When the doorbell rang, Yu Sheng hadn't expected Shen Yunmian—after such humiliation—to come.
"The eldest miss? Secretary Li? Why are you here at this time?" Aunt Yang's surprised voice came from outside.
Yu Sheng's finger paused slightly on her phone screen, then resumed as normal. Only the corner of her lips dipped almost imperceptibly.
Like a lingering ghost.
Footsteps approached.
Yu Sheng didn't get up. She remained lazily reclined on the lounge chair, even adjusting the thin blanket to wrap herself more comfortably. Her gaze stayed fixed on her phone, as if something on it was incredibly engaging.
"Miss, the eldest miss and Secretary Li are here." Aunt Yang's voice carried a clear hint of reminder.
Only then did Yu Sheng seem to notice someone had entered. She slowly raised her head.
The first thing she saw was Secretary Li's somewhat awkward smile. Then her gaze fell on the tall figure beside her.
Shen Yunmian.
Today she wore a sharply tailored dark gray suit, as professional and elite as ever. Yet completely out of place with that image was the black mask covering most of her face—and the faintly visible, scabbed but still obvious red marks along its edges.
This rare disheveled appearance pleased Yu Sheng.
Almost instinctively, her lips curved into an undisguised, mocking smile.
Sunlight fell on her pale face, which came alive with that smile, giving her a striking kind of beauty.
Shen Yunmian clearly caught that smile—and the meaning behind it. Her body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and a flicker of something unusual passed through her usually calm eyes.
The smile lingered on Yu Sheng's face for two seconds before disappearing just as quickly, as if it had never been there.
She didn't want to speak to Shen Yunmian. Instead, she turned directly to Secretary Li. "Secretary Li, is this about the equity transfer agreement?"
Secretary Li, already unsettled by the silent tension, immediately stepped forward and respectfully opened her briefcase. "Yes, Miss. The agreement has been prepared according to President Shen's instructions. Please review it. If there are no issues, it will take effect after signing, and I will handle the subsequent procedures as soon as possible."
"Alright, let me see." Yu Sheng extended her hand.
Secretary Li quickly handed over the document and thoughtfully passed her a pen.
Yu Sheng took it, lowered her eyes, and carefully flipped through each page.
She read attentively. Sunlight cast small shadows over her thick lashes. Her profile was soft, yet carried a strange calmness and focus. Throughout the entire process, she didn't glance at Shen Yunmian even once, treating her as if she were air.
Shen Yunmian stood in the middle of the living room, like an out-of-place ornament.
Watching Yu Sheng's focused profile, a strong sense of unfamiliarity and loss of control gripped her again.
"Alright, no problems." Yu Sheng closed the signed document and handed it back. "Thank you for your hard work, Secretary Li."
"It's my duty, Miss—you're too kind." Secretary Li quickly took it, eager to leave this suffocating atmosphere. "Then… President Shen, Miss, if there's nothing else, I'll return to the company to handle the follow-up?"
Shen Yunmian said nothing. Her face was hidden behind the mask, but her eyes were cold enough to freeze.
Yu Sheng nodded. "Alright, go ahead."
Secretary Li felt as if she had been granted amnesty and practically fled. Aunt Yang, perceptive as ever, also slipped back into the kitchen.
In an instant, only Yu Sheng and Shen Yunmian remained in the living room.
The air seemed to freeze, so quiet that even the faint sound of the wind outside the window could be heard.
Yu Sheng picked up her phone again, leaning back into the lounge chair, putting on a posture of "why are you still not leaving."
In the end, Shen Yunmian was the one who broke the silence first.
She took a deep breath, as if trying hard to make her voice sound steadier, but her words still carried her usual superior tone: "Yu Sheng, let's talk."
Yu Sheng didn't even lift her eyelids, her tone extremely cold: "Talk about what? If it's about the company, I've already finished talking with Secretary Li. If it's anything else, I don't think there's anything between us worth talking about."
Shen Yunmian was choked by her unyielding attitude, her chest feeling tight.
She stepped forward twice, trying to close the distance, but noticed Yu Sheng subtly leaning away—that was an unmistakable gesture of rejection.
Shen Yunmian stopped in her tracks, an unnamed anger mixed with growing irritation surging in her chest.
She forced herself to suppress it: "Yu Sheng, I think your current mental state is very bad. You need professional help. I've already contacted the best psychologist in the country, very experienced in trauma and emotional management. I hope you can accept systematic treatment. It's good for you, and for us."
Yu Sheng finally lifted her gaze from her phone and looked at Shen Yunmian.
"Thanks for your concern. The doctor you arranged already came this morning—very efficient." Yu Sheng's tone made it impossible to tell whether it was praise or mockery. "I cooperated well. I said everything that needed to be said."
Shen Yunmian froze for a moment, not expecting Yu Sheng to accept so readily.
This didn't match her expectation of a "patient." "Then…"
"The doctor said I've suppressed my emotions for too long and need release and guidance. She prescribed me some medicine and advised me to rest more and keep my mood relaxed." Yu Sheng interrupted her, even smiling faintly, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I think the doctor makes a lot of sense. So now I'm trying to keep myself in a good mood. For example, when I see someone I don't want to see, I ask her to leave."
Her words were like a soft blade, precisely stabbing into Shen Yunmian's most uncomfortable place.
Shen Yunmian looked at Yu Sheng's calm face, listening to her clearly and rationally say "someone I don't want to see," and a huge sense of powerlessness and unfamiliarity nearly drowned her. The Yu Sheng in front of her—rational, calm, even able to quote the doctor's words to block her—how did she look like someone mentally ill?
And yet, she had done the most irrational, extreme things!
This contradiction completely disoriented Shen Yunmian. All the words she had prepared, all the "solutions for her own good," were useless in front of Yu Sheng's impenetrable wall.
She stood there, the wounds on her face under the mask seeming to ache faintly again.
For the first time, Shen Yunmian found herself at a loss for words in front of Yu Sheng… even somewhat embarrassed.
Yu Sheng didn't want to deal with her any longer and directly issued an order to leave: "If there's nothing else, please go. I need to rest."
Shen Yunmian remained silent for a full minute. In the end, all her words turned into a suppressed breath.
She suddenly turned around and strode out of the place that made her feel utterly defeated.
The door slammed shut with a bang. Aunt Yang peeked her head out from the kitchen.
All she saw was Yu Sheng still lying there calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Shen Yunmian got back into the car, tore off her mask, took several deep breaths, yet still felt an oppressive tightness in her chest.
After hesitating for a moment, she took out her phone and dialed Secretary Li.
"Send me the evaluation report and medical records from the psychologist who saw Yu Sheng this morning. Now!"
In less than five minutes, the encrypted electronic file was sent to her email.
Shen Yunmian opened it impatiently, her eyes scanning quickly over the calm and objective professional descriptions.
However, the more she read, the paler her face became, her fingers turning colder.
In the report, Yu Sheng described, with almost cruel calmness, the oppression and despair she had felt in the marriage.
One incident after another, like the sharpest knives, tore apart the surface harmony between them.
She had always thought Yu Sheng was sensible, worry-free, a wife who gave her no concerns!
Even if they lacked deep emotional foundation, they had mutual respect, a harmonious family! She had given her a wealthy life, a prestigious status—experience told her that this was what a wife needed!
But it turned out, Yu Sheng had always regarded this as exploitation, enduring it to the limit.
Every word in the report seemed to mock her dullness.
Her world collapsed.
The perfect image she had constructed about family and marriage shattered in front of her, broken beyond repair.
A powerful sense of losing control flooded Shen Yunmian like icy tides.
She hated this feeling—hated it to the extreme! She had to do something to pull everything back on track.
Shen Yunmian immediately found her mother Zhou Yaqin's number and dialed.
Her tone was colder and more forceful than ever, even hiding a trace of anxiety and panic she herself didn't notice: "Mom, listen to me. Take Xingyao to Jingshui Bay immediately and apologize to Yu Sheng!"
From the other end, Zhou Yaqin couldn't help but retort: "What? Still have to apologize? Xingyao's legs from kneeling yesterday—"
"Mom!" Shen Yunmian cut her off sharply. "It's because you've always spoiled and indulged Xingyao that she caused this disaster today. I'm not discussing this with you—I'm informing you! If you still want to receive your monthly allowance on time, then do as I say!"
She practically shouted those words, then abruptly hung up.
Soon, the quiet of Jingshui Bay was broken by two unwelcome guests.
Yu Sheng was half-leaning on the sofa reading, trying to calm her restless thoughts, when the doorbell rang sharply.
Aunt Yang went to open the door, and her hesitant voice followed: "Madam, Second Miss, what brings you here?"
Yu Sheng's heart sank—what was bound to come could not be avoided.
She didn't get up, only raised her eyes coldly.
As expected, Zhou Yaqin walked in, dragging along an unwilling Shen Xingyao.
Zhou Yaqin was impeccably dressed today, adorned with jewelry, trying to maintain the dignity of a wealthy matron. Yet the sharpness in her brows and the unwillingness in her eyes couldn't be concealed even with makeup.
Shen Xingyao, on the other hand, pouted, her eyes darting around, full of dissatisfaction.
"Oh, this place is quite quiet, suitable for recuperation."
Zhou Yaqin glanced around the not-so-large apartment, her tone carrying a sense of superiority. She walked over and sat down across from Yu Sheng, her gaze falling on Yu Sheng's pale face. "Yunmian asked us to come check on you."
Yu Sheng didn't respond, just quietly watched her performance.
Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Zhou Yaqin cleared her throat and began her prepared "apology": "Yu Sheng, about this matter, it really is Xingyao's fault. She's just a child, not sensible, playing around without knowing limits."
She pulled over the reluctant Shen Xingyao. "Come on, apologize to your sister-in-law. Say you didn't mean it."
Shen Xingyao rolled her eyes unwillingly. "Sorry, okay?"
Zhou Yaqin immediately continued in a tone of persuasion: "See, Xingyao knows she was wrong. Yu Sheng, you've always been the most sensible and generous. We're family—why make things so tense over such an 'accident'?"
"Yunmian is already busy with work. Things at home should be stable so she doesn't have to worry. You causing a separation and asking for the company—if word gets out, how would that look? People might think our Shen family mistreated you."
It sounded like mediation, but every sentence was actually blaming her for being unreasonable and damaging the Shen family's reputation.
Before Yu Sheng could speak, Shen Xingyao exploded first, pointing at Yu Sheng and shouting: "Mom! She's the one who's cowardly like a mouse! And she promised not to tell my sister but turned around and did anyway. So fake! Because of her, I got punished and had to kneel for two hours—my knees are bruised. Serves her right!"
Look—this was the sister-in-law she had treated with all her heart.
Not a trace of guilt, only resentment and twisted accusations.
Watching the mother and daughter perform together, Yu Sheng felt nothing but ridicule and let out a low laugh.
Zhou Yaqin and Shen Xingyao were both stunned by her laughter.
"Finished?" Yu Sheng stopped laughing, her gaze turning cold as it swept over them. "If you're done, please leave. I need to recuperate and don't have the energy to enjoy your excellent acting."
Zhou Yaqin's face changed. "Yu Sheng! What kind of attitude is this? I kindly brought Xingyao here to apologize and you—"
"Kindly?" Yu Sheng cut her off, her voice not loud but carrying unquestionable coldness. "I can't accept your 'kindness.' I heard the apology, but I won't accept it."
"As for you…" she looked at her resentful sister-in-law, "Shen Xingyao, agreeing to help you hide it before was my stupidity. Now, I don't want to anymore. And those two hours you kneeled—what are they compared to the child I lost?"
"Yu Sheng, how can you speak to an elder like that!" Zhou Yaqin snapped.
"Mom, see? She was pretending before—now her true colors are showing," Shen Xingyao added.
The two of them spoke over each other, accusing and twisting the truth.
Yu Sheng felt a faint pain in her lower abdomen again, irritation surging to her head. "Get out of my house right now. I'm not feeling well, and my emotions are very unstable. If you continue to nag here, I can't guarantee whether I'll 'go crazy' again."
Her gaze deliberately lingered on Zhou Yaqin's well-maintained face, and she said slowly with implication: "You saw the injuries on Shen Yunmian's face last night, right? When I go crazy, I don't recognize anyone. If I end up doing something bad to you or your daughter, don't say I didn't warn you."
Those words struck like a thunderbolt, turning Zhou Yaqin's face deathly pale!
She had never expected that the injuries on her eldest daughter's face were actually scratched by Yu Sheng herself!
"You… you actually dared to lay hands on Yunmian? You bitch! No upbringing at all…" Zhou Yaqin trembled with rage, pointing at Yu Sheng's nose as she was about to curse.
"Aunt Yang!" Yu Sheng suddenly raised her voice, unwilling to hear another word. "See the guests out! If Madam and Second Miss refuse to leave on their own, call property management and say someone is trespassing and harassing a patient!"
Aunt Yang had long been terrified listening to everything. At this moment, she immediately stepped forward. Though her tone remained respectful, her attitude was unusually firm: "Madam, Second Miss, the Miss really cannot take any more stress. How about… you go back first? Let the young madam rest properly? If the old madam finds out the Miss was angered into something serious, I'm afraid…" She timely brought up the old madam.
Zhou Yaqin feared nothing, except that formidable mother-in-law. The moment she heard Aunt Yang mention the old madam, it was as if her throat had been seized—her curses were forcibly swallowed back, her face turning alternately pale and livid.
She shot Yu Sheng a vicious glare, but in the end could only grit her teeth and drag away the still-complaining Shen Xingyao. "Yao Yao, we're leaving. This is outrageous!"
The door slammed heavily, the loud noise making Yu Sheng's ears buzz.
Aunt Yang hurried over to support her. "Miss! Are you okay? Sit down and rest quickly!"
Yu Sheng waved her hand, her face even paler than before.
It seemed this postpartum recovery period was destined not to be peaceful. With this mother-in-law and sister-in-law around, Shen Yunmian's self-righteous "apology" method would only bring endless trouble.
She couldn't stay here any longer.
A thought surfaced clearly—leave this place. Immediately.
She needed to get away from everyone and everything related to the Shen family, to a place where no one could find her, and recover her body peacefully without disturbance.
Then divorce.
Yu Sheng pondered for a moment, her gaze gradually becoming firm.
She deliberately sent Aunt Yang away: "I'm fine. Aunt Yang, go buy groceries. I want to be alone for a while."
—
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