{No matter what, I just can’t get on it anymore 2}

Shen Qiyue stood frozen in place, still a bit bewildered.

She could hardly believe how easily she had gotten everything she had longed for. Shouldn’t there have been more drama in the moment of recognition? She remembered TV shows playing out that way.

But how could she resist—

A mother beckoning to her, an elegant mother, impeccably dressed from head to toe.

By comparison, Qian Xu could never be as passionate, beautiful, or noble as her own real mother, who exuded an air of aloofness beyond the reach of ordinary people.

She liked her mother.

From the first moment she saw her, or perhaps even before they met, she had been sure of this affection.

Even the subtle superiority her mother exuded didn’t make Shen Xiyue uncomfortable. She believed her mother should naturally be a cut above the rest.

She ran toward the mother who had been absent from her life for so long.

Without looking back, she ran.

This time, she no longer compared, because from the moment her mother appeared, she felt comparisons no longer mattered. She thought she could leave Qian Xu behind entirely.

Tears welled up as Shen Qiyue buried herself in Cheng Shuangyi’s arms.

“But, Mom, why haven’t you come back to see us even once?”

The little girl snuggled into Cheng Shuangyi’s embrace, her lively eyes blinking. Her question wasn’t accusatory, nor did it carry any resentment—it was more like a spontaneous expression of grievance.

Shen Qiyue murmured softly.

Cheng Shuangyi pinched her chubby cheek lightly. “Silly girl, how could Mom not want to see you?”

She didn’t say “you all,” but “you.”

Compared to the equal kindness she received from Qian Xu, this blatant favoritism made Shen Qiyue’s heart soar.

The feeling of being recognized and treasured by her own birth mother was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It satisfied a small part of her vanity. As for whether Cheng Shuangyi cared about her brother, Shen Xiyue clearly didn’t care that much anymore.

“This is a gift from Mom for our first meeting.”

A delicate, vintage-patterned handbag was handed to Shen Qiyue by Cheng Shuangyi.

The bag was small and square, a sturdy and reliable little box—indestructible, yet undeniably elegant, radiating the sophisticated aura Shen Qiyue had always admired.

Shen Qiyue cradled it to her chest, spinning excitedly in place. “Mom, you’re so good to me.”

The scene of mother and daughter bonding caught everyone off guard.

Shen Qiyue widened her eyes, unsure, and asked, “Can I take a picture to remember this?”

Sometimes, taking a photo is the only way to hold on to that happiness; though clearly, it might serve other purposes as well. Cheng Shuangyi patted the eager girl in her arms, her cold, elegant expression softening, pretending to be warm. She didn’t refuse. “Of course you can.”

She quickly realized that Shen Qiyue’s camera wouldn’t just capture the matching mother-daughter bags, but would also include their faces. Since they had just met, Cheng Shuangyi had no way to reject the request outright. Before the camera could snap, she swiftly touched up her makeup.

Shen Qiyue waited patiently as Cheng Shuangyi refreshed her look, believing this meant her mother cared enough to want to leave the best possible impression in front of her camera.

The photo was taken.

As they leaned close, Shen Qiyue felt something soft and delicate brush against her cheek—skin that smelled of an expensive, high-end perfume.

So this is what it feels like to have a mother.

Shen Qiyue knew their time together was brief, but she felt a deep emotional connection. Reluctantly, she looked toward her poised and graceful mother standing in the luxury store, her eyes drifting to the bodyguard nearby who had been silently watching over her. “Mom, will we see each other again?”

“We will.”

This wasn’t just an empty promise.

They would undoubtedly see each other frequently from now on.

But Cheng Shuangyi was already feeling a bit drained from dealing with such a clingy child. The only reason she thought it was worth the effort today was because she knew Shen Xiyue’s every move would soon be reported back to Shen Qi. That made the day’s roundabout efforts worthwhile.

Shen Qiyue knew this wasn’t the right time to ask for more, but deep down, she missed her mother terribly.

For years, she had nurtured an idealized image of her mother in her mind, and now that Cheng Shuangyi had truly appeared, she was a thousand times better than any version Shen Qiyue had ever imagined.

But admiring her mother alone wasn’t enough. Shen Qiyue wasn’t sure why, but on impulse, she opened an email account that she shared with Qian Xu.

She uploaded all the precious photos she had just taken with her mother.

Half an hour later, though she was certain she had the right password, she found she could no longer log in. She suspected it was a network delay, but no matter what she tried, the email account remained inaccessible.