Chapter 130: Spending money to buy a distraction

"Mm."

The look in his eyes, as if looking at a stranger, swept over her indifferently and lightly, deeply piercing her heart.

Song Yuewei's hands clenched tightly. From childhood to adulthood, she had been pampered; whether in studies or appearance, she was someone pursued by others. No one had ever made her feel this wretched, as if she had fallen to the bottom of a valley, enduring torment.

To maintain her dignity, she took a deep breath and looked at him with a smile: "I saw the post you made on your Moments. You said... you've only ever dated her. Then what am I?"

Xie Qin pressed the phone screen off and tucked it into his pocket. He tilted his head, curled his lips in a roguish smile, and said flippantly: "Still the same thing, just playing around, don't take it too seriously."

Song Yuewei froze instantly. Upon receiving this answer, a part of her chest shattered completely. She stood there blankly, watching him walk away from her side.

The Xie Qin of back then was indeed wild, accepting anyone who came his way.

Spending money on her was just buying a distraction, an exchange of equivalent benefits.

There hadn't been any behavior that crossed the line with her.

It only counted as a paid companion charged by the hour.

It didn't count as a dating relationship.

Three months after her daughter disappeared, Yu Lizhen finally couldn't sit still and bought a plane ticket to Su Shi.

Shen Zhaozhao had been recommended for admission to the Computer Science major at Qingbei.

During this time, she and several other classmates were coming to Haishi to participate in a computer programming competition, so she was staying at home. Watching her mother look for documents in the room's safe, she curiously stepped forward and asked: "Mom, where are you going? Are you going to find Sister?"

Yu Lizhen thought of her, and a rare trace of guilt appeared in her heart, but mostly it was anger: "She's made enough of a scene. Besides hiding in Su Shi, where else could she be?"

"This time, no matter how much your grandmother tries to persuade or hide her, I must bring her back."

Shen Zhaozhao was wearing high-end designer brands. Thinking of this matter, she said somewhat guiltily: "Mom, I'll go with you. After all, it was me who took Sister's recommendation spot. When I see Sister, I will apologize to her properly. I think Sister will be willing to forgive me."

"Grandmother protects Sister the most. If you go alone, Sister will definitely be afraid and won't show up."

Yu Lizhen was a very beautiful and sexy woman with a tall figure. At over forty years old, she looked only in her early thirties. She had become the dean of students at a local key high school in Haishi at a young age. Her delicate face showed no wrinkles, her long black curly hair was tied up, and a pair of slender phoenix eyes revealed a strong, sharp edge. Without needing exquisite makeup, her gaze and aura alone were very imposing.

"If I go with you, maybe I can persuade Sister."

Afraid...

Hearing this word, Yu Lizhen's heart felt as if it were being tugged. Since when had the way they interacted as mother and daughter become something that made her feel afraid?

The matter of the recommendation spot was indeed her fault.

But that was a compromise. With her learning ability, it was just a recommendation spot; if it was gone, she could just take the exam again.

Perhaps there had been a trace of guilt in her heart, but this trace of guilt was quickly replaced by anger.

They had gone to the Maldives and returned, and not only did she not take the college entrance exam, but she also learned to run away from home. With her grades, getting into the top of Haishi and the top three of the province was not difficult at all.

From childhood to adulthood, she had been obedient.

Now that she was grown up, she was truly becoming more and more muddled.

Actually joking with her own future.

After thinking it over, Yu Lizhen agreed, "That's fine. Remember to ask for leave, don't delay your competition. Mom will book the tickets, and we'll go together."

Shen Zhaozhao revealed a sweet smile and nodded immediately: "Okay Mom, I'll go pack my things now."

A distance of nearly three thousand kilometers, the fastest direct flight still took over four hours.

Last National Day, Yu Lizhen came to Su Shi but didn't find Shen Li, and was dismissed by a few words from Shen Li's grandmother. This time, no matter what, she had to bring her back.

Xiangxie Liyuan foreign-style house.

The weather in the afternoon was quite good, the sun was out, and that knitted blue sweater was hanging in the courtyard. Grandmother Shen had a plain-colored shawl draped over her shoulders, holding a watering can, watering the flowers and plants in the courtyard, her expression peaceful.

"Mom, where exactly is A-Li? You still refuse to tell me even now, right?"

As soon as Yu Lizhen's voice fell, the quiet in the courtyard was quickly broken.

Grandmother Shen put down the watering can unhurriedly, turned around to face her, "Ruanruan is not with me. She is your daughter; you should ask yourself where she went."

"..."

"And why she left that home, I think you should know better than me."

Yu Lizhen was speechless for a moment, a sense of irritation surged into her heart, and her brows furrowed tightly.

Grandmother Shen stopped looking at her and walked into the house. Yu Lizhen calmed herself for a moment and followed, "It's just a repeating spot, is it worth her getting angry with me?"

"I've worked so hard to raise her for so many years, I haven't shortchanged her in any aspect. What exactly is she still dissatisfied with? How come she isn't even half as sensible as Zhaozhao! To find her, I delayed my work and wasted so much time and energy. If there's something to say, make her say it to my face! Just for a spot, she even gave up the college entrance exam. Do you know how many people are pointing fingers at me behind my back?"

"After all that talk, it's still about fearing your reputation being damaged, fearing your position as dean of students won't be kept. What you're worried about isn't your daughter at all, it's your position!" Grandmother Shen looked at her with a composed temperament, a trace of coldness rising in her calm eyes, "Since you like her so much, your other daughter, Ruanruan, leaving that home is exactly what you wanted, isn't it? Just pretend you never gave birth to her and take care of yourself."

"Mom! What are you saying! A-Li is my daughter."

"You also know Ruanruan is your daughter?" Grandmother Shen frowned, her scolding voice falling coldly, "But have you ever cared about Ruanruan?"

"Giving away what belongs to her to an outsider, as a mother, don't you have even a shred of guilt in your heart!"

"Zhaozhao grew up under my watch, keeping her by my side, how can she be considered an outsider? Without this spot, it's not like she couldn't get in. She is the older sister; isn't it what she should do to give up this spot? Why can't you consider it from my perspective?"

Grandmother Shen was so angry that her chest rose and fell slightly, suppressing the anger in her heart, "You go! Ruanruan is not with me." She turned around and stopped looking at her.

Shen Zhaozhao went to the room upstairs. She carefully checked every room and found that the rooms were all empty, with no traces of anyone having stayed there.

The heavy blue tassel curtains let in a golden beam of light from outside the window, which landed on the desktop, and tiny dust motes floated in the light and shadow.

This was the room Grandmother had specially prepared for Shen Li.

The room was clean and tidy, with a faint, cool floral fragrance. There were no excessive decorations, only a few simple books on the bookshelf.

Just as she was about to leave this room, her gaze shifted, and she seemed to have discovered something under a table.

Her footsteps paused, she took a step forward, walked up slowly, and picked up the thing on the ground. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a school ID card, and it even had detailed information on it. ===== CHAPTER 131 =====