Chapter 50 Part 1

After reading the first passage, Lin Yuan’s emotions showed no particular fluctuation.

But after finishing the second passage, her expression clearly changed, with anger and hatred intertwining in her eyes, nowhere to vent.

【I’ve walked the same road as you.】

Her gaze left the tablet, and after locking eyes with Chi Yumo for a moment, Lin Yuan turned and walked toward a direction away from the ward.

Chi Yumo followed her to an open corridor platform. There was no cover overhead, no glass walls on either side, only noticeably heightened stainless steel railings.

The two of them stood by the railing near the center. Straight ahead, as far as the eye could see, was a massive bridge spanning the river. Cars flowed across it like water, coming and going endlessly.

Thick clouds floated in the sky, casting patches of gloom over the land below. But the sun moved, and the dark clouds shifted, so the darkness was only temporary.

Chi Yumo lowered her head, pondering how to appeal to her emotions in the next part of the conversation.

Then she heard the person beside her murmur lowly, “I hate her, and I hate myself too.”

…

After meeting Lin Yuan, Chi Yumo listened to music the entire way back home in the taxi, finally calming her heart.

—-The money might be a bit little, but accompanying just one person to play was always easier than accompanying countless people.

—-What she gave was enough for our whole family to live on.

—-As for ideals, when you’re starving, poorly dressed, sleepless, and your loved one’s life hangs in the balance, what ideals are there to talk about?

Lin Yuan, tricked by her “manager” into going to a club to meet the boss for a contract, drugged with an aphrodisiac, was intercepted by Li Longfeng from a group of demons. It was fortune, but also misfortune.

—-My body isn’t mine anymore, just a soulless, emotionless shell.

—-But it still has value, the value of keeping the whole family alive and breathing.

—-If I could do it over, even knowing it was a scam, I’d still go to that club, still drink that glass of wine, still go with her. Isn’t that ironic? Don’t you think I’ve fallen? But in that moment, it was my best choice.

—-So you don’t need to waste your effort on me anymore. No matter what your intentions are in coming to find me, I don’t think I can help.

Her family of four, with one seriously ill, but three healthy—who would pity them or offer aid?

After one or two fundraisers, acquaintances avoided them, strangers watched coldly from the sidelines. Wasn’t that just a drop in the bucket?

Not to mention the countless elderly, weak, sick, and disabled under heaven—even government agencies meant to serve the people couldn’t handle them all. How could she count on fearful relatives and friends?

With Li Longfeng’s money, she no longer had to worry about where to borrow money for her father’s medical bills, no longer worry about scraping together her brother’s tuition, no longer fear eviction onto the streets.

Sacrificing one person for the whole family’s stability—Lin Yuan said she thought it was very much worth it.

Even if that stability was only temporary. Even if that stability was just what she believed.

—-Not everyone gets the chance to meet selfless, philanthropic good Samaritans who help without expecting repayment. Philanthropists don’t help every poor soul they see on the street.

—-At least her money, I can take with a clear conscience. Not feeling like I owe her anything means I can hate her without hindrance.

—-You say you’ve walked the same road as me, so what about you? Do you hate that person? Let me guess—I bet you don’t hate her at all. In fact, you love her a lot, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have provoked me with that question. Am I right?

During that half hour alone with Lin Yuan, Chi Yumo’s heart never relaxed.

—-【I’ve walked the same road as you.】

That sentence, she had said wrong.

The her who met Shi Youwan was far luckier than Lin Yuan.

As Lin Yuan said, no matter how rich or kind a philanthropist, they don’t help everyone they see.

Her own chance had been planted as early as when she was nine years old.

Without the scar on her wrist, the twenty-year-old her, sitting despondently outside the police station, how could she have caught the eye of Shi Youwan, this protector and pamperer who asked for nothing in return?

Lin Yuan had guessed right—she loved Shi Youwan.

She never felt that falling in love with Shi Youwan was a misfortune, but if Lin Yuan had fallen for Li Longfeng, that would truly be misfortune upon misfortune.

Because Li Longfeng and Shi Youwan were in no way comparable—Li Longfeng wasn’t even worthy of comparison.

Since fate had arranged for her and Lin Yuan to “meet” at the villa, and Lin Yuan had pointed out the “road” for her, she owed a debt of gratitude and should repay it.

Perhaps she was Lin Yuan’s “chance”?

The her who had been rained on, frozen through, wanted to hold an umbrella for the cold and wet Lin Yuan.

Even if her umbrella wasn’t sturdy enough, even if her umbrella… was borrowed, she wanted to try her best to open it wide and hold it high.

She sent a message to Shen Muxi: 【Mu Xi-jie, don’t let Hua Jie go find her anymore. She’s not like me. Even if it’s a last resort, the road she should take shouldn’t lead to the entertainment industry.】

【Shen Muxi: Not digging this breach anymore?】

【Chi Yumo: Didn’t say not to dig.】

【Shen Muxi: Alright, dig in your own way then. Go for it!】

【Chi Yumo: That… Mu Xi-jie, can you advance me the endorsement fee for MENAS?】

【Shen Muxi: It’ll hit your account tomorrow.】

【Chi Yumo: Thanks, boss.】

【Shen Muxi: I’ll say a few more things—don’t have a heart that harms others, but don’t lack a heart that guards against them either. Don’t foolishly give it all away. People who can get into Lingjiang University are all sharp-minded.】

【Shen Muxi: So I’ll put the ugly words upfront—if you end up the sucker, I won’t comfort you. I’ll probably mock you and call you stupid.】

【Chi Yumo: You won’t get the chance.】

【Shen Muxi: Better not. I don’t want the one I’ve carefully raised to be a dumb bunny.】

…

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

Time is like an hourglass—if you stare at the sand falling without blinking, it feels slow. But turn your back for a moment, and when you look again, it’s fallen fast.

That week, Chi Yumo stayed in Lingjiang City and met Lin Yuan at the hospital twice. The first time for a “heart-to-heart,” the second for “money talk.”

She didn’t get Lin Yuan’s answer, but she learned that Li Longfeng gave Lin Yuan a monthly stipend of— one hundred thousand.

Heh, Li Longfeng, who had boasted about offering her two hundred thousand a month, really thought highly of her.

In her spare time from work, she reported to Nianhua that she was heading to Yinzhou City over the weekend—it was her personal trip, no assistant accompanying. Coincidentally, Shen Muxi was also in Yinzhou those two days. Nianhua informed her, and straightforwardly let Chi Yumo go.

The habits formed at the Deaf-Mute School—waking at a fixed early time, three fixed meals a day—had crumbled one by one after settling in Lingjiang.

Chi Yumo “went native,” heeding Shen Muxi’s good advice: a full night’s sleep is the cheapest source of happiness.

Earlier, she couldn’t sleep well, often jolting awake from nightmares. But lately, her sleep quality had improved a lot, and the nightmares hadn’t visited in quite some time.

On Saturday morning, she slept beautifully until ten o’clock.

Her flight was just after one in the afternoon. After getting up, she leisurely washed up, packed her luggage, had a simple meal, and still had time to head to the airport.

Besides Shen Muxi, Nianhua, and Chen Qiuxue, no one else knew she was returning to Yinzhou City.

She hadn’t told Cheng Xiangxiang, planning to go quietly, deliver a bouquet of flowers silently, and leave without a trace.

Since parting at the airport, Cheng Xiangxiang hadn’t contacted her again. Perhaps Xiangxiang was trying hard to forget her.

How could you truly be friends with someone you’d genuinely liked? Just like her and Shi Youwan—in her lifetime, she probably could never be friends with Shi Youwan.

Even if she weren’t the daughter of a murderer, her relationship with Shi Youwan would only ever be one of two things: strangers or lovers.

Or perhaps… a third option.

Chi Yumo traveled light to Yinzhou with just a backpack. Earphones and a mask became her essential going-out duo. She nipped even the smallest troubles in the bud.

She had booked a ride-hailing car in advance and communicated with the driver through the app, mentioning her voice was hoarse and she couldn’t speak easily.

They had just gotten onto the airport expressway when Chen Qiuxue’s WeChat message popped up.

【Chen Qiuxue: Miss Mo, have you arrived in Yinzhou?】

【Chi Yumo: Just got here.】

【Chen Qiuxue: Here’s the thing—around noon, Assistant Qiao messaged me asking if you were in Lingjiang these couple of days. I was napping then and saw it after you’d already boarded. Since it’s your personal trip, I just said you weren’t, but didn’t say where. Then I asked if there was something up. She said no.】

From domestic to overseas, Lingjiang to Lan Wei—Chen Qiuxue had seen all of Shi Youwan’s “special care” for Chi Yumo.

Especially in Lan Wei, where Shi Youwan had accompanied Chi Yumo through her Susceptible Period. Chi Yumo’s attentiveness to Shi Youwan only confirmed that Shi Youwan held a special place in her heart too.

Yet the two hadn’t established a romantic relationship.

Chen Qiuxue didn’t quite understand how Chi Yumo and Shi Youwan viewed this non-lover marking relationship, and she didn’t pry. But regarding Shi Youwan matters, she paid a bit more attention now.

Qiao Ke asking if Chi Yumo was in Lingjiang City was probably for President Shi.

Since the other party hadn’t stated her intent, Chen Qiuxue couldn’t speculate. But since it involved Shi Youwan, and she was the assistant, she felt she should inform Chi Yumo clearly.

An assistant also served as a “messenger.” She stated the facts objectively; how Chi Yumo interpreted it or if there was follow-up was up to her.

【Chi Yumo: Got it, thanks.】

Shi Youwan had actually “chased” her to Lingjiang again? Without even asking if she was there.

Chi Yumo finally saw it clearly—Shi Youwan wasn’t possessed by a vixen; she was brainwashed by hormones.

—-Little Mo, is the inhibitor better than me?

Gazing at the overcast sky outside the car window, Chi Yumo’s… heart was unsettled.

She truly didn’t want to rekindle things with Shi Youwan, but she even less wanted Shi Youwan to think she was using her as a Susceptible Period inhibitor—use and discard.

She let out a slow, long sigh and tapped into Qiao Ke’s profile picture.

【Chi Yumo: You all went to Lingjiang?】

【Qiao Ke: Mm, President Shi wanted to see you but was afraid of disturbing your rest, so she didn’t contact you first, hoping to get lucky.】

【Qiao Ke: Looks like our luck wasn’t great. Go ahead with your work; we’re on the flight back to Yinzhou too.】

【Chi Yumo: Okay.】

After ending the chat, Chi Yumo switched out and stared blankly at Shi Youwan’s conversation box. Their chat history stopped at Wednesday evening.

That Wednesday, she had the day off too.

Shi Youwan’s first message came near noon. Chi Yumo stayed in the gym until after four, spotted it while grabbing a change of clothes, but didn’t reply right away—dragging it out until sunset.