Chapter 73

[The JL882 flight to Tokyo Haneda Airport is about to depart. Please prepare your passport and boarding pass and proceed to Gate 17.]

Shu Qingyou wrapped herself in a dark trench coat and stood in front of the green boarding gate, clutching her plane ticket and passport. Her Bluetooth earbuds relayed some reminders from her sister.

“Sis, I got it. Stop nagging. I’ll go see Rongrong as soon as I get there. Safe travels.”

She nodded slightly. “Okay, hanging up now.”

Behind her bustled a mix of Chinese and Japanese voices and footsteps. She glanced down at the name on her documents. It was time to sever ties with her old life, at least for a while.

At that moment.

Lin Xu woke up in a daze, having slept soundly through the night. She thanked Shu Qingyou inwardly for the milk she’d prepared the evening before—it really helped her sleep. Habitually, she reached out an arm to grope for the person beside her and whined coquettishly, “Baby, let’s go to the amusement park today…”

The pillow was empty. Lin Xu’s heart skipped a beat, and she snapped fully awake. She sat up at once and called out tentatively, “Shu Qingyou?!”

Just as she finished shouting, she heard something crash to the floor outside. The impatience knitting her brows faded. She must be making breakfast.

Of course—Shu Rong needed breakfast too.

She pushed open the door, but no one was in sight. The noise had been Shu Rong accidentally dropping her toy.

Shu Rong turned around and toddled over to Lin Xu’s legs, raising her little arms for a hug.

Lin Xu’s eyes scanned everywhere as she absently agreed, “Okay, good girl. Hug time.”

The house was big, but not big enough to hide a grown person. Everywhere except the bedroom and bathroom was open-plan.

Holding the child, she sat on a stool and dialed Shu Qingyou’s phone. The ringtone sounded from inside the bedroom.

Lin Xu stared blankly at the bedroom door, her brain slow to process. She muttered to herself, “Where’s Qingyou?”

The phone was at home, and the biometric lock showed no signs of tampering. Had Shu Qingyou gone out to buy groceries? Lin Xu didn’t consider anything worse.

She wouldn’t just leave on her own—Rongrong was still here. No matter what, she wouldn’t abandon her child.

Right, it had to be that. Lin Xu bit anxiously at her knuckle, her teeth chattering.

Shu Rong patted her face and pointed toward the kitchen.

Lin Xu asked, “Hungry?”

Shu Rong nodded.

How could Shu Qingyou leave without making breakfast for Rongrong? She was so forgetful. Lin Xu smiled. When she got back, she’d have to punish her properly.

She quickly made two bowls of milk oatmeal. Shu Rong slowly scooped it into her mouth with her favorite yellow spoon. Lin Xu stirred her bowl, took a symbolic sip, and frowned. She had no appetite at all.

She checked the time—half an hour had passed, and still no word from Shu Qingyou.

She shot to her feet, the worst possibility flashing through her mind. Had something happened to her on the way out?

She’d made plenty of enemies, and those people weren’t the forgiving type. They might target someone close to her.

She immediately made a series of calls to her trusted subordinates.

Lin Xu couldn’t just keep waiting. She refused to sit idly by.

She decisively headed to the local police station to speak with a contact there. But after a long search, they found nothing—no reports from passersby either.

Her recent enemies wouldn’t dare cross her. Even without her saying anything, they all knew her uncle’s family was living like beggars abroad.

Ruling out every possibility.

Lin Xu sat stunned in her car, her stomach heavy as a stone, a dull nausea churning inside her.

She clenched her fist and pounded the steering wheel hard. The horn blared nonstop.

Like a demon possessed, Lin Xu kept pounding until Shu Rong tugged at her clothes from the back seat.

Lin Xu whipped her head around. Shu Rong blinked up at her innocently with wide eyes.

“Did you see Mommy this morning?” Shake or nod.

Shu Rong shook her head.

Lin Xu gripped the steering wheel, fire blazing in her eyes. Great—just great. She left without a word, abandoning even her daughter.

No…

If Shu Qingyou had vanished on purpose, then… Lin Xu whipped the car around and sped toward the university where Shu Wan Ning studied.

She remembered Shu Wan Ning’s number. She connected via Bluetooth and dialed.

“Lin Xu? What a coincidence,” Shu Wan Ning said, sounding a bit surprised.

Lin Xu paused, then chuckled coldly. “Coincidence? Little sister-in-law, do you know something?”

On the other end, Shu Wan Ning was typing away at her keyboard. The odd new title made her pause, her fingers slowing to a lazy rhythm.

She said casually, “You mean the fact that my sister left you?”

Lin Xu’s grip slipped on the wheel, her heart missing a beat. “Left me? She went back to your grandma’s?”

Shu Wan Ning then remembered Lin Xu didn’t know yet. “My sister really hates you. She didn’t even tell you she sold the house.”

Lin Xu couldn’t hold back. She slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt on the wide highway. She snarled darkly, “Say that again?!”

“I said,” Shu Wan Ning replied, pausing to take a sip of water, “why should I repeat myself? And don’t do anything bad to the kid.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means my sister doesn’t want you anymore. As for Rongrong, if you want to raise her, do it properly. If not, hand her over to me.”

Lin Xu gritted her teeth. “Where did your sister go?”

Shu Qingyou’s laughter burst through the phone, wild and gleeful. “No way—you didn’t know? My sister put up with you for so long. Didn’t you realize?”

It hurt worse than death. Lin Xu’s nose stung. Put up with her? No, it couldn’t be true. It wasn’t true.

She laughed hysterically. “What was there to put up with living with me? She was happy beyond words. Say one more lie like that, I dare you!”

“Hit a nerve, huh? If she wasn’t enduring you, why would she sneak off behind your back?”

“Say it again—I dare you!”

“I’ll say it more than once—ten times, a hundred! Come find my sister if you can. Nyah nyah!”

Lin Xu yanked out her earbuds and hurled them at the window in a towering rage. She took a deep breath, then floored the accelerator. “Crazy bitch! Leaving without a word—insane, totally insane!”

Yelling at thin air wasn’t enough. She glared at Shu Rong. “Your mom doesn’t want you anymore!”

Shu Rong didn’t fully grasp what “doesn’t want” meant. She tilted her head in the baby seat. Mommy was being so mean—it was weird.

After starting kindergarten, she knew what “mommy” meant. They were close, and then she came along.

She was their little baby. The teacher said she was the fruit of their love. Shu Rong remembered it well.

So she had to be good to her mommies too. Shu Rong opened her mouth in a big grin, squinting her sparkling eyes.

“No, why are you laughing?!” Lin Xu was full of fury. This kid was heartless—didn’t even know her mom had ditched her. Adorably dumb.

Then it hit her: her daughter had no mom now. Lin Xu deflated. “Alright, don’t be sad. You’ve still got me.”

Seeing Mommy not yelling anymore, Shu Rong zoned out, admiring the clouds drifting by, her thoughts wandering freely.

Lin Xu seethed. How could Shu Qingyou just up and leave without a word? Irresponsible! She didn’t deserve Lin Xu’s affection! Didn’t deserve to be her wife!

Fuming, she roared her flashy sports car onto the university campus.

“Open up!” Lin Xu held Shu Rong with one hand and kicked the door with her foot. The flimsy wood rattled precariously.

“I know you’re hiding in there, Shu Wan Ning! Open the damn door!”

The commotion drew students into the hallway to gawk and gossip. Soon, a crowd of girls whispered among themselves.

“Who’s she? Shu Wan Ning’s enemy?”

“You ever see a revenge seeker bring a kid?”

“True… and that little girl is so cute…”

Lin Xu shot a glare at the onlookers and bellowed, “That’s right—I’m here for revenge! She’s harboring a criminal!”

Shu Wan Ning rushed from the bathroom to open the door, suddenly cast as an accomplice.

Embarrassed, she let Lin Xu in. Luckily, her roommates were home for the weekend. She looked Shu Rong up and down first.

“Rongrong, long time no see.” Shu Wan Ning scooped her up and planted several kisses. “No little cakes here at little auntie’s, but I’ll take you to buy some later.”

Shu Rong behaved sweetly. Lin Xu couldn’t stand it and snatched her daughter back, shooing her to a corner of the dorm. “Cut the happy family act. Where’s your sister?”

Shu Wan Ning, now empty-handed, wasn’t fazed. She sat in a chair, spinning a pen, her lips curling with interest. “Did I not make it clear, or are you just refusing to face facts?”

“My sister did a runner. No more playing your childish house games.”

Lin Xu strode forward, fist clenched, pressing it under Shu Wan Ning’s chin. “She’s crazy, and so are you! I ask east, you say west. Last chance—where’s your sister?!”

“Heh…”

Shu Wan Ning itched to fight back, her mood souring.

“I always thought you were just bad. Now I see you’re stupid too. Doesn’t your heart know if my sister truly liked you or if you forced her?”

From morning stretching into afternoon, Lin Xu’s head buzzed nonstop, thought scattered. She blurted, “Funny—you’re talking nonsense. She likes me too much to leave. What do you know? If she didn’t, why give me a child?”

Shu Wan Ning’s gaze sharpened. “Oh? Haven’t you heard of ‘mother leaves, child stays’? If you hadn’t clung to her shamelessly, my sister would’ve been living free and easy.”

Lin Xu seized her collar viciously. “You wanna die?!”

Playing rough, huh? Shu Wan Ning met her eyes fearlessly. “At least not by your hand. Wanna fight?”

“You’d better know your limits first.”

With that, Lin Xu’s stomach took a massive hit. Her throat tightened as she slammed into the door, pain exploding through her.

She gaped. “You hit me!”

Shu Wan Ning stood leisurely, cracking her knuckles with a disdainful smirk. “You deserved it.”

Before Lin Xu could retaliate, Shu Wan Ning—fit and healthy—kicked her knee hard.

Still recovering, Lin Xu buckled, her knee giving out. She knelt awkwardly, barely catching herself with her hands.

Gritting her teeth through the pain, Lin Xu pushed up, eyes blazing. “Shu Wan Ning! You’re dead!”

“Don’t—you can’t fight back. Not if you want news on my sister.”

“What?” Lin Xu was a wreck today, jumping at shadows.

Shu Wan Ning ignored her and turned to soothe Shu Rong. “Rongrong, go sit in the bathroom for a bit. Little auntie and Mommy are discussing something big.”

Shu Rong was stunned. She didn’t understand why Mommy and little auntie were fighting, but auntie was smiling, so it was probably fine.

She obeyed, glancing back every few steps, worried. Mommy had almost cried. Lin Xu waved her off impatiently, and Shu Rong relaxed.

“Okay, spill it. What’s with your sister?”

Shu Wan Ning said nothing—just punched Lin Xu square in the face.

Lin Xu stumbled back, steadying herself on the bunk bed.

Her face burned fiercely, pain radiating from deep inside. Unbearable, she reared back her fist. “You’re done!”

At ten centimeters from Shu Wan Ning’s face, she said coolly, “Don’t you want to know where my sister is?”

Lin Xu barely stopped in time, her momentum sending her crashing to her knees.

She looked up. “Fine. Tell me, and I won’t touch you.”

“Tch.” Shu Wan Ning looked down. It had been ages since she’d felt this good—watching the once-arrogant slag turn into a begging dog.

It was cathartic. Her chest felt unblocked.

Shu Wan Ning’s eyes gleamed slyly. “Lin Xu, let’s make a deal. Be my punching bag, let me beat you till I’m satisfied, and I’ll tell you where my sister is.”

Lin Xu agreed without hesitation. “No problem!”

Shu Wan Ning hadn’t expected such quick compliance. Did she have real feelings for her sister? She shrugged it off seconds later.

Leopards don’t change their spots.

Cracking her long, strong knuckles and rolling her neck, Shu Wan Ning prepared to go all out.