Chapter 10
Shi Yunxi pushed open the apartment door quietly, but the moment the latch clicked, two small figures rushed toward her like twin shadows.
"Mom!"
"Mommy, you're back!"
Shi Yichen and Shi Qing'er collided gently with her legs, their arms wrapping around her with innocent warmth. Shi Yunxi immediately knelt, pulling both children close, her exhaustion melting away the instant she felt their tiny hands gripping her.
"I missed you," she murmured softly, her voice filled with relief.
Shi Qing'er clung to her neck. "Mommy left for a long, long time…"
Shi Yichen nodded firmly, brows scrunched. "We waited beside the door many times."
Shi Yunxi stroked their hair. "I'm here now."
Song Liyun stepped out from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist and a bowl of freshly washed fruit in her hands. "Finally. I was beginning to think that audition hall swallowed you whole."
Her tone was teasing, but relief softened her expression.
"What happened? Why were you gone for so long?" she asked, lowering her voice as the children ran to the living room with their fruit.
Shi Yunxi removed her coat and exhaled slowly. "Something unexpected."
Song Liyun raised a brow. "Which is?"
"A child collapsed in the washroom. I helped him."
"That's normal for you," Song Liyun replied. "But something else happened, didn't it?"
"It was Mu Lingchen's son."
The bowl nearly slipped from Song Liyun's hands. "Wait— the Mu family's young master? That one?"
Shi Yunxi nodded.
Song Liyun's eyes widened. "Yunxi… do you think he could be—"
Shi Yunxi cut her off immediately. "I don't know. And I can't assume anything. Not until I confirm it myself."
Song Liyun inhaled deeply, steadying her voice. "Still… what are the chances that the child you saved today was his?"
Shi Yunxi shook her head. "Coincidence or fate… I'll uncover the truth soon enough."
"What about the audition?" Song Liyun asked.
A faint, cold smile appeared on Shi Yunxi's lips. "I auditioned for Scarlet Moon Pavilion. The role of Sheng Ruyin."
Song Liyun's reaction was instant. "That major role? The assassin with the double identity?"
Shi Yunxi nodded. "The judges liked me. Shi Roulan didn't."
Song Liyun's eyes lit up. "She didn't expect you at all, did she?"
"No. Her expression froze." A subtle smirk tugged at Shi Yunxi's mouth. "She didn't even hide it well."
Song Liyun clapped lightly in excitement. "Serves her right. She's been using shortcuts and hype for years. It's time someone showed her the difference between manufactured talent and true skill."
Shi Yunxi's eyes softened as she looked toward the living room where Shi Yichen and Shi Qing'er were now sprawled on the carpet, scribbling on their little drawing pads and chatting happily.
"For them," she whispered, "I will return stronger than ever. And I will take back everything they stole from me."
Song Liyun exhaled. "So what's next?"
Shi Yunxi straightened, a calm, regal determination radiating from her.
"Tomorrow is the final selection," she said. "And when I walk in…"
Her voice lowered.
"The Shi family will learn that the person they buried… has risen."