After the Early-Deceased White Moonlight of a Wealthy Family Returns (GL) - Chapter 53

“Sister, shoes.” Shen You’an placed the slippers she had prepared earlier on the entryway mat.

Shen Huaijin thanked her and stepped inside. Meng Xi was in the living room. Huaijin scanned the area; it was her first time at Su Wu’s home. At first glance, it was much brighter than she had imagined. The flower arrangements on the cabinets and the small trinkets on the table didn’t seem like things Su Wu would choose herself.

“You’re here,” Meng Xi greeted, holding a cup of coffee. “I just brewed this. Want some?”

“…It’s the middle of the night, and you’re drinking coffee?” Shen Huaijin was speechless.

Meng Xi gave a bitter smile. “The things that happened today are too surreal. I won’t be able to sleep even without the caffeine, so I might as well have a few sips to stay sharp. It’ll help with the discussion.”

Su Wu walked out of the study holding a stack of A4 paper. Seeing her, Shen Huaijin raised a hand in a small wave. Su Wu nodded and walked toward the dining table. Watching their interaction, Shen You’an blinked, then took Shen Huaijin’s arm and led her toward the table.

Meng Xi let out an “aiyah”: “Old Su, can we move somewhere else? The dining table is too formal; I feel like I’m at a board meeting. How about the coffee table? I’ll find some cushions, and we can sit on the rug.”

Su Wu went along with the suggestion and placed the materials on the coffee table. The four of them sat on the floor.

Shen You’an sat between Su Wu and Shen Huaijin.

Shen Huaijin immediately noticed that before stepping onto the rug, You’an and Su Wu’s slippers were placed side-by-side—one pair featured rabbits, the other cats, identical in style and texture. She looked at her own slippers: plain, ordinary, and out of place.

She then saw Su Wu reach back to pull a throw pillow from the sofa and naturally tuck it behind You’an’s back so she wouldn’t sit unsupported. You’an was clearly accustomed to this; the moment Su Wu moved her hand, You’an straightened her waist to make room for the pillow.

The tacit understanding was impressive.

“Who goes first?” Meng Xi asked, clutching her coffee mug. “Shall we compare notes?”

“I’ll start,” Su Wu said, pulling up her phone. A paused video frame was on the screen. “Today, Meng Xi and I went to see the person who set the fire on the ship. His name is Xiang Yang. This is the recording of our conversation.”

With a light tap, the still image began to play.

After Su Wu expressed her willingness to listen to the “possession” story, Xiang Yang looked like a man grabbing a life preserver.

“You’re really willing to listen?” Xiang Yang’s voice was desperate.

Su Wu’s voice came from the recording: “Mhm.”

“I… I don’t know how to describe the feeling. Uh… my mind went completely blank. It’s like that period of time simply disappeared for me. By the time I regained consciousness, the fire was already in front of me. President Su, check the surveillance! Yes! The surveillance! Once I realized what was happening, I definitely tried to put it out immediately!”

“When did you lose consciousness?” Su Wu asked. “Or, let me rephrase: what is the last thing you remember?”

“I had finished my shift delivering wine to the hall and was heading to the breakroom to swap out. Just as I reached the room, someone called out to me…”

“And then?”

The man’s face went blank, as if the memory hit a dead end.

“I don’t know.” He looked terrified just thinking about it. “A ghost. It was definitely a ghost. I was possessed!”

“Before that, do you remember anything?” Su Wu pressed. “Any details? Scents, textures, sounds?”

Xiang Yang shook his head. “I don’t know, President Su. I really don’t know anything.”

Su Wu: “Regrettably, I can’t help much then.”

Xiang Yang: “!?”

Xiang Yang: “Wait! President Su! Let me think!”

“It… it seemed like a man, yet… yet also like a woman.”

Meng Xi: “…”

Xiang Yang: “Also, also—ah! A food trolley! I heard a food trolley passing by! President Su! Maybe you can ask them! Maybe they saw something!”

Su Wu: “I heard that a few days ago, you had a dispute with someone from the performance department.”

Xiang Yang slumped. “…That did happen. Those people from the performance department act like superstars; they look down on people like us.” He suddenly looked up again. “But President Su! I did argue with him! I do hate him! But I would never set fire to the ship just to get back at him!”

Su Wu’s words were like a blade, piercing his facade without hesitation: “Never?”

“…I, I…”

With a tap, the video ended.

Before Su Wu could ask, Meng Xi raised her coffee mug. “I’ll speak first. Initially, I thought this guy was just talking nonsense. But during the second questioning, we set up a polygraph. By observing his real-time movements, skin resistance, blood pressure fluctuations, and other indicators, we found that while he sounds crazy, he… might not be lying.”

“At the very least, he believes what he’s saying with absolute certainty.”

Su Wu added: “We checked his background. Given his profile, he isn’t someone capable of training to bypass polygraph equipment.”

Meng Xi: “That’s why I’m sitting here now. Otherwise, I wouldn’t believe a word of that ghost story. A voice that’s both male and female? Who sounds like that?!”

Shen Huaijin: “I have a question.”

Su Wu: “Go ahead.”

Shen Huaijin: “What is the connection between this man and what we’re discussing today? Taken in isolation, an arson case should have nothing to do with what happened to my mother. How did you determine this was the place to start?”

“Timing,” Su Wu said. “You were on the ship, You’an was on the ship, and then an arson case happened to occur.”

Shen Huaijin bit her lip. “I have something to share as well.” She briefly recounted her conversation with Shen Zhirou. “I am certain I never made that phone call. But Shen Zhirou is absolutely convinced of it.”

Meng Xi let out a “holy crap,” rubbing her arms. “Stop, stop, stop. I’m getting goosebumps!”

“Wait, what is even going on? Which one of you has the distorted memory?” She felt a bit overwhelmed. “Sure, people process their own memories, but this kind of fabrication out of thin air is too baseless.”

“You’an, what do you think?” Su Wu turned to the girl who had been listening in silence.

Shen You’an snapped out of her thoughts like a student being called on by a teacher. “Ah? I… I don’t know yet. I’m still thinking.”

“I met Shen Yanchen today too,” You’an continued. “According to him, Shen Run seems 100% certain that Mom will mistake someone else for ‘me’. I was thinking… is it possible these three things are all connected?”

“Exactly. In all three events, the ultimate beneficiary is Shen Run,” Shen Huaijin said, her brow furrowed. “Ten years ago with the mistaken identity, ten years later with the arson. He benefits every time.”

“I have a hypothesis.” Su Wu pulled out a sheet of A4 paper and began listing the nodes and events along a timeline. “Besides Shen Run benefiting, ‘memory distortion’ is a common thread. We don’t need to elaborate on Auntie’s case, but regarding the phone call Shen Zhirou mentioned—is it possible that neither you nor she is lying?”

“In your reality, you didn’t call. But Shen Zhirou truly did receive a call from you back then.” Su Wu’s voice was icy and calm, laying out the possibilities in the night air. “Just like Xiang Yang.”

“…” A chill ran down Shen Huaijin’s spine.

Meng Xi shuddered. “Holy crap! Are you sure this is a clue discussion and not a midnight horror story session?”

Su Wu glanced at her. “I haven’t finished.”

Shen Huaijin understood Su Wu’s point: “My mother.”

Meng Xi: “…” She was starting to want to stop listening.

Shen Huaijin stared at the white paper. “Her mistaking You’an also began with a memory distortion.”

“You mean to say there’s someone who has been planning this since ten years ago and possesses this kind of power?” Meng Xi huddled into a ball, clutching her cup. “That’s not scientific! To do something like this, they’d have to be some incredible hypnosis genius! I’ve never heard of anything like this outside of TV. Even with hypnosis, it’s impossible to achieve this without any prep or priming. It’s just not realistic!”

“Look at the person sitting across from you, then ask yourself if we really want to talk about what’s ‘realistic’,” Su Wu said.

Meng Xi looked up. Shen You’an was looking back at her, her eyes innocent and pure.

Meng Xi: “…”

Damn. She had forgotten the most bizarre part.

“You’re saying there’s a supernatural force pulling the strings?” Meng Xi said. “Aaaah, I can’t take it. That old geezer Shen Run has some nerve. What kind of luck did he have to stumble into a fantasy plot? This was exactly the kind of script I wanted as a kid!”

“If that’s the case, the situation is extremely thorny,” Shen Huaijin said, her worry deepening. “The opponent began setting the board ten years ago…”

“Just for the Shen family estate?” Su Wu was incisive. “To be blunt, I don’t think it’s worth this much trouble. Furthermore, if Shen Run truly had this kind of backing, he wouldn’t be stuck in his current position.”

“…” Shen Huaijin found it hard to argue.

“He’s just a pawn.” Su Wu tapped the paper with her pen, drawing an arrow from Shen Run’s name to a question mark. “This person’s ultimate goal is what we should be thinking about.”

“That makes sense, but what do they get by controlling Shen Run?” Meng Xi was scratching her head. “Why him?”

“Pharmaceuticals,” Shen Huaijin murmured, looking at the question mark. “Shen Run used to be involved in medical research abroad. The Shen corporation started with pharmaceuticals. Although it pivoted under my mother’s management—”

“After Shen Run took control, the originally declining Shen Pharmaceuticals saw a major resurgence.” Su Wu pulled out her iPad and scrolled through statistical charts. “I think that if such a power really exists behind the arson, they were worried that if Shen Huaijin returned to the country and tried to rejoin the corporation, it would interfere with their goals.”

“If that’s the case, I definitely have to go back to the Shen corporation,” Shen Huaijin sneered. “I want to see exactly what they’re trying to do.”

Meng Xi was worried: “Wait, Old Shen, stay calm. Right now they’re in the dark and we’re in the light. Someone already tried to set a fire the moment you returned. If you really go back, what if another ‘possessed’ person comes to kill you?”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Shen Huaijin gritted her teeth. “Since they’re in the dark, I’ll be the bait to draw them out.”

Fraught with anxiety, Meng Xi turned to Su Wu. “Quick, talk some sense into her.”

“I agree with this plan,” Su Wu said.

Meng Xi: “…???”

Hopeless, she looked toward Shen You’an—the only person she considered “normal” in the room. “Xiao An, talk to your sister.”

Shen You’an said: “Sister Meng Xi, I don’t have any objections either. This is the choice my sister made herself. No matter what, I support her.”

Meng Xi looked as if the sky was falling. “Wait, no, I mean… when faced with this stuff, shouldn’t we try to contact some National Bureau of Supernatural Affairs or something? We don’t know anything about their background. Moving forward blindly is unsafe!”

“Watch a few less anime episodes,” Shen Huaijin commented. “Actually, why don’t I give you a task: why don’t you try contacting ‘official departments’ like you said?”

Meng Xi: “Then what else can we do?! Just let you run in front of Shen Run defenseless? What if they suddenly brainwash you? What happens to Xiao An and Auntie Shen then? What happens to us!”

“Shen Huaijin returning to the Shen corporation with high visibility is actually best for her safety,” Su Wu analyzed. “If the opponent truly plans to kill her, turning herself into the center of attention is actually a form of protection. Furthermore, looking at the connection between the three events—I suspect that to achieve ‘memory distortion’ or ‘controlling others’, the target might first need to have a flickering thought or desire. The opponent might just be seizing those fleeting, hidden thoughts and amplifying them.”

Su Wu’s words clarified Huaijin’s thinking. “Meng Xi, let me try,” she said.

How could Meng Xi argue? She let out a long sigh and finally said, “Fine, you can go, but get prepared first. You need to map out the internal situation of the Shen corporation and consider who you’ll be in contact with. Also, give me a little time.”

“What for?” Shen Huaijin was confused.

“What else? I’m going to get some protective talismans! I’ll tie them to each of you! That’s the correct way to deal with the supernatural!!” Meng Xi felt like she was about to explode and pulled out her phone. “No, I have to message my mom right now and ask for the contact info of that Master she knows.”

Shen You’an tried to say something, but Su Wu stopped her with a look. She bit her lip and stayed silent.

“Shen Huaijin, how much do you know about Tian’ai Hospital?” Su Wu asked.

Ever since they sat down to talk, Shen Huaijin’s brow had remained furrowed. “That’s the hospital where my mother has always gone for her follow-up consultations.”

“Wait, if our hypothesis holds, then that hospital—” Shen Huaijin’s pupils constricted.

“We’ll split up. You handle the visible side and draw Shen Run’s attention. I’ll go to Tian’ai to investigate,” Su Wu said. “Keep in touch if anything happens.”

“Okay,” Huaijin agreed, pausing for a moment before looking at Su Wu. “Thanks.”

Su Wu: “I’m not doing it to help you.”

Shen Huaijin: “…”

Su Wu: “Be safe.”

Shen Huaijin: “Mhm.”

Meng Xi started shouting again: “Stop, stop, stop! Don’t give me this ‘parting forever’ vibe! Both of you stay safe. No one is allowed to get hurt!”

They discussed their deductions for a while longer. Meng Xi finally couldn’t take it anymore. She turned on the TV and put on a random movie to try and settle her nerves, but the movie turned out to be a horror film in disguise. She nearly screamed.

“I’m out, I’m out. Xiao An has school tomorrow. Honestly, Old Su, why don’t you just call in sick for her? Look at all this stuff going on—why is she still going to school?!”

After leaving those words, Meng Xi was too afraid to go home alone. She dragged Shen Huaijin along, begging her for company. Without a choice, Huaijin said goodbye to Su Wu and You’an and left.

After seeing them downstairs, You’an and Su Wu walked back up. In the elevator, both were silent. Entering the house, as Su Wu went to tidy the mess on the rug and coffee table, You’an helped her. Noticing Su Wu’s scribbled notes, she suddenly said: “A-jie.”

“Mhm.”

“You saw it too, didn’t you?”

“Saw what?”

“The thing on the ship. The idea that the target was my sister… it’s not impossible, but it’s a bit of a stretch. If Shen Run and the people behind him were worried about my sister returning to the country and interfering, there were countless better times to strike while she was abroad.”

The number of people killed in diving or climbing accidents every year is immense. If they really wanted her dead, it would have been better to strike early and cut the problem at its root. Why wait until now?

If there was anything else that happened on the ship that day besides the arson… only she and Su Wu knew about it.

“A-jie, I suspect… the real target is me.” Shen You’an had that intuition.

“Yes.” Su Wu gently stroked the edge of the A4 paper. “That is my view as well. But in the current situation, I cannot tell Shen Huaijin and Meng Xi that openly. Unless you want me to.”

“As for those two—Shen Huaijin has never walked out of her guilt. This gives her a chance to take responsibility, and she will do anything for it. Even if she realized the point you just made, she would never want you to take the risk. She’d rather see herself as the target. And Meng Xi… she just hasn’t processed it yet. When she does, it will still be hard for her to understand what they could possibly want from you.”

“Because they don’t know what secrets you carry.”

Su Wu gripped You’an’s hands. “Xiao An, there’s something I want you to think back on and consider carefully.”

“Go ahead, A-jie.”

“In the world you came from, was there anyone capable of doing the things we discussed today? According to what you said before, there should be many powerful individuals in that world. I suspect someone is in a similar situation to yours. They have also come to this world.”

Shen You’an’s eyes widened instantly. “A-jie, you mean—”

“It’s just a hypothesis.” Su Wu had worried You’an would look like this if she heard it. She squeezed the girl’s palms, telling her to stop overthinking. “Don’t take the blame on yourself.”

“If the basic rules of conservation of energy still apply, then your mysterious disappearance ten years ago and Shen Run’s mysterious boost might be more closely linked than I thought. Perhaps someone else entering this world caused your total disappearance. And on the ship…” Su Wu slowly rubbed the skin of You’an’s fingertips. “You mentioned your condition suddenly became uncontrollable.”

“The text message that brought Huaijin back, your loss of control, the fire on the ship—when you string everything together, I suspect someone wanted to use these means to expose your secret.”

“Regardless of how you look at it, you are their bullseye.”

“Based on that premise, even if Shen Huaijin goes back to Shen Run, she likely won’t be in danger. Drawing her into that path is likely just a distraction. What we truly need to do is figure out their goal regarding you.”

“The Shen corporation has been researching medicine for years. Considering your unique constitution, I worry they know about it and want to isolate you, forcing you into their control to use you.”

“You’an, I will not allow that to happen to you a second time.” Su Wu had never been more certain in her life. “I won’t allow it, so I also won’t allow you to give up. Don’t even have a single thought about things being ‘solved easily’ if you just leave and meet their terms.”

Shen You’an felt completely seen. She shifted her eyes guiltily.

Su Wu cupped her face, forcing her to look her in the eye. “We will solve this together, okay?”

“Here’s some good news: since they have something that can make you lose control, it’s likely a gas or a liquid. This proves that even with current technology, there should be a way to counter your physical condition. Give me time; I will find it.”

“Shen You’an, promise me: no matter what mystery lies behind this, never let go of my hand.”

Su Wu was pleading. Shen You’an could see the fractured pieces in her eyes. She had a premonition that if she said no, Su Wu would shatter completely.

“A-jie, I promise you.” You’an instinctively pulled Su Wu into an embrace. “I’m the one who dragged you into this. Until it’s completely solved, I will stay by your side.” If someone had interfered with her mother’s case back then, she would find them, clean it up, and protect her family.

Su Wu greedily caught the girl’s scent, her chin resting on You’an’s shoulder, her hands hugging her tight. Her eyes swirled with dark, complex emotions. Hidden from You’an’s view, she harbored even more thoughts.

She felt this was more than just what they had discussed. Many problems were hard to solve in isolation, but when put together, they formed a picture.

The Shen pharmaceutical business was prosperous, but there were plenty of other companies. Why pick the Shens? Even if it was because the Shens had an accident that provided an opening, why insist on having the girl You’an saved replace her? If they needed a puppet and had such control methods, wouldn’t it be easier to just manipulate Shen Run directly? Why go through the trouble of using Auntie Shen as a medium?

…Perhaps she was overthinking. But when it came to Shen You’an, Su Wu had to overthink.

“A-jie, can I go to Tian’ai Hospital with you?” You’an’s soft voice broke Su Wu’s train of thought. She said, “If that’s the hospital Mom always goes to, they likely perform ‘brainwashing’ there repeatedly. If they really are from my previous world—though my mind doesn’t remember—the monster in my body definitely will.”

“I don’t remember much from that world; it’s also like a memory distortion. But I can definitely sense the aura left behind by that kind of power. I’ll go with you to Tian’ai, okay?”

“Of course,” Su Wu said. “I intended to ask. Meng Xi and I have checked Tian’ai many times and found nothing. If you are there, it will be very helpful.”

“Great!” Shen You’an was eager to do something. “But…”

She thought of something.

“What is it?”

“I’m afraid I’ll lose control again,” You’an said. “There’s no guarantee they won’t be prepared at the hospital.” She had an idea. “A-jie, before we go to Tian’ai, are you willing to try something with me?”

“Try what?”

“Knowing you, you must have collected any items from the ship that you suspected. we can test them one by one to see if there are residual influences. If we find them, we can reverse-engineer them to find a way to counter my symptoms. Wouldn’t that be easier? Or, if I desensitize myself beforehand, I won’t lose control like last time even if I encounter it again.”

“You certainly know me.” Su Wu reached up and pinched You’an’s cheek—the soft flesh she had grown recently. “To tell you the truth, I planned on that as well.”

“Yay.” You’an was happy for a moment, then worried again. “The only problem is, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you during the process. If only there were some protective measures—”

You’an’s thoughts wandered as her gaze swept over the paused movie. On the high-definition screen, a mutated monster was trapped in a cage, covered in shackles and chains.

“A-jie, I have an idea,” Shen You’an said.