After quitting her job at the internet cafe, Sang Yu gathered her belongings and prepared to head home.
Just as she stepped out, she spotted a luxury car that seemed completely out of place parked at the entrance. The door opened, and Shen Mother stepped out with elegant grace, followed closely by Father Shen.
Shen Mother was adorned with jewels and looked utterly mismatched with the surroundings. Father Shen, dressed like a business elite, cast a disdainful glance around as if their presence here was beneath them.
Shortly after, another car pulled up, and Jiang Yi got out, standing beside Father and Mother Shen.
Sang Yu found the scene somewhat amusing and had no intention of engaging with them, but the trio had already noticed her.
Shen Mother frowned, her expression full of disappointment. “Xiao Yu, how could you sink to this level? Instead of focusing on your studies, you’re wasting your time in a place like this!”
Her voice was raised, as if she wanted everyone around to hear.
Father Shen, his face stern as usual, spoke with an authoritative tone. “Sang Yu, come home with us immediately. Your sister is still in the hospital, and you have the nerve to fool around!”
Sang Yu stopped in her tracks, looking at the couple who pretended to care for her but were actually full of accusations. She smiled innocently and retorted, “That’s quite interesting, Mom and Dad. It’s not like I had anything to do with Shen Yanyan being in the hospital. With your tone, anyone would think I did something wrong.”
Watching the change in their expressions, Sang Yu quickly lost interest. Ignoring the group’s reactions, she turned and walked away.
Shen Mother was so furious she nearly choked on her breath.
The once obedient and gentle Sang Yu now seemed to speak with nothing but barbs.
“It’s just not right! Yanyan knows how to care for me and show concern, but my own biological daughter treats me with indifference and coldness. What kind of logic is that?” she cried, burying her face in Father Shen’s chest as if she had suffered a grave injustice.
Jiang Yi watched the direction Sang Yu had left, his eyes filled with complexity.
The scene from the hospital that day was still vivid in his mind, and just now, Sang Yu’s gaze had never once landed on him. It left him with a sense of neglected anger and an emptiness, as if he had lost something important.
When Sang Yu arrived home, she found that the items she had ordered had already been delivered.
Remembering what she had seen a few days ago, her irritation faded, replaced by the playful cunning of a girl her age.
She carried the package inside, placed her keys in the entryway, and returned to her bedroom to unwrap it. Inside was a white, low-cut camisole dress and a pair of shorts that reached mid-thigh.
Sang Yu changed into the new clothes. Her already fair skin seemed to glow under the fabric.
She glanced at herself in the mirror, a slight curve forming at the corner of her lips.
This must be what they call the “pure and seductive” style, she thought.
Sang Yu opened her phone’s camera, adjusted her pose, and took a photo. She then opened her chat with Huo Yan and sent the picture.
Timing it carefully, she quickly withdrew the photo just before two minutes passed, deliberately sending a voice message instead: “Sorry, Yan Ge, I sent it to the wrong person.”
Sang Yu wasn’t sure if Huo Yan was online, but after withdrawing the photo, she noticed the chat box continuously showed “typing…” though no message came through.
Having achieved her goal, Sang Yu set her phone aside without a second thought, paying no further attention to the person on the other end.
Meanwhile,
Huo Yan’s phone screen remained on the message interface, his eyes darkening slightly. His sharp, thin lips pressed tightly together as his bony, formidable fingers hovered over the text box before finally moving away.
Sang Yu’s face flickered persistently in his mind.
His breathing grew heavier as unfamiliar emotions surged uncontrollably within him.
Setting the phone aside, Huo Yan rose with darkened eyes and strode decisively toward the bathroom.