After the Fake Heiress Died, She Was Filled with Regret - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: I’ve Got You

A-City Airport was filled with travelers, the noise was deafening, and the setting sun reflecting on the glass curtain wall was still a little blinding. Xia Shinan squinted at the view outside the glass window, then slowly continued walking toward the exit, her slow pace completely contrasting with the hurried steps around her.

No matter how slow she was, she eventually reached the airport exit. She immediately spotted a man in a suit waiting for her, her suitcase beside him.

“Miss, Madam is waiting for you in the car,” Assistant Li wiped away sweat. “The luggage has been retrieved. Please get in the car.”

“Okay.” Xia Shinan felt her steps were as heavy as lead. She shuffled out of the airport with the man and, looking up, saw the black Maybach parked nearby. The deep, dark color was like a steel behemoth waiting to devour someone.

The car door opened, and the familiar, distinctive scent of her mother’s perfume assailed her nostrils. It grew thick and stifling in the confined space of the car, and for a moment, Xia Shinan felt she could barely breathe.

Xia Shinan looked at the woman sitting upright, dressed in a qipao with her hair neatly pinned up, and felt a hint of timidity.

“Mom,” Xia Shinan took a deep breath, sat down beside the woman, and spoke cautiously.

Xie Wan glanced at her lightly, curving her lips into a smile that was hard to read: “Why are you so slow? Do you not want to come home?”

“No…”

“Madam, there was a slight issue with the luggage, which caused the delay,” Assistant Li proactively explained.

Xie Wan seemed to accept the explanation, nodding without further inquiry and instructing the driver to start the car. Xia Shinan sighed in relief internally and smiled gratefully at Assistant Li.

But the next second, her smile vanished.

“Why did you only take second place in this competition?” Her mother’s tone was flat, her gaze still fixed on the magazine in front of her.

Xia Shinan’s body stiffened, her eyes flustered: “The first-place winner was too formidable, so I…”

“Is that so?” Xie Wan finally spared Xia Shinan a look, her eyes cold: “It seems I’ll have to accompany you to the next competition.”

Xia Shinan lowered her head, “Next time, I will take first place.”

Xie Wan looked at her obedient and compliant daughter, her tone finally carrying a hint of concern: “Are you hungry?”

Xia Shinan shook her head: “No.”

Xie Wan: “Mrs. Lin will be coming over for dinner later. You need to behave well.”

Xia Shinan was stunned and tried to argue: “But today is my roommate’s birthday. I promised them I’d go back to school.”

Xie Wan frowned, “Which is more important, your roommate or Mrs. Lin? Do I need to explain it to you?”

Xia Shinan lowered her head and remained silent, staring intently at her shoes in a daze. She disliked Mrs. Lin, and she disliked her son, Lin Yu, even more.

But… if she spoke up, her mother would get angry.

The car gradually moved from the main thoroughfare into the villa area of Ganjing Road, circled a mountain for two minutes, and then stopped. Back home, the servants at the door bowed: “Good evening, Madam. Good evening, Miss.”

Xie Wan handed her bag and shawl to a servant before entering the house. Xia Shinan followed close behind Xie Wan, not saying a word.

Xie Wan turned back, a hint of displeasure showing in her eyes as she looked at the timid Xia Shinan, “Go take a shower and change into something decent. Mrs. Lin will be here shortly.”

“Understood.”

Xia Shinan hurried upstairs to her room. Only after closing the door did she finally relax, letting go of her strained emotions.

She lay on the soft bed, hugging a small rabbit doll, and stared blankly at the room.

This seemingly dreamy, fairy-tale room was a place Xia Shinan absolutely did not want to be in. The color of the curtains, the floral patterns on the walls, the crystal chandelier overhead… all were meticulously chosen by her mother, all were things her mother liked.

And then there were the so-called “proper” clothes in the closet.

After spacing out for a while, Xia Shinan suddenly remembered something and took out her phone to make a call.

“Shinan, are you coming back to school?” Miao Miao’s end sounded lively, a sharp contrast to the cold silence here.

Xia Shinan sat up, her voice downcast: “I’m sorry, Miao Miao, I can’t come back for dinner. We have guests at home…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Can you make it back before midnight?”

Xia Shinan: “I’m not sure. I don’t dare promise you.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Then we’ll have dinner ourselves. It’s best if you can come back, but if not, forget it.”

Hanging up the phone, Xia Shinan sighed, head bowed. She reluctantly went to shower, put on makeup, and then changed into the “proper” clothes that Xie Wan approved of.

Another hour passed in slow procrastination before Xia Shinan slowly walked downstairs. Mrs. Lin had already arrived and was sitting on the sofa with Xie Wan, drinking tea and chatting, a stack of magazines about new designer bags lying in front of them.

“Shinan is here! You just got back to A-City today, are you tired?” Mrs. Lin was the first to see her, greeting her with a smile that was outwardly gentle but held an unknown depth.

“No, I’m not tired. Hello, Auntie Lin.” Xia Shinan politely greeted her, then sat on the opposite side of the sofa.

“Although Shinan made a mistake in the competition this time, you shouldn’t be too harsh on her. The child is still young,” Mrs. Lin said to Xie Wan. “Besides, playing the piano and all that is just for fun. There’s no need to take it too seriously.”

Xie Wan smiled helplessly: “I’m not forcing her anymore, but I’m embarrassed that you saw it… Why didn’t Lin Yu come along? Shinan said she missed her brother.”

Xia Shinan paused. When did I ever say that?

Mrs. Lin laughed heartily, “He just got back from overseas, and he’s busy with some project with his friends. I can’t manage him anymore, so I just let him be.”

Xie Wan smiled contentedly: “It’s good for young people to be busy. Anyway, Shinan will be there to accompany you in the future. Oh, didn’t you say you wanted to go shopping for bags tonight? After dinner, let Shinan go with you.”

Mrs. Lin looked at Xia Shinan in pleasant surprise: “That would be wonderful! What kind of shopping can Lin Yu do with me? I always go alone, and it’s so boring.”

Xia Shinan looked up, a hint of resistance flashing in her eyes, but after a moment’s consideration, she stammered, “But I still have to go back to school tonight. Will I make it in time?”

Xie Wan looked at her, seemingly surprised that Xia Shinan would say that.

“You’ll make it. I’ll drop you off at school after shopping,” Mrs. Lin said without hesitation.

“Okay, then I’ll accompany Auntie Lin to shop.” Xia Shinan smiled obediently, but her smile subdued somewhat after meeting Xie Wan’s gaze again.

Accompanying the unliked Mrs. Lin shopping was still better than staying home all evening.

The shopping trip lasted so long that the mall was almost closing before it ended.

“Shinan, I’m so happy with you by my side,” Mrs. Lin held Xia Shinan’s hand in the car, talking non-stop.

Xia Shinan let the words go in one ear and out the other, maintaining a slight smile while constantly glancing out the car window, just praying to reach the school quickly.

Mrs. Lin smiled and nodded: “Remember to thank your mother for these bags.”

“Okay.” Xia Shinan glanced at the packaged bags. They had all been purchased using Xia Shinan’s card.

“You must ensure Mrs. Lin enjoys her shopping. Buy whatever she wants with this card.” Xie Wan had specifically instructed her before she left.

“Auntie truly likes you. Look, I love these bags you helped me choose.” Mrs. Lin patted her hand. “Once you graduate and marry Lin Yu, you’ll be my daughter.”

Xia Shinan’s body stiffened, “Auntie, I’ve always considered Lin Yu a brother…”

Mrs. Lin chuckled: “A brother is good! After you get married, he’ll still take care of you like a brother.”

Xia Shinan’s smile gradually faded, her heart heavy. On her eighteenth birthday, the gift she received was an engagement notification with Lin Yu.

She had protested and refused, but her family didn’t take her words seriously. She didn’t dare to clash with Xie Wan, only thinking of taking a long-term approach. But in the blink of an eye, she was almost a senior in college. In another year, after graduation, she would truly be engaged.

She truly wished someone would fall from the sky and take her away.

“Madam, we can’t enter the school,” the driver stopped the car at the west gate of A University.

“Why can’t we enter?” Mrs. Lin peered out of the car.

Can’t enter?

Xia Shinan suddenly remembered her roommate mentioning a recent inspection by the Ministry of Education, making the school regulations strict, and unauthorized vehicles were not allowed to enter.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s a school rule. I’ll just walk in.” Xia Shinan proactively opened the car door. “Auntie Lin, thank you for dropping me off. I’m going back to school now. Goodbye!”

Saying this, she immediately jumped out of the car and rushed toward the pedestrian side gate without looking back.

She didn’t expect the side gate she usually used to be locked as well.

A notice was posted on it: The West Gate will be closed for the next month.

Xia Shinan checked the time. It was almost eleven. Walking to another school gate would take a significant amount of time.

And what if I run into Mrs. Lin again…

While she was in a daze, Xia Shinan suddenly heard a faint rustling sound nearby. Curious, she looked around and saw a young girl stacking stones near the wall.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, the girl also turned to look at her.

The streetlamp shone directly on the girl’s face, one half in shadow, one half bright. Though without makeup, her features were very defined. Her slightly upturned eyes were phoenix eyes, staring at Xia Shinan, a flash of surprise quickly crossing them.

She wore a simple black windbreaker and sweatpants. The zipper of the jacket was open, revealing a white sports bra underneath. She was half a head taller than Xia Shinan.

This girl is quite good-looking.

“What are you doing here?” the other person spoke, her voice clear and strong.

Xia Shinan was stunned, looking around to confirm the person was talking to her.

“The gate is locked. I can’t get into school,” she replied, then asked in return, “What are you doing?”

The girl tilted her head, gently raising a hand to gesture toward the brick wall behind her: “Going back to school!”

“You mean climbing the wall?” Xia Shinan was shocked. “You can’t climb this wall…”

Before she could finish, she saw the girl zip up the black windbreaker she was wearing. Her movements were swift, and soon she was sitting atop the wall, leaving Xia Shinan dumbfounded.

The person sat on the wall, her eyes sharp, her smile unrestrained.

Xia Shinan always felt like a fragile kite. She thought she was flying in the sky and could gain freedom at any moment, but she didn’t know the thread was already tied tight behind her, pulling her back into the cage with a slight tug.

But the girl in front of her looked like a kite that had broken free of its line.

“Good girl, want to join me?”

The spring breeze gently swept by, accompanied by the girl’s clear voice. Xia Shinan felt as if she was being bewitched. She thought she could try it too.

She mimicked the other person’s movements, but in less than two seconds, she didn’t know what to do. Her hands and feet felt like they were meeting for the first time.

But just then, the girl reached out her hand to her.

A hand with distinct knuckles, a wheat complexion, looking very healthy and strong.

Xia Shinan immediately grasped it, then felt a pull from the other party’s strength. Climbing the wall really didn’t seem so hard.

“Wow!” Xia Shinan couldn’t help but exclaim, her emotions soaring like a roller coaster: “It’s so high! But… how do I get down?”

The girl scoffed, “If you can get up, can’t you get down?”

After speaking, she turned, stepped into a few gaps in the brick wall, and immediately jumped down.

Xia Shinan was once again dumbfounded, “I… I can’t do it!”

She was truly bewitched earlier, but now that she was standing high up and felt the wind, she sobered up. She shouldn’t have climbed the wall!

The girl stood, looking up at her direction. The wind ran through her hair, lifting it in a bold arc.

She extended her hand toward Xia Shinan and raised an eyebrow.

“What are you afraid of?”

“I’ve got you.”

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