Chapter 125—Part 1

After more than half a year, Jiang Nian saw Zhou Shanshan again.

Compared to before, Zhou Shanshan had become noticeably plumper. She wore a bright red dress, adorned with diamond rings and gold jewelry, her hair styled into an elegant updo at a salon, and she carried a brand-new Chanel handbag.

She looked radiant.

After Zhou Shanshan’s postpartum period, Jiang Yu couldn’t hold back and revealed what Zhou Shanshan had done.

This caused quite a stir in the Jiang family, creating significant turmoil.

Grandpa Jiang and Uncle Jiang were furious, while Jiang Yong pulled Zhou Shanshan to kneel in apology.

Zhou Shanshan, seeing the elders truly enraged, was terrified and cried for forgiveness, claiming it was a moment of foolishness and that she would never do it again.

For Xiao Xian, for the family, she promised to change…

Although Grandpa Jiang and Uncle Jiang were angry—and even punishing Jiang Yong wouldn’t have been excessive—they couldn’t force Jiang Yong to divorce Zhou Shanshan, especially with a newborn child involved.

Of course, the biggest victim in this matter was Jiang Nian.

During the New Year, Jiang Yong brought Zhou Shanshan to apologize to her again.

Jiang Yong looked deeply remorseful and conflicted, saying he was truly sorry but hoped Jiang Nian could forgive Zhou Shanshan, as the newborn couldn’t grow up without a mother…

Jiang Nian, however, had no intention of forgiving Zhou Shanshan on behalf of the original owner.

Could one simply shed some tears, apologize, and move on after committing such a grave mistake? Jiang Nian wasn’t that magnanimous.

Could she, someone who repays kindness with resentment, just let it slide? Absolutely not.

She simply said, “A child’s mother is important, but family education is even more important. The reason I wasn’t crushed by gossip is because I am strong, brave, and have a good mindset—not because Zhou Shanshan showed me any mercy. So don’t use my current well-being as an excuse.”

At the time, Jiang Yong’s face turned pale, and his hands were trembling as he left with Zhou Shanshan.

He probably realized then that his sibling bond with Jiang Nian was now fractured.

But he might never have considered that his sister had long been dead, and Zhou Shanshan was one of the culprits.

Because of this, aside from unavoidable gatherings during the New Year, Jiang Nian rarely met or contacted Jiang Yong.

Jiang Nian’s attendance at Jiang Mingxian’s first birthday banquet surprised Jiang Yong greatly.

Along with the surprise came nervousness and excitement.

Jiang Yu sighed repeatedly at the sight.

Although she disliked Zhou Shanshan and often clashed with Jiang Yong, she didn’t want an outsider to destroy the bond between the three siblings.

After all, they had grown up together, and such bonds were naturally irreplaceable.

Not only was Jiang Yong happy, but Grandpa Jiang, Grandma Jiang, and Uncle Jiang’s family were also overjoyed.

Who wouldn’t want their younger generation to have a good relationship and support each other?

Jiang Nian even gave Jiang Mingxian a red envelope.

However, Zhou Shanshan wasn’t so pleased.

After all, she had endured a lot of grievances because of Jiang Nian recently.

If it weren’t for her giving birth to a son, she might not even have a place in this family.

At Jiang Mingxian’s birthday banquet, Zhou Shanshan believed she should have been the center of attention.

But now, Jiang Nian had become the focus.

Everyone surrounded Jiang Nian, showing concern and admiration.

Even Zhou Shanshan’s classmates, colleagues, and close friends were envious of her having such a big star sister and asked her to introduce them, hoping for an autograph or a photo.

Jiang Nian had skyrocketed to fame thanks to “Before Dawn”, and her current project, “Jianghu Wanderings”, was also receiving rave reviews.

Her national recognition had surged, surpassing her previous peak.

Even if she was just a minor celebrity, people would still swarm her for photos and autographs.

For ordinary people who weren’t fans, how often did they get to meet a TV star?

“If you like her so much, go ask Jiang Nian for a photo yourself. I’m busy,” Zhou Shanshan said curtly.

She was just venting her frustration, but to her dismay, her friends actually went to Jiang Nian excitedly.

They returned after a long time, chattering happily.

“Jiang Nian is so approachable and kind. She doesn’t have any airs about her. And up close, she’s incredibly beautiful! Her skin is flawless, and her aura is amazing!”

“Did you see the necklace around her neck? That limited edition Tiffany piece costs over a million! And her handbag—I heard there are only three in the world, two overseas, and Jiang Nian owns one!”

“Yes, yes, and her bracelet, her rings…”

“She’s practically wearing a house on her body! So enviable!”

Hearing this, Zhou Shanshan felt extremely uncomfortable.

She had spent a whole month preparing for this event, wearing a Chanel bag, Gucci shoes, and an LV dress, not to mention her gold and silver jewelry.

Her entire outfit cost over a hundred thousand, yet compared to Jiang Nian, it was laughable—probably not even worth one of Jiang Nian’s earrings!

Her friends continued, “After watching ‘Before Dawn’, I became a die-hard fan of her and Xiao Qian’s CP. But it’s a shame they rarely interact in real life. There’s hardly any gossip to dig up!”

“I heard rumors that Jiang Nian has a boyfriend. Apparently, he’s a very powerful figure!”

“Is that true, Shanshan? Tell us secretly who Jiang Nian’s boyfriend is! We promise not to tell anyone. Cross our hearts!”

Zhou Shanshan forced a smile and said, “He’s indeed quite impressive, and Jiang Nian is impressive too—she’s willing to go all out for anything.”

These words carried a subtle implication.

The others exchanged glances, looking at each other and then back at Zhou Shanshan, pressing her to spill more details.

But Zhou Shanshan ultimately didn’t dare to mention Xue Hang.

Back then, after Jiang Yu discovered her leak, she had called the journalist again after calming down for a few days, only to find out that the journalist’s company had already been acquired by Xue Hang.

He had also warned her that if she wanted to live a good life, she’d better keep her mouth shut.

Otherwise…

Otherwise, Jiang Yong’s company would also face ruin.

Xue Hang was incredibly powerful.

Compared to him, Jiang Yong’s small company was nothing more than an ant.