Shuyi was famously picky about her food, and she absolutely hated boiled eggs. She tried to pretend she was feeling unwell, telling Shaoqing that she would eat later. But as she turned to leave, Shaoqing grabbed her hand and pulled her back, landing her right in his lap.
He unexpectedly popped half a boiled egg into her mouth. "If you're going to keep pretending to be sick, then you'd better eat properly and behave," he teased in a low voice. "Otherwise, I'll be forced to mouth-feed you."
Blushing furiously, Shuyi quickly chewed and ate the egg. Mr. and Mrs. Wen watched them, smiling silently at the display of affection. Shuyi quickly retreated to her own seat and finished her breakfast.
While they were eating, Mr. Shen suddenly walked in. He stopped in his tracks, completely shocked to see his daughter eating the very thing she detested most in the world.
Mr. Wen saw him and walked over to greet him. Shuyi was incredibly happy to see her father after six long months. she ran to him immediately and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "I missed you, Daddy!" she cried.
"I missed you too, my precious princess," he replied warmly. Then he pulled back with a teasing look. "Wait, is this really the same daughter of mine who is known for being so ruthless and cruel?"
"What do you mean, Daddy?" she asked, confused.
He laughed. "I mean you hate eggs! At the Shen residence, I remember that if breakfast wasn't exactly to your liking, you would kick the table, throw the dishes, or... well, you might even grab someone by the throat!"
Shuyi opened her mouth to defend herself, but Shaoqing interrupted. He stood up and pulled her close to his side, his hand resting protectively on her waist. "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed this time, Uncle Shen," he said with a smirk.
Shaoqing greeted Mr. Shen with a polite nod. "She is still the same daughter you know, Uncle Shen," he said, a playful glint in his eye. "She can still be just as cruel here as she was at home. It's just that she's a little weak right now... plus, she happens to owe me for two very specific things."
Mr. Shen looked at him, completely puzzled. "Twice? What do you mean by 'twice'?"
Before Shaoqing could let the secret out, Shuyi stomped hard on his foot under the table. Wincing slightly, he watched as she quickly turned to her father with a forced smile. "He's just talking about the K-pop group, TWICE, Daddy! He... he promised to show me some of their music," she lied quickly.
She then reached out to take her father's hand. "Anyway, Daddy, you really don't have to worry about me anymore. Mumma has been taking wonderful care of me, and Uncle Wen has been very kind as well."
Her father smiled and replied, "I can see that. You are doing well here, and I think we can proceed with the engagement. It's clear you've found a home with your future in-laws."
Suddenly, Shuyi's expression shifted, and her gaze grew serious as her "Ruthless" side emerged. "Dad," she said firmly. "I know you want to protect me. I know you think I feel the same sense of safety with them that I feel with you. And you're right."
She stepped forward to hug him, whispering into his ear so only he could hear. "But you know the truth about what happened seven years ago. It wasn't just a simple strike. You know why I'm like this—because everyone who stays by my side eventually gets hurt."
Pulling away, she turned to the room and made a sudden announcement. "Mumma, I want our engagement to be held during your birthday banquet. Can we schedule it for that day?"
Mrs. Wen was overjoyed to hear the news, and the entire room shared in her happiness. Suddenly, the sound of applause echoed through the hall. Everyone turned to see Ryan and Wan-Wan standing there, clapping their hands in celebration. They had clearly overheard the engagement date and were eager to congratulate the couple.
However, Shuyi's smile vanished the moment she looked closely at Wan-Wan. She noticed that Wan-Wan's cheeks were a painful shade of red, as if she had just been slapped. Her elbow was scraped, and there were strange marks on her legs that suggested her foot was injured as well.
Shuyi immediately reached out and took Wan-Wan's face in her hands, her voice turning stern. "What happened to your face? Why is it so red? Did someone hit you?"
Wan-Wan looked visibly shaken, her eyes darting away as if she were too terrified to tell the truth.
Shaoqing spoke up, his brow furrowed. "Wait a minute, isn't today the day of your violin competition? Why did you come back so early?"
Wan-Wan hesitated, her eyes downcast. "I... I... actually, I just fell down the stairs and got hurt," she stammered. "My violin was broken in the fall, and since my hand was injured too, I... I had to withdraw from the competition."
Shuyi didn't look convinced. She leaned in, asking her once more if someone had actually hit her, but Wan-Wan insisted it was just an accident.
Trying to change the subject, Wan-Wan offered her congratulations on the engagement and asked Shuyi how she was feeling. Shuyi snapped back rudely, "As you can see, I'm not dead. I'm standing right here in front of you, aren't I? Don't you understand that I'm doing fine?"
Wan-Wan looked at her, confused. "Why are you talking like this, Shuyi? You're my best friend. Why would I ever think of you that way?"
"So you know I'm your best friend?" Shuyi snapped back rudely. "Then why won't you tell me who hit you?"
"It really was just an accident..." Wan-Wan started to say, but Shuyi cut her off with a loud yell.
"Enough! I'm tired of hearing that it was an accident!" Shuyi screamed, her voice trembling with rage. "If it was an accident, then why is your face so red?"
She was losing all control over her anger. The others watched in terror, fearing that she was spiraling into one of her violent episodes. Suddenly, Shuyi lashed out, smashing a flower vase in the corner by the sofa with her bare hand.
As the glass shattered, her hand began to bleed profusely. Mr. Shen looked on, horrified and scared by his daughter's mental state.
Mr. Shen watched her, his heart sinking as he realized his daughter's condition had gotten significantly worse. He was terrified to see his precious princess in such a state. Mrs. Wen tried to step forward to calm her, but Shuyi snapped, telling her mumma to stay away.
Wan-Wan cried out, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't be mad at me, Shuyi! Please! I'm telling you the truth!"
But Shuyi's panic attack had already taken hold. She was gasping for air, her breaths coming in long, ragged heaves as she lost all control over her rage.
"Su-Wan," Shuyi growled, her voice trembling. "If you weren't my best friend, I would have grabbed you by the throat until you spilled the truth. We grew up together. I know you better than anyone, just as you know me. That's how I know, without a doubt, that this was not an accident."
Shuyi's eyes were bloodshot. She stepped close to Wan-Wan, glaring at her with such intensity that the room went cold. "From now on," she hissed, "if you have something to say to me, you either spit out the truth or you keep your mouth shut. Don't you dare show your face at the Shen residence again until you've made up your mind to tell me everything. Do you understand? You better understand what I'm saying, Wan-Wan. Or else, things won't be good for you."
Ryan quickly grabbed Shuyi's hand and pulled her back. "Shuyi, please! Calm down and watch what you're saying!" he pleaded, his voice shaking slightly. Even Ryan was frightened; in all the years they had been the "Diamond Six," Shuyi had never once raised her voice at Wan-Wan like this.
Shuyi shoved him away, her voice laced with anger. "Then make her tell the truth!"
Shaoqing tried to remain calm. "Shuyi, we will deal with that later. Right now, we have to treat your hand before it gets infected. Please, just listen to me," he pleaded.
Ignoring him, Shuyi gave him another slight push and bolted upstairs to Shaoqing's room. Surprisingly, she didn't smash anything this time. Instead, she was consumed by frustration and a throbbing headache, feeling utterly unable to control her own mind.
Violent flashbacks from seven years ago began to flood back, and she let out a scream of pure agony. Downstairs, the sound of her screaming sent a wave of panic through the house. Mr. Shen became so anxious his legs gave out; Wan-Wan had to steady him and offer him water. Shaoqing and Ryan didn't hesitate, racing upstairs toward the sound of her cries just as Shuyi locked herself in the bathroom.
Shaoqing and Ryan threw themselves against the door, but it was locked firmly from the inside. Inside the bathroom, Shuyi stared at the bathtub as it filled with water. She climbed in, desperately trying to submerge herself to calm her spiraling mind. Because of the deep gash on her hand, the water in the tub began to swirl with a haunting shade of red.
Shuyi clutched her head, fighting to stop the intrusive thoughts from seven years ago, but the frustration only grew. Eventually, her mind went completely blank. Overcome by exhaustion and trauma, she lost consciousness and began to slip beneath the surface of the bloody water.
Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Wen were paralyzed with fear, while Mr. Shen's own health began to fail; he looked as though he were about to faint. Back at the door, Ryan and Shaoqing redoubled their efforts, frantic to break through the lock before it was too late.
Shaoqing slammed his foot against the door until it finally gave way and broke open. They rushed inside and immediately saw water pouring out from under the bathroom door. Racing toward the source, they found Shuyi submerged in the tub. Panicked, Shaoqing hauled her limp body out of the water.
Ryan, who was studying medicine, quickly checked her vitals. "Her pulse is very weak, and she's swallowed a lot of water," he said, his voice urgent. "We need to get her to a hospital, but first, Shaoqing, you have to get that water out of her lungs right now!"
While Shuyi remained unconscious, Shaoqing desperately began CPR. He tried four times with no response, but on the fifth attempt, Shuyi finally sputtered, waking up as she coughed the water out of her system. Without wasting a second, Ryan ran outside to get the car ready.
Shaoqing lifted her limp body and carried her downstairs to the waiting car. Mr. and Mrs. Wen were terrified to see her in such a state, and Mrs. Wen broke down in tears. They immediately rushed Shuyi to the hospital to have her admitted.
Mr. Shen followed them, paralyzed by the fear of what he would do if he lost his only daughter. Soon, Shuyi's attending doctor arrived with a grim expression. "I warned you not to let her get angry or put her in a chaotic environment," the doctor said sternly. "I told you to watch her closely and ensure she didn't get into any conflicts, or she might end up hurting herself. And now, that is exactly what has happened".
Hearing this, Su-Wan began to sob, consumed by the crushing guilt that this was all her fault.
After a tense two-hour wait, Dr. Lin, Shuyi's attending physician, finally emerged. "She is stable now," he said, his expression serious. "However, if this happens again, it will be significantly more difficult to treat her. Please, you must take better care of her".
Shuyi was then moved to a private VIP ward to recover. Around 8:00 PM, Su-wan arrived with food for Ryan, Shaoqing, and Shuyi. Finding Shuyi still sound asleep, they decided to wait together for her to wake up.
As they sat in the quiet room, the conversation turned to Su-wan's injuries. Shaoqing looked at her directly and asked, "Wan-wan, was Shuyi right about what happened to you?"
Su-wan slowly nodded. "At the competition, there were students from many different elite schools," she explained softly. "As you know, our school is ranked number one, filled with wealthy families and many scholarship students. Even though I come from a wealthy background myself, everyone there saw me as just another scholarship student. Shuyi is known to be wealthy too, but she hasn't gone public with her status yet."