushing her ear.

“Grandfather’s treasure chest contains all the evidence of wrongdoing from the second and third branches.”

Jiang Huashan’s heart stirred. So grandfather had indeed received her information and prepared in advance.

“He not only knows the real culprit behind the assassination in Xiangying that year, he even uncovered the truth about Shen Lanxi being framed as mentally unstable at the age of eight.”

He told even these idiots? That’s bad! Shen Lanxi is so single-minded—would he misunderstand grandfather’s intentions?

“Grandfather asked us to choose—end the Shen family’s glory now, or continue to uphold it.”

“…?” Jiang Huashan tilted her head slightly.

Shen Guiling continued calmly, “We returned the box to him.”

Jiang Huashan immediately let out a long breath of relief. Looks like the three fools finally understood grandfather’s intentions. Good—family harmony is everything. As long as they live well together, that’s what matters most.

Just as she was about to move away, Shen Guiling tilted his head again, staying close to her ear.

“Not finished yet.”

There’s more?!

Why has information been pouring in lately like it’s free?

Jiang Huashan focused intensely, wishing she could stick an antenna on her ear.

Shen Guiling slowly moved his lips. “Did you… already know that I like you?”

“Boom—”

It felt like her brain exploded. Jiang Huashan immediately covered her ears and retreated to a safe distance as fast as possible.

After a moment, Shen Guiling politely withdrew as well.

She shot him a wary look, cautiously moving her steel-plated leg—only for him to grab it again.

His palm almost completely enveloped her foot, the warmth seeping through the bandages straight to her sole.

So much for being a gentleman.

“Shen Guiling, let go. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell grandfather?”

“Go ahead,” he replied calmly. “While you’re at it, tell him how, two years ago, you racked your brains to forcibly kiss me again and again.”

Jiang Huashan: “…”