Chapter 53

“I didn’t expect that the first person to come visit me would be you…” Sheng Suyu had completely lost her previous arrogance. She looked haggard, as if she had aged ten years, and fine lines had even formed at the corners of her eyes.

“You misunderstand. I didn’t come to visit you.” Shen Su looked at Sheng Suyu with a beaming smile, speaking in a leisurely tone. “I never had much of a chance to tell you something before. Now that you’re about to go inside and step on a sewing machine (go to prison), I think I’ll tell you now.”

Sheng Suyu lifted her eyelids to glance at Shen Su. Sensing that something was off, she asked, “What is it?”

Shen Su curved her eyebrows and said word for word, “Don’t you think that you and I look a bit alike?”

Sheng Suyu froze slightly, a layer of cold sweat breaking out in her palms. She clenched her fists. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“The three years you stole from Lu Yan were entirely because you bear a slight resemblance to me.”

These words were like a massive boulder crashing into the depths of Sheng Suyu’s heart, stirring up a tempestuous wave.

“What nonsense are you talking?!” Sheng Suyu blurted out in rebuttal, but her hands, which gripped the edge of the table so tightly that her knuckles turned white, revealed that she was far from calm. She was even a bit panicked.

“Whether I’m talking nonsense, you should know very well in your heart, shouldn’t you? Before I appeared, didn’t Lu Yan act as though she loved you deeply, willing to do anything for you? But the moment I appeared, you became like a complete stranger to her.” Shen Su paused, a trace of mockery entering her gaze as she looked at Sheng Suyu. “Because she never loved you. You were just a substitute.”

Sheng Suyu lowered her head, her gaze drifting. [stolen content]“How could that be? It’s impossible…”

Shen Su let out a soft laugh. “Nothing is impossible. Didn’t you also treat Lu Yan as a substitute for Song Xingran?”

“How can that be the same?! I… I already gave up on Xingran and chose Lu Yan!” Sheng Suyu said stubbornly.

Shen Su raised an eyebrow slightly. “Is that so? Actually, you were dumped by Song Xingran, weren’t you?”

“That recording… it really was you?!” Sheng Suyu stared at Shen Su, a flash of hatred passing through her eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that. If you could have acted like Lu Yan—cutting ties with your old flame the moment your White Moonlight returned—Song Xingran wouldn’t have cut you off either.” Shen Su crossed her arms over her chest, speaking with a playful smile. “You brought all of this on yourself.”

Coming out of the detention center, Shen Su ran into Sheng Ze, who was sitting in his car.

“Why is Miss Shen here?” Sheng Ze stopped her, asking in a deep voice.

“Why else?” Shen Su raised an eyebrow. “To kick someone while they’re down, of course.”

Sheng Ze crossed his hands over his chest and said slowly, “Speaking of which, I still owe you two a favor. Have you thought about what you want yet?”

“Not yet. If I think of something, I’ll contact ​read the original at bailiantales.com​you.” Shen Su gave a casual smile. “See you if fate allows.”

Sheng Ze nodded slightly, his gaze darkening a bit as he watched Shen Su’s receding back. He could only hope this S-rank Alpha wouldn’t open her mouth too wide and demand an exorbitant price.

On Saturday morning, Shen Father had to leave on an urgent business trip. Aside from the butler and the housekeeper, Shen Mother was the only one at home.

At noon, Shen Su arrived at Lu Yan’s neighborhood to pick her up. She parked the car in a parking space and waited for her directly under the building where Lu Yan lived. Afterward, the two of them got into the car with bright smiles.

No one noticed that a certain individual was secretly spying on them from the shadows.

The moment Shen Mother saw Lu Yan, she couldn’t stop smiling. She even went into the kitchen herself to show off her culinary skills. Lu Yan was full of praise, and the atmosphere was wonderful—completely different from the business-like “meeting the parents” of the previous world.

As Shen Su expected, when Lu Yan prepared to take her leave, Shen Mother insisted she stay. Finding it hard to decline such warm hospitality, Lu Yan agreed. Her room was arranged right next to Shen Su’s.

Neither of them went to find the other, choosing to chat online instead. The conversation eventually ended with the words “Goodnight.”

Lu Yan lay on the unfamiliar bed and looked out the window. A crescent moon hung on the branches. She slowly reached out her hand as if she could grasp it, but her palm remained empty. Like a person drinking water knows best whether it’s cold or warm, she could feel that Shen Su’s mother was genuinely good to her. But a wave of uncontrollable guilt surfaced in her heart. Who told her to join forces with Shen Su to deceive her mother?

The urge to turn the fake act into reality grew stronger, and her heart became increasingly restless.

The next day, she woke up early. Eschewing her ​stolen content​usual habit of lounging in bed, she got up immediately. The moment she opened her door, she smelled a rich scent of red wine—it was Shen Su’s pheromones!

Lu Yan walked out of the guest room and glanced at the bedroom next door. The door was wide open, and the windows were open too. She looked downstairs; the Shen family servants were moving about in a frantic hurry.

What had happened?

“Yan Yan, you’re up so early?” Shen Mother’s brow was furrowed tightly as she beckoned her over. “Let’s eat first.”

“Where did Susu go?” Lu Yan looked around, an inexplicable sense of unease washing over her.

Shen Mother sighed. “For some reason, her rut came early. She already went to the safe house just now.”

“Could it be because of me?” Lu Yan bit her lip. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, no need. The safe house is fully stocked with everything she needs, it’s fine.” Shen Mother shook her head, saying gently, “Susu specifically told me that since the two of you aren’t engaged yet, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to go over. In a few days, when Susu’s father returns, we’ll all discuss the engagement arrangements together, alright?”

Hearing the word “engagement,” Lu Yan’s heart rate spiked. Can I really get engaged to Shen Su?

As if possessed, Lu Yan agreed, “Okay.”

Shen Su mentioning the engagement was definitely just a temporary measure. But by agreeing to it while Shen Su was absent, wasn’t she taking advantage of her precarious situation? Would Shen Su be angry? At the thought, Lu Yan lowered read the original at bailiantales.comher head in guilt. Shen Mother assumed Lu Yan was merely worried, so she affectionately patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Just then, the butler came running over in a rush, completely out of breath. “This is bad, Madam—”

“What’s wrong?” Shen Mother clenched her fists. The butler always handled things steadily; for him to be this flustered meant something major must have happened.

“Miss’s rut this time…” The butler glanced at Lu Yan, gritting his teeth. “There’s a problem with it!”

Lu Yan’s heart tightened along with his words.

Shen Mother’s brow furrowed tightly. “What kind of problem?”

“Someone used an Alpha Inducing Agent on Miss,” the butler said with his head lowered.

“Then how is Susu now? Are there any side effects after using an inducing agent?” Anxiety was written all over Lu Yan’s face, her tone laced with urgency.

“Yan Yan, don’t panic.” Shen Mother bit her lip. “The side effects of an inducing agent will make the Alpha’s rut hit much more violently this time. If there’s an Omega accompanying them, it’s not a big deal, but without one, it can be quite painful.”

Lu Yan clenched her fists and parted her lips, wanting to say she would go see Shen Su. But on second thought, Shen Su had been with her the entire day yesterday; if Shen Su had been exposed to an inducing agent, she herself could hardly escape blame. Fortunately, Shen Mother didn’t suspect her, gently patting her hand to reassure her.

Shen Mother asked, “Who was it? Have you found out?”

The butler nodded. “We haven’t found out how Miss was exposed to the inducing agent yet, but someone appeared at the safe house and was caught by us on the spot—it was that Omega from the Xu family. When we arrived, Miss had already kicked her out of the house, so nothing should have happened.”

Hearing this, Lu Yan finally gathered her courage and spoke up: “Auntie, let me go.”

“This…” Shen Mother hesitated for a moment, but ultimately relented. “I’m putting you through a lot of trouble. I’ll have someone drive you over.”

Shen Su had hidden herself in the bathroom, sitting on the cold floor with her forehead pressed against the tiles, yet it did nothing to alleviate the restlessness within her.

Gritting her teeth, she called out to the System.

System: I’m here.

“What’s going on?” Shen Su’s suppressed voice echoed in the bathroom.

System: It’s not entirely clear, but the map shows that Xu Ming appeared near Lu Yan’s residence and even approached your car earlier. Perhaps she sprayed the Alpha Inducing Agent near your car then. Your exposure wasn’t heavy, which is why it only took effect in the early hours of the morning. Later, when you came to this safe house, someone followed you, and finally Xu Ming came over.

Shen Su let out a long sigh, placing her palm against the tiles to soothe the burning heat in her hand.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” Shen Su reached out to grasp the edge of the sink, forcing herself to stand up. Looking at her flushed face in the mirror, she turned on the tap and splashed cold water over [read the original at bailiantales.com]her face. “You didn’t tell me this person was dangerous either.”

System: Because the System detected that this character poses no threat to the Love-Struck Miss.

Shen Su: …So the host is just chopped liver that nobody cares about?

Feeling a bit guilty, the System stopped responding and slipped away on the spot.

Shen Su clenched her fists, feeling as though an endless fire was consuming her. She turned on the tap again and washed her face once more. But the cold water could only keep her calm for a fleeting moment; a moment later, the heat wave surged back. She gripped a corner of the sink tightly. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the door lock turning.

Someone’s here?

Shen Su walked out of the bathroom and looked at Lu Yan, who had just entered through the front door. Her expression shifted. “Why are you here?” She took a few steps back, leaning against the wall and biting her lip. She had to find a way to make Lu Yan leave before she lost control. She absolutely could not mark Lu Yan!

“I was worried about you…” Lu Yan took a step forward, only to see Shen Su raise her hand, signaling her to stop.

“Get out.” Shen Su rubbed her temples, no longer looking at Lu Yan.

Lu Yan’s eyes flickered, her voice dropping lower. “Last time, you took care of me during my heat, so I wanted to…”

Shen Su at this moment seemed a bit sharper and harsher than usual.

“Is that the same thing?” Shen Su closed her eyes and pointed toward the door. “Get out—”

Lu Yan’s fingertips trembled unconsciously. She looked at Shen Su’s flushed cheeks, her gaze gradually turning resolute. “You’ve been hit with an inducing agent, let me help you… We’re friends. There’s nothing wrong with me helping you out a bit.”

“Friends? What kind of friend is willing to let the other mark them? Do you even know what you’re saying?” Shen Su had never spoken to Lu Yan with such harshness. She didn’t even dare open her eyes to look at Lu Yan, fearing that the moment she did, her heart would soften.

Lu Yan closed the door and slowly peeled off her own scent blocker. “I know, Sugar. I want to turn our fake act into reality. Actually, I’ve liked you for a very long time. The incident at the airport wasn’t our first meeting… Maybe you don’t remember, but I do. You were the one who rescued me from that Alpha’s hands. The only reason I was ever with Sheng Suyu was because she looks fifty percent like you. The lover I always spoke of has always been you.”

“I’ve liked you for a long, long time…” Just like that, Lu Yan pierced through the window paper. She took a step forward, her eyes shimmering with anticipation as a torrent of intense emotion surged in her chest. “Shen Su, do you really not like me even a single bit?”