Yu Sheng was reviewing an important investment proposal. The office was silent, only the clicking of the keyboard and rustling of papers. Then her personal phone rang abruptly, showing an unfamiliar local number.
She hesitated a moment, then answered. "Hello, who is this?"
"Excuse me, are you Shen Xingyao's guardian?"
A panicked female voice came through: "I'm her homeroom teacher, Teacher Li."
Yu Sheng immediately knew Shen Xingyao had caused trouble again. Her tone was detached. "Hello, Teacher Li. I'm just Shen Xingyao's sister-in-law, not her legal guardian. If there's anything, please contact her parents or her elder sister."
Teacher Li sounded troubled. "But when Shen Xingyao enrolled, the only emergency contact that can be reached is your number. Her mother's number is unreachable."
Yu Sheng tightened her fingers on the phone, a surge of absurdity rising. She had already withdrawn from all parental WeChat groups, blocked relevant contacts, yet Zhou Yaqin and Shen Yunmian hadn't updated the school with correct info, nor joined any new class groups.
This family was ridiculously incompetent.
She took a deep breath, not wanting to burden the already flustered teacher. "Teacher Li, I'll give you Shen Xingyao's mother's number. Please contact her directly."
She quickly gave the number and decisively hung up.
But peace didn't last long.
Less than half an hour later, her phone rang again, this time showing "Zhou Yaqin."
Yu Sheng barely pressed to answer when Zhou Yaqin's furious voice erupted: "Yu Sheng! What's wrong with you? Yaoyao got bullied at school, and you, her sister-in-law, don't care at all? You even gave the teacher my number! Do you have any sense of responsibility?!"
Yu Sheng's anger flared immediately. She snapped back without hesitation: "Listen carefully—Shen Xingyao is your daughter. You are her legal guardian. If she causes trouble at school, it's on you, her mother, to handle it! I have neither the obligation nor the patience to clean up your Shen family mess!"
Zhou Yaqin's voice sharpened. "I'm traveling! How can I get there right now? You're closer—go see what happened! She just hit someone; such a small thing, and the school calls parents? Ridiculous!"
"Small thing?" Yu Sheng almost laughed from anger. "Your daughter hit someone at school—small thing? If you're too busy, let Shen Yunmian go! She's Shen Xingyao's elder sister and has more responsibility to discipline her! I'll say it once more: I'm done dealing with any Shen family mess!"
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yaqin still argued unreasonably: "Yunmian is so busy, she doesn't have time for kids fighting! Just handle it yourself and stop nagging!"
She hung up before Yu Sheng could respond.
"Hello? Hello!" Yu Sheng stared at the busy tone, chest tightening in frustration.
She immediately called back, only to hear the cold message: "The number you dialed is turned off."
A mix of helplessness and anger surged. She took deep breaths, calming herself, and dialed Shen Yunmian.
The call rang long before being answered, background noise hinting at a meeting break.
"Yu Sheng? What's wrong?" Shen Yunmian's voice carried clear surprise and fatigue.
Yu Sheng forced down her anger, speaking quickly: "Your sister, Shen Xingyao, hit someone at school. The teacher called me. Mom is traveling and her phone's off. Go deal with it immediately!"
Shen Yunmian was silent for a few seconds. Her tone tried to soothe but clearly lacked seriousness: "What trouble did she cause this time? Got it. Don't worry—I'll have Secretary Wang handle it."
Again.
Nonchalant, delegated to a secretary, as if whatever Shen Xingyao did only needed to be "handled," not corrected or disciplined.
Yu Sheng felt deep helplessness but didn't bother arguing.
"Fine, do whatever you want." She ended the call coldly.
Shen Xingyao's lawlessness existed only because of Zhou Yaqin's bottomless spoiling and Shen Yunmian's detached neglect. Yu Sheng had long seen this clearly. She had only enforced strict discipline before because she worried Shen Xingyao would go astray, which had caused her own resentment. Now, none of it concerned her anymore. She would no longer be responsible for any Shen family actions, nor waste energy on them.
Yu Sheng quickly put the matter out of her mind and continued working.
But not long after, her phone rang again insistently—it was still Teacher Li.
The moment Yu Sheng answered, Teacher Li's anxious voice came through: "Miss Yu, Miss Zhou's phone still can't be reached! Shen Xingyao has gone too far this time! She injured our classmate Lin Xiao—she's already unconscious and has been sent to the emergency department of the Municipal First Hospital. Someone from your family must come immediately to handle this! The impact is extremely bad!"
Yu Sheng's heart sank abruptly. "Teacher Li, Shen Xingyao's sister has already sent a secretary over…"
"A secretary? What use is sending a secretary!" Teacher Li was clearly losing control. "Lin Xiao is the most outstanding student in our grade. Her family is very poor—she relies entirely on scholarships to study! She studies late into the night every day just to change her fate! And now she's been beaten into this state by Shen Xingyao, yet as her family you're still so indifferent, sending a secretary to brush it off? Do you even realize this could ruin a child's entire life?!"
"Lin Xiao…"
Hearing that name, Yu Sheng froze in shock, as if some long-sealed memory exploded in her mind.
She remembered—in her previous life, this outstanding girl had been surrounded and beaten by Shen Xingyao and her group, simply because a boy Shen Xingyao liked had spoken a few extra words to her. Back then, Yu Sheng had handled the matter herself—she had personally gone to the hospital, forced Shen Xingyao to apologize, and paid one million in medical expenses, thinking she had properly arranged everything for the girl…
But she had never expected—
Five years later, she saw that girl again. One arm gone, her face haggard, struggling to do janitorial work. Only then did Yu Sheng learn that because Lin Xiao's family favored sons over daughters, they refused to spend more money on follow-up rehabilitation. The infection in her arm worsened until amputation became unavoidable. She dropped out of school, was hastily married off to an old bachelor in exchange for a bride price used to buy her younger brother a house. After marriage, she suffered domestic violence, tried everything to divorce, and in the end could only survive by working as a cleaner.
Although Yu Sheng later gave her another sum of money and arranged a relatively easier job for her, the girl's fate left her filled with guilt, haunting her like a nightmare for a long time…
At that moment, Teacher Li's reproachful voice came through again: "…If you keep being this irresponsible, you'll face consequences!"
Yu Sheng suddenly snapped back to reality, her face turning pale. No! She couldn't let the tragedy of her previous life repeat itself!
She couldn't just stand by and watch a hardworking life be completely destroyed by Shen Xingyao's malice and the Shen family's indifference!
"Teacher Li!" Yu Sheng's voice trembled with urgency. "Don't worry—tell me the hospital address and the ward number, I'll be there immediately! All treatment costs will be covered by the Shen family. Please make sure the hospital uses the best medicine and does everything possible to save Lin Xiao!"
After hanging up, Yu Sheng grabbed her car keys and handbag and strode out.
With two bodyguards in tow, Yu Sheng arrived at the emergency department of the Municipal First Hospital in a rush. From afar, she saw a large crowd gathered at the end of the corridor, loud arguments sounding especially harsh in the otherwise quiet hospital.
Pushing through the crowd, she saw Shen Xingyao sitting with one leg crossed over the other, playing on her phone with an impatient expression, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her. Beside her stood the sweating, anxious Teacher Li and several school officials. A dark-skinned middle-aged man was pointing furiously at Secretary Li, who had arrived earlier, shouting loudly, while a thin woman beside him kept her head lowered, silently crying.
"How is Lin Xiao?" Yu Sheng's voice cut through the noise as she walked straight to Secretary Li.
Seeing her, Secretary Li looked as if he had found a savior and quickly reported in a low voice, "President Yu, you're here. The other party's parents are quite emotional. After negotiation, we've reached a preliminary settlement—compensation of 1.5 million, and once the mediation agreement is signed, the matter will be considered resolved…"
"1.5 million for a mediation agreement?" Yu Sheng's brows immediately furrowed tightly as she rejected it without hesitation. "No."
"Who do you think you are?" The agitated man—Lin Xiao's father—immediately turned on Yu Sheng, his eyes wide, spittle almost flying onto her face. "We've already agreed on 1.5 million! Hurry up and pay! My daughter is still lying inside, and you rich people are all heartless!"
Forced back a step by him, Yu Sheng's gaze turned sharp. The two well-trained bodyguards behind her immediately stepped forward, separating the agitated crowd with an imposing presence and shielding her behind them.
"This is Shen Xingyao's sister-in-law, Miss Yu," Teacher Li hurriedly introduced, then turned to Yu Sheng with a pleading tone. "Miss Yu, Lin Xiao's condition isn't good—there may be slight intracranial bleeding. She needs further examination and treatment immediately, and the costs…"
Yu Sheng didn't look at Lin's father. Instead, she addressed Teacher Li and the school officials directly. "Teacher Li, respected school leaders, the Shen family will definitely pay. However, this money must be transferred directly into the hospital's account as a dedicated treatment fund for Lin Xiao. Please ensure she receives the best medication and the best treatment plan—no matter the cost, she must be fully cured!"
"That won't do!" Lin's father shouted, jumping up. "What if she can't be cured? Give the money to me! I'm her father—I decide! We'll take the money and leave!"
Looking at his greed-twisted face, Yu Sheng recalled Lin Xiao's fate after losing her arm in her previous life, and a chill spread through her heart. She let out a cold laugh, her tone firm and unquestionable. "There's no room for negotiation. The money will only be used for Lin Xiao's treatment. If you're dissatisfied, you can take it to court. Whatever responsibility we bear, we won't evade a single cent."
Shen Xingyao had been watching the scene indifferently the whole time. Hearing Yu Sheng speak so "forcefully," and seeing her own bodyguards present, she instinctively assumed Yu Sheng had come to back her up, and immediately felt emboldened.
She stood up, crossing her arms, and chimed in with a mocking tone, "Exactly! If you're not satisfied, go file a lawsuit! Hmph, I only hit her a few times, and now you're trying to extort so much money from our family? You must be desperate from being poor…"
"Smack! Smack!"
Before she could finish, two crisp, resounding slaps cut through all the noise!
Shen Xingyao froze on the spot, her cheeks quickly swelling with clear handprints.
She clutched her face, staring at the ice-cold Yu Sheng in disbelief. After several seconds of stunned silence, she suddenly exploded like a lit firecracker, shrieking hysterically, "Yu Sheng! You dare hit me? Who do you think you are?! You bitch! I'll fight you!"
She lunged forward wildly, but was easily restrained by the bodyguards behind Yu Sheng, unable to move.
"Let go of me! You dogs! Let go!" Shen Xingyao struggled desperately, hurling vicious insults.
Yu Sheng's gaze was icy as she ordered the bodyguards in a low voice, "Hold her down. Make her kneel at the entrance of Lin Xiao's ward. She can stand up only when Lin Xiao wakes up."
"Yu Sheng! Are you crazy? You dare make me kneel? My mom and my sister won't let you off!"
Shen Xingyao twisted frantically, but couldn't break free from the iron grip of the bodyguards.
She was forcibly dragged to the tightly shut ward door, her knees ruthlessly pressed onto the cold floor.
Unable to struggle free, she screamed at Secretary Li, "Secretary Li, are you dead? Hurry and tell my sister and my mom! Tell them how this crazy woman Yu Sheng is treating me—tell them to come save me!"
Secretary Li stood to the side, sweat beading on his forehead, glancing between the hysterical Shen Xingyao and the imposing Yu Sheng, completely torn.
Yu Sheng let out a light laugh. "Secretary Li, no need to feel troubled. Right now, report everything that happened here to Shen Yunmian exactly as it is. Tell her that her lawless little sister—I've disciplined her for the last time. Tell her to get back here immediately and personally deal with this mess of the Shen family."
After saying that, she ignored Shen Xingyao's hysterical screaming behind her, turned to the stunned Teacher Li, and softened her tone slightly. "Teacher Li, please take me to see the attending doctor. I'd like to understand Lin Xiao's condition and the follow-up treatment plan in detail."
Teacher Li nodded repeatedly and led Yu Sheng to the doctor's office.
After learning about Lin Xiao's treatment plan in detail and prepaying a sufficient amount for medical expenses to ensure the girl received the best care, Yu Sheng had just stepped out of the office when she heard sharp crying and cursing.
Zhou Yaqin had arrived at some point. She was clutching Shen Xingyao, who was still being forced to kneel on the ground by the bodyguards, her face full of distress. As she tried to pull her daughter up, she glared angrily at the bodyguards blocking her. "Get lost! Who do you think you are to treat my daughter like this? Yaoyao, my baby, get up!"
The moment Shen Xingyao saw her support arrive, she cried even more miserably, pointing at her swollen face and exaggerating, "Mom! Yu Sheng hit me! She even had bodyguards force me to kneel here—she's pushing me to the limit! You have to stand up for me!"
The moment Zhou Yaqin heard this, her anger completely overwhelmed her reason.
She suddenly raised her head, locking her gaze onto Yu Sheng, who had just come out of the doctor's office, and charged at her like an enraged lioness, her finger nearly poking Yu Sheng's nose, her voice shrill and piercing:
"Yu Sheng, you vicious woman! How can your heart be so cruel!"
"Yaoyao is still a child, yet you hit her so hard and even made her kneel on the ground? Who do you think you are? I'm telling you, our Shen family cannot tolerate a malicious woman like you—I will definitely make Yunmian divorce you!"
Facing Zhou Yaqin's barrage of insults and threats, Yu Sheng didn't get angry—instead, she let out a mocking laugh.
"Divorce?" Yu Sheng met Zhou Yaqin's furious gaze, her tone calm. "Sure.I'd be more than happy to."
Zhou Yaqin was choked by her indifferent attitude, unable to catch her breath, her face flushing red as she pointed at Yu Sheng. "You… you…" she stammered for a long time, but could only dissolve into helpless rage. Her body swayed, and she nearly fainted.
Yu Sheng couldn't be bothered with her and turned to leave the suffocating place.
Just as she reached the entrance of the emergency department, she ran straight into Shen Yunmian, who had hurried over.
She had clearly rushed back from a neighboring city, the fatigue of travel still evident on her face.
Seeing Yu Sheng, Shen Yunmian halted, instinctively stepping forward, her tone carrying a trace of nervousness she didn't even realize: "Yu Sheng, you… are you okay?"
"Shen Yunmian, this is the last time." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried unmistakable disgust. "From now on, don't let your Shen family's messes find their way to me again."
With that, she gave Shen Yunmian no chance to speak and brushed past her.
Shen Yunmian's outstretched hand froze midair, all her words swallowed back down.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of complicated emotions, and turned to walk into the chaotic emergency area.
The moment she appeared, Zhou Yaqin rushed over, grabbing Shen Yunmian's arm, crying and accusing, "Yunmian, you're finally back. Look at what Yu Sheng did—she actually made Yaoyao kneel here. That woman is too vicious. Divorce her immediately! A woman like that can't stay in our Shen family!"
Shen Xingyao sobbed beside her, "Sis, it was just a small conflict with a classmate. She hit me so hard and even had bodyguards bully me…"
The mother and daughter's cries and accusations rang in her ears like noise, making Shen Yunmian's already restless mind throb, veins pulsing at her temples.
"Enough!"
Shen Yunmian suddenly snapped, her cold voice suppressing anger, instantly silencing the two of them.
"A small conflict?" Her sharp gaze shot first at Shen Xingyao as she scolded, "Shen Xingyao, you beat your classmate into intracranial bleeding and a comminuted fracture of the arm. She's still unconscious, and you're still trying to argue?"
Shen Xingyao trembled in fright, instinctively wanting to retort, but Shen Yunmian's next words completely stunned her.
"Keep kneeling here and reflect properly. You'll only get up when she's out of danger!"
"Sis?!" Shen Xingyao shrieked in disbelief. She hadn't expected that her usually indulgent sister would side with Yu Sheng this time—and even punish her more harshly!
Zhou Yaqin panicked too, shouting sharply, "Yunmian! Have you gone mad? How can you treat your sister like this? She's the victim! Don't let outsiders manipulate you—"
"Mom!" Shen Yunmian cut her off sharply, the disappointment and severity in her eyes instantly silencing Zhou Yaqin. "Starting today, all your cards will be frozen as well. Since you have time to travel everywhere, you might as well take some time to think about how to be a responsible mother—instead of blindly spoiling and indulging her, raising her into this lawless state!"
Zhou Yaqin and Shen Xingyao instantly turned pale as death, frozen in place, unable to say a single word. The financial lifeline they depended on had been severed by Shen Yunmian herself in that moment.
In the corridor, only Shen Xingyao's despairing sobs and Zhou Yaqin's dazed silence remained.
Shen Yunmian rubbed her temples tiredly, no longer looking at them, and turned to leave.
—
Night fell deep, and the villa at Jiuxi Bay was silent, with only dim lights casting a faint glow.
Yu Sheng had just finished showering and was sitting at her vanity, going through her nighttime skincare routine, when a light knock sounded on the door.
The door wasn't locked. She didn't respond. After a brief pause, the person outside still pushed it open and walked in.
Shen Yunmian had clearly come straight back from the hospital, still carrying the faint scent of disinfectant. She stood at the doorway, looking at Yu Sheng's indifferent profile, and spoke with difficulty, "Yu Sheng… things at the hospital are temporarily handled. Lin Xiao is out of danger and has been transferred to a regular ward."
Yu Sheng's hands continued applying serum without the slightest pause, her tone calm and flat. "Mm."
Shen Yunmian stepped forward a couple of steps, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tension. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect Xingyao to cause such trouble, and I didn't expect it to bring you so much inconvenience."
Yu Sheng finally stopped, turned around, and looked at her directly. There was no emotion in her eyes—no anger, no disappointment—only a bottomless calm. "It's nothing." She even gave a faint smile. "I stopped having expectations for people in your Shen family a long time ago. I just feel sorry for that girl, Lin Xiao, suffering for no reason."
Shen Yunmian keenly caught the sarcasm in her words, her heart tightening. Thinking Yu Sheng was dissatisfied with the outcome, she cautiously asked, "Then how do you want to discipline Xingyao…"
"Shen Yunmian!" Yu Sheng suddenly cut her off, her voice rising sharply. "She's your biological sister! If she made a mistake, how to discipline her is your responsibility as her sister! Why are you asking me?"
She stood up and stepped closer, her gaze sharp as a blade, as if trying to dissect the thoughts beneath Shen Yunmian's facade. "Is it because of that child who never got to be born? You think I resent Shen Xingyao for that, so you want to use this chance to punish her to please me? To make up for that bit of guilt in your heart? Shen Yunmian, do you think everything can be solved through this kind of calculated compensation?"
Shen Yunmian was left speechless under the barrage of questions, her pupils shrinking as she instinctively avoided that piercing gaze. Yu Sheng's calmness and insight at this moment filled her with an unprecedented panic.
Seeing Shen Yunmian's silence and evasiveness, Yu Sheng stepped back, creating distance. Her voice returned to calmness, yet it hurt even more than her earlier accusations.
"Shen Yunmian, do you know?" Yu Sheng's voice was light, carrying the disappointment of clarity. "I used to think you were just emotionally indifferent. Turns out, I was wrong. You're not just indifferent—you're… a refined egoist. You equally disregard the emotional needs of everyone around you."
She paused, her gaze seeming to pierce through Shen Yunmian to something deeper. "Toward your mother, you just use money to brush her off, never truly caring about her inner feelings. Toward your sister, you only use the simplest and crudest methods—money or punishment—to deal with the trouble she causes, never thinking about how to guide or educate her. And toward your wife…"
At this point, Yu Sheng's lips curved into a faint, bitter arc. "Maybe you once gave some respect and material security based on the identity of 'Mrs. Shen,' but that wasn't love. You only know how to admire strength—you respect the grandmother who raised you into the Shen family's heir, yet you have no idea how to love a living person. In your world, emotions are probably the least efficient thing."
"That's not true!" Shen Yunmian heard the absolute calm and disappointment in her words and hurriedly refuted, her voice trembling slightly. "You're different from them!"
"What's different?" Yu Sheng interrupted calmly. "Because I was more foolish than them? Foolish enough to give everything without reservation, to suppress my own preferences and emotions just to play the 'considerate and proper' Mrs. Shen in your eyes, hoping my wholehearted devotion could fill your bottomless void?"
Shen Yunmian repeated helplessly, "Sheng Sheng, I didn't know you were suffering this much… I love you."
Yu Sheng shook her head, her tone resolute. "No, Shen Yunmian, you don't deserve to speak of love. You're just a stubborn stone—you'll never know how to love someone."
Shen Yunmian stared at her blankly, utterly defeated by the complete denial in her words.
She opened her mouth, and after a long time, managed to speak in a hoarse voice, filled with a humility that even she found unfamiliar: "I'm sorry, Sheng Sheng… can you tell me how to love you? I… I can learn. I really can learn…"
"Why should I teach you?" Yu Sheng looked at her with a faintly malicious smile, every word striking straight at Shen Yunmian's heart. "Shen Yunmian, my parents love each other, my family is happy. I grew up cherished and adored, with caring relatives and sincere friends. My life was supposed to be smooth and happy—not rotting together with you in the mire of the Shen family."
Shen Yunmian stood completely frozen, her face pale as paper, lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. Every word from Yu Sheng was like a poisoned blade, stripping away her pride layer by layer, exposing the pale, hollow, unloved core within.
Looking at her lost and shattered state, Yu Sheng felt little satisfaction—only a sense of finality and calm. At last, in a tone almost like a verdict, she delivered the most devastating line:
"Shen Yunmian, someone like you doesn't deserve anyone's love."
Those words were the final straw that broke Shen Yunmian.
She suddenly lifted her head, her eyes filled with unprecedented panic. "No… you said it before—you said you loved me!"
In her memory, Yu Sheng had once said those words countless times, her eyes full of starlight. Words Shen Yunmian had once taken lightly—even found bothersome—had now become her only lifeline.
Yu Sheng only smiled faintly. There was no hatred, no resentment in that smile—only the calm of someone who had completely let go.
"Heh," she murmured softly, "I don't love you anymore."
After saying that, she didn't look at Shen Yunmian again. She turned back to the vanity, picked up a comb, and slowly brushed her long hair, as if the conversation that had just shattered someone's entire world had never happened.
She didn't need to raise her voice—her calmness frightened Shen Yunmian more than any furious accusation ever could.
Shen Yunmian stood frozen in place, like a statue stripped of its soul, staring helplessly at Yu Sheng.
Yu Sheng had assumed Shen Yunmian would take the hint and leave in embarrassment, but instead, she just stood there blankly, as if stunned into stupidity, saying nothing, clearly still unable to recover from the blow.
Afraid she hadn't gotten the message, Yu Sheng added more bluntly, "Shen Yunmian, you're a smart person. Tell me—what do you think will happen if you keep someone who doesn't love you and is disgusted by you by your side? Aren't you afraid you'll end up dying from the frustration?"
The last sentence dripped with sarcasm—just short of pointing at her nose and telling her: have some sense and get the divorce already.
Shen Yunmian didn't dare meet Yu Sheng's eyes, let alone respond. She awkwardly shifted her gaze away from her wife, staggered backward out of the room, and mechanically pulled the door shut behind her.
Leaning against the cold wall outside the bedroom, Shen Yunmian slowly slid down to the floor, burying her face in her knees.
So, this was how her wife saw her—so unbearable?
The realization left her feeling utterly exposed, nowhere to hide. She had always believed she was in control of everything, but only now did she understand that in matters of love, she was barren, clumsy… and completely unnecessary.
—
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