She stood at the door for a long time without leaving.
Could the guest inside have soiled the bed? Even if they had, it wouldn't smell this bad.
The guests who came to stay were all sorts of strange—some had even stuffed sanitary pads into the kettle. Who knew what psychological issues these people had? She felt utterly drained; if she hadn't taken this job, she'd never have known the diversity of the human race. This room probably couldn't be used for guests today.
Inside, Lin Qingyu had spent the night in the room and had grown accustomed to the smell. But the housekeeper's retching reaction had gotten to her, and she also noticed the blanket she'd been using—it was black beyond belief. Not the black of ink stains, but a shiny, greasy black that reeked of sweat, sourness, acidity, and a metallic tang—utterly foul.
She thought of Shen Yunyun's words, and her heart suddenly stirred with excitement. Without bothering to tidy the bed, she rushed barefoot to the bathroom. Seeing herself in the mirror, looking like a mud monkey, she froze for a few seconds before hurriedly washing her face. It took three rounds of facial cleanser to scrub off the grime.
Lin Qingyu looked in the mirror at her face, full of collagen and rosy and tender, and couldn't help but smile. As she smiled, tears began to flow, and soon she was sobbing. She cried until she'd had her fill.
After she bathed and cleaned herself up, she had transformed from a middle-aged woman in her fifties into a seventeen-year-old youthful beauty. She dared not blink, afraid this was just a dream that would snap back to reality at any moment.
She quickly stuffed everything on the bed into trash bags, along with the clothes she'd worn yesterday. Then she dragged the bags out the door and went straight to find Shen Yunyun.
Though Shen Yunyun had mentally prepared herself, she couldn't help but gasp in amazement when she saw Lin Qingyu again.
"Sister Qingyu, you're so beautiful. How did your life end up like that later on?"
Lin Qingyu radiated youthful vitality and was in excellent spirits.
"Marriage is a woman's second life. If you marry the right man, life naturally goes smoothly. Even as you age, you still carry the glow of happiness. But if you entrust yourself to the wrong person, you end up like me—some even worse off. At least I didn't get Zhongcheng or all his love, but I never lacked money."
Shen Yunyun felt she couldn't argue with that.
"So what are you planning to do now?"
"Change my identity and start over from scratch."
Shen Yunyun nodded. Now, she truly could begin anew.
So she took Lin Qingyu to find Gu Changye.
Gu Changye's eyes lit up at the sight of Shen Yunyun—his lucky charm. Then he noticed Lin Qingyu following her and was utterly captivated by her beauty.
"Yunyun's here! And this is?"
"Let's talk inside."
Gu Changye quickly ushered them in and began showcasing his tea skills.
"Good tea," Lin Qingyu commented after tasting it, giving a fair assessment.
Shen Yunyun didn't know much about tea, but she could tell good from bad—Gu's tea was indeed excellent. Before she could introduce them, Gu Changye and Lin Qingyu were already deep in discussion about tea, leaving Shen Yunyun unable to get a word in. She got up to browse the antiques in his shop.
That reminded her of the items the Empress had given her last time when she sent Xu Zimo to Little Tangyuan's place. She hadn't gotten around to cashing them in all these days. Mainly because she wasn't short on money now, so she hadn't bothered. Plus, she'd been busy opening the trading center lately. With no financial worries, she didn't feel like working.
Oh, right—should she visit the beast world? As their Beast God, wasn't it irresponsible to stay away so long? With that thought, she decided to buy a batch of supplies to send there. She'd handle Lin Qingyu's matters first.
Soon, Gu Changye and Lin Qingyu reached an agreement. They stood up, called Shen Yunyun, and headed out together. They went straight to the police station. Once there, Lin Qingyu and Shen Yunyun waited outside while Gu Changye went in and said something. Shortly after, someone called Lin Qingyu in for a photo.
Lin Qingyu changed her name to Lin Mengxing.
Shen Yunyun glanced at the address on Lin Mengxing's new ID—it was the same as hers, the orphanage in Goose City. Well, now they were both orphans from the same place.
"Sister Mengxing, what are your plans now?" Shen Yunyun asked.
Lin Mengxing held her brand-new ID, her face full of hope for a new life.
"Buy a house, register my household there, and then sign up for a talent show."
"You're an actress?"
Lin Qingyu smiled. "I used to be a Yue opera actress."
She didn't finish, but Shen Yunyun understood. She'd been a Yue opera actress, then got married, became a full-time wife, then a full-time mother, and eventually lost herself.
"A Yue opera actress?" Shen Yunyun's eyes sparkled. She knew these opera performers had real skills—nothing like those flashy internet stars. If she really went into acting, her talent would blow everyone away.
"I can't wait! Sister Mengxing, give me some autographs now. Meeting you when you're still unknown—once you're shining bright, I won't be able to reach you anymore," Shen Yunyun giggled.
"Cheeky." Lin Mengxing tapped her forehead.
Lin Mengxing also bought a house in the same village as Shen Yunyun and, following her example, hired someone to design a courtyard and prepare for renovations. Seeing Lin Mengxing start a new life, Shen Yunyun felt overjoyed.
*
Shen Yunyun was a bit conflicted. Tang Yu had called, asking her to meet the Tang family. According to Tang Yu, those people were her descendants. So what kind of gifts should she give them? She'd heard the Tang family was huge now—the whole village was filled with their descendants, over six hundred people in total.
She thought it best to ask Lin Mengxing for advice and headed next door to her house. Lin Mengxing's place was under construction, and she had nothing else to do, so she was supervising the work.
"Sister Mengxing, I need your advice on something."
"Go ahead." Though Lin Mengxing looked like a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old, she was actually over fifty, with rich life experience and a better grasp of social niceties than Shen Yunyun.
"I'm going to claim kinship as an elder. What gifts should I give the younger generation?"
"Nothing beats just giving red envelopes. Based on your means and how important they are to you, stuff them with cash. These days, everyone—young or old, male or female—loves being 'insulted' with money. Why overthink it? It's not like you're meeting your in-laws."
A word to the wise is enough.
Shen Yunyun learned her lesson. She felt the same way—she preferred something simple and direct. Being "insulted" with money? She'd welcome it with open arms.