“Wuwuwu…”
Lu Meihe tugged at her daughter under the blanket. “They are already married. Today is just a romantic ceremony. Why are you… Do you really have to have Qin Xian? By name, we are still relatives. How could you…”
Yu Lu suddenly threw off the blanket, crying, “You’ve always given me whatever I wanted before. Aren’t I your most beloved daughter? Besides, among the wealthy families abroad, hardly any marriages are first marriages. I’m no worse than Ji Fei. Why can’t I take him away? You saw it today—it was so grand, so romantic. Qin Xian is so outstanding, no one can compare to him.”
Lu Meihe hesitated, “If he weren’t married, I could have swallowed my pride and asked for an introduction for you. But now…”
“You won’t help me, and Dad won’t either. If only Dad would hypnotize him, he would definitely fall in love with me!” Yu Lu shouted.
“Your father is a professional psychologist. How could he just hypnotize someone like that?” Lu Meihe said helplessly. “Besides, hypnosis isn’t as magical as you think!”
Yu Lu was about to argue that it wasn’t a big deal, especially since her father had once hypnotized her mother to help her reorganize her memories after a traumatic event. But her father had warned her never to mention this to her mother. Even though Yu Lu was willful, she didn’t dare reveal this now and swallowed her words, feeling even more wronged.
“So what he said was true… Do I really have no chance at all? He’s so cruel. Why won’t he even look at me?” Yu Lu couldn’t help but confide in her mother about the memory that had left her humiliated and furious.
“Mom, do you know? A couple of nights ago, I dressed up beautifully and went to ask him for help, but he…”
“You went to see him in the middle of the night?” Lu Meihe was shocked and tapped her daughter’s head. “That’s so improper.”
Yu Lu knew her mother wouldn’t scold her too harshly. Unlike her father, her mother was a contradictory person—strict and conservative herself but indulgent toward her daughter. Yu Lu had always felt that her mother was subconsciously compensating for something through her, which was why no matter how boldly Yu Lu pursued men, her mother never seriously reprimanded her, at most offering a few words of caution.
So Yu Lu continued to complain, “Most men wouldn’t be able to resist! But do you know what he did? Not only did he refuse to add my contact information, but he also bluntly told me, ‘You like me? I will only ever love my wife. I will never like you. So, don’t get in our way. If you do this again, even if you bring up Grandma Lv, I won’t spare you any courtesy!’”
“He actually said that to me… Ugh? Mom? What’s wrong?” Yu Lu stopped mid-sentence, noticing that Lu Meihe had gone pale and was staring blankly.
“What did he say?” Lu Meihe murmured.
Yu Lu repeated the words.
Lu Meihe echoed softly, “You like me? I will only ever love my wife. I will never like you.”
“Yes, isn’t that so cruel?”
But Lu Meihe repeated the words again, which struck Yu Lu as odd.
“Mom, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call Dad?” Yu Lu suddenly remembered her father’s warnings and felt uneasy.
Lu Meihe, breathing heavily, waved her hand. “No, I’m just a bit tired. I need to rest.”
Yu Lu wanted to continue venting her frustrations, but seeing her mother’s pale face and pained expression, she grew worried. She thought about calling a doctor, but her mother stopped her.
“I’m really tired, Lulu. Stay with me tonight. Don’t go looking for trouble.”
With that, Lu Meihe seemed to collapse into sleep.
Yu Lu, still uneasy, sent a message to her father but received no reply. She wondered if he was already on a plane.
Meanwhile, Lu Meihe’s mind kept replaying those words.
Suddenly, a young boy’s voice echoed in her mind.
“You like my dad? My dad will only ever love my mom. He will never like you.”
“You like my dad? My dad will only ever love my mom. He will never like you.”
“You like my dad? My dad will only ever love my mom. He will never like you.”
…
“Ah!!!”
Lu Meihe suddenly sat up, startling Yu Lu awake. “Mom?”
Lu Meihe turned to look at her daughter, her eyes completely unlike the gentle gaze of a loving mother.
“Mom?” Yu Lu felt a wave of unease. Her mother’s eyes now resembled those of some of the patients who came to see her father—filled with obsession and madness.
Suddenly, Lu Meihe reached out and patted Yu Lu’s head, smiling. “You like Qin Xian?”
Yu Lu was taken aback but nodded nervously.
“Then I’ll make sure Qin Xian marries you, okay?”
Yu Lu’s heart leapt with joy, but then she frowned. “Mom, what’s going on? Can you really do that?”
“He… will listen to me,” Lu Meihe said with a cruel smile. “I need to go to the attic to find something. If anyone asks for me, tell them I’m still sleeping, understand?”
Yu Lu wanted to stop her mother, but Lu Meihe was already out of reach.
Yu Lu grew even more anxious. Soon, her phone rang.
“Dad, are you almost here?”
“Not yet, I’m transferring flights. How’s your mom…”
“Dad, Mom’s acting really strange! Last night, she was fine, then suddenly she had a headache and wanted to sleep. This morning, she told me…”
Yu Lu recounted everything, but all she heard on the other end was her father’s heavy breathing.
“Listen, Lulu, you’re the only one who can help me now. Your mom went to the attic, right? Go up there now, lock her inside, and don’t let anyone near her until I arrive. Do you understand?”
“What? Dad, are you crazy?”
“You have to do it. Your mom… she’s sick. If anyone finds out, do you want to be known as the daughter of a madwoman? Go, now!”
Yu Hongxian made it sound dire. Though Yu Lu didn’t fully understand what was happening, her mother’s current state frightened her more. She followed her father’s instructions and ran to the attic of the old house.
There was a staircase leading to the very top, and between the fifth floor and the roof was a small attic filled with old, unused items.
Yu Lu went up but didn’t dare enter. She listened for any sounds inside—it sounded like electronic music, which was odd. Convinced someone was inside, she decided to quietly close and lock the door.
But before she could fully shut it, the door was yanked open from the inside. Yu Lu’s heart pounded like a drum.
Before she could react, Yu Lu heard her mother’s almost sinister voice, “What a disobedient child. This is why… your parents have grown to despise you.” As soon as Lu Meihe finished speaking, she flipped open an old-fashioned flip phone in her hand. A strange electronic melody began to play, its eerie sound echoing in the empty, silent space.
Yu Lu was stunned. What was her mother saying? “Mom? Despise? What are you talking about? I’m your precious daughter!”
Lu Meihe was smiling, but her eyes were chillingly cold. “What? Did you really think your parents could love a strange child like you? Every word you say, every thing you do—it’s all so annoying. They only treat you decently out of consideration for others. Don’t fool yourself into thinking anyone actually likes you! After all, you’re so… peculiar. So, shut up, be quiet, and don’t—say—a—word!” The ringtone started again.
Yu Lu didn’t know what was happening, but suddenly her throat tightened. She felt so crushed by her mother’s belittlement and scolding that she couldn’t bring herself to speak. All she wanted to do was cry.
But the next second, a sharp pain shot through her neck, and Yu Lu was knocked unconscious.
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