“How can Boss Cai just abandon us!”
Wen Hongyan jumped up, shouting at the police station entrance, unsure if she was trying to convince Shu Lu or herself, “It was because of his word that we came to Rongcheng. If he hadn’t called your dad to manage the business, how would your dad have done anything illegal?”
If they hadn’t met Boss Cai at that dinner, who insisted on promoting Shu Guobing, Shu Guobing, though unambitious, might never have had the guts to break the law!
Exactly, back then, the family of three depended on Wen Dongrong for their livelihood. If they were dissatisfied, they’d at most secretly stir trouble between Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru, quietly boast about Shu Lu being better than Wen Ying, or cry poor to Wen Dongrong for money… Who would’ve thought of targeting Wen Ying?
Wen Hongyan was indignant, “Boss Cai can’t just wash his hands of us. Your dad helped him set up two shops, and I even quit my job. If your dad goes to prison, how are we supposed to live?”
Even without credit, there was hard work. Boss Cai had to take responsibility for their mother-daughter duo’s livelihood!
Wen Hongyan’s mindset was that of a shameless opportunist, willing to throw tantrums and use any means to achieve her goals. Saving Shu Guobing would be ideal, but if not, she’d latch onto Cai Youren. Whether he was annoyed or pitied her, he’d have to cover their future living expenses.
Shu Lu felt uneasy.
Her dad had done something so foolish, caught red-handed by Wen Ying. Would Zhao Dong still want to use her?
If Zhao Dong was still willing, even if her dad went to prison, she wouldn’t have to worry about living expenses for the next few years.
The fear was that Zhao Dong might lose faith in her.
Shu Lu wasn’t worried about Cai Youren.
If Zhao Dong wanted her, Cai Youren’s reaction didn’t matter.
It was past three in the morning, and Shu Lu restrained herself, waiting until morning to message Zhao Dong.
Wen Hongyan cursed Cai Youren and said she’d go find Wen Dongrong.
A father could surely make decisions for his daughter.
If Wen Dongrong said to drop the matter, would Wen Ying really keep pursuing it?
“I’ll call your second uncle!”
Cai Youren’s phone was unreachable, and so was Wen Dongrong’s. Fortunately, it didn’t connect, as Comrade Wen Dongrong, just fallen asleep after being defeated by English study materials, might’ve been furious enough to kill if woken by Wen Hongyan!
Shu Lu recalled the look in her second uncle Wen Dongrong’s eyes at the police station and didn’t think he’d help them.
The last denunciation letter had offended him too deeply.
—And if the police kept investigating and found out she’d instigated Yue Shanni, what then?
Shu Lu dragged Wen Hongyan home first.
“Let’s find Boss Cai’s people first. If he won’t save my dad, he’ll at least save Uncle Xiao Cai. He’s bound to show up.”
In 2004, Rongcheng was far less bustling than it would be a decade later. At three or four in the morning, taxis were hard to come by, and buses had long stopped. Wen Hongyan and Shu Lu, usually chauffeured by Xiao Cai, now had to walk home without a driver.
Finally home, Wen Hongyan’s feet were blistered, swollen, and she couldn’t even remove her leather boots.
She hadn’t been so delicate before, but a few months of living as a “boss’s wife” had made her unaccustomed to hardship.
Shu Lu was the same.
Damn Yue Shanni!
Why did she have to blabber?
Hadn’t Xiao Cai already warned Yue Shanni’s mother?
Xiao Cai was too unreliable!
After walking home, Shu Lu couldn’t sleep, her eyes bloodshot from staying up. At exactly seven, she sent Zhao Dong a message explaining the situation.
By the time Shu Lu reached school, Zhao Dong still hadn’t replied.
Cai Youren’s phone remained unreachable.
Shu Lu gripped her backpack straps.
She wouldn’t give up easily or take a day off.
If she skipped school today, Wen Ying would know she was scared and mock her!
…
Rongcheng No. 9 Middle School.
Song Shao took the same bus to school every day, never late.
As he got off, he saw Yue Shanni.
Song Shao didn’T avoid her and instead approached.
“Why are you still in Rongcheng?”
Song Shao asked Yue Shanni, “Teacher Kang and I arranged for you to transfer to Lin County for high school. This is a one-time opportunity. If you don’t seize it, I won’t help you again.”
There’s no such thing as unprompted redemption.
Yue Shanni’s willingness to assist the police, recalling details of her meetings with Shu Lu, had a reason.
She didn’t want to work in coastal factories or earn money through unsavoury means like her neighbour’s daughter. When she could study, Yue Shanni hadn’t taken it seriously. Now, with no school to attend, she realised studying was better.
Expelled from a Rongcheng high school, getting into another was tough.
Song Shao found her, saying he’d arranged a school, not in Rongcheng but with boarding, monthly leave, better suited for an impulsive student like Yue Shanni.
Song Shao would help, but she had to cooperate with the police to expose Shu Lu.
Yue Shanni loathed Shu Lu and had wanted to confront her several times, but Shu Lu’s driver hired thugs to threaten Yue Shanni and her mother, so she stayed away.
To retaliate against Shu Lu, Yue Shanni was more than willing.
This was a win-win for her and Song Shao, who also stipulated that Yue Shanni couldn’t trouble Wen Ying again.
“Extortion and threats are low tactics. Even if you beat Wen Ying, she’d just feel pain briefly, and it wouldn’t ruin her life. It’d only drag yours further down. Competition between people isn’t about fleeting victories. Who lives well or poorly is decided over decades!”
Yue Shanni’s eyes lit up, asking Song Shao, “You believe I can live better than Wen Ying, right? What’s so great about her? She was so unremarkable in junior high, and she’s not that outstanding now—”
Song Shao calmly laid out the facts, “But she got into the provincial key school. Barring surprises, she’ll enter a good university in three years, while you can’t even continue high school. In ten years, the difference will be clear. Wen Ying could get an office job, while you’d be stuck as a mall clerk or market salesperson, jobs that don’t require a degree.”
The picture Song Shao painted pierced Yue Shanni like a thousand arrows.
Recalling those conversations, even as dim as she was, Yue Shanni knew Song Shao was mainly helping Wen Ying, with her as a side beneficiary.
Wen Ying had won another round.
Yue Shanni gave a bitter smile, “I’ll report to the school today, Class Monitor, thank you.”
Even if Song Shao’s motive was to help Wen Ying, when everyone shunned her, only he extended a hand.
“I won’t return to Rongcheng until I graduate high school, and I’ll keep my promise not to bother Wen Ying.”
Yue Shanni assured Song Shao.
She had one lingering question, so she came to No. 9 Middle School to ask Song Shao in person before leaving, “Class Monitor, does Wen Ying know you’re helping her?”
—And why help her? It’s been over a year since you last spoke to her, right?
Song Shao smiled, “Does it matter if she knows?”
The joy of helping others might be something Yue Shanni could never grasp, and Song Shao saw no need to explain.
He ensured Yue Shanni had a high school to attend, preventing her from dropping out at sixteen.
But beyond that, Song Shao wouldn’t do more.
How Yue Shanni studied, improved her grades, or whether she got into university—that was her life, not his responsibility.
Everyone must take charge of their own life. Others’ help is only effective if you strive to improve!
Song Shao, backpack on, walked through No. 9’s gates.
Yue Shanni bit her lip and turned to run.
Why Song Shao helped Wen Ying—she’d figure it out eventually.
Finding that answer might reveal why Wen Ying could befriend a talent show star like Li Mengjiao and have a godlike handsome guy helping her.
In just a few months, could Wen Ying really transform so drastically?
If Wen Ying could, so could she!
…
Police Station.
Shu Guobing hadn’t slept all night.
He was exhausted.
Every time he tried to nap, his eyelids barely touching before someone woke him. The feeling was excruciating.
But no matter how painful, he couldn’t confess to crimes he didn’t commit!
That bastard Xiao Cai, he heard, had pinned everything on him. Shu Guobing wanted to strangle him.
“It wasn’t me, I didn’t hire anyone, it was Xiao Cai… How would I know what’s in his head, hiring people to break into someone’s shop with knives in the middle of the night, don’t people sleep?”
Shu Guobing shouted.
Xiao Cai blamed him, but he wasn’t stupid—he’d kick the ball back.
The officer slapped the table, “According to your daughter Shu Lu’s statement, you contacted Yue Shanni and hired her to extort Wen Ying. You can’t deny it, we’ve printed your call records with Yue Shanni!”
Shu Guobing was dumbfounded.
“What?!”
“Your daughter Shu Lu stated…”
After his shock, Shu Guobing struggled fiercely, “I didn’t do it! I never did!”
Shu Guobing didn’t even know Yue Shanni before, so why would he hire her?
He didn’t care about petty grudges between young girls.
Why were the police framing him?
Shu Guobing was so angry his mind went blank, “If I did it, I’d admit it. That breaking-and-entering with knives, yeah, I hired two guys to cut their shop’s wires and ruin their renovations… but extorting Wen Ying, that wasn’t me!”
In his rage, he admitted to the break-in just to deny the other charge.
But the investigating officer didn’t believe him.
A teenage girl framing her own father for something like this? The police had never seen such a thing.
By normal logic, what daughter would falsely accuse her dad? If Shu Lu said Shu Guobing did it, then it must be him!
