Chapter 11: What a Little Liar

Saturday.

White Cloud Bay.

Tang Shu stood before an enormous luxury villa.

Her inner thoughts were simple:

As expected of a wealthy family.

This is the kind of house ordinary people like us could never afford.

She was dressed in a light apricot knitted cardigan over a plain white round-neck top, paired with a long white skirt.

On her feet were soft-soled cream-colored leather shoes.

Her long black hair was partially braided, making her look especially obedient and adorable.

She pressed the doorbell.

A moment later, a middle-aged man opened the gate.

Smiling warmly, he asked,

“Are you Miss Tang Shu?”

Tang Shu nodded politely.

“Yes.”

“Please come in, Miss Tang.”

He naturally took the gifts she had brought.

After entering, Tang Shu’s horizons expanded yet again.

She felt like a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time.

Completely overwhelmed.

It took nearly ten minutes just to walk from the gate to the main house.

Following the butler inside, she heard him announce:

“Madam, Sir, Miss Tang has arrived.”

Almost immediately, Qiao Yaxin hurried toward her.

Her eyes practically sparkled with excitement.

“Shu Shu, you’ve finally come!”

“And why did you bring gifts?”

“I offered to send a car for you, but you insisted on coming by yourself.”

Looking at the warm smile on Qiao Yaxin’s face, Tang Shu politely greeted her.

“Aunt Qiao.”

In truth, she felt quite nervous.

She knew nothing about the etiquette of wealthy families.

Qiao Yaxin seemed to notice her unease.

She immediately grabbed Tang Shu’s hand affectionately.

“Shu Shu, don’t be nervous.”

“From now on, this is your home too.”

Then she pointed toward a man standing up from the sofa.

“And that’s that brat’s father.”

Tang Shu looked toward the middle-aged man.

He wore casual clothes—a white T-shirt beneath a black jacket.

His appearance was gentle and approachable.

The image of a loving father.

The Shi family’s genes really were exceptional.

Ridiculously exceptional.

“Hello, Uncle.”

Shi Hengjun looked at the girl standing near the entrance.

The moment he saw her, his eyes brightened.

Very obedient.

Very gentle.

She really did resemble Tao Qingrou.

No wonder his wife had felt a sense of familiarity when they first met her.

A shadow of an old friend.

Gathering himself, he smiled warmly.

“Hello.”

“Come sit down.”

“Xinxin is right.”

“Treat this place as your own home.”

Originally, he had been working upstairs.

But his wife had insisted.

A young girl was visiting for the first time.

They needed to receive her properly.

Tang Shu could only smile awkwardly and nod.

Treat this place as her own home?

Impossible.

But she understood it was simply a polite expression.

“You keep Auntie company.”

“She likes you very much.”

Qiao Yaxin nodded vigorously.

“That’s right.”

“Shu Shu, I really like you.”

Inside, however, she was thinking:

Actually, my son likes you even more.

Tang Shu maintained a proper smile.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“My mother asked me to send her regards.”

“She said you’re welcome to visit Yuncheng whenever you have time.”

Qiao Yaxin happily pulled her onto the sofa.

“Of course.”

“Tell me about your mother.”

“How has she been recently?”

As the two women chatted happily, Shi Hengjun sat quietly nearby, reading documents.

Mainly because he had been ordered to stay close in case his wife needed anything.

Before long, Tang Shu’s nervousness disappeared completely.

The two women got along surprisingly well.

After lunch, Qiao Yaxin invited Tang Shu to walk around the villa grounds.

Tang Shu couldn’t exactly refuse.

Besides—

She was genuinely curious about what a wealthy family’s estate looked like in real life.

After touring the property, she reached only one conclusion:

Huge.

No.

Absolutely gigantic.

The tour alone took nearly two hours.

It felt less like visiting a house and more like touring a private botanical garden.

Tang Shu snapped countless photos.

Every corner was perfect artistic reference material.

Meanwhile, in America.

Shi Zhiyu was asleep when his phone vibrated.

Thinking it was a message from Tang Shu, he lazily reached for it.

The dim glow of the screen illuminated his face, making him look even more relaxed and handsome.

Unfortunately—

The message wasn’t from Tang Shu.

It was from his mother.

Mother: 【Son, guess who this is?】

Several photos followed.

Every face had been deliberately blurred.

As though she specifically didn’t want him recognizing anyone.

Shi Zhiyu barely glanced at the first image.

He couldn’t even be bothered to check the rest.

Yu: 【No idea.】

【And it has nothing to do with me.】

Mother: 【How could it not?】

【It has everything to do with you.】

【But I’m not telling you.】

Shi Zhiyu rolled his eyes.

Closed the chat.

And assumed one of his mother’s friends had brought their daughter over for a visit.

Then he pulled the blanket over his head and continued sleeping.

Less than half an hour later—

His phone rang again.

He squinted.

Struggled for a moment.

Then finally grabbed it.

This time, his eyes lit up.

Shu Shu You Tang: 【Big brother, guess where I am?】

Attached was a photo of a ceiling.

But the light fixture looked familiar.

Very familiar.

Wasn’t that his room?

Which meant—

The girl in his mother’s photos had been Tang Shu?

He immediately reopened his mother’s chat.

This time, he carefully looked through every photo.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

So it was her.

Even though her face had been blurred, he could clearly make out her silhouette.

His first thought was:

How is this little chubby girl so skinny?

She had previously claimed to weigh two hundred pounds.

Yet she probably didn’t even weigh one hundred.

What a little liar.

Most people in online relationships desperately tried to make themselves look thinner.

His little girl had done the exact opposite.

Deliberately packaging herself as a fat girl.

Was she testing whether he cared about appearance?

Mm.

That had to be it.

When he returned to China, he would definitely improve her diet.

She was far too thin.

Holding her would probably be uncomfortable.

He saved every single photo.

Then selected one picture of Tang Shu standing in the sunlight, smelling flowers.

And set it as his phone wallpaper.

Only after finishing did he finally reply.

Yu: 【You’re at home?】

Shu Shu You Tang: 【Nope. At your house.】

【I’m visiting Auntie on behalf of my mom today.】

【Auntie says we’re having a barbecue tonight and wants me to stay over.】

【She says you never have time to keep them company.】

【So she wants me to chat with her more.】

【Big brother, why are you such an unfilial son?】

A cat-angry sticker accompanied the accusation.

Seeing the series of complaints, Shi Zhiyu rubbed his forehead.

What was he supposed to say?

Even when he was home, his mother usually found him annoying.

And told him to get lost.

Yu: 【My home is your home.】

【You’re staying in my room.】

【Even Yuanyuan is more popular than me in that house.】

【My mom just likes you.】

Tang Shu looked around the pink room.

This was Shi Zhiyu’s room?

No way.

Was he secretly this girly?

Then she remembered what Aunt Qiao had told her earlier.

“Shu Shu, stay here tonight.”

“And tomorrow, help me paint a portrait.”

“I’ve already prepared a room for you.”

“It’s filled with things girls like.”

“I’ve always wanted a daughter.”

“Clothes, jewelry—I’ve prepared everything.”

“From now on, this will be your room.”

“If there’s anything you don’t like, tell Auntie and I’ll have it renovated.”

At the time, Tang Shu had been too shocked by the sheer size of the room to think clearly.

She hadn’t realized—

This room had originally belonged to Shi Zhiyu.

She immediately recorded a video and sent it to him.

Shu Shu You Tang: 【But the room looks like this.】

Shi Zhiyu opened the video.

Then stared silently at the pink princess-style bedroom.

For the first time in his life, he deeply questioned himself.

His mother.

His biological mother.

Had remodeled his room.

Into his future daughter-in-law’s room.

…

Actually.

After they got married—

Wouldn’t it still technically be his room?

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