Was her life destined to end like this?
In this moment, she felt a despair she had never known.
Her clothes were torn off. She closed her eyes, tears tracing paths down her face.
Suddenly, the door was kicked open.
The autumn wind surged in. "Shu'er..."
Lin Shishu, lying on the bed, snapped her eyes open. She saw her father rushing towards her.
The weight on her vanished.
"Shu'er, my Shu'er..." Lin Feng trembled as he untied Lin Shishu.
Lin Shishu tore the gag from her mouth. Seeing Murong Bo, who had been captured and brought back after attempting to flee, she walked forward and slapped him. Angrily, she said, "This slap is my repayment to you."
Murong Bo chuckled softly. "I won't be satisfied if I don't have you tonight."
Lin Shishu's gaze turned icy. Her peripheral vision caught the sword at the waist of the guard holding Murong Bo. She said coldly, word by word, "Is that so? Then, die!"
She swiftly drew the guard's sword and pierced Murong Bo's body with a single thrust.
Murong Bo's body stiffened. He stared at her, his eyes wide. Perhaps he never imagined Lin Shishu would personally kill him.
Murong Bo collapsed to the ground. Lin Shishu bent down, a sinister smile curling her lips. "You can never have me again. Murong Bo, your fate today is your own doing."
Murong Bo spat out a mouthful of blood. "You..."
Lin Shishu stood up, surveying her surroundings. She walked to Lin Feng and asked, "Father, where is Young Master Yan?"
Lin Feng replied, "In the courtyard."
Lin Shishu nodded. She dropped the sword and wiped the blood and spit from Murong Bo that had splattered on her face with her sleeve. Once done, she pulled her sleeve and tossed it aside.
Stepping out of the room, she saw the man in the moon-white brocade robe in the courtyard.
"Young Master Yan..." she walked forward and slowly bowed.
Yan Jin Chao turned to look at her. Although she had wiped the blood from her face, the single drop on her body could not be concealed. He knew exactly what had transpired.
"Thank you," Lin Shishu murmured. She knew what had happened inside, and his silence meant his tacit approval of her actions.
"Young Master Yan, I have no way to repay your kindness," Lin Shishu said.
"There is no need," Yan Jin Chao responded with two simple words.
Lin Shishu suddenly knelt on the ground. Yan Jin Chao frowned slightly, clearly her action was beyond his expectation.
"Please, Young Master Yan, take my father and me in," Lin Shishu said, gritting her teeth. Never before had she felt so destitute.
Yes, if she and her father were alone outside, and this time Yan Jin Chao came to their rescue, what about next time? And the time after that? Was she always going to be this lucky?
No, people weren't always lucky. Therefore, she had to consider her own future.
Moreover, she had lost everything now. Her status was gone. She could only cling to this last straw.
"Miss Lin, Murong Bo is dead. The person who threatened you is no longer here," Yan Jin Chao said calmly.
Lin Shishu shook her head. "Today it was Murong Bo, but who will it be tomorrow? Young Master Yan, don't forget the Min family. She won't let this go. If you don't take my father and me in, we will likely face certain death."
Yan Jin Chao frowned, his gaze towards Lin Shishu gradually chilling. Lin Shishu gritted her teeth and said, "Young Master Yan, since you've saved us, please see it through to the end. I beg you to grant us this."
Lin Shishu cast aside all her pride and kowtowed.
Yan Jin Chao moved behind Lin Shishu in a flash. Seeing that her cloud boots were no longer in her sight, she felt a pang of bitterness.
After a long while, she finally heard his clear voice, "Don't regret it."
Footsteps receded. Lin Shishu breathed a sigh of relief.
She slumped to the ground. Lin Feng walked over and looked at his once proud daughter, now putting aside all her pride to beg someone. An unspeakable sorrow welled up in his heart. His noble daughter had ultimately bowed her head.
"Shu'er..."
Lin Shishu looked up at Lin Feng, wiped away her tears, and then stood up. "Father, you don't need to feel wronged for me. I have achieved what I wanted to do. No matter the price, I believe it was worth it."
"Shu'er..."
Lin Shishu smiled. "Father, don't be sad. You should be happy. Happy that your daughter is close to obtaining what she has always desired."
Lin Feng couldn't feel happy. He was filled with sorrow. It was he who had brought his daughter to this point. If he hadn't chosen the path of a substitute for Shu'er back then, would these events have occurred today?
Shu'er was gone, leaving him and his daughter. What was he to do now?
Xue Xingchen never expected his father to bring the Lin Shishu father-daughter pair back to the mansion.
His mother already had misunderstandings with his father, and now those misunderstandings would only deepen.
Upon hearing that the Empress had left alone, Yan Jin Chao's expression remained calm, but his eyes held an unusual coldness.
Xue Song dared not meet his young master's gaze. He felt that Xue Yan was being intentional. Otherwise, why wouldn't she speak, and why insist he be the one to deliver the news? It was laughable that he had accepted it so readily. His life was indeed hard!
"Let her go," Yan Jin Chao said calmly, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
Xue Xingchen walked in on his short legs. "Father, didn't you arrange a residence for Sister Lin? Why are you bringing them into the mansion?"
Yan Jin Chao looked up at the little one and said calmly, "Is it inappropriate?"
Xue Xingchen nodded. "It's very inappropriate."
"Xue Song, throw them out," Yan Jin Chao said without the slightest hesitation.
Xue Xingchen was stunned. Xue Song hesitated. "Throw them out?" They had just brought them back, and now they were being thrown out?
"Don't you understand my words?" Yan Jin Chao asked.
"Father, I didn't mean it like that." Xue Xingchen felt his father had misunderstood him.
Yan Jin Chao looked at him. "Not like that? Then what did you mean?"
Xue Xingchen fell silent. "Xingchen, don't worry about what others mean. Follow your own feelings. In the future, you will need to make decisions on your own, not your mother, and not me."
Xue Xingchen nodded. "I understand. I hope Father will stay away from Sister Lin. You are a married man, and you need to keep your distance from unmarried women."
"I will be careful," Yan Jin Chao replied.
Xue Xingchen smiled with satisfaction. "Father, do you think I'm being meddlesome?"
"No, you care about Father, and Father is very happy," Yan Jin Chao said truthfully.
Xue Xingchen couldn't help but laugh and cry at his words. "Then when Father meets my sister, you'll know that compared to her, I'm already very well-behaved."
Yan Jin Chao lowered his gaze upon hearing this. "Your sister..."
"Mother went to save my sister. Mother will definitely bring her back safely," Xue Xingchen said.