Shen Zhi had no idea that a special organization dedicated to eavesdropping on her inner thoughts had already been established in the study downstairs.
Right now, she was standing at the entrance of her walk-in closet.
Hands pressed together.
Expression devout.
Like a poor believer finally coming face to face with the god of money itself.
"Aunt Lin."
Her voice wavered.
"These… are all mine?"
Aunt Lin nodded with a smile.
"Yes, Miss. This side is the current season's clothes, that side is the gown section, and the bags and jewelry are in a separate area inside."
Shen Zhi slowly turned her head.
The walk-in closet was big enough to run an 800-meter race in.
Rows of haute couture gowns hung neatly in order.
The bag cabinet was filled with brands she had only ever seen in magazines and short videos in her past life.
When the jewelry cabinet lights came on, the diamonds sparkled so brightly she nearly went blind on the spot.
Shen Zhi gripped the doorframe.
[Calm down.]
[Shen Zhi, calm down.]
[You are no longer a corporate slave who's never seen the world.]
[You are now the fake heiress of a wealthy family.]
Three seconds later.
She screamed like a groundhog in her head.
[AHHHHH LONG LIVE WEALTHY FAMILIES!]
[What kind of heavenly life do rich people lead?!]
[This isn't a walk-in closet, this is my mental health rehabilitation center!]
Seeing her expression change constantly, Aunt Lin asked with concern, "Miss, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Shen Zhi immediately straightened her back.
"No, I'm fine."
Her face was serious.
"I just suddenly felt the beauty of life."
Aunt Lin: "…"
Shen Zhi walked into the closet and inspected her bags like an emperor touring his kingdom.
This bag.
Could cover two years of her past life's rent.
This dress.
Could buy back half her past life's life.
This diamond necklace.
Very good.
It could even buy the past-life version of her entirely.
The more Shen Zhi looked, the more moved she became.
She almost knelt down and kowtowed to the original owner.
Even though the original owner was a vicious female supporting character, an expert at courting disaster.
But she was rich.
On that point alone, she deserved three minutes of Shen Zhi's temporary forgiveness.
Aunt Lin helped her open a drawer nearby.
"Miss, these are the jewelry you usually wear."
Shen Zhi looked down.
A whole drawer of jewels.
Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, brooches.
Arranged like a department store counter having a no-holds-barred clearance sale.
She reached out and picked up a gold bracelet, heavy in her hand.
Shen Zhi's eyes instantly lit up.
[Gold!]
[This stuff is great!]
[It doesn't discriminate between buyers, doesn't require reading anyone's face, and in critical moments it's far more reliable than men.]
[Essential hard currency for running away. I recommend classifying it as a level-one strategic reserve.]
She solemnly put the gold bracelet back.
Then she touched the jade bangle next to it.
[This one's not bad either.]
[Looks expensive just sitting there.]
[If I really do get kicked out of the Shen family someday, selling one of these would keep me going for half a year.]
Aunt Lin only saw Shen Zhi deep in thought before the jewelry cabinet.
She assumed she was seriously considering an outfit.
"Miss, which set would you like to wear today?"
Shen Zhi was silent for two seconds.
"They're all nice."
Mainly, she wanted to sell them all.
But she couldn't show it now.
Too obvious.
She was going to make an elegant escape, not rob the house in the middle of the night.
Shen Zhi sent Aunt Lin off to her other duties, closed the closet door, and quickly took out her phone.
Notes app.
New file.
Title—
"Shen Zhi's Escape Fund Plan."
She thought about it, then felt it wasn't rigorous enough.
Deleted.
Retyped.
"Ms. Shen Zhi's Long-Term Plan for Wealthy Family Survival and Secure Asset Transfer, Version 1.0."
Very good.
Professional.
It had the flavor of a big corporation project report.
Shen Zhi sat cross-legged on the carpet and began typing seriously.
Item one: Cash.
The more, the better.
Ideally stored in scattered places to avoid being frozen.
Second item: gold and jewelry.
Prioritize pieces that are inconspicuous, easy to carry, and hold their value well.
Third item: bank cards.
Check the limits, and figure out which ones are Shen family supplementary cards and which are the original owner's personal assets.
Don't touch the supplementary cards too hard.
After all, getting a card frozen means instant bankruptcy.
Fourth item: real estate.
If the original owner has property in her name, make sure to confirm the ownership.
Rent it out if possible.
Sell it if possible…
Shen Zhi's fingers paused.
[Never mind, selling a house is too conspicuous.]
[The overbearing CEO big brother would easily notice.]
[His gaze is like a corporate audit—if I overspend by five yuan, he'd probably find out.]
She kept writing.
Fifth item: passport.
Must find it.
Sixth item: backup identity.
This one is rather difficult for now.
But she could prepare low-key outfits, cash, an old phone, and a SIM card first.
Seventh item: escape destination.
Far away from the male lead.
Far away from the real daughter of a wealthy family.
Far away from the core zone of the Shen family storyline.
Ideally, a small city with nice scenery, low cost of living, and no one who knows her.
Open a bubble tea shop.
No, a bubble tea shop is still too tiring.
Open a flower shop?
Also tiring.
Then just buy a small house and be a landlady.
At this thought, Shen Zhi narrowed her eyes happily.
[Once the real daughter comes back, I'll take the money and scram, absolutely staying out of everyone's sight.]
[The Shen family raised me all these years, and the original owner acted so spoiled and outrageous—I'd be embarrassed to keep freeloading.]
[When the time comes, I'll step aside voluntarily, disappear voluntarily—my whole thing will be being so sensible that everyone cries.]
At the bedroom door.
Mother Shen, carrying a dessert, suddenly froze.
The porcelain plate lightly touched the edge of the tray, making a faint sound.
Standing outside the door, her eyes reddened instantly.
Zhizhi was thinking of leaving again.
She'd even figured out how to "stay out of everyone's sight."
Mother Shen took a deep breath, suppressing the ache in her chest, and raised her hand to knock.
"Zhizhi?"
Shen Zhi was so startled she nearly threw her phone.
She scrambled out of the notes app and shoved the phone under a throw pillow.
"Mom?"
"Come in."
By the time Mother Shen pushed the door open, her face had already returned to gentleness.
Carrying a bowl of mango sago, she walked over with a smile.
"You barely ate any breakfast, so I brought you something sweet."
Shen Zhi's eyes lit up.
"Thank you, Mom."
She reached out to take the bowl, silently marveling inside.
[Boohoo, wealthy family moms are so gentle.]
[No wonder the original owner acted up so much and never got thrown out immediately.]
[What a pity—this gentle mom is about to welcome back her real daughter soon.]
[I, the fake, had better make room sooner rather than later.]
Mother Shen's fingertips trembled slightly.
She almost couldn't keep her smile.
Fake.
Make room.
These words pricked her heart like tiny needles, dense and countless.
She looked at the girl before her.
Shen Zhi was eating the dessert with her head down, her eyes curving slightly when she got to the mango, like a little cat that had finally stolen a bit of sugar.
All these years, she had never known.
That this child felt so insecure deep down.
Mother Shen sat down beside her and gently stroked her head.
Shen Zhi stiffened.
She looked up, a little dazed.
"Mom?"
Mother Shen's voice was very soft.
"It's nothing."
"I just think our Zhizhi is being very good today."
Shen Zhi blinked.
Being petted made her a bit uncomfortable, yet also brought an indescribable ache.
In her past life, her parents had died early.
Afterward, she studied alone, worked alone, moved alone, got sick alone.
It had been a long time since anyone had stroked her head like this.
She lowered her head and poked at the little rice balls in her bowl.
"I'll be even better behaved from now on."
[Just don't send me away too early.]
[Once I've saved up enough of an escape fund, I promise I'll exit quietly.]
[No fussing, no drama, no clinging—I'll never make Mom's life difficult.]
Mother Shen's eyes were completely wet with tears.
Afraid that Shen Zhi might see, she quickly turned her head away, pretending to look at the walk-in closet.
"Would you like to go out for a stroll today?"
Shen Zhi instantly went on high alert.
Go out?
What if she ran into plot characters?
What if she bumped into the male lead?
What if she triggered the Shura Field of the real and fake heiresses ahead of schedule?
She thought about it seriously for three seconds, then firmly shook her head.
"I want to rest at home today."
[It's too dangerous out there.]
[The Shen household is safer.]
[At least they haven't gone bankrupt yet.]
Mother Shen: "…"
She didn't know whether to feel heartbroken or laugh.
She said softly, "All right, rest at home then."
"If there's anything you want, just tell Mom."
Shen Zhi nodded obediently.
"Mm-hm."
[I want cash.]
[I want gold.]
[I want a little house that no one knows about.]
[But I can't say that.]
[I'd sound like a scammer.]
Mother Shen nearly burst out laughing.
But the moment the smile surfaced, it was crushed back down by a wave of bitterness.
She didn't ask any further—she just stroked Shen Zhi's head again.
"Take your time eating. I'll leave you be for now."
Shen Zhi held her dessert and waved her hand sweetly.
"Bye-bye, Mom."
Mother Shen walked out of the bedroom and gently closed the door behind her.
The instant the door shut, the smile on her face finally collapsed.
She stood in the hallway, tears falling silently.
Half an hour later.
Mother Shen returned to her own room.
Father Shen was standing by the window on a phone call; the moment he saw her come in, he hung up immediately.
"What's wrong?"
Mother Shen lifted her eyes, her voice low and hoarse.
"We can't let Zhizhi leave."