"I also want to study hard. After school, I want them to tutor me too," Zhu Li said, her round face flushing red as she finally stated her purpose.
"If you want to go, then go. I don't need it," Shangguan You replied, leaving Zhu Li with the cold sight of her retreating back.
Flipping through the textbook in her hands, although it was all knowledge she had studied before, it had been a long time since she'd touched it. What she needed now was time. As long as she reviewed it thoroughly, the first-year high school exams would be a piece of cake for her. Besides, she planned to skip grades and take the college entrance exam directly; she didn't have three years to waste here.
As soon as the class bell rang, Shangguan You was about to get up and leave when a tall figure blocked her path. "Youyou, I'll tutor you today."
"I'm busy." She had many things to do today. She had been too tired yesterday and hadn't had a chance to look into matters concerning her past life. Today, she wanted to thoroughly investigate the situation with that treacherous couple, as well as her grandfather. She wondered how her grandfather was doing. The thought of him ignited a profound sorrow within her.
"Youyou, how can you be so heartless to me?" Gui Mo said, his expression mournful, as pitiful as an abandoned puppy.
"Youyou, there are some things I don't understand either, and I want to get good grades too. Let's go to the lakeside and have Gui Mo tutor us, okay?" Zhu Li asked, her expression eager and fawning. To be alone with the school's heartthrob was a great opportunity, one she didn't want Youyou to ruin.
"Zhu Li, I'm very busy these days. I don't have time for tutoring."
"Youyou, are you really that heartless?" Zhu Li asked with a mournful face, shaking Shangguan You's arm pitifully.
Shangguan You's lips twitched sharply. Next semester, she would jump directly to the third year and take the college entrance exam, so her time with Zhu Li wouldn't be long. Moreover, she was returning to Beijing for the winter holidays. Remembering the first person who had stood up for her in this new life, she couldn't help but nod. In this unfamiliar world, Zhu Li was the first person she saw upon opening her eyes, regardless of any ulterior motives. She didn't want to disappoint her.
"Alright, you two go ahead. I'll join you in a bit." Shangguan You's lips twitched again, and her cool voice sounded once more.
"Youyou, where are you going? I'll go with you!" Gui Mo's charming eyes lit up, and he took a swift step to block her path. This was a rare chance, so incredibly rare, that she had finally agreed!
"I'm going to the restroom. Do you want to follow?" Shangguan You rolled her eyes and sidestepped Gui Mo.
"Youyou, we'll wait for you at our usual spot. Hurry up!" Zhu Li's voice called from far behind her.
"Mm," Shangguan You acknowledged simply.
Inside the villa, Shangguan You closed her bedroom door and turned on her computer. She browsed familiar websites, searching for all news within a year of her death. The High Society Forum chronicled all the gossip among Beijing's wealthy elite. Anything she wanted to find, she could easily discover there.
She calmly looked at the online gossip about her: 'Beijing's Shen Family: The Great Unmasking'. Within a month of her death, videos continuously surfaced online, all showing her in bed with a man. The man's face was blurred, but hers was crystal clear.
Afterward, rumors spread that she had sold off her assets, even the Shen Family's stocks, and eloped with the man, absconding with a huge sum of money after liquidating all her properties.
Shen Cheng's handsome face kept appearing on web pages, issuing statements claiming his wife had gone abroad for treatment due to a serious illness. Shen Cheng, devoid of his usual handsome bearing, looked haggard and dejected.
Three months later, the widely discussed "husband abandonment" case came to light due to a heartfelt confession from Shen Cheng.
"Shen Corporation CEO's heartfelt confession: Wanyou, no matter where you are, as long as you can come back, we will be as loving as before. I can forgive everything you have done. Wanyou, I will always wait for you. Grandfather and Wanqian are waiting for you."
Shen Cheng's confession further solidified Wanyou's alleged guilt.
Online vitriol against Wanyou was relentless; she was called promiscuous, shameless, and disgraceful. Meanwhile, Shen Cheng was portrayed as a victim, garnering widespread sympathy from netizens.
Subsequently, more news emerged. An online user known as "Insider" revealed that Shen Cheng had staged everything. The real Wanyou hadn't absconded with any money but had been murdered by Shen Cheng, her body thrown into the open sea. Others claimed Wanyou had been lost at sea. The Wanyou case caused a major stir, becoming an inexhaustible topic of discussion among the wealthy elite.
A shocking piece of news attached below made Shangguan You's hands clench tightly.
"Half a year later, a stunning revelation was posted online, bringing the so-called 'truth' of the Wanyou case back into the public eye. A yacht had mysteriously caught fire, and two bodies, one male and one female, were recovered from the sea. Both were unrecognizable; their faces had been destroyed by the fire and were further decomposed after days in the water. After DNA verification by the police, the woman was identified as Wanyou. Burnt remnants of her ID and credit cards were also found on board. The news elicited a mixture of grief and grim satisfaction. Her grandfather suffered a heart attack upon receiving the news."
Six months later, the Wanyou case was considered closed. The gossip persisted for another month before the matter was finally forgotten by most.
In her secret email inbox, an unread message brought tears to her previously impassive face. In this world, only Grandfather had always been the kindest to her.
"Xiao You, whether it's true or false, Grandfather will always believe you. All of Grandfather's assets will be reserved for you for three years. If you're still alive, you know what to do. Grandfather will be watching from heaven, waiting for that day. If you've truly passed on, then after three years, everything will be donated to charity. That despicable couple won't get a single cent."
"Grandfather, Wanyou has failed you..." Shangguan You choked on her sobs, tears streaming relentlessly down her face like falling pearls. When she had first married Shen Cheng, Grandfather had been against it. But she had been blinded by Shen Cheng, unable to see how good Grandfather truly was to her.
Before she died, she finally saw Shen Cheng's true face, but she was powerless. She felt utterly weak, lacking even the strength to make a phone call, and Shen Cheng had people monitoring her twenty-four hours a day.