Reincarnation: Trying to pretend to be ordinary, but it turns out it's really impossible.

She stared intently at Shen Xingbai, who was sitting not far away, her pupils contracted sharply, and the color drained from her face instantly.

It was him... It was actually him!

She absolutely cannot be seen by Shen Xingbai.

Aunt Li dared not linger any longer and abruptly turned to leave.

Before they had taken more than a few steps, they bumped into Shen Yulan, who was walking in chatting and laughing.

Her heart tightened suddenly, and she instinctively raised her hand to cover her face tightly, keeping her head bowed low.

He quickened his pace in a panic, almost running as he went outside.

Shen Yulan and the people accompanying her were all taken aback by the sudden appearance of this flustered figure.

The two stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed on the retreating figure, filled with confusion.

The man was dressed in simple, everyday clothes, quite unlike the elegant attire of the guests present that day, and his strange behavior was certainly eye-catching.

Shen Yulan frowned, turned and called to the servant at the door, asking:

Who was that person who rushed out just now?

The servant bowed and replied, his tone somewhat uncertain: "Madam Ji, we don't know her identity either. We only know that she came with Second Young Master Ji."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yulan frowned; it turned out they were Ji Yunheng's people.

She snapped out of her reverie, ignoring the woman who had just left in a hurry, and turned to chat with her best friend, Hu Jingshu.

"How have you been lately? Why didn't you come today? I saw you last time, and you've become even more beautiful."

Hu Jingshu nodded gently and said helplessly:

"Don't even mention it. She's incredibly stubborn now. If she doesn't want to come, no one can persuade her. I simply can't do anything about it."

A gentle smile appeared in Shen Yulan's eyes as she softly said,

"That's true. Girls should be pampered and spoiled. We must never let her suffer any injustice, don't you agree?"

Hu Jingshu echoed in agreement.

Hu Jingshu is the daughter-in-law of a collateral branch of the Tang family. Before she married into the Tang family, she and Shen Yulan were best friends.

Shen Yulan came specifically to pick her up.

So the two of them went inside, chatting and laughing.

Today, as Ji Chongyan's best man, Ji Churan immediately spotted his mother walking in, along with his mother's friend, Aunt Hu.

He immediately straightened his best man attire, stepped forward, and greeted the two men.

When Shen Yulan saw her son, the smile on her face faded slightly, and she simply responded with a faint "Mm".

Hu Jingshu, who had always liked Ji Churan, greeted him with a friendly smile and chatted with him for a few minutes. Her tone was very kind.

Seeing this, Shen Yulan interrupted directly, saying to Ji Churan:

"You go ahead and do your thing, Jingshu and I are going to wander around somewhere else."

After saying that, without waiting for Ji Churan to say anything more, she took Hu Jingshu's arm and turned to leave.

Ji Churan stood there, watching her mother pull Aunt Hu along as she walked towards her younger brother, Ji Qianheng.

The group stood together, chatting and laughing, their eyes filled with closeness and harmony; it was clear at a glance that they had a very good relationship.

At this moment, Ji Chongyan walked over and gently patted Ji Churan on the shoulder.

"Don't take it to heart, you know that too. My parents favor Ji Yunheng, just like us."

Ji Churan forced a smile, but the smile was full of unconcealed bitterness.

He couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong.

From childhood to adulthood, he has always held himself to the strictest standards, being sensible, self-disciplined, and law-abiding.

From the time he was just learning to speak, he vaguely sensed that his mother didn't like him.

So he desperately tried to become excellent, worked hard, and did everything to the best of his ability.

Step by step, they live the life that everyone praises and envies—the kind of child others admire.

Even if he is dazzling and outstanding enough, he is still no match for Ji Qianheng, who idles his days away and causes trouble everywhere.

As a child, he always had innocent doubts.

Everyone says that elders prefer obedient, smart, well-behaved, and sensible children.

But why is it that their family is different?

It wasn't until he grew up that he realized that many things in this world are inherently illogical.

Some people don't need a reason to dislike you.

Being unfavored has nothing to do with right or wrong, or superior or inferior.

He could only learn to accept it calmly and slowly let go of that distant and uncertain expectation.

She breathed a sigh of relief only after Aunt Li had already run away from the banquet venue.

She absolutely must not be seen by Shen Yulan.

After all, she had promised this woman that she wouldn't investigate the whereabouts of her child.

Her own child, the child she carried for ten months and gave birth to.

Instead of Shen Xingbai, the bastard child that woman threw at him.

That's right, Aunt Li is actually Li Jing.

After Shen Mingqiang was arrested, she missed her son so much that she tried her best to find Ji Yunheng and successfully stayed by his side.

She had promised Shen Yulan that she wouldn't investigate where her child had been sent.

But that was her own flesh and blood, whom she had carried for ten months and given birth to. How could she possibly ignore it?

She at least needs to know where he was sent and whether he'll really be doing well.

So that day, after Shen Yulan left, despite her weak condition, she secretly hailed a taxi and followed her.

She watched the car drive into the most exclusive and affluent area of ​​Beijing, a place she would never dare to set foot in her life.

But she was not resigned to it; she wanted to find out where her child was.

She pretended to be a nanny looking for work, stopped the security guard at the door, and asked with a smile:

"Brother, do you know any families around here that are hiring postpartum nannies? I'm very efficient at this job."

The security guard looked her up and down, sizing her up in her simple, worn-out clothes, and waved his hand dismissively.

"Hurry up! Families in this area are hiring postpartum nannies who are required to have a master's degree and be certified senior childcare workers."

"You? You can't even get in the door!"

Undeterred, she pressed on, "Then, sir, could you tell me how many newborn babies have been born here recently?"

The security guard, looking impatient, shoved her away, saying, "Go away, this isn't your business. Get out of here!"

"I won't leave until you tell me!" She gritted her teeth and refused to leave, determined to get the answer.

The security guard, having run out of options, finally spoke up impatiently:

"Only the second branch of the Ji family has just had a child; no other family has one!"

The Ji family is one of the four great families, so don't even think about it!

The Ji family...one of the four great families...

Li Jing's eyes lit up instantly, her heart pounding with excitement, and she quickly pressed for an answer:

"Was that car that just drove in also a Ji family car?"

The security guard paused, looking at her in surprise: "How did you know? Do you know the eldest mistress of the Ji family?"

Grandma Ji?

Li Jing hurriedly shook her head repeatedly: "I don't know him, I just asked casually. The car looked particularly impressive."

The security guard scoffed, "All vehicles come and go like this. This isn't a place for you. You'd better leave now."

Li Jing nodded obediently.

Now that she knows her child has found a good home, she can finally relax.

The memories of the past came to an abrupt end. Li Jing stood in a corner outside the banquet hall, her thoughts instantly drawn back to the scene she had witnessed at the entrance.

She thought of Shen Xingbai at the banquet, and her heart suddenly tightened, a sense of panic washing over her once again.

Will they recognize Shen Xingbai?

Will their secret, which they've kept hidden for over twenty years, be exposed?

But then she suddenly came to her senses, her tense body gradually relaxed, and her anxious heart also eased considerably.

If there is anyone in this world who least wants Shen Xingbai's true identity to be exposed, it must be Shen Yulan.

After all, it was Shen Yulan who switched the baby back then.

Having figured this out, Li Jing finally calmed down. She clenched her hands and silently prayed.

I only hope that no one present notices anything amiss, so that the matter can be dropped.

Never again should we cause any more trouble.