Looking at Su You’s slightly reddened eyes, Shen Qinghuan suddenly felt a pang in her heart.
Just how awful had the original owner been, that this softest-hearted best friend had been forced to come see her in this way?
And how good a friend was Su You, that even after that humiliating, childish falling-out, she still couldn’t stop worrying about the original owner and drove over herself?
Tianshi Chulian had used a few extra chapters to describe what happened after the villainous supporting female lead Shen Qinghuan’s death, as a contrast to the female lead Bai Anqi’s happy ending.
After the original owner passed away, only Su You and a few other close friends would leave a bouquet of flowers at her gravestone on the anniversary of her death.
Shen Qinghuan took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Youyou, I’m sorry.”
Su You froze, the sarcastic words stuck in her throat as if something were blocking them.
Shen Qinghuan didn’t give her time to react, continuing on, her voice soft but earnest.
“I was stupid before. I let Lin Chen’s words brainwash me. He said you were all materialistic, snobbish, looked down on him—and I believed him. I still remember the things I said to insult you.”
“You said friendship was worthless. I said none of you deserved to be my friends.”
Su You finished the sentence for her, her voice stiff, but her eyes reddening even more.
Shen Qinghuan lowered her head and was silent for two seconds.
“Yes. I said those things, and I own up to it. Back then I was like I was possessed—I thought Lin Chen was the only one who was good to me, and that all of you were trying to hurt me.”
Su You snorted. “Oh, so you actually know that!”
“But Youyou, I’ve woken up now.” Shen Qinghuan raised her head and looked Su You in the eyes, enunciating every word.
Shen Qinghuan thought, I can’t replace the original owner, but at the very least, I owe Su You an apology:
“I’m not asking you to forgive me. If I’d heard those words said to me, I wouldn’t forgive them either. But I want you to know that I’m truly sorry for how I treated you all before.”
Su You bit her lip and turned her face away, her shoulders trembling slightly.
After a long while, she turned back, her voice cold and hoarse:
“Whoever you are, get off Shen Qinghuan first! This sudden change of heart of yours—it’s like you’re a ghost possessing her body.”
Shen Qinghuan nearly choked on those words.
In a sense, Su You had actually hit the mark.
She coughed and nodded seriously. “Pretty much, yeah. Right now… I’m Shen Qinghuan, reborn.”
Being able to live a while longer, she was already more than content. If the original owner ever came back, she would never stand in her way.
Su You stared at Shen Qinghuan for a few seconds, as if checking whether she’d gone mad.
Then she gave a heavy snort, pushed past Shen Qinghuan, turned around, and yanked open the car door.
“Get in. Don’t stand in the middle of the road embarrassing yourself.”
Shen Qinghuan stayed where she was and asked tentatively, “You’re not mad at me anymore?”
Su You climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. The window rolled down, revealing a face that was both angry and aggrieved.
“Who said I’m not mad? I’m still furious. Let me tell you, Shen Qinghuan—I don’t believe a single word of what you said today.”
“You said all this last time too, then turned around and ran back to fawn over that Lin Chen. If I believe you again, I’m a dog.”
Shen Qinghuan walked around to the passenger side at her words, opened the door, and got in.
She fastened her seatbelt and turned to look at Su You, a little confused:
“This time I’ll prove it to you! But—what are we going to do now?”
Su You started the car, keeping her eyes straight ahead, but her mouth didn’t stop:
“Prove what? Who asked you to prove anything? You think I came here to make up with you?”
“I was just passing by and stopped to see if you were dead. If not, whatever. If you are, I’ll set off firecrackers.”
“I happen to be hungry right now and was going to find a Michelin restaurant for dinner. Since I don’t have a servant with me, I’ll reluctantly bring you along.”
Shen Qinghuan couldn’t help but smile.
That stubborn, sharp-tongued attitude was exactly the same as in the original owner’s memories.
The car pulled out of the school gate and turned onto the main road.
Su You gripped the steering wheel, silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, her voice dropping:
“You… are you really done with that Lin Chen?”
Shen Qinghuan nodded. “Completely cut off.”
“No regrets?”
“What’s there to regret?” Shen Qinghuan leaned back in her seat, her tone flat. “Someone who only leeches off me and stirs up cyberbullying campaigns against me—should I keep him around for New Year’s?”
Su You’s lips twitched, as if she wanted to laugh, but she forcibly held it back.
“So what are you planning to do next? Your parents…”
She paused, not finishing the sentence.
Shen Qinghuan knew what she wanted to say.
The original owner had hurt her family too deeply. It wasn’t something a single “I’ve come to my senses” could smooth over.
“I’ll take it slow,” Shen Qinghuan said. “First I’ll get my own affairs in order, then go find them.”
Su You snorted. “You’d better have really thought this through. Don’t go crazy again later—I’m not playing along a second time.”
Shen Qinghuan turned her head to look at her. “Youyou, thank you for coming to see me.”
Su You’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“I told you not to call me Youyou anymore. It’s disgusting.”
As the car passed Jingda’s cafeteria, Shen Qinghuan suddenly got an idea and said:
“Youyou, can you stop the car here? I’ll treat you to the best ice cream cone at our school—you can even pick your own flavor!”
Su You felt a pang in her heart, and her eyes nearly reddened again.
Damn it. The eldest daughter of the Shen family, who once commanded the winds and rains and was showered with every luxury, now not only had no servants waiting on her at mealtimes—she had to go buy food at the cafeteria herself.
She stomped on the gas. “Shen Qinghuan, exactly how desperate for money are you right now?”
“Huh? I’m not short on money.” Shen Qinghuan was confused, thinking Su You was just worrying too much.
Her tone lifted, light and easy. “I still have… probably a few hundred thousand in my account!”
Hearing this, Su You felt even worse. “A few hundred thousand? My god, if I hadn’t come, you wouldn’t have survived even a single day!”
Shen Qinghuan: “…”
She pressed down on Su You’s hand, which was already about to transfer money to her on the spot.
With her hand pinned, Su You glared at her but didn’t insist on the transfer.
The car started up again and turned onto the elevated highway.
Shen Qinghuan looked at the streetscape outside the window and suddenly recognized this road.
It was the way to that Michelin restaurant. The five girls of her friend group used to come here often, just to keep her company.
In the original owner’s memories, this restaurant didn’t accept walk-ins—it only served regulars with reservations.
Su You pulled the car into a private garage, killed the engine, and unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Get out. Eat first. After that, we’ll deal with all your problems.”
Shen Qinghuan followed her out of the car, and an image suddenly flashed through her mind.
Lin Chen had been here before.
The original owner had once excitedly brought Lin Chen here, wanting to show him the place where she usually dined with her girlfriends.
But Lin Chen had walked around once and said only one thing: “All show and no substance. What’s so great about a place like this?”
The original owner never came again.
Shen Qinghuan gave a slight shake of her head, pushing that memory away.
The two of them walked into the restaurant, where a waiter in a black vest came to greet them, pausing for a moment in surprise.
“Miss Su, Shen… Miss Shen?”
The waiter’s gaze lingered on Shen Qinghuan for an instant, a flicker of astonishment passing through his eyes before his professional smile returned.
It had been a long time since he’d last seen the eldest daughter of the Shen family.
In the past, she always arrived surrounded by a group of girls, her smile bold and radiant. Then suddenly she stopped coming, and word spread through their circle that she had cut ties with her family.