The Twenty-First Blood Orange

The chandelier, a fusion of Venetian Murano glass and Bohemian crystal, hung high above the living room. The walls were creamy white, adorned with gold leaf carvings. Rococo and Neoclassical styles blended perfectly in the Su family home, offering both whimsical lightness and rational order.

In the spacious room, all eyes were drawn to the elegant matriarch seated at the head.

"Liao Xue?" Su Yuling didn't even blink. She had seen too many people like Liao Xue; dealing with them had become tedious. Were it not for her good-for-nothing son's sentimental attachment to the girl, she wouldn't have even noticed her existence.

Liao Xue stood upright, still wearing that pale yellow outfit. Hearing her name, she looked up and responded.

Maintaining her air of regal superiority, Su Yuling raised an eyebrow. "Raise your head and let me have a look."

Liao Xue's fingers curled into her palms as she slowly lifted her head.

A face of delicate loveliness, carrying a poignant, rainy-day fragility even without tears, struck Su Yuling's eyes.

Su Yuling had seen the girls at Su Zeye's Jile Paradise base. She roughly knew that what Su Zeye liked was a delicate, white-flower type like Liao Xue.

To be honest, even all those girls in Jile Paradise combined couldn't match the beauty of the face before her.

If she were ten years younger, Su Yuling might have found herself drawn to it as well.

For a long moment, only their breathing filled the room. Su Yuling, realizing she had been staring, cleared her throat, adjusted the shawl over her shoulders, and cut to the chase. "Zeye's meals have always been your responsibility. Now that he's vomiting and has diarrhea, you can't deny your involvement."

Su Yuling deliberately paused, waiting for Liao Xue's reaction—be it panic, sobbing, or regret.

But time passed, and Liao Xue showed no reaction at all. Her emotions were as steady as a capybara's.

Su Yuling had handled wild children like Su Zeye, but she had no experience with quiet, stubborn types like Liao Xue.

"I don't care whether you confess or not. All I need is for you to state your motive."

The infamous queen of the underworld hadn't been so lenient with an interrogated person in years, and the result she got was Liao Xue, emboldened by her kindness, remaining silent.

Su Yuling had the urge to shoot Liao Xue dead, but then she remembered her son, who had threatened to refuse surgery just to keep Liao Xue safe, and she itched with anger.

"Shen Qiancheng hit Zeye with a bottle at the club for you, didn't she? She even avenged you, so why would you poison my son?"

The 'living fossil' Liao Xue finally moved. She lifted her head and saw Su Yuling, dressed in a black qipao with red camellias and a pearl-encrusted shawl, staring down at her with fury flickering in her gaze, as if she wanted to burn away Liao Xue's vulnerable, paper-like façade.

Burned by Su Yuling's stare, Liao Xue stepped back and lowered her head again.

Su Yuling's patience snapped. She extended her hand. "Give me the gun."

Su Tongqin, who had been lurking in the shadows, drew her sidearm and placed it in Su Yuling's hand.

The next second, the cold metal muzzle pressed against Liao Xue's temple. She could even see the grain of the pearls on Su Yuling's shawl.

"Speak, or not," Su Yuling lost her patience. She had no time for protracted conversations with a cook who had tried to harm her son. "Even if you talk, I won't spare your life. I'll just send you on your way."

Liao Xue closed her eyes. What could she say?

That she was jealous Su Zeye could marry Shen Qiancheng? That she resented that a scumbag like Su Zeye could stand openly by Shen Qiancheng's side, making them the envy of all, while she herself did nothing?

She had to admit that Shen Qiancheng had left too many marks on her heart to be erased in three years, and couldn't be forgotten just because of a few harsh words from Shen Qiancheng.

Since she couldn't forget, let death be the end.

Su Yuling's calloused finger rested on the trigger, life and death hanging in a moment.

Liao Xue heard the scrape of skin against metal.

The next second, everyone's attention was drawn to the newcomer.

"Auntie Su, what's all this commotion for?" Shen Qiancheng wore a lacy court shirt paired with a brown pleated skirt, revealing two straight, snow-white legs. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Liao Xue felt the gun leave her temple, but her heart remained uneasy.

Why did Shen Qiancheng come? Why now of all times?

Su Yuling adjusted her shawl and gave Su Tongqin a meaningful look. "Tongqin, our guest is here. Go fetch some tea."

Su Tongqin tucked the gun back into her waistband and nodded before leaving.

The menace in Su Yuling's demeanor vanished, replaced by gentle graciousness, as she smiled. "Why are you here, Chengcheng? Did you miss your auntie?"

"Of course," Shen Qiancheng replied with a smile, placing the gift she carried at her feet. "It's hard not to miss someone as beautiful as you, Auntie."

Everyone enjoys being complimented, and Su Yuling saw through Shen Qiancheng's intent, knowing she wasn't just there to flatter.

"Since you've come all this way, Chengcheng, you must have other matters."

Liao Xue, standing below, kept her eyes lowered, listening to their exchange.

Shen Qiancheng smiled faintly and spoke with feigned intimacy, "Nothing escapes Auntie Su's notice. I'm here for a specific person. At the banquet the other day, I noticed that the cook you just hired looked rather familiar."

Hearing herself referred to as the 'newly hired cook,' Liao Xue glanced up, puzzled, wondering what Shen Qiancheng was up to.

Su Yuling played along, "So you know Liao Xue, Chengcheng?"

"Yes, her name is Liao Xue," Shen Qiancheng nodded. "What you might not know, Auntie, is that back when Liao Xue worked at our place, eating her food also gave me vomiting and diarrhea. I've been looking for her to settle the score, and it turns out she's ended up at your house."

Su Yuling, seasoned by years of experience, saw through Shen Qiancheng's ploy.

"But Chengcheng, aren't you afraid she'll poison you again if you take her back to the Shen residence?" Su Yuling asked with a teasing curl of her lips.

Realizing what Shen Qiancheng was doing, Liao Xue's head snapped up, her eyes met Shen Qiancheng's across the room, and the one who had been panicked just a moment ago looked away first.

"Not afraid." Shen Qiancheng's fingers tapped on the table, her face calm, but the tapping betrayed her inner agitation. "But that time she landed me in the hospital, I need to get back at her for it. Please let her go, Auntie Su."

After leaving the Su residence, seated in the red sports car Shen Qiancheng had borrowed from Su Tongqin, Liao Xue's heart still raced.

She had faced death, and even though she had resolved to die, she felt the relief of someone who'd narrowly escaped.

Shen Qiancheng drove in silence, pondering how to repay Su Tongqin for this troublesome favor.

Once they left the Su compound, the car remained quiet.

Shen Qiancheng was silent out of awkwardness. Not long ago, she had gone out of her way to kick Liao Xue out, and now she was rushing to bring her back.

When had the proud and haughty young miss of the Shen family ever had to swallow her pride like this?

"Take me to the police station." Liao Xue spoke, the neon lights flickering across her face, giving her an ethereal look.

The light turned red, and Shen Qiancheng slammed on the brakes.

"Liao Xue, be my personal maid. Salary for the month: thirty thousand, room and board included."

The offer was tempting enough. Shen Qiancheng had seriously considered everything Liao Xue had said that day in the Su kitchen.

If Liao Xue had no place to go and no way to make a living, Shen Qiancheng would provide for her.

"I'm going to the police station to turn myself in." Liao Xue's tone barely changed, as if she were simply stating her intentions.

Shen Qiancheng let out a cold laugh. She had owed Su Tongqin a favor, humbled herself before Su Yuling, all to save Liao Xue's skin.

And now, the girl wouldn't even appreciate it. What was she playing at?

"If that's what you want, I should have just taken that gun and shot you myself," Shen Qiancheng snapped, her chest heaving with anger.

"You should shoot me now. I'm not going anywhere with you." After a moment, Liao Xue added firmly, "Open the door. I'm getting out!"

What was she being so stubborn about? Shen Qiancheng thought Liao Xue was heaven's way of tormenting her, the one obstacle in her otherwise smooth life.

She, Shen Qiancheng, could never bring herself to shoot Liao Xue.

The car doors were securely locked.

Liao Xue couldn't open them. Her determined doe eyes met Shen Qiancheng's gaze in the rearview mirror.

Shen Qiancheng softened her tone and cooed, "Can we not do this?"

Liao Xue remained silent, staring straight into Shen Qiancheng's eyes, making the latter almost fearful of such clear, honest gaze.

If she wouldn't speak, how could Shen Qiancheng possibly know what she was thinking!

Shen Qiancheng: "Then what do you want me to say?"

Liao Xue's eyes were calm. "Am I just a maid?"

Shen Qiancheng raised an eyebrow. Why would she ask that?

Liao Xue pressed on, "Why did you choose me to be a maid?"

Shen Qiancheng finally saw what she was getting at.

Clearing her throat, as the red light turned green, she gave the answer she thought was perfect. "You've always harbored these unrealistic feelings of like—even love—for me. As the one who caused these improper thoughts, I have the duty and responsibility to correct them."

Liao Xue smiled bitterly, three parts sadness and three parts 'I knew it,' the rest cold in her words. "Miss Shen, you truly have a charitable heart, the world's greatest do-gooder. There must be countless people with improper thoughts about you, yet you disregard them all, to bother only with a village girl like me? Miss Shen really does treat me specially."

Hearing this, Shen Qiancheng was taken aback, thinking, 'Don't good intentions count for anything?'

Liao Xue had waited for Shen Qiancheng to say something, but when she just seemed dumbfounded, Liao Xue had to laugh wryly.

"Shen Qiancheng, I can slowly forget these improper feelings I have for you on my own. No need for you to trouble yourself," Liao Xue said, staring ahead. The roads were nearly empty at this hour. "Just let me go, Shen Qiancheng. If you don't like me, why hold on to me?"

'Thump.' Something seemed to catch in Shen Qiancheng's chest. Was Liao Xue once again trying to leave her?

She knew all too well what would happen to Liao Xue if she left.

Pulling the car to the side of the road, Shen Qiancheng unbuckled Liao Xue's seatbelt. "You're so determined to leave me, then go. Without me, the Su family has their ways to make your life miserable. You don't have a choice; I'm the only one you can turn to for protection. Where else could you go? I'll give you half a day to think. Either leave Tang City, or stay by my side. Don't think about hiding in Tang City. As long as you're within it, I'll find you even if I have to dig three feet into the ground!"

Liao Xue patiently waited for Shen Qiancheng to finish her outburst, then looked pointedly at the steering wheel, signaling for her to unlock the door.

Reluctantly, feeling a heavy ache inside, Shen Qiancheng unlocked the doors. In the distance, the high-speed rail station loomed.

She kicked herself, wishing she'd stopped as far away from the station as possible.

Without a single word or even a parting glance, Liao Xue got out and walked into the station.

Shen Qiancheng pulled out her phone, bought a ticket for the next available train, got out of the car, and, almost impulsively, followed Liao Xue into the station.

The waiting hall was bustling with people. The last time Shen Qiancheng had taken a high-speed rail was to find Liao Xue, who lived in a city without an airport. She had taken a high-speed rail, then transferred to a bus, and then another local bus, jostling all the way to Liao Family Village, where she finally saw Liao Xue, thin as a rake.

Liao Xue returning to her village would face the same journey, right?

Shen Qiancheng's train had already left without her. Amidst the clamor of the waiting room, her phone rang.

"Hey, where'd you disappear to? You didn't take off with my car and sell it, did you?" Su Tongqin's voice came through, filled with playful mockery. She was happy that Shen Qiancheng had taken Liao Xue away.

Shen Qiancheng remained silent, listening to Su Tongqin carry on, and the more she heard, the angrier she got. Su Tongqin frowned at the other end. "Where'd you two go? It sounds so . . . loud there."

'The word 'loud'—she was cut off before she could even finish the word, the line going dead. Su Tongqin choked on her words.

Shen Qiancheng hung up on her. What was she throwing a tantrum about? Su Tongqin rolled her eyes, making a mental note to add this to Shen Qiancheng's tab.

She still had Su Tongqin's car, though. Su Tongqin figured she'd call again when the pair had finished their honeymoon phase.

Shen Qiancheng glared at Su Tongqin's number on her phone screen. What terrible timing.

People bustled through the various boarding gates, and as each train was announced, Shen Qiancheng sat nearby watching the passengers line up. But she checked four gates, and none of them had Liao Xue.

Suddenly, it hit her: what was she doing?

This was beneath her.

Shen Qiancheng got up to leave. Maybe it was better that Liao Xue had left. Once things in Tang City settled down, she could come back for her...

Feeling a bit lighter, she had just started walking when her phone buzzed again.

"Su Tongqin, I swear if you call me one more time, I'll block you—"

"Shen Qiancheng." It was a voice unique to Liao Xue, coming through the phone speaker, slightly distorted, but for Shen Qiancheng, it was a familiar and beloved sound. "Why is your car still outside the train station?"

Shen Qiancheng's breath caught; her heartbeat seemed to sync with the sound of Liao Xue's voice. All around her, the noise of the crowd and the station announcements faded into silence. All that remained was Liao Xue speaking on the other end.

"Shen Qiancheng, how does it feel to be the one abandoned? And you still want me to be your maid?"

With that, Liao Xue hung up, seizing the upper hand. She stood at the station exit, waiting for Shen Qiancheng, her slender form silhouetted against the borrowed Su Tongqin car behind her.

The dial tone snapped Shen Qiancheng back to reality. Liao Xue had changed in these three years. She was no longer the weak, bullied girl from Liao Family Village. She was learning to threaten and retaliate.

But Shen Qiancheng felt no anger or annoyance, only a swelling pride.

It was as if Liao Xue were her star pupil, having absorbed all of her wisdom.

But just then, Su Tongqin called yet again. Shen Qiancheng had already caught sight of Liao Xue at the entrance, so she had no mind for Su Tongqin’s call. It wasn’t until she got in the car and Liao Xue pointedly said something that she forced herself to answer.

"Are you two done flirting?" Su Tongqin asked with exasperation. "That's a limited-edition car of mine. Drive carefully."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll park it in the usual spot." Shen Qiancheng hung up quickly.

Su Tongqin heard the dial tone and, suddenly wondering what Fu Rong was up to, called her instead.

Liao Xue had already buckled her seatbelt. Casually, she asked, "A friend?"

Shen Qiancheng rested her hands on the steering wheel, raised an eyebrow at the question. A friend?

"Something more."

As the engine started, Liao Xue sneered, "Miss Shen is quite fashionable, keeping lovers on the side."

Though she didn't understand why 'something more' meant 'lovers,' Shen Qiancheng posed a very serious question: "Do you want to be one?"

Being a lover wasn't all bad; it just carried a bad reputation. Before she cleared up all the mess with the Shen family, romance wasn't really on her agenda.

If Liao Xue insisted, oh well, maybe she could make an exception...

Liao Xue humphed. "I'm just a village girl. I'll leave the sidepiece role to more suitable women."

Shen Qiancheng: ???