Yu Sheng slept for a while. When she woke up, it was already dark outside.
She checked the time—it was almost six in the evening. She had actually slept for nearly four hours.
There was still a faint pain in her abdomen, coming in waves—like menstrual cramps after eating something cold, extremely uncomfortable.
She tried to sit up, only then noticing that the IV needle in her hand had already been removed at some point.
Just as she got up to get out of bed, the door opened. It was Aunt Yang, the housemaid.
Seeing her about to get out of bed, Aunt Yang hurried over to support her, her face full of concern.
"Oh dear, Young Madam, why didn't you call me when you got up? After a miscarriage, you must wear socks when getting out of bed—you absolutely can't catch a chill, or it could leave lasting health problems later."
She chattered as she spoke, taking out a pair of warm socks and preparing to put them on Yu Sheng herself.
Yu Sheng felt a bit embarrassed and quickly took them. "Aunt Yang, I'm fine. I can do it myself."
Looking at her pale face, Aunt Yang sighed with both pity and regret. "What a tragedy… such a good child, gone just like that. Young Madam, don't be too sad. You're still young—once you recover, you'll definitely be able to get pregnant again soon."
She kept talking, but Yu Sheng simply put on her socks silently, not taking it to heart.
Aunt Yang had served the old madam for over ten years. After Yu Sheng married Shen Yunmian, the old madam sent her over to help manage things at the old residence. She had helped Yu Sheng quite a bit. Aside from being a bit talkative, she was a good person—reliable and efficient.
Yu Sheng stood up slowly and said softly, "Aunt Yang, is the house ready?"
"It's all ready. I had the cleaners tidy everything inside and out, and even aired out the blankets." After saying that, Aunt Yang carefully looked at her again. "Young Madam, are you really going to live there alone? There's no couple that doesn't argue…"
"Aunt Yang, pack up. Let's go," Yu Sheng interrupted her gently but firmly.
Aunt Yang was tactful and said nothing more. She quickly packed things up, not forgetting to bring a shawl to shield Yu Sheng from the wind.
"Young Madam, wait a moment. I'll call the driver now and have him wait outside the ward building. You absolutely can't catch the wind right now."
Yu Sheng nodded.
Once everything was arranged, she got into the car and returned to her home at Jingshui Bay.
She hadn't lived here for a long time. Stepping inside again, it even felt like a lifetime had passed.
Fortunately, Aunt Yang had indeed cleaned the place thoroughly. There was still the faint fragrance of gardenias in the air—the scent she liked.
Yu Sheng said sincerely, "Thank you, Aunt Yang. You've really cleaned this place well."
"As long as Young Madam likes it. Your body is weak, you should lie down and rest first."
Yu Sheng nodded, and Aunt Yang supported her toward the bedroom.
After lying down, Yu Sheng said, "Aunt Yang, I'm fine now. You should go back to the old residence and get busy. Oh, and don't tell Grandma about this. She's old and can't handle the shock."
Grandma Shen had always treated her very well. In her previous life, she hadn't told her about the child when it was still early. In this life, she wouldn't tell her either—so she wouldn't be saddened. She would treat it as the last bit of filial piety she could offer.
Hearing this, Aunt Yang quickly said, "Don't worry, Young Madam. The old madam doesn't know about this. The eldest young lady said I should stay and take care of you. What would you like to eat? I'll go make it now."
Hearing that, Yu Sheng paused for a moment, then felt relieved.
Shen Yunmian had always been like this—she could handle everything perfectly, leaving no room for criticism, yet she lacked empathy. She knew Yu Sheng was hurting and longing for warmth, but instead of offering even a few gentle words, she only provided meticulous material care.
In her previous life, perhaps Yu Sheng's love and expectations had been worn away little by little in this daily indifference.
Fortunately, now she had no expectations—so she wouldn't be hurt anymore.
She calmly accepted the arrangement, only wanting to recover quickly so she could go see her mother.
Suppressing the soreness in her nose, Yu Sheng said hoarsely, "Aunt Yang, just make something light. Some soup is fine. I don't have much appetite, so I probably won't eat much."
"Alright, you rest first. I'll go make it now."
Aunt Yang responded and briskly went to the kitchen.
Yu Sheng leaned half-reclined on the bed. Having just woken up not long ago, she wasn't sleepy, so she took out her phone out of boredom.
When she saw the lock screen, she instinctively entered her mother's birthday—only for it to show the password was incorrect.
She froze for a moment before realizing that at this time, all her passwords were still set to her wedding anniversary with Shen Yunmian.
When had she changed them?
After thinking for a long time, Yu Sheng finally remembered—it was on her fourth birthday after marriage.
Back then, she had refused Grandma's suggestion to celebrate grandly. Full of anticipation, she waited for Shen Yunmian to come back so they could spend time together alone.
But she waited and waited. Until it was nearly midnight, she stood alone in the living room, watching the candles on the birthday cake slowly burn out… and her heart gradually turned cold.
When Shen Yunmian returned, she was already asleep.
Shen Yunmian gently woke her, apologized for forgetting her birthday, and promised to make it up with a gift.
She had been deeply disappointed, yet still forced a smile and accepted it. But after Shen Yunmian fell asleep, she buried herself under the blanket and cried for a long time.
After her mother passed away, there was no one left in the world to celebrate her birthday with her.
That night, she cried as she changed all her passwords to the date of her mother's death. Later, when Shen Yunmian noticed the change, she had asked why—but Yu Sheng had only smiled without answering.
Thinking back now, Yu Sheng only felt pathetic.
She had been so wronged and upset back then—why did she still pretend to be generous, just to make Shen Yunmian feel better?
She should have argued, should have made a scene, should have gone mad—let Shen Yunmian know her anger and pain—instead of silently swallowing all the bitterness and forcing herself into depression.
She suddenly realized that in her previous life, her desire to die… might also have been related to depression.
After her confinement period, she needed to see a therapist properly.
She wanted to live—live well.
And she also wanted to protect her mother so she could live well too.
In her previous life, her mother had been hit by a drunk driver while out for a walk and died despite rescue efforts.
This time, she would never let anything happen to her again.
Yu Sheng silently made up her mind, then changed all her passwords again—this time to her mother's birthday.
She unlocked her phone. The chat interface showed countless group chats. Pinned at the top were Shen Yunmian, her mother, her grandmother, Shen Xingyao, as well as Shen Xingyao's class groups, socialite groups for maintaining relationships, family groups, and all sorts of messy management groups.
Thinking about how she had been entangled in all these trivial matters in her previous life, Yu Sheng felt a headache coming on.
Scrolling down for a long time, she wasn't surprised to find that she hadn't contacted any friends in ages.
Even with her best friend—Gu Wanqing—the last message was from a week ago.
The last message read that she hurriedly told Wanqing she couldn't chat anymore because she had to tutor Shen Xingyao, who had just started middle school and was struggling to keep up.
After giving her whole heart, she had only raised an ungrateful wretch.
The more she looked, the angrier she became.
In this life, determined not to exhaust herself internally, Yu Sheng hesitated for a second—then left and deleted Shen Xingyao, all her class groups, and even the teachers' contacts.
After another two seconds of hesitation, she exited all those messy management groups and socialite groups as well.
She was done serving them.
After clearing her chat interface, Yu Sheng felt refreshed.
Then she tried sending a meme to Gu Wanqing:
[Peeking crane: what are you doing?]
Gu Wanqing replied instantly, bombarding her with messages:
[Sis, you suddenly came back to life—you scared me!]
[Why didn't you tutor your sister-in-law today?]
[As expected, once you enter marriage, it's like falling into the sea—friends become strangers.]
[Hmph, woman, I've been waiting so long for your attention the flowers have already withered.]
…
As sharp-tongued and sarcastic as ever.
Yet Yu Sheng felt like crying as she read them.
In her lifeless final days in her previous life, Shen Yunmian didn't understand her, still trying to reason with her and have doctors treat her—yet never understanding what she truly wanted.
Only this best friend had tried everything to make her happy, holding her as she cried:
"Shengsheng, please… can you smile?"
"The you who used to bloom like a rose—how did you become like this?"
"Can you divorce Shen Yunmian? I'll take care of you—you'll definitely be happy again."
Later, not wanting to drag her down or make her as gloomy as herself, Yu Sheng had cruelly distanced herself.
Now that she thought about it, she wondered how much it must have hurt Gu Wanqing—they had been best friends.
Seeing no reply for a long time, Gu Wanqing sent several more messages:
[???]
[Sis, where are you?]
[Damn, you really resurrected?!]
Yu Sheng couldn't help but laugh sincerely and quickly replied:
[I'm here. What have you been busy with lately?]
[Why haven't you messaged me?]
As soon as she sent the second message, Gu Wanqing immediately called her via video.
The moment the call connected, Gu Wanqing's tired face appeared on the screen, with dark circles especially noticeable.
When she saw Yu Sheng, she immediately looked shocked.
"Shengsheng, why do you look so pale?" Gu Wanqing asked with concern.
Yu Sheng forced a smile. "It's nothing, just a bit of a cold. I'll be fine after some rest."
"A cold? Who are you trying to fool?"
Clearly not believing her, Gu Wanqing frowned. "Did you argue with Shen Yunmian?"
Yu Sheng shook her head and quickly changed the subject. "Really, it's nothing. Stop guessing. What about you? Why do you look so tired? What have you been busy with?"
Gu Wanqing's expression suddenly turned a bit awkward, hesitating to speak.
Seeing this, Yu Sheng grew more curious. "Come on, just say it. Is there anything we can't talk about?"
After hesitating, Gu Wanqing finally said quietly, "Look at my nickname."
Yu Sheng paused, then clicked on her nickname—
It had been changed to: [Selling myself for support, currently filming adult content]
Yu Sheng burst out laughing. "What are you doing? What kind of ridiculous name is that?"
Gu Wanqing scratched her head awkwardly and explained, "Well… I started a small company with a senior. We're filming short dramas. Funds are a bit tight lately, so I'm trying to raise money."
Yu Sheng immediately became interested and blurted out before she even finished:
"I'll invest in you!"
Clearly not expecting such a direct response, Gu Wanqing was stunned. "You? Why are you suddenly interested in this?"
Yu Sheng shrugged casually. "I'm bored right now and want something to do. Your project sounds interesting—I'm in."
Gu Wanqing laughed at her boldness. "Typical filthy rich person! Capitalist!"
"I'm serious. How much?" Yu Sheng pressed, worried she might feel embarrassed.
Seeing she was serious, Gu Wanqing stopped holding back and said in a more formal tone, "Alright. But even between close friends, accounts should be clear. I'll prepare a proper investment proposal and equity distribution plan—we'll discuss it properly."
Yu Sheng smiled and nodded. "Okay, come find me when it's ready. We'll talk it through."
Just as they were chatting enthusiastically, Yu Sheng's phone suddenly rang.
She looked down—it was Shen Yunmian calling.
What a mood killer.
Yu Sheng didn't want to deal with her and hung up without hesitation.
But just after a few more sentences with Gu Wanqing, Shen Yunmian called again.
She hung up again and continued chatting.
Noticing her expression was off, Gu Wanqing asked what was wrong. Yu Sheng briefly explained.
After hearing it, Gu Wanqing teased, "Sis, you've finally grown a backbone? You never used to dare hang up on Shen Yunmian."
Yu Sheng didn't want to talk about Shen Yunmian. She said lightly, "Forget her. Let's continue talking business."
But just as they were in the middle of their conversation, Aunt Yang suddenly walked in holding a phone.
"Young Madam, it's the eldest young lady calling. Why aren't you answering?"
Yu Sheng replied impatiently, "I'm busy. I'll call her back later—tell her to stop calling."
Aunt Yang was clearly startled by Yu Sheng's attitude. She froze in place, at a loss for what to do.
Yu Sheng ignored her and continued talking with Gu Wanqing about the investment. After about five minutes, Gu Wanqing had something to attend to and reluctantly hung up.
After ending the call, Yu Sheng let out a long breath, feeling much lighter.
She turned her head and only then noticed that Aunt Yang was still standing there, looking at her as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
Yu Sheng asked, puzzled, "Aunt Yang, why are you standing there? Is the food ready?"
Aunt Yang looked at Yu Sheng, feeling overwhelmed by everything she had witnessed today. The usually gentle Young Madam had suddenly spoken so sharply to the eldest young lady. She stammered, "Young Madam, the eldest young lady is worried about you. She asked you to call her back… what do you think?"
Yu Sheng knew Aunt Yang was caught in the middle and found it difficult. She sighed helplessly. "Aunt Yang, go ahead and do your work. I'll call her now."
Aunt Yang could only nod and quietly left.
Once she was gone, Yu Sheng turned over, but still didn't want to call.
She didn't know why—maybe because she had just lost her child, or maybe because of the resentment from her previous life. Right now, she simply didn't want to see Shen Yunmian, she didn't want to hear her voice. Even thinking about her made her unhappy.
So she decided to follow her heart and didn't return the call.
—
At the company, Shen Yunmian sat at her desk, her gaze occasionally drifting toward the phone on the table.
She had already waited for nearly an hour, yet Yu Sheng still hadn't called back.
Shen Yunmian frowned, picked up her phone, and called Aunt Yang again to ask.
On the other end, Aunt Yang hesitated, "Eldest young lady, Young Madam said… she'd call you later. Hasn't she called yet?"
"I understand." Shen Yunmian's voice grew colder, a trace of displeasure rising within her.
After hanging up, she dialed Yu Sheng's number again.
This time, the call finally went through.
"Hello?" Yu Sheng's tone was flat, with a hint of impatience.
Shen Yunmian frowned more deeply. She knew Yu Sheng was unhappy, so she tried to soften her voice. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm fine." Yu Sheng's reply was short and indifferent, as if brushing off a stranger.
Shen Yunmian felt uncomfortable but still patiently asked, "Why didn't you answer my calls?"
Yu Sheng didn't bother pretending anymore. Irritated, she said, "I was in a bad mood. Can't I not answer?"
Shen Yunmian was momentarily speechless. She took a deep breath and softened her tone. "Yu Sheng, I know you've been wronged. When I get home, I'll properly discipline Xingyao and give you an explanation."
"It doesn't matter." Yu Sheng said indifferently. "I'm tired. I need to rest. Let's hang up."
Before Shen Yunmian could say anything else, the line had already gone dead.
She held the phone, stunned, a complicated wave of emotions rising in her heart.
This was the first time Yu Sheng had treated her like this.
The Yu Sheng she knew would never hang up on her directly. No matter what happened, she would always patiently listen until she finished speaking. But this time, Yu Sheng's abnormal attitude made her feel unfamiliar… and even uneasy.
Shen Yunmian put down the phone and leaned back in her chair, her gaze unfocused.
This time, Yu Sheng had indeed suffered greatly. Because of Shen Xingyao's recklessness, she had lost their child.
For her, it was undoubtedly a heavy blow.
Perhaps… she should go back and spend time with her.
After a brief hesitation, Shen Yunmian picked up her phone and called her assistant through the internal line.
"Assistant Lin, make arrangements. Cancel tonight's international video conference. I'm going home."
—
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