Chapter 3

Xie Mingqiu didn’t know what Shen Youwei was thinking, but she didn’t believe that “no.” The tension between them was too obvious.
She turned toward Guan Shanyan. “Really no fight?”
He replied, “We haven’t seen each other in three years, when would we even have the chance to fight?”
“You could’ve online,” she pointed out.
Guan Shanyan gave a short, humorless laugh. That would’ve been impossible, after all, someone had blocked every way of contacting him.
Shen Youwei pretended not to hear, staring fixedly at the elevator numbers changing above.
Realizing she wouldn’t get any answers, Xie Mingqiu let the matter drop. When the elevator stopped, the three of them each took a suitcase and headed out.
“Is that Youwei?” From the kitchen, Guan Su heard the door open and peeked out.
“It’s me, godfather!” Shen Youwei called, switching to slippers and sniffing the air. “Are you making old duck soup?”
“I am. And shrimp, too. Go wash up, it’s almost ready.”
“Coming!”
Carrying one of the suitcases, Xie Mingqiu led her inside. “This apartment has the same layout as your parents’. Two master bedrooms, your godfather and I have one, you take the other. It’s got its own bathroom and a big walk-in closet, perfect for your clothes.”
“Thank you, godmother!” Shen Youwei followed her with another grin.
“There’s also a spare room we can turn into a filming space for your videos.”
“Oh, no need, that’s too much trouble.”
“It’s not. The house has plenty of rooms, might as well use them.”
Guan Shanyan followed them in last, setting down the final suitcase before heading out to help his father with dinner.
Halfway through unpacking, Shen Youwei was called to eat. Knowing she’d be coming, Guan Su had cooked an entire table full of dishes.
“This pickled vegetable, it’s the kind you gave me last time, right?” she asked after taking a sip of the duck soup.
“Yeah, we fermented it ourselves,” said Xie Mingqiu. “Why?”
She raised a thumb. “Godfather’s version tastes way better than mine. He’s the real deal.”
Xie Mingqiu laughed and pushed the shrimp platter toward her. “You little flatterer. That shrimp’s especially for you, eat up.”
“Thank you, godfather, godmother!”
“You two used to love his shrimp when you were kids,” said Xie Mingqiu. “Tomorrow we’ll make it a different way.”
From beside them, Guan Shanyan finally spoke, tone cool. “She’s the one who likes shrimp.”
“But you like peeling them,” said Xie Mingqiu, amused.
Guan Shanyan’s hands froze mid-motion.
Damn it. Why was he peeling them automatically?
Seeing the shrimp already clean, he wordlessly dropped it into his own bowl.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t like shrimp?” Xie Mingqiu asked with mock confusion. “Why’d you put it in your bowl then?”
“People’s tastes change,” he said evenly, then glanced meaningfully at Shen Youwei.
Her brows arched. “What are you looking at me for?”
“Nothing,” he said, unhurriedly picking up another shrimp. “Just surprised that some people’s taste has gotten so questionable.”
“?” Shen Youwei narrowed her eyes. What was that supposed to mean? Was he mocking her over the gossip online?
She sneered inwardly and slipped on gloves to peel her own shrimp. “Peeling shrimp isn’t exactly a rare skill. Anyone with hands can do it.”
He didn’t respond. The rest of the meal passed in silence.
After dinner, Shen Youwei went back to her room to unpack, while Guan Shanyan disappeared into the study. In the kitchen, Xie Mingqiu and Guan Su exchanged looks.
“Do you think they fought?” she whispered.
Guan Su stacked dishes into the sink. “It’s odd, but maybe they’re just out of touch after all this time.”
“No way,” said Xie Mingqiu, shaking her head. “Those two grew up joined at the hip, how could they ever feel ‘out of touch’? Back then, Shanyan couldn’t go a day without calling her ‘little sister,’ and now he won’t even peel her shrimp.”
“Well, they’re adults now. Things aren’t the same.”
In her room, Shen Youwei had finished unpacking. She grabbed her pajamas and showered. The warm water washed away her exhaustion, and after blow-drying her hair, she sat down in front of her computer.
The moment she logged onto Weibo, her mother called. Shen Youwei picked up the video chat, smiling. “Mom? What made you call at this hour?”
Through the screen, Shu Ge took one look at the background behind her. “So it’s true, you moved in with your godmother?”
“Yeah,” Shen Youwei nodded. “I wanted to stay at a hotel, but she insisted I move here.”
“Well, her place is definitely better than a hotel. But back then, when you stayed with her, we were paying your living expenses. Now that you’re practically a regular on the hot search, shouldn’t you be paying your own?”
“, You’re following my trending topics all the way from abroad?”
“Your dad’s your number-one fan on Weibo.”
“…”
Terrifying.
She cleared her throat. “Even if I tried giving her money, godmother would never take it.”
Shu Ge said, “Then at least buy some food and drinks for the house. You can’t just freeload off them.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“And remember to stay safe. People these days get violent over nothing.”
“I know.”
“And about you and Xu Qairan…“
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, that’s just a rumor.” Shen Youwei cut her off before she could finish. “As if I’d ever go for trash like Chen Qing!”
“Alright then. Anyway, your father and I are doing well here. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to come back before the end of the year.”
After hanging up, Shen Youwei put down her phone, scrolled through Weibo for a bit, and then switched to her alternate account.
To her surprise, Guan Shanyan had actually sent her a private message, about ten minutes ago.
Her brows lifted slightly as she tapped it open.
[How do you repair a relationship with your sister?]
“Heh.” Shen Youwei let out a soft, cold laugh. So aloof out there, yet here he was secretly asking strangers for advice?
Her dear “brother” was as fake as ever.
People always said that when someone liked you, it showed in their eyes. Shen Youwei had noticed long ago that the way Guan Shanyan looked at her wasn’t how a brother looked at a sister. But before he went abroad, she’d confessed to him, and he told her he’d always seen her as a little sister.
Even a passing dog would’ve rolled its eyes at that one.
In a fit of anger, she’d blocked him everywhere and then registered a new account under the name He Zhou. Whenever she was in a bad mood, she’d message him to mess with him and somehow, after three years of that, they’d become close online friends.
Guan Shanyan didn’t talk much, most of the time it was her small account starting the conversation. Occasionally, he’d share bits of his life with her. Once or twice, like now, he even came to her for advice.
Staring at the screen, Shen Youwei smiled faintly as she typed her reply:
[Sincerity is the only killer move.]
Guan Shanyan: [I never lied to her.]
He Zhou: [Lying to her’s fine, just don’t lie to yourself, man.]
Guan Shanyan didn’t respond. Shen Youwei thought for a moment, then sent another message:
[Didn’t you say you were an only child? Where’d this sister come from?]
Guan Shanyan: [My mom’s goddaughter.]
He Zhou: [Ohh. So what happened between you two?]
No reply again.
Shen Youwei snorted softly and decided not to bother replying either.
She hadn’t slept well the previous night, so she planned to go to bed early. Just as she was about to, He Man sent her a photo, a screenshot from Xu Qairan’s social media.
He Man: [They got back together.]
Shen Youwei opened the image and saw Xu Qairan and Chen Qing smiling side by side in a new selfie.
Shen Youwei: [Wow. And she even blocked me.]
Shen Youwei: [Does she really not care she’ll be paying off Chen Qing’s debts one day???]
He Man: [He’s still a Chen, you know. The family won’t actually let him crash and burn, at least that’s what she and Chen Qing both think.]
Shen Youwei: [Yeah, well, good luck with that.]
He Man: [Don’t stress over it. The more you try to warn people like that, the more they’ll dig in.]
He Man: [Anyway, you at your godmother’s place yet?]
Shen Youwei: [Yep.]
He Man: [Good. So now that Xu Qairan’s gone, you planning to hire a new assistant?]
Shen Youwei: [Not for now. My godmother’s around, she can help when she has time.]
He Man knew that was just an excuse. The truth was, Shen Youwei didn’t want to replace Xu Qairan yet. They’d been friends since middle school. Xu Qairan had worked as a receptionist before, and when Shen Youwei’s career took off, she’d brought her over as an assistant, with far better pay.
He Man: [Alright. Oh, I heard there’s a new buffet that’s supposed to be amazing. Let’s go sometime.]
Shen Youwei: [Sure, text me when you’re free.]
After chatting a bit more, Shen Youwei finally lay down.
Even though it was her first night staying at the Guans’, she slept surprisingly well. When she woke up, the sun was already bright outside.
Everyone else had gone to work. She washed up slowly, and just as she came out of the bathroom, her phone rang, the police were calling. They’d caught a suspect from yesterday’s incident and wanted her to come identify him.
“So fast?” she asked, surprised at their efficiency.
“Yes,” the officer said on the line. “Would you be able to come by now?”
“Sure. Please send me the address.”
A moment later, the address popped up on her phone. She didn’t bother with makeup, just put on a mask and drove over.
At the station, a female officer led her inside, where she saw the suspect through a glass panel.
“Take a look, is this the person you saw in the elevator yesterday?”
Shen Youwei studied him carefully. The height and build looked right, but after a while she frowned. “Could you have him step a bit closer?”
The officer nodded, and the man took a few steps toward the glass.
She leaned in, watching closely, then shook her head. “It’s not him. The guy I saw yesterday had an ear piercing, this one doesn’t.”
The officers in the room exchanged looks, clearly caught off guard. They’d reviewed surveillance footage and were certain they had the right man. He’d even confessed. Having her come in was supposed to be a formality, until this.
“You’re sure?” asked an older officer.
“I’m sure,” she said. “I’m a fashion influencer, so maybe it’s an occupational hazard, but I tend to notice people’s clothing and accessories. That man didn’t wear earrings, but there was definitely a piercing on his ear.”
The officer paused to think. “Which ear? And how many piercings?”
“Right ear, one piercing. I didn’t see the left side clearly.”
The officers exchanged another look, then handed her a form to sign. “Thank you. This detail might be important, we’ll double-check it.”
When Shen Youwei left the station, Guan Shanyan was at an industry mixer. Gu Fei stood beside him with a glass of wine, chatting idly, when he suddenly tugged on his sleeve.
Guan Shanyan nearly spilled his drink. Frowning, he pulled his arm free. “What?”
Gu Fei tilted his chin toward the front of the room, eyes gleaming with gossip. “Look, that’s Chen Qing.”