Good heavens!
The moment Shen Shuli saw the couple’s faces, she froze on the spot.
She couldn’t help shouting inwardly, “Good heavens!”
How could these two look exactly like her own parents?
No, wait. They looked more than ten years older than her parents.
Their demeanor was completely different too.
Especially the way they were looking at her. Why did their expressions seem so strange…?
She never would have imagined it.
That dog of an author, The Princess on the Run, hadn’t merely stolen the names of her and her family members.
The characters had even been written to look exactly like their real-life counterparts, as though they had simply been copied and pasted from reality.
She had to admit, the author had some skill.
Wait!
Only then did Shen Shuli remember something. She hurriedly turned around and pulled up the hem of her clothes to cover her face.
How could she have forgotten?
This face of hers had long since become completely unrecognizable.
Had she really traveled all the way from Qingzhou with a face this swollen and bruised?
Time seemed to freeze for a moment…
“Miss, were you just asking where Su Wanwan’s home is?”
When Su Yunhai saw her suddenly turn away and hide her face, he realized that the shocked expressions on his and his wife’s faces must have hurt the young woman. He quickly brought up another topic to ease the awkward atmosphere.
“How fortunate. We happen to be Su Wanwan’s parents. Is there something you need to see her about? Why don’t you come home with us and we can talk there?”
Shen Shuli’s ears twitched.
That man’s voice actually sounded exactly like her father’s—so gentle and magnetic, and incredibly pleasant to listen to.
If she didn’t know that these two were merely fictional characters copied and pasted by that dog of an author, she might have mistaken them for her real parents.
Shen Shuli’s nose stung, and at that moment, she missed her parents more than ever.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to her.
Covering her face, she moved a little closer to the two of them and quietly tested them.
“Uncle… may I ask, what class does a mischievous child like the most?”
“Recess!”
Su Yunhai answered without hesitation.
“What kind of person doesn’t need electricity?”
“A Burmese person!”
Shen Yuehua stared intently at the bruised and swollen-faced girl before her and answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Why did your daughter get zero on her third-grade composition?”
“Because I told my daughter I’d take her out for a big meal after the exam, and she was so eager to eat that she handed in a blank paper…”
Shen Yuehua became even more agitated.
“Where do you like to hide your secret savings?”
“In my daughter’s New Year’s money!”
Su Yunhai answered without even thinking.
At that moment, there was no way Shen Shuli could fail to understand.
They really were her parents!
Her parents from the real world!
Choking back a sob, Shen Shuli asked, “Dad, Mom… is it really you?”
Su Yunhai and Shen Yuehua had also realized what was happening. The two of them stared at Shen Shuli with excitement.
“Daughter, is it really you?”
“It’s me!”
Shen Shuli could no longer hold herself back.
She rushed forward, wrapped both arms around her parents’ necks, buried her face against them, and sobbed uncontrollably.
Eight years ago.
During the summer after Shen Shuli was accepted into university, her parents celebrated that they were finally “free” and left her behind to travel through Tibet for their honeymoon.
Who could have imagined that the trip would become a final farewell, leaving no trace of them behind?
For eight years, Shen Shuli had never given up searching for her parents.
After graduating from university, she decisively gave up a high-paying job in a major city and enlisted in the military, coming to the Tibetan region to guard the border.
All because she hoped that one day, she might find even the slightest clue about her parents.
That was why, when she discovered that the dog of an author had used her parents’ names in the novel and had written such vicious things about them, she had been so furious that she couldn’t sleep all night, leaving negative reviews and reporting the book.
She never could have imagined that she would meet her parents here!
Just moments ago, she had been wondering how she should interact with this couple who had exactly the same faces as her parents.
And yet, who could have guessed that these were actually the parents she had spent eight years searching for!
By the Peach Blossom Creek, the water flowed gently.
Shen Yuehua tightly embraced her daughter, whom she had finally found again, tears streaming endlessly down her face.
She was so overwhelmed that she couldn’t utter a single word.
Su Yunhai was still able to remain somewhat rational. He briefly told his daughter everything that had happened over the years.
Shen Shuli had already read the novel, so she had a general understanding of the Su family’s circumstances. With her father’s detailed explanation, everything became even clearer.
When Shen’s father and mother first arrived in this world, they had constantly imitated the original owners’ personalities and behavior.
Only after they had figured out the situation within the family did they gradually begin revealing their own personalities.
By now, the two of them had gradually gained a voice within the Su family.
“Daughter, hurry and tell Mom how you ended up here. And who did this to your face?! Tell Mom, and I’ll get revenge for you!”
Shen Yuehua had finally managed to compose herself and stopped crying. Looking at her daughter’s bruised and swollen face, her heart ached terribly.
Shen Shuli told them everything without holding anything back—how she had crossed into this world, how the Lin family had bullied her, and how they had driven her out of the Lin residence.
The couple were both stunned when they heard everything.
They had never imagined that they themselves had transmigrated into a novel.
And not just any novel, but one specifically written around them by some sinister person lurking among them.
.
Qingzhou.
Near dusk, outside the Lin residence.
To celebrate the return of their true daughter, the Lin family had hosted a lavish banquet at a restaurant after the poetry gathering ended.
Many influential figures from Qingzhou had come after hearing the news, bringing all kinds of congratulatory gifts.
The noon banquet had only just come to an end.
“Wanwan, once we return to the residence, you can choose whichever room you like!”
“You’ve suffered living in the countryside all these years, my poor daughter!”
“Don’t worry. From today onward, you are the eldest young lady of the Lin family. No one will ever dare bully or look down on you again. Your mother will stand up for you in everything!”
“I’ve already sent word to your father. He’ll be back by tomorrow at the latest!”
Madam Lin excitedly held Lin Wanwan’s hand.
During the banquet that afternoon, Lin Wanwan had composed another poem on the spot, dazzling everyone present and bringing immense prestige to the Lin family.
She was countless times better than that impostor!
“That’s right, Wanwan. Our Lin family isn’t merely one of the foremost wealthy clans in Qingzhou. Even throughout the entire Great Yong, we’re among the most prestigious aristocratic families. Tomorrow, I’ll have Qiqi take you around and introduce you to some of the noble young ladies of Qingzhou.”
The second branch’s Madam Sun said with a smile.
“Thank you, Second Aunt!”
Lin Wanwan wore a perfectly measured smile as she respectfully greeted her elder.
The Lin family had three branches.
The eldest branch’s Lin Wufeng was Lin Wanwan’s father and the current head of the Lin family. He controlled the family’s businesses and held the family’s financial power.
With Qingzhou as his base, he commanded countless merchant caravans that traveled far and wide, conducting trade across the various regions.
The second branch’s Lin Wuya, Lin Wanwan’s second uncle, was the current Minister of War. Holding a second-rank official position, he was the highest-ranking official in the Lin family.
Naturally, Lin Wanwan did not dare neglect him. She even affectionately linked arms with Lin Shiqi, the daughter of the second branch’s Madam Sun and her cousin.
“Wanwan.”
At this moment, Madam Wu of the third branch also spoke with a beaming smile.
“Here in Qingzhou, if there’s anyone you don’t like, just tell Third Aunt. Third Aunt will deal with them for you!”
Lin Wuchong, the third branch’s head and Lin Wanwan’s third uncle, was in charge of the Lin family’s underground businesses.
He controlled more than a dozen large-scale brokerage houses and had privately recruited five or six hundred martial artists, along with a group of elite assassins and death warriors.
In Qingzhou, no one dared provoke him.
However, Lin Wanwan’s Third Uncle was a heavy drinker and notorious womanizer. Although he was currently in Qingzhou, no one knew where he had gotten drunk this time, so he had not attended the poetry gathering.
“Thank you, Third Aunt!”
Lin Wanwan likewise returned the courtesy and thanked Madam Wu.
The three branches of the Lin family supported one another like the three legs of a tripod, and every branch was important.
All of these people would become valuable resources for Lin Wanwan in the future. She would not offend any of them and would do everything she could to maintain these relationships.
At the same time, Lin Wanwan understood perfectly well why her Second Aunt, Third Aunt, and even her own mother, Madam Lin, were willing to treat her, a young woman, with such warmth.
The fundamental reason was that they wanted to use her to form a marriage alliance with the imperial family!
After all, Second Aunt’s daughter, Lin Shiqi, could barely even write properly, let alone compose poetry or paint.
As for Third Aunt, she did have a pair of twin daughters, but unfortunately, they were still too young.
They were far too young compared with the prince secretly allied with the Lin family.
The women of the Lin family all wore knowing smiles, their faces filled with warmth and affection as they entered the Lin residence surrounded by servants.
However—
Everyone among the women except Lin Wanwan was utterly stunned by what they saw!
Originally, directly behind the main gate of the Lin residence stood a decorative screen carved with the image of an eagle spreading its wings.
But now, forget the eagle spreading its wings—the entire screen was gone!
Even the exquisitely carved bluestone paving stones on the ground had disappeared, replaced by nothing but a flat dirt road!
The carefully arranged precious flowers, plants, rockeries, pavilions, and everything else in the courtyard…
All gone!
Even the beautifully carved beams, painted rafters, roof tiles, and upturned eaves were completely gone.
Not even a single piece of timber had been left behind!
At this moment, whether it was Madam Lin, Second Madam Sun, or Third Madam Wu, all of their expressions changed.
They were completely incredulous!
The prestigious Lin family of Qingzhou…
Had actually been robbed!
And yet—
Lin Wanwan, who knew nothing about what had happened, looked at the bare ground beyond the gate and the dirt road beneath her feet.
Wanting to strengthen her relationships with the others, she merely smiled faintly.
“Upon entering, empty corridors greet the eye; fertile earth welcomes wild weeds. Looking up at the heavens, I laugh aloud as I sit; I drink with those who are no common fools.”
“Mother, our Lin family truly deserves its reputation as the number-one prestigious clan in Qingzhou. Even our residence is so fresh, unconventional, and utterly unique!”