Chapter 7 Before today, he was a staunch materialist.
It was late at night.
A very soft knock came from outside the master bedroom on the second floor of the Shen family's main house, sounding cautious.
Chairman Shen was handling matters in his study.
Madam Shen was about to rest when she heard the noise and opened the door.
Under the soft light of the porch, Shen Yurou wore a pure white silk nightgown, her long hair flowing freely.
Her eyes were red and swollen, like a frightened rabbit.
"Mom..." Her voice was thick with sobs, barely audible, "Can I... come in?"
Seeing her adopted daughter's appearance, Madam Shen quickly stepped aside:
"Come in quickly. Yurou, what's wrong? Why are you crying like this?"
She felt a pang of heartache and tried to take Chen Yurou's hand, only to find that her hand was ice-cold.
Shen Yurou walked in with her head down, not nestled in Madam Shen's arms as usual.
She just stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, tears silently streaming down her face.
"Mother……"
She lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes filled with fear, as if she were about to be abandoned at any moment:
"Are you... are you blaming me too? Blaming me for being immature and making my sister angry? I really... really didn't reject my sister, I swear!"
Her voice became urgent, choked with sobs:
"I was just... just so happy to see my sister come back, but also... a little scared... I'm afraid my sister won't like me."
I'm afraid my brothers will abandon me once they have a younger sister. I'm afraid... I'm afraid even you and Dad won't want me anymore..."
Madam Shen's heart broke when she saw her adopted daughter's terrified and helpless state.
Over the years, she has truly treated Shen Yurou like her own daughter.
"Silly child, how could I not want you?" Madam Shen quickly stepped forward, pulled Shen Yurou into her arms, and gently patted her back.
“You are your mother’s daughter, always will be. I know you’re scared, I understand that feeling… But Yuepo is also my daughter.”
Shen Yurou buried her face in Madam Shen's shoulder, her body trembling slightly, as if she was still sobbing.
“Mom, I understand, I understand everything. My second brother spoke up for me because he saw me crying. It's my fault, I made my second brother misunderstand my sister.”
Madam Shen sighed, "Yuepo... she just came back, and she's a bit cold-hearted, but she's not unreasonable. She'll be fine once she gets used to our family."
She took out a tissue and gently wiped away Shen Yurou's tears:
"Don't cry, your eyes are all swollen. Mom believes in you, you're a good boy."
Shen Yurou buried her face in Madam Shen's arms again, her voice muffled and filled with dependence:
"Yes, thank you, Mom. I knew you loved me the most."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.
Old Wang, the housekeeper, drove his old car towards his neighborhood on the outskirts of the city.
The image of that eccentric young lady handing him the talisman was still echoing in his mind.
He subconsciously touched the right pocket of his trousers.
The roads were sparsely populated late at night, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow.
Just as the car turned at a relatively quiet intersection—
A heavy dump truck, seemingly just coming from a construction site and fully loaded with sand and gravel, suddenly came rushing in from the opposite lane in the wrong direction.
The huge headlights blinded Old Wang instantly.
"ah--"
Old Wang's mind went blank for a moment, and his hands and feet instantly became cold and stiff.
He didn't even have time to react; he could only watch helplessly as the massive front of the truck crashed into his cab.
That's it. The thought had barely crossed my mind when it crossed my mind.
At the critical moment, the amulet in his right trouser pocket, without warning, emitted a burst of heat.
Before Old Wang could react, a loud "BOOM!" rang out.
However, the anticipated violent impact did not occur.
Old Wang opened his eyes, still shaken, and saw the out-of-control dump truck.
Just a second before it was about to hit the front of his car, the left front tire suddenly burst without warning.
The massive vehicle body tilted sharply to the left and veered sideways due to its immense inertia.
The heavy body scraped against his car's left front headlight and bumper, creating a screeching metallic sound.
The impact sent his car spinning halfway around before crashing hard into the roadside guardrail.
The airbag deployed with a "bang," making Old Wang dizzy and causing a tightness in his chest.
But... he's still alive!
He trembled and practically crawled to open the deformed car door, then stumbled and fell to the ground.
Looking back, the dump truck had completely overturned in the middle of the road, with sand and gravel spilled all over the ground. The driver, covered in blood, was trapped in the cab, groaning.
Old Wang slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, his shirt soaked with cold sweat.
Old Wang suddenly reached for his right trouser pocket.
The moment he reached in, his fingertips touched a piece of scalding ash. He trembled as he pulled out the lump of ash.
There was no triangular talisman left, only a small clump of charred paper ash.
"God... Goddess... Miss..." He stammered, overwhelmed by immense fear and lingering dread.
Before today, he was a staunch materialist, but now...
He wavered.
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