Yu Mo envied that clownfish in the aquarium, and pitied herself even more.
She clearly knew that person didn’t like her, yet she had shamelessly pursued her for eight years. In the end, they only married because Shen Shuyu pitied her.
Rather than this, it would be better to just leave, to walk away. Both of them could live more freely then.
“Yu Mo.” Shen Shuyu called out softly, instantly pulling Yu Mo’s wandering thoughts back.
Almost like a conditioned reflex, Yu Mo turned her head and answered, “What is it, Jiejie?”
“Help me fasten this button.” Shen Shuyu said.
“Okay.” Yu Mo immediately cast aside the thoughts in her mind and walked towards the closet.
The summer sun was most passionate. Just moments ago, there had been a thin fog, and now it blazed brilliantly. Sunlight streamed through the tightly drawn white curtains on one side of the closet, falling onto Shen Shuyu and draping her in a soft halo of light. On her smooth, white back were a pair of beautifully defined, slender shoulder blades. Scattered on top were faint or more obvious red marks, like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.
“Come here.” Shen Shuyu turned her head to look back at Yu Mo, her eyes, bathed in the light, seeming to hold a bit more gentleness.
Yu Mo froze for a moment. The thin ice that had just formed on her heart melted away under Shen Shuyu’s radiance.
“I’m coming.”
It was a classic-style long dress in an off-white color. Yu Mo stepped forward and gently placed her hands on Shen Shuyu’s waist. The textured chiffon fabric couldn’t compare to Shen Shuyu’s skin; it felt smooth yet slightly coarse to the touch. Following Shen Shuyu’s waistline, Yu Mo fastened the rather tricky buttons one by one, leaving distinct red marks on the pads of her slender fingers.
And what she did for Shen Shuyu was far more than just these temporary marks that would soon fade.
Over the years by Shen Shuyu’s side, Yu Mo had been like a mad dog, willing to throw her life away for Shen Shuyu. Several scars on her body were left just like that.
The journey had been incredibly arduous.
And now, Yu Mo was all alone. The only person left by her side was this one she had recklessly fought to obtain.
She couldn’t bear to let go.
Shen Shuyu noticed Yu Mo’s fingers lingering on her back and turned her head to ask, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Mo slowly withdrew her fingers and forced a smile. “It’s nothing. I just thought the fabric of this dress is very comfortable, so I couldn’t help but touch it a few more times.”
“This fabric isn’t that great. I’ve ordered a satin one for you to wear to Ruoyu’s wedding next week. You’ll know then what truly good fabric feels like.” Shen Shuyu said nonchalantly, casually picking up the dress she had chosen for Yu Mo and handing it to her. “Try this on.”
Yu Mo gave a sound of agreement and took the dress from Shen Shuyu. She had just been making casual conversation, but it made her seem unsophisticated. The Upper City was different from the Lower City. Beneath the prosperity was a dazzling array of luxuries Yu Mo had never seen before. Yu Mo fumbled through it alone. Although she had been in the Upper City for over half a year, she felt she still couldn’t fit in.
Sometimes, Yu Mo thought, if only Shen Shuyu would spare a little time to teach her.
Distractedly, Yu Mo changed into the dress, wanting to ask Shen Shuyu to help her zip up the side, just as she had helped Shen Shuyu button her dress. But when she turned around, the closet was quiet and empty. She was alone.
What was she fantasizing about again?
Yu Mo stood before the full-length mirror, looking at herself, hooking one corner of her mouth into a self-deprecating smile.
When Yu Mo finished getting ready and came out, Shen Shuyu put down the fish food in her hand and turned to look at her.
Before marrying Shen Shuyu, Yu Mo had always worked as her bodyguard. Exposed to the elements, her skin wasn’t great. But being kept at home by Shen Shuyu for the past six months had finally restored some of the fair complexion she had in her youth. Thanks also to her Alpha attributes, Yu Mo had an upright posture, level shoulders, a slim waist, plus heaven-granted good looks. The whole person looked enviably flawless.
Yet, even for such a person, Shen Shuyu still found things dissatisfactory. “Forget it, don’t wear these shoes. Change into the lower-heeled pair. You don’t look good walking in these.”
Yu Mo looked down at the awkward high heels on her feet, nodded sheepishly, and turned to go change them in the closet.
As if displeased that Yu Mo had disrupted her planned outfit, Shen Shuyu asked, somewhat reproachfully, “Didn’t I tell you before to practice wearing high heels at home when you have time? Why didn’t you listen?”
Yu Mo clutched the nearly ten-centimeter high heels in her hand, her fingers tense. “Jiejie, I can’t seem to practice well.”
“You still need to practice. You’ll inevitably have to wear them when you accompany me to events in the future.” Shen Shuyu stated.
“Yeah.” Yu Mo bit her lip tightly but still nodded.
Yu Mo truly couldn’t practice well. The feeling of her heel hanging in the air terrified her deep down. Wearing them for too long, she couldn’t control her legs from shaking. Yet Shen Shuyu, clever and perceptive as she was, had always ignored it, or perhaps hadn’t even noticed.
.
Shen Shuyu drove her old black Maybach, taking Yu Mo to the S78 Mall, a property under the Shen Group. The outdoor sunlight was just as brilliant as it seemed from inside the house. As soon as Yu Mo stepped out of the car, the radiant sunlight fell on her face, dispelling some of the gloom within her.
But Yu Mo didn’t just bask in the sun. As usual, she got out, opened a black umbrella, and proactively walked to Shen Shuyu’s side.
Shen Shuyu looked at the shade cast overhead and frowned slightly, sounding displeased. “You are my wife now; you don’t need to do these things for me anymore.”
“But, Jiejie, I want to.” Yu Mo tightened her grip on the umbrella handle.
Shen Shuyu looked at Yu Mo, most of her body still exposed to the sun, and pulled Yu Mo under the umbrella. Expressionless, she said, “No wife solely holds the umbrella for the other. If you must do it, do it properly.”
Thus, without any preparation from Yu Mo, Shen Shuyu grasped her wrist. Her palm covered Yu Mo’s skin, warm and slightly damp. Outside of bed, Shen Shuyu rarely had such physical contact with Yu Mo. This rare intimacy stimulated every nerve ending in Yu Mo; electric currents surged, her heart pounded like a drum.
Like a young girl just falling in love, Yu Mo’s cheeks faintly flushed. Overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, she replied, “I understand, Jiejie. I’ll be more mindful next time.”
Shen Shuyu glanced at Yu Mo, keenly capturing the blush on her cheeks under the shadow of the umbrella. A smile, unnoticed by Yu Mo, tugged at the corner of her lips.
As they entered S78 Mall, a lazy tune of an English jazz song was playing. The warm golden light fell softly into Yu Mo’s eyes. She was walking side-by-side with Shen Shuyu. The cold air blowing from the central air conditioning carried the scent of Shen Shuyu’s pheromones, a scent Yu Mo thoroughly enjoyed.
Yu Mo stole a glance at Shen Shuyu’s arm hanging naturally at her side. Her own hand itched to reach over and loop through it.
Since they were wives now, surely such a gesture wouldn’t be too much.
Yu Mo thought of how Shen Shuyu had grabbed her wrist earlier, and immense courage welled up in her heart.
Ten centimeters, five centimeters, one centimeter…
“What are you doing?” Shen Shuyu sensed Yu Mo’s fingers about to touch her skin and instinctively raised her arm to avoid them.
“I…” Yu Mo’s face fell. Looking at her hand that had grasped nothing and the displeasure in Shen Shuyu’s tone, all her fantasies vanished instantly like smoke.
Just then, Shen Shuyu’s phone rang. She didn’t press Yu Mo further on what she was trying to do. Glancing down at her phone, she told Yu Mo, “You browse around for a bit. I have something to take care of.”
As she spoke, Shen Shuyu made a gesture, and the bodyguards behind them split into two groups—half following her, half staying behind with Yu Mo.
Yu Mo had wanted to say she could wait for Shen Shuyu in a coffee shop, but Shen Shuyu gave her no chance to speak. She strode away quickly in her high heels towards a quieter area on another side.
Yu Mo watched Shen Shuyu’s retreating figure and uttered a single, dejected word, “…Okay.”
The music in the mall was still tenderly lazy, but Yu Mo had lost the mood to enjoy it. Without Shen Shuyu by her side, Yu Mo found this place lonely and tedious. Unconsciously, Yu Mo wandered into a jewelry store called TR.
Remembering that Zhou Qin had loved collecting things like brooches since school, Yu Mo thought she might as well pick out a beautiful brooch as a wedding gift for the couple. Shen Shuyu probably wouldn’t deem it inappropriate either; gifting jewelry was a generally accepted premium choice in both the Upper and Lower Cities.
But just as Yu Mo stepped into TR, a sharp and mean face turned towards her. Chen Aimei, wearing a tight, light rose-colored fishtail dress, was leaning sideways against a display case. She greeted Yu Mo with a sarcastic tone, “Oh my, isn’t that Yu Mo? What a coincidence, meeting you here.”
“Yeah, what a coincidence.” Yu Mo didn’t want to engage with her. She greeted her briefly and bent down to look at the jewelry in the display case.
“It seems Shen Shuyu spoils you quite a bit, allowing you to even come to TR.” Chen Aimei, however, was unrelenting. She walked up to Yu Mo and continued speaking.
Yu Mo, disgusted, took a step to the side. “It’s not for me. It’s a wedding gift for Ruoyu.”
Chen Aimei let out a knowing, ambiguous laugh. “Oh? So you’re still going to Feng Ruoyu’s wedding next week? It’s rare to see you attend such an event since marrying Shen Shuyu. No, wait—it’s rare that someone even wants to invite you to attend.”
Yu Mo felt a jab in her heart.
Back when Shen Shuyu married Yu Mo, it had caused huge waves in the Upper City.
The sole daughter of the prestigious Shen Group, not choosing the second son of the Chen Family, nor the Eldest Miss of the Wei Family, but choosing instead to marry down—to an orphan from the Lower City whose parents had just died. It truly shattered everyone’s expectations. As a result, for the past six months, many formal occasions hadn’t seen Shen Shuyu invited with her partner.
Officially, married couples attending events together was a long-standing unwritten rule of the Upper City, intended to introduce each other’s new status as a form of social recognition.
It was a bit of a joke, really. Yu Mo still hadn’t been taken by Shen Shuyu to any formal occasion. Not only was she unrecognized by the Upper City people, but Yu Mo felt that even Shen Shuyu herself didn’t truly recognize her.
Seeing Yu Mo remain silent, Chen Aimei laughed in disbelief. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? This isn’t like you. Back in school, you could argue even when you were clearly in the wrong. Have you learned to behave since marrying into the Shen Family? Did the mad dog turn into a pet dog?”
Yu Mo’s brow furrowed deeply. What she hated most was being called a dog. “Who are you calling a dog?”
“You, of course. Doesn’t everyone in these circles know that the Shen Family simply found a vicious guard dog for their Omega daughter? What, now that you’ve finally climbed into Shen Shuyu’s bed, you won’t admit it?” Chen Aimei sneered. The frustration of being suppressed by Shen Shuyu all these years made her transfer her resentment to Yu Mo. She didn’t hold back her words. “Using your own parents’ lives as a stepping stone to climb into Shen Shuyu’s bed… You really must love Shen Shuyu to death, don’t you?”
Slap!
The sound was crisp and loud. Everyone present stared wide-eyed in shock.
Yu Mo had just slapped Chen Aimei across the face.
“Say that again!” Yu Mo was trembling all over. Over the past year, she had heard countless rumors and whispers, and the fabricated stories about her parents’ deaths had reached an appalling level of exaggeration.
Shen Shuyu knew about it, understood it, but did nothing. And Yu Mo had long since stopped wanting to endure it.
Chen Aimei had simply walked right into the line of fire; she deserved it.
Yu Mo’s Alpha Grade was originally exceptionally outstanding. The sea salt caramel pheromone she released in her anger had completely lost the mellow sweetness of caramel. Thick, pure, intense waves of the sea salt scent crashed towards Chen Aimei, suppressing her so much she couldn’t even lift her head.
“Yu Mo! Are you crazy?! How dare you hit me?” Humiliated and furious, Chen Aimei clutched her face. Heedless of the public setting, she also released her sour strawberry-scented pheromone towards Yu Mo.
“What’s all this noise?” An authoritative, icy voice questioned. Shen Shuyu walked over from a visual blind spot nearby. Her face held a tinge of anger. Under the mall’s lighting, her silvery, pale eyes stared coldly at Chen Aimei.
