“Are you sure you want to stay here?”
Shu Qingyou rested her hand on the car door handle and glanced back at Lin Xu, who was pretending to sleep. Her coat draped over her, exposing only the back of her head.
“Why do you care so much? Are you my mom?”
It wasn’t that Lin Xu didn’t want to follow, but she felt like Shu Qingyou was shutting her out, treating her like a hot potato to be discarded as quickly as possible.
An ex-girlfriend, not a current one—what was there to see?
Shu Qingyou pondered for a few seconds before concluding, “I’m not qualified for that.”
Lin Xu had been making a fuss with her for more than a moment or two anyway; a little more time wouldn’t matter.
She knew full well Lin Xu didn’t truly mean for her to act like her mom.
Shu Qingyou stepped out with her long legs, and a gust of cold wind swept into the warm car interior. Lin Xu pursed her lips, twisted her neck in frustration, and glared straight at her.
“Stop right there—you’re not allowed to leave!”
Shu Qingyou asked with amusement, “Are you ordering me around?”
“So what if I am?” Lin Xu mustered her courage. “Tell me first—what are you going to do?”
“Do I owe you an explanation?”
In her eyes, Lin Xu looked just like a wife interrogating her spouse about where she was going, what she was doing, and when she’d be back.
“No…”
Feeling guilty, Lin Xu didn’t know what to say to make her stay. Suddenly changing her approach, she clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.
“Please, please, Sister Shu.”
It was a move that worked on everyone, and Shu Qingyou couldn’t help but laugh and sigh. Lin Xu’s youthful innocence only showed in moments like this.
She had to admit, it was exactly this that made Lin Xu’s presence feel more real to her.
Lin Xu’s expression was vivid, her lips red and teeth white, her starry eyes bright—she really wasn’t suited for a sullen, gloomy face.
Next, Lin Xu straightened her jacket and pulled out her phone from the pocket.
“Sister Shu, you still haven’t given me your number, and I don’t know when you’ll be back. I’ll be so lonely by myself.”
If all she wanted was the number, Shu Qingyou could understand. She pointed to the back seat, correcting Lin Xu’s mistake.
“Shu Rong is here.”
“Her? You don’t think I have anything in common with a little kid, do you?”
Shu Qingyou took the phone without a second thought.
“I’m going to talk business.”
After inputting a string of numbers, Lin Xu snatched the phone back before she could say anything and dialed it, murmuring under her breath as she looked down.
Watching her eager antics, Shu Qingyou said confidently, “In some ways, you’re not as mature as three-year-old Rongrong.”
Lin Xu denied it vehemently—comparing her to a child? Where was her pride?
“No way. I can protect and take care of you. She’s so little she can’t even twist open a mineral water bottle.”
Shu Qingyou fell meaningfully silent.
The place she was going was an unopened coffee shop, not some den of danger. Lin Xu always blew small things out of proportion lately.
And mentioning the water bottle—back when they were together, Shu Qingyou was the one who usually twisted them open for her.
Who was really taking care of whom?
Her judgment that Lin Xu had a childish mindset wasn’t baseless. Before leaving, Shu Qingyou didn’t forget to remind her, “Leave the car keys in the ignition, keep the AC on, and don’t fall asleep.”
Just as she finished speaking, the phone rang. Shu Qingyou held the car door with one hand and picked up her phone with the other.
The screen showed the number she’d just given Lin Xu.
Shu Qingyou: “…”
She tilted her head toward Lin Xu.
Lin Xu lifted her chin righteously. “That’s me calling. I was worried you’d trick me and give me a fake number.”
The coffee shop was right across the street, clearly a legitimate storefront visible from afar, but Lin Xu’s control freak tendencies hadn’t changed.
Shu Qingyou gave her a deep, lingering look before turning and walking away.
The area wasn’t crowded; most people rode bikes. Paulownia trees cast shadows of various shapes. Shu Qingyou left Lin Xu with the increasingly small silhouette of her black wool coat.
Lin Xu’s eyes seemed to solidify into something tangible, following Shu Qingyou until she turned into an alley. Lin Xu felt utterly dejected.
“She’s gone.”
“She doesn’t want you anymore.”
“Hey, are you even listening?”
Lin Xu unleashed her soul-searching trio of questions. After a moment, Shu Rong realized the big sister was talking to her.
She looked up from her picture book. The big sister seemed unhappy, like she’d eaten bitter medicine.
Kids were kids; she didn’t understand Lin Xu’s complicated emotions. Lin Xu sighed. “If you could talk, you could help cheer me up.”
Shu Rong shook her head. Mommy wasn’t abandoning her—Mommy would be back soon.
Before, when left alone at home, Mommy would give her a kiss and tell her that as soon as she finished a book or a cartoon, Mommy would return.
She’d only just started the book, and Shu Rong fretted over how to respond to Lin Xu.
The car’s soundproofing wasn’t great. Lin Xu heard honking horns, groups of pedestrians chatting in threes and fives, the hustle and bustle—it was a workday, after all.
She couldn’t help but wonder: if she went back to her old life, would she still be so insecure about Shu Qingyou?
Had she ever liked anyone before? Either way, in high society, personal connections were inevitable.
She pulled out her phone and searched. Soon, under her name’s entry, a series of exaggerated, far-fetched descriptions appeared. She clicked a webpage at random, and photos with certain celebrities popped up.
Or ribbon-cutting ceremonies at some mall skyscraper, luxury cars and flowers, but no photos of any woman by her side.
Was this the life she’d always wanted?
Lin Xu knew deep down that for people like that, the more you gained, the more you lost—responsibilities piled like mountains.
Especially since she was defined as the group heir; she’d be swamped day and night, with no personal life left.
An amnesiac heir would probably be kicked out of the family. In dramas, characters like that were always cannon fodder.
After hesitating, she checked clues about amnesia. Per the doctor, hers was due to neurological damage impairing memory recall.
But psychological and emotional factors couldn’t be ruled out—the brain deleting or hiding parts, subconsciously fading them.
Either way, it made her heart race, like a headless fly with no escape.
“Shu Rong, how about I take you to find Mommy?”
Shu Rong ignored Lin Xu, or if she heard, she just made some vague sound.
Pretending not to hear, Lin Xu grinned and snatched Shu Rong’s picture book, all friendly-like.
“I said, want to go find your mommy with me? You should learn to worry about her.”
Shu Rong reached for the book, but Lin Xu held it out of reach. With Mommy gone, the big sister was bullying her.
After thinking it over, cornered by the situation, she opened her arms, signaling for Lin Xu to pick her up.
“Tsk, you’re so big already, but you want to be carried everywhere. What’s the point of those legs?”
Complaining with her mouth, Lin Xu didn’t actually find Shu Rong heavy. Her eyelashes were like dense little brushes, full of cuteness, with soft little arms and legs—bones all pliable. Holding her was a good way to stay warm.
Shu Rong rested her chin on Lin Xu’s shoulder.
The coffee shop hadn’t opened yet; the front door was locked tight. Inside the glass door, tables and chairs were piled into little mountains, with the kitchen at the far end—probably accessible from the alley.
Lin Xu entered the alley, looking around. A few pedestrians passed, eyeing her, and she felt too awkward to keep sneaking about.
Old, rundown houses extended bamboo poles from windows, drying freshly washed clothes.
Colorful fabrics fluttered in the wind, the air scented with laundry detergent—dizzying after a while.
The coffee shop’s back door was on the left side of the alley, ajar. Lin Xu stepped on the dry ground, covered Shu Rong’s mouth, and pushed the door open.
Stainless steel counters reflected the bright white lights, shelves lined with coffee bean bags.
Women’s voices chatted from what seemed like an office room—one of them familiar.
The blinds outside the room were drawn tight, so Lin Xu had no choice but to eavesdrop.
A warm, jade-like voice spoke softly.
“Qingyou, it’s settled then—direct sales, consignment, and co-branded custom orders. Once I soft-open, I’ll buy a batch of plain mugs and espresso cups first.”
Shu Qingyou took a sip of coffee, the fruity aroma filling her mouth and nose. Beside the pour-over kettle sat a rough clay coffee mug—this one she’d given Chi Jia back in university.
A somewhat failed product.
“Jiajia, you’re selling desserts too. I’ll make you a batch of gradient and floral ceramic plates for free.”
Catching Shu Qingyou’s casual glance, Chi Jia propped her chin and smiled faintly. It had been years since they’d met, and the shadows under Qingyou’s eyes had vanished.
Her long hair simply clipped back, light makeup adding a touch of color to her face—this coffee mug covered half her face, making her look even more elegant in person.
“I’m not being nostalgic, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
Shu Qingyou shot her a playful glare.
“I didn’t think anything. You’re the one who should watch it.”
The implication was that Chi Jia had just complained about arguing with her girlfriend—she shouldn’t let her nature get the better of her now.
Though she and Chi Jia were long over, having dated briefly in university.
Chi Jia was an Omega; any woman who caught her eye would get close because of her pure, harmless beauty.
Hit where it hurt, Chi Jia’s brows furrowed, her tone laced with sweet exasperation.
“You have no idea—even going to the bathroom, I have to report to her. We’re both home, and she keeps calling my name nonstop.”
She sighed, drawing out the tone.
“I ask what’s up, and she says nothing, just wants to hear my voice. God, so clingy—I can’t take it.”
Shu Qingyou smiled. Looked like the little couple was doing well.
“The social butterfly finally settled down, tamed by her.”
“You’re awful. I’m no social butterfly. Qingyou, don’t just talk about me—why didn’t you bring Shu Rong? I still want to be her godmother.”
Hearing her name, Shu Rong’s eyes lit up. She wriggled wildly, trying to escape Lin Xu’s arms, like a restless animal clawing at the door.
Startled, Lin Xu hurriedly held Shu Rong down and ran off quickly, but still made a door-opening noise.
“Who’s there?”
Annoyed, she yanked the door open, and Chi Jia followed her out, only catching sight of a curly-haired woman in a jacket and straight-leg jeans flashing past the alley mouth.
“Nutcase—sneaking in the back door in broad daylight. Up to no good.”
Chi Jia inventoried the items. Seeing Shu Qingyou silent and staring in the direction the woman fled, she thought she was worried and reassured her.
“Hey, don’t worry—I have cameras. If anything’s stolen, I’ll call the cops right away.”
“Yeah, probably not a thief. Must’ve taken a wrong turn.”
After that, they finalized delivery dates and commission splits. Shu Qingyou bid Chi Jia farewell, promising to bring her daughter once the shop officially opened.
Circling back to the car, Lin Xu gently pinched Shu Rong’s little nose in reprimand.
“You troublesome kid—someone calls your name, and you respond? With your mom and me gone, any stranger could kidnap you.”
“Didn’t your mom teach you not to talk to strangers? Oh right, you can’t speak—so don’t listen to strangers. Plug your ears.”
Scared by her, Shu Rong quickly cupped her ears, indicating she’d be good.
Lin Xu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t open your eyes either.”
Having successfully tamed Shu Rong, Lin Xu felt smug.
“Not bad. When your mom gets back, I’ll have her buy you a little cake.”
But she hadn’t gotten a look at Shu Qingyou’s ex-girlfriend’s face—Lin Xu felt extremely regretful. Know thyself and thy enemy to win every battle, after all.
A fresh wave of anxiety bubbled up.
A while later, as the car door opened, Lin Xu—still lost in her worries—jumped in fright and touched her nose.
“Y-you’re back. Pretty quick, heh.”
“Not quick enough, or someone would’ve thrown a fit.”
Shu Qingyou settled slowly into the passenger seat, her boot tip lightly tapping the accelerator. She turned her beautiful eyes slightly.
Lin Xu’s heart tightened, her lips suddenly dry.
She lifted her gaze to see Shu Qingyou parting her lips leisurely: “Lin Xu, what are you feeling guilty about?”
