Chapter 138: Board The Same Boat
The carriage belonging to the Shen family slowly rolled out through the gates of the Xie Residence.
Inside the carriage, no one spoke.
Master Shen’s expression remained gloomy, while Madam Shen sat with her head lowered, silently twisting the handkerchief in her lap.
Only Shen Yurou with her gaze remained fixed upon the carriage curtain. Her mind replayed the scene inside the main hall over and over again.
Xie Rong’s words... His rejection and the way he had reached for Wang Gege’s hand without the slightest hesitation.
But her thoughts were snapped out when the carriage suddenly lurched to a stop.
Master Shen frowned. "What happened?"
Before the coachman could answer, a respectful voice sounded from outside.
"Master Shen. This servant has come on behalf of our Young Miss."
Master Shen exchanged a glance with Madam Shen.
"Our Young Miss wishes to speak with Elder Miss Shen for a few moments."
The couple immediately understood. The "Young Miss" of the Xie Residence... Could only be Xie An’an.
Master Shen hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Yurou."
Shen Yurou looked up and quietly stepped down from the carriage.
Not far away, beneath the shade of an old osmanthus tree, Xie An’an stood waiting with a maid behind her.
She wore a pale pink robe, her posture as graceful as ever. Upon seeing Shen Yurou approach, she dismissed her maid with a gentle wave of her hand.
Only after the maid had retreated several steps did Xie An’an finally speak. "You’ve had a difficult day."
Shen Yurou laughed bitterly.
"Difficult?" She lowered her eyes. "It would have been better if I had never stepped into the Xie Residence today."
Several moments passed without either woman speaking. The breeze gently carried the fragrance of blooming osmanthus between them.
Xie An’an finally let out a quiet sigh. "I understand."
Shen Yurou slowly raised her head. The gentle smile on Xie An’an’s face remained as graceful as ever. Yet somehow... It sent an inexplicable chill down Shen Yurou’s spine.
"I believe..." Xie An’an spoke leisurely, "we now share the same enemy."
Shen Yurou’s pupils contracted.
That smile... That calm tone...
It was exactly the same. The same expression Xie An’an had worn in her previous life. Moments before pushing her from the stone bridge.
For a brief instant, Shen Yurou almost forgot to breathe. She stared fixedly at the woman before her, "What do you mean?"
Xie An’an’s smile never wavered. She took an unhurried step forward.
"It truly is unfortunate. To think that the person who was never meant to bloom has now become the most dazzling flower in the garden."
Shen Yurou’s fingers slowly tightened beneath her sleeves. "That has nothing to do with you."
"Does it not?" Xie An’an’s voice remained gentle. "When one flower grows too brightly... the others are left standing in its shadow."
She slowly lifted her gaze toward the osmanthus blossoms swaying above them. "I simply dislike living in someone else’s shadow."
Shen Yurou remained silent. She could already sense where this conversation was heading.
Xie An’an lowered her hand and smiled faintly. "I believe... Miss Shen and I could become rather useful to one another."
Shen Yurou looked at her coldly. "And how exactly would that benefit me?"
"If one day..." Xie An’an spoke almost casually, "that one flower occupying the finest place in the garden was no longer there... The sunlight would naturally fall upon those who remained."
Her words were calm and almost poetic. Yet the meaning hidden beneath them was unmistakable.
Shen Yurou’s eyes narrowed. "You want me to help you."
Xie An’an neither admitted nor denied it. Instead, she smiled.
"I merely believe that people with the same destination often travel more easily together." She took another slow step forward, "If that day truly comes... I shall help Miss Shen obtain whatever it is your heart desires."
She paused. "Status... Reputation... The respect that should have belonged to you." Her smile remained flawless, "Anything."
Only then did she add, her voice carrying the slightest hint of amusement, "Anything... except Elder Brother."
The smile on Shen Yurou’s face gradually disappeared.
"So..." She let out a quiet laugh, "You wish to use me."
Xie An’an merely looked at her. "I prefer to call it... mutual benefit."
Shen Yurou looked at her for a long while. "What do you want me to do?"
Xie An’an did not answer immediately. Instead, she slowly looked toward the direction where the Shen’s carriage remained.
Then, she smiled and leaned slightly forward, "I want Shen Taotao gone."
Shen Yurou’s breathing halted for a moment. "Gone?"
Xie An’an calmly nodded. "As long as she continues living peacefully inside the Xie Residence... Neither you nor I will ever obtain what we truly want."
She looked back at Shen Yurou. "So... let us work together. You help me remove Shen Taotao... and I shall help you reclaim everything that should have belonged to you."
Shen Yurou frowned, "How can I believe your words?"
Xie An’an let out a quiet chuckle. "I never asked Miss Shen to trust me." She slowly stepped closer until only a few paces separated them, "I only ask Miss Shen to believe one thing."
"And what is that?" Shen Yurou’s frowns deepened
Xie An’an’s smile remained as gentle as ever. "If Shen Taotao continues living... Neither of us will ever obtain what we want."
Her voice softened, "As for whether I will keep my promise..." She tilted her head slightly. "Once we have boarded the same boat... there will no longer be a path for either of us to retreat."
Shen Yurou’s eyes narrowed. "You intend to drag me down with you."
"I prefer to think..." Xie An’an smiled, "that we shall hold each other’s secret."
Shen Yurou remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, "I need time to think."
She slowly stepped backward. "When I have made my decision... I shall send word to Miss Xie."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and walked toward the waiting carriage.
Xie An’an quietly watched until the carriage gradually disappeared beyond the gates of the Xie Residence.
Only then did she slowly let out a breath.
"So..."
Suddenly, a calm voice suddenly echoed from behind a cluster of flowering shrubs.
"It truly was Young Miss."
Xie An’an’s expression changed almost instantly before quickly turning around.
Madam Liu slowly emerged from behind the shrubs, brushing a few fallen leaves from her sleeves before raising her eyes to meet Xie An’an’s.
There was no longer the respectful smile she always wore.
Only disappointment.
"I wondered..." Madam Liu spoke slowly, "who had been stirring unrest within this residence. I never imagined... it would be the very person the Master and Old Madam trusted the most."