Chapter 1: The Remarkable Person

Song Shuangxu’s return to the country was sudden, and she didn’t inform anyone  beforehand.

As the plane landed and she listened to the airport announcement in standard Mandarin, surrounded by faces of fellow countrymen coming and going, she finally felt the true sense of returning to her homeland.

Shuangxu was dressed in a light beige trench coat, with a simple linen white shirt and jeans underneath, but her silky, soft hair radiated a noble, aristocratic elegance.

The driver, speaking in a perfect Beijing accent, asked, “Miss, where are you headed?”

“To the Third Hospital.”

Yancheng in April, was filled with the vitality of everything coming back to life. Shuangxu hadn’t returned in five years, and this time, she hurriedly came back because her senior, Shu Yang, had fallen ill.

As Shuangxu entered the hospital room, Shu Yang, now a gaunt figure, was sitting cross-legged on the bed in meditation, reciting words softly: “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form; men are only for casual play, not for the heart…”

All of Shuangxu’s worries were lifted at that moment. “How did you go from being sick to seeing through the world?”

Shu Yang, mid-chant, opened her eyes, her face lighting up with joy. “Ah, how come you’re back!”

“If you’re in trouble, of course, I have to come back,” Shuangxu said as she sat by the bed. “What did the doctor say?”

Recently, Shu Yang had been diagnosed with myeloproliferative syndrome^[1]Myeloproliferative syndrome (often referred to as myeloproliferative disorders or myeloproliferative neoplasms) refers to a group of conditions where the bone marrow produces an excess of blood … Continue reading. Simply put, it was a malignant tumor originating from hematopoietic stem cells—also known as the pre-leukemia stage.

Her boyfriend of many years had taken advantage of her hospitalization, not only stealing all the cash from the company’s accounts and half of the key personnel, but also escaped with the technical materials that Shu Yang had spent two years developing.

“One bad news, one good news,” Shu Yang said. “The doctor told me I’m now at intermediate-risk stage 2. The chances of it progressing into leukemia are high, and I’ll need chemotherapy.”

“And the good news?”

Given the situation, Shuangxu was hoping to hear something positive.

“The good news is, chemotherapy can only control it, not cure it. It will also severely damage my ovarian function, so I might never be able to have children.”

At first, Shuangxu thought she might have mixed up the two, but after a moment’s reflection, she realized that neither piece of news could really be called better than the other.

“Is that supposed to be good news?” Shuangxu reached out to touch Shu Yang’s forehead. “This illness isn’t affecting your brain, is it?”

“Isn’t realizing what a jerk that man is good news?” Shu Yang said with her usual carefree attitude, taking everything in stride. “Besides, I never wanted children anyway. I suspect this illness is hereditary—my dad died of leukemia.”

She had been with Chen Peiran for four years, starting a business together after returning to the country, their relationship stable. Who would have thought that as soon as she fell ill, Chen Peiran would immediately take the money and run?

Shuangxu furrowed her brow. “I don’t expect him to come to your aid, but could he at least not kick you when you’re down?”

“Isn’t that how men are? The most unreliable thing in this world is love. Women who believe in love will definitely suffer from it.”

Shu Yang waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it, you’ve never been in love, so you wouldn’t understand.”

Shuangxu actually agreed with that.

“Although I’ve never been in love, I’ve still suffered for it,” Shuangxu replied. “I have a little savings left, and I’ve already transferred it to your card. It’s not much, but it should help you get by for now.”

Shu Yang stared at the balance on her phone and let out a shrill scream like a rooster crowing. “This is ‘not much’??!”

Shuangxu’s “not much” and Shu Yang’s “not much” were clearly on completely different scales.

Shuangxu quickly covered her mouth to quiet her down. “Shh… just know that I’m doing this from the bottom of my heart, okay? Don’t get so worked up.”

Shen Yu had always treated her well, giving her pocket money since she was little. When she was sent abroad, fearing she might suffer alone in a foreign land, Shen Yu had increased her allowance several times over. Over the five years, it added up to a considerable amount.

“Don’t talk about doing things from the heart; you can even dig out my liver and kidneys if you want!” Shu Yang said. “Are you really lending me that much? With my current situation, I might not be able to repay you…”

Shuangxu replied, “Consider it as me buying into your business.”

Feixue was already teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, and no one wanted to get involved. Anyone investing now would have to be a 24K pure gold fool.

Shu Yang hadn’t cried when she broke up with her ex in a bitter argument, nor when she signed the chemotherapy consent form alone in the hospital. But at this moment, her eyes were filled with tears.

“The key moment, and you’re still the one I can rely on!”

Strong as she was, even though she could bear it all on her own, having someone there to support her made all the difference.

Shuangxu smiled and hugged her, patting her back. “A man who can only share the good times but not the hardships isn’t worth keeping. Don’t worry, I’m here with you.”

Shu Yang thought of something, sat up straight, and asked, “By the way, you came back so suddenly—wasn’t it hard to explain to your family? Did they let you come back?”

When it came to her family or the events before she went abroad, Shuangxu rarely spoke about it.

Shu Yang only knew that Shuangxu wasn’t close with her family, but she had an older brother who was the most important person to her.

What she did know, however, was that five years ago, Shuangxu had been forcibly sent abroad.

—She called it exile.

Shuangxu’s reaction was calmer than Shu Yang had expected. “The worst that could happen is being sent away again. I was already mentally prepared before I came back.”

At that moment, Shuangxu still had no idea that the news of her return had already been spread by an unnoticed passerby.

If one were to ask which young lady in Yancheng’s elite circle had the most prominent name, Song Shuangxu would definitely hold a spot in the top three.

Besides her complicated and convoluted background, it was also due to the powerful figure behind her—none other than the famous Shen Yu.

The news passed through several hands before finally reaching Yue Zifeng. He immediately tossed the photo into a small group chat, tagging Shen Yu several times, but received no reply.

Shen Yu had just stepped out of a meeting room when he received a call. “What are you so busy with that you’re not replying to my messages? Why didn’t you tell us that Shuangxu’s back?”

Hearing this, Shen Yu pulled the phone away from his ear and opened WeChat, only to see a photo of Shuangxu.

The background was a hospital, with people coming and going. It seemed like she had noticed someone taking a photo and had turned around, her hair brushing across her cheek, her clear eyes tinged with a hint of confusion.

Shen Yu closed the photo, opened Shuangxu’s chat, and confirmed there were no new messages.

2

After Shuangxu went abroad, their contact had decreased significantly. The child who used to follow him around like a shadow no longer shared many things with him.

The last time she had actively messaged him was over two months ago with a simple “Happy New Year.”

But now, she returned to the country without informing him. Had she become too “rebellious”?

The secretary handed over a large financial document, and Shen Yu took the pen, signing it without changing his expression. “Why should I tell you?”

“Look at what you’re saying, Shuangxu is also my sister,” Yue Zifeng said eagerly. “Why don’t you call her out for dinner tonight? I haven’t seen her in a long time, and I miss her.”

“Go find your own sister.”

“My sister is only seven. Am I supposed to eat the kids’ meal with her? It’s not enough to even get stuck in my teeth.”

“Then you should see a dentist,” Shen Yu directly hung up the phone, gesturing outward with his fingers, and the secretary closed the door and left.

He dialed Shuangxu’s number.

When Shuangxu received the call, she was about to leave the hospital.

Shen Yu’s reason for calling at this time was naturally clear to her. As she answered the phone, she was already thinking about how to explain her decision to return without permission.

On the other end of the phone, Shen Yu spoke first, his tone as casual as ever: “You’re back?”

“Mm,” Shuangxu replied. “I just arrived this afternoon.”

“What were you doing at the hospital? Not feeling well?”

Shen Yu’s calm, unhurried tone made her feel that, ever since she boarded the plane, her restless heart finally found some steadiness.

“I’m fine, I just went to visit my senior.”

Shen Yu didn’t say anything, simply replying, “Come home for dinner tonight. Send me the address, and I’ll have someone pick you up.”

Shuangxu obediently replied, “Okay.”

As dusk fell, the late spring air in Yancheng still held a lingering chill. Shuangxu tightened the collar of her trench coat and stood by the roadside. She didn’t wait long before the car arrived.

The driver walked around to the back, respectfully opening the door for her. “Miss Shuangxu.”

Shuangxu handed him her suitcase, bent down to get in the car, and only then did she see the man sitting inside.