The story splits into two paths, each telling its own tale.
Just as Jiang Ling immersed herself in filming, putting aside all trivial matters and distractions, the young master of Shen’s Group, Shen Mingjue, concluded his extended period of ‘exile’ and returned to Modu.
The reason Old Master Shen summoned him back was due to An Qiuyan.
During this time, Old Master Shen had suppressed An Qiuyan both openly and covertly. However, due to Shen Mingjue’s repeated interference, An Qiuyan’s life, though not entirely smooth, remained largely unaffected. This further convinced Old Master Shen that An Qiuyan was a cunning woman, and a different approach was needed to deal with her.
Moreover, as the old saying goes, the distant is fragrant, while the near is stinky. Shen Mingjue and An Qiuyan had not been in a publicly acknowledged romantic relationship for a particularly long time. Old Master Shen’s sudden move involved finding an excuse to send Shen Mingjue away on a business trip. The young couple, navigating a long-distance relationship across thousands of kilometers and communicating via video calls, found their feelings only grew stronger.
How could Old Master Shen tolerate this? Rather than continuing to play the villain and keeping Shen Mingjue away, it was better to bring him back under his watchful eye. This way, if the young man attempted any tricks, he would be able to handle them.
Of course, Old Master Shen had an even more important reason for this decision: he wanted to pit Jiang Ling and An Qiuyan against each other. Previously, when Jiang Ling faced nationwide backlash, her fans drastically dwindled, and she terminated her contract with Huohua Media, plummeting from her pedestal and becoming a has-been celebrity. Naturally, she was no match for An Qiuyan.
But things were different now. Jiang Ling, through her own efforts, had made a comeback and reclaimed her throne as a top-tier celebrity. In her moment of downfall, An Qiuyan, that little vixen, had stolen her man. Now that she had risen from the ashes, she would surely find a way to win Shen Mingjue back. With two women vying for one man, especially that man, how could this grand spectacle unfold if Shen Mingjue wasn’t brought back?
Utilizing Jiang Ling to break the stalemate would allow him to deal with An Qiuyan through her. Furthermore, he wouldn’t have to be the villain, displeasing Shen Mingjue and affecting their grandfather-grandson relationship – a true win-win situation. Old Master Shen, believing he had everything under control, was certain that after her comeback, Jiang Ling would seek to reclaim Shen Mingjue. Little did he know, the Jiang Ling of today was no longer the Jiang Ling of the past.
As soon as Shen Mingjue returned to Modu, Old Master Shen promptly dispatched his other grandson, Shen Minghuang, to stir up trouble. Old Master Shen and the late Madam Shen had a total of two sons: the elder, Shen Yulin, and the younger, Shen Yufeng. Shen Yulin, being the eldest son and having complied with his parents’ wishes by marrying a woman they greatly favored, one with family background and standing, made Shen Mingjue, their son, the most beloved by the elderly couple. In contrast, the younger son, Shen Yufeng, was uneducated, lazy, and spent his days frequenting nightclubs and bars, associating with disreputable women. Shen Minghuang was the son of the younger son and one of the bar hostesses.
Because of this incident, Old Master Shen nearly disowned Shen Yufeng. Originally, the elderly couple had no intention of acknowledging Shen Minghuang as their grandson, deeming him too much of an embarrassment. However, Shen Yufeng and his ilk had indulged too much and damaged their bodies, making it impossible for them to have any more children. If they didn't acknowledge Shen Minghuang, Shen Yufeng would have no one to care for him in his old age and perform the final rites. Thus, Old Master Shen had no choice but to accept Shen Minghuang, albeit reluctantly.
However, although Old Master Shen acknowledged Shen Minghuang, due to his mother’s background, his regard for Shen Minghuang was certainly not as great as his regard for Shen Mingjue.