```
He finished his drink and considered that to be the end of the merriment.
"All right, I won't stay any longer. We can get together again when Jingrong returns. I'm heading back now. This meal is on you since I don't have a penny on me,"
Setting down the now empty wine glass, Shu Yimo grabbed the car keys beside him and abruptly stood up.
"Yimo... I have it, I'll give you..."
Shi Xian stood up with some worry following him.
Shu Yimo frowned and couldn't help but cough lightly a few times as a surge of pain shot through his chest. With a pallid face, he waved his hand, and without waiting for Shi Xian to say another word, his slender figure had already passed through the dim light of the wall lamp and disappeared at the stairwell.
"You're always so stubborn, obviously in such a state, yet you always act as if it doesn't matter..."
Shi Xian watched Shu Yimo's retreating back, feeling an involuntary pain in her chest, and her eyes started to well up with uncontrollable tears.
She, Shi Xian, had never felt heartache for anyone except for Shu Yimo!
The Shu Yimo who would cover her and Ling Jingrong with everything he had!
...
He left early because the wounds on his body made Shu Yimo feel unbearable pain.
The group in prison must have planned it a few days ago. When he left Lan Residence earlier, Long Chengyu had given him a bottle of medicinal alcohol, instructing him to apply it himself.
Shi Xian was an observant person, and Shu Yimo didn't want to worry her, figuring it wouldn't be too late to apply it after they met. He didn't want to remember those unpleasant things that always made him feel chest tightness and shortness of breath, almost unable to catch his breath. The pain from his wounds also became sharper and more distinct.
Driving his car, Shu Yimo went straight back to his apartment complex; by now, the sky had darkened.
The wind was still cold, and the rain showed only a slight sign of abating.
Shu Yimo parked the car in a spot beneath his building and, dragging his weary body, walked towards the apartment.
Qinhuai Small Building was the name of this apartment block.
Three years ago, Shu Yimo bought an apartment here, on the seventeenth floor. It wasn't large, less than a hundred square meters with two bedrooms and two living rooms.
In a simple and warm European-style decoration, one master bedroom, one study, it was perfect for him who lived alone.
After taking a hot shower, he took out the medicinal alcohol, then, enduring the pain, applied it to his wounds. He crawled into his bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
...
Shu Yimo didn't know how long he had slept, only that he was awakened by a sudden knocking at his door.
When he awoke, the pain in his body had lessened significantly.
The medicinal alcohol Long Chengyu had given him was very effective. The pain had eased a bit after he had applied it yesterday, and now having woken from sleep, he no longer had to endure such severe pain.
After a brisk wash, he struggled to put on a coat over his shoulders, and Shu Yimo walked over to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, a tall, dark figure came into view.
And, seeing the visitor, Shu Yimo was momentarily stunned, a cool light flashing in his starry eyes. He silently observed the man who had suddenly appeared, not saying a word.
The man was in a black suit, his face vaguely handsome with a serious and restrained expression. He might have been in his fifties, but thanks to good care, he appeared to be only in his forties.
An Zijie, Shu Yimo's father.
Years of political career had sculpted him into a person of rigid indifference.
So, when he saw his daughter whom he hadn't seen in two years, there wasn't a flicker of emotion on his face.
"Why are you here?"
```
Shu Yimo's hoarse voice rose slowly.
An Zijie gave her a glance, then lifted his feet and strode towards the room. When Shu Yimo turned her head, all she could see was his indifferent back.
Shu Yimo closed the door and followed him inside.
An Zijie sat down on the sofa in the living room. Shu Yimo poured him a glass of water, brought it over to him, and sat down on the sofa nearby.
"Why were you released early?"
An Zijie's cold voice came through. He took the water, simply taking a sip.
Shu Yimo also glanced at him indifferently, lowering her eyelids without answering.
"Your uncle's connections?"
Seeing that Shu Yimo didn't respond, An Zijie asked.
"Otherwise, when do you think I should have been held until?"
Shu Yimo's tone was mild, emotionless.
"You really went too far this time, it's no one's fault but your own. I can't control you, but as a daughter of the An Family, aside from thinking of yourself, you should also consider the An Family. Over the years, I also..."
"It hasn't been easy for you either, making it to where you are now! Fine, I know what you're getting at."
Shu Yimo didn't wait for him to finish before she interrupted, completing his sentence.
Taking a breath, she slowly leaned back in her chair, her gaze indifferent as she looked up at her father in front of her, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth, "You really are a fine official, putting justice above family, sacrificing not only your own woman but using your own daughter as a stepping stone as well. I finally understand why my mother never wanted to marry you..."
"How could she possibly be happy married to someone like you?"
"You won't understand the issues between me and your mother, and, I've never sacrificed your mother, I've said this many times!"
An Zijie's face turned colder as he explained.
Shu Yimo laughed nonchalantly, "Do you think I'd believe that? Just like two years ago when I said I was innocent, you didn't believe me either, did you? In any case, my mother is now completely unconscious, near death without even her reputation intact, while you rise through the ranks untroubled. She certainly didn't expect this outcome, did she?"
"There was solid evidence against your mother, I was powerless."
"Powerless? Given my mother's character, do you believe she would do such a thing?"
Shu Yimo scoffed coldly, leaning forward slightly, her starry eyes meeting An Zijie's dark ones. What concentrated in the depths of those eyes was nothing but clarity—
"Let's just be honest, I know why you did what you did, it simply comes down to the fact that you never cared for me or my mother. On the matter of my mother, you didn't fight to clear her name, and during my incarceration, you just watched coldly from the sidelines. Really, at this point, I blame no one; I just wanted to see if you ever cared about me, if the An Family ever cared about me!"
She paused for a moment, taking a cold breath—
"Not at all, not in the slightest! What you care about is always your career."
A glint of coolness flashed through Shu Yimo's starry eyes as she straightened up slightly, her gaze still fixed on An Zijie's face.
An Zijie's eyes turned colder for a moment, and his expression darkened horribly as he said coldly, "Two years in prison, and yet your arrogant nature remains unchanged. Have you ever stood in my position and considered my situation?"
The smile on Shu Yimo's lips grew colder.
An Zijie watched, a surge of anger gathering in his chest, wanting to explode, but he ultimately held back!
Every time father and daughter met, they parted on bad terms, and this time was no different!
'Bang!'
The loud sound of a slamming door resounded. Shu Yimo watched the closed door, glanced at the cup of water still emitting steam, and her gaze grew colder and colder…