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Jin Hanshuang’s “secret” took Lu Yunshu by surprise.
She frowned. “Who scolded you? Why would they do that?”
Lu Yunshu wore a serious expression, as if she was ready to seek justice right away.
But Jin Hanshuang only felt amused. She gently patted Lu Yunshu’s arm and said softly, “It’s nothing. It’s all in the past.”
The older woman sounded so magnanimous, as if she truly didn’t care anymore.
After all, it had been more than ten years. She let go a long time ago.
But Lu Yunshu cared.
She firmly looked at Jin Hanshuang, her eyes carrying a trace of heartache.
“But it was important to you that day. You were clearly upset.”
Jin Hanshuang didn’t deny it. “Who wouldn’t be upset after a scolding?”
Lu Yunshu pressed further. “Who was it?”
Jin Hanshuang stared at her in silence.
Lu Yunshu had crossed a line again, just like when she asked why Jin Hanshuang wanted to marry Shen Minghai. The Lu family had no business prying into Shen family matters.
But this time, Jin Hanshuang didn’t stop Lu Yunshu from intruding on her boundaries. A name flashed through her mind. “It was Wenxin’s dad—my late husband.”
Lu Yunshu was startled. “Why would he…”
Jin Hanshuang smiled gently and strolled ahead. “Because I took the initiative to take Wenxin out of school. Back then, I was still an outsider to the Shen family.”
Marriage meant nothing. Even after tying the knot, she was still an outsider. How could an outsider dare to take the liberty of excusing the head of the family’s daughter during a critical time in her education?
What if missing a day caused her to fall behind in her studies?
What if she lost to the Lu family’s child?
What if she failed to get into University A?
—Can you take responsibility?
Jin Hanshuang still felt a chill whenever she thought of that day Shen Minghai scolded her.
It wasn’t the scolding that frightened her.
It was what he said, “Can you take responsibility? Can you guarantee her future!”
Those words were as heavy as a mountain, crushing down on her.
She had been so young, barely understanding the rules of society herself, yet she was being asked to take responsibility for a child’s entire life. This child was the Shen family’s pride and joy, representing the future of Minghai Jewelry. If she made a single misstep, how could she dare to take responsibility for that future? What qualifications did she have?
That night, the icy fear seeped into her limbs, swallowing her voice and leaving her unable to respond. Yet all she wanted was to give the child a moment to breathe…
“Taking responsibility for another person’s life, what a terrifying thought….” Jin Hanshuang murmured, staring into the dark alley. Her eyes were vacant, as if she had traveled through time and space back to that day. She was still too young, too powerless, to refute.
“Who am I to guarantee someone else’s future?” she continued. “Fortunately, I don’t want kids, so I don’t have to raise any. Raising kids is the worst.”
Her late husband’s scolding taught her just how heavy the responsibility for a child’s future could be, filling her with dread. Who was she to take on that burden? Let the people who wanted kids have them, not her. Even if she wanted to, it was impossible anyway.
Lu Yunshu asked, “What about Shen Wenxin…?”
“Except her.”
As soon as Shen Wenxin’s name came up, Jin Hanshuang’s expression softened. “Wenxin is different. She’s grown up—smart, mature, and filial. She doesn’t need us hovering over her. She knows what she wants. She likes me as a stepmother, and I like her as a child.”
Jin Hanshuang continued, “Our Wenxin is so cool, she doesn’t want me to be responsible for her future. She bravely carves out her own path in life. And she speaks for me. If she hadn’t told her father that she wanted to live with me, I really wouldn’t have had a chance to say. I’d probably be packed up and sent back to the Shen estate.”
Lu Yunshu looked up in surprise. “Was it the same during university?”
She and Shen Wenxin eventually ended up in the same university. Worse yet, they landed in the same department as well. There was no avoiding it. University A was one of the best schools in the country, and it was local. Their fathers wanted them to stay in the city so they could inherit the family business.
During university, Lu Yunshu lived on campus, while Shen Wenxin and Jin Hanshuang lived off campus. Jin Hanshuang would come by every day to pick up Shen Wenxin, so Lu Yunshu had the opportunity to see her many times.
Jin Hanshuang replied, “Ah…pretty much.”
Lu Yunshu furrowed her brows. “Hm?”
Jin Hanshuang grinned. “I didn’t want to stay at the Shen estate, so I asked Wenxin to let her dad know she needed me to take care of her.”
Lu Yunshu understood. All this time, she had Shen Wenxin to thank for the opportunity to see Jin Hanshuang in college.
The night breeze gently brushed past them. Jin Hanshuang said softly, “Wenxin is a good kid.”
She turned to look at Lu Yunshu, her eyes curved. “And so is Yunshu.”
“You too,” Lu Yunshu said.
Jin Hanshuang blinked. “Hmm?”
Lu Yunshu leaned close, her voice as gentle as the night breeze. “Even though her father scolded you, you never gave up on making Shen Wenxin happy…our Hanshuang is truly a kind person.”
Shen Wenxin’s smile that day, and everything she gave Jin Hanshuang now, were the best rewards Jin Hanshuang could receive.
Jin Hanshuang couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I think so too. I’m really great.”
She might not be able to take responsibility for Shen Wenxin’s entire life, but at least she had kept Shen Wenxin happy for one weekend.
She and Lu Yunshu looked at each other, their smiles gentle. They continued chatting aimlessly. Eventually, Lu Yunshu asked why Jin Hanshuang had suddenly decided to let Shen Wenxin take a day off.
But Jin Hanshuang only smiled and said, “It’s a secret. Shen Wenxin’s secret.”
During that time, Shen Wenxin was very depressed, as if she was being suffocated by life. The night before she let Shen Wenxin take a day off, Jin Hanshuang accidentally caught Shen Wenxin silently crying in her room. She had been sitting at her desk late at night, still working on practice exams. Her shoulders trembled, but she refused to let any sounds come out.
Through the crack in the door, Jin Hanshuang had glimpsed a child’s fragile vulnerability. She remembered Shen Wenxin’s burdens and Shen Minghai’s high expectations for her. Even as an adult, the load felt unbearably heavy. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for Shen Wenxin.
And so, she found a shred of courage.
Take a break.
Rest first, everything else can follow.
Grades are important, but so is your mental and physical health…
Since Shen Wenxin and Lu Yunshu both cared about keeping up appearances in front of each other, she kept the truth from Lu Yunshu in order to preserve her Wenxin’s dignity.
Since Jin Hanshuang didn’t say anything, Lu Yunshu wouldn’t press for answers. Instead, she said, “You and Shen Wenxin have a really great relationship.”
“Of course.” Jin Hanshuang smiled. “Our family’s Wenxin already promised she’d take care of me in my old age.” The orange lights fell on her face, illuminating her brilliant features. Always beautiful, forever moving.
Lu Yunshu’s eyes softened. She suddenly said, “This time, you didn’t tell me I crossed a line.”
Jin Hanshuang simply said, “Mm.”
Her expression was warm, her tone light. “Didn’t we agree to be friends?”
Lu Yunshu’s heart blossomed with joy.
Although it wasn’t the relationship she yearned for, it was enough to make her happy. So happy that she couldn’t help but push her luck a little further.
“We could meet up more often in the future,” she suggested.
“Hm?”
“As friends hanging out—it’s perfectly normal, isn’t it?”
A proper, reasonable, and undeniable request.
Jin Hanshuang couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right. It’s a deal.”
She agreed.
Lu Yunshu’s eyes sparkled with joy.
The crescent moon hung high in the sky, its silvery glow spilling over the dark canopy of leaves. A soft breeze danced through the treetops, carrying Jin Hanshuang’s promise. Above them, the stars winked in familiar patterns. Lu Yunshu looked up, reminded of the nights when they had once silently sat beside each other, gazing up at the distant glow of the stars.
But tonight, the gap between them had closed.
“It’s a deal.”
