Chapter 50 p1
Xu Jinnan’s mind went blank.
The lights in the room flicked on, and she stared into Shen Shu’s startled eyes, beautiful and mesmerizing, the lingering warmth of her lips soft and distinct.
For a moment, she forgot their precarious situation.
Her breath hitched, and she tilted her head back slightly, creating a small distance between them.
Then, Shen Shu’s eyelashes fluttered, and seeing the curtain shift slightly, she instinctively grabbed Xu Jinnan’s hand and pulled her closer.
Their lips met again…
Unlike the previous fleeting touch, Xu Jinnan’s lips were slightly parted, and she could feel the soft fullness of Shen Shu’s.
Her throat tightened, the involuntary swallow audible in the quiet room.
They both froze.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Xu Tao’s voice said, snapping them back to reality. Xu Jinnan, her nerves on edge, quickly pulled away from Shen Shu.
She held Shen Shu’s gaze for a moment, then, hearing footsteps approaching, quickly looked away, straining her ears, her heart pounding.
Xu Tao simply opened the safe, took something out, then put it back.
After a long silence, a knock came at the door.
“Dad?”
It was Xu Li.
Xu Tao opened the door.
“Dad, it’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Xu Tao tapped a document on his desk, his brow furrowed. “Xiaoli, come here. Let’s talk about the North District project.” He briefly explained his decision to give Xu Jinnan half of the land.
“What?!” Xu Li exclaimed. “How could he do that?! That idiot Xu Jinnan can’t handle such a big project! If she messes it up, the authorities will never trust us with anything important again! Dad, didn’t you explain the situation to my brother?”
“He insisted. Arrange it tomorrow,” Xu Tao said.
“But…”
“It’s settled,” he said firmly, closing the document. His mood had soured.
Xu Li bit her lip, suppressing her frustration. “Brother is giving Xu Jinnan everything. Is he planning to give her the company too?” she asked, her voice tight.
Xu Tao looked at her. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s good to be ambitious. Don’t worry, she’ll never inherit the company. No matter how much power your brother has, I built the Xu Corporation…”
After Xu Li left, Xu Tao sat at his desk for a while, completely unaware of the two people hidden behind the curtains.
—
Xu Jinnan was in agony.
She stood with her feet on either side of Shen Shu, her body almost pressed against hers, their proximity intensified by their earlier embrace.
Their breaths mingled, their faces inches apart.
Even taking a deep breath was difficult.
The slightest movement would brush against the curtains.
She held herself rigid, afraid of getting even closer, though they were already incredibly close… Her neck, stiff and aching, was trapped between the wall and Shen Shu’s head.
Shen Shu was equally uncomfortable. Xu Jinnan was taller, and besides the physical closeness, her warm breath on Shen Shu’s skin was sending shivers down her spine.
She wondered if Xu Jinnan had noticed her flushed face and burning earlobes.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
After about fifteen minutes, not only did Xu Tao show no signs of leaving, but Lu Yun entered the study as well.
The aroma of coffee filled the room.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
With coffee involved, this could take at least half an hour.
She glanced down, relieved that Shen Shu could lean against the wall, easing their awkward position slightly.
“You’re losing control of your daughter,” Lu Yun said, placing a cup of coffee on Xu Tao’s desk, her expression impassive. “Is it my fault, or yours? If you hadn’t almost hit her that day, I wouldn’t have had to throw her phone away, and she wouldn’t still be angry with me.”
Xu Tao’s anger flared. He slammed his hand on the desk and stood up. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that! You’ve lost control of her ever since that ridiculous marriage! You were so confident, claiming it was just a game, a way to keep her happy and prevent her from going off the rails. And now? Look at her. She doesn’t even respect you anymore.”
“That’s not true! I underestimated the situation, but why did I agree to the marriage in the first place? Besides letting her vent her frustrations, it was also for the Xu family!” Lu Yun retorted. “And I haven’t even confronted her about secretly investigating the Qucheng accounts.”
“You dare confront her?” Lu Yun sneered. “If those shady dealings come to light, the entire Xu family will be ruined. Besides, with Xu Yincheng protecting her… do you really dare?”
Xu Tao narrowed his eyes. “What? Now that your daughter has a backer, you think you’re invincible too?”
“I’m just reminding you that what belongs to Nannan will always belong to Nannan. Next time you try to give her things to Xu Li, think about whether Xu Yincheng will allow it.”
Xu Tao swept the cup of coffee off the desk, the liquid splashing onto the floor.
“You bitch! Who are you trying to fool? Acting like a loving mother?” He grabbed Lu Yun by the throat. “You think I don’t know what you’re planning? You think securing Nannan’s future will secure yours? Putting on a virtuous facade, using your own daughter as a shield? Lu Yun, if Nannan remembers the time you made her take a beating for you, do you think she’ll ever forgive you?”
Lu Yun’s face paled.
Xu Tao, seeing her fear, felt a surge of satisfaction. “Think about what she said to you on your birthday. Do you think she remembers now?”
“Impossible! She was only three! How could she possibly remember?!” Lu Yun exclaimed, then, as if regretting her outburst, shook her head. “I didn’t use her as a shield! It wasn’t intentional! If you hadn’t…”
Xu Tao was pleased with her reaction, her denial only fueling his anger. “You know you’re no better than the rest of the Xu family, don’t you?”
Behind the curtains, Shen Shu frowned, glancing up at Xu Jinnan.
Sensing her gaze, Xu Jinnan looked down, meeting Shen Shu’s eyes, which were filled with anger and concern.
Her own brow furrowed, a wave of fury rising within her.
She had lost all hope for Lu Yun after the birthday incident.
But she hadn’t expected this, that Lu Yun had actually used her own child as a human shield.
Their conversation filled Xu Jinnan with disgust.
Did these people even deserve to be called parents? Even animals protected their young.
If it weren’t for their current situation, she would have slapped them both.
Three years old.
She couldn’t remember anything from when she was three.
But she didn’t know if the original Xu Jinnan remembered, having never experienced such trauma herself.
The memories of abuse victims were different from those of ordinary people.
Xu Jinnan closed her eyes, a decision hardening within her – she would make them pay.
The conversation continued for a few more minutes.
Both her body and mind were in agony, her neck stiff and aching… and they showed no signs of leaving.
Shen Shu’s hand suddenly squeezed hers, then moved slightly, a subtle gesture.
Xu Jinnan looked at her for a moment, then slowly lowered her head, resting her forehead against Shen Shu’s. Their skin was hot, damp with sweat.
As Xu Jinnan leaned in, Shen Shu’s eyelashes fluttered against her cheek.
Her back didn’t touch the curtains, but the lace trim of her pajama top brushed against the fabric, a barely perceptible movement, like a ripple on a still lake.
Xu Jinnan didn’t notice, but Shen Shu stiffened.
Just then, Xu Tao said, “Close the window. It’s time for bed.” He gave Lu Yun a cold look, then stood up and put the documents back in the safe.
Hearing his words, and seeing the panic in Shen Shu’s eyes, Xu Jinnan’s heart pounded.
The sweat on their foreheads mingled.
She steeled herself, deciding to make a run for it if they were discovered.
She heard Xu Tao’s footsteps retreating, then a long silence, followed by the clinking of glass as Lu Yun picked up the cup and walked towards the window…
Xu Jinnan squeezed Shen Shu’s hand reassuringly. Then, the curtains parted, and Lu Yun stood beside them, so close they could see her hand reaching for the window latch.
There was a small gap in the window.
Lu Yun quickly closed it, drew the curtains, and left the study, the room falling silent again.
They didn’t move, waiting for a few minutes to make sure she wouldn’t return, then emerged from behind the curtains.
“Go back to the room,” Xu Jinnan whispered.
“Stop wasting time. What are you looking for? I’ll help you,” Shen Shu replied.
Xu Jinnan: “…” Miss Shen can be quite assertive sometimes.
“A key, hidden under one of the drawers,” she said.
Without another word, Xu Jinnan opened the remaining drawers, and Shen Shu, seeing her searching under them, started checking the others.
A minute later, Shen Shu pulled something out from under a drawer. “This?”
—
Like the locked box, the key was custom-made.
Back in Xu Jinnan’s room, she checked the time. Almost 3 a.m.
“Can you tell me what this is about now?” Shen Shu asked. After overhearing their conversation in the study, she had a feeling this was related to Xu Jinnan’s parents.
“Shu Shu, not now. I don’t even know how to explain it…” Xu Jinnan said, looking at Shen Shu, her gaze lingering on a damp strand of hair clinging to her forehead. “I need to find something. Something this key unlocks.”
“Don’t keep secrets from me,” Shen Shu said firmly.
“I’ll tell you everything once I figure it out, okay?”
Shen Shu nodded. “I’ll help you look.”
Xu Jinnan smiled faintly. “Okay, but aren’t you tired?”
“Very. That’s why we have to hurry,” Shen Shu replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
Xu Jinnan took a tissue from the desk and gently wiped Shen Shu’s forehead, her eyes meeting Shen Shu’s. Her hand was damp with sweat, and the memory of their close proximity in the study, the tension and the strange mix of emotions, the warmth on her lips and the fluttering in her chest, resurfaced.
Shen Shu took the tissue from her. “Let’s start looking,” she said.
Not knowing what they were looking for, they started with the most obvious places, checking every piece of furniture in the room.
Twenty minutes later, frustrated and exhausted, Xu Jinnan’s gaze fell on the large painting of a back on the wall.
It wasn’t painted directly onto the wall, but framed.
“You think it’s behind the painting?” Shen Shu asked. “It’s too big, and if the key unlocks something, it must be a box of some sort.” It wouldn’t fit.
Xu Jinnan examined the frame. “It’s not that difficult. I’ve seen this type of frame before, on construction sites. It’s secured from the center, like a pivot. With a little force, you can swing it open.” The fact that the original Xu Jinnan had kept the key separate, and hadn’t hidden it in the secret room, meant this was even more important than the locked box.
There was likely another hidden compartment in the room.
She pushed against the frame, and Shen Shu joined her.
The heavy frame shifted slightly, and as the corner moved away from the wall, Xu Jinnan saw a small, rough opening, a few centimeters wide.
A small box, just large enough to fit a fist, was hidden inside. The key fit perfectly.
Inside, a small packet of white powder…
And nothing else.
The original Xu Jinnan had been fond of writing, judging by the messages Xu Jinnan had seen.
She had expected to find something more, but there was nothing.
She opened the packet. It wasn’t a drug; they wouldn’t hide drugs here. She put it in her bag, intending to ask Professor Qin about it tomorrow.
—
After showering and finally lying down in bed, it was almost 4 a.m.
Xu Jinnan turned on her side, facing Shen Shu, her voice hoarse from lack of sleep. “Go to sleep. We’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.”
After a few seconds, Xu Jinnan lay back down, exhaustion washing over her, and quickly fell asleep.
Shen Shu was also tired, but she couldn’t sleep.
Her mind replayed the disturbing conversation between Lu Yun and Xu Tao. She had suspected Xu Jinnan’s seemingly perfect life wasn’t as idyllic as it appeared, but hearing such things from her own parents was different…
Some people didn’t deserve to be called parents.
She listened to Xu Jinnan’s heavy breathing, then turned over, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, and saw the furrow in Xu Jinnan’s brow. She always had bad dreams.
Shen Shu’s heart ached. She didn’t like seeing Xu Jinnan like this. The Xu Jinnan she knew was confident and assertive, sometimes carefree and reckless, other times warm and sincere.
Like her pheromones, she should be like the sun.
She reached out, her warm fingertips gently smoothing out the wrinkles on Xu Jinnan’s forehead.
After a moment, Xu Jinnan’s expression, instead of relaxing, became more troubled, and she grabbed Shen Shu’s hand, pulling it down to her chest.
Shen Shu’s palm landed on something soft.
Shen Shu: “…”
She instinctively tried to pull away, but Xu Jinnan, lost in her dream, tightened her grip.
Shen Shu’s heart raced. She looked at Xu Jinnan’s face, which had relaxed slightly, and bit her lip. This person was truly a restless sleeper.
—
Since Shen Shu had to go to the studio, Xu Jinnan woke up with her at 8 a.m., her head throbbing.
After washing her face, she looked at her tired reflection in the mirror as Shen Shu entered the bathroom to wash her hands.
“If you’re not busy this afternoon, go home and get some rest,” Xu Jinnan said, wiping her face.
Shen Shu’s face was also pale, her eyes bloodshot.
As she was drying her hands, about to leave, she turned to Xu Jinnan. “Are you always this restless in your sleep?”
“…?” Xu Jinnan thought about it. She had been fine when she woke up this morning, the blanket still between them, no signs of having crossed any boundaries. “What did I do? Nothing much, right?”
Shen Shu looked at her. “No, nothing much.”
Xu Jinnan relaxed, then heard Shen Shu’s calm voice. “You just talked in your sleep.”
I did? “What did I say?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
Shen Shu seemed to enjoy her curiosity, pausing for a moment before leaving the bathroom. “You said… you had good stamina,” she said, her voice flat.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
She had had a strange dream last night. It had started with a plate of pumpkin pie she didn’t want to eat, pushing it away with a frown. She had been very tired in the dream and had fallen asleep on the sofa. Then, the scene had shifted, and Shen Shu had emerged from the bathroom, holding black lace lingerie.
She had asked Xu Jinnan, her voice slightly accusatory, if she had touched it.
Xu Jinnan had denied it, but Shen Shu’s expression had changed, and she had placed the lingerie in Xu Jinnan’s lap, saying it was a gift.
Shen Shu’s hand had brushed against hers, the atmosphere charged with tension, and then they had… kissed.
At the end of the dream, Xu Jinnan had been on top of Shen Shu, about to take things further, when she had suddenly felt too tired, lacking the energy.
Shen Shu had sneered, as if saying, I knew you were no good.
Xu Jinnan had been indignant, protesting, then…
She couldn’t remember the rest.
It had been a bizarre dream.
Perhaps sensing her silence, Shen Shu turned back, looking at her intently. “What did you dream about?”
“…Nothing,” Xu Jinnan mumbled.
“Really?”
“Yes, yes,” she replied quickly, then started applying moisturizer to her face, changing the subject. “Oh, right, my brother wants your autograph. For his colleague. There’s some paper on the desk. Can you sign it for him?”
Shen Shu knew she was trying to distract her, but she played along.
“Your brother’s colleague?” She thought about Xu Yincheng.
He had an intimidating presence; his colleagues were likely similar. Asking for an autograph… She paused, a strange feeling settling over her.
“Everyone in that family is a little odd. You’ll get used to it,” Xu Jinnan said.
It was true. “You’re odd too,” Shen Shu said.
“How so?”
“Your sleep-talking is odd.”
Xu Jinnan: “…” Why are we back to this?
…
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