After the Early-Deceased White Moonlight of a Wealthy Family Returns (GL) - Chapter 10

Meng Xi hadn’t expected this to be the first question Shen You’an would ask.

She saw Su Wu’s hand grip the steering wheel for a moment. The car drove too steadily; besides that subtle reaction, there was no other way to observe Su Wu’s emotions.

“Yes,” Su Wu said. “On this matter, I owe you an apology.”

Shen You’an turned her head in confusion: “Sister Su?”

The night road was dark and deserted. The high beams illuminated the road ahead.

Su Wu said: “I knew about this situation all along, but I didn’t know how to tell you, so after much thought, I chose this method for you to find out.”

Meng Xi followed with self-criticism: “You’an, your Sister Meng Xi is also at fault. I originally intended to tell you last time, but—ahhh! I just wasn’t brave enough! As soon as I looked into your eyes, I didn’t know what to say! Ahhh!”

Shen You’an, in turn, comforted Meng Xi: “Sister Meng Xi, it’s okay.”

Su Wu glanced into the rearview mirror, sending a stern look, but Meng Xi was oblivious and continued to self-deprecate: “No, it is related. For such a big matter, Su Wu and I should have at least prepared you mentally.”

Meng Xi took a deep breath, having made up her mind: “Since things are this way, You’an, I’ll tell you the situation.”

“Ten years ago, when your accident happened, your sketching teacher contacted Aunt Shen first. Aunt Shen notified Shen Huaijin and your father. The whole family rushed over together. Aunt Shen is very determined. She immediately urged the police to search the mountain for you. ‘Alive, I want to see the person; dead, I want to see the body.’”

Meng Xi paused: “But you probably know the result.”

“After searching for a long time with no result, the police made a conclusion. Shen Huaijin accepted it, your dad accepted it, but Aunt Shen refused to accept it.”

“She abandoned her company and spent every day searching for you on that mountain. Spending money and effort. Along the way, your father divorced her. From what Shen Huaijin implied, your father thought Aunt Shen had gone crazy. He couldn’t live with a crazy person.”

“Shen Huaijin took charge, managing the major family affairs, but one day, something happened to Aunt Shen. She supposedly fell from the mountain. When she woke up, her mind wasn’t quite right.”

Meng Xi pointed to her temple: “Her memory was confused. Somehow, she thought it was over ten years ago. She said you went camping as a family and you got lost again. Aunt Shen’s condition was very poor, even close to losing basic cognitive abilities. Shen Huaijin sent her to the hospital. She was sometimes lucid, sometimes completely broken, often trying to escape, saying she wanted her daughter.”

“Then one day, a little girl. The one you saved back then, she came to say thank you. Aunt Shen saw her and mistakenly recognized her as… you.”

Meng Xi herself felt how cruel this story sounded at this point.

“Since then, Aunt Shen’s condition stabilized significantly and gradually improved. While receiving treatment, she was able to resume a normal life. The only problem is that she recognized the wrong daughter.”

“Huaijin… Huaijin couldn’t accept anyone impersonating her sister, but she also couldn’t bear to see her mother sink back into a nightmare. So she went abroad and hasn’t returned for many years. I’m sorry, You’an, we all lied to you that day. Your sister and we haven’t seen each other in a long time, either.”

Every word and sentence Meng Xi spoke, and the reality they represented, rushed toward Shen You’an like a tsunami, engulfing her and suffocating her.

Su Wu immediately said: “Shen You’an, breathe.”

Shen You’an turned her head blankly: “What?”

Su Wu slammed on the brakes, crushing the ginkgo leaves. She reached out and pinched Shen You’an’s cheeks, forcing her to start breathing.

Shen You’an finally came to her senses.

Su Wu secretly sighed in relief, withdrew her hand, and said to Shen You’an: “The situation is exactly as Meng Xi said. Shen You’an, this is the reality you are facing now.”

“I don’t know,” Shen You’an murmured. “Sister Su, Sister Meng Xi, I don’t know what else I can do?”

Her death had destroyed her family.

Parents separated, mother driven mad, sister fled abroad.

In this desperate situation, they finally found a way to maintain balance, and now she came back to life.

It’s too ridiculous.

Shen You’an genuinely felt that her current presence in this world was a joke.

“Whatever you want to do, you can do it,” Su Wu had a kind of magic. When she spoke, it was always easy to be convinced.

“If you want to return to the Shen family, to the place you should be, Shen You’an, I will help you. We will all help you.”

Shen You’an believed Su Wu could do it.

The current Su Wu had a sense of authority she had never seen before. If this person promised something, she would believe it.

But, would it be a good thing?

To break the existing balance, to throw her mother, who had just managed to restore her life energy, back into pain, to tear open those scars for everyone to see.

She should have been a dead person.

She was strong now, didn’t fear pain, and her wounds wouldn’t scar.

Shen You’an thought, she only needs to tear herself open.

“I don’t want to go back,” Shen You’an’s voice was very soft. “I can see it, Sister Su, Sister Meng Xi. I really can.”

“Perhaps this is fate,” Shen You’an mused.

The girl she accidentally saved, by some strange twist of fate, ended up saving her mother.

She could see that her mother loved her.

Even though the words Shen Zhiyu said on stage were about her, her eyes wouldn’t lie, nor would her body language.

“Zhirou, that girl, is she kind?” Shen You’an asked.

Su Wu didn’t answer. Meng Xi said: “She’s also pitiful. She was sold as a child bride to the mountain village by her parents. She met you while escaping, was later found, and was almost sold again. Because of Aunt Shen’s condition, the family took a sum of money and gave her to the Shen family.”

“I don’t know much about her, but Aunt Shen often posts about her on her Moments…”

“Meng Xi.”

Meng Xi’s heart clenched, knowing she had spoken out of turn again.

Shen You’an said: “Can I see it?”

What else could Meng Xi do? She took out her phone for the girl to see.

Shen Zhiyu’s WeChat Moments profile picture was a photo of Shen Zhirou and Shen Huaijin together. Clicking on the content, it was entirely photos of her daughter. Looking down, every word was filled with a mother’s pride for her daughter.

[Xiaoman is eighteen now. I want to say, my daughter, welcome to the world of adults. You’ve grown up. Maybe Mom can’t protect you and shield you from wind and rain anymore, but as long as you turn back, Mom will always be here. Xiaoman, Happy Birthday. Mom loves you.]

[Another award certificate~ Congratulations to Xiaoman for winning the championship in the Jinxiu Cup Math Competition!]

[My daughter’s oil painting, so beautiful. I remember you used to say you wanted to become a great painter. Daughter, you did it.]

In all the photos, Shen Zhirou was excellent and generous, and the look in her eyes toward Shen Zhiyu was filled with light.

She didn’t want to, but she had to admit that even if she had survived back then, she might not have done better than Shen Zhirou.

She wouldn’t win the math competition championship, nor would she paint exhibition-worthy oil paintings. She had a lot of temper tantrums, wasn’t mature enough, and just acted spoiled to get out of trouble.

Su Wu reached over, covered Meng Xi’s phone, and took it away.

Shen You’an looked up helplessly.

Su Wu said: “You don’t need to compare yourself to her. You are Shen You’an, and that’s enough.”

Shen You’an wanted to smile, but couldn’t. She was afraid that if her facial expression shifted, all she could do would be to cry.

She took several deep, calming breaths.

Shen You’an made up her mind: “I don’t want to go back.”

But where could she go? After this decision, the confusion in Shen You’an’s heart suddenly surfaced. Where else could she go? No identity, no education, and even her past had become someone else’s property. Where could she go?

“Actually, you could contact your sister,” Meng Xi suggested. “If she knew, she would definitely rush back.”

Shen You’an shook her head without hesitation: “Sister Meng Xi, I understand my sister. If she knew, she would definitely let things develop in a direction I don’t want to see.”

“You can stay at my place for now,” Su Wu said. “Until your identity is processed and you figure out where you want to go, Shen You’an, you can stay with me.”

Meng Xi said: “You can stay at my place too, You’an. Rest assured, Sister Su and I will both take care of you.”

Su Wu: “Mhm, you can go to Meng Xi’s place too if you want.”

Shen You’an answered unequivocally: “Sister Su, I want to go with you.”

Meng Xi: “…(Crying sound/whimper).”

Shen You’an quickly said: “Sister Meng Xi, I don’t mean anything else. It’s just that I’ve gotten… more familiar with Sister Su these past two days.”

Meng Xi glanced at Su Wu. The woman looked back through the rearview mirror, her eyes bright with blatant provocation.

Damn adult!

She said Shen You’an could choose whatever she wanted, but now? Every choice Shen You’an makes is probably within Su Wu’s expectation. This woman was too terrifying. Meng Xi was heartbroken for Su Wu for all these years, but she also felt she couldn’t let Shen You’an fall into this trap.

When the car reached Su Wu’s neighborhood, Meng Xi deliberately found an excuse, asking Su Wu to stop the car and dragging her to the supermarket to buy yogurt, but in reality, she was telling her: “You had better not take advantage of the situation.”

Su Wu: “What kind of person do you think I am?”

Meng Xi: “Not a good person.”

Su Wu: “We are truly friends.”

Meng Xi: “I’m serious, Su Wu. She trusts you now, and you cannot betray that trust. Otherwise, even if it goes against You’an’s wishes, I will inform Shen Huaijin. Su Wu, she is her real sister.”

Su Wu: “Are you done talking?”

Meng Xi: “…Pretty much.”

Su Wu: “I’ll grab two extra boxes of yogurt. Remember to pay for them together.”

Meng Xi: “???”