CHAPTER 158: CHAPTER 158: ILLUSION OR REALITY (4)_1

Shangguan You felt a headache coming on, a very bad one.

"Since Shangguan Qing has put it that way, I won’t be polite with you. Whatever catches your fancy, put it on my tab. Just don’t hold back."

"Lin Wenjie, you really are wealthy and bold. Naturally, I won’t be polite with you; you can rest assured," Shangguan Qing responded.

"That’s good to hear. We’ve just received a new batch of clothes, so how about we head straight to the top floor? I’ll have them brought over, so you don’t have to go through the trouble of looking around."

"That would be best. The girl hates shopping; now she can even skip browsing. She really should thank you, Lin Wenjie. Isn’t that right, girl?"

Listening to the two men squabble, Shangguan You felt uncomfortable stuck between them. These two were perfectly fine on their own, so why were they dragging her into their spat? They could insult each other all they wanted; why involve her?

"Girl, I heard someone sent you a fur coat worth a million last time. I’ve prepared a few for you too. I’ll have them delivered," Lin Wenjie said.

"Does Lin Wenjie really dote on the girl? Having a cousin like Lin Wenjie must be such good fortune for her."

"She’s the only ’sister’ I have; if I don’t dote on her, who else would I? When I get something nice, naturally I want to give it to her. I’m not like Young Master Lin, who, apart from the girl, also has another charming girl he dotes on. If the girl isn’t cherished by someone, we will surely step in to do so."

"I have only one sister too, Lin Wenjie. There seems to be some confusion here. If I don’t cherish her, who else would I cherish? You’re quite the joker, Lin. The girl is indeed the treasure of our entire family."

All of a sudden, Shangguan You felt an even worse headache. Listening to the two men go back and forth, she just smiled faintly at each of them. She must have looked very pale. Her face felt like it was cramping from the forced smiles. Why hadn’t these two finished their verbal duel yet? Usually, it was women who engaged in such disputes, but why were two men doing it now?

In the office on the top floor—spacious, stylish, and tastefully decorated, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a view of the entire Beijing skyline—Shangguan You barely had time to admire the view before the two men started bickering again.

"Lin Wenjie, the younger, does have a unique flair, with such a grand office. Impressive show of wealth indeed," Shangguan Qing commented.

"Shangguan Qing, you’re not doing too badly yourself, being the son of the provincial party secretary. If you wanted to be more high-profile, everyone would fawn over you. Anything better than this office, I would hand over to you if you wished. You have nothing to envy," Lin Wenjie retorted.

"I do envy Lin Wenjie’s deep pockets. As for such an office, it’s irrelevant to me. I would never become someone like Lin Wenjie."

"Of course, you, Shangguan Qing, are destined to become a provincial party secretary someday. How could you admire businessmen like us?"

"Brother Jie, Brother Qing, is there some kind of grudge between you two? Could it be that you both...?" Unable to bear it any longer, Shangguan You blurted out, her curiosity getting the better of her as she looked at them with an ambiguous gaze.

"Girl, don’t let your imagination run wild with those unfounded ideas," Shangguan Qing chided as he ruffled her hair, signaling her to stop her wild speculations.

"Little You, if you think like that, Brother Jie might get heartbroken," Lin Wenjie said, also giving her hair a tousle. This gesture marked the end of the back-and-forth between Lin Wenjie and Shangguan Qing, and the staff hastily brought in the clothes.

Lin Wenjie, generous as ever, told them to take whatever they liked, with all charges billed to him. Shangguan Qing showed no restraint, picking out clothes for Shangguan Zhi, Shangguan Yu, and Shangguan Hao—the three men of the family—and also for Liu Ruoling, Nurse Zhang, and the old Shangguan matriarch, choosing three outfits for them.

Finally, he chose a suit for himself and two sets for Shangguan You, while Lin Wenjie picked out three more sets for her, complete with accessories, before concluding their spree.

Lin Wenjie had everything delivered to the military district compound and Shangguan Yu’s home. Afterwards, he took Shangguan You and Shangguan Qing out for a meal featuring authentic Beijing cuisine. Eventually, after a flurry of phone calls, Lin Wenjie reluctantly had to leave. He made her promise to take care of herself and to be safe before he finally departed.

When he left, Shangguan You secretly handed a bottle of Jade Dew Pills to Lin Wenjie. For some reason, she just felt he might need them.

Once Lin Wenjie was gone, Shangguan You couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. Finally, the ordeal of being caught between the two was over. She truly hadn’t expected men, when they got talkative, to be even more frightening than women, especially with their sharp tongues.

"Girl, when you get home, say that you bought these clothes yourself. Never mention that Lin Wenjie bought them, and especially don’t say that you ran into him," Shangguan Qing said softly to Shangguan You. He was against her having any kind of relationship with the Lin Family, but it wasn’t something he could easily bring up with their grandfather.

"Brother Qing, even if we don’t tell them, Grandfather and the others are bound to find out. Besides, if Brother Jie gives me something, why shouldn’t I accept it? Last time, Grandpa said that no matter how much or how valuable the gifts are, we should accept everything they give us. We can handle it," Shangguan You said, looking perplexedly at Shangguan Qing.

"Girl, what Grandpa said applies to you. You can accept gifts, but what about the others? You’re still young, and there are things you will understand when it’s time. If it weren’t for you, the Shangguan Family and the Lin Family would be sworn enemies, engaged in an endless feud. Ah, in time you will come to understand," Shangguan Qing sighed heavily, his face etched with gravity. If something were to happen to the girl again, the feud between the two families would only deepen, becoming impossible to resolve.

"Brother Qing, I’ve grown up."

"Now is not the time for you to know. When the right moment comes, you’ll find out. You have two years to live as you please, to enjoy life and do what makes you happy. After these two years, such chances may be gone," Shangguan Qing murmured softly. Even though his voice was low, Shangguan You heard every word clearly.

Her mind, already filled with doubts, now faced even more questions. What secrets did this body hold? She had fully accepted it, and there seemed to be no issues with her memories. Yet, Shangguan You felt as if she had fallen into darkness; the more she pulled at the threads, the more entangled and deeper she found herself.

The mystery only grew, and the people she met became ever stranger. The old man sending her to B City was perhaps for her own good. Yet, she felt that everything—all of it—was somehow connected to her, and perhaps to her mom as well.