Except for Shi Weicheng, who had just spoken, Shi Peicheng had remained silent.
Shi Peicheng had always been cold and quiet. His aura wasn't dismissible, but it was easy to overlook his presence when he said nothing.
The dinner table went quiet after Shi Weicheng spoke, though the tension remained heavy in the air.
As the meal went on, everyone lost their appetite. Shi Weicheng dropped his chopsticks, and one by one, the others followed.
He expected Shi Nian to stop eating too, but she continued her meal unaffected.
The butler tried to signal her, but Shi Nian kept her eyes on her plate.
Shi Weicheng tapped the table sharply, and only then did Shi Nian look up at him.
Realizing what was going on, she spoke calmly as she wiped her lips. "The chef cooks really well."
Unwilling to exchange words with her, he said coldly, "Come with me to the study."
In the past, Shi Weicheng had never allowed Shi Nian inside his study. Shi Ning, however, had always been free to run around in it.
Raising an eyebrow, Shi Nian stood and followed him.
…
Inside Shi Weicheng's study, he didn't bother inviting her to sit. He prepared tea for himself instead.
Shi Weicheng prided himself on being a traditional man. He rarely wore modern clothes and always dressed in his changpao.
Shi Nian, never one to be intimidated, sat down immediately, folding her hands neatly. Her expression said it all—get on with it.
Seeing her reckless attitude, Shi Weicheng shook his head in disappointment.
"I didn't quite believe it when Wang told me what you've become. You're a disgrace to Beicheng's legacy!" he said sternly.
"I don't care about your agreement with the shareholders. Transfer your shares to your uncle and drop everything with BaiYue immediately."
So this was it, Shi Nian thought.
"And if I don't?" she asked in return.
"You'll be disowned by the family. Without the Shi family, you'll be nothing in the capital," Shi Weicheng replied patiently.
"Oh? The Shi family?" Shi Nian scoffed. "I've never had them in my eyes. If you think you have anything on me, you're wrong. To me, you're just an elder to my late father."
Finding it pointless to argue with a stubborn old man, Shi Nian stood to leave.
Just before stepping out, she turned to the dumbstruck Shi Weicheng. "The meek Shi Nian is gone. Tell Shi Wang to stop playing tricks—I'll be coming for him soon."
Shi Nian strutted out of the study. Outside, she ran into Shi Wang and Shi Ning standing by the door.
Without sparing them a glance, she walked straight out of the Shi Mansion.
The butler had already called her chauffeur to pull up the car. "Goodbye, Grandpa Butler," she said lightly before getting into the car.
——
Feeling restless, Shi Nian told her driver to stop at a nearby hotel and informed him she wouldn't be going home that night.
"Pick me up here at 6 a.m. tomorrow," she said before turning away.
Shi Nian knew this hotel well. Behind its glamorous façade was a brutal underground boxing ring.
Whenever she needed to release her pent-up energy, she came here. At first, she only watched the fights, but she couldn't resist the pull for long.
In her past lives too, this had been her escape—a way to cool off. She had picked up the habit to let off steam.
Inside the lobby, she stopped at the reception desk. Since she wasn't returning home, she decided to book a room.
When she handed over her golden-black VIP card, the receptionist's eyes widened.
Only top fighters and high-ranking members of the boxing ring owned that card.
Trying to hide her surprise, the receptionist quickly entered Shi Nian's information into the system, still finding it hard to believe someone so beautiful could enjoy such brutal matches.
Indeed, a person shouldn't be judged by their looks.
Shi Nian hadn't planned to hide her identity. In this life, she would live as recklessly as she pleased.
She smiled charmingly at the receptionist and took her card back.
The hotel had several floors divided by status:
the lower floor for regular guests, the middle for wealthy patrons and low-level fighters, and the top floor reserved for officials, top-ranking spectators, and elite fighters like herself.
The boxing ring was in the basement—hidden away from curious eyes.
——
Shi Nian entered the VIP elevator and went straight to the top floor. She had her own suite, a reward for holding the number-one fighter rank.
After showering and changing into comfortable clothes, she decided to head down to the basement.
The VIP elevator had direct access to it. Just as she entered, she caught sight of a familiar figure in a wheelchair.
She quickly dismissed the thought. After seeing Si Yehan twice, she couldn't help but want to see him again—but not every man in a wheelchair was him.
Shaking her head, she reminded herself that Si Yehan was never one for such places.
The few times they had argued were usually when he caught her sneaking off to fight.
——
The basement was loud and bustling—cheers, shouts, and the sharp scent of sweat and adrenaline filled the air.
As soon as Shi Nian stepped in, she felt her tension melt away. This was her kind of place—far better than sitting in an office or dining with people she despised.
A man soon noticed her and called out loudly.
"SX!"
Hearing her alias, Shi Nian turned. The place was noisy enough that no one else caught it—thankfully, or she'd have to deal with unwanted attention.
"Indeed, it's you!" the man exclaimed, patting her shoulder hard.
Shi Nian moved slightly from the impact, and the man laughed sheepishly, scratching his head. "Hehe… I always forget you're a girl."
"This place is full of tough men—I tend to forget all the time," he added quickly when he saw her stern look.
Shi Nian glanced at the muscular man ranked second on the fighter list acting like a fool. She was already used to it.
"Is there anything? You seem really excited to see me. You don't usually get this way." Shi Nian leaned back against a nearby wall.
"Oh, right! You haven't been here in a while. The first time you came, you challenged the number one fighter and won—but he's never accepted the loss.
He's been issuing challenges to you ever since, and you've always refused. Now he—"
"Cut to the chase," Shi Nian interrupted impatiently.
"Alright. He took on the Slayer Challenge and defeated a hundred random fighters!" The man spoke in agitation.
Thankfully, I wasn't among them, he thought inwardly. Otherwise, I'd have lost my ranking.
"Now he's earned the right to challenge whoever he wants—and the opponent can't refuse. He challenged you!" The man punched the wall as he said the last part.