{Shen Qiyue, have you had enough acting? 4}

At that moment, she was talking to the wife of an investment company. They were discussing everything, and it was the perfect time to deepen their understanding, strengthen trust, and even talk about future collaborations.

But a child, completely unrelated to her, popped up and interrupted their conversation without a hint of guilt.

Qian Xu was unwilling to acknowledge her.

She thought that if Shen Qiyue were to leave at this moment, she would gladly treat everything that had just happened as if it had never occurred.

But how could Shen Qiyue grasp the importance of politeness from less than half an hour of standing in punishment? Even if Shen Qinian quietly tugged at her from under the table, it would be of no use.

She knew all too well that bringing up the thing Qian Xu was most unwilling to remember would forcefully intrude upon the adults’ conversation: “The Easton Town Center in Ohio is quite nice. Weren’t you the one who used to accompany me shopping and help me carry things?”

Qian Xu should have been furious, but she felt it wasn’t worth abandoning her business deal over a mere Shen Qiyue.

She calmly glanced at her, seeming to have no impression of this child before her, let alone having accompanied her shopping.

Mrs. Li felt a bit sympathetic. She had heard about Qian Xu’s experiences in the US before. As fellow students abroad, they should understand each other. She had previously thought that Shen Qi was cold and heartless but never considered that the child in front of her could be even more shameless, talking about the past in front of all the guests, claiming to help Qian Xu remember, which felt more like a blatant humiliation.

“Don’t you have any adults with you?”

If Mrs. Li weren’t considering her husband’s face, she would have wanted to kick this Miss Shen out on the spot. She felt that this little girl resembled someone from her memories, and upon recalling, she realized that Shen Qiyue’s temperament was strikingly similar to her mother, Cheng Shuangyi.

Shen Qiyue reacted sharply. She immediately lunged toward Qian Xu from the other side and wrapped her arm around her: “See? Now I have one!”

She thought that this way, she could ensure Qian Xu would soften her heart instantly. Her affectionate gesture in front of everyone should have given enough face, but Qian Xu still appeared indifferent.

Before Shen Qiyue could react, the Christmas tree behind her seemed to crackle with noise, drawing everyone’s attention toward them involuntarily.

Shen Qiyue instantly felt that she had become the focus of all the wealthy families. To this end, she raised a practiced standard smile.

However, at that moment, Qian Xu decisively broke free from her grasp and said, “Don’t hold onto me.”

“You have your own dad and mom; you shouldn’t be pulling at a stranger in this situation.”

Initially, Qian Xu wanted to maintain her final dignity, but she found the child’s previous words utterly disgusting. It was as if she had fed her sincerity to the dogs over the years. However, she had to admit the hurt of a child’s unfiltered words felt like a stinging humiliation in front of the crowd. She had no choice but to reluctantly join the child in recalling memories.

This time, she didn’t patiently squat down. “I did voluntarily take care of you when your father was poor. If I remember correctly, the times you went shopping at Easton Town Center before you met me were few and far between. I did these things out of kindness and sympathy, not out of a need to carry things for a fallen little princess like you—”

These words left Shen Qiyue speechless.

Some childhood memories were indeed quite blurry for her, but they resurfaced alongside Qian Xu’s words.

The poverty she had experienced made her feel ashamed and made her realize she wasn’t as noble as she thought.

Qian Xu’s gaze toward her was completely different from her time in the US in Ohio and was nothing like the deliberate anger and frustration she had felt back then. The way she looked at her was no different from how she regarded passersby on the street.

It was as if she were looking at a stranger.

And she had completely become the “little princess” who was arrogant and ungrateful.

This made Shen Qiyue, who had never suffered such grievances, burst into tears, entirely oblivious to how her crying might affect Qian Xu. All she could think of was her own joy.

She was on the verge of tears.

Yet she found that people were indifferent to her tears.

Finally, she couldn’t help but raise her head, glancing at the unfeeling woman in front of her, thinking that she was the one waiting for her to give orders and striving to please Qian Xu.

But it seemed that Qian Xu was completely unmoved. “Shen Qiyue, are you done putting on your act?”

She seemed to have forgotten one thing: Qian Xu had been by her side for a full three years. She could be the closest person to her, but she could also be the one who understood her character the most.