Chapter 121: Get Out of My House!

After changing her clothes, Su Li carefully selected the dishes that Shen Cishu liked to eat.

She even went out of her way to visit the vegetable market that Bai Huizi and Shen Cishu’s mother used to frequent.

But the place had changed so much; it was no longer the same.

She tried her best to replicate the flavors of the meals as Shen Cishu remembered them.

In truth, she knew no matter how hard she tried, she could never perfectly recreate the taste in Shen Cishu’s memories.

In Shen Cishu’s mind, the dishes her mother cooked had long been glorified and idealized through countless nostalgic lenses, making them impossible to reproduce exactly.

Even if Shen Cishu’s mother herself were to cook the dishes now, she probably wouldn’t be able to restore the original flavor.

Su Li took a taxi and arrived downstairs at Shen Cishu’s apartment.

It had just rained not long ago, so the air was slightly damp.

This felt different from the last time she had come to Shen Cishu’s home.

Su Li checked the weather forecast and felt disappointed that there wouldn’t be any assistance from Leigong in the near future.

But what if there was?

She looked up at the sky.

It was still heavy and gray.

The clouds hung low like a soaked quilt pressed against the sky, a rust-colored iron tint woven through the gray-white.

At the edges, faint dark yellow halos leaked out, resembling the rusty lid of an old boiler.

The air was thick enough to squeeze out droplets of water; inhaling it brought a damp, earthy scent.

Even the sparrows flapping their wings seemed sluggish and heavy.

Relying on her memory, Su Li headed toward Shen Cishu’s door.

Standing outside, she knocked.

A long time passed, but there was no sound of the door opening.

Yet she could clearly hear voices from inside the apartment.

Perhaps, at this very moment, Shen Cishu was standing inside the room just behind the door, peering through the peephole at her.

Su Li might have guessed why Shen Cishu was unwilling to open.

But she wasn’t impatient.

Since Shen Cishu had called her, and she was here now, the door would open eventually.

Her face held a gentle smile as she quietly waited, holding the freshly bought vegetables.

Meanwhile, Shen Cishu was trembling with hesitation.

Through the peephole, she watched Su Li standing at the door, and an inexplicable panic welled up inside her.

She blinked hard, trying to distinguish Su Li from her mother.

But they looked too much alike.

Even Su Li’s hair color was exactly the same as her mother’s.

That unique shade of white ran in their family.

Shen Cishu’s anxious hand gripped the doorknob tightly but lacked the courage to open it.

It felt like she was about to make a deal with a demon.

She wasn’t even sure what price she had to pay.

Nervous and lost, she feared that the cost of this trade might be beyond her ability to pay.

If she didn’t open the door now and found some excuse, maybe Su Li would just leave.

But she could feel a deep yearning inside her.

Shen Cishu gasped, her body shaking uncontrollably.

She felt like a puppet controlled by desire just because Su Li stood there.

Her heart longed to see her.

Even though she knew it was wrong.

Still, like a moth to a flame, she wanted to meet her.

She missed her mother.

At last, her trembling hand opened the door.

Shen Cishu fought to control her emotions and tried to speak.

“Long time no see, Xiao Cishu.”

Su Li’s tone was soft as she looked at Shen Cishu standing in the doorway, blocking her way.

She didn’t rush.

She simply watched Shen Cishu’s body trembling.

Having received plenty of information from Bai Huizi, Su Li clearly understood the place Shen Cishu’s mother held in her daughter’s heart.

But seeing Shen Cishu’s reaction, she realized that the weight her mother held was even greater than she had imagined.

Still, she didn’t care.

All she needed was to play her role well.

She disliked complicating matters.

If there was a simpler way to make money, she preferred to keep things straightforward.

“Lo…long time no see.”

Shen Cishu’s gaze locked onto Su Li as if she wanted to devour her.

Despite this, Su Li’s face remained gentle, just like her mother’s.

Maybe… Su Li had come to her carrying her mother’s memories.

Shen Cishu couldn’t help but think this.

She was a firm materialist.

But when it came to her mother, she wished she could be an idealist.

In the end, Shen Cishu made room for Su Li and let her in.

Her eyes instinctively flicked to the vegetables Su Li carried.

Her body trembled again.

They were all the vegetables she wanted and liked.

She frowned deeply, uncertain about her feelings.

Maybe it was fear, maybe confusion.

But a strong impulse to deceive herself stopped her from thinking too deeply.

Shen Cishu clenched her fists tightly, digging her fingernails into her flesh.

She forced herself to calm down and looked at Su Li, questioning, “Why?”

“What’s wrong, Xiao Cishu?”

Su Li feigned confusion.

After taking off her height-increasing shoes, she started helping Shen Cishu tidy up the room.

Bai Huizi had sent her many photos of how Shen Cishu’s mother arranged her room.

Poor imitation of a person was not difficult for her.

Especially when she had handled many clients’ demanding roleplay requests, her acting skills were refined.

Maybe she couldn’t capture the essence perfectly, but imitating the surface wasn’t hard.

“Why do you know the dishes I like?”

Shen Cishu looked at Su Li, still trembling, but her voice was cold.

She was not her mother.

She was a fake playing her mother’s role.

She forced herself to stay calm but instinctively took a few steps back, wary of Su Li.

Su Li knew too much about her.

This was a trap set for her.

She couldn’t keep falling.

Her mind raced, thoughts flashing by.

She looked so much like her mother…

So much so that she started to become suspicious.

Even now, as if forewarned, Su Li had bought all the vegetables she wanted to eat.

It was strange!

Could someone be guiding her from behind, trying to get close to her?

Shen Cishu didn’t think she was worth targeting, unless someone wanted to watch her fall.

And there was exactly one person who fit that description.

Her sister, Bai Huizi.

Had her sister sent Su Li to approach her?

Shen Cishu thought this and shouted harshly, “Get out of my house!”