Chapter 48
"You..." Shen Qianmei froze for a few seconds. She dropped her aloof attitude and looked innocent and kind, like the older sister next door.
A gentle evening breeze blew as the two strolled toward the seaside.
"You knew perfectly well that Shen Qianli had ill intentions, so why did you still go to the prison?"
When the question buried deep in her heart was touched, Shen Qianmei remained silent for a long time. In the dim night, she was like a cold and beautiful butterfly, both beautiful and noble.
"She is my sister."
The reason is simple, yet every word hits home.
Not far away was the boundless sea, stretching to the horizon. The familiar feeling of suffocation made Shen Qianmei's face show distress.
"It's just like that night."
After escaping the inferno that day, she plunged into the sea without hesitation. The burning pain on her body was instantly relieved, but what followed was another abyss.
She swam for an unknown amount of time, from the dead of night to dawn, until she exhausted her last bit of strength. As the sun rose, she could no longer swim, letting the panting waves pound against her as she drifted aimlessly.
"Cheng Yan's resolute figure was colder than the sea."
As seawater filled her nasal cavity and numbed her brain, Shen Qianmei saw the ship far away from the prison.
"But unfortunately Cheng Yan can't see me, otherwise he would definitely kill me."
"And then what happened?" Su Yazhi couldn't wait to know how Shen Qianmei was rescued.
Shen Qianmei's lips twitched slightly, and a bitter feeling welled up from her heart: "My eyes were swollen as I looked at the boundless sea and screamed in despair; I cowered in fear as pain traveled from my brain throughout my body."
That day was the most desperate day of her life.
“During the fire, I thought I might be burned to death; when I jumped into the sea, I thought I might drown, but I didn’t die. I kept screaming and asking myself why I had to die. I had barely escaped from the fire, why did I have to die?”
"I will not die." Shen Qianmei groaned with red eyes, using her tenacious life force to refine herself into the bloody Mansa Zhu Hua.
She kept repeating it, and repeating it, until that phrase was ingrained in every drop of her blood and became the driving force of her breathing.
"Fortunately, I was downstream, and a half-person-high plank washed down from upstream became my lifeline."
"When I was tired, I would lie down on the plank to rest; when I was hungry, I would drink seawater. As long as I had the strength, I would paddle with all my might until I could see the other shore, getting closer and closer."
The survival experience was painful, but Shen Qianmei still chose to face it with a smile: "You know what? There's a saying that's really true."
Su Yazhi listened attentively, and after thinking for a while, replied, "Life is like a shore; only those with strong will can reach the other side."
“Yes.” Shen Qianmei nodded sincerely in response: “I am trying to survive, and I am also trying to make a living.”
She roared at the sea with all her might, facing the giant waves that were directly hitting the shore with the strongest will: "I will not die."
For Shen Qianmei, this can be considered a rebirth.
“Cheng Yan let the prison burn down; he is guilty and needs to pay the price for his actions.”
Not much is known about Cheng Yansu Yazhi. The only information available is that his mother passed away when he was twelve, and the following year, Luo Tianze entered the family, bringing back a one-and-a-half-year-old brother. He was then sent abroad to study, where he remained for more than ten years.
Shen Qianmei said, "Cheng Yan's mother left him an inheritance, but the will states that he can only inherit it on his thirtieth birthday, and there is a specific condition: he must get married before that."
That makes sense.
He lacked care and proper guidance during his youth, which led to his extreme behavior as an adult.
But that cannot be a reason for him to commit a crime.
Now that things had come to this, Shen Qianmei no longer concealed anything and sincerely confessed, "I have no hostility towards you; my enemy is Cheng Yan."
Su Yazhi has sighed numbly countless times about Cheng Yan.
Cheng Yan tampered with the phonograph that was delivered to the Su family compound, which to some extent helped her sober up quickly from her drunkenness.
But his intentions weren't simple either; he just wanted to use her to bring down Shen Qianli effortlessly and then disappear without a trace.
Just like framing her for arson after the fire, then orchestrating a car accident to shift the blame, one scheme after another, leaving her exhausted from the scheming.
There was one question that Shen Qianmei remained puzzled about: "How did you know my identity?"
In public, she always identified herself as Shen Qianmei, but when facing Cheng Huai'an and Cai Siyue, she always played the role of Shen Qianli, which they believed without a doubt.
"On the day of the fire, Cheng Huai'an and Cai Siyue went to the prison and came up with a foolproof plan to rescue Shen Qianli."
Su Yazhi: "You're going to take my place, right?"
But they underestimated Shen Qianmei's tenacious vitality.
Do you remember the day we danced?
Shen Qianmei tried hard to recall, and did not think she had given anything away.
The wind tousled her hair, and her smooth curls brushed against Su Ya's fingertips once more, leaving a delicate and alluring fragrance.
"Your hair ends are burnt."
Burnt hair absorbs a lot of burnt smell molecules, and it may take three days or even longer for the smell to dissipate.
Even if the sweet fruity aroma is enough to mask the burnt taste, there is still a noticeable difference.
Shen Qianmei suddenly realized, and sniffed the ends of her hair again. Perhaps she had become accustomed to the natural scent and did not find anything unusual. She was amazed by Su Yazhi's keen insight.
"When you killed me at the hospital and helped me deal with Zhuang Haiming, I also suspected that you were Shen Qianli." But Cheng Yan's strange behavior made her realize that things were not so simple.
Su Yazhi promised, "Don't worry, I won't do anything, and I won't interfere in the feud between you and Cheng Yan."
The implication is that you should go for it; you've already died once, so what's there to be afraid of?
Shen Qianmei was deeply moved. She smiled gently under the moonlight, and her heart was clearly much more open and cheerful after being listened to.
It was morning when they returned to the villa, and Su Yazhi confessed everything about Shen Qianmei to her mother.
"You noticed something was off when you made the deal with her, didn't you?" Su Yazhi crossed her arms haughtily, her tone somewhat interrogative.
Su Sinan: "Hmph." This indicated extreme smugness, which was why she felt comfortable entrusting Zhuang Haiming to Shen Qianmei.
"You naughty mommy." Su Yazhi hugged her mother with her small strength, stubbornly acting coquettishly.
Fortunately, things are now clear, so I'm not going to pursue it any further.
At the same time, her mother also gave Su Yazhi more information: "70% of the shares of Red Maple Capital are under Cheng Yan's mother's name, and the will states that if Cheng Yan does not meet the conditions for receiving the will before the age of thirty, the 70% of the shares will be unconditionally socialized, which also means that Cheng Huai'an is also in danger."
"Ugh," Su Yazhi cursed through gritted teeth, "another gigolo."
No wonder that old man kept trying to match her up with Cheng Yan when they met.
"That kid Cheng Yan is wicked. I heard he's been attacking the Shen family lately, probably targeting you."
Su Yazhi understood: "It's alright, Mom, don't worry."
Rumors of instability within Red Maple Capital had been circulating for some time, so even if Cheng Yan obtained the inheritance rights, that group of deeply entrenched old fogies would not make things easy for him.
The Su family, with their high social standing and abundant wealth, could be of great help in extricating him from his predicament.
Su Yazhi couldn't help but sigh, "This kid is too cunning."
Just as he picked up his phone, ready to say something to Shen Yiheng, Shen Yiheng, carrying large and small bags, came straight to the living room from the doorway.
"Hello, Auntie, it's been a long time." He was quite attentive, humble and polite in front of Su Sinan, behaving very well.
"Oh, good, good, good child." Su Sinan smiled brightly.
“I told you from the beginning that Xiao Shen was a good kid, and I was right about him.”
Su Yazhi rolled her eyes so hard they were practically pointing to the sky.
I still remember when I first came back from my rebirth, I said that she was scheming and wouldn't even give me a chance to go on a blind date.
Mom, you change your mind so easily!
No sooner had they finished greeting each other than Shen Yiheng transformed into a diligent little gardener, helping his mother trim the grass and move potted plants. Under the scorching sun of 30 degrees Celsius, his wheat-colored skin was exposed, and his white shirt was rolled up to reveal his firm biceps.
A cowboy hat accentuates his superior profile; his chest is open, revealing a strong, fit physique, and mature charm that shines through the sun and sweat. Three or four potted plants are displayed at a time, their muscular lines radiating power.
After sweating profusely, the white shirt was soaked, and a faint, refreshing scent of fresh grass drifted by in the wind.
Su Yazhi handed over a towel to wipe her sweat: "What brings you here today?"
A full bottle of water was poured in, with a few drops flowing down the side of the face and onto the raised neck, evenly wiping over the prominent Adam's apple that rose and fell rhythmically with each swallow.
After resting for a while, Shen Yiheng's breathing gradually became steady. His half-wet hair was casually tossed up, adding to his wild charm.
“Not just today,” he said.
The western crimson sunset climbed across the horizon and collided with the white clouds, creating a dazzling and vibrant fiery sunset.
Aside from holidays, Shen Yiheng's arrival made the house exceptionally lively. Even with a housekeeper, he still did everything himself, showing meticulous care for every little detail.
He solemnly raised his teacup and respectfully said, "Auntie, if you don't mind, you can treat me like your son, and I will take care of all the big and small things in the family from now on."
Su Sinan and Su Yazhi exchanged a knowing glance, slowly lowered their eyes, and then raised them to reveal a satisfied smile, signifying their approval.
When she spoke again, her emotions were heavy: "Okay, okay, Auntie just hopes you're all doing well, that's the best thing."
Su Yazhi picked up the teacup, took a sip, and savored the taste.
It leaves a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth, refreshing and sweet, just like it, it becomes addictive.
Later that evening, Su Sinan specially created a space for the two of them to be alone. The cicadas chirping in the midsummer were like melodious music, which was very pleasant to listen to.
Since they left the house, Shen Yiheng had held her hand tightly and never let go, their fingers intertwined.
In response, he received an even softer and warmer palm.
Su Yazhi guessed that Shen Yiheng must have become impatient after seeing those increasingly hyped fake rumors, which is why he rushed to her door seeking peace of mind.
He appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was extremely anxious, and he even looked a little aggrieved.
“Shen Yiheng.” Su Yazhi shook his hand, met his deep and bright, captivating eyes, and asked, “Do you know what kind of lover you are?”
Shen Yiheng guessed: "Possessive type?"
“No.” Su Yazhi shook her head: “Possession is only a small part.”
"To be precise, it's the food-guarding type."
After realizing what he meant, Shen Yiheng frowned: "Are you treating me like a dog?"
Su Yazhi raised her eyes, her eyes sparkling, and a smile spread across her face: "You're not a puppy, you're a big wolfhound."
Her skirt swayed gently in the moonlight, like an elf who had wandered into the forest. The moment she opened her eyes, the prince arrived as promised.
She could lightly leap up to his shoulder, and with a little more effort, she could gently wipe her lips and savor the sweet aftertaste.
As twilight echoes, I sink into the deepest abyss.
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