Yes, Shen Yue had woken up, but what did she get?
She got a flamer spewing spit in her face up close.
"Shen Yue, what exactly are you doing?! Why did you run out alone?! Do you know how worried we were? Third brother is still in the hospital! You...why can't you be more sensible..."
Hearing this familiar yet strange voice, Shen Yue was stunned for a moment, but it was just that - a moment. After all, the stench of spit could wake anyone up from confusion. This is why people sleep on pillows - so that when they wake up every morning, they can take a deep breath into their pillow to get a whiff of their own morning breath. What a glorious way to start the day...yeah right.
Second brother, have I never told you that even if you're a celebrity, spewing spit in people's faces is disgusting?
But Shen Yue didn't say that outright. Instead, she backed away slightly to dodge Shen Shuangyi's spit attack and lowered her head slightly to retort softly, "Second brother, you scared me."
Shen Yue didn't speak loudly, just loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly. But it was this perfect volume that made Shen Yue seem so pitiful.
Pitiful is an understatement - compared to Shen Yue's previous willful behavior at home, fragile would now be a more fitting description.
Shen Jize was the first one who couldn't stand seeing this. He was usually the most soft-hearted, and would cry if scolded instead of talking back. But now, seeing Shen Yue looking sad from second brother's words, he felt like he just couldn't take it.
"Second brother, you went overboard. Little sister just woke up, and...isn't it normal for anyone to want to run away when encountering something like this? Running away isn't wrong!" Shen Jize didn't know what he was thinking of, but he suddenly couldn't hold back his tears as they rolled down his cheeks.
Shen Wu had originally wanted to say something too, but seeing this, he could only hurriedly take out some tissues to wipe Shen Jize's tears first.
As he wiped, he spoke, "Second brother, you were too harsh."
After getting scolded by two people, Shen Shuangyi's mind cooled down too.
There had always been an inexplicable bond between third brother and him. But now third brother's life hung by a thread in the hospital, and there was a new little sister at home, he somehow felt strangely irritable.
Originally when big brother was not around he should have stepped up as the pillar between the siblings, but now it was his younger siblings who calmed him down instead.
Shen Shuangyi took a deep breath and buried his face in his palms, saying to Shen Yue, "Sorry, Yueyue."
Shen Yue did not reply. She knew her second brother didn't need her response for that apology - it was merely an outlet for his emotions.
Among everyone present, second brother was the most sensitive and attached the greatest importance to feelings. So under these circumstances, the negative emotions second brother felt would be much more intense compared to the usually withdrawn fourth brother and aloof fifth brother.
Shen Yue looked towards Shen Wu and asked, "What happened to me?"
What Shen Yue really wanted to ask was how long she had been passed out for.
But concealing her true questions had seemingly become second nature.
Shen Wu met Shen Yue's eyes. Those eyes were clear but fragile, completely different from the past. It made Shen Wu's heart inexplicably twist. "You fainted on the roadside. Today is the second day since you lost consciousness."
Shen Yue oh-ed and asked, "How is third brother?"
"Third brother's condition deteriorated. This morning, big brother went to the hospital with X. The three of us were here looking after you."
Shen Yue's eyes flashed. She was amazed - everything was unfolding just as her memory had predicted.
Fifth brother had changed.
Not just fifth brother, everyone in this family who had ties with her had changed.
Just as she had predicted.
Ever since finding out at 12 that she was just an illegitimate daughter destined to end up in jail, her subconscious had taken over. She gave up on her parents' affection and her childhood crush on Shang Junyu.
Even those people in school - she acted recklessly based on instinct, disregarding the consequences and just doing as she wished.
This was the first step of the plan, to let go of things that did not belong to her, and vent the resentment in her heart, in preparation to fill herself with more beautiful things ahead.
Catching the attention of Shen family's eldest son Shen Yichen after her venting was no coincidence but inevitable. Even if Uncle Zhang did not inform Shen Yichen that day when everything started, Shen Yichen's attentiveness would definitely have made him notice her. He would definitely talk to her about the incident.
Even without her complete memories then, having experienced interacting with Si Chengyou, she would definitely still make the right choices unknowingly, guided by her instincts.
As long as that first contact happened, Shen Yichen would become the first stepping stone going forward.
There were also reasons for choosing Shen Yichen to be the first ally. Among the brothers, he had the most complete heart. 12-year-old Shen Yue needed someone with a whole heart to help her face her own fragility.
After Shen Yichen, the next brother she came into contact with would definitely be Shen family's second son, Shen Shuangyi.
The reason was even simpler. After successfully using Shen Yichen's kindness, he would try to advise her. From Shen Yichen's perspective, Shen Shuangyi would definitely be his first choice to handle things.
There were two reasons.
Firstly, his celebrity status in the entertainment industry could easily help achieve deeper goals. Secondly, 12-year-old Shen Shuangyi was very similar to 12-year-old Shen Yue - both equally fragile and craving for love.
After getting closer to Shen Shuangyi, she would subconsciously stir Shen Yichen's emotions, inducing him to mobilize the other Shen brothers' affection for their one and only little sister.
Among them, the easiest to influence would be Shen family's fourth son Shen Jize. And having him on her side meant having fifth brother in her palms as well.
In fact that was indeed what happened.
Shen Yue still remembered not long after she returned from the variety show, fourth brother had come back home. Everything was completely aligned with the plan.
Also, after she successfully built an amicable relationship with fourth brother using Ma Sha's approach, fifth brother appeared too.
Getting along with fifth brother was effortless - after all, the madness and killing intent within Si Chengyou was at least a hundred times more erratic compared to Shen Wu.
As for third brother, it was even simpler. She just had to put ropes on third brother and he would become the easiest knight to control.
Also, those words about definitely coming back would trigger another chain reaction - Shen Hui.
Based on the information memory-Shen Yue obtained, as long as third brother had the will to live, he would definitely wait for Shen Hui and make it through, bringing Shen Hui back earlier to buy more time for the plan.
And once Shen Hui was back, it would be time for her to activate her own memories.
Everyone were pawns, including Shen Yue herself.
The plans in Shen Yue's mind - her five brothers were tools for her to mend her heart, as well as bargaining chips when facing Shen Hui.
However, this was not enough.
The current bargaining chips were just an outline. They had to be refined further. For that, she had to make use of two other pieces she had not actively contacted before.
Ah, the pieces had arrived.
Shen Yue lifted her head to look outside the room. It was someone she had not seen for a long time - her foster parents.
"Shuangyi, Jize, little five! Why are you all still here? Do you know your big brother and little sister have been waiting for you below for a long time already!"
Upon the words, Shen Yue immediately heard Shen Wu give a cold huff, "What little sister? My little sister is right here!
Third brother almost died out there so many times yet I've never seen you show any concern. And now you're pretending again?.
Disgusting."
