Chapter 1: Influential Figures

Song Shuangxu’s return to China was sudden, and she didn’t tell anyone.

As the plane landed, she heard the standard Mandarin on the airport broadcast, and the faces of the people passing by were all Chinese. It was then that she truly felt she had returned to her homeland.

Shuangxu wore a light beige trench coat, with a simple linen white shirt and jeans underneath, but her silky soft hair exuded an air of nobility.

The driver, in a thick Beijing accent, said, “Miss, where are you going?”

“The Third Hospital.”

April in Yancheng was bursting with the vitality of spring. Shuangxu had not been back for five years, and this hasty return was because her college senior, Shu Yang, was sick.

When she entered the ward, Shu Yang, her body thin, was sitting cross-legged on the bed, chanting, “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form, men are only for play, not for the heart…”

Shuangxu’s worries dissipated at that moment, “Why are you seeing through the world when you’re sick?”

Shu Yang, who was chanting, opened her eyes, her surprise evident, “Hey, why are you back!”

“Of course I have to come back if you’re sick.” Shuangxu sat down by the bed, “What did the doctor say?”

Shu Yang had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome a while back. Simply put, it’s a malignant tumor originating from hematopoietic stem cells, also known as pre-leukemia.

Her boyfriend of many years, while she was hospitalized, not only took all the cash and half of the company’s core staff, but also took the technical data that Shu Yang had worked on for two years.

“One bad news, one good news,” Shu Yang said, “The doctor said I’m already in the intermediate risk 2 stage, and the chance of turning into leukemia is very high. I need to do chemotherapy.”

“What’s the good news?”

In this situation, Shuangxu hoped to hear some positive news.

“The good news is, chemotherapy can only control, not cure, and it will also damage ovarian function, I may not be able to have children in the future.”

Shuangxu initially thought she had said it backwards, but thinking about it, it was hard to say which of the two pieces of news was worse.

“That’s called good news?” She touched Shu Yang’s forehead, “Did the disease affect your brain?”

“Isn’t realizing what a scumbag he is good news?” Shu Yang, a carefree person, was easygoing about everything. “Besides, I didn’t want to have children anyway. I suspect this disease is hereditary. My dad died of leukemia.”

She had been with Chen Peiran for four years, returned to China together to start a business, and their relationship was stable. Who would have thought that as soon as she got sick, Chen Peiran would run away with the money.

Shuangxu frowned, “I don’t expect him to be there for you in your time of need, but can he at least not rub salt in the wound?”

“Aren’t all men like this? The most unreliable thing in this world is love. Women who believe in love will surely suffer the bitterness of love.”

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

Shuangxu agreed with that.

“Even though I’ve never been in love, I’ve already suffered for it.” Shuangxu said, “I still have some savings, I’ve transferred it to your card. It’s not much, but it should help you tide over for now.”

Shu Yang counted the number of digits in her mobile banking balance and let out a rooster’s crow, “This is called ‘not much’???”

Shuangxu’s “not much” and her “not much” were not even in the same ballpark.

Shuangxu covered her mouth to quiet her, “Shh… Just know that I’m being sincere, don’t get excited.”

Shen Yu loved her very much. Since she was a child, he would give her pocket money. After she was sent abroad, he was afraid she would suffer alone in a foreign country, so he increased her allowance several times. Five years added up to a considerable amount.

“Don’t say sincere, you can dig out my liver and kidneys!” Shu Yang said, “Are you really lending me this much? My current situation, I may not be able to repay it…”

Shuangxu said, “Consider it an investment.”

Feixue was on the verge of bankruptcy, and everyone was avoiding it. Anyone investing now would be a 24K pure gold fool.

Shu Yang didn’t cry when she broke up with her ex-boyfriend, she didn’t cry when she lay alone in the hospital bed and signed the chemotherapy consent form herself, but now her eyes were filled with tears.

“You’re the one I can rely on in crucial moments!”

Strong as she was, although she could handle it herself, it was different to have someone behind her to support her at this time.

Shuangxu smiled and hugged her, patting her back, “A man who can only share the good times and not the bad times is not worth it. It’s okay, I’ll be with you.”

Shu Yang thought of something and sat up straight, “By the way, why did you suddenly come back this time? Is it hard to explain to your family? Did they let you come back?”

Shuangxu didn’t talk much about her family or what happened before she went abroad.

Shu Yang only knew that she wasn’t close to her family, that she had a brother who was the most important person to her.

And that five years ago, Shuangxu was forcibly sent abroad.

–She called it exile.

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

At this moment, Shuangxu didn’t know that the news of her return had already been spread by a passerby who she had not noticed.

If you were to talk about which young lady in the Yancheng elite circle had the most famous name, Song Shuangxu would definitely be in the top 3.

Besides her complicated and convoluted background, it was also because she had the famous Shen Yu behind her.

The news was passed around a few times and finally reached Yue Zifeng, who in turn threw the photo into a small group chat, @ing Shen Yu several times but getting no response.

Shen Yu had just come out of the conference room when he received his call, “What are you busy with, you’re not replying to my messages. Your little sister Shuangxu is back, why didn’t you tell us?”

Shen Yu took the phone away from his ear and clicked on WeChat, seeing the photo of Shuangxu.

The background was a hospital, crowded with people. It seemed that she noticed someone taking a picture, she turned around and looked back, her hair brushing against her cheek, her clear eyes slightly bewildered.

Shen Yu went back, opened Shuangxu’s chat box, and confirmed that there were no new messages.

After Shuangxu went abroad, her contact with him had fewer and fewer things to share with him. The kids who used to follow him like a tail had grown up and had their own lives.

The last time she had taken the initiative to message him was two months ago, for “Happy New Year.”

But she didn’t even notify him when she returned to the country. Was she being “rebellious” too much?

The secretary handed him a large financial statement. Shen Yu signed it without changing his expression. “Why would you tell him?”

“Come on, Frost is my sister too.” Yue Zifeng was excited. “Let’s take her out for dinner tonight. I haven’t seen her in ages, I miss her.”

“Go find your own sister to eat with.”

“My sister is only seven years old. Am I supposed to eat a kids’ meal with her? It wouldn’t even fill my teeth.”

“Then you should go see a dentist.” Shen Yu hung up the phone directly, pointed his finger outwards and waved lightly. The secretary closed the door and left.

He called Frost.

Frost was about to leave the hospital when she received the call.

She naturally knew why Shen Yu was calling at this time. While picking up the phone, she thought about how to explain her unauthorized return.

Shen Yu on the other end spoke first, his tone was natural and casual. “Back?”

“Yeah,” Frost said. “I just arrived this afternoon.”

“What were you doing at the hospital, feeling unwell?”

Shen Yu’s unhurried pace calmed her heart, which had been floating uneasily since she boarded the plane.

“I’m fine, I was just visiting my senior.”

Shen Yu didn’t say anything, only said, “Come home for dinner tonight. Send me the address, I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

Frost answered honestly, “Okay.”

As dusk fell, the late spring Yan City still had a biting chill. Frost pulled up the collar of her windbreaker and stood by the roadside. She didn’t wait long before the car arrived.

The driver went around to the back and respectfully opened the door for her. “Miss Shuangxu.”

Frost handed him her suitcase and bent down to get in. Only then did she see the man sitting in the car.