Chapter 28p1
The question was startling.
Xu Jinnan had anticipated this confrontation, but she hadn’t expected it to be so sudden.
She looked at Shen Shu’s clear, unwavering gaze, then noticed a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.
Xu Jinnan reached up to wipe the tear from her own eyelid. “Shall we go upstairs?” she asked.
She dismissed Zhou Pei and followed Shen Shu into the apartment building.
The real reason for her deception was the initial lack of trust and Shen Shu’s aversion to Alphas, although she still didn’t know the root cause of that aversion.
But if Shen Shu asked directly, she wouldn’t lie.
The rain had started suddenly, but fortunately, Zhou Pei had given her an umbrella. It took them a minute and a half to walk from the entrance to Shen Shu’s apartment.
They walked side by side in silence, Xu Jinnan holding the umbrella and tilting it slightly towards Shen Shu.
Inside the apartment, Shen Shu changed into slippers, the rain having splashed her legs and seeped into her heels.
Xu Jinnan stood at the door, watching her.
After this conversation, she probably wouldn’t be welcome inside anymore.
Shen Shu straightened up, her beautiful eyes meeting Xu Jinnan’s, as if seeing right through her, into her very soul. As if she knew everything.
Or had guessed everything.
After a long silence, Xu Jinnan began, “Actually, I…”
A sudden, insistent knocking interrupted her.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Lu Yun’s arrival disrupted her train of thought. She wasn’t carrying any luggage, but her expression indicated this visit wasn’t a casual one.
As expected, Lu Yun walked in, her face grim, and threw her handbag onto the coffee table. “I really underestimated you,” she said, glaring at Shen Shu.
Shen Shu was taken aback, but Xu Jinnan quickly stepped in front of her, shielding her from Lu Yun’s anger.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
Lu Yun’s gaze shifted to Xu Jinnan. “Since the wedding, the Shen family has taken full advantage of their connection to the Xu family. I won’t even mention the twenty million investment I threw away like it was nothing. But I made it clear to them that the Xu family wouldn’t help them with this, and they shouldn’t even think about asking…” She let out a sarcastic laugh, glaring at Shen Shu.
“And what does she do? Did she think I was joking? She turns around and whispers in your ear, convincing you to throw money at their problems?” She had disliked Shen Shu from the moment she saw her.
She knew about Nannan’s childhood trauma, the little girl Zhou Pei had tracked down, and the events that had transpired.
She hadn’t noticed any resemblance between Shen Shu and that girl at first. The slight similarity in their features was barely noticeable.
It wasn’t until Nannan insisted on marrying Shen Shu that she realized Shen Shu was just a substitute.
At the time, she hadn’t been worried. If this was Nannan’s way of dealing with her past, letting her vent her frustrations on someone, it was fine.
The Shen family had been in dire financial straits, and they had eagerly accepted the proposal.
Twenty million was a small price to pay for Nannan’s happiness.
But now, things were different.
Shen Shu had crossed a line.
She was influencing Nannan’s decisions. Since the wedding, Nannan had become softer, more compliant.
Shen Shu looked at Xu Jinnan, surprised. Wei Wuqing had indeed asked for money and had suggested asking Xu Jinnan for help.
But Shen Shu hadn’t intended to mention it.
“Mom, you misunderstand. Shu Shu didn’t ask for anything. I just happened to hear about their situation,” Xu Jinnan said.
The eight million she had provided the Shen family was nothing compared to the initial twenty million wedding investment.
Lu Yun’s anger stemmed mostly from her dislike of Shen Shu and the Shen family.
She assumed Shen Shu had manipulated her.
Just like with the inheritance issue, Lu Yun’s first instinct was to blame Shen Shu – even though logically, it didn’t make sense for Shen Shu to do so.
“Does that make it any less important?” Lu Yun exclaimed. “You gave away all the money you had! You think I don’t know? You refuse my money, but you throw your own money at them. Do you expect me to just stand by and watch?”
Shen Shu froze.
She knew Xu Jinnan had started a venture capital firm and had been busy with investments.
But was Lu Yun telling the truth? Why would Xu Jinnan do that?
Xu Jinnan turned to Shen Shu. “Why don’t you go inside for a moment?”
Shen Shu hesitated, then nodded.
Staying here would only make things worse.
Seeing Shen Shu about to leave, Lu Yun frowned at Xu Jinnan. “I came here to talk to her. Why are you sending her away? Tell me, is she the reason you don’t want the Xu family’s money, the inheritance, my money…?” She pointed at Shen Shu’s back. “Is it all because of her?”
Shen Shu stiffened, but didn’t stop.
The bedroom door clicked shut.
Xu Jinnan sat down beside Lu Yun, trying to calm her down.
“I didn’t just give the Shen family money. We signed a contract,” she explained. “No profit sharing, full repayment. If they don’t fulfill the contract within three months, they have to use company shares as collateral.”
“You think they can repay it?” Lu Yun scoffed. “Those two are useless. Do you know why this happened? Because that idiot son of theirs was scammed in a business deal. The middleman was the Han family’s youngest son. And now, Shen Guotao actually went to the Han family demanding compensation.”
Everyone in North City knew about the two major business empires – the Xu Corporation and the HP Group.
The Xu Corporation focused on import-export trade and real estate. HP focused on e-commerce and new energy, recently expanding into real estate development.
Even if the youngest Han son had deliberately targeted them, Shen Guotao couldn’t just confront the Han family directly.
It was a foolish move.
But he had been relying on the Xu family’s influence.
He hadn’t considered that in the business world, profit always came first. Even with the Xu family’s backing, few would dare to do business with him now. If anything went wrong, it would only create more trouble for them.
While the Xu and Han families maintained a cordial facade, they were fierce competitors.
Shen Guotao, relying on the Xu family’s power, had offended the Han family. The best course of action for the Xu family was to distance themselves. After all, Shen Guotao was insignificant to Lu Yun and Xu Tao.
It wasn’t worth jeopardizing their relationship with the Han family for him.
“I know,” Xu Jinnan said.
She had used all her available funds, so of course she had thoroughly investigated the situation beforehand.
“You knew?!”
“I married Shen Shu. Is it right to abandon her family now, just because of some minor conflict between the Xu and Han families?” She could tell Shen Shu still cared about her family.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so restless and sleepless the night she received news of Shen Guotao’s accident.
Lu Yun was taken aback, then her voice sharpened.
“So, it is because of that vixen! I regret letting you marry her!”
“How many times have I told you? Never trust those people outside. They’re all untrustworthy! Only your mother will never harm you! Look at what you’ve become! You don’t care about anything anymore…”
Xu Jinnan wasn’t heartless. Despite her lack of emotional connection to Lu Yun, and despite the secrets Lu Yun and the Xu family were hiding, she still felt a pang of sympathy for her as a mother.
But that didn’t mean she would tolerate this.
Especially Lu Yun’s increasing possessiveness.
“Mom, perhaps you don’t simply dislike Shen Shu,” Xu Jinnan said, looking at Lu Yun, her voice calm but firm. “You just can’t accept that I’m becoming independent, right?”
“But I’ve grown up. I have my own thoughts, my own way of living,” Xu Jinnan continued. “You need to let go.”
Lu Yun’s face paled. “What are you…”
She clutched her chest and doubled over.
Xu Jinnan rushed to support her. “What’s wrong?”
“Medication… in my bag…”
Xu Jinnan quickly retrieved a small white bottle from Lu Yun’s bag.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Shu opened the bedroom door and hurried over, bringing a glass of warm water.
After taking the medication, Lu Yun’s color gradually returned.
Xu Jinnan helped her lie down in the guest room and was about to call the hospital when Lu Yun stopped her. “I’m fine now. Just need some rest.”
Lu Yun insisted she was okay, and seeing her improved color, Xu Jinnan nodded.
“Don’t worry, Nannan. I’m fine,” Lu Yun said, her voice weaker than before.
Hearing her reassurance, Xu Jinnan sighed. “Rest well. We’ll talk later.” She left the door slightly ajar and went out.
Shen Shu was standing by the kitchen counter. “Is your mother alright?”
“She’s fine. She’s resting.”
It was the first time Xu Jinnan had learned about Lu Yun’s heart condition.
Shen Shu, seeing her expression, handed her a glass of water.
“Thank you,” Xu Jinnan said, taking the glass.
As she drank, her pale neck tilted back slightly, her throat bobbing.
Shen Shu noticed the damp sleeve of her beige top, the thin fabric clinging to her skin, accentuating the curve of her breast.
“Why don’t you take a shower? Call me when you’re done,” Shen Shu said, looking away. “Then we can talk.”
Xu Jinnan nodded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Okay.”
In the bathroom, Xu Jinnan stood under the showerhead, her mind racing.
Lu Yun’s reaction had been completely unexpected.
She was still so bad at handling these relationships.
After a quick shower, Xu Jinnan peeked into the guest room and saw Shen Shu inside.
“Your mother is still feeling unwell. Her private doctor is on the way,” Shen Shu said, turning off the main lights and leaving only the bedside lamp on to avoid straining Lu Yun’s eyes.
Xu Jinnan pulled off her towel and walked over.
Lu Yun’s eyes were closed, her breathing shallow and rapid, her brow furrowed, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. Xu Jinnan suddenly regretted her earlier complacency.
The doctor arrived quickly, examining Lu Yun and concluding she had experienced a stress-induced episode and hadn’t fully recovered from her medication.
“Her blood pressure and other vitals are normal now. There’s no major cause for concern, but a family member should stay with her tonight, and it’s best to bring her to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow,” the doctor said.
“Is it a heart condition?” Xu Jinnan asked.
“Hypertension and heart disease. It’s been going on for years. Miss Xu, your mother hid it from you because she didn’t want you to worry. Mrs. Lu is truly a remarkable mother.”
Xu Jinnan thanked the doctor and saw him out.
She saw Shen Shu closing the guest room door. Their eyes met. “Shall we talk now?” Xu Jinnan asked.
“Take care of your mother first,” Shen Shu replied, then paused, her gaze lingering on Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan’s hair was damp and slightly disheveled, and she was wearing a long chiffon dress.
Sensing her gaze, Xu Jinnan shrugged. “I don’t have anything else to wear.” She hadn’t expected to spend another night here, so she had only brought one set of pajamas, which were still damp from last night. The clothes in the wardrobe were all similar dresses.
“What if your mother sees you like this?”
“It’s fine,” Xu Jinnan replied.
Shen Shu hesitated, then went into her bedroom and returned with a black, oversized cotton T-shirt.
“Do you want to wear this?”
“…Okay.”
Shen Shu had asked her directly, so she must have learned something, or discovered something, yet she was still being civil.
Xu Jinnan was surprised.
She left the guest room door ajar and lay down on the living room sofa, within earshot of Lu Yun. She checked on her periodically throughout the night, finally falling asleep around 1 a.m., reassured that Lu Yun was stable.
In the morning, after Xu Jinnan and Lu Yun left for the hospital, Shen Shu went to clean the guest room.
As she pulled back the covers, she froze.
Several dark red stains dotted the sheets.
Bloodstains. Judging by their location, they were from someone’s back.
Just as Xu Jinnan arrived at the hospital, she received a WeChat message from Shen Shu.
[Check your mother’s back. It looks like she’s injured.]
A photo of the bloodstained sheets followed.
Xu Jinnan’s heart lurched.
She looked at Lu Yun, who was undergoing a check-up, a wave of unease washing over her.
That unfamiliar feeling again.
She stood there for a moment, frowning, a thought forming in her mind.
After excusing herself, she returned to the room. The dirty laundry basket in the bathroom was empty.
Feeling a sense of frustration, she was about to leave when she saw a housekeeper cleaning the room across the hall. “Did you see the clothes from the bathroom in this room?” she asked.
“They’re in the laundry cart. They were stained, so I took them,” the housekeeper replied.
Xu Jinnan immediately spotted Lu Yun’s black dress.
She retrieved it and returned to the room. The soft fabric felt stiff where the blood had dried.
Holding it up to the light, she could make out several long, thin marks.
Her fingers tightened, crumpling the dress in her hand. A chilling thought struck her – Perhaps there’s more than one victim in the Xu family?
She touched her chest, feeling a phantom pain, as if she was experiencing the original Xu Jinnan’s suffering.
She hoped she was wrong.
But the premonition felt too real.
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