Chapter 34 p2
The nearby sales assistants watched nervously. None of these women were people they could afford to offend.
Shen Shu took a deep breath. “If you two are done with your petty insults, I’d like to see that brooch,” she said, turning away.
A sales assistant, wearing white gloves, nervously presented the brooch. “Miss, you have excellent taste. This is our most exquisite piece. There were only three made, and this is the last one. It features…”
“I’ll take it,” Chen Baimo interrupted, tapping the glass display case. “Miss Shen, I’m sorry, but perhaps you could choose another one?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Shen Shu asked.
Xu Li stepped forward. “Are you threatening my friend? Relying on Xu Jinnan’s influence?”
Shen Shu looked at Xu Li. She knew they were half-sisters and their relationship wasn’t close, but she hadn’t expected such open hostility.
She suddenly remembered Xu Jinnan’s drunken words at the hotel, “Why not play with me?”
What kind of childhood had Xu Jinnan endured, surrounded by such animosity?
“Fine, you can have it,” Shen Shu said, walking away and glancing at the other jewelry.
“Have it?” Xu Li scoffed.
“Yes,” Shen Shu replied calmly. “You’re Xu Jinnan’s sister. While you clearly don’t know what respect is, I won’t stoop to your level. After all, my wife has never spoken ill of you.” She pointed at a diamond-encrusted brooch at the back of the store. “I’ll let you have this one. Let me see that one, please.” She turned to Chen Baimo. “You’re not going to try and take this one too, are you? It’s very expensive.”
Chen Baimo glared at her. “I’ll take it!”
Xu Li, about to stop her, paused, then looked at Shen Shu. This was clearly a provocation, but it didn’t matter. How much could this thing cost?
“How bold,” Shen Shu said, smiling faintly. “I’ll be leaving now. Why don’t you wrap it up for Miss Chen?” The implication was clear – once she left, they wouldn’t be able to afford it.
Her voice remained calm and composed, like a gentle breeze.
The more composed she was, the angrier Chen Baimo became. “How much is it?! Do you think I can’t afford it?” she sneered.
“It’s 1,326,800 yuan, Miss Chen,” the sales assistant replied immediately.
Even Xu Li paused. While the amount wasn’t exorbitant for her, spending over a million on a whim seemed excessive. And judging by Shen Shu’s indifferent expression, it was Chen Baimo who had lost this round.
But Chen Baimo didn’t see it that way. She couldn’t compare to Xu Li. She had assumed it would be around a hundred thousand, but even maxing out her credit cards wouldn’t cover this.
She looked at Xu Li pleadingly.
Xu Li, rolling her eyes, tossed a black card onto the counter. “Perfect. It’s my stepmother’s birthday today. That ungrateful Xu Jinnan probably won’t get her anything decent. Consider this my filial duty.”
While “stepmother” wasn’t inherently derogatory, Xu Li’s tone made it sound insulting.
And she had included Xu Jinnan in the insult.
Shen Shu lowered her gaze, suppressing her annoyance.
As the sales assistant processed the payment, Shen Shu walked over to the counter, smiling faintly. “My wife and I thank you for your generosity.”
Xu Li frowned.
Chen Baimo sensed something was wrong. “What do you mean?”
Just then, Xu Jinnan walked in. She had been on a call with a business partner and was surprised to see Shen Shu facing off against the two women.
As she approached, about to ask what was going on, Shen Shu linked arms with her. “Darling, your sister is so thoughtful. She just made a large purchase for us.”
At that moment, the manager hurried in from a side door. “CEO Xu, you’re here!”
“This store… is yours?!” Chen Baimo exclaimed.
Xu Jinnan, snapping out of her initial surprise at being called “darling,” looked at Xu Li’s livid face and understood the situation.
“Not entirely ours. We just… invested a little,” she said, smiling at Xu Li. “You’re so thoughtful. I’m touched.”
Xu Li: “…”
Besides the investment in Sacred Heart Pictures, Xu Jinnan had put most of her remaining funds into this jewelry store. It had been on the verge of closing down, and she had acquired it at a low price, renovating it and rebranding it as a high-end boutique.
After some online promotion with the help of a few social media influencers, the store had become profitable within a few months.
“Fine, you got me this time. I’ll remember this,” Xu Li said coldly, then turned and left, Chen Baimo hurrying after her.
As she left, Chen Baimo glared at Shen Shu. “Don’t get too cocky!”
Xu Jinnan gave her a look, and Chen Baimo fell silent. Even with Xu Li’s presence, she wouldn’t dare confront Xu Jinnan directly.
After they left, Xu Jinnan turned to the manager. “You’re fired.” Hiding during a confrontation was unacceptable.
Sensing Shen Shu tugging at her arm, Xu Jinnan held onto her hand, her voice low and serious. “Did they say anything to upset you?”
Shen Shu looked at her and shook her head. “It’s fine. Even if they did, I got my revenge.”
She was right.
To Xu Li, the money was nothing, but the fact that Xu Jinnan had profited from it was more painful than death.
“I’m sorry,” Xu Jinnan said.
“Why?” Shen Shu asked, her gaze clear and unwavering. “Aren’t we in this together?”
Xu Jinnan’s heart skipped a beat.
Shen Shu smiled faintly. “Good thing you warned me. I might have actually fallen for it.” She rarely used such softening phrases.
Xu Jinnan thought Shen Shu might not realize how endearing she sounded…
It was past 4 p.m. when they left the mall. As soon as they drove out of the parking garage, Shen Shu received a call from the film crew, saying they needed to reshoot a scene.
Xu Jinnan offered to drive her back to the studio. “Can you find somewhere to stop? I need to change,” Shen Shu said.
Xu Jinnan’s first thought was, She doesn’t like the dress?
“This isn’t appropriate for work,” Shen Shu explained. “It’s more suitable for afternoon tea or a date.”
Xu Jinnan found a relatively secluded spot and raised the privacy divider.
Shen Shu changed in the back seat.
With the windows closed, the car was silent.
Xu Jinnan tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, listening to the sound of the zipper.
The slow, deliberate movements, pausing briefly, allowed Xu Jinnan to imagine Shen Shu struggling with the zipper at her back.
Then, after a short pause, the zipper reached the bottom.
Xu Jinnan’s fingers froze in midair. She exhaled slowly, a sudden warmth spreading through her.
After dropping Shen Shu off, Xu Jinnan drove to the Xu residence.
The overcast sky had darkened early, and as she approached the house, she was surprised to see traditional lanterns hanging by the entrance, the kind used for birthday celebrations in wealthy families.
Lu Yun, beaming, greeted her at the door.
“Why the lanterns?” Xu Jinnan asked.
Lu Yun looked at her strangely. “It’s like you’ve never been here before. It’s an old Xu family tradition.”
Xu Jinnan nodded, handing her the gift. “Happy birthday, Mom.”
Lu Yun’s face lit up as she received the dress and matching brooch. “Nannan, the last time you gave me a gift was when you were in kindergarten. It’s been so long. I’m so happy.”
Hearing the word “kindergarten,” Xu Jinnan was reminded of that rainy day, the image of her bloodied arm flashing through her mind.
She felt a phantom pain.
But she quickly composed herself.
Xu Li had arrived earlier, but perhaps not wanting to see her, she remained upstairs.
Xu Jinnan went to the kitchen, where Lu Yun and the servants were busy preparing dinner. Seeing the ingredients laid out on the counter, she felt a familiar itch. “Need any help?”
Lu Yun chuckled. “What can you possibly help with?”
One of the older servants smiled. “I remember when Miss was little, she loved to cook. She said she wanted to be a chef, a gourmet.”
Xu Jinnan paused. The original Xu Jinnan had shared her childhood dream.
She had also wanted to be a chef, but her family’s expectations had prevented her from pursuing such a frivolous career.
Lu Yun’s smile faltered. “Yes, but Nannan is more suited for business, isn’t she? She’s so smart. Cooking would be a waste of her talent.”
Xu Jinnan mumbled in agreement, her earlier enthusiasm fading.
An hour later, as dinner was about to begin, Xu Li came downstairs and begrudgingly wished Lu Yun a happy birthday in front of Xu Tao, then tossed her gift aside and excused herself, claiming she had an important meeting.
Neither Xu Tao nor Lu Yun reacted, as if they were used to her behavior.
“Let’s have a toast,” Xu Tao said, his demeanor surprisingly normal. Xu Jinnan figured one glass wouldn’t hurt.
But Xu Tao, for some reason, became increasingly cheerful as he drank, finishing a bottle of wine quickly and asking Lu Yun to open another one.
Xu Jinnan, checking the time, was about to leave when Xu Tao stopped her.
“Tell me about the Song family,” he said, his face slightly flushed from the alcohol.
Xu Jinnan explained the situation, then added, “The Song family dared to target me, meaning they don’t respect the Xu family. This also affects our reputation, so I decided to retaliate.”
Xu Tao nodded, taking another drink. “You did the right thing. Anyone who disrespects the Xu family will face our wrath! The Xu family’s reputation is paramount. Remember that until the day you die!”
Just as Xu Jinnan was about to speak, he slammed his glass down. “Come with me to the study.”
“What for?” Xu Jinnan asked warily.
“Just come. Don’t ask so many questions,” he said impatiently.
Xu Jinnan glanced at Lu Yun, whose expression seemed strained. After a moment, she said, “I’ll make some hangover soup.”
Xu Jinnan figured that even if Xu Tao intended to do something, Lu Yun wouldn’t let him hurt her.
At 8 p.m., after her shower, Shen Shu looked around the empty living room, the silence amplifying the sense of loneliness.
Perhaps it was the contrast to the past two days that made it feel so quiet.
She turned off the living room lights and returned to the bedroom.
As she was reading in bed, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Cai Ying.
Cai Ying: [I miss you! What are you and Xu Jinnan doing?]
Cai Ying: [Shu Shu, I wish I could live at your place. My house is so empty without you.]
Cai Ying: [Whining emoji]
Reading the second message, Shen Shu felt a pang of sympathy and glanced at the empty space beside her on the bed.
Shen Shu: [Xu Jinnan is at her family’s house. I’m alone too.]
She stared at the message, her finger hovering over the “retract” button, but decided against it. It would seem too deliberate.
Besides, Cai Ying believed they were a real couple.
Cai Ying: [Why didn’t she take you with her? Or did you not want to go?]
Shen Shu had been worried Xu Jinnan would ask her to go to the Xu residence today, like that time at the Shen family home.
But she hadn’t said anything, partly for Cai Ying’s sake. No one in the Xu family liked Shen Shu. Dealing with Xu Li alone was difficult enough, let alone Lu Yun.
And then there was Xu Tao, whom she hadn’t even met yet.
Shen Shu: [I didn’t want to go.]
She scrolled through her Moments feed and saw a financial news article about the Xu family. She clicked on it.
It was a profile of Xu Tao and Lu Yun, describing their loving relationship, how they met, their marriage, etc.
There were even some interview excerpts and photos of them together.
Just as she finished reading, Cai Ying sent another message. Shen Shu returned to their chat.
Her gaze fell on a message from Xu Jinnan from half an hour ago.
Xu Jinnan: [Can you try these?]
On the way home, she had thought of another possibility for the password. If it wasn’t a birthday, perhaps it was another special date.
So, she had messaged Shen Shu: [Ask around if there are any other special dates, like school enrollment dates.]
Xu Jinnan had sent her a few possible dates – elementary school enrollment, middle school enrollment, etc. – about five or six in total.
Shen Shu had tried them all, but none worked.
She stared at the box, thinking, then a few words flashed through her mind. She opened the news article again and scrolled down to the interview excerpts, finding the anniversary dates Lu Yun and Xu Tao had mentioned.
She placed the box on her lap and tried the dates of their first meeting, their first date, etc.
By the last one, she had lost hope. It was unlikely that Xu Jinnan’s password would be related to Xu Tao and Lu Yun.
Especially their wedding anniversary.
It was wishful thinking.
Perhaps the password was something simple, not this complicated.
But she tried it anyway. 0323. Nothing.
She sighed, feeling a slight pang of disappointment.
Then, she looked at the numbers again. 0323. If the “0” had been added by the reporter, perhaps it was 3230.
After all, the password was only four digits.
With this in mind, she could retry many of the previous combinations.
She started with 3230.
-
-
-
0.
-
-
Click
The box opened.
Shen Shu’s heart pounded. A sense of apprehension washed over her.
What secrets had the original Xu Jinnan hidden inside?
She slowly opened the box, and her breath caught in her throat as she saw the contents.
A stack of photos…
About twenty or so.
Polaroid photos, each one featuring Xu Jinnan’s face, from childhood to adulthood, her body covered in red welts and purple bruises.
Shen Shu’s hands trembled as she picked up the first photo. A childish, scrawled message on the back read: Today is Mom’s birthday. Dad hit me. Mom was there too…
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