“On the day Shen Mu went to Canada, at the welcome banquet, I opened champagne, feeling quite relieved. Without a husband, I still had my son. But his first words were that he wanted to be with you. At that moment, the glass in my hand shattered on the marble floor with a loud crash. I vividly remember my feelings that day — shock, despair, and a sense of utter hopelessness. I drove out that night, and there was a car accident.”
“After waking up, I told Shen Mu that he could marry anyone in the world except you.”
“He didn’t believe me and wanted to return to investigate thoroughly. I only said one thing to him, ‘The day you return to the country will be my death day.’ By then, Xu Ke had unknowingly shed tears. The truth was, ‘Although I was convinced you were Shen Xiaoshan’s illegitimate daughter, I wasn’t absolutely certain. But even if there was a one in ten thousand chance you weren’t, I couldn’t allow Shen Mu to marry you. Shao Yiping took my husband, and her daughter would take my son. That was something even more intolerable than death. My threat to prevent Shen Mu from returning wasn’t just talk; it was a genuine threat of death.”
She pronounced each word of “threat of death” with a fierce and chilling determination. Xu Ke did not turn to look at her expression, but she could imagine the scene where she threatened Shen Mu. Her usual domineering nature had once caused a scene at Shen Xiaoshan and her mother’s wedding, ready to destroy everything in a mutual downfall.
Li Jinghua sighed deeply at this point; that past was a heavy stone on her heart, one she couldn’t share due to pride, always choking in her heart, unable to let go. She had always lived a life of privilege, born with nobility and beauty, her life had always been triumphant until she stumbled unexpectedly, when all her pride and dignity were shattered by an ordinary woman. During that time, she dared not attend social events, meet friends, or even go outside. Being defeated by Shao Yiping, her greatest emotion wasn’t sadness but humiliation. What did Shao Yiping have? In terms of figure, appearance, family background, education, age, and ability, she was incomparable to Li Jinghua, yet Shen Xiaoshan chose her over her, even willing to give up all his wealth. She had never encountered such failure, not knowing where she had lost. Therefore, she harbored an extraordinary hatred for Shao Yiping and Xu Ke, wishing for mutual destruction. When she heard Shen Mu’s words, in her shock and despair, her threat of death wasn’t a mere show; it was genuine, with a complete loss of will to live.
“Although I stopped Shen Mu from returning, I couldn’t extinguish his feelings for you. When Shen Xiaoshan suddenly fell critically ill, I had no reason to stop him anymore. By his sickbed, I asked Shen Xiaoshan, ‘Is Xu Ke your daughter?’ He didn’t answer me, didn’t even look at me, just took Shen Mu’s hand and said one sentence.”
“He said, ‘She is your real sister, take good care of her.'”
Xu Ke was shaken and turned her head. At that moment, she was too confused to sort out her thoughts. Who was she really the daughter of? Why did Shen Xiaoshan say that?
“At that time, Shen Mu sat there rigidly for a long time, eventually agreeing with a nod.”
Xu Ke felt a dull pain in her heart; the only thing that could make her give up on you was this possibility.
“After confirming your identity, my hatred for you and Shao Yiping grew. When Shen Xiaoshan passed away, I drove you out of Rongdi. Strangely, Shao Yiping didn’t say anything, didn’t fight, and left with you in unusual calm. I was very puzzled at the time.”
Shen Mu returned to Canada a changed man, almost drowning his sorrows in alcohol for a while, his health deteriorating. I was very worried and introduced him to several girls, but he paid them no mind. Only when Zhang’s second daughter pursued him did he accept. I found it odd, as I had known Zhang Yueguang when we were young, and although we drifted apart after my divorce from Shen Xiaoshan, I had seen her daughters when they were children. I specifically went to see Zhang’s second daughter to see what kind of girl could make Shen Mu move on. The moment I saw Zhang Wanruo, I was stunned. I understood why Shen Mu accepted her.”
Xu Ke’s eyes were a bit blurry, recalling that photo, the young man in white on the green lawn.
“During dinner one day, Yin Wancheng casually mentioned his birthday was coming up. Looking at Zhang Wanruo, I suddenly thought of a possibility. The more I thought about it, the more suspicious I became, so I sent someone to investigate. A month later, I finally knew everything.”
“All these years, I hated you, hated Shao Yiping, but at that moment, I didn’t hate anyone anymore. I finally believed in that saying, ‘There’s always a cause and effect in the world.'”
“I came back to tell Shao Yiping about her son’s whereabouts, hoping to give her some comfort in her old age, to reunite mother and son. I didn’t expect her to have a heart condition.” Li Jinghua sighed and stood up.
“The house in Rongdi was originally left to you by Shen Xiaoshan. With your mother’s health, it’s better for you to live in this city to take care of her. Move back. Shen Mu planned for you to return from the start, but he knew your temperament, so he didn’t mention it yet. He’s not in town these couple of days; he owed Director Zhang a favor, so he’s away handling something for him. The house in Yunding was prepared long ago; he will live there in the future.”
She placed a set of keys into Xu Ke’s hand and turned to leave. Xu Ke watched her receding figure, her emotions mixed. Was it age that had broadened her heart? Or was it guilt that led to her sudden enlightenment? She was like a different person from who she was years ago. Six years had passed, and now she was finally returning what should belong to Shao Yiping. The hall was eerily quiet, with the cool, gray light providing a serene backdrop. She sat down slowly, the only person among the many rows of long benches in the vast hall. The words that Li Jinghua had spoken kept turning in her mind. The grievances and entanglements of the previous generation, the intricate complexities of her background, and Shen Mu’s revenge—all laid bare, revealing the truth to be so stark. The multitude of surprises and shocks made her feel as though she were enveloped in a vast fog, and gradually, the familial grudges and personal histories began to fade, leaving only the vivid memories of her time with Shen Mu to grow clearer and more intense. After he went abroad, there was no news from him, and she waited desperately for his message, refusing to believe that the night of May 21st was merely a fleeting dream. However, when Shen Xiaoshan fell critically ill, Shen Mu returned from abroad, his attitude towards her changed drastically; they were like strangers. In the hospital corridor, he looked at Shao Yiping with such cold, disdainful eyes and spoke with a harsh, contemptuous tone, “You hurt the person I loved the most, now I’ll let you taste the same pain.” After saying this, he brushed past her, not even glancing her way once.
