"Hehe, you're finally back."
Cheng Lizhu was overjoyed to see Yu He and hugged her warmly.
Yu He felt a bit unaccustomed to it but didn't pull away. She answered whatever was asked.
After some pleasantries, Cheng Lizhu produced a bank card.
"I heard you're not staying at the dormitory and are living on your own outside. Are you used to it?" she said, handing the card to Yu He.
"There's a hundred thousand yuan here, saved by your mother. Take it and use it. If it's not enough, ask me. Don't do anything… that makes you unhappy."
She trailed off with her words, but Yu He understood that someone had been gossiping to her mother, making her worry.
Who it was, was obvious.
"I'm staying at a friend's place. You don't need to worry. Keep the money, I have my own."
Yu He pushed the bank card back.
Cheng Lizhu felt a pang of sadness that her daughter wouldn't accept her kindness.
Thinking Yu He meant she would ask Xiang Ye Jianming for living expenses, she explained,
"Your father is still angry, and with what happened with Zisu last night, he's in a very bad mood. He went to work early and doesn't know you're back, so you might not get your living expenses. You should take mine."
It was clear Cheng Lizhu didn't know the truth about last night's events.
"I didn't come back for money, I came back to see you. How is your health?"
Yu He said this as she took her hand and felt her pulse.
Cheng Lizhu was touched and surprised.
Ever since Yu He moved out, her health had been poor.
The doctor said it was due to qi and blood deficiency, causing restlessness. She had been taking medication for a while, but it hadn't helped; she still experienced chest tightness and headaches from time to time.
But she hadn't told Yu He any of this. How could she have known?
After checking her pulse, Yu He took out her acupuncture kit.
Cheng Lizhu was surprised, "Hehe, you know acupuncture?"
"I learned from Grandma," Yu He said, laying out the kit.
Selecting the acupoints and inserting the needles, her movements were skilled and precise.
After removing the needles, Cheng Lizhu felt her chest loosen and her headache disappear. She was pleasantly surprised.
The ailments that had not improved after half a month of medication were gone with just a few needles.
"Can you see your grandmother? She's been in the hospital."
She spoke without thinking and immediately regretted it when she saw Yu He's indifferent expression.
"I'm sorry, Mom was just thinking about peace and prosperity for the family…"
"We'll talk about it later," Yu He replied coolly.
Cheng Lizhu felt guilty, thinking she had ruined the mood when her daughter had finally returned.
She dropped the subject and hesitated over how to give the bank card to Yu He again.
Yu He, after packing away her acupuncture kit, saw through her mother's thoughts at a glance.
"I have ways of making money, you don't need to give it to me," she said.
Cheng Lizhu, thinking Yu He might be planning to work part-time, felt even more heartbroken and distressed.
Her daughter would rather work to support herself than take a penny from home.
With that thought, she produced another black card.
"This is a supplementary card your older brother gave me. He said it has a monthly limit of five hundred thousand. I don't use it, so you take it."
Yu He: "..."
…
While waiting for lunch, Yu He dozed off on the sofa.
Ye Zizheng walked over and kicked the sofa, saying, "If you want to sleep, go to your room. Don't be an eyesore here."
Yu He opened her eyes, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes were clear and cold.
"What are you looking at me for? Do you want me to carry you upstairs?" Ye Zizheng snapped.
"Zhengzheng, how can you talk to your sister like that?" Cheng Lizhu emerged from the kitchen, explaining,
"Hehe, your brother actually wants you to go up to the third floor and see your room. He's kept it for you all this time. He wants you to come back and live here."
Yu He looked at Ye Zizheng in surprise. She had previously muted his notifications because he was too noisy.
Ye Zizheng's ears turned red. "Who wants her to come back and live here?! I'm just taking pity on her and offering her my room! Take it or leave it! Let's eat, I'm starving!"
He then turned and strutted towards the dining room like a proud peacock.
Yu He: "..."
Ye Zizheng reached the dining room just as Aunt Cui was carrying a trash bag, about to collect the milk tea bottles from the coffee table. He rushed forward.
"What are you doing touching my milk tea!"
Aunt Cui shook the empty bottle in her hand. "Young master, I saw it was finished…"
"Who said it was finished!" Ye Zizheng snatched it back. "Aren't there still two pearls left?!"
He then slurped them up.
"…It's finished. Shall I take the bottle to throw away?" Aunt Cui asked.
Ye Zizheng: "No! I think this bottle looks quite nice. Wash it and I'll use it to hold flowers."
Aunt Cui: "???"
When did the young master become so thrifty?
After lunch, Yu He said she had to go back to see Xiao Xiangzhu and left.
Ye Zizheng, seeing her leave so quickly without even going up to the third floor to see her room, was a little angry.
"Mom, how much pocket money did you secretly give her behind my back? She took the money and left! So materialistic."
"Your sister didn't take my money. She said she earns her own."
Cheng Lizhu wished Yu He had taken the money. At least then, she could have compensated for the seventeen years of regret with money.
But she refused to take any, let alone the black card.
"Really?" Ye Zizheng was suspicious.
No wonder the gift she brought back for me was half a cup of milk tea, so stingy.
Oh well, for the sake of that half cup of milk tea, I'll generously give her some pocket money.
…
In the car, Yu He suddenly received a WeChat notification of a transfer.
She clicked on it and saw that Ye Zizheng had transferred her 25,000 yuan.
Yu He:?
[Ye Zizheng]: Don't bring me such stingy gifts next time.
Yu He:?
When did she ever bring him a gift?
[Ye Zizheng]: At least a whole cup of milk tea.
Yu He: "..."
This little brother of hers is quite cute.
—
Monday.
In the afternoon, during study hall.
Yu He rested her chin on one hand, scrolling through her phone with the other. Her posture was casual, yet exuded a cool, unapproachable aura.
On her phone screen was a WeChat conversation.
A Pig: [Boss, you're amazing! I had people search that hospital top to bottom, and they couldn't find Luo Xiaoyao and her mother anywhere!]
A Pig: [After using some methods, I found out that the day after they registered for treatment at the hospital, they vanished into thin air!]
A Pig: [The key is that her mother's medical records have been continuously updated.]
This indicated that someone had discovered Yu He was investigating Luo Xiaoyao and deliberately orchestrated this diversion.
If Yu He hadn't sent people to investigate, they would never have realized that Luo Xiaoyao and her mother had actually disappeared!
A Pig: [All leads are now broken.]
A Pig: [Boss, what do we do now? Should we call the police?]
Crow: [No need.]
The mastermind was so meticulous with their diversionary tactics that calling the police would be useless.
A Pig: [By the way, Boss, you still haven't said why you were looking into this unfortunate mother and daughter pair?]
Crow: [Don't ask about things you shouldn't know.]
A Pig: [I'm just curious.]
…
Before he could become too talkative, Yu He moved him to her do-not-disturb list.
Luo Xiaoyao taking her mother abroad for treatment was indeed suspicious.
Had the mastermind from back then panicked because she was getting close to the truth?