Lu Yinghan forced down the churning emotions inside her, maintaining a blank expression as she returned to her room.
She closed the door behind her and stood frozen in place for a long time, staring blankly into space.
Taking deep, ragged breaths, she forced herself to calm down.
Once her heart had fully settled, she walked over to her desk, took out a roll of tape from her schoolbag, and began taping the torn pages back together, piece by piece.
Occasionally, her hands would pause, and she would stare blankly at the torn homework pages in her hands.
Then, snapping back to reality, she would resume her work.
Her eerie calm sent a chill through Butler Liu, who was peeking through the doorway.
After a moment's thought, he decided to check the kitchen refrigerator for desserts. Bringing Miss something sweet might cheer her up even just a little.
He hadn't been present during the earlier incident, but hearing about it from the servants who witnessed it made him feel that Miss truly was pitiable.
Butler Liu quickened his pace and carefully scanned the fridge to see if any delicious treats were left.
These desserts were all bought by Master and Madam for Little Miss as rewards whenever she behaved well.
Because of that, the fridge was always stocked with a wide variety of sweets.
Butler Liu searched his memory, trying to recall which dessert Little Miss liked best.
“Butler Liu.”
He Shu’s sudden voice startled Butler Liu so badly that he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Madam? Is there something you need?”
“Um... no, nothing. Is someone hungry? Are you preparing another meal right now?”
Butler Liu’s hand froze mid-air, a wave of nervousness washing over him.
Seeing the sincere look in his mistress's eyes, he decided to tell the truth.
“Madam, I was hoping to find some dessert for Miss. She’s never had any of the sweets from the fridge, and she seems to be in low spirits tonight. I thought having something sweet might cheer her up a bit.”
Butler Liu spoke earnestly.
At the same time, he carefully observed He Shu’s expression.
Sure enough, shock registered on He Shu’s face after he spoke.
“She’s never had any of these desserts?”
It was true that these desserts were purchased for Lu Xuanyao, but they were bought in large quantities under the assumption that anyone in the house who wanted one could help themselves.
He Shu knitted her brows.
“If she wants to eat them, she can just take them. Who restricted her?”
“Madam, you previously told Miss in front of everyone that these belong to Little Miss. Miss has always been obedient and never touched them.”
Speechless.
He Shu parted her lips, her mouth moving slightly, but no sound came out...
Whenever she wanted to make Yaoyao happy, she indeed tended to bring Yaoyao over to the fridge and say things like that.
She had no idea which time Lu Yinghan had overheard her...
He Shu took a deep breath.
“Butler Liu, I actually came looking for you to ask where Yingying’s room is. Why don't you lead the way? I’ll deliver the dessert myself.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The corners of Butler Liu’s mouth curved up slightly, feeling a small sense of relief.
He had worried that his attempt to bring Miss a treat would be stopped.
He Shu took the plate from Butler Liu’s hand and, out of all the desserts, selected a strawberry crepe cake—a treat that was immensely popular with children.
It was also the most heavily stocked dessert in the fridge.
Because Lu Xuanyao loved it...
Butler Liu led He Shu toward Lu Yinghan’s room.
Noticing that Butler Liu was leading her further and further into a remote wing of the estate, He Shu’s expression shifted from calm to slight irritation.
“Butler Liu, I asked you to take me to Yingying’s room, not the storage rooms.”
Walking ahead, Butler Liu turned to look back at He Shu, a strange expression on his face.
“Madam, Miss really does live here—in a converted storage room. Master ordered me to arrange it back then. The only space in the mansion that could be repurposed for Miss was this empty storage room.”
The plate in He Shu’s hands nearly slipped from her grasp.
“Who did you say ordered this??”
Her voice was faint, filled with utter disbelief and unease.
Without her realizing it, her limbs had already begun to grow cold.
“It was Master’s instruction, Madam. Because Little Miss’s health was delicate, Master said Miss should yield her bedroom to Little Miss, and told me to temporarily find an empty room for Miss.”
He Shu’s head began to spin, her steps faltering slightly.
Yaoyao had two rooms—a spacious master bedroom and a walk-in closet room.
She had had both since she was three years old and started sleeping on her own.
So Yingying had been living alone in a storage room for two whole years?
And that bastard Lu Xiong had never thought to address it??
“Madam?! Why don't I take over? You should go rest.”
Seeing how dizzy He Shu looked, Butler Liu stepped forward anxiously to support her arm.
“No! I’m going! I want to see where Yingying stays!”
He Shu squeezed out every word through gritted teeth.
She forced herself to keep following Butler Liu.
The hallway grew narrower and narrower until He Shu finally arrived at the doorway of Lu Yinghan’s room.
Holding the plate with one hand, she quietly pushed the door open with the other.
The light in the room was dim and yellow. On the desk stood an outdated lamp that Lu Jiansen had used in his childhood—one that had long since been discarded.
Lu Yinghan had scavenged it from the storage room herself.
This was the first time in years that He Shu was truly looking at Lu Yinghan.
The daughter who had once been chubby and rosy in her memories was now tiny and terribly emaciated, every single joint in her fingers sharply outlined.
She was wearing hand-me-downs that Yaoyao had rejected because He Shu herself had thought they were a bit ugly.
Instead of throwing them away, they had simply been passed down to Yinghan.
Even though she was two years older than Yaoyao, she was so thin and frail that she could wear the exact same size...
Slightly hunched over under the lamplight, she was earnestly and awkwardly pulling tape to piece together her shredded workbook.
Bathed in the warm yellow light, her entire figure exuded a gentle warmth.
Like an image locked deep in memory.
So distant, so entirely untouchable.
A wave of soreness surged up He Shu’s nose. She quickly pulled back her hand to wipe away the tears prickling her eyes.
Her hands began to tremble.
They even felt cold.
Nervously, she knocked on Lu Yinghan’s door.
“Come in.”
“Yingying, Mom...”
Hearing the response, He Shu immediately pushed the door open, forcing a smile onto her face as she looked at Lu Yinghan.
The words died in her throat the moment her eyes took in the full furnishings of Lu Yinghan’s room.
There were no lavish decorations—only an old bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with a chair...
And nothing else.
The colors of the walls and floor were stark and plain.
Even the ceiling light was a dull, warm yellow.
This was where Lu Yinghan lived?
This was where the eldest young lady of the Lu family stayed?
That bastard Lu Xiong!!
Lu Yinghan, who had been taping her homework together, froze when she suddenly heard He Shu’s voice...
Was she hallucinating?
She looked up toward the doorway.
Sure enough, she saw He Shu standing there with a strange expression, taking in every detail of her room.
It was impossible to tell whether she was about to cry or explode with anger.
In her hands, she held a dessert—something that confused Lu Yinghan even more.
Lu Yinghan raised an eyebrow in perplexity. Lacking any desire to speak to He Shu, she simply stared at her silently.
“Ying... Yingying... This is a strawberry crepe cake.”
“Ah... I know. Do you want me to bring it to Yaoyao? As compensation for not letting her have my workbook?”
He Shu’s heart sank all the way to the bottom of an abyss.
Rate on N.U.
