Chapter 23: Wronged by Circumstance

"Eldest Young Master, perhaps you should come back for a trip; when I left, the Madam seemed to have gone to find the Eldest Young Mistress," the housekeeper said.

Sheng Hanyu didn't want to go back, but he knew why she was looking for him; thinking of his mother, he furrowed his brows.

That he was born to Wang Yingzhi was a fact Sheng Hanyu could never change in this life, and it was the thing he detested most!

If Shi Youxuan were not at the Villa, Sheng Hanyu certainly would not return.

But thinking that if he didn't show his face, Wang Yingzhi would surely trouble that little woman, Sheng Hanyu changed his tune: "Fine, I'll go back."

He had said he would definitely protect her from being bullied, so he had to do it; for him, it was not about love, only responsibility.

He left the Apartment with lingering reluctance and drove back to the Villa!

"Eldest Young Master, you've finally returned." The housekeeper opened the car door for him, face full of anxiety.

Sheng Hanyu got out of the car: "Has that woman left?" That woman referred to Wang Yingzhi; Sheng Hanyu hadn't addressed her by title for five years.

"The Madam hasn't left, but..."

Before the housekeeper could finish speaking, Wang Yingzhi rushed out from the Villa, looking incredibly happy.

"Son, you're back? Mom has solved a big problem for you. You don't need to thank me; just remember my kindness and listen to me, that's all."

Sheng Hanyu's right eyelid twitched twice.

Since he was a child, whenever she spoke of a "good thing," it was usually not a good thing at all!

"What are you here for?"

Wang Yingzhi was already used to her son's coldness toward her; she put on a smiling face and leaned in: "Hanyu, go tell the old man that we won't be General Manager anymore, okay?"

"You own half of the Sheng Family's assets, and you're a disabled person anyway; you can live a life of luxury just by lying at home doing nothing. Let others do the thankless work..."

Sheng Hanyu interrupted her: "This was decided by Grandfather. If you object, go tell Grandfather; don't talk to me about it."

Wang Yingzhi immediately shrank her head; she didn't dare speak to the old man.

"You child, you were born to me; Mom is doing this for your own good. Why can't you understand your mother's painstaking efforts..." She pretended to sob sadly, stealing glances at her son from time to time.

As Sheng Hanyu walked into the Villa, he asked the housekeeper: "You didn't finish your sentence earlier; what was the 'but'?"

The housekeeper said: "But the Eldest Young Mistress was driven away by the Madam."

Wang Yingzhi glared at the housekeeper, annoyed by her loose tongue, and immediately played the victim: "This can't be blamed on me; the fool pushed me into the lake first, almost drowning me..."

Sheng Hanyu ignored her and loudly ordered the bodyguards to go out and find her.

He also had the housekeeper call the Shi Family to see if Shi Youxuan had returned to her maiden home, and sent out several groups of people to search around the Villa; if she couldn't be found, or if something happened to Shi Youxuan...

Anyone who saw her being driven away shouldn't expect to have it easy!

The Eldest Young Master couldn't do anything to his own mother, but would he hesitate to take action against others?

The servants and bodyguards in the Villa began to regret it; they regretted listening to the Madam and not following the Eldest Young Mistress. Now, they had no idea where she had gone.

Shi Youxuan returned to the Apartment, threw herself onto her bed, and rolled around happily!

Free!

It was still most comfortable in her own home, where she could do whatever she wanted.

No!

She buried her face in the quilt and sniffed hard; the quilt had been sunned, carrying the scent of sunshine, a warm and comfortable feeling.

It wasn't the day for the housekeeping service to come; could someone have been here?

Shi Youxuan climbed off the bed and checked everywhere very carefully. The Human Skin Mask in the drawer had been left out in a rush last time and hadn't been put back in the safe; it was just tossed in the drawer, but fortunately, it was still there.

After checking every room carefully, she hugged her teddy bear and collapsed into the sofa, letting out a long breath.

It was fine; she must have been overthinking. There were no signs of outsiders having been here; at the very least, nothing was missing!

Her logic was simple: no one knew about this place except herself and the cleaning staff from the housekeeping company; if someone had entered, it could only be a thief.

What kind of thief would break in, steal nothing, and instead sun her quilt before leaving?

So she must have been overthinking; perhaps she had been through too much lately, and her mind had become complicated.

Shi Youxuan ordered takeout and local delivery, buying daily necessities, some vegetables and fruits, milk, instant noodles, bread, and snacks.

She didn't know how to cook, so she ate her fill from the takeout, then went to the bathroom to prepare for a comfortable bath and sleep!

That strange feeling returned; she felt the bathroom had also been used by someone, but she had checked before using it, and it was indeed clean with no traces at all.

After her bath, Shi Youxuan came out of the bathroom and checked every room again, but still found no clues.

She opened the computer in the Study, contacted the housekeeping company, and left a message for customer service, asking if they had sent anyone over these past few days?

Customer service replied quickly: Hello Ms. Jian, the lady responsible for your cleaning is returning to her hometown for a week, so did she go to clean your room in advance? Is there a problem?

She stared at the screen, let out a long breath, and typed a few words: No problem, I was just asking.

Shi Youxuan had never met the lady who cleaned for her, but she was very diligent and responsible; this lady had been cleaning for her for four years, and Shi Youxuan would wire the wages to the housekeeping company every month.

After asking, she no longer felt sleepy; unable to sleep, she simply opened QQ and sent a message to Jian Yining: What day are you returning to the country?

Jian Yining replied almost instantly: The day after tomorrow. Are you dying to see me? He added a grinning emoji at the end.

Shi Youxuan chuckled, then sent two words: Yes.

A paragraph immediately popped up in the chat box: Really? That's great! My family is holding a cocktail party after I return to the country. I am solemnly inviting you to attend. You won't refuse me, right?

Shi Youxuan had known about the Jian Family's cocktail party three days ago when she returned to her maiden home; she also knew that many people would go, and Shi Yuke would be there too.

Sorry, I'm not going.

Shi Youxuan refused.

Jian Yining didn't give up; a paragraph immediately followed in the chat box: You don't want people to recognize you, right? How about this, I'll change the party to a masquerade party. On that day, you just wear a mask so everyone can't see your face. Come on, come on...

Jian Yining, who always claimed to be a "big man," began to nag like a child throwing a tantrum, endlessly begging Shi Youxuan to attend his welcome party!

He even sent over an Invitation; although it was an electronic version, the design was exquisite, and one could tell a lot of thought had been put into it.

Jian Yining extended the invitation with sincerity, even considering her concerns quite thoroughly; since he had already gone to such lengths, it would be unreasonable to refuse again.

"Fine, I'll go."

Shi Youxuan agreed, then turned off the computer and went to bed.

……

Late at night, the seaside Villa was brightly lit.

Sheng Hanyu sat upright in the living room as people returned in waves, but not one brought good news.

"Eldest Young Master, the mountain behind has been searched thoroughly; she is not there."

"Eldest Young Master, no one has seen the Eldest Young Mistress on any of the roads leading to the Shi Family, and the surveillance footage shows no trace of her."

"Eldest Young Master, Shi Yucheng has arrived; will you see him?"

Shi Youxuan had been missing for several hours, and Sheng Hanyu finally spoke: "Let him in."