Chapter 17
Something she loved?
Shen Shu shielded her face from the sun. Some things, once abandoned, were harder to reclaim than reaching for the sky. The dreams she once cherished were now beyond her grasp.
She gazed out the window at the bright sunlight, tears tracing paths down her cheeks. Could she endure this any longer?
She was so tired.
She didn’t know who had given birth to her, only to become a burden in this world. It seemed her existence was solely for their torment.
She wiped away the remaining tears with her finger and answered her buzzing phone.
An unknown number.
‘Call me if you need anything. Don’t let them bully you. – Xu Jinnan’
She paused.
Another message arrived.
‘I’m using you to fight for the inheritance. You can use me too. Fair trade.’
Xu Jinnan’s implication was clear: she had agreed to help the Shen family, but ultimately, it was for Shen Shu’s sake. If Shen Shu changed her mind, the terms of their agreement could be renegotiated.
Shen Shu turned off her phone, staring out the window, lost in thought.
The Xu family villa was located in the exclusive South District. Money alone couldn’t buy you a place there. Xu Tao wasn’t an ordinary man to have built the Xu Corporation into such a powerhouse.
When Xu Jinnan arrived, the servants seemed surprised to see her.
To her surprise, they informed her that Lu Yun wasn’t home.
Walking across the plush carpet of the grand entrance hall, she saw a middle-aged man reading a newspaper on the sofa – Xu Tao.
He was slightly overweight, but his tall frame carried it well.
“You decided to come home?” he said, putting down the newspaper and glaring at her. He was clearly angry.
In the book, Xu Tao had treated the original Xu Jinnan well, and he and Lu Yun were known for their loving marriage. Xu Jinnan couldn’t understand why the original Xu Jinnan would investigate him.
Xu Jinnan put on a businesslike smile. “Dad, considering I’ve made a contribution to the company, please don’t be angry.”
Xu Tao grunted, scolding her half-heartedly for her recklessness.
But when he mentioned her marriage, his face darkened, his words laced with disdain for the Shen family.
“I don’t care how you behave outside, but if you embarrass the Xu family again, I won’t forgive you.”
Xu Jinnan hadn’t sensed anything amiss until this moment. As she took a sip of tea, she happened to meet Xu Tao’s gaze.
She couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, but it felt… uncomfortable.
As Xu Tao got up to answer a phone call, Xu Jinnan scanned the room – the spacious, luxurious hall, the grand staircase – her gaze finally settling on a room on the second floor, at the southern end of the house.
Glancing at Xu Tao’s back, she went upstairs.
The original Xu Jinnan’s room was spotless, likely cleaned daily. A large painting of a nude back, presumably hers, hung on the wall opposite the bed.
Xu Jinnan remembered a hidden room, disguised as a walk-in closet, that no one knew about.
The closet was filled with an array of sexy dresses. A separate wardrobe held various… accessories, including belts, chains, and whips…
She rubbed her fingertips, as if she could still feel the cold metal of the handcuffs from that night.
Her heart pounded.
It was the same reaction she’d had when she saw the contents of the red bag.
She pushed the disturbing thoughts aside and focused on the hidden room. Opening the back of the closet, she found a small, two-square-meter room. She switched on the light. A single framed photo sat on a small black table.
It was a family portrait of three people.
A buzzing sound filled the small space.
Startled, Xu Jinnan answered her phone. Lu Yun’s voice sounded less energetic than usual.
“Nannan, the housekeeper told me you’re home? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“I just decided on the spur of the moment.” Xu Jinnan stared at the photo, her voice distracted. “Why aren’t you home?”
“I’m on vacation with some friends. You never come home, so I have to find other company.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Is your father home?” Lu Yun asked.
“Yes, why?”
Lu Yun paused. “No reason. Your father’s been in a bad mood lately. Don’t sleep at home tonight. I don’t want you two fighting while I’m away.”
Xu Jinnan said she was just stopping by.
As Lu Yun continued talking, Xu Jinnan heard another voice in the background.
“Her oxygen saturation is a little low…”
Then the line went dead.
This was the first time Lu Yun had hung up on her. Xu Jinnan called back, but Lu Yun hung up again, sending a WeChat message instead.
[A friend I’m traveling with is in the hospital. Something came up. Take care, Nannan. I’ll be back in a few days.]
Xu Jinnan looked back at the photo – Lu Yun, the original Xu Jinnan, and a man who was presumably Xu Tao. She said presumably because his face had been scratched out…
The original Xu Jinnan investigating Xu Tao was puzzling enough, and now Lu Yun’s behavior seemed strange too.
So far, no one in this family, including the original Xu Jinnan, seemed normal.
What secrets were they hiding?
As Xu Jinnan frowned, as if to confirm her suspicions, a portable safe beside the photo caught her attention.
A wave of unease washed over her.
She knew this feeling wasn’t hers; it belonged to the original Xu Jinnan.
Just as her body retained some of the original Xu Jinnan’s preferences, it also seemed to hold onto some of her negative emotions.
Downstairs, Xu Tao was gone. Xu Jinnan left the villa, feeling disturbed.
Zhou Pei, seeing her carrying a small box, hurried out of the car to take it.
“Miss, something happened with Miss Shen.”
Xu Jinnan stopped. “What happened?”
“Our contact at Shen Corporation said that to cover up Shen Jun’s embezzlement, Shen Guotao called a shareholders’ meeting and blamed everything on Miss Shen.” Zhou Pei watched Xu Jinnan’s reaction. “Miss Shen had no idea. She went to the company to discuss a solution with Mr. Yang, but…”
“Those bastards!”
Xu Jinnan rarely cursed. Her usual composure shattered, replaced by a chilling rage.
Zhou Pei felt a shiver run down her spine.
Xu Jinnan called Shen Shu twice, but she didn’t answer. She told Zhou Pei to drive to the Shen Corporation building.
As they were leaving the villa, Xu Jinnan’s phone rang.
It was Shen Shu.
“Hello?” Xu Jinnan answered.
“Darling.” Shen Shu’s cool voice was soft, almost a whisper. “I’m at the company. Could you come pick me up?”
Xu Jinnan’s fingers tightened around the phone.
She knew Shen Shu was putting on an act for someone else, but the endearment sent a shiver down her spine, a strange tingling sensation spreading through her.
Leave a Reply