Chapter 28 The Second Crack Even if it takes all his strength, he must…
"You want to see me?"
In the restaurant on the first floor of Xiaoming Building, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting slanting rays onto the dining tables.
Ling Shu sat at the dining table, holding a small plate of rice noodle rolls, her face full of bewilderment.
"Bai Yue wants to see me?"
Bai Yue stayed at the Sheng family's house for several days, but it seemed like the two of them hadn't exchanged a single word.
Every time Bai Yue tried to come over and talk to her, she would be interrupted by various unexpected events.
Bai Yue is about to leave, so why did she specifically ask to see her by name?
Ling Shu couldn't figure it out, and she was too lazy to think about it.
She waved her hand: "Okay, let Bai Yue come over."
She didn't care what Bai Yue's purpose was.
The servants left after receiving their orders. A dozen minutes later, Bai Yue appeared at the entrance of Xiaoming Building.
Ling Shu had just finished breakfast and stood up from the table, tilting her head to look at Bai Yue as she walked in.
"You were looking for me?"
Bai Yue held her head high and walked gracefully to the sofa, where she sat down and gestured with her hand, "Miss Ling, please sit down."
Ling Shu was a little full, so she took a cup of perfectly warm rose black tea, held it in her hands, and slowly walked over to sit down opposite Bai Yue.
Unlike Bai Yue's serious demeanor, she sat loosely, one hand resting on her chin, her posture languid and casual.
Bai Yue sat upright, scrutinizing her, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
No one spoke, and the living room was unusually quiet.
Only after the servants tactfully withdrew and closed the door, leaving only the two of them in the living room, did Bai Yue speak.
She cut to the chase: "Ling Shu, I hate you."
Ling Shu focused intently on drinking her rose tea, without even lifting her eyelids.
Bai Yue's gaze remained fixed on Ling Shu, and seeing that she had no reaction, she gave a self-deprecating smile.
"You are indeed completely different from the rumors. No wonder the Sheng family likes you and is even willing to give you shares."
During her stay at the Sheng family, Bai Yue had already clearly seen Ling Shu's position within the family.
The Sheng family treated Ling Shu like a treasure, loving and protecting her, and always thinking of her needs.
It's really...enviable.
But this is not what Bai Yue cares about most.
Bai Yue looked up and glanced at the sky above her.
It seems as if it wants to look through the decorative relief ceiling at someone it can't see.
Her voice was a little hoarse: "Why did Sheng Yun Shen end up marrying a woman like you? He's such a perfect person, you're not good enough for him at all."
Ling Shu finally reacted, sitting up a little straighter: "Hmm?"
At this moment, with no outsiders present, Bai Yue can finally take off her mask and show her most authentic self.
She looked at Ling Shu, her eyes burning with jealousy and resentment.
"Ten years ago, I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. He had a cold personality, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't really get close to him."
"Later, my father realized what I was thinking. That was the first time I saw him so angry... He even resigned and took me abroad, saying he wanted me to give up completely."
“My father said that someone as extraordinary as Sheng Yun Shen was born to stand at the highest point. The woman who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him must also be the most powerful woman in the world… If I stubbornly persist in my delusions and become deeply entangled, I will only end up harming myself…”
Bai Yue smiled as she recalled the past.
"Over the years, I've thought of countless ways to get closer to him, I even studied domestic management... I heard he was engaged, but I still didn't give up. Just when I was finally ready, I heard the news that he had been in a car accident..."
“He’s ruined, I can’t marry him anymore… Otherwise, I would never have chosen that good-for-nothing Sheng Yunqi… Now that it’s all over, I’ll be leaving the Sheng family soon. Ling Shu, I hate you, but I want to ask you to treat him well.”
"...Please."
When Bai Yue said those words, she strained to speak each one, making it seem incredibly difficult.
Ling Shu tilted her head, her eyes flashing with confusion.
She didn't respond to Bai Yue's request, but asked directly, "Why did you say that because Sheng Yun Shen is crippled, you can't get married?"
Bai Yue paused slightly: "Hmm?"
Ling Shu sneered: "So what you just said was that you used to like Sheng Yun Shen and schemed your way to marry him. But then he got into trouble, and you were forced to try and win him over, so you're very resentful, right?"
Bai Yue: "...Huh?"
The words were a bit rough, but the meaning seemed to be correct.
"Sheng Yun Shen is in trouble, so it should be easier for you to get close to him. If you had shown up earlier and made it clear that you wouldn't marry anyone but him, the Sheng family might have been willing to give you that chance?"
She has always had a laid-back and cheerful image, and rarely acts so aggressively.
Bai Yue's words were so offensive that they gave her a headache, and she couldn't help but become a little aggressive.
Bai Yue instinctively retorted, "How could I marry a person in a vegetative state!"
After saying that, she suddenly realized something and her face turned deathly pale.
"You're finally telling the truth."
Ling Shu clicked her tongue.
"To put it bluntly, you're just a snob who wants to climb the social ladder, and you're using so-called true love as a pretense. Do you really think you love Sheng Yun Shen? You only love his status and position."
Bai Yue wanted to argue, but didn't know what to say.
After a few seconds of silence, she chose to turn the tables, "Ling Shu, you're saying nice things now, but weren't you forced to marry him?"
Ling Shu frowned, and replied matter-of-factly, "No one in this world can force me to do anything. I married him, of course, because he's a good person."
"good?"
Bai Yue was amused. "What good could there be in a person in a vegetative state?"
Ling Shu crossed her arms and shook her head: "You don't understand how good he is."
She was too lazy to waste any more words with Bai Yue, but she couldn't help but add a couple more in her mind.
[He's not only doing well now, he'll have even more good fortune in the future. What does this gold-digging woman know? Ugh, I shouldn't have let her in. All that barking and listening to her was a waste of my time.]
Bai Yue couldn't hear these words; only Sheng Yun Shen in her mind could.
Sheng Yun Shen was feeling very complicated at this moment, both happy and depressed.
He was pleased that Ling Shu defended him like this.
What's frustrating is...
What he casually made up earlier has actually come true.
Bai Yue... actually has feelings for him.
Being liked by someone like that feels like swallowing a fly, it's disgusting.
In contrast, Ling Shu's feelings were like glittering gold, shining with a unique and precious brilliance.
Moved, Sheng Yunshen couldn't help but look forward to the "future" that Ling Shu had mentioned.
Does this mean that he will return to normal one day?
By then...
He will do his best to respond to Ling Shu's precious feelings.
While Sheng Yun Shen was dreaming about the future, Ling Shu unceremoniously kicked Bai Yue out of Xiao Ming Lou.
"Let's go, I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you."
Bai Yue clung to the doorframe, somewhat unwilling: "Ling Shu! Now I'm in the same boat as the Sheng family, so I advise you to be more polite to me!"
Ling Shu paused for a second, looking at Bai Yue seriously: "Wait until you've really established yourself in the Zhao family before you try to show off your power."
The Zhao family is not a family like the Sheng family that accumulates good deeds, and no one knows what Bai Yue's future will hold.
After saying that, Ling Shu pushed Bai Yue out the door without any politeness and slammed the door shut.
Bai Yue stood outside the door, jumping up and down in anger.
After a moment of impotent rage, Bai Yue had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
Before leaving, she uttered one last harsh word.
"You just wait! After I marry Zhao Liheng, you'd better not come begging to me!"
-
Bai Yue's departure brought peace back to the Sheng family.
It is said that after she was sent to the Zhao family, she immediately became arrogant and drove away Zhao Liheng's "new love," and even shouted that Zhao Liheng was not allowed to bring any more women home.
Given Zhao Liheng's volatile temper, if the Sheng family hadn't "enthusiastically" provided Bai Yue with ten burly bodyguards, Bai Yue's teeth would probably have been knocked out.
Suppressed by ten bodyguards, Zhao Liheng could only suppress his anger and reluctantly agree to let Bai Yue check in.
But everyone knew that this situation wouldn't last long.
The Zhao family is not the type to sit idly by and wait for their doom. As long as they find a new opportunity, they will stop at nothing and continue to scheme against the Sheng family.
Once the Sheng family falls, Bai Yue will be finished.
Ling Shu paid no attention to the commotion at the Zhao family's place and spent the afternoon inspecting the vegetable garden outside Xiaoming Building.
She now absolutely loves spending time in the little vegetable garden.
As expected of a professional, Wang the housekeeper planned the vegetable garden in a neat and orderly manner.
The irrigation ditch connects all the vegetable gardens, and the clear water flows merrily, making a melodious tinkling sound.
The cabbage seeds that had just been planted had already begun to sprout round little leaves. Ling Shu squatted there watching them and couldn't help but smile.
Wandering around, I didn't realize it was evening.
Ling Shu ate dinner alone today.
After the Sheng family and the Li family officially announced their cooperation, there were too many things to handle, and the rest of the Sheng family were extremely busy, with no one seen for a whole day.
Su Ruomeng wasn't that busy, but she went back to her parents' home today, and she hadn't returned by the time Ling Shu was ready to go to bed.
She might be planning to stay overnight at her parents' home.
Ling Shu did not feel lonely.
The dog system accompanies her anytime, anywhere. Its speech and knowledge are extraordinary, and its emotions are very stable. No matter what you talk about, it can give a neutral and objective opinion, making it very comfortable to chat with.
Before going to sleep, while chatting with the dog system in bed, Ling Shu couldn't help but sigh.
"Dog, if you were an AI boyfriend, you'd definitely be a bestseller."
Sheng Yun paused for a moment: "...Does this mean the host thinks I'm not bad?"
"Yes, it's pretty good."
Ling Shu rolled over in bed and wrapped herself in the blanket. "My favorite type is someone like my cheap husband, and the second best is someone like you."
They either can't move or talk, or they're incredibly good at chatting and provide plenty of emotional value.
Both are pretty good.
Sheng Yunshen remained silent for a moment.
Being liked by Ling Shu twice is an honor.
But... now that Bai Yue's matter is over, he should have confessed to Ling Shu and explained his identity.
He tried several times today, but the words wouldn't come out.
If Ling Shu knew he had lied to her, she would probably be very disappointed in him.
He betrayed her feelings.
The atmosphere of the chat tonight was so good that he couldn't help but feel a little selfish, wanting to preserve this wonderful atmosphere a little longer.
Longer, much longer.
Just a little bit is enough.
Before they knew it, the two were talking about Bai Yue again.
"Host, what was Bai Yue's original ending in the book?"
Sheng Yunshen was somewhat curious about this question.
All he knew was that Bai Yue in the book had taken supplies from the Sheng family and released zombies into the house while escaping, resulting in the deaths of several members of the Sheng family.
Such a ruthless woman will likely not have a good ending in the apocalypse.
Ling Shu closed her eyes and chuckled softly.
"Her death was horribly tragic."
Given Bai Yue's ruthlessness, she did indeed fare quite well in the early stages of the apocalypse.
Unfortunately, she later encountered the main characters.
The main characters initially survived thanks to the Sheng family manor and were therefore grateful to the Sheng family. Through some remaining paper records from the Sheng family, they learned the truth about the Sheng family's tragic annihilation and the actions of Jian Yicheng, Ling Xinyao, Bai Yue, and others.
Bai Yue was unaware that she had already been marked as a "bad person" by the main characters, and she still wanted to pretend to be an innocent girl to get close to the male lead.
In the end, she fell into the protagonist group's trap, was surrounded by a horde of hungry zombies, and was torn to pieces alive.
The entire process reportedly lasted over an hour and was extremely brutal.
Upon hearing Bai Yue's original ending, Sheng Yun Shen sighed softly, "Good and evil are rewarded accordingly."
Ling Shu shook her head: "No, I don't think this is about good and evil being rewarded or punished. It's just that she was unlucky and not as strong as the protagonists. If she were strong, the story would be different."
In the apocalypse, the strong always reign supreme, and so-called morality, laws, and social rules have long since become worthless.
The idea of karmic retribution doesn't exist in the end times.
“I’ve seen an uncle who kindly took in people, only to be pushed into a horde of zombies by the very people he took in. I’ve also seen a couple who enjoy torturing and killing people. Because of their agility and strength, they are honored guests at many bases, and no one dares to mess with them.”
These unpleasant memories weighed heavily on Ling Shu, making her voice even lower.
"In the apocalypse, even the most insignificant malice can stir up a storm and bring about terrible consequences. Dog, compared to the cruelty of the apocalypse, the struggles we are facing now are like children playing house, not worth mentioning."
Sheng Yun Shen remained silent for a long time.
He had already learned from Ling Shu that there was no way to stop the apocalypse from coming.
Now, hearing Ling Shu recount the devastation of the apocalypse, his heart grew even heavier.
He used to dislike this world and felt that it wouldn't matter if it were destroyed.
Now, Ling Shu exists in this world.
Ling Shu, who lives a vibrant and optimistic life, is like a plant full of vitality, eagerly absorbing every ray of sunshine.
Sheng Yun Shen couldn't help but think that Ling Shu would be very happy if she could prevent the apocalypse from coming.
Once this idea took root, it grew wildly in his heart.
As Ling Shu fell into a deep sleep, the clock struck midnight again, and Sheng Yun Shen's consciousness was instantly pulled away, once again finding himself in that vast and boundless icy and snowy land.
The Doomsday Clock stood directly in front of him like a ferocious, icy behemoth.
It exudes a chilling aura, and the hands on the dial resemble the scythe of death, silently and ruthlessly cutting away the last moments of peace.
The scale has moved forward another notch.
The end of the world is one day closer.
Sheng Yunshen stared intently at the ice-and-snow dial, his brows furrowed deeply.
Is the end of the world truly unstoppable?
He absolutely could not stand idly by and watch everything head towards destruction.
Sheng Yunshen speculated that this might be related to the ruby ring that Ling Shu had given him.
Since the ruby ring can cause the Doomsday Clock to crack, are there other ways to achieve the same effect?
Sheng Yunshen's mind raced.
He decided to start by trying the simplest and most direct method.
He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and imagined himself as an invincible blade. His aura suddenly changed, becoming sharp and resolute.
Immediately afterwards, with all his might and a do-or-die determination, he rammed the Doomsday Bell.
The next second, it was as if he had hit a brick wall, and a tremendous force of recoil surged forth.
A terrible, dull pain shot through my head, almost making me faint. The pain felt like countless steel needles piercing my skull. I saw stars, and the whole world seemed to shake violently in the agony.
The snow and ice piled up on the Doomsday Clock were struck and fell down in a rustling sound, blurring his vision.
Sheng Yun was in so much pain that he almost lost consciousness. His consciousness trembled uncontrollably, and he could only hold on with his stubborn willpower.
While enduring wave after wave of dull pain, he stared intently at the Doomsday Clock dial, not missing a single subtle change.
After he bumped it, a tiny crack actually appeared on the dial of the Doomsday Clock!
Although the crack was very small, so small that it took a lot of effort to see it.
This crack was like a ray of dawn in the darkness, giving Sheng Yun Shen a glimmer of hope.
He can shake the Doomsday Clock with his own willpower!
Overwhelmed with pain, Sheng Yun couldn't help but let out a bitterly joyful laugh.
He did it! He really did it!
Just as he was about to crash again, his vision blurred, and he was back in the boundless darkness.
The Doomsday Clock disappeared before his eyes.
It's okay, let's finish tonight and come back tomorrow.
Even if it takes all his strength, he has to try.
For Ling Shu.
For Ling Shu!
-
The next day, Ling Shu woke up feeling refreshed, completely unaware that Sheng Yun Shen had done something extraordinary for her the night before.
Today she made an appointment with Su Ruomeng to go boating together on Moon Lake behind Buxianxian.
Of course, rowing was not Ling Shu's main purpose.
She mainly wanted to take this opportunity to observe the largest lake in the Sheng family manor and investigate the possibility of aquaculture in the lake.
Of course, Ling Shu kept this thought to herself, not daring to utter a single word.
She had no doubt that if Butler Wang heard her ideas today, Moon Lake would probably become a professional breeding farm tomorrow.
Ah, this is a kind of happy dilemma...
Ling Shu had just arrived at Moon Lake when Su Ruomeng also arrived.
Butler Wang had already prepared a spacious pleasure boat by the lake. The boat was wide and stable, so it wouldn't rock even in wind and waves.
Su Ruomeng sat on the boat, looking down at the lake water outside the boat's side.
Her long hair hung down, obscuring her face; only her tightly pursed lips were visible, clearly indicating that she was in a bad mood.
Seeing this, Ling Shu raised her eyebrows slightly.
Butler Wang leaned closer and whispered, "The eldest young mistress didn't return until 1 a.m. last night. The driver said that when he went to pick her up, he heard the Su family arguing, and it seemed to be a very unpleasant situation."
Ling Shu raised her eyebrows even higher: "Hmm?"
Butler Wang sighed, "Alas... the eldest young mistress has a younger brother who is all talk and no action. He dropped out of university and wants to work for Shengshi Group. The eldest young mistress has never agreed."
Ling Shu nodded: "I understand."
Su Ruomeng is good in every way, except for her family of origin. To put it simply, she has an incompetent father, a doting mother, and a good-for-nothing younger brother who is completely dependent on his older sister for support.
The Su family's affairs are also a complete mess, no wonder the eldest sister-in-law is in a bad mood.
Su Ruomeng, who was on the boat, heard Ling Shu's thoughts and her eyelashes trembled slightly.
She lowered her head further, her eyes misting over.
Ling Shu nodded to Butler Wang, signaling him with her eyes that he could rest assured, then boarded the ship and sat opposite Su Ruomeng.
Butler Wang waved his hand, and the boat slowly left the dock, heading into the depths of the lake.
The boat is self-driving and will travel along a fixed trajectory, circling the lake without a driver.
Only Su Ruomeng and Ling Shu were on the boat.
Ling Shu leaned against the bow of the boat, holding a plate of Sunshine Rose grapes in her hands, eating them slowly in small bites, without taking the initiative to chat with Su Ruomeng.
She was waiting for Su Ruomeng to speak first.
After a while, as the small boat slowly passed under an arched bridge, Su Ruomeng finally raised her head and let out a long sigh.
Ling Shu, with her sharp eyes, also noticed the tear stains on Su Ruomeng's face.
“I had another fight with my parents last night, and it was really bad.”
“This time, my parents were particularly stern. They said that my younger brother is all grown up now and can’t just laze around all the time; he has to find something serious to do. The Sheng family is currently… short of manpower. Although my brother isn’t very capable, he’s someone we know well and can be groomed as a trusted confidant…”
Actually, Su Ruomeng embellished these words. Her father's original words were, "The Sheng family has recently suffered a lot of bad luck. I heard that several senior executives in the group have left. It just so happens that there are vacancies, so let your brother fill them. The Sheng family will definitely belong to Yunqi in the future. If Yunqi supports your brother now, he will have another confidant in the future."
She couldn't bring herself to say such hurtful things to Ling Shu.
While eating grapes, Ling Shu asked, "Sister-in-law, which position has your brother set his sights on?"
The argument was so intense; Su Ruomeng's younger brother must have been eyeing a very high position.
Su Ruomeng sighed again: "...He has his eye on Jian Yicheng's previous position. He doesn't even think about it properly. Although Jian Yicheng is a despicable person, he is still a graduate of Peking University, a genuine top student from a prestigious university. It took him several years to climb to his current position step by step. He actually thinks he can take it just by talking. It's simply wishful thinking."
Ling Shu shrugged and offered no comment.
There's no way to reason with people whose values are warped.
Su Ruomeng must have tried to persuade them earnestly, but unfortunately, the Su family simply wouldn't listen.
Being caught between her parents' family and her husband's family must have been very difficult for her.
Ling Shu was more concerned about something else now, and looked at Su Ruomeng seriously: "Sister-in-law, if you feel upset, just let your brother handle this. The most important thing now is to take good care of your health."
The words "take care of your health" made Su Ruomeng tremble slightly, and her eyes quickly filled with tears.
"Xiao Shu, you...you knew everything, didn't you?"
Since Ling Shu knows the so-called "plot", she must be clear about the situation and difficulties she is currently facing.
Ling Shu nodded: "I know."
She said sincerely, "Sister-in-law, you can't keep this to yourself all the time. Speak up, and we'll share the burden with you."
"I……"
Su Ruomeng's lips trembled, and she subconsciously looked away, not daring to meet Ling Shu's gaze.
This matter is of great importance, and she doesn't know how to bring it up.
Ling Shu softened her tone: "Sister-in-law, we are family, and we should communicate with each other when problems arise. Think about Bai Yue's situation. If you had taken the initiative to express your thoughts from the beginning, your brother would definitely have kept his distance from Bai Yue."
In the original book, Su Ruomeng is someone who likes to keep everything to herself, but many things need to be discussed and consulted with her family. Keeping things bottled up by herself will only hurt her.
"I……"
Su Ruomeng remained silent for a long time.
Bai Yue's incident has indeed made her reflect a lot. Su Ruomeng has come to understand the importance of timely communication.
Today, she took the initiative to talk to Ling Shu about her family, which was a brave attempt.
Encouragingly, Ling Shu finally made up her mind: "Okay, I'll tell everyone about this tonight."
-
In the evening, thanks to the advance arrangements made by Butler Wang, the Sheng family gathered at Xiaoming Building for dinner.
The table was laden with a large spread of dishes, all of which looked and smelled delicious, making one's mouth water.
However, no one's attention was on the food.
They knew Su Ruomeng had something to say, and they were all waiting for her to speak.
Sheng Yunqi's gaze, in particular, remained fixed on Su Ruomeng, as if afraid of missing something.
Halfway through dinner, Su Ruomeng put down her chopsticks and looked around at the Sheng family.
Everyone stopped eating at the same time.
Su Ruomeng cleared her throat nervously, and after several seconds, she slowly spoke.
"I...I'm pregnant."
"??"
"!!"
The Sheng family was quickly plunged into shock and ecstasy.
Sheng Yunqi, in particular, was completely stunned, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, unable to react for a long time.
He heard right, he's going to be a dad!
Sheng Yunqi jumped up, unable to suppress his laughter.
However, the next moment, Su Ruomeng said something that was like a bucket of ice water, quickly extinguishing Sheng Yunqi's joy.
"I...I want to abort this child."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
