Chapter 63

Time continued to slip by quietly.

In this period, Wen Xin’s life underwent a few subtle changes. First, with Shi Qianyu’s and Lawyer Xiao’s support, she filed a lawsuit in court.

Second, after that night, Wen Xin had moved in with Shi Qianyu.

She had gotten very drunk that evening, and her alcohol-fogged mind had blotted out many details. She never asked about them, and Shi Qianyu never brought them up.

The one thing Shi Qianyu had promised her, however, she repeated tirelessly, time and again.

“It’s wonderful that you’re willing to stay,” she said.

A promise is a promise—you can’t take it back. I know Sister would never deceive me, right?

Far from objecting, she welcomed Wen Xin wholeheartedly.

Wen Xin would always reply, “Okay. Thank you for taking me in, A-Yu…”

Shi Qianyu lowered her gaze and brushed a soft kiss against Wen Xin’s lips, cutting off her unfinished words. “The last thing I want to hear is you thanking me.”

She was wonderful, Wen Xin knew that much.

Before her uncle and aunt’s sudden visit upended her life, Shi Qianyu had invited her to stay once. But back then, Wen Xin’s insecurities had held her back. She hadn’t wanted to impose on Shi Qianyu or risk the day she might be rejected in disgust. Living under someone else’s roof was no badge of honor—it meant enduring their mockery and scorn.

Yet somehow, after everything that had happened, it was as if a veil had lifted from Wen Xin’s eyes. She had even mustered her courage on a surge of liquid bravery and brought up the idea herself.

Fortunately, Shi Qianyu had agreed.

She was nothing like her uncle and aunt—never had been.

Time proved it true. Every day Wen Xin spent living in Shi Qianyu’s home was filled with joy. She no longer felt lonely or anxious. Shi Qianyu doted on her, handling most of the housework without complaint. At work, she offered guidance and support, patiently explaining anything Wen Xin didn’t understand, over and over if needed.

Perhaps there could be no happier days than these—even if they were only lovers.

Wen Xin didn’t dare dwell on the possibility that their relationship might one day end. She simply wanted to cherish every moment they had together, soaking in as much of Shi Qianyu’s gentle care and affection as she could.

She knew it was a selfish way to think, but for once, she allowed herself to be selfish.

The weather grew colder with each passing day. Some time later, Wen Xin received a sudden call from Xiao Xiao.

The lawyer was brief on the phone. “Miss Wen, I have some documents I’d like you to review. Do you have time right now?”

“Yes,” Wen Xin replied. It had to be progress on the investigation. She agreed at once, and they set a meeting at a nearby coffee shop.

Shi Qianyu cleared her schedule to accompany Wen Xin to the rendezvous point.

Xiao Xiao was already there. She rose with a polite smile, shaking hands with Wen Xin before greeting Shi Qianyu. Well aware of her old friend’s true colors, she still made a point of asking before they sat down, in the line of duty. “The materials I’ve uncovered are rather sensitive. They’re for Miss Wen’s eyes only. Does Director Shi need to step out?”

“Can she stay?” Wen Xin asked tentatively.

“If you trust her enough,” Lawyer Xiao replied.

“I trust A-Yu completely,” Wen Xin said. In the dim light under the table, she clasped Shi Qianyu’s hand tightly. She had absolute faith in the woman beside her and wanted nothing more than her presence. “Having her here will put my mind at ease.”

Xiao Xiao glanced up at Shi Qianyu.

Shi Qianyu returned a calm smile.

Xiao Xiao looked away just as quickly and got down to business. She opened her briefcase and pulled out several files.

Before diving in, she confirmed something with Wen Xin. “If I recall correctly from our last meeting, Miss Wen, your uncle and aunt once told you that your parents had gone bankrupt before the accident and left behind very little inheritance. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember if that couple ever had you sign any documents?”

“Documents?” Wen Xin hesitated for a long moment. Her memory wasn’t the best, and she had been so young at the time that many details had faded. It was difficult to dredge them up.

Lawyer Xiao didn’t press her. “Take your time and think it over.”

“All right.” Wen Xin nodded and tried her hardest to remember. Her uncle and aunt had always treated her poorly, but there had been a few rare occasions when their attitude shifted—and those changes always seemed tied to self-interest.

Bit by bit, it came back to her. There had been one time when Uncle brought her some papers. She had been too young to understand them fully, but under his guidance, she had scrawled her name at the bottom.

Wen Xin recounted this to Lawyer Xiao, who nodded and pieced together the full story from years ago.

What Wen Xin had signed wasn’t just any paper—it was a power of attorney.

Her parents had bought a house outright while they were alive, registering it in her name. It was the very same home where she had lived as a child.

After they passed away, Wen Xin went to live with her uncle and aunt. The couple had racked up debts from failed business ventures in their youth, and Uncle’s chronic gambling habit had drained what little savings they had left.

Tempted by the property in her name, they took advantage of her youth and innocence. They spun a tale of her parents’ bankruptcy and claimed the house would need to be mortgaged to the bank. Since she was too young to handle it, they said, they would take care of it—if she simply signed a power of attorney authorizing the two of them to act on her behalf.

The naive child that Wen Xin had been fell for their lies and signed. But the truth was far different. Her parents hadn’t gone bankrupt at all. And the power of attorney wasn’t for a mortgage—it granted her uncle and aunt full authority to sell the house.

So they did just that, conspiring to offload the property and pocket over a million in profit. Combined with the rest of her parents’ inheritance, it was enough to clear their debts. They even rented a storefront and tried their hand at business for a few years. Poor management eventually sank that venture too, leaving them nearly broke once more.

When Wen Xin started working, they quickly set their sights on her salary. After a brief discussion, they demanded she repay them for years of “upbringing” by wiring a portion of her wages home each month.

“But human greed knows no bounds,” Lawyer Xiao said. She paused, noting how pale Wen Xin’s face had grown, giving her a moment to compose herself before continuing. “Especially when their son reached marriageable age, and they had no money set aside for a bride price.”

“So they came after me for more extortion,” Wen Xin said. She covered her face with her hands, her voice thick with anguish. For years, she had endured their abuse, wracked with guilt and torment. Under their ceaseless belittling, she had come to see herself as nothing but a worthless burden, forever in their debt. But it had all been lies—a carefully woven trap.

She could have lived without shame, secure and confident. Instead, their deceit and selfish desires had destroyed her, reshaping her entire life.

At some point, Shi Qianyu had leaned in close and wrapped her arms around Wen Xin, holding her tight.

The café buzzed around them, patrons coming and going, casting occasional glances their way. Shi Qianyu paid it no mind, her embrace unwavering.

Her own expression was grim, her eyes brimming with fury and heartache. She held Wen Xin even closer and said earnestly, “You’ve suffered so much all these years. They will pay for it—I swear it.”

“Yes,” Lawyer Xiao echoed. “I’ll do everything in my power to help you reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to you, Miss Wen. You have my word.”

Everything that rightfully belonged to her.

Tears welled in Wen Xin’s eyes and spilled over as memories flooded back—the hardships, the ugly sneers on her uncle and aunt’s faces. They swirled together, then shattered.

The past couldn’t be undone. But perhaps the future could be rewritten.

She believed it would all come to a head at last. This time, she wouldn’t hold back. She wouldn’t yield.

Wen Xin squeezed Shi Qianyu’s hand and met Lawyer Xiao’s gaze with heartfelt sincerity. “Thank you.”

“I’m counting on you.”