Chapter 5

As a qualified villain, Shen Xiao possessed almost all the traits a villain should have: arrogance, condescension, ruthlessness, unpredictability…
If you listed them all, ten fingers wouldn’t be enough to count them.
Even Uncle Li, who had been with the Shen family for over twenty years, couldn’t figure him out, let alone Shen Yu, who had just transmigrated.
So the most effective way to protect herself was to stay as far away from Shen Xiao as possible.
Now that this opportunity was right in front of her, Shen Yu couldn’t possibly miss it. She immediately discussed with Uncle Li, deciding to take a day off tomorrow to look for a place. Ideally, she wanted a fully furnished apartment where she could move in with just her luggage. Uncle Li, feeling uneasy, decided to accompany her the next day.
That night, Shen Yu had a wonderful dream. In it, she was a happy little bird, flying freely between heaven and earth.
The next day, after breakfast, Uncle Li drove Shen Yu to look for apartments.
There were many residential complexes near the Film Academy. The buildings were relatively old and looked quite worn on the outside, but due to the prime location and proximity to the school, these complexes had high occupancy rates.
According to Shen Yu’s plan, since she would be living alone, a small one-bedroom apartment would suffice. After all, she didn’t have friends visiting often, and it would also be more budget-friendly.
But Uncle Li completely disagreed with her opinion, feeling that at the very least, they should rent a two-bedroom apartment, one room as a bedroom and the other as a study. "Don’t worry about the money. If your father really doesn’t give you any, Uncle Li will cover it for you."
"I have money," Shen Yu said. She had just checked her bank card yesterday, and the amount of savings in it was enough for her to live comfortably as a little rich woman. Even if she didn’t work for a few years after graduation, she could still live quite comfortably. The novel had mentioned that Shen Xiao was very generous when it came to giving her an allowance, transferring a fixed amount of money to Shen Yu’s card every month. However, the original Shen Yu felt that none of it truly belonged to her, so aside from daily necessities, she rarely spent any of it, stubbornly living like a poor girl despite her wealthy background.
Shen Yu felt that there was no need for her to hesitate about using this money. However, she decided to keep track of how much she spent and repay it once she started earning her own income, treating it as a temporary loan.
After a morning of searching, they found two apartments they liked. One was fully furnished with all the necessary furniture and appliances, but it faced the wrong direction, was in a shaded area, and was quite damp. The other was a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment with plenty of natural light, a large balcony, and a high floor that allowed for good ventilation. Uncle Li was very pleased with this one at first glance, but it was only simply decorated, and they would need to buy furniture and other essentials to make it livable.
At noon, Shen Yu and Uncle Li had lunch at a small food street near the school and discussed which apartment to rent.
For Shen Yu, as long as she could move out of the Shen family, everything else was secondary. Either apartment would be fine.
"Let’s go with the one on the higher floor," Uncle Li said. "In the afternoon, we’ll go furniture shopping and buy a bed and daily necessities first. We can add other things gradually. When you’re living on your own, you shouldn’t let yourself suffer too much."
Shen Yu nodded, deeply moved, knowing that this elder genuinely cared for her.
After the meal, the two of them found the landlord, paid the deposit, got the keys, and headed straight to a furniture store to shop.
Two days later, Shen Yu carried her two suitcases into the small apartment. Looking at the cozy little nest that was beginning to take shape, she felt an indescribable joy.
From an empty space to a warm and comfortable home, every detail had been arranged by her own hands. From now on, this would be her warmest home, a small world that truly belonged to her alone in this unfamiliar world.
When she was tired, she could sleep all day long. When she was bored, she could read books or listen to music. When she was in the mood, she could even throw a one-person pajama party…
Just as she was lost in these wonderful fantasies, Uncle Li walked out of the kitchen, holding a rag, wiping things here and there. He reminded her, "Miss, you should still go back home to visit occasionally. Your father has been quite good to you. And if you ever face any trouble outside, be sure to tell us, don’t keep it to yourself."
Shen Yu: “…”
Everything was absolutely perfect, except for Shen Xiao's existence!
Shen Yu sighed, "I will, Uncle Li."
Uncle Li helped her clean the house and organize her things, working all day before finally leaving at dusk. Shen Yu stood on the balcony, watching Uncle Li's car slowly drive out of the residential area, her heart aching. Uncle Li was the only person in this world who treated her well. From now on, they would probably see each other very little.
Shen Yu decided that no matter what, she would still occasionally visit the Shen family in the future. In the original owner's heart, Uncle Li was the only person she was close to and cared about. Even if it was for the original owner's sake, she should take good care of Uncle Li.
Life living alone was indeed as relaxed and pleasant as she had imagined. On days without classes, she could sleep in without restraint. When cooking for herself, she could make only the food she liked without worrying about being called picky. When she was too lazy to cook, she could order takeout, it was incredibly freeing.
Most importantly, she no longer had to face Shen Xiao!!
However, the relaxed days didn't make Shen Yu neglect her physical training. She bought a treadmill and placed it on the balcony, running on it for long periods every day. But what pained her the most was stretching. In her previous life, she had practiced dance since childhood, so her body had always been very flexible, and she had never cried from stretching. But now, stretching alone in her room, she would start shedding tears as she practiced. There was no helping it, it was just too painful. The original owner's body was clearly not used to exercise, with very limited flexibility in her limbs. And since Shen Yu set high standards for herself, she would push herself until she was drenched in sweat and tears.
Fortunately, hard work paid off. The excess fat on her waist and legs had noticeably reduced and become firmer. Shen Yu was in pain but also happy, thinking: Everything is moving in a positive direction.
After a week of comfortable solitude, Shen Yu unexpectedly received a call from Uncle Li. His voice sounded slightly tense over the phone, "Miss, are you home right now?"
"Uncle Li, is something wrong? I'm at home." It was Saturday, and she had no plans to go out. At the moment, she was practicing the splits.
"The young master is on his way to see you. He should be on the road by now," Uncle Li said over the phone.
Just hearing Shen Xiao's name made Shen Yu reflexively tense up. Holding her breath, she asked, "Why is he coming to see me??"
"I'm not sure either. It was probably a sudden decision."
Shen Yu: “…”
After hanging up, Shen Yu scrambled up from the floor and paced around the room like an ant on a hot pan. She couldn't figure out why Shen Xiao, who had ignored her for so many days, would suddenly decide to visit. Was he coming to pick a fight again? Was he going to force-feed her cherries this time?
About half an hour later, before she could come up with an answer, her doorbell rang. Shen Yu hurried to the door and peered through the peephole. Sure enough, she saw Shen Xiao, dressed in a sharp suit and looking every bit the respectable gentleman. It was as if he had guessed she was spying through the peephole, as his gaze fixed directly on it. For a moment, it felt as though they were staring into each other's eyes through the tiny lens.
Shen Yu was startled and quickly pulled her face away. For an instant, Shen Xiao's gaze felt like a sharp arrow piercing straight through her heart.
After taking several deep breaths to calm herself, Shen Yu nervously opened the door and obediently called out, "Brother."
Shen Xiao didn't respond, only snorted coldly, pushed the door open, and walked past her into the room.
After he entered, Shen Yu was surprised to find several men in black standing outside the door. They were all tall and burly, looking quite intimidating, likely his bodyguards.
Shen Yu felt a chill in her heart. Wasn't Shen Xiao just too strange? Coming to see his own sister with bodyguards, could it be... he was here to take her back? At the thought of this possibility, Shen Yu's eyes widened instantly, but she quickly dismissed it. No, no, if he really wanted to take her back, he would have come long ago. Why wait until now?!
While Shen Yu was lost in her wild thoughts, Shen Xiao had already taken a tour of her two-bedroom apartment and commented with apparent satisfaction, "Not bad, quite cozy."
Shen Yu swallowed hard, mustering her courage to ask, "Brother, did you come to see me for something?"
Shen Xiao turned to look at her, a teasing glint in his eyes, and smiled. "There is something to settle."
After saying this, he glanced around the room again, then picked up two chairs from beside the dining table, carried them to the doorway facing the interior, set them down, sat in one himself, and patted the other, gesturing to her. "Come, sit here."
Shen Yu was utterly confused, completely unable to guess what he was up to, but she obediently sat down. She couldn't quite understand it herself, why was it that every time she faced Shen Xiao's commands, she didn't dare to resist? Was it some lingering instinct from the original owner's body??
Once she was seated, Shen Xiao crossed his legs lazily and spoke in a relaxed tone, "Let's begin."
His words were clearly directed at the bodyguards at the door, because as soon as he finished speaking, the tall, burly men filed into the room.
Then, to Shen Yu's utter astonishment, they began to smash the apartment!!
Whether it was furniture or appliances, they picked everything up and hurled it violently to the ground...
The sound of shattering objects was heart-wrenching.
Amid the chaotic, deafening noise, Shen Xiao calmly lit a cigarette for himself. Turning to find Shen Yu completely stunned, he gave her a reassuring smile and said gently, "Don't be afraid. Just pretend you're watching a movie."