Lu Sheng’s pupils shrank instantly.
The girl clad in a pure white lace-bordered dress, looking about her age, must be Shi Yuwei.
The woman who walked in after Shi Yuwei was Lin Fangling, the one Shi Chengyun married after his wife’s death.
However, what made Lu Sheng’s pupils contract in that moment was the sound of the Death Seeking Bell on her bracelet as Shi Yuwei entered.
Then it rang again when Lin Fangling stepped in.
As Lu Sheng had suspected—Shi Suyu’s younger sister Shi Yuwei, who miraculously recovered, underwent a personality shift, and scored full marks on her college entrance exams, was a demon.
But the outrageous part? His stepmother, Lin Fangling, was also a demon.
This development took Lu Sheng by surprise.
This Shi Chengyun, living his days surrounded by two demons—both wife and daughter possessed. How resilient his fate must be to survive until now.
Lu Sheng instinctively looked at Shi Chengyun, her eldest uncle.
The man appeared to be in his forties, of medium height and build, with a square face characteristic of the classic national appearance.
Beneath his thick brows, his scheming eyes glimmered with calculation, his demeanor reeking of mercenary worldly airs.
His voice was sufficiently robust, yet upon closer observation, the deep circles under his eyes betrayed heavy fatigue and exhaustion. Prominent dark rings visibly marred his face.
Though his figure was rotund, with a protruding beer belly, the cheekbones on his face seemed hollowed, his overall complexion shadowed and sickly—the look of someone suffering from severe kidney deficiency.
A picture of visible weakness...
Demons could absorb human Evil Qi to replenish their Soul Power, but Evil Qi was naturally ingrained within one’s fate and not possessed by everyone.
However, there existed another type of demon able to tap alternate sources to regain Soul Power.
Fox Demons could absorb men’s Essence, typically through sexual intimacy—the fastest method—or by other means.
Lu Sheng took a deep breath and turned her gaze to Lin Fangling.
Based on her calculated age, the woman should be in her forties, but she looked barely past her thirties.
Her skin was fine and pale, featuring willow brows, almond-shaped eyes, and a pointed chin. Her doe-like gaze shimmered seductively, as if capable of captivating souls.
Was this Lin Fangling... a Fox Demon?
And then, what about Shi Yuwei?
Lu Sheng couldn’t help but recall an encounter with a Fox Demon—one that was exceptionally powerful.
That Red Fox had been severely injured by You Yi; whether it was eventually killed by You Yi remained a mystery.
When Lu Sheng shifted her gaze back to Shi Yuwei, she noticed the girl staring at the bracelet on her wrist with a thoughtful expression.
Shi Chengyun finally turned his attention to Lu Sheng, directing his gaze to Li Muchen, and asked, "President Li, did you come here with this young lady? She’s your..."
This time, Shi Erya had no choice but to step forward and explain.
"...Brother, you’ve misunderstood. President Li is not here in Beijing looking for you; I invited him to the family estate."
"You invited him?" Shi Chengyun frowned at the words. "Why did you invite President Li to the family estate?"
Shi Erya took a deep breath and replied, "Well, Brother, President Li is accompanying Lu Sheng."
"As for Lu Sheng..." She paused, "She’s Second Sister’s daughter. Father is in critical condition, and I specifically brought her here to see him."
As Shi Erya said these words, Shi Suxin, Shi Chengyun, and Shi Muchuan’s expressions all shifted abruptly.
"Shi Erya, what did you just say? Are you talking about Second Sister, Shi Xinlan?"
Shi Suxin’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the girl she hadn’t paid much attention to earlier, pointing at Lu Sheng and questioning, "Are you saying this girl is Shi Xinlan’s daughter?!"
"Yes..." Shi Erya bit her lip, "I didn’t mention this earlier, but I found out about Second Sister’s whereabouts."
"Second Sister... unfortunately passed away from illness last year, and Lu Sheng is her only child."
"Lu Sheng had been growing up with Second Sister in the countryside until she was taken in by the Lu Family in Jiang City last year. When I got the information, I went to the Lu Family and brought her back here."
Shi Suxin, dressed impeccably, exhibited none of her usual refinement now, practically shouting, "Shi Erya, have you lost your mind?!"
"That unlucky woman, Shi Xinlan—whether sick or dead—as long as she’s far from our Shi Family, it doesn’t matter!"
"And you dared to find her and bring her daughter back for Father to see? Are you completely out of your mind?!"
Faced with her elder sister’s relentless reprimands, Shi Erya retorted in frustration:
"Elder Sister! How can you say that about Second Sister? And finding Lu Sheng wasn’t solely my decision; it was Father’s..."
Shi Erya wanted to say that bringing Lu Sheng back was their father Shi Mingxiu’s dying wish.
But before she could finish—
A forceful slap landed directly across her face!
"Shi Erya! Have twenty years made you forget how your sister-in-law died?!"
The slap came out of nowhere. Shi Chengyun, enraged and pale, pointed at Shi Erya with trembling hands after delivering the blow.
Clearly, he had exerted substantial strength; the slap propelled Shi Erya back two steps, while Shi Chengyun himself stood breathless with fury.
Lu Sheng hadn’t expected Shi Chengyun to strike so suddenly and was taken aback by his readiness to use further violence.
Just as Shi Chengyun raised his hand to strike again, Lu Sheng stepped in and gripped his arm, her face dark with anger, and her voice icy calm.
"Mr. Shi, you can express your grievances through words—what’s the point of resorting to violence?"
Shi Chengyun hadn’t expected a young girl to intervene, and was about to lash out at Lu Sheng.
But when he tried to pull his arm back, he discovered it was tightly restrained—as though locked in a vice. He couldn’t budge it at all.
Not just immobilized—the grip intensified. Shi Chengyun felt excruciating pain, as if his arm were being crushed down to the bone!
The pain was nearly unbearable.
Lin Fangling screamed in alarm beside him.
Yet, with so many people present, Shi Chengyun stifled his cries, gritting his teeth, "You insolent girl, do you dare restrain me? Release me, now! Or else I’ll..."
Before he could finish, Li Muchen interrupted coldly.
Li Muchen’s face was stern, his aura intimidating: "Mr. Shi, I suggest you think carefully about the consequences before you speak."
Shi Chengyun suddenly recalled Shi Erya mentioning that Li Muchen had come here with Lu Sheng.
Although he didn’t understand Li Muchen’s relationship with the girl, it was apparent their connection wasn’t trivial.
Not wanting to offend Li Muchen, Shi Chengyun begrudgingly swallowed his threats.
He glared at Lu Sheng, "Miss Lu, could you let go of my arm already?"
"Disciplining my sister is our Shi Family’s private affair—it’s none of your concern, right?"
He sneered, "Or are you assuming you’re part of the Shi Family and trying to meddle?"
Although Shi Erya had earlier stated Lu Sheng was Shi Xinlan’s daughter, Shi Chengyun clearly implied he didn’t acknowledge Shi Xinlan or her lineage as part of the Shi Family.
As if that justified his violent behaviors as family matters immune from external interference.
Lu Sheng glanced at Shi Erya’s swollen left cheek, suppressing her rage with difficulty.
"Whether or not I’m part of the Shi Family, domestic violence is a human rights violation and a punishable crime." Lu Sheng stated coolly.
"I believe this Mr. Shi is a lawyer, correct?" She turned to the man dressed in a dark brown pinstriped suit, gold-rimmed glasses, his chiselled features sharp as his demeanor, her tone tinged with mockery, "By professional ethics alone—not to mention as the nephew of your aunt—you wouldn’t step in to prevent this?"