Volume One, Chapter Four: Return to the Old Mansion, Fetch My Clothes!

“Fine. No matter what you decide, I’ll support you.” Wen Yu hugged her tightly.

Then she asked, “What about your job at the Pei Group? Are you still going to stay there?”

Shen Shuhe barely hesitated. “No. I’m writing my resignation letter today.”

For the sake of Pei Jingmo, she had given him and his Pei Group all her youth and energy.

Now that she had decided to divorce, she would no longer cling to anything connected to him.

Wen Yu looked at her friend’s dim profile and patted her shoulder.

Since university, she had watched Shen Shuhe all the way to this day.

Because of one speech, she had fallen for Pei Jingmo, brilliant and full of swagger, dominating the business world.

After graduation, she had successfully landed an offer from Pei Group and worked her way step by step to Pei Jingmo’s side.

Then came marriage and children.

Wen Yu had seen with her own eyes the passion Shen Shuhe had poured into Pei Jingmo.

All she could say was: that damn man did not deserve her.

“Fine! I still support you! What’s so great about that lousy Pei Group anyway? All they ever do is force overtime and squeeze their employees dry. Just look at my little seedling’s face—you must’ve been up late again.”

Wen Yu said with heartache as she held Shen Shuhe’s face in both hands. “Sister will make sure you’re properly taken care of!”

Shen Shuhe swatted her hands away, laughing as she told her to stop being so ridiculous.

Wen Yu had slept late and still hadn’t eaten breakfast, so the two of them moved to the kitchen island.

They had talked a great deal about her matters just now, and Shen Shuhe hadn’t chatted with her in quite some time.

She only remembered that last month Wen Yu had just signed a social media influencer and had recently been accompanying her to various engagements.

Last week, when they talked, she was with an artist filming in the studio city.

So Shen Shuhe asked, “Has your artist finished filming?”

At the question, Wen Yu let out a long sigh. “Not even close. I sent my assistant to stay with her.”

“What happened? Is it not going well?” Shen Shuhe asked.

“Average, I guess. She doesn’t have much sense for acting and keeps dragging the schedule down. Even the director is unhappy.”

From Wen Yu’s expression, Shen Shuhe could tell she had probably said plenty of nice things to the director.

After all, she was an artist manager.

“Then why sign her in the first place?” Shen Shuhe asked casually.

Wen Yu rested her chin in her hand. “She’s got a decent fan base on short-video platforms, and her face is pretty good too.”

Hearing that, Shen Shuhe nodded with mock seriousness.

These days, many influencers’ accounts got better traffic than some entertainers’.

So she comforted her, “Take it slow. Maybe she’ll find her footing once filming goes on.”

Wen Yu took a sip of coffee. Just as she set the cup down, something seemed to occur to her, and she suddenly looked at Shen Shuhe beside her.

“You… why are you looking at me like that?”

Wen Yu suddenly grabbed her hand, wiggling her eyebrows. “Bestie, why don’t you come work for me as an artist too?”

“Me?” Shen Shuhe nearly choked.

“Yes! You’ve worked around this industry before, and with a face like yours, you’d absolutely kill it!” Wen Yu grinned at her.

Though she had already given birth, Shen Shuhe’s face was still exquisite.

Her brows and eyes were like ink painting, her lips gently curved.

Even if someone said she was a college girl, plenty of people would believe it.

Shen Shuhe coughed twice.

It was true that because of Wen Yu, she had shot a few magazines and even helped her out by serving as a body double from behind.

But…

“All I ever did before was stand there and pose casually. If I go act now, I definitely won’t be able to do it.”

Wen Yu hurried to reply, “I’m not talking about acting. Our company’s modeling department is short-handed lately.”

As she spoke, Wen Yu looked Shen Shuhe up and down, then wrapped an arm around her slender waist. “You’d be totally fine in the modeling department!”

“I know you don’t like being in the spotlight. Going the model route would let you avoid a lot of social obligations. And without a schedule, you’d have plenty of free time too.”

Wen Yu hugged Shen Shuhe and cooed against her chest. “Please, Little Seedling, help your dear sister out. My boss said if I can’t sign anyone else, I’m out!”

Shen Shuhe: “…”

“And besides, since you’re quitting, you won’t have a job anyway. Isn’t this perfect?”

That hit right at Shen Shuhe’s heart. As for her career plans after resigning, she really had no clear idea yet.

Lowering her head, she met Wen Yu’s pretend-pitiful gaze and hesitated for a few seconds.

“Give me some time to think…”

“Okay! Think it over!” Wen Yu kissed her on the face, unable to hide her delight.

As Shen Shuhe’s best friend, Wen Yu knew that the moment she said that, the matter was already halfway settled.

...

That afternoon, Shen Shuhe sat in her room drafting her resignation letter.

She also checked flights and planned to return to Nine Harbor tomorrow to settle this matter.

In the evening, Wen Yu went to the company, apparently because one of her artists had run into some trouble.

Not long after Wen Yu left, Shen Shuhe sat on the balcony, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

She had only read halfway through her book when her phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, she frowned instinctively.

She did not really want to answer, but after the phone rang twice, she finally picked up just before it would disconnect.

“Why did you answer so slowly?”

The complaints came the moment she answered.

Shen Shuhe asked directly, “What is it?”

On the other end, Pei Leyao looked at the stack of test papers on her desk and felt even more irritated. Her tone turned sharper. “I heard you’re back. Come to the manor.”

With that, she hung up.

Shen Shuhe was instinctively repelled by the idea of going to the old manor. Besides, since she had already decided to divorce Pei Jingmo, there was even less reason for her to curry favor with his sister.

But then she thought of the old matriarch. Granny Pei was the only person in the whole family who had truly treated her well.

She had not visited her in quite some time.

After thinking it over for a moment, Shen Shuhe decided to go anyway.

After the divorce, she might no longer have a chance to see Granny.

So, fifteen minutes later, Shen Shuhe put on her clothes and left the house.

An hour later, the car stopped at the old Pei family manor.

Shen Shuhe carried the gift box inside.

Not seeing the matriarch, she asked a servant and learned that Granny was in the garden.

Just as Shen Shuhe was about to go over, footsteps sounded on the stairs behind her.

Pei Leyao came down while yawning. “Miss Shen, getting you to come back once is really not easy.”

Ever since Shen Shuhe married Pei Jingmo, Pei Leyao had never given her a pleasant look, and speaking with hidden barbs was even more common.

In Pei Leyao’s mind, Shen Shuhe had used despicable means to steal her brother away from her beloved Qingyin sister.

Since things had already been settled, and since Pei Leyao was not only Pei Jingmo’s younger sister but also younger than her, Shen Shuhe had spent all these years turning a blind eye and endlessly indulging her rudeness.

But now, there was no need.

“You had me come back only to run errands and do your work. Why should I rush to please you?” Shen Shuhe said calmly.

Hearing that, Pei Leyao froze in rare surprise.

After she recovered, even the fake politeness vanished from her face.

“Shen Shuhe, have you lost your mind? How dare you talk to me like that?” Pei Leyao pulled at her nightclothes and strode over, raising her hand.

But before she could even touch her, Shen Shuhe stepped aside.

“Miss Pei, aren’t you afraid you’ll lose dignity by hitting someone?”

Pei Leyao cared most about her image and pride.

At Shen Shuhe’s words, she stopped in place and clenched her fists. “Fine! I won’t hit you! But today you’ve insulted me, and I won’t let it go!”

“Go get my clothes, and the new bag, and then at…”

“Sorry, I’m not your family’s maid. None of that is my responsibility,” Shen Shuhe cut in.

Perhaps because she wanted to vent on behalf of her beloved Qingyin sister, whenever Shen Shuhe was in South Forest, Pei Leyao always ordered her around to do this and that.

When Shen Shuhe was in Nine Harbor, Pei Leyao would send her coursework from time to time and make her organize and sort through the materials.

One could say that anything the young lady could not be bothered to do, or did not want to do, was dumped on her.

Thinking back on all those years of cold treatment, Shen Shuhe almost wanted to slap herself awake.

“You—! Shen Shuhe, if you keep defying me again and again today, aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my brother?!” Pei Leyao snapped.

Shen Shuhe had heard that threat countless times too.

Whenever she refused before, Pei Leyao would use those words to threaten her.

Back then, she had wanted so badly to mend her relationship with Pei Jingmo that she gave in again and again.

But now, whoever wanted to be that fool could be that fool.

“Then go ahead,” she said.

Pei Leyao froze again.

She looked at Shen Shuhe’s cool, indifferent expression.

Something seemed different about her today. Before, at the mere mention that she would complain to her brother, Shen Shuhe’s face would go white with fear, terrified that her brother would be angry.

So why was she completely unmoved today?

Not only did she show no regard for her, Shen Shuhe even dared to threaten her.

“If word got out that the famous Miss Pei is a giant baby, still calling for her brother every day even though she’s already grown up, I wonder whether your little clique would enjoy hearing about those glorious deeds,” Shen Shuhe said with her arms crossed. “Should I help you spread the news?”

Faced with the sharp-tongued Shen Shuhe, Pei Leyao was momentarily stunned.

When she looked up, she saw a figure stepping onto the stairs.

So in the next instant, she shoved past Shen Shuhe and ran over.

“Grandma! Shen Shuhe is bullying me!”