Chapter 32

“This doesn’t look like an accidental bump at all. Did your family do this?” Lu Yao asked, her brows furrowed tightly.

Shen Zhirou’s eyes adjusted to the light in the living room, and she nodded lightly. “My mom did it. I went home later to try to talk things out with them, to tell them to stop harassing you. But my mother went completely berserk and wouldn’t listen to reason. Whatever, things over there are complicated—it’d be hard to explain in just a few minutes.”

A faint ache stirred in Lu Yao’s heart. She gently stroked Shen Zhirou’s cheek on that side and said softly, “I don’t know much about your situation there, but if you need help, I can find a lawyer for you.”

“I’m fine. I just feel bad for dragging you into this today. My mom and the others showed up and caused you trouble.”

“Forget it; it’s not a big deal. And I was harsh with you this morning too. Don’t be mad at me, okay?” Lu Yao’s voice softened as she leaned into Shen Zhirou’s arms.

“I’m not mad at you—I’m mad at myself for not keeping my family in check. If they dare show up again, just do what you said. Don’t hold back on my account.” Shen Zhirou was utterly fed up with Ning Jianfang and the others’ behavior. She sighed and went on, “Go take a shower and get some rest. You’ve been so busy these past few days—try to sleep early.”

“You’re really okay?” Lu Yao’s gaze lingered on Shen Zhirou’s left cheek, still somewhat red and swollen. Her heart aching, she leaned in and planted a gentle kiss there.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. Don’t worry about me.” Shen Zhirou slipped an arm around Lu Yao’s waist and bent down to kiss her. She didn’t want to burden Lu Yao with the mess involving her mother—Lu Yao had been so busy lately, and these aggravations were the last thing she needed.

Exhausted from the long day, Lu Yao did crave closeness with Shen Zhirou, but her eyelids were growing too heavy to keep open. She rallied her energy and headed off to shower.

Once Lu Yao had showered and climbed into bed, she fell asleep almost immediately. Shen Zhirou applied another layer of anti-swelling ointment to her cheek before finally settling down to sleep herself.

The next day, Shen Zhirou’s left cheek had improved dramatically—barely noticeable at all. Since she’d already taken the day off, she decided to head out shopping, maybe clear her head a bit.

A little after nine, her phone rang with a call from Zhang Huichun. Shen Zhirou hadn’t wanted to pick up, but for Lu Yao’s sake, she couldn’t afford to burn bridges completely. Besides, yesterday had been her mother’s fault, so it was only natural for Lu Yao’s family to hold a grudge. In the end, she answered.

“Shen Zhirou, take the day off and come over right now. We need to talk. And come alone—don’t bring those poor relatives of yours. They’re bad luck.” Without waiting for a response, Zhang Huichun hung up.

Shen Zhirou stared at the busy tone on her phone, gripping it so tightly her hand ached. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and drove straight to Zhang Huichun’s place.

Today, Shen Zhirou wore a moon-white two-piece midi dress. She’d applied light makeup to conceal the lingering oddness on her left cheek, and a matte taupe lip gloss accentuated her full lips, lending her an air of vibrant energy that banished any trace of her earlier lethargy. It was as if only this polished exterior could mask the wounds in her heart.

She didn’t want anyone to see her looking vulnerable—not even Lu Yao.

By the time she reached the elevator, sweat beaded in her palms. She took several deep breaths, watching the numbers climb until it reached the designated floor. Closing her eyes briefly, she opened them again and knocked on the door.

Zhang Huichun came to open it, eyeing Shen Zhirou with clear displeasure. “Hmph, you got here fast enough. You didn’t go badmouthing me to Yaoyao, did you?”

“I didn’t say a word to her. I’m sorry about yesterday—my mom and the others were completely in the wrong.” Even though it wasn’t her fault, Shen Zhirou still had to apologize.

“Of course your mom and the others were wrong. It was a good wake-up call, though. Let me be blunt, Shen Zhirou: I don’t like you, and I don’t want you with Yaoyao. Even if things somehow end up that way—if Yaoyao insists on being with you—any marriage would require a prenup. We can’t have you eyeing our Yaoyao’s money.” Zhang Huichun had never taken a liking to Shen Zhirou to begin with, and after yesterday’s fiasco, she could find fault with everything about her.

Shen Zhirou drew in a breath and nodded slightly. “I’m with Yaoyao because I like her, not for any money. I’m willing to agree to a prenup. Is there anything else, Auntie?”

“Of course there is. The luxury apartment Yaoyao’s living in now cost over ten million just for the place itself. Add in the garage, the public area maintenance fees, deed taxes, and renovations, and we shelled out nearly two million for everything. That money came from us old folks, and it’s no small sum. You and Yaoyao need to write us an IOU for it. We can’t have our Yaoyao paying it all back by herself—after all, that house will be home for both of you someday. You can’t just contribute nothing, can you? And even putting it mildly, if you two end up getting married, your family probably won’t be able to help with a single thing, right?”

Zhang Huichun’s gaze swept over Shen Zhirou, the contempt in her eyes plain as day and utterly unmasked. As if struck by a sudden thought, the corners of her mouth curled into a cold sneer. “Oh, right—I almost forgot to mention. Your mom’s a real piece of work too. She even demanded a three-hundred-thousand-yuan bride price from your side as a precondition for the blind date turning into a marriage. Talk about being obsessed with money—selling off her daughter at a marked price.”

Shen Zhirou felt a wave of dizziness crash over her. Ning Jianfang hadn’t breathed a word about the bride price to her. No wonder her mother had been so eager to set her up on blind dates. No wonder she’d been thrilled when she learned Shen Zhirou was with Lu Yao.

The real reason for her joy wasn’t that her daughter had found someone she loved—it was that she could finally offload her daughter for cash, pocket a bride price on top of it, and gain Lu Yao as a golden goose to help line up jobs for Ning Lei and Kang Yunheng down the line.

Shen Zhirou’s legs went weak beneath her. She barely managed to steady herself against the wall to keep from collapsing. Her face drained of color, her eyes rimmed red, her pupils unfocused and lost.

Zhang Huichun shot her a glare and spat, “Don’t try that fainting act on me. You were fine just a minute ago—how do a few words send you reeling?”

Shen Zhirou’s dark lashes fluttered as she blinked back the tears welling in her eyes. She took a few steadying breaths before lifting her head to meet Zhang Huichun’s stare. “I had no idea about the bride price. I’ll talk to my mom about it. I don’t want anything—I just want to be with Yaoyao.”

Zhang Huichun let out a scoff. “That line might fool Yaoyao, but you think I’d buy it? You’re not even married yet, and your relatives are already chomping at the bit. If you two actually end up together, those leeches will hound our Yaoyao to death.”

Her opinion of Shen Zhirou had already plummeted as low as it could go—there were no more points left to deduct.

“Enough chit-chat. Come sign this IOU first. Don’t worry—if things don’t work out between you and our Yaoyao, that’s for the best. But if, heaven forbid, you actually do get together, then the IOU kicks in. I’m not like your family; I don’t take advantage of people. If you two break up, I’ll rip it up myself.” With that, Zhang Huichun shoved the IOU across the table toward Shen Zhirou.

Shen Zhirou’s vision blurred as tears threatened to spill. Fighting them back, she sank into the seat opposite Zhang Huichun. The document laid out that if she married Lu Yao, she would personally repay one million of the two million to Lu Yao’s parents after the wedding. There was also a clause stating that if they married and then divorced, she would pay double the bride price—six hundred thousand yuan.

Every term in Zhang Huichun’s IOU was airtight and logical. Shen Zhirou let out a bitter laugh, feeling a chill settle in her heart. With a mother like hers, it made perfect sense for them to guard against her. Another soft laugh escaped her lips, but this time the tears she could no longer hold back streamed down her cheeks.

She pulled a tissue from the box nearby and, without hesitation, signed the IOU. Zhang Huichun had even prepared the ink pad; Shen Zhirou pressed her thumbprint down right after her signature. For the chance to be with Yaoyao, she could accept all of it.

Zhang Huichun eyed Shen Zhirou’s tears, then the signed document, irritation flaring. She glared again. “Fine, we’re done talking. Same as before—you’re not good enough for our Yaoyao. I suggest you break up with her sooner rather than later. Though I doubt you will; after all, she’s become your family’s prized cash cow now…”

Shen Zhirou rose to her feet, cutting Zhang Huichun off. “Auntie, if there’s nothing else for me to sign, I’ll be going. Don’t worry—I won’t let my family bother Lu Yao anymore.” With that, she hurried to the door and let herself out. It wasn’t until the elevator doors slid shut behind her that she finally crumpled, sliding down to sit on the floor. Her hands had gone limp, unable to even grip the handrail. The pale skirt she wore picked up dust from the elevator floor, and the delicate makeup on her face began to smear.

Shen Zhirou felt just like a drowning person, her entire body filled with water, unable to draw even a single breath of fresh air.

Her original pride and strength completely collapsed in that moment, just like the positive and optimistic persona she had built for herself over these years of work had vanished entirely. So many years had passed, yet she was still as fragile and self-abasing as she had been as a child.

She was an unwanted child—before, and even more so now.

She had clearly tried so hard to move forward, but it felt like someone was dragging her from behind, constantly pulling her back into the abyss.

The elevator quickly reached the first floor, and Shen Zhirou was helped out by a girl who was just about to step in. She leaned against the corridor entrance and rested for a good while before her legs finally regained a bit of strength.

Shen Zhirou didn’t want to go home so soon, so she simply walked back along the road to get some fresh air. She sat down on a public bench by the bridge, gazing at the bustling traffic before her, feeling an inexplicable exhaustion wash over her. She pulled out her phone and dialed Lu Yao’s number.

She desperately wanted to hear Lu Yao’s voice—even if calling her at this hour might annoy her—yet Shen Zhirou still clutched at her like a lifeline and made the call.

The phone only emitted one busy tone after another, until eventually it was just the automated message: “The number you have dialed is currently switched off.”

Shen Zhirou gave a self-mocking smile. Perhaps her place in Yaoyao’s heart was far less important than she had imagined.