As her father, what kind of family environment had Shen Daqiang provided for her that made this child become so heartless, fearless, and indifferent to everything? How did she become like a little hedgehog, enclosing herself within the walls of her heart, her body covered in spikes, living stubbornly yet proudly?
Daqiang had once told him that Qingcong's mother had passed away due to an illness when she was just ten years old. Being alone, he had to go to work and also take care of her, which he couldn't manage to do both, so he sent his daughter to the countryside. Qingcong's grandparents looked after her there until she got admitted to a junior high school, only then did Shen Daqiang bring her back home.
By then, Shen Daqiang was remarried to a woman named Liang Sisi, who became Qingcong's stepmother.
Liang Sisi came into the marriage with a son and a daughter. Before Shen Qingcong returned home, the four of them lived harmoniously as any real family would.
But once Shen Qingcong came back, Liang Sisi felt as if her territory had been invaded, seeing their happy home shattered by her.
Liang Sisi was constantly displeased with Qingcong, often scolding her with harsh words whenever Shen Daqiang wasn't home.
But Shen Qingcong was no pushover. She was someone who mirrored the attitude she was faced with. If her stepmother would try to deal with her harshly, she wouldn't succumb to being bullied so easily.
As a result, Qingcong and her stepmother argued and fought daily. Her step-siblings, naturally, sided with their mother and often beat Qingcong, ganging up against her when Shen Daqiang wasn't home.
Very cunningly, they made sure to hit her where the marks couldn't be seen.
Initially, Shen Qingcong complained about them to Shen Daqiang, but instead, he scolded her. Gradually, she started disliking home more and more, spending her time with a gang of young girls at bars, street racing, drinking. She had become the notorious "bad girl" of their residential area.
Her stepmother gleefully complained about her to Shen Daqiang every day. He grew to dislike his disobedient and unruly daughter more and more. Sometimes, upon seeing the jaded Shen Qingcong, he even considered punishing her severely with a belt.
Only her consistently good academic performance prevented him from doing so.
Feeling every day drag on, Shen Qingcong endured this unbearable life, right up until she got admitted into one of Sea City's prestigious high schools.
Liang Sisi was naturally not pleased to see Shen Qingcong get into a prestigious high school. She bluntly said that their family couldn't afford it and suggested that Qingcong drop out and start working.
Qingcong, of course, disagreed. Amidst the brewing argument, the two sides began to fight once again. Outnumbered three to one, the enraged Shen Qingcong picked up a fruit knife used for peeling fruits from the tea table and stabbed it towards Liang Sisi's arm.
Liang Sisi immediately bled profusely, crying out for help.
Shen Qingcong didn't intend to kill her, only to teach her a lesson, so she only stabbed her arm.
However, this violent incident made her father Shen Daqiang lose all hope in her, fearing that without immediate and strict discipline, his daughter might end up in jail.
Left with no other choice, Shen Daqiang thought of Xiao Chifeng.
Back in the day, before his demobilization, by some strange coincidence, he had saved Xiao Chifeng's life in the army. Xiao Chifeng never forgot this favor and even to this day, sent him gifts during every holiday and festival.
Upon hearing that Xiao Chifeng was now living in Sea City and that he had even become the CEO of the Xiao Group, conveniently, the high school Shen Qingcong was admitted to was also in Sea City. Hence, he thought of entrusting Qingcong to Xiao Chifeng's care.