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墨書 Inktalez
Liu Shuhan arrived home in the early morning, and Liu Sen picked her up from the train station. After getting home, she said nothing and went straight to sleep. Xu Ruyun and Liu Sen exchanged glances outside Liu Shuhan's room, wanting to inquire about her but unsure how to start.
After some concern, Xu Ruyun surprisingly felt relieved. "Thank goodness, our Shu Han has finally come to her senses."
"What are you talking about?" Liu Sen asked, confused.
Xu Ruyun rolled her eyes at him. "What can I say? She takes after you! Both of you are like wooden blocks."
Having been criticized by Xu Ruyun for so many years, Liu Sen remained silent. He knew that Xu Ruyun had a tendency to voice her thoughts eventually. Sure enough, he soon heard her say, "Look at Shu Han, she seems so lost; it’s obvious that..." She leaned closer to Liu Sen and made a shape with her mouth that suggested "heartbroken."
"What are you two doing?" Liu Shuhan suddenly appeared at the door.
Xu Ruyun was startled and complained while patting her chest, "Shu Han, why did you walk so quietly? You scared your mother!"
"Shu Han is awake? Did you sleep well? Are you hungry? Your mom made your favorite wontons early this morning; I'll have her make some for you later," Liu Sen said with a smile. He had been quite worried after their phone call yesterday when Liu Shuhan had cried for the first time in years without complaining about anything before. He almost thought something serious had happened to his precious daughter. Now it seemed like nothing major was wrong; at least she was safe and healthy, which was enough for him.
Liu Shuhan shook her head. "I’m not hungry; I want to sleep a bit more. You don’t need to wake me for lunch." Then she returned to her room.
"That won't do!" Liu Sen tried to call her back, but Xu Ruyun stopped him. "Why are you stopping me? No matter how upset Shu Han is, she still needs to eat! People are made of iron; food is steel—what if she gets too hungry?"
"She's feeling down right now; even if you make her eat, she won't be able to," Xu Ruyun retorted disdainfully. "Our daughter has grown up and knows what she needs; do you think she's like you?"
Liu Sen had also gotten used to being criticized by Xu Ruyun over the years and let her ramble on without saying a word in rebuttal. After a while of talking to herself like a piece of rotten wood without much meaning, Xu Ruyun conceded and went to the kitchen to make breakfast while Liu Sen smiled ambiguously behind her.
Liu Shuhan slept until two in the afternoon before finally waking up. In the living room, Xu Ruyun and Liu Sen were watching TV and shelling edamame. Xu Ruyun had a great fondness for television; their TV was almost always on for twenty-four hours.
"I’ve cooked Lean Meat Porridge for you; serve yourself," Xu Ruyun said, focused on the drama on TV while continuing to shell edamame.
Liu Shuhan scooped a bowl of porridge to eat. Her house wasn't big; including the balcony, it was just over fifty square meters. The living room sofa could barely seat three people, and at that moment, it was occupied by her parents and a large bundle of edamame. She had no choice but to lean against the kitchen door frame, feeling lazy, as if she had no bones in her body.
"Weren't you guys supposed to go on a trip? Why didn't you?" Liu Shuhan casually asked.
"Your dad's old ailment flared up, and it wasn't convenient to go out," Liu Sen chimed in. "But he's better now, Shu Han, don't worry."
Liu Shuhan nodded. Her father's ailment stemmed from overwork when he was younger. After their family's financial situation improved slightly, it became a chronic issue. They had visited so many hospitals, and the doctors all said it couldn't be cured; he just needed to manage it slowly. Even now, it wasn't fully resolved, and any change in weather could trigger a relapse.
Xu Ruyun finished shelling the beans and pushed Liu Sen aside. She patted the space next to her and said to Liu Shuhan, "Shu Han, come here."
"What's up?" Liu Shuhan cleaned the dishes and tidied up the edamame stalks before sitting down next to Xu Ruyun.
"Shu Han, that boy I mentioned last time is still asking about you. How about you meet him?"
Here we go again. Liu Shuhan had been daydreaming all morning and hadn't slept well; now her head was pounding. "Mom, I'm not going."
Xu Ruyun replied unhappily, "It was understandable that you didn't go last time; I didn't know you had a boyfriend. But now that you've broken up, why are you still hanging on to that? Just go! I saw that young man; he's quite handsome and tall with good character. Boys like him are hard to come by these days."
"How do you know I had a boyfriend?" Liu Shuhan asked warily. Could her mother have caught her with Cheng Qiuyi? That didn’t make sense; Cheng Qiuyi looked nothing like a man.
"Am I not your mother? How could I not know you?" Xu Ruyun said proudly. "I could tell from how you looked yesterday that you were heartbroken..." She spoke before thinking and realized she might have said something wrong, quickly covering her mouth.
Liu Shuhan leaned back on the sofa, hands behind her head as she sighed, "Yeah, I broke up."
"It's no big deal. My daughter is so outstanding; why would she have trouble finding a boyfriend?" Liu Sen added from his corner, sounding somewhat gloomy.
"Yes, yes." Xu Ruyun agreed, "Shu Han, why don't we go meet that person I mentioned? The boy is really quite outstanding, definitely not worse than your previous one!"
"Mom, what if I never get married in my life?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Who in this world doesn't get married in their lifetime?"
"What if I choose not to marry?"
"Then..."
Liu Sen interrupted Xu Ruyun's words, "Then Dad will support you for the rest of your life."
Liu Shuhan felt touched. Her father had always been honest and straightforward, managed by her mother at home and cautious around leaders outside. He didn't speak much, but whenever he did, it was heartfelt.
Xu Ruyun's drama ended, and the commercial break was long. Liu Sen seized the opportunity to grab the remote and switched to the news channel. The anchor was reporting on a major corporate merger, and the person on the screen captivated Liu Shuhan's attention.
Liu Shuhan didn't expect to see Cheng Qiuyi so soon after their breakup, especially on television. She wondered if Cheng Qiuyi's head had healed; yesterday it was wrapped in bandages, but today there was no sign of injury. Her makeup was exquisite, and her long hair was impeccably styled. Opposite her was Yuan Ying, who appeared indifferent. The two of them—one gentle and one aloof—looked surprisingly harmonious on camera; they seemed perfectly matched and pleasing to the eye.
Cheng Qiuyi was representing the Cheng Family to sign a contract with Yuan Ying. Liu Shuhan didn't know the specifics, but they were clearly in cahoots; perhaps they had planned this all along, and Cheng Qiuyi had gotten what she wanted.
What puzzled Liu Shuhan was that Ye Jing was surprisingly absent. She was still wondering what had happened to Ye Jing when the next news item clarified her doubts.
"Recently, the People's Procuratorate has initiated an investigation against Ye Jing, president of Ye Family, and Chen Zhi, director and vice president of Ye Family, on suspicion of bribery, money laundering, fraud, and other crimes. The investigation is ongoing."
Liu Shuhan understood; such a brief news item likely involved countless people behind the scenes. She would never comprehend the matters concerning Cheng Qiuyi and her associates as a mere commoner. She felt foolish for trying to squeeze herself into Cheng Qiuyi's world when she clearly didn't belong there.
Liu Shuhan opened Weibo to check the news, and the headline was about Ye Jing's arrest, along with shocking details about Ye Family losing twenty billion in market value overnight.
"You say these people have so much money yet still want more? They are committing such immoral acts," Xu Ruyun commented indignantly, then turned to Liu Shuhan, "Shu Han, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Anything is fine," Liu Shuhan replied weakly as she got up. "I'm going back to my room. Call me if you need anything."
After Liu Shuhan entered her room, Xu Ruyun sighed, "Our girl has really been hurt this time."
"Which blind fool! If I see him, I'll break his legs!" Liu Sen said angrily. He had cherished his daughter for over twenty years, never even scolding her lightly. He had always been smiling, but now she came back looking like a different person—listless and dejected. How could he not be furious?
Meanwhile, Cheng Qiuyi was attending a banquet when she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Yuan Ying asked her.
"No," Cheng Qiuyi shook her head. "In just one night, the Cheng Family has fallen, and the Ye Family has also collapsed. Truly, the world is unpredictable."
Someone came to toast Cheng Qiuyi, but she couldn't drink due to her injury. Yuan Ying blocked the drink for her. "What unpredictability? You should be happy; your great revenge has been fulfilled."
"I lost my wife; what is there to be happy about?"
"Pathetic," Yuan Ying scoffed at her. "With your cowardly demeanor, it's no wonder your wife left you."
"I must find her and ask her clearly why."
"Hurry up and bring her back so you won't be moping around all day," Yuan Ying said as she blocked another toast. "By the way, I heard Ye Jing wants to see you."
"Not seeing her."
"Have you thought it through? She said she has something important to tell you."
"I have nothing more to say to her," Cheng Qiuyi said sarcastically. "We're even now."
Yuan Ying shrugged nonchalantly, watching the guests around them smiling and laughing. She sighed, "People always say that businessmen are unscrupulous, and it's true. Many of these people have been collaborating with the Ye Family for years. As soon as they heard there was a chance to divide up the Ye Family's assets, they all rushed in without caring how it looked."
"They're all businessmen; what's there to be ashamed of? They know what Ye Jing is like. If there's a better option, they won't let it slip by easily. Just look at those parents huddled together; they're probably discussing how to split this cake."
"Too bad you and I are busy doing the work for these people."
"A-Ying, thank you so much this time," Cheng Qiuyi said sincerely. SL Company isn't Yuan Ying's; she has her own pressures from above. Helping her under such pressure this time makes Cheng Qiuyi unsure how to explain it when she returns.
Yuan Ying didn't mind, "It's nothing; I was planning to resign anyway."
Cheng Qiuyi was surprised, "Resign? Why?" It wasn't easy for someone as young as Yuan Ying to reach this point; many people would do anything to push her down, yet she casually mentioned quitting.
"I'm planning to go back home." After so many years, Yuan Ying felt it was time to ask that person for an explanation.
Cheng Qiuyi understood, "It's good to come back."
As the party neared its end, Cheng Qiuyi set down her glass. "I should go find Shu Han and get some clarity."
"Be a bit bolder and thicker-skinned; don't make a scene like last time and end up crying. Do you think you're still a high school girl?"
"Shut up," Cheng Qiuyi laughed and scolded.
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