Chapter 20 Part 3

Her eyes, shifting like an abyss, made one’s heart palpitate and retreat with just a furtive glance.

Watching Shen Shuyu step off the stage, Shen Lin turned and left.

Her good daughter had thus gone against her will, bringing that Lower City girl onto the stage.

Using Wu Yuanyong to suppress her.

Truly, the daughter she had raised.

The little lion hadn’t even grown up yet, and it was already scheming against its own mother.

“Madam, would you like me to turn up the heater a bit more? Miss is completely soaked,” the car slowly drove out of the school. Secretary Li stole a glance at Shen Shuyu in the back seat, hair still dripping.

It was the first time he had seen the Miss so disheveled, like a swan fallen into a lake.

Elegant, aloof, yet with a lingering wretchedness that hadn’t been resolved in time.

Shen Lin was angry, but just like last time when she had Secretary Li prepare the Hangover Remedy for Shen Shuyu,

she still silently acquiesced, instructing Secretary Li to turn up the heater a few degrees.

Warm air blew from all directions. The hem of Shen Shuyu’s skirt lifted slightly, her bare calves enveloped by the warmth, as if a person’s palms were covering them.

She still remembered a few nights when, because of her greed for coolness, her calf muscles would cramp. Yu Mo would carefully place her calf on her own lap.

Her hands, just like this, would warmly grasp the tense muscle.

Shen Shuyu’s hands were never free from a chill,

while Yu Mo’s palms were always warm.

Whenever Shen Shuyu held them, she could always find comfort.

Shen Shuyu secretly crossed her legs, wanting to pull herself out of this familiar sensation.

But the familiar, nostalgic feeling, like the wind slipping through every crevice, ran wild on her legs with its warmth.

Shen Shuyu’s heart was tormented. Her voice hoarse, she said, “Uncle Li, please turn the heater down a little.”

Upon hearing this, Secretary Li quickly responded, “Alright.”

The warm air lessened slightly. The comfortable warmth on Shen Shuyu’s body weakened.

A coldness, rising from her thoroughly soaked bones, returned and refused to dissipate.

But even this was better than the torment from just moments ago.

Rain washed over the ground. Thunder rumbled, now near, now far.

This belated thunderstorm, black and oppressive, didn’t allow the sun a goodbye, seamlessly connecting with the arrival of evening.

Heaven and earth were churning.

The black Maybach slowly came to a stop in front of that familiar yet cold Slate-Blue Villa.

Aunt Zhao and Ah Qian, who had been waiting for some time, hurriedly pushed open the door and went out with umbrellas to welcome the Madam and Miss.

Shen Shuyu’s clothes had been mostly dried by the car’s heater, but her hair was far from smooth, hanging in stiff, matted strands.

“What happened to the Miss?” Ah Qian was truly shocked.

“It started raining when I was heading back to the classroom. I got a bit wet,” Shen Shuyu said calmly.

But this was far more than “a bit wet.”

Ah Qian touched Shen Shuyu’s slightly damp uniform. She understood in her heart but didn’t dare say much.

Shen Lin entered first, changed her shoes, and without turning her head, said to Shen Shuyu behind her, “Come with me to the study.”

“Madam, perhaps let the Miss freshen up fir—” Aunt Zhao truly felt sorry for the child and tried to tentatively discuss with Shen Lin.

But before she finished speaking, she was silenced by a single, cold glance from Shen Lin.

Aunt Zhao’s throat rolled, and she swallowed her words.

Shen Lin’s study was on the second floor, opposite her bedroom. The two heavy mahogany doors faced each other, solemn and oppressive.

Shen Shuyu followed behind Shen Lin and walked in silently.

Shen Lin sat down on the long chair by the floor-to-ceiling window to one side with a touch of fatigue, lightly crossing her legs.

She leaned sideways on the long chair, one arm propped up to support her temple.

Under the white shirt, a section of her exposed wrist was fair and delicate.

Unlike an Alpha in her thirties.

“Is there anything you want to tell me?” Shen Lin’s long lashes drooped slightly, wanting to give Shen Shuyu a chance to admit her mistake proactively.

But how could Shen Shuyu admit that what she did was a “mistake”?

She had merely fought for the honor someone deserved. Where was the mistake?

Shen Shuyu answered calmly, “I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

A wave of furrows gathered on Shen Lin’s brow. She looked up at Shen Shuyu standing before her and brought up the past. “Have you forgotten what I told you the day before yesterday? Or do you simply not take my words to heart?”

“I just think that Yu Mo shouldn’t be denied her deserved honor because of her identity as a Lower City Resident,” Shen Shuyu answered. Her voice remained calm, not stirring a ripple.

Shen Lin’s slightly softened gaze sharpened again with coldness. She looked at Shen Shuyu. “Shen Shuyu, didn’t I warn you? You must always remember your identity and not do anything out of line. Today, you went against my will just for a Lower City Resident?”

“I was only seeking fairness,” Shen Shuyu answered.

“Fairness? What kind of person is she!” Shen Lin questioned. “A Lower City Resident, not even as good as a dog from Upper City! And you put me and such a person together to talk about fairness?!”

This sentence from Shen Lin struck deeply into Shen Shuyu’s heart.

These words sounded unbearably familiar.

Once upon a time, in her previous life, Shen Lin had said the same thing to her.

Not just Shen Lin, but many others, openly or implicitly, had said such things about Yu Mo.

“She’s just a dog the Shen Family brought from Lower City. Look how fierce she is.” “Goodness, I heard her parents died and she didn’t even observe filial rites, then immediately married that Shen girl.” “Heavens, don’t Lower City folks care most about that? She doesn’t even care about her parents’ grace. Tsk tsk tsk.” “The Shen Family raised a good dog. I heard this dog is very good at serving people…”

Countless whispers that had once left no impression in Shen Shuyu’s heart suddenly surged up in an instant.

These words she had never cared about now sounded so incredibly hurtful when listened to with true attention.

Shen Shuyu had always taken for granted that Yu Mo was by her side, just like everyone else.

She had never thought about whether Yu Mo, along this journey, was already covered in bruises, her flesh torn open, almost unable to hold on any longer.

She, who should have been Yu Mo’s protective shield, had instead become the catalyst that allowed others to trample over her freely.

Even if others were hateful, wasn’t she even more detestable?

At that time, Yu Mo had only had her left.

Shen Shuyu’s throat tightened. Anguish twisted in her heart.

Only now did she realize the damage she had inflicted on Yu Mo.

No wonder she was unwilling to follow the original plot even after Rebirth at the starting point of their story.

Loving someone who would never respond to her all over again truly wasn’t worth it.

Shen Shuyu had once deeply hated the brilliantly sunny weather on the day Yu Mo passed away.

Hated that she had lost her beloved, while the weather was so splendid, as if in celebration.

It turned out the weather that day really was celebrating.

Celebrating Yu Mo’s final departure from this cruel world, celebrating that she herself had finally received the retribution for having something precious and not cherishing it.

“Yes, Yu Mo is a Lower City Resident. But just because she was born in Lower City, does she have to suffer such unfair treatment? Does she have to endure Upper City’s discrimination? Why?!” Shen Shuyu could bear it no longer. For the first time, she questioned Shen Lin back.

Shen Lin was taken aback.

Her daughter had a lion in her eyes—a fully maned, mature male lion.

But quickly, Shen Lin recovered from her surprise. She rose from the long chair.

At 1.74 meters, she slightly looked down at her daughter, who was a bit shorter than her, the corner of her mouth pulling into a sneer. “I told you before, and this is the second time I’m telling you. Shen Shuyu, don’t make me remind you a third time. Only when you possess sufficient power will anyone heed the fairness you recognize. Do you understand?”

“Then why did Mom come to ask me if I knew what I did wrong today? I didn’t do anything wrong. I, too, used my power to make people recognize the fairness I recognize. Isn’t that right?” Shen Shuyu met Shen Lin’s intimidating gaze without a shred of fear.

She wasn’t the ignorant sixteen-year-old Shen Shuyu now; she was the twenty-four-year-old Shen Shuyu who wielded sole power over the Shen Family.

“Very well, very well…” Shen Lin, enraged by this openly defiant daughter, felt momentarily dizzy. “Shen Shuyu, you’ve grown up. You don’t need me anymore, is that it?”

Even though Shen Shuyu hadn’t undergone Differentiation yet, she still caught the unique scent of Shen Lin’s Bloody Mary.

Just like a scene from the past reenacting, Shen Shuyu, just as she had when insisting on marrying Yu Mo in her previous life, locked horns with Shen Lin in this study.

Shen Shuyu met Shen Lin’s eyes and spoke the words she had said to Shen Lin in her past life: “Mom, I do need you. But please understand one thing clearly. You only have me, this one daughter. The future glory of the Shen Family still relies on me to carry on. I will heed your advice on many important, necessary matters, but on these inconsequential, trivial details, I hope to follow my own will.”

A veiled threat, followed by a sincere consultation.

This was Shen Lin’s customary negotiation tactic. She had no idea when Shen Shuyu had picked it up.

She looked at this girl, just a little shorter than herself. The lion she had thought moments ago was just a fleeting apparition was coiled in Shen Shuyu’s eyes, its body arched.

It was still in an attacking posture, having not vanished.

Shen Lin laughed, her emotions unreadable.

After a long while,

the storm in Shen Lin’s eyes subsided. “Fine.”

Perhaps she really should release this lion back into the grasslands to see what storms it could stir up.

After all, the chains were all in her hands. A tug, and even if it refused to come back, it would have to.

Shen Lin: “As long as you don’t damage the Shen Family’s reputation or harm its interests, I’ll grant you a measure of freedom.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Shen Shuyu’s eyes showed neither favor nor shock, nor any hint of elation.

Shen Shuyu knew clearly this was only a temporary compromise between Shen Lin and herself.

If she truly wanted complete freedom,

the chains Shen Lin tightly held on her would inevitably have to be severed, one by one.

In the dead of night, District A005 was peaceful and quiet. Outside the window, there was only the sound of rain.

Shen Shuyu stood in a corner of her bedroom. The phone screen in her hand dimmed and finally went black.

She looked at the photograph in the bookcase, which had been placed face down, and took it out.

In the photo, in front of a wall of roses, Little Shen Shuyu was holding the hand of an old woman with graying hair, the two of them standing intimately together.

The grandfather-grandson pair were smiling warmly, and the sunlight was gentle too.

This was a photo taken of Shen Shuyu and Grandmother before she returned to Upper City District A for elementary school at the age of five. It was also the last photo she took with Grandmother.

Not long after that, Grandmother passed away.

And from then on, Shen Shuyu never wore such a smile again.

“Grandmother, if I don’t visit you as often as I did in my past life, will you blame me?” Shen Shuyu held the photo, murmuring to herself.

“I fell in love with a girl. I need to… do some things for her. Mom might… just, just won’t allow me to visit you often anymore. So…”

Shen Shuyu choked up. She looked at Grandmother’s eternally gentle and kind face in the photo.

A crystalline tear fell onto the dusty glass frame, stirring up a wisp of dust.

“I’m sorry, Grandmother.”

Outside, the wind and rain gradually subsided. The clouds before the moon dispersed.

The window frame became a picture frame. In the scene, a bright, pure moonbeam spilled into Shen Shuyu’s room.

Shen Shuyu unlocked her phone again. The screen lit up prominently with Yu Mo’s black cat profile picture.

She pinched the last, not-yet-broken red thread between her and Yu Mo and sent a friend request.