Chapter 7: The Necklace  

In a low, trembling voice, the hands tightly wrapped around Yan Qingye’s waist, as if afraid that in the next second, she would no longer be able to hold the person before her.  

“What’s wrong?”  

The moment she was embraced, Yan Qingye’s first instinct was to push her away. But in the end, out of concern for the injury on her head and her unusual state, she forcefully suppressed that urge.  

Shen Zhansi looked up, her gaze fixed intently on Yan Qingye, her longing undisguised yet tinged with a hidden fear.  

“Just now, I thought I would never wake up again.”  

It felt as though something was tearing at her, trying to pull her away from her own body. The terror of losing everything seized her entire soul, driving her to struggle desperately, to cling fiercely to all that was hers.  

She had a premonition—that if she left, she would never return.  

Instead of showing worry, Yan Qingye furrowed her brows, deep in thought.  

If what she said was true—if she hadn’t woken up—then could *her* Shen Zhansi have returned?  

Her hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides, her eyes dark and unreadable. But now that she had woken up, there was no way to force her back into that state.  

This powerlessness—she had tasted it far too often over the years.  

Before meeting Shen Zhansi, she had never known what helplessness was. She had always believed that anything she wanted could be obtained through effort. But after meeting Shen Zhansi, everything changed.  

She would fret over Shen Zhansi’s distance, secretly rejoice at her closeness, and when she discovered that the person in her body was no longer the Shen Zhansi she loved, that powerlessness reached its peak.  

She couldn’t expel the intruder from her body. All she could do was keep Shen Zhansi’s body by her side.  

“Go to sleep,” Yan Qingye said, her voice flat.  

As long as this body was unharmed, the state of this intruder’s soul was of no concern to her.  

Hearing her near-indifferent tone, Shen Zhansi felt a pang of sorrow, but she was gradually growing accustomed to it. It seemed that whether it was her now or the version of herself from those missing ten years, it had always been unrequited love.  

Suddenly, Shen Zhansi’s gaze froze. She stared intently at the silver necklace around Yan Qingye’s neck—a platinum chain with a circular timepiece pendant, its surface catching the light with a faint glimmer.  

“You still wear this?” Shen Zhansi asked softly.  

This necklace had been her gift to Yan Qingye for her seventeenth birthday. At the time, it was the best thing she could afford, draining every last bit of her savings.  

Though the Shen family was well-off, her parents didn’t want her to grow up spoiled or wasteful, so her allowance had always been modest.  

She had started saving early, even secretly taking on translation jobs to earn extra money. By the time Yan Qingye’s birthday arrived, she had finally scraped together enough to buy this necklace.  

After purchasing it, she had gone without eating out for a long time, making sure to return home for every meal.  

All because she had run out of money.  

When Yan Qingye heard her words, her brows knitted slightly. She lowered her head, studying Shen Zhansi with a probing gaze, her heartbeat quickening uncontrollably.  

She wanted to ask why this person before her spoke of the necklace in such a tone. But the words caught in her throat, leaving her unable to speak.

The person before her seemed to know too much about the private matters between her and Shen Zhansi, as if she had some kind of assistance. One moment she was completely ignorant, and the next, she could see right through everything.

“None of your business.” Yan Qingye tucked the necklace into her collar, pried the hands encircling her waist away, and checked the bandage on Shen Zhansi’s head. Seeing no fresh bloodstains, she ignored her further, turned off the light, and lay down on the accompanying bed.

Faced with such cold indifference, Shen Zhansi felt a pang of discomfort. She slowly lay down as well, turning to face Yan Qingye.

In the darkness, she couldn’t make out Yan Qingye’s features, only a vague outline. Yet, even that indistinct silhouette brought her a sense of peace. Gradually, the tension from her abrupt awakening eased, and she drifted back to sleep.

Their breathing grew lighter as both sank into their own sweet dreams.

The night passed without further incident.

…

When Shen Zhansi woke again the next morning, she could hear hushed voices nearby. She frowned, eyelids fluttering open, and upon seeing the hospital ceiling, felt an indescribable mix of emotions.

Disappointed that she hadn’t returned to being seventeen, yet relieved she had woken up at all.

“Dirty’s awake?” came the voice of her mother, Madam Luo Jie.

Shen Zhansi turned to Madam Luo, taking in her slightly lined face, and flashed her a bright smile.

Seeing her so cheerful, Madam Luo was momentarily dazed. It really seemed as if her daughter had reverted to her seventeen-year-old self after the injury—her smile radiating pure, infectious joy.

“So happy, are we?”

Madam Luo pinched her cheek affectionately, her own demeanor softening noticeably in response to Shen Zhansi’s transformation.

Shen Zhansi’s eyes crinkled into two lovely crescents. At that moment, Madam Luo looked as if she were fussing over an unbearably adorable Inner Imp, even cupping her face and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I’m just so happy to see you, Mom.”

Her words were sweet, but even as she spoke, her eyes darted around the room. Aside from Aunt Zhang tidying up, she didn’t see the person she was looking for.

Madam Luo, being her mother, instantly noticed her restless gaze. Crossing her arms, she teased, “What are you searching for? Your eyes are practically spinning!”

While she was glad her daughter and Yan Qingye were close, seeing Shen Zhansi wake up only to immediately look for her—even while sweet-talking her mother—was both amusing and exasperating.

Hearing this, Shen Zhansi chuckled sheepishly but still pleaded, “So… where is she? Why isn’t she here?”

“You…”

Madam Luo tapped her forehead lightly, feigning exasperation. “Do you think she’s like you? All play and no work? She’s busy with her job!”

Shen Zhansi blinked innocently. She genuinely didn’t know much about Yan Qingye’s current situation.

Her expression melted Madam Luo’s resolve like a deflating balloon. What could she even say to a seventeen-year-old Shen Zhansi?

She wouldn’t understand anyway.

Still, there were things she could start preparing her for.

“You need to help Yan Yan more in the future, understand? Not only does she have to handle her own work, but she also helps with yours. She treats you well, but you can’t just take it for granted.”

“Huh? She helps with my work too?” Shen Zhansi’s eyes widened instantly.

Yan Qingye treated her so poorly, yet she still helped with her work?

Madam Luo rolled her eyes at her. “Otherwise, do you really think you could manage EG Ventures on your own? Do you even know how to invest?”

Shen Zhansi: “…”

Even if she didn’t know how to invest, there was no need to be so blunt about it.

“If I don’t know anything, how am I still the chairman?” Shen Zhansi was puzzled. She suddenly remembered Hu Zhou mentioning she was the chairman of EG Ventures. From her mother’s words, it seemed the original her didn’t understand investing either—so how did she end up in that position?

“You married a good wife!” Madam Luo pinched her cheek and gritted her teeth slightly. “Without Yan Yan, you’d probably be scavenging in trash bins for food!”

Shen Zhansi: “…Was it really that bad?”

At worst, she could always fall back on her old profession and not starve. Wait—she didn’t have a teaching license in this world…

But then again, the thought warmed her heart.

Yan Qingye was her wife.

Legally married, no less.

Madam Luo huffed. “Just make sure you treat Yan Yan better! Help ease her burden a little!”

Shen Zhansi grimaced. She had no interest in finance and wasn’t sure how well she’d learn it. The last thing she wanted was to make things worse while trying to help.

“Xiao Shen, what would you like for breakfast? Aunt Zhang can go buy it now,” Aunt Zhang interjected at the right moment.

Shen Zhansi turned to her and thought for a moment. “I’d like some wontons, please. Thank you.”

“Got it!” Aunt Zhang replied cheerfully.

Once she left, Shen Zhansi quickly grabbed Madam Luo’s sleeve, her expression serious. “Mom, I need your help with something!” she said in a solemn tone.

Madam Luo was startled by her demeanor and grew a little tense. “What is it?”

Shen Zhansi maintained her grave expression. “I want to shave my head!” Then, her voice softened, tinged with grievance. “It’s so hot right now, and not being able to wash my hair is unbearable.”

Madam Luo, who had been alarmed by her sudden declaration: “…”

For a second, if not for her injury, she would’ve smacked her on the head.

Still, she knew her daughter had a slight cleanliness quirk—not extreme, but oddly particular about certain things.

“Fine—”

She dragged out the word and went to the nurse’s station to ask if they had anything to shave hair with. But then she reconsidered—since Shen Zhansi’s injury was on her head, she worried her own skills might aggravate the wound. So, she called a nurse to do it instead.

As the nurse shaved Shen Zhansi’s head, Shen Zhansi reminded Madam Luo, “When Qingqing comes back, you have to say it was your idea to shave it, not mine.”

Madam Luo wrinkled her nose. “You’re lying to her about shaving your head?”

“It’s necessary!” Shen Zhansi said earnestly. “She seems to like my long hair. If I shave it, she might scold me. But if you did it, she wouldn’t dare say anything to you!”

Madam Luo: “…”

So she had to play the villain, huh?

“You know she likes long hair, yet you still shaved it.”

“The wound area was already shaved by you guys, wasn’t it! If we didn’t shave it, when the gauze comes off, that one bald spot would look so ugly!”

She said it with such righteous indignation.

Madam Luo saw the nurse’s eyes crinkling with laughter and rolled her eyes at Shen Zhansi, but didn’t say anything more.

After the nurse finished shaving all of Shen Zhansi’s hair, she also helped change her bandages.

With the shaving done and the faint metallic scent of blood gone from her nose, Shen Zhansi felt about eighty percent cleaner—just a hair wash away from being completely fresh.

Coincidentally, Aunt Zhang returned with breakfast. After cleaning up the hair on the floor, Shen Zhansi washed up and began eating slowly.

The wonton skins were thin and smooth, and though the flavor was mild, it was delicious. Shen Zhansi loved this kind of food the most.

Watching Shen Zhansi’s contented, narrowed eyes as she enjoyed her meal, Madam Luo sighed softly.

Such a silly sight—already 27 years old, yet eating like a child. She had thought Shen Zhansi had matured a bit, but with the memory loss, it seemed she had reverted.

After breakfast, Shen Zhansi lay bored on the bed, poking Madam Luo’s arm and pleading, “Mom, tell me about Qingqing. I don’t know anything about how she’s been these past ten years.”

Madam Luo glanced at her. “Didn’t you talk last night?”

“Last night, she had to help me bathe, and by the time we finished, it was so late. I wanted her to rest, so I didn’t ask.”

Hearing this, Madam Luo nodded approvingly. “At least you’re not completely clueless—you know how to care for someone.”

Shen Zhansi felt a pang of self-doubt. Had she not known how to care for others before?

But Madam Luo sighed again as she peeled an apple for Shen Zhansi. “Yan Yan has had a hard life. With only your 17-year-old memories, you might not know, but later on, Yan Yan’s father had several illegitimate children pop up, all eager to tear a piece of flesh from her. It wasn’t easy for her to secure her position at Yan Corporation.”

Shen Zhansi’s frown deepened as she listened. She knew about the illegitimate children from the original story.

The thought of Yan Qingye living surrounded by wolves made her heart ache.

In the original story, Yan Qingye initially relied on the Scumbag Top, Chu Zhi, to stabilize her position.

What about now? Was it the same?

“Then… what about her and Chu Zhi? Did Chu Zhi help her through the difficulties?”

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