Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 221; Shopping 5

The brilliant, arrogant Lu Zeyan would become confused. Slow. Dependent.

The business associates who’d respected him would begin to whisper. The family who’d valued him would start to plan around him. Yueling would watch the man she’d chosen become something diminished, something that required caretakers and patience and endless, exhausting accommodation.

And through it all, he would remember Shuyin. Her name would be the one thing that remained crystal clear in his deteriorating mind. He would say it at random moments, interrupting meetings and dinners and quiet evenings. "I love you, Shuyin." Over and over. A broken record that couldn’t be stopped, couldn’t be explained, couldn’t be fixed.

The magic sank deep, embedding itself in the architecture of his brain like roots through concrete. Irreversible. Permanent. Growing stronger with each passing day.

Shuyin felt the curse take hold, felt it settle into Lu Zeyan’s consciousness like a parasite finding its host. She examined her work with cold satisfaction, checking each thread of magic, ensuring everything was perfectly, irrevocably in place.

Then she withdrew, letting her consciousness snap back into her body like a rope pulled taut.

Her eyes opened.

The van was still moving smoothly through traffic. Yuyan had looked up from her tablet, silver eyes sharp and knowing. Chen Xiao was still playing with his stress ball, oblivious. Only seconds had passed in the physical world.

A giggle bubbled up from Shuyin’s chest, soft at first, then building into something that sounded almost manic. Not the controlled laugh of a society woman or the calculated amusement of a businesswoman. This was something rawer, darker, edged with a satisfaction that bordered on savage.

"Mommy? What are you laughing about? Are you daydreaming?"

Yuyan’s voice cut through Shuyin’s manic amusement, sharp with concern. She was staring at her stepmother with those unnervingly perceptive silver eyes. "One minute you were sleeping with your eyes closed, and the next minute you’re laughing weirdly."

Shuyin blinked, forcing her expression to soften, to shift from that dangerous satisfaction into something more appropriate for public consumption. She hadn’t realized how loud her laughter had become, how unhinged it must have sounded.

Chen Xiao had stopped playing with his stress ball and was watching her with wide, uncertain eyes.

Even Ting Fei had glanced in the rearview mirror, though his expression remained carefully neutral.

Right. She needed to be more careful. More controlled. She was supposed to be a reformed woman, not a vengeful sea creature cackling over curses and mental destruction.

"Was I?" Shuyin pressed a hand to her chest, manufacturing an expression of mild embarrassment. "I suppose I was daydreaming. How strange."

"About what?" Yuyan asked, but there was suspicion lurking beneath the casual question. She’d seen something in Shuyin’s expression before the mask had slipped back into place. Something cold and satisfied and decidedly not innocent.

Shuyin felt her lips curve into a more controlled smile, this one warm and slightly dreamy. "About your father, actually."

Yuyan’s eyebrows rose. "My father."

"Mmm." Shuyin let her eyes drift closed again briefly, as if savoring a pleasant memory. "We had a rather... intense conversation earlier. About finances, trust, and other matters. I suppose my mind wandered to more pleasant thoughts about our arrangement."

"You were giggling about Dad?" Yuyan sounded deeply skeptical.

"Your father can be quite charming when he wants to be," Shuyin replied, her voice taking on a deliberately soft quality. "And he said some things this morning that were... unexpected. In a good way."

It wasn’t entirely a lie. Lu Yuze had been surprisingly supportive. The conversation about the credit card had been oddly playful. And there had been that moment of charged tension when he’d talked about matters that didn’t belong on balance sheets.

Yuyan was still watching her with narrow-eyed suspicion. "You’re telling me you were sleeping, then suddenly started laughing like a crazy person, because you were daydreaming about my father being charming?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Is that so hard to believe?" Shuyin opened her eyes, meeting Yuyan’s gaze with practiced innocence. "He’s my husband. We’re building something together. Sometimes my mind wanders to... domestic thoughts."

"Domestic thoughts," Yuyan repeated flatly. "You sounded like you’d just won the lottery and committed the perfect crime at the same time."

Shuyin laughed again, but this time it was lighter, more controlled. "What a vivid imagination you have. I was simply having pleasant thoughts about my husband. About our family. About..." She glanced at Chen Xiao, who was still watching with those solemn eyes. "About how well everything is working out despite the complications."

Chen Xiao seemed to accept this explanation, his small face relaxing. "You really like Uncle Lu?"

"I do," Shuyin said, and that part was truly not so honest. She did like Lu Yuze, in a complicated, unexpected way that she was still trying to understand. "He’s been very good to us. To all of us."

"He gave you a credit card," Chen Xiao said seriously. "That means he trusts you."

"With limitations," Yuyan muttered, but her suspicion was fading slightly, replaced by something that looked like reluctant amusement. "Very specific limitations designed to prevent financial disasters."

"Still," Shuyin said primly, "it shows faith in my ability to be responsible. And I was just... appreciating that. In my daydream."

Yuyan shook her head slowly. "You’re either the best liar I’ve ever met, or you’re actually developing feelings for my father. I’m not sure which option is more disturbing."

"Can’t it be both?" Shuyin asked with a smile that was perhaps a bit too sharp.

"That’s what I’m afraid of," Yuyan replied, but she was smiling now too. "Just... maybe don’t laugh like that in public? People will think you’re unhinged."

"Noted," Shuyin agreed, settling back into her seat with deliberate composure. "I’ll save my unhinged laughter for private moments."

"Much appreciated," Yuyan said dryly, returning her attention to her tablet.

But Shuyin could feel the girl’s awareness still on her, that sharp intelligence piecing together clues. Yuyan knew something had happened. She just didn’t know what.

And that was fine.

Because by the time anyone figured out what Shuyin had done to Lu Zeyan, it would be far too late to undo it. The curse was set. The deterioration would begin. And Lu Zeyan would spend the rest of his diminished life declaring his love for the woman he’d destroyed.

Shuyin closed her eyes again, but this time her smile was small and private. Lest Yuyan think she was daydreaming about domestic bliss with Lu Yuze. Let everyone think she was just a reformed woman trying to build a new life.

The truth could remain her secret.

At least for now.

Behind them, several miles back, sirens wailed as emergency vehicles converged on the accident scene. Paramedics were already extracting Lu Zeyan from the wreckage, checking his vitals, asking him questions to assess his condition.

"Sir? Can you hear me? What’s your name?"

Lu Zeyan’s eyes fluttered open, unfocused and confused. His mouth opened.

"I love you, Shuyin," he said clearly, the words spilling out before he could stop them, before he even understood what he was saying.

The paramedic blinked. "Sir, I need you to tell me your name...."

"I love you, Shuyin," Lu Zeyan repeated, and there was panic in his eyes now because he couldn’t stop, couldn’t control his own mouth. "I love you, Shuyin."

His driver, standing nearby being checked by another paramedic, stared at his employer in confusion and growing horror.

"I love you, Shuyin," Lu Zeyan said again, and tears of frustration were forming because he understood now that something was terribly, impossibly wrong with him.

But the paramedics just exchanged glances, making notes about possible head trauma, about confusion and disorientation, about the need for immediate medical evaluation.

None of them understood.

None of them could possibly understand.

That this was just the beginning.

In the van, Shuyin’s smile deepened just slightly, even with her eyes closed.

Karma, she thought, really was beautiful.

Especially when you gave it teeth.

The ambulance screamed through city traffic, lights flashing, siren wailing. Inside, Lu Zeyan lay strapped to the gurney, his eyes wild with panic that had nothing to do with physical pain.

"Sir, try to stay calm," the paramedic urged, checking his vitals again. "You’ve been in an accident. Can you tell me what year it is?"

Lu Zeyan’s mouth opened. He wanted to say 2025. He needed to say 2025. His mind formed the words clearly, desperately.

"I love you, Shuyin," came out instead.

The paramedic frowned, making another note on his tablet. "Sir, I need you to focus. What’s your name?"

"Lu...." He managed to get that much out before his tongue betrayed him. "I love you, Shuyin. I love you, Shuyin."

"Possible concussion," the paramedic muttered to his partner. "Severe disorientation. We need a CT scan immediately upon arrival."

Lu Zeyan wanted to scream. Wanted to grab the paramedic and shake him and explain that this wasn’t a concussion, this was something else, something impossible, something that felt like his own mind was being controlled by invisible strings.

But when he opened his mouth again: "I love you, Shuyin."