Chapter 8: There’s No Need to Be Too Normal

“No way, did that kid really wipe out the Ouyang family?”

“He was alone—how could he possibly destroy the Ouyang family? Unless he has someone powerful backing him?”

“If that’s the case, what if he decides to take revenge on us for kicking Shen Miaoyu out of the Shen family? After all, he dared to take out the Ouyang family!”

The group of relatives was so terrified their souls nearly left their bodies, all fearing Chu Fei’s retaliation.

Among them, Shen Qiushan was the most shaken, because his old friend on the phone had told him that the Ouyang family was destroyed for offending someone they never should have crossed.

If that person truly was Chu Fei, then the Shen family was finished!

“Hurry—go bring Miaoyu back!” Shen Qiushan exclaimed in a panic.

But Shen Linglong, having regained her composure, stopped him. “Wait a minute, Dad. Are you sure? Was it really Chu Fei who destroyed the Ouyang family?”

“Old Chen didn’t say who it was, only that the Ouyang family offended someone they shouldn’t have, and they were nearly wiped out. Ouyang Jue and his son died horribly!”

Ouyang Jue’s death did surprise Shen Linglong a little, but she did not think that country bumpkin Chu Fei was capable of such a thing.

Besides, after all the trouble she’d gone through to drive Shen Miaoyu out of the Shen family, how could she let her back in so easily? If Miaoyu returned, all her efforts would have been in vain!

After a moment’s thought, Shen Linglong said, “I don’t think that wretched priest has what it takes. Maybe the Ouyang family was destroyed by some other big shot. Dad, you should find out exactly what happened first!”

Shen Qiushan thought his daughter’s reasoning made sense.

He immediately called his business partners to ask about the truth behind the Ouyang family’s downfall.

The final answer was that the Ouyang family had been destroyed by the Meng family from the Imperial Capital.

As for the reason, the Meng family gave no public explanation—they simply took over all the Ouyang family’s businesses with overwhelming force.

At this, Shen Linglong breathed a sigh of relief. “See? That country bumpkin who only knows how to beat women couldn’t possibly have done it!”

“But wasn’t the Ouyang family attached to the Meng family? Why would the Mengs destroy their own vassals?” Shen Qiushan wondered.

“That’s not our concern,” Shen Linglong said coolly, showing no interest in Ouyang Jue’s death. She analyzed the situation rationally: “What we need now is a new powerful backer to help us through this crisis. I think the Meng family is perfect.”

“With the Ouyang family gone, the Mengs will be looking for new partners. Dad, we should seize this opportunity!”

Shen Qiushan sighed. “But would a family as powerful as the Mengs even look at us?”

They couldn’t even compare to the Ouyang family, let alone approach the Mengs directly.

Shen Linglong replied with confidence, “Don’t worry, Dad, leave this to me.”

“I went to elementary school with the Meng family’s young master. Coincidentally, there’s a class reunion tomorrow—I’ll use that chance to get close to him!”

With Ouyang Jue dead, Shen Linglong could only set her sights on a new target.

Shen Qiushan felt reassured. He said to her, “Linglong, I’ll leave this matter in your hands.”

“All right, I promise I’ll persuade Young Master Meng to work with our family!” Shen Linglong declared.

At that moment, Jiang Hong interjected, “Since the Ouyang family is already gone, can’t we let Miaoyu come back?”

Before Shen Qiushan could reply, Shen Linglong snapped, “Why should we let that wretch return? Hasn’t she shamed us enough? Besides, she left the Shen family of her own accord—are we supposed to beg her to come back?”

“But…” Jiang Hong tried to argue.

Shen Qiushan cut her off. “Linglong is right. If she wants to leave with some nobody whose background we don’t even know, let her go. I don’t believe she’ll last long without the Shen family. Sooner or later, she’ll come crawling back!”

With things as they were, Jiang Hong could say nothing more.

Meanwhile, Shen Linglong nursed a vicious thought: once she had boarded the Meng family’s ship, she would make sure to ruin that pair of mongrels!

…

After leaving the Shen family, Shen Miaoyu wandered aimlessly through the streets.

Chu Fei followed quietly behind her.

She had always poured her heart and soul into the Shen family, but now she was left like a stray dog, homeless and wretched. Sorrow filled her heart, quickly turning to anger.

“The show is over. We have nothing to do with each other now—why are you still following me?” Shen Miaoyu suddenly spun around, shouting at Chu Fei behind her.

Chu Fei clicked his tongue and frowned. “Why are you yelling? You startled me.”

Seeing his casual, indifferent expression only made her angrier. “Are you deaf? I told you not to follow me! Just because I slept with you and got kicked out of the Shen family, you think you’re worthy of me?”

“So should I leave?”

Without waiting for her reply, Chu Fei shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off in another direction.

Watching him leave just like that, Shen Miaoyu squatted on the ground and burst into tears, as if trying to vent all the day’s grievances at once.

Tears streamed from her large eyes, her sobs bubbling with snot. “Idiot… jerk… brainless fool… I told you to go, but you really left…”

Just as she finished cursing, Chu Fei’s voice sounded beside her.

“Why are you crying like a little kitten?”

Shen Miaoyu looked up to see Chu Fei standing there, holding two ice creams.

She quickly wiped her tears, unwilling to let him see her so disheveled.

Chu Fei handed her one of the ice creams.

She thought, for a moment, that he had finally grown a conscience. She reached for it, only to have Chu Fei press the ice cream against her forehead.

“Look, a unicorn!”

“?”

That brief question mark carried more emotion and heartbreak than a thousand words.

“Chu Fei, you bastard! Can’t you be serious for once?”

To turn the usually elegant Miss Shen into a raving madwoman—truly, that was just like him.

Chu Fei protested, “I was just trying to cheer you up. Why won’t you smile?”

His intentions were good, but perhaps he should have thought twice before acting.

Shen Miaoyu took the ice cream off her forehead, snatched the other one from his hand, and, turning his trick against him, stuck both ice creams on Chu Fei’s head. “Look, the Bull Demon King! Is this fun for you?”

Chu Fei didn’t get angry. Instead, he sat down beside her, ice creams still perched on his head. “There you go—better to vent your feelings on the world than to bottle them up inside.”

“No need to act so normal all the time.”

Shen Miaoyu hugged her knees. “You have no family. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Is that polite? I ask you—do you think that’s polite?”

She looked at him seriously. “Why are you following me? Do you like me?”

“I’m worried you’ll kill yourself halfway home,” Chu Fei answered honestly. “As for whether I like you—I can only say I like your legs, and also—”

“Just shut up, will you? Stop talking nonsense!” she interrupted.

“You started it,” Chu Fei replied, standing up. “Enough with the long face. Come on, my third senior sister is probably waiting impatiently.”

“Third senior sister?” Shen Miaoyu echoed in confusion.

Just then, a Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up in front of them.

The breathtakingly beautiful Meng Ziyi glanced out the window, giving Shen Miaoyu a sidelong look. “Man, you still haven’t sorted things out yet?”