Chapter 11

Knowing that Shen Xiao had plans with Bai Muqing the next day, Shen Yu’s feelings were complicated. When she had read this novel before, she hadn’t had strong feelings about the antagonist. The only character she truly disliked was this white lotus female side character.
It could be said that almost all the unfortunate events in the story were directly or indirectly caused by Bai Muqing. Under her instigation, Shen Xiao became mortal enemies with the male lead, Situ Yi, and they fought to the death in the end.
Knowing all this, just hearing Bai Muqing's name made her feel repulsed and disgusted.
If Shen Xiao really got together with Bai Muqing, she would undoubtedly have to see Bai Muqing more often in the future.
The mere thought of it was unbearable!
Although Shen Xiao claimed that falling in love was foolish, Bai Muqing was currently at the peak of her popularity, shining brightly wherever she went and carrying an air of prestige. Shen Xiao attended numerous social events, and bringing her along would undoubtedly enhance his image.
At first, they weren’t together because of love, but as time passed, Shen Xiao’s strong territorial instincts naturally led him to see Bai Muqing as his woman. With Bai Muqing employing a few tricks, Shen Xiao gradually descended down the path of corruption.
Thinking about this, Shen Yu could only sigh.
That evening after dinner, Shen Xiao was invited out by someone. With him gone, Shen Yu wasn’t in a hurry to return to her room. Instead, she stayed in the courtyard with Uncle Li to enjoy the cool breeze.
It wasn’t officially autumn yet, and the weather was still stiflingly hot. However, the night breeze was gentle and refreshing, bringing a sense of comfort.
Shen Yu stretched lazily and settled comfortably into the rocking chair, holding a palm-leaf fan she had borrowed from Uncle Li, occasionally waving it to shoo away mosquitoes.
Uncle Li lit a mosquito-repellent incense nearby and brought over a plate of fruit, placing it beside Shen Yu before taking a seat in another rocking chair.
The husky lay nearby dozing, occasionally twitching its ears as if eavesdropping.
In the courtyard, various nameless insects chirped in a chorus, their sounds both noisy and strangely soothing.
Uncle Li, noticing her silence, thought she was still upset about the afternoon’s events and comforted her, "Don’t take it too hard. The young master has always been like this. It’s been so many years, you need to learn to let it go."
Shen Yu nodded and asked, "Uncle Li, do you ever get angry with him?"
When Shen Xiao’s eccentric temper flared up, no one could stop him. Even Uncle Li, as an elder, wasn’t spared from his sharp tongue, showing no respect at all.
"I don’t really get angry. I have a calm disposition, but sometimes it does make my heart ache."
Uncle Li lifted his head to gaze at the night sky, as if looking into the distance or reminiscing about the past. "You were actually very lively as a child, only becoming introverted as you grew up. The young master was incredibly clever when he was young, always wanting to understand everything thoroughly. Perhaps the more he understood, the more his thoughts diverged from ordinary people’s. When the old master and mistress passed away, the young master took over the company, working day and night until he ended up in the hospital." At this point, Uncle Li sighed. "It’s my fault, I couldn’t be of much help. I could only watch anxiously from the sidelines."
Shen Yu shook her head and said sincerely, "That’s not true. It’s because of you, Uncle Li, that this home remains stable."
Because there was a tolerant elder like him, this place still held the warmth of a home.
With this thought, Shen Yu’s heart suddenly twinged with pain. As the plot developed and Shen Xiao descended into darkness, Uncle Li’s ultimate fate was to be driven out of the villa by Bai Muqing!
Shen Yu took a deep breath, feeling frustrated. How could such a kind elder, someone who cared so deeply for this family, be cast out like that?
But whether he stayed or left, what difference did it make? After all, the ending had already been set in stone.
As she was tangled in her own thoughts, she heard Uncle Li say, "During dinner earlier, I heard the young master mention a date with some actress tomorrow? What kind of person is she? The young master is already 29, it’s about time he settled down and started a family. If she’s a good match, I’ll try to persuade him to take it seriously."
Shen Yu was startled and quickly replied, "Nothing’s set in stone yet, so don’t go asking him about it!" She thought to herself, That woman is nothing but trouble. If she really gets involved with Shen Xiao, no one in this family will have a peaceful day.
That’s right, Shen Xiao and Bai Muqing hadn’t even started anything yet. Could she perhaps meddle a little, create some obstacles, and prevent them from getting together? Would that change the plot and the outcome?
After all, when she had read the novel before transmigrating, the characters had all followed the script. But now that she was here, an unstable element in the storyline, did that mean she could actually influence how things unfolded?
The mere possibility made Shen Yu’s heart race. Since she couldn’t escape the Shen family and didn’t want to meet a tragic end, could she fight for herself and this family, gradually change Shen Xiao, and thereby alter the outcome?
The idea was a bit terrifying, but it wasn’t necessarily impossible!
In that moment, she felt like a traveler trudging through the darkness before dawn, suddenly looking up to see a glimmer of light on the horizon!
The next morning, Shen Yu didn’t get up right away but lay in bed thinking. Last night, inspiration had struck, she had thought of a way to save herself: break up Shen Xiao and Bai Muqing, and keep them apart.
It was a good idea in theory, but after a night’s sleep, her mind was clearer, and she realized it might be difficult. For starters, her life and Shen Xiao’s only overlapped at home. She had no idea what he did outside. Secondly, given Shen Xiao’s severely twisted personality, she was still a little afraid of him. If she openly tried to sabotage things, would he fly into a rage and turn against his own family? All of that was possible.
So her immediate task was to think through more details and plan carefully!
Just as her thoughts were running wild, Uncle Li knocked on the door. "Miss, are you awake?"
Shen Yu called out loudly, "Uncle Li, what is it?"
"Miss, breakfast is ready. I’ve put the hot food in the warmer so you can eat when you get up. I need to go out now to deliver some documents to the young master."
Shen Yu scrambled out of bed, threw on a coat, and hurried to open the door. "Isn’t my brother going on a date today? Why is he having you deliver documents?"
Uncle Li smiled. "He’s still busy at the company this morning. He might go on the date around noon or in the afternoon."
Shen Yu asked again, "Are you leaving now?"
"Yes, the young master is waiting for them."
After a moment’s thought, Shen Yu whispered, "Can I come with you? It’s the weekend, and I’d like to go for a ride in your car."
Uncle Li looked surprised. In the past, Shen Yu would hide at home all day during holidays, refusing to go anywhere. He never expected her to ask to go out today. It seemed she really was slowly changing.
Uncle Li nodded with satisfaction and said, "Then get ready and come downstairs. I'll pack you some breakfast to eat on the way."
Shen Yu nodded repeatedly, closed the door, and hurriedly changed her clothes and freshened up. By the time she rushed downstairs, Uncle Li had already started the car in the yard and was waiting for her.
As they drove toward Shen Xiao's company, Shen Yu felt a bit uneasy. After all, she had always wanted to stay away from that lunatic, but from now on, she would have to find ways to get close to him. The shift in mindset was quite drastic, and she hadn't fully adjusted yet.
About half an hour later, the car arrived at the company building. Uncle Li asked Shen Yu to get out first while he looked for a parking spot. As soon as Shen Yu stepped out, she noticed a commotion at the entrance, as if someone was causing trouble, and the scene was quite chaotic.
She took a couple of steps forward, wanting to see what was going on, and unexpectedly looked up to see Shen Xiao striding out of the main entrance with a group of bodyguards, exuding an imposing and domineering aura.
He led the way at the front, dressed in a sharp suit, his expression naturally authoritative even without anger. His long legs carried him forward with a commanding presence, making him look formidable and arrogant.
Shen Yu was inwardly startled and thought, Is he gearing up for a fight?