Back then, she had nowhere to go except the Rong family, and Rong Shuhua would not allow her to leave. It was not because she loved her, but because she wanted to vent her anger on her. Only after Shen Chuhe had suffered endless torment, lost everything, and become hated and cursed by everyone was she finally driven out of the Rong family.
So in this life, she might as well take the initiative and leave. If she could use this opportunity to break free from the Rong family, there was nothing wrong with that.
More importantly, leaving the Rong family was the first step toward getting away from Rong Yuchuan.
In this life, she would never love Rong Yuchuan again!
She absolutely could not repeat the tragedy of her previous life!
Therefore, she simply admitted to the kidnapping.
The Old Master had always been somewhat fond of her. In her previous life, it was because he protected her that she was able to recover from her injuries, and the matter eventually came to nothing.
Even if she admitted to it, the Old Master would never send her to prison.
That was where Shen Chuhe’s confidence came from.
Rong Yuchuan listened, and at the end, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
It did not look like a smile, but rather as though it carried a hint of anger.
So she admitted it?
The woman who usually endured all the mockery and insults without ever talking back had endured for so many years, and was finally showing her claws?
“Drive you out of the Rong family? The Rong family has raised you for nearly twenty years. Now that we’ve raised you to adulthood, you want to run away? Do you really think it will be that easy?”
Rong Shuhua immediately scolded her, looking at her coldly.
Shen Chuhe lowered her head. Of everyone here, this was the only person toward whom she had always harbored complicated feelings, both in her previous life and now.
Rong Shuhua hated her deeply, but when she had been her mother, she had once given Shen Chuhe genuine affection and care.
“But since you admit to the kidnapping, then we’ll let the law handle it. If you’ve done something wrong, you have to pay the price.”
A trace of ruthlessness flashed across Rong Shuhua’s face. Standing beside her was Shen Chuhe’s father, Shen Yi.
A hypocritical, selfish man.
At this moment, he did not even dare to say a word.
“Enough.”
The Old Master spoke.
“Since no one was seriously harmed, and He Ya saved Lao Si’s life while Si Ya is alive and well, let’s put this matter aside for now and let everyone recover from their injuries. The younger generation of the Rong family is secretly scheming against one another like this. Would it be something to be proud of if word got out? Lao Si, what do you think?”
Lao Si.
Rong Yuchuan.
He was the fourth son of the Rong family.
“Let’s do as Father says.”
That voice seemed to be carved into the depths of Shen Chuhe’s soul.
Even after being given another chance at life, hearing it again still sent a faint shiver through her scalp.
She could not help turning her gaze toward him.
Coincidentally, Rong Yuchuan was also staring directly at her, his eyes carrying an unusually profound meaning.
She looked away and lowered her head, afraid that some of her emotions might escape through her eyes. Having been given another chance at life, she still could not completely remain indifferent.
She remembered that in her previous life, he had given Grandpa the exact same answer.
But in private, he had punished her severely.
Rong Yuchuan was the man who would eventually become the true head of the Rong family. In the eyes of everyone else in the family, his words were absolute and could not be questioned.
Even the Old Master had to consider his opinion carefully.
That was also why she had chosen this man as her “protective shield” back then.
She had been eighteen that year when she first met this so-called “Little Uncle” who had returned from abroad.
She had been completely cornered with nowhere else to turn, so she had set her sights on him.
She had not misjudged him.
What happened afterward proved that he was the only person who could protect her at the time.
But he truly did not like her back then.
Instead, he showed some favor toward Rong Jiasi, his actual niece.
Blood ties really were powerful.
So she had used some unconventional methods and climbed into his bed.
At first, she had been afraid of him, but later she became more and more deeply entangled with him. As for him, he had hated her intensely from the very beginning.
Looking back now, she really had been wrong to provoke him.
Rong Yuchuan’s next words further confirmed Shen Chuhe’s thoughts.
“But Big Sister is right. A girl the Rong family has spoiled for twenty years isn’t going to have an easy time trying to run away.”
The Rong family’s influence in Beicheng was so immense that it would not be an exaggeration to say they could turn the tide with the wave of a hand.
For the time being, she really could not escape.
Shen Chuhe had not expected that breaking away from the Rong family would truly be so difficult.
She was far too weak right now. Anyone could crush her with ease, so she simply kept her mouth shut and behaved just as she had in her previous life, refusing to struggle or resist in front of them.
Seeing that there was no more drama to watch, everyone began clamoring to leave.
Rong Yuchuan was the first to go.
Before leaving, Second Aunt’s youngest son frowned and poked his mother in the waist.
“Mom, don’t you think Shen Chuhe seems a little different today?”
The second Aunt glared at her son and scolded him. “What’s different about her? Stop talking nonsense!”
Rong Shuhua gave Shen Chuhe a fierce glare before leaving.
The Old Master was the last to go.
For some reason, he suddenly turned back.
“He Ya, I’m protecting you because I know you don’t have the courage or the brains to do something like this. But there are some people you must never dream of having. Do you understand?”
This girl was timid and weak, but she had a kind heart and valued loyalty and affection.
He had never been wrong about people, and that was also why he had allowed this girl to remain in the Rong family for so many years.
But… what had just happened between her and Lao Si…
He could not shake the feeling that something was not quite right.
The Rong family absolutely could not afford another scandal involving an uncle and his niece.
Lao Si already had a path laid out for him by the Rong family.
He would never allow the Rong family’s century old foundation and reputation in Beicheng to be ruined.
Otherwise, he would not hesitate to take ruthless measures.
Shen Chuhe’s heart jolted when she heard this, but she answered timidly, “Grandpa, what are you talking about?”
She did not understand.
She could not understand.
“You’re a good child, so you must be obedient. Since you’ve become a member of the Rong family, you will belong to the Rong family for the rest of your life. Do you understand?”
The Old Master nodded in satisfaction. The Rong family would never raise anyone for nothing.
Not unless that person truly had no value left to them.
Shen Chuhe lowered her eyes and nodded timidly.
Only then did the Old Master leave with the support of his cane, finally reassured.
Shen Chuhe spent four days recovering. The wound on her head had not completely healed, but the doctor said she could be discharged.
She left the hospital that evening without informing anyone, and no one cared.
By the time she returned to the Rong family’s old residence, it was already the middle of the night.
The entire house was pitch black, and she did not want to turn on the lights.
As she groped her way forward, she saw a dark figure standing at the foot of the stairs.
It was difficult to make out clearly, but her instincts told her that someone was there.
“Who?”
“Come here.”
Shen Chuhe’s heart skipped a beat.
It was Rong Yuchuan again.
In her previous life, on the third night after she was injured, he had sent her a message and summoned her to their usual place. She had gone, but he had paid no attention whatsoever to the injury on her head. She did not know what had provoked him, but he had been particularly rough with her that night.
Of course, he had sent her a message this time too, just last night.
She had deleted it.
She had also blocked the assistant who had delivered his orders on his behalf.
Only then had she finally gained some peace and quiet.
She simply had not expected to run into him the moment she returned.
Rong Yuchuan rarely stayed at the old residence. He usually lived at Bailu Residence, his designated permanent residence.
He had not returned here at this point in her previous life either.
While Shen Chuhe was still hesitating over whether she should approach him, Rong Yuchuan had already walked over.
Even in the darkness, she could vaguely sense the oppressive presence radiating from the man, whether it came from his height or his overwhelming aura.
“Are you coming with me yourself, or do I drag you inside and wake everyone up?”