Liu Xu was in high spirits. "That’s perfect! I’ll cancel my appointment for tomorrow. By the way, should we buy a gift? I’ll take care of it."
Su Rong shook her head. "Not yet." She still wasn't sure if they would even be able to find him.
Liu Xu felt a pang of heartache and took her hand. "Rongrong, you have so many injuries. Can’t the Su family see them? Do they just not care about you at all?"
Su Rong hadn't yet told her that her imprisonment three years ago was a setup by Su Xuer. Liu Xu was incredibly loyal but prone to acting on impulse, and Su Rong worried that letting her know would ruin her own plans. "I try my best to keep them covered so they don't see."
She figured only Old Madam Su would feel any real concern for her, but she didn’t want to worry her grandmother. As for the others, she didn't know what they thought, and she didn't want to make herself even more miserable by dwelling on it. Everyone was busy with their own lives, and she didn't want to be a burden.
She had once been the little princess of the Su family, doted on by everyone, but ever since Su Xuer returned, everything had changed. The Su family was doing everything in their power to make it up to Su Xuer, leaving Su Rong an outsider. She couldn't even show her hurt, or she would be labeled narrow-minded, selfish, and petty. She understood their perspective and had tried hard to please Su Xuer to maintain their sisterly bond, but Su Xuer was simply too vicious.
"It’s okay, you still have me." Liu Xu gave her a hug. "It’s getting late. Let me treat you to a big meal. How about French food at the Seine Revolving Restaurant?"
"Let's go!" Su Rong offered a faint smile. "There’s no sorrow that a big meal can’t fix."
Liu Xu felt a brief moment of daze, as if the vibrant, bright-eyed Su Rong from their youth had returned, but it vanished in an instant as Su Rong’s expression turned heavy once more.
"Let’s go," Liu Xu sighed. They arrived at the World Trade Building. When the elevator doors opened, two men were standing inside—Sheng Qiye and Leng Xiao, who had come up from the underground garage.
Su Rong froze. The frequency with which she had encountered these two lately felt a bit high. As her gaze met Sheng Qiye’s, she felt an inexplicable tension.
Liu Xu offered a greeting and pulled Su Rong toward the elevator. Su Rong hesitated at the entrance, wondering whether she should step in. Sheng Qiye looked at her with an indifferent expression; surely he wasn't going to make her wait for an invitation? Wasn't she usually quite capable?
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Leng Xiao pressed the "open" button and called out, "Are you coming up?"
Only then did Su Rong and Liu Xu step inside. The elevator wasn't small, but standing with the two of them created a suffocating sense of confinement. Suddenly, the lights in the elevator went out.
Su Rong let out a sharp cry. In the next second, she threw herself into Sheng Qiye’s arms and held on tight. She had suffered from claustrophobia since she was a child, and her time in confinement in prison—thanks to Zhu Hui—had worsened her condition. The sudden pitch-black darkness triggered a panic attack.
Fortunately, the lights came back on after just over ten seconds.
Su Rong’s face was pale. She hurried to pull away, her head throbbing. "I’m so sorry, President Sheng."
Sheng Qiye could tell that her actions hadn't been intentional or feigned. Surprisingly, when she had held him so tightly, he hadn't felt the repulsion he expected.
Liu Xu steadied Su Rong and explained, "I’m so sorry, President Sheng. Rongrong suffers from claustrophobia; she was just really scared."
Su Rong caught her breath and moved to the side, hoping to avoid any further unexpected incidents. Thankfully, they reached the top floor shortly after.
Liu Xu and Su Rong found a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Liu Xu rambled on, "In such a high-end place, having the lights go out in the elevator—that’s a once-in-a-century occurrence." She glanced toward the nearby table. "They’re sitting right over there. You might have startled Sheng Qiye just now. Should we send them a fruit platter as a gesture of apology?"
Su Rong was still shaken. "That’s fine, you decide." Whether they needed it or not, they should express their regrets.
Looking at the platter that had just arrived, Sheng Qiye asked Leng Xiao, "You ordered fruit?"
The waiter replied, "It was a gift from the two ladies over there. They said it was an apology for what happened earlier."
Liu Xu smiled and waved at them, giving a brief gesture of apology.
Sheng Qiye speared a piece of fruit and ate it. "The taste is good. We can add a fruit platter next time."
Liu Xu was thrilled. "Did you see that? He ate it, which means he accepted our apology."
"Yes, you were very thoughtful." Su Rong drank some juice, her racing heart finally beginning to calm.
As Liu Xu cut her steak, she remarked, "I feel like Sheng Qiye isn't as cold-blooded or difficult to deal with as the rumors suggest."
Su Rong nodded. "I think so, too."
They chatted as they ate, but when they looked over again, Sheng Qiye and Leng Xiao were already gone.
When Su Rong returned to the Su residence, the whole family was there, filling the house with laughter. It was easy to imagine how happy they had been without her for the past three years.
Seeing Su Rong return, Su Xuer leaned closer to Bai Fei and began talking about her time at Yugong. "Sister probably hasn't touched a piano in so long that she’s forgotten how to play. I think she should find a teacher for private tutoring first to get her feel back before she goes to the Socialites Hall. After all, she doesn't just represent herself there; she represents the Su family."
The implication was clear: don't ruin the Su family's reputation. She made no mention of Su Rong’s hand injury.
Bai Fei agreed. "It wouldn't hurt to attend some training classes for a while." She hated that Lin Lan had switched the children, causing her own biological daughter to suffer so much while she had showered a stranger's daughter with luxury and affection. However, having raised Su Rong for nineteen years, she couldn't simply discard their bond. She was conflicted, and because of this, she was never very warm toward Su Rong.
Old Madam Su asked, "Rongrong, what do you think?"
Su Rong needed the Socialites Hall to improve her image and standing. She had no degree and a criminal record; in her current situation, she feared she wouldn't even be able to find a job. "I wasn't prepared today. I will adapt slowly."
The Old Madam nodded. "Good. If you have any trouble, tell Grandma, and I will help you handle it."
"Thank you, Grandma." After saying her goodbyes, Su Rong went to her room. She felt she could no longer fit into this family. Ever since Su Xuer’s return, she had become nothing more than an outsider.
...
Early the next morning, Su Rong drove to pick up Liu Xu and headed toward Phoenix Mountain, located in the northern outskirts, a two-hour drive from the city center. Li Nan had said that Hua Tuo had a villa at the foot of Phoenix Mountain and would occasionally stay there for a period of time. Whether they would run into him was a matter of luck.
Liu Xu was still eating a crab-roe bun. "How is your hand? Should I drive instead?"
"It’s fine." Driving was different from playing the piano. When her hand hurt, she could use her right hand to steer or engage the autopilot feature. The car the Old Madam had bought her was the latest model, integrated with the most advanced high-tech features available.
Su Rong followed the address provided by Li Nan and found the villa deepest at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. After parking, she pressed the doorbell.
The villa had a small courtyard where some medicinal herbs were laid out to dry. The scent of medicine was palpable right at the gate, which suggested that the owner was at home.