Chapter 31. I'm really sorry.

The Scarlet Inn hadn't opened for business yet in the afternoon, but the staff were already dressed impeccably. Several were carefully wiping the grand piano in the lobby, while others were checking the water stains on the glasses at the bar, preparing for the glitz and glamour of the night.

The four arrived at the private room on the top floor. After watching Shang Shu and Gu Sui go in, Lin Lang stood by the door and pulled Gu Xiangyi, who was about to walk in.

"I'm going to the restroom first," she said to the two people inside, then gently squeezed Gu Xiangyi's wrist.

"Oh, then I'll go too." Gu Xiangyi glanced down at her wrist and echoed.

She had originally planned to pretend, sit for a while, and then find an excuse to leave, but she didn't expect her sister to be so direct. However, it seemed that at least the two of them had the same goal.

The private room was very soundproof; once the heavy door was closed, no one inside or outside could hear each other's voices anymore.

"I wonder when they'll make up," Gu Xiangyi murmured to herself, staring at the closed door.

"I neither support nor oppose it," Lin Lang said lazily, releasing his grip. "But if your aunt continues to treat her badly..."

"No, my aunt isn't that kind of person!" Gu Xiangyi blurted out, then realized she had spoken too loudly and belatedly covered her mouth.

Lin Lang looked suspicious, as if to say, "I don't think so," and said, "She was the one who dumped someone else back then."

Even in front of someone's niece, Lin Lang didn't say anything too harsh.

“That’s because…” Gu Xiangyi pulled back from the brink.

"Why?" Lin Lang glanced at the little girl.

Gu Xiangyi swallowed and said softly, "N-nothing, let's stay away from each other."

Lin Lang tilted his head in agreement and walked with Gu Xiangyi one after the other a short distance away.

“I really like the dress, the embroidery…it’s so unique.” Lin Lang said, lifting up the dress.

Gu Xiangyi walked behind the person, but dared not look directly at their back, only staring at her own toes.

She went to great lengths to find an identical dress in Paris. Later, she secretly asked a famous designer to add a small gold feather to the hem of the skirt near her ankle.

Because she felt that Lin Lang was very similar to that golden feather, dazzling in its light, free and unrestrained, gently landing on her heart, making her feel itchy.

I just didn't expect that my little scheme would be discovered so quickly.

"Hmm...that's good." She replied, trying to appear calm.

Reaching the large glass window at the end of the corridor, Lin Lang stopped and turned to look at the little girl.

This time, Gu Xiangyi stopped in time to avoid the embarrassment of bumping into the other person again.

"Don't you remember what happened that night?" Lin Lang got straight to the point, bringing up the night the little girl was knocked out by a Long Island Iced Tea.

She couldn't be as patient and probing as Shang Shu; directness was her preferred tactic.

Gu Xiangyi's eyelashes trembled slightly. After a moment of silence, she tilted her head back, frowned, and said firmly, "I will take responsibility!"

Lin Lang was amused by the little girl. After laughing for a while, she leaned forward slightly and asked, "What responsibility? Hmm?"

Lin Lang's "Hmm?" was so alluring that Gu Xiangyi felt as if her soul had left her body.

"I...I don't know. From what you're saying, it sounds like I did something really bad, so..." Gu Xiangyi muttered, picking at her fingers.

Lin Lang nodded slightly. So the little girl really didn't remember anything. She reached out and touched Gu Xiangyi's head: "What a pity. If you've forgotten, then forget." After saying that, she slowly walked along the edge of the row of floor-to-ceiling windows.

Gu Xiangyi swayed along with her, whispering her dissatisfaction: "Sister, it's not good to keep people in suspense like this."

Lin Lang chuckled lightly, still not intending to speak. Recalling that night when Gu Sui and Gu Xiangyi left one after the other, she casually asked, "What were you doing here that night?"

"It's a classmate's birthday party, where's your sister?" Gu Xiangyi asked back.

"Pretty much." Lin Lang stopped, looked out the window at the traffic below, and teased the little girl, "So, did you have someone you liked at the party? I remember kids your age like to do these things."

Hearing this, Gu Xiangyi felt a little uncomfortable. She replied listlessly, "No." Then she added, "I'm not a child anymore, I'm an adult. If you look at it, there's no difference between me and my sister."

Lin Lang pursed his lips, having reservations about these words, since children never like to admit they are children.

"So, does your sister have someone she likes? You said last time that many people are pursuing you, or... does your sister already have a boyfriend?" Gu Xiangyi asked boldly, since the other person had brought up the topic first.

Lin Lang smiled helplessly, reached out and poked the little girl's soft cheek, then said, "Does it have to be a boyfriend? Why are you so old-fashioned at such a young age?"

Hearing this, Gu Xiangyi's mood worsened.

Good news: It seems my older sister likes girls.

Bad news: It seems my sister has a girlfriend.

She let her hand, which had been fiddling with her fingers, hang dejectedly at her side: "So you have a girlfriend..."

Lin Lang assumed the girl was worried that what happened that night would offend their existing relationship, so he smiled and asked, "Is this issue important to you?"

Gu Xiangyi couldn't admit it directly, so she could only nod and shake her head, unsure of what to say.

Lin Lang expressed her confusion, but still concluded to put others at ease: "Don't worry, I'm a sophisticated single lady."

single.

Gu Xiangyi's eyes lit up instantly, her previous gloom vanished, and she quickly took out her phone: "Then...can I add you as a friend, sister?"

This is a golden opportunity, don't miss it!

Lin Lang raised an eyebrow. The two of them did indeed lack contact information, something Shang Shu had just mentioned. So, while taking out her phone, she couldn't help but tease, "You're always asking if I'm single, and you want to add me as a friend. Little sister, do you like me?"

Gu Xiangyi was taken aback by the question, then blushed and nodded solemnly: "Yes."

Lin Lang had only meant it as a joke, but she hadn't expected the girl to admit it so readily, which reminded her of that ambiguous kiss.

This little girl... could she be doing this on purpose? But she looks so innocent and naive, it doesn't seem like she's faking it at all.

So Lin Lang pretended to be calm and put away her phone, then lightly tapped the other person's head with her knuckles: "Don't joke like that, I'm too old for that."

Gu Xiangyi looked at the friend request that had been accepted on her phone with satisfaction, stared into Lin Lang's eyes, and said seriously again, "Sister, I'm not joking."

"I like you,"

*

Shang Shu and Gu Sui sat side by side on the large sofa in the private room. When Gu Sui came in, he turned off the sound system and the other colorful lights, so the quiet private room with only warm light looked like a conference room.

Shang Shu touched the back of her hand. She felt that Gu Sui was acting a little strange today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

In short, there was an unusual silence.

Although this suited her desire to keep her distance, she thought she needed to buy Lin Lang some time, and she couldn't just stand there staring at Gu Sui. So she hesitated for a moment, looked at Gu Sui's left shoulder, and asked, "In a few days, will the stitches on your shoulder be removed?"

"Hmm." Gu Sui stared at the table in front of him and responded indifferently.

Seeing the man's coldness, Shang Shu silently turned her head to face him: "You still need to take good care of yourself after the stitches are removed. The company isn't busy lately, so you don't need to come every day."

"good."

It was still just one word, bland and utterly unmoving.

Shang Shu frowned, feeling the atmosphere was a bit tense. She stood up and walked to the refrigerator next to her: "Would you like something to drink?"

"No need, you drink it." Having finally said a few more words, Gu Sui crossed his legs, hugged his arms, and fell silent again.

Shang Shu was completely bewildered by her indifference.

What's this all about? He's so hot and cold, he was so determined to pursue me, and now he's acting like this.

Shang Shu grabbed a bottle of Perrier from the freezer; the chilled glass bottle was a little cold to the touch.

She walked back to the sofa and continued to find topics to talk about: "I read the statement that Luo Wei and the others issued, it was well done."

"It's resolved now." Just those five words again.

The Paris water, which was being turned on, emitted a soft hissing sound.

Shang Shu held the metallic bottle cap, turning it around with her fingertips, and the more she looked at it, the angrier she became.

"Are you angry?" Shang Shu put the cap back on the water bottle she hadn't drunk a drop of and placed it back on the table, the dark green glass bottle making a crisp sound as it hit the table.

Gu Sui turned his head and looked up to meet Shang Shu's eyes, but then quickly and subtly looked away, saying indifferently, "No."

"Okay." Shang Shu nodded lightly, not understanding what this person was up to, so she started scrolling through her phone.

Gu Sui glanced at the people around him out of the corner of his eye.

She wasn't angry; she just didn't know how to handle herself or how to face the person in front of her who seemed, or rather, was pretending, that nothing was wrong.

The two remained silent, and Shang Shu even felt that the silence was making her ears ring.

Gu Sui thought of something and finally tried to speak: "Next week I will accompany Xiang Yi to Luncheng to participate in harp training."

Shang Shu's hand paused slightly as she swiped the screen.

Is this person already flying abroad right after returning from Shanghai?

She raised her eyelids slightly: "Okay, I told you, you don't need to come over so often if it's nothing."

Gu Sui didn't need to be stationed at S&S. She communicated with the Light Mirror online every day. Except for some emergencies, she was actually a completely free person.

After watching for so long, even the slow-witted Shang Shu would realize that Gu Sui was actually going to the company every day for her sake, so she took this opportunity to mention it.

After all, maintaining distance naturally includes physical distance.

Gu Sui didn't respond, and the two remained silent for a long time before she spoke again: "Did you sleep well last night?"

Seeing that the person was finally going to take the initiative to talk to her, Shang Shu turned her head to look at him, but the question seemed to come a little too suddenly and too abruptly.

"Mm." She also learned to be concise with her words, adding a nod to indicate her agreement.

Seeing that Shang Shu's complexion was not bad, Gu Sui reluctantly believed the answer.

She lowered her arms, placed one hand on her knee, and hesitated before moving her lips: "What's going on at work that's putting so much pressure on you?"

Upon hearing this, Shang Shu turned off her phone screen.

What is this question that is asking without any context?

She gripped her phone and crossed her arms: "This isn't something that can be explained in just a few words."

She's still lying to her.

"Is that so?" Gu Sui smiled bitterly, tightening her grip on her knees slightly, her voice icy. "Anyway, we have plenty of time."

Hearing her unfriendly tone, Shang Shu's pent-up anger was fanned even more fiercely, and she frowned deeply: "Gu Sui, what exactly do you want to ask?"

Gu Sui's knuckles turned white, the force as if he wanted to crush her knee: "I told you, you're not good at lying."

She felt she had already given Shang Shu many ways out and many opportunities to speak, but why did Shang Shu always avoid the topic and lock herself away, making it impossible for her to get close?

"So?" Shang Shu had a vague sense of unease. She felt uneasy, but she still tried to appear calm.

Hearing her stubborn retort, Gu Sui lost all interest in beating around the bush and changing the subject.

“That’s not Vitamin C at all, right?” Gu Sui’s voice trembled violently at the end. “A-Shu, don’t lie to me.”

Upon hearing that keyword, Shang Shu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and her long eyelashes trembled uncontrollably. Her nerves were on edge, and her heart was pounding.

As expected, it came.

She didn't know how much Gu Sui knew, or how she knew it.

Was it the doctor who checked her ear at the Gu Family Medical Center? Or the medicine bottle from when she fainted? What else could possibly arouse her suspicion...?

Shang Shu tried to speak calmly: "Are you interrogating a criminal right now?" She clasped her hands tightly together. "Gu Sui, I don't want to argue with you."

Gu Sui ignored her questions and warnings, feeling that the more she talked about trivial things, the closer she got to the answer. She murmured somewhat absentmindedly, "So the mild anxiety was just something you made up to comfort me, right?"

"This is my own business," Shang Shu said coldly, making a final stand.

Hearing that she didn't deny it, Gu Sui felt as if her heart was being torn apart. The answer was clearly obvious. Her voice was choked with sobs: "It's because of me, isn't it?"

"I told you, this is me..."

“Answer me, Shang Shu.”

Gu Sui's patience completely collapsed. She called her name, as if a hole had been ripped out of her heart, and blood and tears gushed out from that hole, as if trying to drain her of everything until she became an empty shell.

She began searching around until she saw the dazzling marigold. She grabbed the wrist, her raised hand trembling violently along with her thin shoulders: "And this, is it also because of me?"

"Gu Sui, let go." Shang Shu looked at the veins bulging on the other person's forehead due to agitation, her breathing became rapid, she twisted her wrist to try to break free, but to no avail.

The last time was the same at the waterfront. Gu Sui's temper made her feel unreal. She never expected that after so long, it would be the same thing again.

After a long stalemate, she simply gave up struggling and let Gu Sui hold her wrist, making it itchy and painful.

Suddenly, she lowered her eyes and let out a self-deprecating laugh: "So what do you want from me?"

She didn't understand, she really didn't understand.

"Gu Sui, I don't need you to take responsibility, so why do you have to reopen my wounds to find out what happened?"

Feeling the hand on her wrist loosen slightly, Shang Shu used the leverage to pull it away. She rubbed her reddened wrist and looked at Gu Sui's astonished eyes before speaking again: "Yes, that was indeed not Vitamin C, and what I have is not mild anxiety, but PTSD."

"For three years, I've been plagued by nightmares. I'm often afraid to fall asleep, or even close my eyes. I feel like I'm living a life I can't live, and I can't die. I want to get better, but I'm also afraid of getting better. I've never had EMDR treatment, which my therapist recommended, because one of its side effects is amnesia. I'm afraid that if I did, I would really forget you, but I don't want that at all..."

"So I suffered day after day, year after year, relying on medication to control those ever-present nightmares and to maintain my meager sleep, because I knew I still had things to do..."

"I have to find things to do, force myself to build as many connections as possible with this world, even if it's just a nice piece of clothing or a delicious meal, because that way I won't be thinking about dying every single second..."

Are you satisfied with this explanation?

After Shang Shu finished speaking, she looked up at Gu Sui.

Since she wanted to hear it, she would tell her everything, completely.

But when Shang Shu met those familiar eyes, she found them already filled with sorrow.

That look reminded her of the icon in her mother's room. She remembered the painting; the frame was made of walnut wood with vine patterns, and a beautiful lace cloth was laid beneath it. A long white candle was always burning beside it. The face of the person in the painting was slightly lowered, and the eyes seemed to hold a sorrow that had been silent for thousands of years. The tears on the face, still wet, reflected the candlelight, as if they could encompass all wounds and sins.

And she was facing those eyes, her hands clasped together, trying to tell her through that loneliness:

You are the bitter cup I cannot escape.

It is also the redemption I willingly drink to the bitter end.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

These were tears she rarely saw.

In her memory, Gu Sui cried very few times, and it seemed that each time it was related to her.

She watched as Gu Sui's trembling fingertips slowly approached, feeling the warmth emanating from his palms on her cheeks. She touched her earlobe and gently stroked her chin, as if reverently holding a string of fragile rose beads.

"I'm sorry... Ah Shu... I'm so sorry..."

I'm sorry for the suffering I've caused you these past three years. I'm sorry I couldn't be by your side during those difficult days and nights. I'm sorry I appeared in your dreams. I'm sorry I made you cry alone. I'm sorry I made you drink alone. I'm sorry I made you get used to smoking...

I'm sorry for leaving you alone in Edinburgh, I'm sorry I couldn't give you your graduation gift in person, I'm sorry I couldn't have that Italian restaurant with you one last time, I'm sorry I couldn't keep our promise to enjoy the snow with you in winter...

I'm sorry I couldn't tuck you in a little longer, I'm sorry I couldn't blow-dry your hair a little longer, I'm sorry I couldn't wrap your scarf around you again, I'm sorry I couldn't hug you tighter, I'm sorry I couldn't say "I love you" a little more...

I'm sorry I didn't leave you with a beautiful and complete past; I'm sorry I dared not promise you a bright and happy future; I'm sorry...

I'm so sorry.

She kept apologizing to Zhenbao, who was hurt because of her, over and over again. She had lost count of how many times she had said it. Until her hands, which were cupping her cheeks, touched the still warm tears. Gu Sui hurriedly tried to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more tears came out. "Don't cry, A-Shu... It's all my fault... Don't cry... Don't cry anymore."

Shang Shu covered her heart with her hand, still stubbornly biting her lip and crying.

The tears tasted salty, and she didn't like them at all.

This apology, three years late, unexpectedly drifted into Shang Shu's ears and pierced her heart on such an ordinary afternoon, amidst the bitter tears of the two.

She tried to convince herself that she should just apologize and ask for an answer later.

"Ah Shu... shall I go with you to see a psychologist?" Seeing that Shang Shu had finally stopped crying, Gu Sui spoke cautiously, her tone gentle and tinged with a hint of pleading.

Seeing that Shang Shu hesitated and refused to nod, she continued, "It's okay, Shu. Don't be afraid. I'm here with you now. You don't have to worry about forgetting me. Even if you do forget, I'll help you remember slowly."

"If I've forgotten, I've forgotten. Who wants to remember you again?" Shang Shu said stubbornly, sniffling.

This was considered an agreement. Gu Sui took a few tissues and stuffed them into Shang Shu's hand. Watching Shang Shu blow her nose forcefully, she felt both sorry for her and found her adorable.

"The stitches on my shoulder should be removed in a few days." She thought back as she answered the questions Shang Shu had given her perfunctory replies to.

"I'll still go to the company." After all, if I want to pursue her, even just sitting in the company and keeping her company is good, Gu Sui thought.

"And... yes, I've also read the statement Luo Wei and the others released. Now that this matter is resolved, I should be able to breathe a little easier, right?" She rested her head on one hand, staring at Shang Shu's face.

Shang Shu bit her cheek and rolled her eyes at her: "Why don't you speak properly? You just have to irritate people over there."

"Yes, Miss is right to reprimand you." Gu Sui smiled and coaxed her.

Shang Shu threw the used tissue into the trash can, rubbed her itchy eyes, and said, "Then about your trip abroad next week..."

"Hmm, it might take a week." Gu Sui unscrewed the bottle of Perrier and handed it back to the person. "A week will pass quickly."

It means I'll be back soon, so don't miss me too much.

"Oh." Shang Shu ignored her implied meaning, took a sip of Perrier, which was lime-flavored.

"Why aren't they back yet?" Gu Sui said, taking out his phone to send a message to Gu Xiangyi.

"Cough...cough cough." Seeing her actions, Shang Shu remembered her "main quest" and tried to stop Gu Sui, but she couldn't catch her breath and choked on the water, coughing violently.

Gu Sui immediately put down his phone, gently patted the person's back to help her catch her breath, and said, "Slow down..."

This... could be considered a lucky accident.

*

Lin Lang stood there stunned for a long time, still unable to recover from the shock of hearing the words "I like you".

Looking at the child in front of her, who looked as delicate as a porcelain doll, she cleared her throat and said, "Okay, I understand."

Clearly, she didn't believe it.

Seeing her indifferent expression, Gu Xiangyi immediately felt a little wronged: "I'm serious."

Seeing that the man was still not giving up, Lin Lang put one hand on his hip and said, "Fine, then tell me what you like about me. We've only met three times. Name ten things and I'll believe you."

Gu Xiangyi blushed, but still felt a little wronged. She couldn't really name ten reasons, but liking something is just a feeling, isn't it?

Seeing that the little girl was speechless, Lin Lang seemed to have expected it. She patted Gu Xiangyi's shoulder and said, "Your sister is indeed good-looking. It's normal for you to have feelings for me. But in the future, don't tell others you like them so easily. You're so well-behaved, you're easily fooled."

Seeing Gu Xiangyi's aggrieved look, Lin Lang almost felt sorry for her, but still felt it necessary to remind her, so she continued to ask, "Do you remember?"

"I know..." Gu Xiangyi replied listlessly. She wasn't that stupid. This was the first time she had ever told someone she liked someone. Although she didn't expect any response, she just wanted to let the other person know her feelings. Unexpectedly, she received a lecture from her older sister.

"Let's go, we should go back. We've been out for so long, they'll be worried soon." Lin Lang raised his head and walked ahead.

Gu Xiangyi silently followed, but she thought that the two of them might be busy with something and didn't have time to care what they were doing.

*

When Lin Lang and Gu Xiangyi returned to the private room, they saw Shang Shu and Gu Sui in a peaceful scene, but both of their eyes were red...

Lin Lang and Shang Shu exchanged a meaningful glance, one tilting her head and the other biting her lower lip.

Has she been crying?

Gu Xiangyi was clearly more surprised than Lin Lang when she discovered this. After all, based on her understanding of Gu Sui, there were probably only a handful of people and things on this earth that could make her cry.

Shang Shu avoided Lin Lang's curious gaze and turned to Gu Sui beside her: "Do you and Xiang Yi still have something to talk about? Why don't we go ahead and..."

"No...nothing urgent!" Gu Xiangyi answered quickly, silently praising herself for her helpful nature, even though she was still heartbroken.

Then she looked at Gu Sui and added, "Right, Auntie? We can talk about it when we get home later."

Gu Sui raised an eyebrow slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

Lin Lang tactfully pointed to the door with his thumb and said, "Then you guys continue, I have to go first."

"I'll go out with you." Gu Xiangyi called out to Lin Lang, who was about to open the door, and then waved the phone she was holding at the two people on the sofa. "My mom is looking for me. Auntie, you don't need to worry about me. A driver will take me home."

She had no interest in being a third wheel, and besides, Gu Qi had indeed sent her a message, though it was just some trivial stuff.

After saying that, she followed Lin Lang out.

"..." Shang Shu sighed, thinking that the two were going to go out and rekindle their relationship. She couldn't understand how Lin Lang dared to so blatantly abduct someone's niece in front of her.

"Are you hungry? Shall we go eat?" Shang Shu turned around at the sound of her voice and saw Gu Sui looking at her.

Before she could even utter the word "okay," her phone vibrated unnaturally. She had no choice but to pick it up and look at the two large characters "Shang Wei" on the screen. She felt inexplicably uneasy.

[Shang Wei: I'm going home tonight.]

These four short words seemed to suggest that Shang Wei was determined to compromise with her.

Looking at Gu Sui beside her, and recalling Shang Wei's words from the Shang family last time, she had to admit that he had made the right bet. In the past, she was indifferent to life and death, and Shang Wei was helpless against her, but now it was different. Gu Sui was indeed her weakness.

The last time I was met with a blind date and a slap, what will it be this time?

"Are you alright?" Gu Sui caught a glimpse of that name and saw Shang Shu's face gradually turn pale, and his heart pounded with anxiety.

Shang Shu turned off her phone screen and forced an awkward smile: "It seems we won't be able to have dinner together at this treacherous place."

Thinking back to Shang Shu's experience when she went back last time, Gu Sui felt a wave of fear.

She didn't care about the reason at all; all she knew was that Shang Shu was seriously injured. She didn't dare to imagine what the consequences would have been if she hadn't discovered that Shang Shu had been taken away and hadn't been able to get her to the hospital in time.

"I'll go with you." Gu Sui's expression was frighteningly cold.

She would never allow this to happen again.

"No way." Shang Shu refused quickly.

It was precisely because Shang Wei knew about their affair that she was in such a passive position, and she could no longer allow Gu Sui to take risks with her.

She tried to make it sound lighthearted: "Don't worry, I won't argue with him."

"How can I feel at ease?" Gu Sui wasn't buying it, his brows furrowing even more tightly.

Shang Shu opened her mouth, unable to refute, so she could only offer a compromise: "Then I'll send you a message after I'm done, okay?"

She thought that this would at least give people some peace of mind.

Gu Sui didn't agree. Instead, he stood up from the sofa and said, "I'll take you."

Even though Shang Shu was trying to comfort her, she could still see the unease in her eyes. If she had to go, she might as well make it quick.

Seeing that the man seemed to have relented, Shang Shu obediently followed him out and got into the car.

Sitting in the passenger seat of the sports car, she forced a smile and asked, "Why aren't we driving the one from the airport?"

Gu Sui held the steering wheel with one hand, gently shook her head without answering, and she could hear the forced smile in Shang Shu's voice.

Shang Shu didn't say anything more. She really couldn't think too much right now. She just stared at the gradually familiar street scene outside the window and clenched her hands tightly together.

The car quickly arrived at the gate of the merchant's villa.

"I'll message you when I'm done."

"I'm not sure how long it will take either, you don't need to wait for me."

"Don't worry, he can't do anything to me."

"Drive carefully on your way back, and don't get distracted."

Shang Shu looked at the building not far away and said a lot in one breath. She reached out to unbuckle her seatbelt, but after groping around for a long time, she still couldn't find the buckle.

Gu Sui listened, knowing that Shang Shu was nervous. She turned her head to unlock the clasp for her, and her fingertips touched that cold hand.

"Ah Shu." She grasped that slender hand, staring into Shang Shu's slightly flickering eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Don't be afraid, I'll wait for you here, wait for you to come back."

Shang Shu felt a warmth in her heart as she looked into Gu Sui's determined eyes, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Okay."

When did she become so timid?

*

Inside Shang Zhiyi's room at the merchant's villa.

Feng Yuan was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, watching the maid change her daughter into her seventeenth dress.

Shang Zhiyi stood in the center of the walk-in closet, a hint of fatigue on her face: "Mom, how much is left? Weren't those pretty enough? Let's just leave it at that..."

Feng Yuan leaned back on the sofa and clicked her tongue: "Is it really your engagement? For such an important occasion, of course you have to carefully choose the best-looking outfit."

Then Feng Yuan twirled her fingers in the air a few times. Shang Zhiyi looked at her mother's gesture, sighed, and started spinning in place.

"These were all custom-made for you by famous designers in Milan. Mom spent a lot of money on them. If you look expensive and beautiful, people won't look down on us at the engagement party. After the engagement party, we'll start preparing your wedding dress..."

Feng Yuan kept rambling on and on, and Shang Zhiyi seemed to be persuaded by her, nodding repeatedly in agreement.

When they arrived at the eighteenth set, Feng Yuan waved her hand, signaling the maid to leave. Then she stood up and went behind Shang Zhiyi, personally zipping up her daughter's jacket: "She'll be back today, so don't look so sad later, you hear me?"

"Of course I know." Shang Zhiyi looked down at the deep V-neck of her dress, then pulled it down further in front of the large full-length mirror. "But how am I supposed to get into the company like this?"

Ever since her humiliating defeat in front of Shang Shu last time, she has been begging her mother to let her work for the Shang Group, thinking that once she has a core position, she will no longer have to put up with Shang Shu's temper.

But she also knew that her father wanted her to either join the group or marry into the Chen family; she could only choose one. However, she still didn't understand why her mother chose the latter.

Feng Yuan frowned behind the person's back, looking at her daughter's face in the mirror: "What do you know? Do you think working at the company is easy?"

She knew her daughter's limitations best. Spoiled since childhood, she was arrogant and lacked any cunning. She couldn't even outmaneuver Shang Shu, yet she dreamed of becoming a powerful figure in the group. She figured Shang Wei was aware of this and therefore would never actually train her. So she decided to cut off her daughter's hopes as soon as possible and place her hopes on Shang Shiqing.

She brushed Shang Zhiyi's hair to one shoulder and added, "Besides, Chen Yu has had feelings for you since high school, and he's been very attentive to you ever since. If you live like your mother after you get married, wouldn't that be nice?"

The Chen Yu she mentioned is none other than the center of attention tonight—Shang Zhiyi's fiancé.

She had long ago set her sights on the Chen family, which owned Jia Hua Media. Firstly, the Chen family had a good relationship with her maternal family, the Feng family. Secondly, Chen Yu had feelings for Shang Zhiyi. Thirdly, and this was also a point she used to persuade Shang Wei, that was, the Shang family's image industry was too weak, with only Shang Shu's jewelry brand supporting it, and there seemed to be signs that it was going to break away from the group and start its own business. The Chen family's media advantage could just make up for this.

Of course, she also had her own selfish motives. After all, the jewelry brand was a legacy left by He Landai, and Shang Shu had made it very successful, which made her, the mistress of the business, live in its shadow.

Shang Zhiyi pouted: "I didn't say it was bad, it's just..."

But how could she possibly outdo Shang Shu like this?

"Alright, this outfit is nice, change it off. We should go downstairs for dinner soon." Feng Yuan patted Shang Zhiyi on the shoulder. "Also, keep an eye on your cat, your dad doesn't like cats running around."

She was referring to a Ragdoll cat that Chen Yu had recently given to Shang Zhiyi.

Shang Zhiyi said "Oh," watched Feng Yuan leave the dressing room, and then looked at herself in the mirror a couple of times.

*

As Shang Shu stepped into the Shang family villa, she noticed a significant increase in the number of servants cleaning. She scoffed inwardly, wondering if the Shang family was already preparing for the New Year.

"Sister...you're back."

Shang Shu ran into Shang Shiqing. She responded indifferently. Although she wasn't close to this obedient younger sister, she didn't dislike her either; at least she was much better than Shang Zhiyi.

"Last time... were you alright?" Shang Shiqing asked with concern, clutching the hem of her clothes. It was the first time she had ever seen Shang Wei take action, and it had truly frightened her.

Shang Shu nodded slightly, her expression remaining calm: "Yes, and him?"

More than pleasantries, she wanted to know why Shang Wei had called her back.

Shang Shiqing naturally knew who "he" was referring to. She had just opened her mouth when she saw Feng Yuan helping Shang Wei down from upstairs. She quickly took a step back and distanced herself from Shang Shu.

Shang Shu watched as Shang Shiqing subconsciously stepped back, feeling both pathetic and amused. She knew that Shang Shiqing was kind by nature, but he had always been like this since childhood, only daring to show her some care when Feng Yuan and Shang Zhiyi couldn't see him, forever struggling between his true feelings and obedience.

"Dad, Mom," Shang Shiqing called out obediently to the two approaching figures.

Shang Shu's hand, hanging at her side, twitched slightly involuntarily, but she remained silent, staring at the newcomer.

"You're here?" Shang Wei said casually. "Let's eat first, I have something to talk about." With that, he and Feng Yuan walked towards the restaurant.

Shang Shu wanted to refuse, as she had no interest in eating with this family, but she remembered that she had just promised Gu Sui not to argue with Shang Wei, so she reluctantly followed them.

When she arrived at the dining table, she deliberately chose a seat far away from the others. She glanced around and, not seeing Shang Zhiyi, sat quietly, waiting to see what tricks these people were up to.

After a while, Shang Zhiyi finally arrived late, holding a plump ragdoll cat in her arms. The cat was beautiful, with long, smooth fur and a pair of beautiful sapphire-like eyes. It was lazily snuggling in its owner's arms and should have been very endearing, but Shang Shu felt inexplicably terrified when she saw it.

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Author's note: Have a great weekend everyone! [cat paw emoji]