Chapter 25 Part 5

And the ceiling of this room bore an uncanny resemblance to the image.

Both had arches that closed downward. It was practically a blown-up version of the photo.

Finding the room too dark, Liang Shi switched on her phone’s flashlight and aimed it at the ceiling. Behind the lamp, she noticed a string of characters.

She couldn’t make them out clearly.

She suddenly remembered what was in the original host’s phone notes. One entry read: 【Sacrificial rite. Heh.】

It was hard not to connect a room like this with sacrificial rites.

But coincidentally, the world’s setting didn’t promote feudal superstition either.

Liang Shi couldn’t make sense of it.

Just as she was deep in thought, a sudden headache struck.

Like ten thousand ants gnawing at her skull. But the headache lasted only a few seconds.

Then, into her mind flooded a set of unfamiliar memories.

Students in uniforms, people milling around on campus, towering buildings, all kinds of faces, and lecture halls.

Too many scenes; she couldn’t possibly sort through them all.

Having been through this before, Liang Shi had developed strong adaptability.

She quickly organized the memories.

More precisely, there were two sets.

One related to Xu Qingzhu, one related to Zhou Yi’an.

The original host had first noticed Xu Qingzhu in university.

Xu Qingzhu attended the country’s top university, Qingyi University, just three streets away from the original host’s diploma mill.

The original host had stumbled upon Xu Qingzhu and Bai Weiwei at a street corner and immediately became interested in Xu Qingzhu. But instead of being bold as she usually was with girls, she’d taken a very subtle approach.

She had someone get hold of Xu Qingzhu’s class schedule and audited classes at that university.

She went to Qingyi University’s library, its cafeteria, and everywhere she could to catch glimpses of Xu Qingzhu, but never actually approached her for a conversation.

It was hard to call that love.

But the scenes in the memories did revolve around Xu Qingzhu.

Then came the night of the original host’s graduation, when everyone went to the seaside for a picnic. She’d shouted at the ocean: “I really want to get married!”

Everyone laughed, and that was that.

In the year after graduation, her second brother arranged a job for her. She didn’t go.

Then he gave her a deputy department head title in human resources. She lasted a few days before losing interest, spending all her time fooling around with Cheng Ran, living it up.

But one day, when she heard the Xu family enterprise was in crisis, she went straight to Xu Qingzhu without a second thought.

To marry Xu Qingzhu, she negotiated with Father Liang, with Qiu Zimin, and even swallowed her pride to beg Liang Xinhe.

It was Liang Xinhe and Qiu Zimin who mediated on her behalf, and that was how she managed to marry Xu Qingzhu.

But even after marrying Xu Qingzhu, she continued to play wild.

Not coming home at night was the norm.

On their wedding night, she hadn’t touched Xu Qingzhu. When she later tried, Xu Qingzhu refused, and the original host responded by bossing her around and making her do chores.

What happened after that, Liang Shi already knew.

With these new memories, Liang Shi understood the original host’s behavior even less. If she truly liked Xu Qingzhu, why treat her that way?

If she didn’t like her and it was just possessiveness, then why go to such great lengths to marry her?

Did she get some sick thrill from obtaining something and then destroying it?

That was probably the most extreme guess.

She couldn’t exactly find the original host and ask, Why? What were you thinking?

All she could say was that the original host’s thought process was baffling.

What was worth noting was the history with Zhou Yi’an.

So when Zhou Yi’an said “we meet again,” it was because they’d had a past connection, and a significant one at that.

The original host and Zhou Yi’an had gone to the same high school, back before anyone had differentiated.

Compared to the original host’s domineering behavior, Zhou Yi’an was no less outrageous.

But at the time, the Zhou family didn’t have their current wealth. Zhou Yi’an’s father held a post in another province; however long his arm reached, it couldn’t stretch all the way to Haizhou. So even though Zhou Yi’an was arrogant, she didn’t dare bully anyone at her own school. Instead, she targeted middle schoolers. And as it happened, her favorite target was the original host’s younger sister, Liang Wanwan.

The original host didn’t know about this at first, and Liang Wanwan didn’t dare tell her.

Later, someone mocked her with the news, and only then did she find out. She went to confront Zhou Yi’an that same day and caught her in the act of bullying Liang Wanwan. Without a word, she punched Zhou Yi’an in the face.

She beat Zhou Yi’an up badly that day.

After that, Zhou Yi’an stopped bullying Liang Wanwan and turned her attention to the original host instead.

Zhou Yi’an used to say back then: “Baby, you’ve piqued my interest.”

The original host had a fiery temper, and the two fought often. But the more they fought, the brighter Zhou Yi’an’s eyes grew.

Before long, Zhou Yi’an transferred to a high school abroad.

Who could have guessed that after all these years, Zhou Yi’an’s father had risen smoothly through the ranks while the Liang family had declined. The positions had completely reversed.

Zhou Yi’an no longer needed to fear the Liang family. Instead, the Liang family had to look to the Zhou family for favors, which was why Zhou Yi’an acted without restraint.

It turned out the wealthy had their own hierarchy too.

The Liang family’s position was decent, but far from the top of the food chain.

Liang Shi felt a sense of rueful disbelief.

She hadn’t expected the original host and Zhou Yi’an to have this kind of history.

But she was puzzled: why did new memories flood in whenever she stayed in the original host’s room?

Was it triggered by some mechanism? Or was it an accumulation of time?

She tried both methods and found nothing special. No further memories came.

Liang Shi organized her thoughts in the room and then left.

Too eerie. Too oppressive.

After going downstairs, Liang Shi saw Lingdang. The little girl was curled up on the sofa watching TV.

When she saw Liang Shi come down, she smiled and called out: “Auntie.”

Liang Shi responded and watched TV with her for a while.

Soon, the rest of the Liang family came down.

Dinner was even more lavish than lunch, with a cake at the center. But no one played around with it or smeared frosting. They ate the cake in near silence, as if performing a routine.

The evening atmosphere was even more stifling than the afternoon.

Liang Shi again ate very little, spending most of her time tending to Lingdang.

By the time dinner was over, Lingdang had become clingy.

Curled up in her lap, playing little games together.

Past eight o’clock, Liang Shi got up to leave.

She was out the door and about to get in the car when Qiu Zimin called out: “A-Shi, wait.”

Liang Shi turned, her brow furrowing slightly. She said coolly: “What is it?”

She didn’t think she and Qiu Zimin had anything left to discuss.

“You read the messages Mom sent you, right?” Qiu Zimin asked, her words laced with a probing edge. “Why didn’t you reply? Have you still not forgiven Mom?”

The wind was picking up outside. Liang Shi pulled her white blazer tighter and tucked her stray hair behind her ear. “What do you want to say?”

“Nothing.” Qiu Zimin’s tone was heavy. “Mom didn’t mean to. The family is shouldering such a heavy burden. Your father’s hair has gone whiter. That plot of land in South City is crucial for us. Whether we can restore our fortunes comes down to this. Yi’an genuinely likes you. And didn’t you want to divorce that Xu family girl…”

“When did I ever say I wanted a divorce?” Liang Shi cut her off. “When I married Xu Qingzhu, we agreed. You only needed to intervene that one time. Everything after that is none of your business.”

With more memories restored, Liang Shi spoke with greater confidence.

“Then you and Yi’an…” Qiu Zimin hesitated.

Liang Shi answered firmly, “Not going to happen.”

“But Liang Shi, have you forgotten who put food on your table and clothes on your back, who raised you this big?” Qiu Zimin’s face changed instantly. Any trace of guilt was gone from her eyes. The earlier meekness had apparently been an illusion.

“Even you don’t have the right to meddle in my marriage,” Liang Shi said. “Asking me to get surgery and be with Zhou Yi’an, I can’t believe you even came up with that.”

Qiu Zimin snorted coldly. “Plenty of people do it now. How am I harming you? With the Zhou family as a backer, it wouldn’t be a waste of raising you all these years. And you’d live better than you do now.”

“There’s no point discussing this,” Liang Shi said. “I won’t do it. You’d better stay away from Zhou Yi’an too. That person is dangerous.”

Truthfully, she was unhinged.

You could never predict what a psychopath might do.

“I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice. I judge people better than you do. That Xu Qingzhu is nothing but trouble. She’ll be the end of you,” Qiu Zimin said. “What’s wrong with Zhou Yi’an?”

“You only have eyes for the Zhou family’s money,” Liang Shi called out her lie.

Liang Shi stared straight at her, then asked quietly: “Are you really still my mom?”

Qiu Zimin’s gaze flickered, then hardened. “You came from my own body. How could I not be your mom? Liang Shi, I’m doing this all for you. If you won’t listen, fine. Even though the Liang family has indulged you in everything all these years, I spoiled you and pampered you. Everyone said my daughter was good for nothing, no good at all, but I never believed it. I knew my daughter was good. My daughter is obedient. They just couldn’t see it. But now I think I must have been wrong.”

“Whatever you choose is your choice. Mom is just offering a suggestion. If you don’t like it, I won’t bring it up again.” Qiu Zimin said: “The Liang family’s decline is inevitable. Who told me I couldn’t raise good children? When I die, I won’t even be able to face the Liang ancestors.”

Liang Shi: “…”

These lines. So familiar.

Liang Shi had once taken a role in a drama about emotional manipulation, about PUA tactics.

The male lead spent money to attend classes specifically designed to manipulate wealthy, beautiful women, undermining their confidence so they couldn’t leave him, spending money on him, finding jobs for him, and groveling to keep him happy.

Qiu Zimin’s rhetoric right now was identical to PUA tactics.

First, the devaluation: You’re so terrible, your very existence is a harm to this world. Then the reassurance: But I believe in you. Only I treat you well in this world, so you can trust me. Everything I ask you to do is for your own good.

Over time, the other person would become a puppet in their hands, manipulated at will.

In worse cases, depression, mental breakdown.

Liang Shi simply watched Qiu Zimin with cold eyes. When she finished, Liang Shi asked lightly: “Is there more?”

“Mom transferred you some money,” Qiu Zimin said. “You don’t have a job, and the house you’re living in is one we bought. Even though you don’t want to compromise, I’m still your mother. I can’t just ignore you. Take the money and spend it. It’s getting cold out, so drive carefully on your way back.”

Liang Shi: “Oh.”

She got into the car, then rolled down the window and said to Qiu Zimin: “I’ll be going to work at Dongheng from now on. You don’t need to send me living expenses. Also, Chuanlan Villa’s ownership is yours. I’m just staying there temporarily. Once I have money, I’ll move out.”

Qiu Zimin’s expression twisted for an instant before she forced a smile. “What kind of talk is that? How could I neglect my own daughter? You’re still young, with no real ability to earn…”