Chapter 20: Some things, and some people, are truly terrifying when you think them through.

"I need some space!"

Even for Shen Zhiyu, who had been exposed to all sorts of melodramatic tropes in the era of information explosion, this was difficult to process. Everything the original owner of this body had suffered was, quite simply, a misunderstanding. The poor girl had met such a tragic fate purely because of her father's arrogance and assumptions. Had Shen Zhiyu not arrived in her stead, the truth would have remained buried forever.

Li Tunan’s longing and her white hair had indeed been for her own biological daughter. Yet, due to Shen Ao’s negligence, she had destroyed her own flesh and blood for the sake of that very same child. How utterly ridiculous it all was!

Even though the two looked so much alike, Li Tunan had never considered that there might have been a mistake. She had tested her own blood type three times and the original girl’s three times; the only one she hadn't tested was her husband’s. She believed whatever the man told her. Was this a sign of their deep bond, or something else entirely?

Shen Zhiyu did not know how to face parents like these. She had never been the original owner, and her initial intention had been for them to go their separate ways, never to cross paths again.

"Xiaoyu, I am so sorry!"

"Everything is my fault. Please, let me make it up to you, will you?"

Li Tunan refused to leave. She broke free from Shen Ao’s grip, and then from her son Shen Zhixing’s, rushing forward to kneel directly in front of Shen Zhiyu.

"Xiaoyu, please forgive me, won't you?"

Li Tunan’s heart felt as if it were being pierced by knives, one stab after another, sharp and agonizing. Back then, for the sake of her biological daughter, she had suppressed the affection she felt for the girl she had raised as her own and made those cruel changes. Her heart had ached then, too, but she had felt a sense of vindication! Now, however, those past feelings of vindication had turned into blades, stabbing her heart repeatedly. She wished she could return to that time and ask herself why she hadn't insisted that Shen Ao undergo a simple blood test.

Just one test. Just one! And the truth would have been clear. They looked so much alike, just as she had when she was young! But she hadn't done it. Why hadn't she?

Yes, she remembered now. She had been too afraid to question Shen Ao, terrified that she wouldn't be able to clear her own name. How could she explain a child who looked exactly like her but wasn't her husband’s? That inner panic had crushed her.

She had been forced to be heartless toward her daughter, watching her fall into ruin and be sent to the countryside, all while using her cold indifference to prove to Shen Ao that she hadn't betrayed him.

Li Tunan wept bitterly, inconsolable. The residents of the courtyard watched from a distance, wondering what had happened. They could only gather that the woman crying was the biological mother of the new tenant, and that some misunderstanding had arisen between them. What kind of misunderstanding could be so severe that a daughter would be this cold and refuse to acknowledge her own mother?

"Shen Ao, I want a divorce!"

As Shen Zhiyu worried about how to resolve the scene of Li Tunan’s sobbing, the woman suddenly stopped, looked at Shen Ao, and declared her decision with grim determination. Shen Ao was stunned.

"Tunan, what has gotten into you?"

"Mom, stop making a scene!" Shen Zhixing was losing his mind. What was happening to their family? Everything had fallen into chaos in a single moment.

"Oldest son, I am not making a scene!"

"All these years, because of your younger sister, I haven't smiled once. I don't know where it went wrong, why the child I gave birth to ended up not being mine! I suspected everyone, but I never once suspected your father. I didn't even dare to! It was my cowardice that harmed your sister. Shen Ao, I will make up for my mistakes, and you will bear the consequences of yours! But I really cannot live with you anymore."

Li Tunan’s face was solemn. She stood up slowly, looked at the bewildered Shen Zhiyu, and gently touched her forehead.

"Xiaoyu, I don't dare ask for your forgiveness; I don't deserve it. But please remember, from now on, Mom will always be here. Whatever happens, you can come to me. Whatever you want to do, I will give my life to help you achieve it."

Li Tunan longed to embrace her daughter, but Shen Zhiyu pulled back. This entire mess gave her a massive headache. Fortunately, it seemed unlikely they would bother her again in the near future. Li Tunan wanted a divorce from Shen Ao? Shen Zhiyu had no comment. They were all adults; everyone should be responsible for their own choices.

Shen Zhixing suddenly felt he shouldn't have come to find Shen Zhiyu. If he hadn't... no, he should have looked for his sister sooner. If he had noticed something was wrong earlier, perhaps the misunderstanding would have been cleared up long ago, and things wouldn't have reached this point. A perfectly good family, about to fall apart.

...

After Shen Zhixing left with Shen Ao and Li Tunan, Old Mrs. Li approached. She wanted to advise Shen Zhiyu that, regardless of the conflict with her family, it was sometimes best to try to understand one another.

"Mrs. Li, this situation is a bit bizarre. Let me tell you about it, and you can help me analyze it?"

Shen Zhiyu’s head was spinning; she didn't know how to handle the current situation. She had to seek outside help. Old Mrs. Li had lived a long life and seen much of the world, and she wasn't the type to uphold outdated, feudal values. Shen Zhiyu was eager to hear her advice.

Once Shen Zhiyu finished explaining, even Old Mrs. Li was left reeling. "This, this..." She didn't know what to say. How could there be such parents in this world? The mother’s actions could perhaps be seen as understandable, but what on earth was the father thinking? It was just a matter of a simple test, so why hadn't he done it? Was he suspicious of his own wife? Or was there some other reason? It was chilling to think about.

"Mrs. Li, what do you think I should do?" Shen Zhiyu looked at her, truly needing guidance.

Old Mrs. Li sighed. "Child, since you have a job and you’ve grown up, just follow your heart. And since you’ve already moved out, stay out. Fate has its own arrangements. Perhaps your connection with those parents was meant to end here. Don't force it, don't dwell on it, and just live your life well."

Old Mrs. Li’s words solidified Shen Zhiyu’s resolve. She would have minimal contact with the Shen family. Regardless of the details, that family was fundamentally cold-hearted. Especially Shen Ao; perhaps in his heart, he never felt the matter was important, or perhaps he kept everything buried deep within. Either way, it was nothing good. It was best to keep them at a distance and wish them well from afar.