A Fishing-Type Omega Always Wants to Possess Me - Chapter 10

Yu Mianzhou returned to her room.

The power was out, so there were no lights. In the darkness, she walked straight into the walk-in closet and found that wardrobe. She felt around and pulled the bent clothes hanger out from the crack in the door, casually tossing it onto the floor.

After a faint metallic clink, an almost inaudible click came from inside the hidden door, like the sound of some lock returning to its place.

She had fulfilled her promise.

After doing this, Yu Mianzhou took a few changes of clothes and her computer from the wardrobe, stuffing them into a backpack.

When she went downstairs, the living room was dim. Only a few candle flames flickered.

Yu Shu was directing the servants to light candles everywhere. Seeing Yu Mianzhou come down with a backpack, she was a little surprised.

“Mianzhou? What are you…”

“The company has been very busy lately. The project has reached a critical stage, so I’ll be staying at the company for the next few days.” Yu Mianzhou’s voice carried no discernible emotion in the empty living room.

Under the dim, wavering light, Yu Shu felt that her daughter’s face seemed frighteningly pale, but she thought she must have seen wrong and only nodded.

“Then be careful on the road.”

Yu Mianzhou gave a soft “Mm,” changed her shoes, and disappeared into the rain outside without looking back.

Behind her, Yu Shu was still muttering, “Why did the power go out all of a sudden? How strange…”

At first, she did not take this small matter to heart.

Not until around five in the evening, when the estate’s power system was finally repaired, and Jiang Yingqiu returned from outside with a cold expression.

She took off her coat, which had been slightly dampened by the rain, and asked directly, “When did Mianzhou come back?”

Yu Shu knew Jiang Yingqiu’s expression far too well.

Her heart skipped. She recalled the time her daughter had returned, but her face immediately filled with soft concern. She stepped forward and almost leaned against Jiang Yingqiu as she hugged her arm.

“I… I forgot. Around a little past one, I think.” She lowered her eyes, her voice carrying grievance. “As soon as she came back, she packed her things and said she was going to stay at the company. Yingqiu, do you think I’ve failed too much as a mother? Is that why she’s so distant from me now…”

Jiang Yingqiu felt the power outage had been suspicious.

It did not cut out earlier or later, but just before Yu Mianzhou came back.

She only wanted to confirm the time.

Hearing Yu Shu’s words, and seeing her like this, the scrutiny in Jiang Yingqiu’s eyes faded. She only nodded, her tone softening a little.

“Zhizhi has a fever. I’ll go upstairs and check on her first.”

No matter how soul-stirring the white moonlight of youth had once been, after being worn down by the long years, that heartbeat had long since faded.

After Jiang Yingqiu left, Yu Shu stood alone in the empty living room.

She had pushed Yu Mianzhou’s return time back by a full half hour. The servants had been busy lighting candles at the time, so they probably had not paid attention to the exact time.

It seemed she had bet correctly.

But when she thought of that half hour, Yu Shu’s expression grew solemn again.

……

Yu Mianzhou stayed at the company for an entire week.

She practically soaked herself in code and data, working overtime and leading the entire team forward at full speed.

Finally, on Friday night, the final image design plan for Lingxi was settled.

To celebrate, several of the founders found a restaurant near the company.

“Damn, Mianzhou, are you planning to turn the company into your home?” Lunn held up her glass and teased, “You’re working way too hard.”

Yu Mianzhou took a sip of the alcohol in her glass. It had fruit juice and bubbles added, giving it a strong taste.

“I didn’t ask you all to stay with me.”

“Come on.” Ling Yuetao bit off a large piece of steak. “You, the big boss, are here working yourself to death. Do we dare go home and lie flat?”

Though she said that, not a single person had any complaint on their face.

Yu Mianzhou smiled and raised her glass.

“Then I’ll punish myself with three cups.”

She did not have a good alcohol tolerance, and everyone knew it, so they did not actually make her drink. The atmosphere quickly grew lively.

“Seriously, now that the project is done, shouldn’t we go relax?” Lunn suggested.

“How? A house party or clubbing?”

“Too vulgar.” Ling Yuetao smiled mysteriously. “Listen, my friend got a few internal tickets for Qingye Orchestra next weekend. Are we going or not? Those tickets are insanely hard to get. If we don’t go, it’d be a waste!”

Lunn was stunned. “You’re doing something this elegant now? We’re just a group of wild boars. Won’t we fail to understand it?”

“If you can’t understand, then watch!” Ling Yuetao poked her forehead in exasperation. “Don’t you know who Qingye Orchestra’s principal cellist is? Jiang Zhi. Jiang Zhi! We have a chance to see this national-first-love Omega, and that’s what you’re worried about? I don’t care. Even if you can’t digest fine grain this time, I’m stuffing it down your throat…”

The two words “Jiang Zhi” were like a pebble suddenly dropped into the little bit of alcohol Yu Mianzhou had just swallowed.

Her eyes blurred for an instant. The alcohol had not gone to her head, but her head had already started to hurt.

The moment Joyce heard Jiang Zhi’s name, she immediately looked at Yu Mianzhou with excitement.

Yu Mianzhou’s brow twitched. Sensing that something bad was about to happen, she put down her glass before Joyce could speak.

“If you want to go, then go. Count it as a company benefit. I’ll give you all a paid holiday.”

Hearing this, everyone immediately cheered. No one noticed her brief abnormality.

After dinner, everyone dispersed.

Joyce drove Yu Mianzhou back to the company.

When they were almost downstairs, Joyce suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

“Elowen.” She looked at the road ahead and finally asked the question she had held in all the way. “Why didn’t you tell them that Jiang Zhi is your sister?”

Soft music played in the car, and the city outside the window glittered with flowing lights.

Yu Mianzhou’s calm expression was punctured.

She frowned slightly and looked at the neon lights outside. The city’s light and shadow flickered across her face.

After a long time, she finally spoke, her voice carrying a trace of hoarseness soaked in alcohol.

“Because I’m not her sister.”

Joyce’s foot paused on the brake, and the car slowed down.

Yu Mianzhou continued, her tone so calm it was as if she were speaking about something entirely unrelated to herself.

“My mom wanted to marry Jiang Zhi’s mother, but she didn’t succeed. Strictly speaking, we don’t even count as Jiang family members. We’re just staying there.”

Staying there?

Joyce’s eyes widened. Something in her mind exploded with a boom.

No wonder they did not share the same surname.

No wonder, after so many years abroad, Elowen had never mentioned her family or mother.

No wonder the atmosphere between her and Jiang Zhi had been so strange at the restaurant entrance.

“No wonder…” Joyce suddenly understood. Who knew how many tragic scenes she had imagined? Her eyes filled with deep heartache. “So that’s how it is. I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t know that…”

She had known Yu Mianzhou for so many years, yet this was the first time she had glimpsed her unknown past.

Yu Mianzhou realized Joyce had misunderstood something. She tugged at the corner of her lips, wanting to smile, but she did not have the strength.

“There’s nothing to feel sorry about.” She leaned against the seat and closed her eyes. “The Jiang family treated me… quite well.”

After saying that, she truly could not handle the alcohol anymore. After telling Joyce to send her upstairs and that she would stay at the company tonight, she fell completely asleep.

She had not dreamed in a very long time.

Perhaps because she had returned to her homeland, Yu Mianzhou suddenly dreamed of the year she first came to the Jiang family.

It was spring then. The ice and snow had melted, grass was growing, and orioles were flying.

She stood in the Jiang family’s huge living room, listening as Jiang Yingqiu summoned all the servants and gave them instructions, announcing that Yu Shu and Yu Mianzhou would be moving in.

Yu Mianzhou stared at the flower buds outside the floor-to-ceiling window, watching them sway in the wind.

It was then that Jiang Zhi walked in.

She seemed to have just come out of the confinement room. Because she had knelt for too long, the way she walked was a little strange. She did not quite dare to put weight on her right leg.

As soon as she entered, she saw two strangers.

Perhaps she had already known this day would come, so when she saw that mother and daughter had truly moved in, her expression could be called calm. Those beautiful eyes were empty, without a single emotion inside.

As soon as Jiang Yingqiu saw her awkward gait, her face immediately cooled. She scolded her sharply, “You can’t even walk properly. Have all these years of teaching gone to waste?”

Yu Shu quickly held Jiang Yingqiu back.

“Don’t say that about Xiao Zhi, Yingqiu. Xiao Zhi just came out of the confinement room. It’s normal for her knees to hurt…”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhi suddenly turned her eyes sideways and examined Yu Shu with an almost condescending gaze.

There was pity in that gaze, and mockery, but most of all, indifference.

What was there to care about when it came to a woman destined never to marry into the Jiang family?

She simply had not expected this woman to be so stupid.

Even though she would not get a single share of the family property, she had still thrown herself headfirst into this cold prison for something as illusory as love.

Jiang Zhi did not take Yu Shu seriously at all, and she certainly would not feel grateful that Yu Shu had spoken for her.

She was about to go upstairs when, as if sensing something, her gaze turned and landed on Yu Mianzhou beside Yu Shu.

This little baggage was wearing a plain, tasteless school uniform. She looked dazed and was staring at Jiang Zhi without blinking.

Even after Jiang Zhi had looked at her mother with that kind of gaze, she did not care at all.

A little brat just as annoying as her mother.

Jiang Zhi withdrew her gaze and went upstairs.

Even after Jiang Zhi’s figure disappeared around the corner of the second floor, and Jiang Yingqiu had already gone to comfort the ignored Yu Shu, Yu Mianzhou still stood where she was, staring motionlessly in the direction of the second floor.

Why?

Jiang Zhi’s gaze had clearly been so distant and cold, yet with just one look, it made her scalp tingle and made her heart race uncontrollably.

Life in the Jiang family was not as difficult as Yu Mianzhou had imagined.

Jiang Yingqiu spent almost all day at the company.

Jiang Zhi had also just entered Qingye Orchestra, already becoming famous at a young age. Most of her time was spent rehearsing and performing.

The person most often at home was actually Yu Shu.

She rarely went out. She stayed at home in peace, acting as an “Mrs. Jiang” who could not see the light of day. Her daily life consisted of having staff from various luxury brands deliver goods to the house for her to choose from.

Yu Mianzhou basically had to come home ten times before she would run into Jiang Zhi once.

They never greeted each other. They did not even meet each other’s eyes once.

One time after school, Yu Mianzhou mentioned to Yu Shu that there would be a final parent-teacher meeting before the college entrance exam and asked if Yu Shu had time to attend.

Yu Shu was standing in front of the mirror, examining a newly delivered necklace. Hearing this, her movements paused.

“I… I haven’t really been free lately.”

She had probably vaguely heard how people outside were talking about her, and recently, she had become even more unwilling to go out.

“I’ll go ask your Aunt Jiang for you.” After saying that, as if afraid Yu Mianzhou would say something else that would put her in a difficult position, she immediately put down the necklace and hurried upstairs.

That night, Jiang Yingqiu really did bring up the matter. She wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, but her gaze fell on Jiang Zhi.

“Zhizhi, go to Mianzhou’s school tomorrow and attend her parent-teacher meeting for her.”

Jiang Zhi was drinking water. Hearing this, her movements stopped.

She raised her eyes and gave a short “Ha,” looking at Jiang Yingqiu.

“You want me to attend her parent-teacher meeting? Are you crazy, or am I crazy?”

Jiang Yingqiu’s expression instantly darkened.

“Who are you speaking to? Where are the rules and etiquette I taught you?”

“Besides,” she said, suppressing anger in her voice, “Mianzhou is your younger sister. It’s perfectly reasonable for you to go.”

Jiang Zhi put down her glass, and the bottom of the cup made a soft sound against the table.

Suddenly, she curled her lips and said, “Younger sister?”

Those two words left her mouth lightly and slowly.

“Is she even worthy?”

As she said this, her gaze crossed the long dining table and pinned itself straight on Yu Mianzhou. There was clearly still a slight curve at the corner of her lips, yet those beautiful eyes were incomparably cold, like ice tempered from the coldest winter.