Chapter 57.2

After speaking, Xia Shutong closed her eyes and quickly fell into a dream.

…

Xia Shutong had a very long, fragmented dream.

She dreamt of forgotten times.

At nineteen years old, in the summer.

Xia Shutong was on a plane for the first time, her ears were ringing unbearably, but she didn’t dare to utter a word to the elderly man beside her.

The man introduced himself as Xia Cha, her Grandfather.

As for her, she was the long-lost heiress of the Xia Family. She wasn’t Xia Ruan, but Xia Shutong.

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Only then did Old Master Xia shift his gaze away, satisfied.

Soon, the car drove into the Xia Family’s Villa.

Xia Shutong had acted in many dramas with Yun Feiwu and had seen many luxurious houses, but when she entered the Xia Family estate, she was still astounded by its decor.

When she was a child, she had always lived in a shabby house in Yun City. Even when she moved into the Starlight dormitory with Yun Feiwu, the conditions weren’t much better. Xia Shutong simply couldn’t believe that from today onwards, she would be living in this mansion.

“It would be nice if Maomao were here too,” Xia Shutong bit her lip. She dismissed the thought quickly and wiped the corner of her eyes stealthily.

The villa was sparsely populated. First, there was a man in his forties with a distracted look that made Xia Shutong feel uncomfortable. Then, there was the woman next to him, also in her forties. She had almond-shaped eyes and was dressed in luxurious clothing. However, her face was terribly pale, and she stared at Xia Shutong as if she was on the verge of tears. In the corner, a girl, roughly the same age as Xia Shutong, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

Despite there being only five people in the room, the table was set with an extravagant banquet. A large, delicate cake was placed right in the center.

Xia Shutong stared blankly at the table. Before she could react, the middle-aged woman rushed towards her, embraced her, and began crying mournfully, “Tong Tong… It’s mom… mom’s sorry…”

The voice was very unfamiliar.

Fear caused Xia Shutong to tremble uncontrollably.

However, the woman didn’t seem to notice Xia Shutong’s state of mind. She held Xia Shutong tightly, sobbing on her shoulder.

Xia Shutong could feel the warm tears dropping on her shoulder, soaking her clothes. The woman’s sadness seemed to transfer to Xia Shutong through her tears.

Instinctively, she raised her arms and gently hugged the woman back.

The woman was very thin, even thinner than a cat. Xia Shutong was afraid that she looked sick and that she might leave at any moment.

She remembered Wang Xiaoning, who had died in bed and lowered her head to let her own tears flow.

A touching reunion of mother and daughter played out.

Later, Xia Shutong found out that the woman was her biological mother, Zhang Yirou. The man was her father, Xia Hongtao, and the girl was her sister, Xia Hongye.

Except for Zhang Yirou, it seemed like no one was willing to show her any warmth.

For a long time, Xia Shutong stayed with Zhang Yirou. They lived together in the city of Haicheng, only occasionally returning to the old house.

Zhang Yirou was like Wang Xiaoning, loving her, caring for her, teaching her a lot of things. But unlike Wang Xiaoning, Zhang Yirou’s love was deeper. She kept her by her side at all times, as if afraid she would disappear again.

When Xia Shutong was young, Wang Xiaoning taught her life skills and principles of dealing with people. On the other hand, Zhang Yirou taught her knowledge, learning, and business. Zhang Yirou, as if afraid that she wouldn’t have enough time, dragged her frail body every day to pour all she knew into Xia Shutong’s mind.

Xia Shutong couldn’t clearly define her feelings for Zhang Yirou. Gratitude? Dependence? After returning to the Xia family, Zhang Yirou became the person she was closest to.

Yet, after just a year, Zhang Yirou was gone.

On the day of the cremation, Xia Shutong stood outside the glass window of the crematorium, watching from afar as Zhang Yirou’s coffin was sent into the furnace. When it came out, it would be just ashes.

Tears naturally welled up in Xia Shutong’s eyes. She wanted to cry, but the sharp gaze of Old Master Xia beside her held her back. She lowered her head, her eyes almost bursting with suppressed emotion, yet she did not shed a tear.

For the next two years, she lived with Old Master Xia in the Xia Family’s Old Mansion. Life at Old Master Xia’s side was tough. Previously, Xia Shutong could find a gap every two or three weeks to secretly write letters to Yun Feiwu. Now, to avoid Old Master Xia, she often went for months without writing or even reading the letters Yun Feiwu sent to her.

Moreover, Xia Shutong was always afraid of Old Master Xia. He was ruthless, cold-blooded, and shrewd, the kind of person who naturally instilled fear in others. Xia Shutong was deeply afraid of him, but she had to admit, she learned a lot from him. Gradually, she began to emulate him, at least superficially, becoming more and more like Old Master Xia.

After many tear-filled moments, Xia Shutong clarified her ambitions and became more determined to pursue them. She yearned for power, money, authority, and the ability to instill fear in everyone.

With this mindset, at the age of twenty-two, Xia Shutong successfully took over Wutong and ousted Xia Hongye from the company. For an extended period, Xia Shutong was almost obsessively focused, bordering on insanity. She was no longer afraid and cared little about the feelings of those around her, even her own. The only thing she cared about was that girl, Yun Feiwu, far away in Yun City.

Then, one day in July, a few days before Xia Shutong’s birthday, Maomao unexpectedly arrived at Wutong from Yun City. It had been three years since they last saw each other, and Yun Feiwu had changed significantly. She was more beautiful, more dazzling, with a steady light shining in her grey eyes. She had transformed from a little girl into a stunning young woman.

She was even slightly taller than Xia Shutong now.

Upon seeing Yun Feiwu from afar, Xia Shutong had the urge to rush over and embrace her. But she quickly dismissed the idea. She couldn’t get close to Maomao, she couldn’t draw attention to her. She had to protect her. Xia Shutong herself was already struggling, and she absolutely couldn’t drag Yun Feiwu into her mess.

So, Xia Shutong suppressed her emotions, feigned indifference, and led Yun Feiwu into a small alley next to the company where there were no surveillance cameras. The bodyguards immediately took their positions outside.

“Ruan Ruan!” The steadiness in Yun Feiwu’s eyes disappeared, replaced by the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

However, Xia Shutong just lifted her chin, her attitude nonchalant. “Why are you here?” she asked.

She remembered that Yun Feiwu had mentioned in her letter that Xinghui was moving to Haicheng, but that was supposed to happen next month. Yun Feiwu had come too early.

“Your birthday is coming up… I… I just wanted to see you…” Yun Feiwu noticed her unusual demeanor and her voice grew weaker. “Ruan Ruan, don’t worry. I came alone, without letting anyone in the company know. No one knows.”

Alone? She had traveled all the way from Yun City? That was a journey spanning a thousand miles.

A pang of pain flashed through Xia Shutong’s heart.

“On the surface, she just gave a nonchalant ‘tsk,’ her expression playful.

Yun Feiwu’s hopeful and pitiful smile froze on the spot, a watery sheen welling up in her eyes.

Xia Shutong took out a set of keys from her pocket and tossed them to Yun Feiwu. She then gave an address, saying, “Wait for me at home. I’ll finish work around six, and then I’ll come to take you to dinner.”

Yun Feiwu gripped the keys tightly, her grey eyes misty. Her lip was bitten, looking as though she could burst into tears at any moment.

Xia Shutong was greatly distressed, her voice finally softening. “Be good.”

Afterward, although Xia Shutong did return to the company, she couldn’t concentrate at all. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see Yun Feiwu’s pitiful look. Her heart ached like it was being cut by a knife.

Even though she had ordered her bodyguard to keep an eye on Yun Feiwu, she still felt uneasy. After losing her focus countless times, Xia Shutong finally threw aside her reports and left work early, which was unlike her.

In order to avoid arousing suspicion, Xia Shutong didn’t go directly home. Instead, she went to Tianjun to hang out, under the guise of learning from her father. Only when Xia Hongtao couldn’t bear it any longer and clearly wanted her to leave, did she drive home.

Xia Shutong wasn’t a good cook. The nanny she hired was mainly responsible for cleaning and rarely stayed to cook. So most of the time, Xia Shutong ate at the company.

Today, she brought Yun Feiwu with her and obviously couldn’t go to the company. So Xia Shutong was in a dilemma for a while but eventually, she took her to a private restaurant.

During the meal, Yun Feiwu kept her head down, occasionally looking at her, her eyes timid. Yun Feiwu didn’t say a word, and Xia Shutong didn’t initiate any conversation either. In this way, they silently finished a meal.

After returning home, Xia Shutong settled Yun Feiwu in the guest room, while she was lost in thought on her own bed. She remembered the way Yun Feiwu looked at her. It made her heart ache terribly. But reason told her that this was for the best. She shouldn’t have too much contact with Yun Feiwu. She had made many enemies over the years, and there would only be more in the future.

All she needed to do was protect Yun Feiwu from the shadows. Her Maomao was the sun in the sky. How could he be with her, a person who was struggling in the mud, obsessed and crazy?

But in the middle of the night, Yun Feiwu suddenly knocked on Xia Shutong’s door.

“Open the door.”

Yun Feiwu stood at the door in her nightgown, large patches of her fair skin exposed, which made Xia Shutong inexplicably itchy.

“Ruan Ruan, I’m scared to sleep alone. Can I sleep with you?” Yun Feiwu looked up, her expression timid. Her voice was almost tearful as she said these words.”