The Revenge of Nine Years

I stood at the gate of the Shaw Family's Residence, my fingertips gripping the faded suitcase handle, knuckles white from the strain. Nine years have passed, and the smoke rising gently from the incense burner never managed to keep me in that quiet sanctuary. The sound of the bronze ring knocking echoed through the deep alley, carrying a faint, old resonance. The moment the door opened, that familiar yet strange figure in the living room made my breath catch sharply. It was Mindy Carter. She sat on the pearwood sofa, her fingertips lightly tracing the spread-out contract; the lines of her profile were sharper than in my memory, missing the warmth she once held. Hearing the noise, she lifted her eyes to look over. Those eyes, once filled with tenderness, now held no ripple—like a frozen lake, cold enough to chill the heart. "You're back." She placed the fountain pen beside the inkstone, her voice as flat as if she were commenting on the weather, betraying no emotion. "This is the root of the Shaw Family. Of course, I have to come back." I set down the suitcase and deliberately straightened my back, trying to reclaim some of the confidence I once had. She closed the contract and slowly rose to her feet. "The Shaw Family is under my control now." "You?" I snorted with disdain. "Mindy, don't forget—you're just the Shaw Family's wife. I, Hugo Shaw, have returned. This house answers to me." "Listening to you?" She stepped forward half a pace, a faint scent of camphor wood drifting from her, mixed with her own chilly fragrance. "Nine years ago, when you abandoned me and our child to become a monk, did you ever think about taking care of this family?" My ears burned as if she had struck a nerve. I straightened my neck and said, "No need to dwell on the past. I'm back now, and you should return the Shaw Family to me." "And then?" She raised an eyebrow, her long lashes casting a soft shadow beneath her eyes. "So you expect me to bring that woman called Mia Walker here, pack my things, and leave?" I never expected she would know about Mia Walker's existence. I hesitated for a moment, then forced myself to nod. "Yes, Mia Walker has borne many hardships with me. I have to give her a place—there's no room left for you in this family." She stared at me for three seconds before suddenly smiling. But that smile didn't reach her eyes—it was full of ice shards, sharp and biting cold. "Hugo Shaw, who do you think you are?" "Do you think the Shaw Family survived these nine years on temple incense alone?" "Trying to drive me out?" "Go ahead." "Just try." Her words were like needles dipped in ice, stabbing into my heart one by one, making my temples pound fiercely. But I couldn't show weakness; I forced myself on: "Mindy Carter, don't take advantage of my kindness. Be sensible and leave on your own, or I won't be so polite." She turned back to the sofa and reopened the contract with a cold tone: "You're not welcome here. Please leave." Anger clenched my fists so tight that my nails dug deep into my palms, sending sharp pains through me. "Mindy! Don't push me!" Her fingers paused as she flipped the page, eyes meeting mine: "What exactly am I pushing you to do?" "To face reality."