Chapter 13: Striking a Deal

"I'm fine. Young lady, what's your name?" Mrs. Lin turned to look at Shen Qing.

"Shen Qing."

Mrs. Lin smiled, her eyes unexpectedly moist, her voice a bit blurred. "Qingqing... I was the one who picked that name."

"Feifei, if I have a daughter in the future, I'll call her Qingqing—Qing, as in 'beauty'! But if it's a boy, what should I name him?"

"Ruiyang, perhaps. Sounds auspicious."

"Eh—doesn't that sound a little rustic?"

"How about Gou Dan? Easy to raise."

"Forget it, forget it, your taste is nothing to boast about."

Lin Feng, standing to the side, was a bit confused by all this. Did his wife know this pretty young girl? She had never mentioned her before.

"Qingqing, my house isn't far from here. Why don't you come over for a meal?"

"Ah?" Shen Qing was about to refuse, but Mrs. Lin grasped her hand tightly. Seeing Mrs. Lin's tearful eyes, Shen Qing gave in.

So forward already?

"Thank you, Auntie, for having me."

*

Mrs. Lin lived in an upscale neighborhood with strict security. Shen Qing sat on the sofa as Mrs. Lin poured her a glass of water, then pulled her son, Lin Ruiyang, over to sit beside the young girl, before heading into the kitchen with Lin Feng to prepare the meal.

Shen Qing glanced at the boy. He was tall, with refined features, but wore a stern expression, his face almost emotionless.

Noticing Shen Qing's gaze, Lin Ruiyang looked back, only to find her already playing a game on her phone—a large, brick-like device of some unknown brand.

Lin Ruiyang only spared her a brief glance before pulling out his own phone to look at some academic problems.

After dinner, Mrs. Lin pulled Shen Qing aside to talk.

"How was your mother's life before?"

"Aside from her marriage, everything was fine."

Hearing this, Mrs. Lin let out a heavy sigh. "If only I hadn't been so caught up in romance back then, and had introduced Feifei to someone as well, maybe things would have been different..."

Shen Qing awkwardly patted Mrs. Lin’s back. "It wasn't your fault."

"You live in Fancheng now. How is your stepfather treating you?" Mrs. Lin was clearly worried about Shen Qing's situation. With a stepmother comes a stepfather, after all.

"He's alright."

"If he ever treats you badly, come to me. I'll stand up for you."

Shen Qing smiled, the corners of her lips quirking with a hint of mischief. "Alright." Though, there was no need.

Mrs. Lin stared at the girl's smile, momentarily dazed. She pointed in the direction where Lin Ruiyang was sitting, her voice not quiet at all. "That's my son, Lin Ruiyang. What do you think of him?"

Lin Ruiyang frowned. What on earth went on in his mother's head all day?

"He's alright," Shen Qing replied.

Lin Ruiyang's frown deepened.

*

In the end, Shen Qing took a cab home. As soon as she walked in, she saw Yu Fei sitting in the living room.

Yu Fei checked his watch—exactly ten o'clock. His brows drew together slightly. "Home so late?" He had always been too lenient with this daughter; just a few days and she was already becoming unruly.

Shen Qing strode in with long legs, flopping onto the sofa and crossing her legs, her manner casual and irreverent.

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

Seeing her roguish demeanor, Yu Fei suppressed his anger and tried to speak gently. "It's dangerous for a girl to be out so late."

"Oh." Shen Qing nodded solemnly. "Do you think I could get kidnapped?"

Yu Fei was at a loss for words as he looked at her face.

"Dad, let's make a deal: send me to No. 1 High, and I'll move out."

"I'm your father! Where would you even live if you moved out? And you can't just get into No. 1 High because you want to."

He wasn't wrong. Fancheng No. 1 High was the best school in the city. Getting in meant you were halfway to university. With Shen Qing's grades and reputation at her previous school, she would be lucky to get into No. 8 High.

"Forget it." Shen Qing glanced at him and went upstairs.

"Qingqing." Yu Fei grabbed her arm.

"I’m sorry about your mother. But now that you’re part of the Yu family, you’re one of us. You’ll be an adult soon. Would it kill you to just behave yourself for once?"

"Calling you 'Dad' is already me behaving. If you can't handle my attitude, there's nothing I can do."

"Shen Qing!"

"My seventeenth birthday was less than a month ago, and you really do treat me and Yu Min'er differently."

"You..." There’s only a couple of days’ difference between you both; favoritism is only natural. Besides, you haven’t exactly been treated poorly.

Reading the emotions in his eyes, a flash of mockery passed through Shen Qing’s gaze. She shook off Yu Fei’s hand and hurried upstairs.

One of the doors on the second floor was ajar. Shen Qing glanced at it, her lips curving faintly, but she paid it no mind.

After making sure Shen Qing had gone upstairs, Yu Min'er finally opened her door. She had overheard Shen Qing saying she wanted to move out.

The Yu family was wealthy; she didn't believe Shen Qing would ever really leave.

*

On Yu Min'er's birthday, Shen Qing went along to the old Yu family mansion, located in the suburbs—a large villa, clearly with some history.

She trailed behind the Yu family, head down, playing on her phone, completely indifferent to the looks from the servants.

"Grandma!"

"Grandma."

"Mom."

The old matriarch of the Yu family beamed as her family greeted her.

"Jiaxuan has grown taller, Min'er is as beautiful as ever, Xiaolin, come have a seat."

A servant came forward to greet Yu Fei's family. Shen Qing sat alone in a corner, wearing a black baseball cap, attracting no attention.

The Yu family was a large clan, though with few male heirs. The old lady had only one son, Yu Fei, and three daughters.

Now, with everyone gathered at the mansion for Min'er's birthday, it was clear how much the old lady doted on her.

"I heard Yu Fei brought back that child from the Shen family?"

Someone who couldn't mind their own business brought this up, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew tense.

Qin Lin, who had just been chatting with a few sisters-in-law, darkened at this, and the old matriarch's expression also soured. Her tone was cold. "That girl is here too?"

"Looking for me?"