NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 15
On a cold winter night.
Yu Shu, who had slept throughout the afternoon, was wide awake at this moment. She wrapped herself tightly and nestled into the sofa chair, watching a movie. The living room didn't have a television, but it was equipped with a projection system that rivaled a Dolby cinema. The movie playing was a blockbuster released last year that broke all-time box office records.
However, Yu Shu didn't have the opportunity to watch it until after it finished its theatrical run.
At first, she didn't have the time, then she still didn't have the time, and later on, she just couldn't bear to watch it—she thought she could simply catch it online once it was available. Unfortunately, by the time it was released on the internet, she no longer felt like watching it, or perhaps it was because too much time had passed, and she had lost her anticipation.
Even watching it online required money. A fifteen yuan membership fee and six yuan for a movie ticket added up to enough to buy a roasted duck at the market.
The movie was excellent and lived up to the countless thumbs-up it had received online. Yu Shu finished watching it but still wanted more, so she clicked on the replay button. While rewatching, she read the movie reviews on her phone, discovering many details and metaphors that she hadn't noticed herself, which were pointed out by observant netizens. "Can't sleep? This little insomniac of mine."
A WeChat message popped up, breaking the tranquility of her delightful evening.
How persistent!
Yu Shu had wondered why she was so angry. Part of it was anger towards Shen Youlin for deceiving her, but more so, she was angry at her own foolishness—always believing whatever others said, always trusting them naively.
To her, Shen Youlin was nothing more than a stranger she had met twice. At the Kyoto Airport, his kindness was merely a passing fancy, something he found amusing. And today, it remained the same. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a source of entertainment, like a little cat or dog.
She didn't know if Shen Youlin had any ill intentions. When it came to interpersonal relationships, she was somewhat slow-witted, always had been.
Before discovering she had been deceived or before encountering malice, she maintained goodwill, never suspecting ill intentions, naively and innocently believing in others. But once she realized she had been deceived, she would label them in her heart and keep her distance from them.
Yu Shu replied, "If you can't sleep, go watch a vet."
After sending the message, she immediately blocked him.
No anger, no anger. It's not worth getting mad over a fool. Not worth it, not worth it. It harms the stomach and liver.
Yu Shu's days gradually became fulfilling. Every morning, she would accompany her father to the hospital, then go shopping and do some beauty treatments before picking him up. After lunch, she would take a nap, and in the afternoon, the driving instructor from the driving school would come to pick her up for her driving lessons.
Not having a car was inconvenient, so she moved up her plan to get a driver's license after the New Year. Yu Shu enrolled in a one-on-one course, with the instructor personally picking her up, allowing her to start her lessons on the road. She made rapid progress in her driving skills.
Of course, it was quite expensive, but she no longer cared.
The process of getting her driver's license went surprisingly smoothly. In less than thirty days, Yu Shu obtained her license. On the day she received it, she happily went to the 4S dealership and bought a domestically-produced SUV for a little over 180,000 yuan.
She had already set her sights on this car early on. Performance wasn't important; what mattered was its appearance.
A car purchase couldn't avoid breaking open the golden egg, and the first prize was an 80-inch LCD TV, which happened to be something her bedroom was lacking.
Yu Shu really wanted to win this prize, so she didn't randomly smash the eggs like last time. Instead, she held the hammer and carefully selected a gold egg that looked pleasing to her eyes.
They all looked the same, and her decision-making disorder kicked in!
Yu Shu held the small hammer in her hand, shaking anxiously. Unexpectedly, her hand slipped, and the hammer flew out, smashing the cornermost golden egg.
—Oops, she did it again!
Just like last time when she won a gold bar by accident, she slipped up this time too and won a television.
Although Yu Shu remained calm on the surface, the little person inside her heart was shouting in excitement, banging gongs, playing drums, and doing a joyful dance.
Last month, she also won a prize in a lottery reposted on Weibo, and it was the robotic vacuum cleaner she had always wanted. The feeling of being favored by good luck was absolutely wonderful, exhilarating, and adrenaline-pumping.
With her emotions soaring, Yu Shu hummed a tune and drove her first car back home.
"And there's more! When I bought the house, I also won the grand prize—ten years of free property management fees! I saved you so much money! Quick, praise me, praise me!"
While nibbling on the pickled snacks made by her father, Yu Shu video-called Ye Lady, narrating her recent streak of good fortune. She won first prize twice by smashing the golden eggs, got a gold bar when buying furniture, had a free meal, and yesterday, she casually bought a $2 scratch-off lottery ticket and won $200. The return on investment was simply amazing.
Unable to stand her boasting, Ye Lady instinctively tried to dampen her spirits. "Don't get too conceited. Luck in a person's life is predetermined. Once you've spent it all, there won't be any left. Oh, and it might all be bad luck."
Yu Shu's hand, holding a chicken claw, froze. Once it's spent, there won't be any left? Has her luck already been depleted? How many galaxies did she save in her previous life to win three hundred million in this life?
Seeing the chicken claw at the corner of her mouth, Ye Lady's tone turned sour. "You're so lucky. You get to eat chicken claws. Back when I was pregnant with you, I wanted to eat a chicken claw and asked your dad to go out and buy one..."
In an instant, Yu Shu's father sensed the impending danger and swiftly took the phone off the stand, cradling it in his hands as he wore a placating smile.
"Oh, dear. Our child has grown up so much, and you're still talking about that? When I get home, I'll make you a big pot of braised chicken claws, alright?"
"Hmph, it's too late now. When I was pregnant, you didn't even give me a chicken claw to eat. And if that's not enough, the house is about to fall apart, but you still find the time to buy yourself two packs of cigarettes..."
The doorbell interrupted Ye Lady's impending 30,000-word tirade, and Yu Shu's father breathed a sigh of relief, politely ending the call while being careful.
Yu Shu took the phone, skillfully opened an app, and made a monetary contribution to the public welfare causes in her country to calm her nerves.
After becoming rich overnight, she engaged in charity every month, and the amount she donated was quite substantial.
Heaven above, may Buddha and Jesus bless her. In light of her wholehearted dedication to goodness, please keep her far away from misfortune. She can have financial luck or not, but she must never have bad luck.
She's not greedy. May the Lord protect her whole family, keeping them safe and sound without any illness or disasters.
Amitabha, how virtuous, how virtuous.
May the Lord bless us, Amen.
Ye Ping opened the door and immediately saw two persistent faces. She rolled her eyes and spoke in a cold tone, "What brings you here?"
Zhou Yan's parents held a gift and forced a smile, "Big sister, we've come to apologize. Has Shu Shu and Yu Ge not returned yet?"
"Don't be so familiar. We're not close. Whether they come back or not has nothing to do with you."
"Look at what you're saying. The two kids are together now, so we're going to be one family in the future."
"Who the hell said we're one family?! Stop trying to get close. What do you mean by 'together'? They've only met once!"
"Yes, yes, I misspoke. Look at these things..."
"Get out of here! Nobody wants your stuff!"
Ye Ping chased the two away with a broom, and the commotion attracted the neighbors, who opened their doors to watch.
"We're sorry for disturbing you. Those two troublemakers keep saying that our son and Yu Shu have something going on." Ye Ping put down the broom and apologized to the neighbors.
Those two people had come before, always carrying things, claiming to be coming as prospective in-laws. They spread rumors and gossip, insisting that their son and Yu Shu were a couple.
Several neighbors were old acquaintances who knew the ins and outs. Many of them had watched Yu Shu grow up and understood the temper and character of this family. After comforting Ye Ping for a while, they dispersed.
But in the end, it's like being stuck with chewed gum—disgusting and hard to get rid of. And how can it be removed cleanly?