The rain gradually lessened, the droplets becoming sparse, their sound against the glass softening considerably.
Inside Su Li’s embrace, the crying slowly weakened as well.
She had come to understand Shen Cishu’s regrets.
The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease; the child wishes to care for their parent, but the parent does not wait.
There were many regrets— so many things she could not do with her Mother.
But the greatest regret was that on the day her Mother passed away, she could not see her one last time with her own eyes.
“If you need, maybe I can play that role.”
Only after seeing Shen Cishu’s emotions stabilize did Su Li speak gently.
She could clearly feel Shen Cishu’s body tense inside her embrace, but soon after, the tension slowly eased.
Shen Cishu gripped Su Li’s clothes tightly, knowing deep down she should refuse.
Yet Su Li’s words were still tender— though the truth was now fully exposed, she craved the way Su Li spoke, as if she were her Mother.
And the comfort Su Li’s attitude offered.
Perhaps from yesterday’s fleeting glance to today’s seemingly coincidental meeting, everything was part of the other’s plan.
She could not refuse…
Even though it was very likely that Su Li was a fraud…
A scammer who understood her too well, crafting a scheme targeting her.
But she needed this too much— knowing full well it was a pit of fire, she would still jump in without hesitation.
She didn’t need money; if the intention was to swindle her, she wouldn’t care.
After all… if her Mother were still alive, she would definitely be willing to spend money on her.
She wanted to tell her Mother that she had grown into a capable adult.
That she could earn a lot of money now, enough to buy her Mother countless gifts with what she earned herself.
Shen Cishu buried her face deeper into Su Li’s arms, her expression momentarily grimacing, then falling into hesitation.
But…
The person she had to impersonate was her own Mother.
Her most treasured Mother.
She didn’t want anyone to destroy her Mother’s image in her heart.
Even though she desperately needed it, she found it hard to accept.
She couldn’t bear the thought of a fraud approaching her as her Mother, with ulterior motives.
Su Li clearly sensed Shen Cishu’s hesitation— her grip on Su Li’s clothes was tight enough that Su Li could feel her fingers digging into her flesh.
Yet her expression remained gentle, showing no impatience.
“Sorry.”
Shen Cishu said apologetically but did not leave Su Li’s embrace.
It was as if Su Li carried some mysterious power, drawing her in, unwilling to let go.
“I should be the one apologizing.”
“I won’t play this role for free. If you need someone to be your Mother, you can come to me.”
“Of course, you’ll have to pay me what I deserve.”
Although Bai Huizi had paid her, she could not reveal herself, which meant she was effectively getting paid from two sides.
Moreover, the money Bai Huizi gave was just for completing the task of approaching Shen Cishu, while what Shen Cishu would pay was for playing the role of her Mother— time and effort required for both were not equivalent.
If Shen Cishu wanted better service, naturally it would cost more.
If she offered the service for free now, Shen Cishu would surely treat her as a con artist.
Su Li tried to gently push Shen Cishu away, but her movements remained soft.
Instead, Shen Cishu gripped her clothes even tighter.
“Then… why did you say you came to take care of me as my Mother?”
Unwilling to leave the warmth of Su Li’s embrace, still hesitant, Shen Cishu asked.
“Because the emotions you revealed were very similar to those of my previous clients, so I could understand what you were feeling.”
Su Li’s tone was calm as Shen Cishu stepped out of her embrace.
Perhaps because the thunder had ceased, Shen Cishu’s expression returned to its usual coldness.
If it weren’t for the redness still lingering in her eyes, no one would have guessed she had just cried.
“Clients?”
Shen Cishu asked in confusion, the situation unfolding quite differently from what she had expected.
She had originally thought Su Li approached her by pretending to know her Mother.
That behind the scenes, Su Li must have known all about her, coming close to fulfill some purpose.
But now, it seemed not to be the case.
Until she saw Su Li take a business card from inside her clothes, looking at it with some surprise.
“Emotional Therapist?”
The card bore only Su Li’s cute photo, her name, and contact information.
As a graduate student at a prestigious university, Shen Cishu could guess what an Emotional Therapist did.
Combined with Su Li’s straightforward introduction of herself, Shen Cishu realized she might have misunderstood something.
“Yes, Emotional Therapists help others work through their emotions and provide emotional support.”
“I sensed you were bottling up so many feelings. From the moment I saw you outside the café yesterday, I noticed the worry on your face.”
“Then today at the bookstore, seeing you staring at me, I guessed you might be a potential client.”
Su Li spoke calmly.
At that moment, Shen Cishu felt as if the person in front of her had changed entirely.
She swallowed hard, her heart pounding.
Even though Su Li’s face was calm, it gave her the same feeling as if her Mother was standing beside her.
Like her Mother trying out a new job and happily explaining it to her.
She found herself unable to refuse.
“Of course, you don’t have to accept my offer immediately. If you need it, you can contact me by phone.”
Su Li said softly, preparing to stand and pick up her clothes, still soaked through.
Of course, these actions were deliberate.
Her gaze turned to the window.
The rain, which had been tapering off, suddenly seemed startled and quickly intensified again.
The droplets grew larger, pelting the balcony window with a crisp, urgent sound.
Su Li’s eyes once again looked toward the sky, where dark clouds gathered anew.
The rain grew heavier, the wind howling, blowing the raindrops at a sharp angle.
A chill filled the air.
Su Li did not rush.
The rain only worsened, and naturally, she couldn’t go home now.
If Shen Cishu wanted to see her off, she wouldn’t mind.
But Su Li worried— if Shen Cishu drove, would the thunderstorm make driving dangerous?
Moreover now…
The thunder was about to strike!