Chapter 39: The White Moonlight’s Substitute (5)

Yao Shiyun listened with great interest to the stories about her childhood.

However, as it was nearly midnight and worried about affecting Yao Rong’s rest, Yao Shiyun reluctantly interrupted her mother’s reminiscing. She got off the hospital bed and helped Yao Rong lie back down comfortably.

Walking over to her bed, Yao Shiyun glanced at Yao Rong and smiled, “Goodnight, Mom.”

She turned off the lights in the ward.

Yao Rong closed her eyes. Just as she began to drift off, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

The system observed the data it had just re-evaluated: [How strange.]

“What’s wrong?”

Yao Rong was always patient with her system.

[Host, Yao Shiyun’s current self-destructive value remains at 80, and her self-denial value is still 95. The data hasn’t changed at all since you first arrived…]

[Clearly, over the past two days, you have been comforting her and repeatedly emphasizing that she is loved. Logically, her condition should have improved. Why has there been no effect?]

Yao Rong sensed a hint of confusion in the monotonous mechanical voice.

She sighed lightly, unsurprised. “But the people who truly love her, aside from me, have long since left her.”

Yao Shiyun clung to her, fixating on the past but never considering the future.

Because deep down, Yao Shiyun believed that besides her mother, grandfather and grandmother, no one would genuinely love her.

And the love from her mother and grandparents stemmed from their blood connection.

This was an irreplaceable bond that did not depend on how excellent or deserving she was.

“As long as Shiyun does not recognize her own value and wholeheartedly acknowledge that she is worthy of love, her self-denial cannot decrease.”

“When she feels inferior and hates herself, it is easy for her to give up on herself.” Thus, Yao Shiyun’s self-destructive value also stood at 80.

The system had a sudden realization: [So how do you plan to change her fate?]

“Saving Shiyun is not simply about altering her destiny—”

The scent of kapok flowers wafted in on the night breeze.

Fresh and elegant, it was refreshing to the soul.

Yet these lightly fragrant blossoms were known as “hero flowers.”

They bloomed vibrantly and vividly, fiery like flames.

“Rather, it is about teaching her how to conquer fate on her own.”

Inferiority and prejudice were shackles imposed on Yao Shiyun.

She needed to rely on her own efforts to overcome her sense of inferiority and break through bias in order to truly escape those chains.

*

For the Yun family, it was a chaotic night.

Under the watchful eyes of property management, Yun Jun helped his tantrum-throwing Grandma Yun into the car.

She did not want to leave, but several neighbors, including some of Yun Jun’s business partners, had come out to watch the commotion. Finally, with a stern, unhappy expression, Yun Jun managed to persuade Grandma Yun to reluctantly get into the car, albeit still looking sullen.

Just as Yun Jun and Grandma Yun were about to drive off, Yun Letao rushed over, eyes red-rimmed, and said pitifully, “Third Uncle, my birthday party was ruined…”

Yun Jun frowned slightly.

In truth, he felt some resentment towards his niece. If she hadn’t coaxed his mother, she wouldn’t have agreed to the villa party in the first place. If there hadn’t been a birthday party that angered Yao Rong, he wouldn’t have lost so much face tonight.

Of course, he couldn’t very well blame his own mother. Yun Jun had no choice but to shift the blame onto Yun Letao.

However, considering that his niece had indeed suffered, Yun Jun suppressed his temper. “Next time I’ll throw you another birthday party to make up for it.”

“Third Uncle, is it true that Third Aunt said she would take inventory of the villa’s valuables?” Yun Letao wasn’t asking for compensation; she wanted to know if Yao Rong meant what she said.

Over the years, Yun Letao had “borrowed” countless clothes and jewelry.

She didn’t even know where some items had ended up. What if they really called the police to investigate?

Yun Jun’s expression darkened as he caught the underlying meaning in Yun Letao’s words: “You took things from your Third Aunt and Shiyun?”

Grandma Yun bristled, her bad mood flaring. “Enough! Why are you yelling at the child? Letao has told me all about this. Our Letao is so beautiful, she deserves to be pampered with the best. You adults didn’t buy them for her, leaving her no choice but to borrow from others. That’s enough of a hardship on Letao as is.”

“Mom…” Yun Jun said wearily.

He knew reasoning with his mother was futile and directly told Yun Letao: “Return everything by tomorrow morning.”

To Yun Jun, these clothes and jewelry were trivial matters.

Having given that instruction, he had the driver take them away.

Watching the car fade into the distance, Yun Letao stamped her foot, fuming.

Back at home, Yun Letao begrudgingly began rummaging through her wardrobe and jewelry boxes.

The clothes weren’t the issue; however, there were two pieces of jewelry that Yun Letao adored—she simply couldn’t bear to return them.

After deliberating, she decided not to give them back after all.

She had never seen Yao Shiyun wear those pieces. When she initially took them, the tags were still attached—they were clearly brand new.

Maybe Yao Shiyun had forgotten about them altogether.

With that rationalization, Yun Letao also picked out a dress she particularly liked from the pile of clothing.

This dress wasn’t going back either.

Oh, and those heels! She’d keep them to match the dress.

She refused to believe that cowardly Yao Shiyun would actually dare to call the police.

It was probably an empty threat.

At that thought, Yun Letao’s expression soured further. With Grandma kicked out of the villa, she could never again wear Yao Shiyun’s clothes. The monthly allowance from her parents wasn’t even enough to buy one designer dress.

Just then, Yun Letao’s phone lit up.

A stranger had tagged her in their school’s group chat.

Yun Letao gripped her phone tightly, eyes wide, as she stared at the post someone had shared—

「Bai fumei^[1]white, rich and beautiful? No, this is a slap in the face for a pretentious fatty!」

In the post, the original poster claimed to have heard juicy gossip from a friend. A certain sophomore girl at their school, who always flaunted a “bai fumei” persona, had been publicly kicked out by property management while hosting a birthday party at a mansion.

Although the poster didn’t name names, with so many people having attended tonight’s party, Yun Letao’s identity was quickly uncovered.

Many knew Yun Letao’s father worked at Yao Corporation. Combined with the mansion owner’s surname being “Yao”, some sharp individuals connected the dots:

[ylt was never some “bai fumei” in the first place. I bet her uncle just latched onto someone who was.]

[LOL I’m dying. I always hated ylt’s pretentious act. And here I thought, as a young lady raised in a prestigious family, how can she be so petty? Now I get it. Turns out she’s no phoenix at all, just a chicken dressed up as one.]

[Yao Corporation? My dad does business with them. According to him, the former chairman only had one daughter who later married into the family. That wedding was particularly grand—it caused quite the stir in A City back then.]

[So this is a case of the legendary phoenix man?]

Yun Letao trembled with rage as she scrolled.

[I knew it! A Bai fumei always decked out in Chanel—yet her family car is only worth 200k?]

[Clearly the car is the only thing her family actually owns!]

[Wow, is this an alternate version of social climbing? At least the typical social climbers spend their own money. She’s just shamelessly mooching!]

Scrolling further revealed outsiders flocking in just to gawk at the drama.

The post already spanned over 20 pages, with more comments rapidly piling on. Yun Letao flung her phone aside and screamed into her hands.

It was over.

All over.

*

Yao Shiyun slept particularly well last night.

Perhaps it was from spending the evening hearing stories about her grandparents—she even dreamed of going to an amusement park with them as a child.

After Yao Rong finished breakfast, Yao Shiyun excitedly recounted her wonderful dream.

Reminiscing about the interesting parts made Yao Shiyun’s eyes shine brighter than usual.

However, when the system ran its diagnostic again, as expected, Yao Shiyun’s values all remained unchanged.

“Shiyun.” Once Yao Shiyun had finished sharing her dream with unquenched enthusiasm, Yao Rong spoke softly, “Do you have classes this afternoon?”

“Yes, two electives.”

“You should ask your advisor for leave. Go back to the villa and check if anything valuable is missing.”

“Okay.” Yao Shiyun nodded.

However, Yao Rong wasn’t finished. “If the villa was robbed, do you think you can get compensation for the losses?”

Raising her bruised left hand, worry tinged Yao Rong’s brow.

“Thinking about how the Yuns not only live in my villa but might steal from me… it pains me.”

“Should I… pursue damages?” Yao Shiyun’s heart lurched anxiously.

Yao Rong looked at her, eyes filled with encouragement and anticipation. “Are you willing to try?”

Yao Shiyun bit her lip.

She didn’t want to disappoint Yao Rong.

But the thought of demanding compensation from Grandma Yun and Yun Letao filled her with dread—an ingrained fear built up over many years.

As the conflicting emotions warred within her, Yao Shiyun’s eyes grew moist. She looked to Yao Rong imploringly.

“…I’m afraid I won’t do well.”

Not wanting to push too hard too soon, Yao Rong gently took her hand. “I can’t show myself right now, but I’ll support you behind the scenes with strategies. Just do what you can for now.”

Yao Rong picked up Yao Shiyun’s Bluetooth earphones and placed them in her right ear. “If you encounter any insurmountable problems, call me. I’ll guide you. I’m keeping one bodyguard with me and sending four with you for backup.”

Knowing Yao Rong would be there in spirit calmed Yao Shiyun’s nerves somewhat.

She swallowed hard, suppressing her anxiety, and held Yao Rong’s hand tightly. “Okay.”

She had to try to share some of her mother’s burden.

Mustering her courage, Yao Shiyun stopped at the supermarket on her way to get lunch and grabbed a beer, tucking it into her bag.

Patting the slight bulge, she chanted silently, “Don’t be nervous”. Somehow it helped lessen her initial panic.

Phone in hand, Yao Shiyun was about to request leave from her advisor when a new WeChat message popped up.

The familiar avatar and nickname set her hands trembling. She hesitated before opening it.

「Xinghua: I heard from your roommate you went back to class yesterday. I guess your mom is doing better?」

「Xinghua: You have class this afternoon. Bring my stuff after, I’ll wait outside your dorm.」

When pursuing Yao Shiyun, Lu Xinghua had gotten her schedule from her roommate and even had the girl arrange meetups.

So upon confirming Yao Shiyun’s return to school, he messaged her immediately, impatient to see her.

Reading the texts, Yao Shiyun wasn’t surprised.

But the hurt was unavoidable.

Her strength seemed to drain away. She sank to the ground hugging her knees, fingers shaking as she typed a reply.

Her mind was in turmoil. Type and delete, type and delete.

Lu Xinghua must have seen 「Typing…」After waiting a while, he sent another message:「?」

That accusatory question mark was too much. Yao Shiyun squeezed her eyes shut and, in a fit of sorrow and anger, found a measure of calm.「I have something else to do this afternoon. Not going to class.」

「Xinghua: ……」

「Xinghua: We’ve already broken up. You’re being childish.」

Yao Shiyun jabbed at her screen, tears trickling down: 「Believe what you want.」

She promptly changed Lu Xinghua’s chat name to his full name.

Roughly swiping at her eyes, she suddenly noticed a shadow. Someone offered her a tissue.

Looking up, she saw Tao Zijin. A bit embarrassed, she took the tissue. “Zijin, what brings you here?”

Tao Zijin, in a white coat with a stethoscope and medical records, looked refined yet aloof behind gold-rimmed glasses.

He was Dr. Tao’s grandson. After completing grad school, he began working at the hospital.

The Tao and Yao families went way back. Moreover, with Dr. Tao serving as Yao Rong’s primary physician for many years, the two had known each other since childhood.

Though they didn’t cross paths often, they were still childhood friends in a sense.

“I came by the ward and saw you here. Get up,” he said, reaching to help her stand.

On her feet, Yao Shiyun softly thanked him.

“Since I ran into you, I’ll check on Aunt Yao too. Shall we head back together or do you need a moment?” Tao Zijin asked.

“Let’s go. The food will get cold,” Yao Shiyun replied, wiping her tears and following him.

They rode the elevator in silence to the 26th floor. Nearing Yao Rong’s room, Yao Shiyun finally mustered the nerve to speak. “Um, Zijin, about earlier…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret,” Tao Zijin assured her, guessing her thoughts. “If you’re facing any difficulties, feel free to reach out. Even if I can’t help much, getting it off your chest may lighten your mood.”

Yao Shiyun raised a hand in promise. “It’s nothing serious. I can handle it.”

“Alright then.” Tao Zijin gestured to her hair. “You’ve got something…”

She felt around, finding a small leaf tangled in her hair. “Got it.”

“Let’s head in.”

They entered the room together.

“You two came together?” Yao Rong looked up from chatting with Yu Xue.

Tao Zijin began examining Yao Rong. “How have you been feeling lately, Aunt?”

Yao Rong smiled. “Much better.”

Finishing up, Tao Zijin said warmly, “Aunt Yao, you’ve recovered very well.”

“I feel much more comfortable now,” Yao Rong confirmed.

“I’ll leave you to your lunch then. Aunt Yao, Shiyun.” Tao Zijin closed the records, nodding to them before leaving.

After they ate, Yao Shiyun said, “Mom, I’ll head to the villa now.”

“Go ahead. You can handle this. Believe in yourself,” Yao Rong signaled to Yu Xue, who nodded in understanding.

As Yao Shiyun left, Yu Xue followed close behind.

The drive from the hospital to the Yao villa was short.

In the car, Yao Shiyun pulled out the beer, popping it open and taking a big gulp, nearly choking.

It was her first time drinking. The bitterness was overwhelming but she pushed through, finishing the can.

Whether a placebo effect or not, she did feel calmer.

Less than half an hour later, they arrived at the villa.

Yao Shiyun had worried about encountering Grandma Yun but found only the property manager and locksmith outside.

Recognizing Yao Shiyun, the manager greeted her, “Miss Yao, you’re back!”

Yao Shiyun nodded politely in acknowledgment.

The manager reported, “Following Mrs. Yao’s instructions, we allowed the Yuns to collect their belongings this morning, then had them removed before noon. Would you like to see the visitor log?”

“I suppose I should.” Yao Shiyun had no strong opinion and went along with the manager’s suggestion.

The log confirmed Yun Jun, Grandma Yun, and Yun Letao had been present.

“Thank you.” Yao Shiyun handed back the log. “Please, carry on. I’ll head inside.”

Upon entering, the housekeeper and servants greeted her warmly, updating her on recent events.

The housekeeper informed her that Yun Letao had dragged in three suitcases earlier, claiming to return “borrowed” clothes and jewelry.

They had retained the 24-inch cases without touching them, waiting for Yao Shiyun’s return before addressing the matter.

“What do you plan to do with these items?” the housekeeper respectfully inquired.

Pondering briefly, Yao Shiyun was initially uncertain how to approach the situation. “Let me check upstairs first.”

Once upstairs, Yao Shiyun first entered her own room and walked to the attached dressing room.

Converted from two adjoining bedrooms, the space was exceptionally large. Designer clothes hung on every rack, with an entire wall dedicated to shoes.

Many outfits remained untouched with tags intact—they were gifts from her mother that Yao Shiyun had never personally worn.

The racks appeared undisturbed at first glance, but the shoe wall was noticeably missing six pairs – no doubt “borrowed” by Yun Letao, likely now inside the suitcases downstairs.

Yao Shiyun had zero desire for anything Yun Letao had worn!

She wasn’t lacking in new clothes and shoes herself. Naturally, she had no interest in wearing items used by someone she detested.

But these clothes and shoes had been bought by her mother.

Yao Shiyun had never even worn them. Tossing them out would be such a waste!

If Yun Letao didn’t compensate for this loss, Yao Shiyun and her mother would have to bear the cost themselves.

As an A University student, a solution came easily to Yao Shiyun. She simply lacked the courage to act on it.

But now, emboldened by the alcohol, she felt a surge of determination.

Yun Letao had to pay for this loss! She couldn’t keep letting herself be taken advantage of.

Yao Shiyun marched out to the housekeeper. “Contact all the luxury brands that have sent us clothes and jewelry. Have them compile my mom’s purchase records for the past three years and send them to me. Then do an inventory based on those records. First, check if Yun Letao returned everything she stole.”

“If she hasn’t…”

“If she hasn’t…”

Yao Shiyun took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and said in a firm, resolute voice, “We’ll call the police. I want to recover everything that was taken from me.“

The words left her in a rush. Touching her chest, Yao Shiyun realized that some things weren’t as difficult as she’d imagined. She was perfectly capable. 

The instant her words rang out, in the hospital across town, Yao Rong heard a chime in her mind.

[Congratulations Host, Yao Shiyun’s current self-destruction value is 80 and self-denial value is 90. Please continue your efforts.]