Don't Say You're Heartless (Modern Edition)

116 Contrast

With the holiday still ongoing, Shen Qiuhua invited her relatives for dinner. The time was set for Friday evening at the best restaurant in the county. She started calling everyone from the contact list, starting with inviting her Aunt and her family. With Aunt confirmed to attend and Liu Wanzhi also coming back, Shen Qiuhua's smile widened slightly as she continued calling the others.

Yang Qiong, sitting nearby and propping her chin up, watched Shen Qiuhua make calls and thought it was quite a scene. It was like watching a hunter set up a trap, only for the rabbit to get angry and start digging a pit for the hunter.

"It's done," Shen Qiuhua said, hanging up the phone.

"How do you plan to deal with them?" Yang Qiong asked, her excitement palpable.

Shen Qiuhua shook her head. "It's not about punishment, but about clearing the air. I don't care what they say about me, but I don't want my mom to see me this way. A woman's beauty should not be a reason for others to criticize."

"Alright, don't overthink it. Look at your face, it's still not looking good. Get some rest," Yang Qiong said, realizing that since there were no revenge plans, she trusted Shen Qiuhua's intelligence and emotional skills to handle the situation.

"Is it really that bad?" Shen Qiuhua was surprisingly sensitive to this comment. She went to the mirror to check her face. Before she could get a good look, she was embraced from behind.

"Not at all. Even when you're sick, you're the most beautiful patient," Yang Qiong said as she held Shen Qiuhua tighter.

Shen Qiuhua smiled and leaned her full weight into Yang Qiong's embrace. "I want to rest now."

The words, accompanied by Shen Qiuhua's warmth, made Yang Qiong's ears turn red. Turning around, she saw Shen Qiuhua's smiling eyes and kissed her slightly pale lips, hugging her even tighter.

Seeing Yang Qiong come out of the room, Shen's mother felt a bit awkward. "Yang Qiong, has Qiuhua gone to sleep?"

Yang Qiong nodded and sat down on the sofa with Shen's mother. "Auntie, Qiuhua is your daughter. Why would you believe others over your child? Don't you know that your doubts have hurt Qiuhua?"

Shen's mother nodded. "I know. Yang Qiong, you're not married yet, so you might not understand how a mother feels. Qiuhua has always been beautiful since childhood, and in middle school, boys would often wait at our door. I was so worried back then. Qiuhua is quiet and has few friends, so she always walks to and from school alone. I had to take leave every day to pick her up, which kept her safe. Later, in high school, as Qiuhua became even more beautiful, I had her father pick her up daily. Our county is relatively small, but sometimes it's still a bit chaotic. When her father couldn't pick her up one day, an incident happened. If it weren't for that Lu Shaojie... I don't know how I would live on! During her four years at university, I worried every day—worried she'd go astray or get deceived. I would always ask her if she had a boyfriend. To be honest, I hoped she'd find someone soon, so she'd have someone to protect her." Shen's mother sighed. "What your aunt said might have been a bit extreme, but I really can't believe it! Qiuhua has suddenly become so capable. I know my daughter well—she's always been either beautiful or good at studying. She had never known calligraphy or photography before... how could she suddenly master them all and make money from them? If no one was helping her, it's hard for me to believe."

Yang Qiong was a bit speechless. Shen's mother's concerns were not unfounded. The current Shen Qiuhua was indeed different from the past. So when the empress exhibited astonishing talent, Shen's mother noticed the difference and could only attribute it to external factors.

All this trouble was caused by time travel!

"Auntie, Qiuhua is not that kind of person. I've lived with her for so long, and if she were going down the wrong path, I'd have noticed by now. Don't you think so?" Yang Qiong spoke earnestly.