After the Early-Deceased White Moonlight of a Wealthy Family Returns (GL) - Chapter 52

Late autumn. At the entrance of the Shen family courtyard, the golden osmanthus bloomed freely, its fragrance lingering in the air. The pebble path covering the yard reflected a cold, shimmering glow under the moonlight.

“Huaijin!” Mother Shen had been sitting on the sofa waiting since early morning. Hearing movement at the door, she scrambled to her feet and hurried forward. Upon seeing her daughter, her eyes filled with joy. “Why didn’t you say a word about coming back? I could have prepared something.”

A thousand words of tenderness welled up in Shen Huaijin’s eyes. She stepped forward and took her mother’s hand. “Mom, I’m coming to my own home. What is there to prepare?”

“You child.” Mother Shen patted the back of Huaijin’s hand, unwilling to let go, stroking it up and down. Feeling the calluses on her palms and fingertips, she said distressedly, “Why are your hands so rough? What are you so busy with at school? Look how dry they are, the skin is almost cracking. Haven’t you been using hand cream?”

“I forgot.” Shen Huaijin smiled, putting her arm around her mother as they walked inside. “Mom, don’t keep talking about me. How have you been lately?”

“Me? I’m doing great.” Mother Shen smiled gently. “The only problem is missing you. You child, once you go off to study, you forget to come home. I only see you a few times a year. Do you still have your mother in your heart?”

“Mom, Mom.” Shen Huaijin leaned down and rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. “How could I not have you in my heart? Ta-da! Look at this.” She pulled a jade cat’s-eye bracelet from her pocket. “You said you wanted one last time. I found this in Russia last month. I don’t know if it meets your approval, Your Majesty.”

Shen Zhiyu was a jade enthusiast. Sometimes Shen Huaijin suspected that her younger sister’s love for these tinkling trinkets was inherited from their mother.

“At least you have a conscience, girl.” Mother Shen tapped Huaijin’s forehead with her fingertip. “You always use this trick. Tell me, is your small treasury still enough to live on?”

“Mom, don’t worry about that. I won’t starve.” Shen Huaijin nudged her to sit on the sofa.

Shen Zhiyu loved the jade. Upon receiving it, she immediately put it on her wrist. The green jade and gold bracelet complemented her porcelain-white skin, exuding an air of elegance and wealth.

Shen Huaijin watched her from the side. Her mother had aged. Ten years. Ten years was still too long; the wrinkles at the corners of Shen Zhiyu’s eyes refused to fade. Yet, her eyes held genuine joy—a complete contrast to the image in the depths of Huaijin’s memory of her lying in a pool of blood. Every time she saw her like this, Huaijin felt a mix of complex emotions. On her mother’s face, she could find no trace of underlying sorrow.

When mentioning Shen Zhirou, her mother acted as if the girl were her own true daughter.

“It’s rare for you to be back. Xiao Man hasn’t finished her classes yet. When she gets home, shall we go out for a late-night snack? That child—every time she comes back and I offer to prepare something, she says she’s not hungry and tells me not to go to the trouble. I can tell at a glance she must be sneaking extra meals outside,” Mother Shen suggested.

Shen Huaijin: “It’s the weekend. What classes is she taking?”

“There’s a physics competition coming up. I told her just to do her best, but she found a tutor for herself and does extra lessons every day. Today she’s doing a mock exam, so class is ending a bit late.” Mother Shen sighed lightly, a mix of pride and worry. “Xiao Man has grown up. She didn’t have such a competitive nature before, nor such a strong interest in studying.”

“…” Shen Huaijin didn’t respond.

Mother Shen continued, “You two sisters, too—Xiao Man used to be so clingy to you, like a little shadow, chasing after you all day crying ‘Sister, Sister.’ Now that you’re grown, I see you’ve become distant. Huaijin, we’re family. Two sisters shouldn’t hold grudges overnight. No matter what happened between you, Huaijin, she is still your sister.”

Her mother spoke with such emotion that her sighing gaze and the touch of her palm made Huaijin feel as if her heart were being cut by a knife. This was the price of accepting a silent lie. Her mother was alive, yet she couldn’t distinguish who her true daughter was. The painful reality had been covered up, leaving only a great dream. Between a mother living in a dream and her own silent observation, who was the true deserter of reality?

Her real sister was back, yet Huaijin had no way to mention it to her mother. She found it impossible to give a false answer like “Yes, I know,” but she also couldn’t face her mother’s expectant eyes.

Shen Huaijin avoided her gaze and checked the time. “This late? Where is her class? I’ll go pick her up.”

Mother Shen’s eyes lit up. “Wonderful, wonderful! Xiao Man will be so happy to see you. Wait a moment, I’ll send you the address. Eh, my phone? Where is my phone? Huaijin, have you seen Mom’s phone?”

Shen Huaijin smiled helplessly and picked up the phone lying conspicuously on the coffee table. “Mom.”

Mother Shen froze for a second, then sighed with a smile. “I’m getting old. My brain isn’t working right anymore.” Huaijin noticed the font size on her mother’s phone was set much larger than average. She had indeed reached that age.

“Mom—”

“Mhm?” Mother Shen held the phone at arm’s length, searching for the address.

“Are you happy?”

Mother Shen: “You child, why ask such a question so suddenly?”

Shen Huaijin: “I was just thinking… all these years I haven’t been by your side. Although I hear from you often, I don’t know what you’re really thinking. Our whole family moved to Chens City, your life changed drastically, and Dad married someone else long ago… Mom, in all these years, have you been happy?”

Mother Shen put down her phone and turned to look at her. “Huaijin, did something happen?”

Shen Huaijin forced a smile. “No, Mom. I was just asking.”

“For Mom, as long as I have my two treasures here, it’s the greatest happiness.”

Shen Huaijin embraced her mother, hiding her own stinging eyes. Shen Zhiyu’s hand paused, then rose to stroke her daughter’s long hair, just as she had done since Huaijin was an infant.

“Sometimes, although I complain that you rarely come home, when I see the photos and videos you send, I think it’s good that you were able to go out. The world is so big. I didn’t bring you into this world to live a restricted life. Huaijin, go do what you want to do.”

The complex emotions Shen Huaijin had felt since seeing Shen You’an and the tears she had struggled to control finally burst forth in that moment.

She thought silently: But Mom, what if the thing I want to do will hurt you? If the truth is found, if clarity is attained, Mom—how will you, who have mistaken a daughter for ten years, accept that reality?

“Look at you, a grown woman, crying in your mother’s arms the moment you get home,” Mother Shen teased. “Did you suffer a lot out there?”

“No.” Shen Huaijin pulled back from her embrace, grabbed a tissue, and wiped her eyes and nose. “I haven’t suffered. Mom, there is someone who suffered much more than me.”

“There is someone very important to me, Mom. One day, I will bring her to meet you. You will definitely like her very much.”

Mother Shen smiled and agreed, wiping away a tear Huaijin hadn’t noticed, then urged her to go pick up her sister.

Shen Huaijin arrived at the address. As Shen Zhirou walked out of her tutor’s office, she immediately saw the woman waiting at the intersection.

“Sister—” Her eyes lit up.

Shen Huaijin looked at her, but her cold, expressionless gaze caused the light in Shen Zhirou’s eyes to instantly vanish.

“Sister Huaijin,” she called out again, her voice much softer.

Shen Huaijin frowned at the address. In front of the other passing students, she only asked: “Class is over?”

Shen Zhirou nodded and walked quickly to her side, repeatedly confirming the person was real before asking worriedly: “Did something happen to Mom?”

Shen Huaijin: “Why do you say that?”

Shen Zhirou: “You came back so suddenly, I thought…”

Shen Huaijin: “She’s fine. I’m the one with business.”

Shen Zhirou breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced at Huaijin’s expression. “Is there something I can help with?”

Shen Huaijin: “Shen Zhirou, you’re very smart. Get in the car. Let’s talk somewhere else.”

Five minutes later, Shen Huaijin and Shen Zhirou were sitting in front of a convenience store. In front of Shen Zhirou was a bowl of steaming Oden. She clasped her hands awkwardly, looking at the person opposite her with a confused gaze.

In front of Shen Huaijin was a carton of chocolate milk; she was unwrapping the straw. “Don’t misunderstand. My mom said you’d be hungry after your tutoring session. I happened to see this shop when I was passing by.”

Shen Zhirou held the warm paper bowl with both hands, unwilling to let go. “Sister Huaijin, what did you want to tell me?”

“You can call me Ms. Shen.”

“…” Shen Zhirou suddenly felt the bowl was painfully hot.

“Shen Zhirou. Or rather, Wang Xi’er.”

Shen Huaijin’s icy, judgmental gaze was like a large hand ripping away the cloak Shen Zhirou had draped over herself. She panicked instinctively, her breathing becoming uneven. Her fingertips gripped the hot bowl even though it burned.

“What exactly are you trying to ask—”

“Ten years ago,” Shen Huaijin spoke word by word, her gaze like a spotlight, leaving Shen Zhirou’s inner secrets nowhere to hide. “You went to the hospital to visit my mother. You said that the police officer who was in charge of looking after you and sending you to the orphanage told you she was seriously ill, and that she brought you there.”

“Wang Xi’er, guess what? These past two days, I found that officer’s contact information. Ten years have passed, and there are many things she doesn’t remember. But she remembers you clearly. The tragedy of Mount Jiuying, the girl who went missing after being shot and falling off a cliff, and the girl she saved.”

“Wang Xi’er, she said you were grateful. When you heard my mother was sick, you proactively wanted to visit. I asked her: Was it she who told you about my mother’s condition? Do you want to know what she said?”

The color drained from Shen Zhirou’s face. “Sister… why bring this up now…”

“I said! Don’t call me that!” Shen Huaijin suddenly crushed the chocolate milk carton in her hand, her gaze like a knife scraping over Shen Zhirou inch by inch. “Officer Chen said, ‘Not at all. Who would tell a child something like that? If your mother really died, wouldn’t that kid be under immense pressure? I remember I was chatting with the orphanage director about it, and she overheard. Later she asked me if your mother’s condition was serious and if she could visit.’”

“Regarding this matter, Wang Xi’er, do you want to have a proper chat with me? Was all of this truly a coincidence?”

“…I don’t know.” Shen Zhirou’s face was bloodless. She breathed tremulously, staring at the Oden in front of her. For a moment, she hallucinated that the soup wasn’t white, but a vivid red. She murmured, “Shen Huaijin, wasn’t all of this actually brought about by you?”

“…What did you say?” Shen Huaijin’s breathing hitched.

“The day Officer Chen came, I received a phone call at the orphanage. The person on the phone berated me. To this day, I remember every word she said.”

“Wang Xi’er! How do you still have the face to just stay there! The Shen family’s daughter is missing, her life or death unknown, because she saved you. The Shen mother is in the hospital because of it, her life hanging by a thread. This is all because of you! You damn jinx!”

“You hate me,” Shen Zhirou gave a bitter smile. “I know. You hate me for causing Sister You’an’s death back then, and you hate me for taking her place. Shen Huaijin, I know everything. I hate myself too. Did you think I’ve lived comfortably all these years? For every day I spend in the Shen family, I loathe myself a little more. But…”

“Wasn’t it you who made that phone call first?” Shen Zhirou’s eyes were full of bewilderment. “Over the years, I’ve often wondered—if I hadn’t received that call, if I hadn’t proactively asked Officer Chen about Mom… about the Auntie… would things have been different? Shen Huaijin, you’ve been avoiding me and hating me. Are you thinking the same thing as me? Seeing me is seeing the fruit of your own sin.”

“Shen Huaijin, in the current situation, we are both at fault.”

“Why can’t we just forget that beginning, live in peace, and accept reality? Why must you bring it up again?” Shen Zhirou couldn’t understand. “I haven’t told anyone about this, Shen Huaijin. I was keeping your secret.”

Shen Huaijin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Shen Zhirou, are you crazy?” She looked at the girl. Shen Zhirou’s expression didn’t look like she was lying.

But—

“I never called you.”

“My sister was missing, no body found; my mother was plagued by illness, unable to stay conscious. Given the situation, why do you think I would have the extra energy to pay attention to a stranger who meant nothing to me? You weren’t that important.”

“But it was clearly your voice! I couldn’t have misheard!” Shen Zhirou argued vehemently.

Shen Huaijin stared at her. “I never made such a call.”

“Either you are self-deceived and beautifying your memory, or—”

Shen Huaijin spoke no more. She stood up and tossed the flattened milk carton into the trash.

“I’ve asked what I wanted to ask,” Shen Huaijin said. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

“You were right about one thing, Shen Zhirou. Every time I see you, I am facing my own cowardice, evasion, and irresponsibility. Every time you call me ‘Sister,’ you remind me of how pathetic my silent choice was back then. For a moment of ease, I chose a lifetime of lies. So, I don’t hate you. I hate myself.”

“Shen Zhirou—”

“If you are still willing to be called by that name. It doesn’t matter how I see you. What matters is that for ten years, my mother truly considered you her daughter. Although she calls you Xiao Man and uses my sister’s name, and although she uses my sister as a blueprint when she looks after you.”

“But…”

Shen Huaijin’s gaze rested on the small bowl in Shen Zhirou’s hands.

“My sister is a picky eater. She doesn’t like white radish, and she doesn’t like boiled eggs. Today before I left, she specifically told me to take you for a snack, preferably Oden. She said she didn’t know why, but this ‘kid’ just likes convenience store food. She doesn’t want you to eat too much because it’s unhealthy, but she knows that every day after class, you sneak off to eat it. Your favorites are white radish and eggs, and she told me not to forget to order them for you.”

“Shen Zhirou, if at any point during these years you have truly considered her a mother, I beg of you, I entreat you—continue to play the part of the daughter well until this matter is resolved.”

“If, one day, you receive another call like that.”

“I also ask you to think carefully again about what you should do.”

“I have business and must leave first. If my mother asks, tell her I had a sudden work arrangement. I checked when I came in; this road is safe. Go home early after eating, don’t make my mother worry.”

After saying this, Shen Huaijin left without stopping.

Shen Zhirou sat there dazed.

Looking down, she saw the white radish in the disposable paper bowl had been cooked until nearly transparent. Two large pieces, semi-circular, occupied most of the space. A white egg floated crookedly. Somehow, she suddenly thought of that day on Mount Jiuying. She had been sold to the mountains to be a child bride, but some people seemingly couldn’t wait for her to grow up. She ran for her life, out of the village, into the mountains. They chased her with guns, shouting “Stupid bitch” and “Wait until I catch her, I’ll kill her.” She was small and didn’t know what those words meant, but she knew she couldn’t stop.

She had to keep running forward.

When she was at a dead end, a hand pulled her.

It was a very beautiful girl. Shen Zhirou had never seen such a beautiful girl in her life. Her hair was smooth and clean, her clothes were neat without traces of kitchen grease or mud, and her eyes were very bright. When she was terrified and struggling, the girl held her and told her not to be afraid.

The girl took her hand and ran down the mountain.

That hand was so powerful that for a moment, she actually felt she could outrun fate.

Until a gunshot rang out.

The girl’s step faltered. Shen Zhirou was startled as blood spread. Yet even then, the girl was smiling. She wiped away Shen Zhirou’s tears, comforted her, and said, “Little sister, the road is right ahead. Don’t stop, you must not stop. Big sister needs to rest for a bit. Can you do me a favor? Run down the mountain and ask someone to come fetch me?”

She did run down the mountain.

But she could never bring back the sister who had held her hand and led her forward.

She snapped the disposable chopsticks apart. A wooden splinter that hadn’t been smoothed down pricked Shen Zhirou’s fingertip, but she didn’t seem to notice. She speared a radish and took a huge bite. The freshly served Oden was scalding; the lining of her mouth was nearly burned off, yet she ate ravenously, almost as an act of self-torture.

Tears fell into the soup, but they didn’t make it much saltier. It seemed she and the soup were the same—insignificant.

Sister, what should I do? It seems I lost my way a long, long time ago.