Chapter 48

For a moment, Yu Mo felt as if the whole world had fallen silent.

Shen Lin stood before her wordlessly, just as imposing as in her memories. Her tall figure, over 1.7 meters, was further elevated by seven to eight-centimeter high heels. Her entire silhouette was ramrod straight; the Alpha’s staunchness blended with a distinctly feminine softness.

Yu Mo greeted her politely: “Hello, Auntie.”

“Mm.” Shen Lin only nodded faintly, stepping around Yu Mo and walking straight into the room.

“Little classmate, are you here to see Shuyu? Are you leaving now?” Compared to Shen Lin, Zhou Yan was much more affable, her wrist resting gently on Yu Mo’s shoulder, her tone warm.

Under the oppressive atmosphere Shen Lin’s powerful aura cast, Yu Mo found the fiery-red smile of Zhou Yan exceptionally kind. In her last life, Zhou Yan was one of the few people in the Upper City who harbored no prejudice against her background as a Lower City Resident.

“Yeah, it’s getting late, and the tutoring class has lessons,” Yu Mo answered.

“Then hurry back,” Zhou Yan said, lifting her hand from Yu Mo’s shoulder.

Yu Mo gave a slight bow and walked away. Yet Zhou Yan’s gaze remained fixed on Yu Mo until she entered the elevator and completely disappeared. Her amber eyes stared at the empty elevator entrance, a flicker of an inscrutable light passing through them.

Seeing Shen Lin enter, Aunt Zhao and Ah Qian quickened their pace in tidying up. Swiftly and efficiently, they packed everything. Bowing slightly to Shen Lin, who was seated on the sofa, they quickly retreated.

The atmosphere in the room became even more somber.

Shen Lin crossed her long legs, her slender arms folded across her chest. The sky-blue shirt was pulled slightly tight, revealing a section of her wrist covered in needle marks despite the bracelet she wore.

“I’ve seen your Physical Examination Report. Are you alright now?” Shen Lin asked coldly.

Shen Shuyu was still seated at the small table, looking at the Shen Lin sitting opposite her as she replied, “I’m fine.”

“Why did you hide the fact that you differentiated into an Omega?” Shen Lin asked again.

Shen Shuyu fell silent. Since Shen Lin was asking like this, accompanied by Zhou Yan, she must already know what she had been up to over the past month at the company. If so, any further explanation from her was useless.

Shen Lin mercilessly exposed the truth: “Was it because you were afraid I’d find out and rush back from abroad, ruining your little plans?”

“Bypassing me entirely, arbitrarily using company resources to collaborate with your Aunt Zhou’s company on a government project. My daughter is getting more and more impressive,” Shen Lin said with a cold laugh.

Back when Shen Lin was abroad and saw Zhou Yan’s Tiancheng Project bid publicize three Lower City companies, she had expressed disapproval and even tried to persuade Zhou Yan. In her view, this project was the very definition of the gun taking out the bird that sticks its head out. She knew exactly what those stubborn old relics of the Upper City were thinking. They had pondered their wealth and glory for so many years; how could they be willing to let those Lower City dogs cross a heavenly bridge and step right into the Upper City?

Later, Zhou Yan decided to go ahead anyway. Shen Lin could only marvel at Zhou Yan’s extraordinary boldness. What she hadn’t expected was that this boldness partly belonged to her own daughter. Under the watchful eyes of so many of Shen Group’s informants, she had been concealed behind Zhou Group, also participating in Zhou Yan’s project. Her daughter had even schemed against her. If not for the uncontrollable event of her differentiation into an Omega, this scheme could have been considered flawless.

“I truly think this is a good project, worth trying,” Shen Shuyu replied calmly.

“Good? Tell me, what exactly do you find good about it?” Shen Lin pressed.

Shen Shuyu straightened her posture. She had long known this day would come, that Shen Lin would eventually find out. She had already rehearsed how her confrontation with Shen Lin would play out in her mind countless times. Clearing her throat slightly, she began: “Mother, don’t you feel this strange balance between the Upper City and the Lower City has been maintained for too long? How many capable people from the Lower City are suppressed by cliques of certain Upper City companies? They struggle desperately to come to the Upper City, almost flaying themselves alive in the process. This sickness needs to change.”

“Don’t you think it’s simply because their capabilities aren’t enough? To climb higher, you must pay a price,” Shen Lin countered.

“But there has never been a just and open path for Lower City residents to prove their abilities to us in the Upper City,” Shen Shuyu stated. “Aunt Zhou and I conducted a survey. In the lower strata of District A, quite a few companies, under the guise of cooperating with Lower City companies, suppress their quotes and maliciously profit. The government has been cracking down on this for years, and it’s been quite effective recently. But this does reflect a genuine problem: capable people find no avenue to seek recognition, while the incompetent sit arrogantly in high positions.”

“I feel it’s better to take advantage of the policies recently introduced by the government to recruit more talented individuals and more capable companies to the Upper City. The Upper City isn’t just a momentary honor; it should be continuous. A stagnant pool of water is destined to be unable to sustain glory; it will only breed maggots, constantly amplifying the conflict between the two districts.”

After speaking, Shen Shuyu looked at Shen Lin calmly, a clear pool in her eyes. Her words were resonant and forceful, hitting the Upper City’s sore spots directly. Yet, if not for this second chance at life, for Yu Mo’s sake, she wouldn’t have put down her lofty stance to contemplate the contradictions between the Upper and Lower Cities.

Everyone in the Upper City carried arrogance, their eyes on top of their heads, looking down on all Lower City dwellers. No matter how hardworking or promising, no matter what they sacrificed to change their fate. She herself had once been one of these people. A detestable one.

Zhou Yan, sitting beside Shen Lin, placed her hand over hers, echoing: “Indeed, I find Shuyu’s words quite convincing. Ah Lin, think about it. Back in our high school days, remember how the Wang family wielded their meager power tyrannically? Have you forgotten what you said back then?”

Shen Lin fell silent for a moment. Back then, Wang Shan had pushed Wu Jue, whose family status was still modest, to the ground. Unable to stand by, she had rushed forward, furiously scolding Wang Shan to her face until she couldn’t retort and slinked away.

But what exactly she had said back then, now over forty, she had mostly forgotten. Except for that one line: “The Wu family may not be great yet, but they are not one bit inferior to the Wang family, contentedly gloating over that little bit of glory!” She could never forget that.

At that time, she was only fifteen or sixteen, the same age as Shen Shuyu now. Within the ivory tower of home, she still believed the world was black and white, good and evil each receiving their due. Later, Shen Lin encountered Wang Shan in the business world. The Wang family was still the Wang family; their bit of glory seemed eternal, like gold that generated itself, never running out. Her claim of Wu Jue being her love at first sight, however, became a joke Wang Shan used to mock her.

Then Shen Lin painstakingly schemed for three or four years before she finally uprooted the Wang family from the Upper City, casting them out by the roots.

Now, thinking back, Shen Shuyu had grown to the same age as she was then. Her ideas coincidentally aligned with her own. Yet Shen Shuyu was more courageous and strategic than she had been. Her vision was also broader, not settling on just one family, but encompassing the entire Upper City.

Shen Lin’s gaze fell on the flower arrangement on the small table, her dark eyes inscrutable: “Next time you have an idea, remember to convince me first, just as you did with your Aunt Zhou.”

Zhou Yan had just started to think Shen Lin was letting the matter slide when Shen Lin added coldly: “Furthermore, for this year’s Tranquil Garden ancestral sweep, you will stay home and reflect. You are not to go.”

Shen Shuyu’s heart lurched. The hand hidden under the table tightly clenched the hem of her dress.

Hearing Shen Lin’s words, Zhou Yan squeezed Shen Lin’s hand and said with a beaming smile, trying to smooth things over: “Ah Lin, isn’t that a bit harsh? The child still needs to pay her respects to her grandmother, doesn’t she?”

Shen Lin kept her face as cold as ice, unmoved by Zhou Yan’s words. “I’m tired. I need to go back and rest.”

Zhou Yan understood Shen Lin was giving her face and followed her lead: “Then I’ll stay. You’ve been traveling for a whole day, rushing straight here from the airport. Go back and rest quickly.”

Shen Lin nodded, agreeing in principle. The matter of Shen Shuyu’s incident had been weighing on her mind. On the plane, she drifted in and out of sleep, never resting soundly. Her body, still under treatment and recuperation, couldn’t withstand such travel fatigue. Just now, knowing Shen Shuyu had acted on her own initiative, she had even felt a hint of a relapse.

Shen Lin rose and left. The door opened and closed. The silent room now held only Shen Shuyu and Zhou Yan.

Watching Shen Lin leave, Zhou Yan looked at Shen Shuyu, her face showing the strain of illness, and proactively moved to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to comfort her: “It’s alright, you know. When your mother isn’t paying attention, Auntie will secretly take you to Tranquil Garden.”

Zhou Yan’s voice was much gentler than Shen Lin’s; the atmosphere in the room instantly relaxed.

Shen Shuyu knew Zhou Yan meant well, but she didn’t want to cause her trouble, so she declined politely: “Thank you, Auntie, but I’d rather not cause you any trouble.”

Zhou Yan looked at Shen Shuyu. The young girl was thin and frail, the hospital gown hanging loosely. Whether it was due to the previous night’s ordeal or she was simply built this way, either way, she was worryingly thin.

Wanting to lift Shen Shuyu’s spirits, Zhou Yan’s eyes swiveled, a hint of cunning appearing. She shifted the topic. “Oh my, that young girl who left just now—why does she look so familiar? Who is she?”

Shen Shuyu answered calmly: “Yu Mo. My… friend.”

Hearing the name “Yu Mo,” Zhou Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up. She asked further, “Would that be the young lady from Under the Elmshade?”

She had felt she recognized Yu Mo the moment she saw her. Prompted by Shen Shuyu, she immediately connected her mentally to Yu Decai, whom she had met at the bidding conference. Although father and daughter differed in size and stature, the bearing between their brows and their way of walking were practically cast from the same mold, carrying that same free and easy spirit.

Shen Shuyu looked up at Zhou Yan. Knowing denial was futile, she didn’t answer, effectively admitting it.

Seeing Shen Shuyu’s reaction, Zhou Yan leaned back in her chair and teased with a gossipy tone: “So, doesn’t this count as an abuse of power?”

Shen Shuyu’s tone was calm, not a trace of the panic of being caught: “I merely handed her the opportunity. It was she who seized it.”

Zhou Yan laughed: “I see it more like you paved the way, and she just had to walk across it.”

Unflustered by Zhou Yan’s teasing, Shen Shuyu only pointed out the trap she had set for Zhou Yan earlier: “That still requires her to have the ability. Didn’t Aunt Zhou also personally greatly admire the courage and spirit of the person who wrote Under the Elmshade’s bid proposal?”

Far from being annoyed, Zhou Yan laughed even more heartily: “Very good, so this is where your little fox trap was waiting for me, huh?”

After laughing for a moment, she composed her expression, her face turning more serious: “I know you admitting this to me means you trust me. Auntie will definitely keep this secret for you. But I must also give you a warning: the road ahead will be very difficult. Be prepared. Life is long.”

Zhou Yan’s words were similar to what Li Qingqing had told Shen Shuyu. Whether in this life or the last, her relationship with Yu Mo was not favored by anyone.

Just then, Shen Shuyu’s phone buzzed. A message from Yu Mo arrived: 【Everything okay now?】

For some reason, upon seeing the message, Shen Shuyu found herself walking to the window, phone in hand. As expected, in the shadows of the trees below, she saw Yu Mo’s small, indistinct figure gradually disappearing down the path. Had she remembered Shen Lin’s severity and was worried about her? Had she been waiting downstairs the whole time, and sent the message the instant she saw Shen Lin leave?

Flower after flower furiously bloomed anew in the ruined field of Shen Shuyu’s heart. The faint speck of light Yu Mo had given her was carefully hung high in the sky, gently warming her once desolate heart.

Shen Shuyu’s cool, clear eyes softened as she answered: “But I am willing to place the rest of my life in her hands.”