Chapter 70: You Must Be Interested in Me, Right?

The next day, Shuangxu helped Fu Yun go through the discharge procedures and returned to the Shen family. After Fu Yun took her medicine, she needed to take a nap. Shuangxu, unusually, acted spoiled: “Dry Mom, can I sleep with you?”

Fu Yun was surprised: “Why not?” She smiled and patted the bed. “Come.”

Shuangxu took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, resting her head on Fu Yun’s shoulder. Fu Yun held her hand.

Although she lived a life of luxury and her hands were well-maintained, as smooth and delicate as a young girl’s, Shuangxu always felt that her hands felt different when she held them.

To her, Fu Yun was like a mother.

Fu Yun hugged her: “It’s good to have a daughter.”

At that moment, the two of them were nestled together, without any probing, without any suspicion. The anxiety and worry of the past few days had temporarily subsided, leaving a rare peace and tranquility.

“You’ve worked hard these past few days,” she said. Fu Yun had seen her by the bedside, taking care of her personally. Recalling her own actions since returning to China, Fu Yun felt a pang of guilt.

She couldn’t express it, but the scene reminded her of old memories: “When you first came to the house, you were so timid, afraid to sleep alone at night. I had to coax you to sleep.”

When Shuangxu first arrived at the Shen family, she was like a small animal in an unfamiliar place, lacking a sense of security. In the middle of the night, she couldn’t sleep and would scratch at Shen Yu’s door.

Shen Yu sent her back to her room, but she would go back to scratching. Finally, he gave in and let her in.

So, for the first few days, she secretly slept in Shen Yu’s room.

Later, Fu Yun heard that she was afraid to sleep alone, so she happily came to her room every night to coax her to sleep, to release her maternal love, until Shuangxu adapted to her new environment and no longer woke up in the middle of the night for no reason.

Shuangxu smiled and said softly, “I wish I could wake up and go back to that time.”

Fu Yun also felt a sense of nostalgia, patting her back like she was soothing a child.

After Fu Yun fell asleep, Shuangxu carefully got up and left the bedroom.

She called Shen Yu, wanting to discuss something with him. The phone rang for a long time before it was answered, and Lu Manman’s voice came through: “Xiao Jiu, your brother is already asleep. Do you need him for something?”

Shuangxu was stunned: “There’s something I want to discuss with him.”

“He’s been so tired these past few days, he just fell asleep. I don’t want to wake him up.” Lu Manman said in a low voice. “I’ll tell him when he wakes up.”

Shuangxu said, “I’ll wait for him at home.”

“Okay,” Lu Manman agreed.

Shuangxu sat in the living room waiting. Wang 嫂 asked if she wanted a blanket to sleep on, but she shook her head.

She leaned back on the sofa, her mind replaying the past frame by frame.

Fifteen years ago, on the street, a pair of white sneakers stopped for her. Shen Yu held her hand and led her into this house. For the next ten years, it became her home.

Shuangxu didn’t know how long she had been waiting. When she raised her head, the night had silently spread out.

Time flew by, and it felt like she had gone through another ten years in these few hours.

Shen Yu didn’t come back and didn’t call her back.

Shuangxu made her own decision.

When she left the house, she didn’t alert anyone. She stood in the night wind and dialed He Tingzhou’s number.

The phone was answered quickly, but there was no sound on the other end, just silence, waiting for her to speak first.

“Brother Tingzhou .”

He Tingzhou’s voice was flat: “What.”

“Can I see you? I have something I want to talk to you about.”

There was silence for a few seconds, then He Tingzhou said, “Come over.”

It took half an hour to drive from the Shen family to Yanxi. He Tingzhou’s villa was in Taihe Courtyard, located in the most scarce noble land in the western suburbs of Yancheng. Driving along the wide and flat path, the villa’s gate was already open, waiting for her.

He liked the lively environment to help him sleep, but this villa was unusually quiet.

Shuangxu parked the car in the courtyard. The door wasn’t locked, so she pushed it open and walked in. He Tingzhou was already waiting for her in the living room.

He was wearing a shirt and trousers, as if he had just come back from somewhere. He was leaning back on the sofa, lazily resting his fingers on his temple, fiddling with his phone absentmindedly.

Hearing footsteps, he raised his eyelids slightly, without much reaction, only the phone in his hand stopped turning.

He stared at Shuangxu as she walked over, not moving until she sat on the sofa beside him, then he spoke: “For the Shen family?”

So he knew everything.

Shuangxu nodded: “Yes.”

“Before you came to me, who else did you go to?” He Tingzhou asked.

“My dad.”

“Didn’t your dad tell you how tricky this is?”

Shuangxu said, “That’s why I came to you.”

“How can you be so sure I’ll help you?”

The question hit the nail on the head. Shuangxu looked at him, her apricot eyes clear and pure, without a trace of impurity, clean as water, filled with hope: “I’m not sure, Brother Tingzhou , can you help me?”

He Tingzhou leaned his head back and looked at her for a moment before saying slowly, “I can.”

His voice changed: “What do you have to bargain with me?”

This question made Shuangxu pause for a moment, and she answered honestly: “I have nothing.”

Besides herself, she had nothing. She had less wealth than him, less power than him, and she didn’t even have a backer she could rely on.

“Then why should I help you?” He Tingzhou said.

The hope that had just begun to ignite in her heart was frozen by a bucket of cold water. Shuangxu’s bright eyes slowly dimmed.

It was understandable. Everyone was avoiding this, afraid of getting involved. It was the wisest choice for him not to intervene.

He Tingzhou had helped her many times, so she easily had the illusion that they were friends.

Of course, every time she had this misunderstanding, he would remind her in time, not to be self-deceiving.

“I have nothing to offer you.” Shuangxu said softly, her voice almost inaudible.

She knew that she was asking for too much, but she couldn’t help but ask.

“Then why should I help you?” He Tingzhou repeated, his voice cold and indifferent.

Shuangxu knew that he was right. She had nothing to offer him, so why should he help her?

She looked at him, her eyes filled with pleading.

He Tingzhou didn’t answer, but he didn’t look away either. He just sat there, his eyes fixed on her, his expression unreadable.

The silence stretched on, and Shuangxu felt a chill creep up her spine. She knew that she was in a difficult position, and she didn’t know what to do.

Finally, He Tingzhou spoke, his voice low and husky: “I’ll help you, but you have to do something for me.”

Shuangxu’s heart skipped a beat. She had been expecting this, but she was still surprised when he said it.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

He Tingzhou smiled, a sly and dangerous smile. “I’ll tell you later,” he said. “But I’ll need you to be my eyes and ears in the Shen family.”

Shuangxu’s eyes widened in surprise. She didn’t understand. Why would he want her to be his eyes and ears in the Shen family?

“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice filled with confusion.

He Tingzhou leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know,” he said. “But you have to promise me that you’ll do what I ask.”

Shuangxu hesitated for a moment. She didn’t like the idea of being someone’s eyes and ears, but she knew that she had no choice. She needed his help, and she was willing to do anything to get it.

“I promise,” she said, her voice firm.

He Tingzhou nodded. “Good,” he said. “Now, tell me everything you know about the Shen family.”

And so, Shuangxu began to tell him everything she knew about the Shen family, their business dealings, their secrets, their weaknesses. She told him everything she could remember, even the smallest details.

He Tingzhou listened patiently, his eyes never leaving her face. He seemed to be absorbing every word she said, and Shuangxu felt a strange sense of unease.

She didn’t know what he was planning, but she knew that it was something big. And she was afraid.

But she had no choice. She had made her decision, and she was in too deep to turn back now.

She only hoped that she was doing the right thing.

Sentimental.

“Nothing.” She always forgot that she didn’t have that much face, “I’m sorry to bother you.”

She finished her sentence and stood up, walking towards the door, her hand on the doorknob, but she hesitated to open it.

Leaving from here now, she had no better way to help the Shen family. The Shen family had once sheltered her from the wind and rain, but now Shen Changyuan was gone, and she couldn’t even do anything.

He Tingzhou was her only hope.

He Tingzhou got up and walked to the bar, pouring himself a glass of water, not looking at her.

Shuang Xu stood silently at the door for a moment before turning back, walking towards him.

“I have no bargaining chips, I only have myself.” She clenched her fingertips, not letting her voice tremble, “But you, you should… have some interest in me.”

She actually didn’t have much confidence. This was equivalent to handing him the handle to insult and ridicule her at will. She was betting on the hint of desire she saw in his eyes that night at Blue Night, hoping it wasn’t a misunderstanding.

If she bet wrong, he would definitely mock and ridicule her mercilessly, and then she would truly have no face left.