CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 78: RED ROSE

Liu Meizhi was momentarily speechless, but immediately puffed her chest and scolded, "You wretched girl, don’t slander me! Which eye of yours saw me taking your mom’s things? I think your mom already secretly took the dowry and Zhongxiao’s money to fill that bottomless pit of the Mu Family! Oh, woe is me—! Trying so hard to fix the mess in your family and you still choose to slander me like this—!"

Her voice grew louder as she exaggeratedly wiped away nonexistent tears.

Su Xingyu frowned, "Liu Meizhi, don’t push your luck, you know who has been supporting whom. If you continue with this nonsense, believe it or not, I’ll get a lawyer to audit our accounts! If we really start digging into those old accounts, there will definitely be traces left behind!"

Liu Meizhi shuddered suddenly, her face changed drastically.

"Enough, no more words!" Mr. Su reprimanded angrily, "Liu Meizhi, you and your daughter always ruin more than you accomplish! Shut up, both of you!"

Liu Meizhi seemed to recall something, shrank her shoulders, and really didn’t dare to speak again.

Su Xingyu rarely saw Mr. Su getting angry at this wife, feeling a bit strange, but the feeling quickly vanished.

Mr. Su swiftly signed the disownment paperwork and shoved it into Su Xingyu’s hands as if trying to ward off a plague, "Go, go, go, hurry up and leave! From now on, I’ll pretend I never had a daughter like you! Never come back again!"

Su Xingyu clutched the thin pages in her hands; although she had initiated the disownment, witnessing Mr. Su being so heartless and even relieved, felt like a sharp blade stabbing into her chest. She took a deep breath, her face showed no sign of distress, she stood straight and left the Su Family with her lawyer.

After she left, Mr. Su hurriedly closed the door and scolded Liu Meizhi angrily, "Are you out of your mind? Why provoke that girl! If she wants to sever ties, let her! Why bring up the support fees? If she really gets angry and starts digging up old accounts, what will you do!"

Liu Meizhi turned pale with fear, stammering, "Zhongxiao, you don’t think that girl might have found out about what happened with the Mu Family back then..."

Before she finished speaking, Su Zhongxiao gave her a fierce glare, his eyes looked like they could devour her.

Liu Meizhi quickly shut her mouth, anxiously glancing at Su Xingqi beside her, thankfully, her enchanting daughter was only busy covering her face, drowning in the grievance of being slapped, and didn’t notice their conversation.

That secret...

Was meant to be buried forever!

If the truth comes out, no one will look good!

Su Xingyu got in the car with the documents; the blazing summer sun shone brightly, the busy street bustling with life.

But she only felt tired.

She now essentially left with nothing, parentless, a complete orphan. The documents in her arms felt both inconsequential and mountainous, the cold, indifferent words outlining her unbearable life. Unconsciously, she hugged herself, thinking, in such a vast world, where could she find a place to belong?

The car gently stopped in front of the villa covered with blooming white roses.

She got out, walked through the flowery courtyard, and found Lu Shifeng had unexpectedly returned, standing under the vine-clad corridor. His tall, slender figure in a usual black suit leaned against the smooth gray-white wall, clean and simple, like an unreal silhouette in the overflowing time and space.

She paused mid-step.

"You’re back?" He lifted his eyes to look at her, his voice deep and resonant.

She nodded, physically and mentally exhausted, lacking the extra energy to talk to him, stepping into the house.

She went upstairs via the spiral staircase, entered the bedroom, and sat at the dressing table, reaching out for her earrings. Suddenly, her gaze fell upon a spot beside her hand — there was a slender-necked glass vase with a graceful bloom inside containing a budding red rose. Its subtle fragrance wafted gently, like a dream.

"Do you like it?" came Lu Shifeng’s voice from behind her.

She raised her head and saw him in the dresser mirror — still in a black suit, white shirt, his tall figure a pleasing sight. She didn’t move from her spot, "Why is there a rose here?"

"You don’t like it?" He walked over, leaned slightly, his hands on the back of the chair, also watching her through the mirror.

Su Xingyu didn’t know whether she liked it or not. In fact, she was in a terrible mood now, with no energy to consider such things. She slowly removed her earrings in the mirror, the glimmering purple chips sparkling between her fingers, beautiful like starlight.

He took them from her hand, gently placing them on the dressing table, "So, what do you like? Diamonds? Jewelry? I can give you anything."

Su Xingyu turned to look at him, "Lu Shifeng, you’re being a little strange today. Why did you suddenly think of giving me something?"

"Strange?" He seemed a bit puzzled, "Shouldn’t we celebrate? Celebrate that you finally got rid of those so-called family members, reborn anew, free from this point onwards."

Celebrate?

It turned out...he thought something like this was worth celebrating?

Her expression carried a trace of desolation, "Lu Shifeng... losing a home isn’t something to be happy about."

But he said, "It was never your home to begin with, how can you lose it?"

His voice was deep and indifferent, like a thin blade cutting through ice, leaving subtle yet shocking marks. Her heart tightened abruptly, sending a stabbing pain she couldn’t bear. Her face turned slightly pale, and she kept quiet for a long time before reluctantly saying, "I’m tired."

She pushed past him, intending to leave.

Lu Shifeng pulled her back into his arms, "Do you really not like it?" The rose on the dressing table was specially selected on his orders. A few days ago, he noticed Pei Ziheng sending a big bouquet to Xia Ling when he passed by the Pei Family villa, and the girl smiled radiantly holding the roses like she was the happiest girl in the world.

He thought his little wife, having such a good relationship with Xia Ling, would probably like it too.

He didn’t expect that this single, gorgeous red rose couldn’t stir the slightest ripple in Su Xingyu.

Was it too little? He pondered, "Should I have them replaced with a bigger bouquet?"

Su Xingyu: "..."

What on earth was he thinking?

"I don’t want any roses, nor do I want to celebrate anything," she looked seriously at Lu Shifeng, somewhat annoyed, "I just want to be alone for a while, please leave me alone, alright?"

His eyebrows slightly furrowed, observing her look that didn’t seem like she was joking. Holding back his temper, he let her go.

Su Xingyu said, "Thank you," turned, and left the bedroom without looking back.

Where should she go? A little aimless, she unconsciously arrived at the small lounge on the second floor, which had been temporarily converted into her little space. To be precise, it was a tea room, lounge, study, and studio all in one, her camera was inside.

She closed the door, walked to the table, and picked up the camera, exuding a beautiful metallic sheen.