As she continued reviewing the memories, a faint pain stirred in her chest.
Another memory slowly surfaced.
Since childhood, the original Shen Yueling had occasionally suffered from strange pain in her body. It didn't happen every day, but sometimes the pain would suddenly come without warning.
There was one memory that stood out clearly.
She had been very young at that time.
The pain suddenly struck her body so intensely that the little girl couldn't help but scream and cry. The servants panicked and quickly informed her parents.
They rushed her to the hospital.
Doctors ran several tests, checking her body carefully.
But in the end, the result was the same.
"Everything seems normal," the doctor said.
"There is nothing wrong with her body."
After that, the adults simply told her,
"You have to be a good girl. Don't make trouble like this again, okay?"
The little girl nodded obediently.
From that moment on, she kept the pain to herself.
Even when it returned again later, she never told anyone.
Instead, whenever the pain came, she would quietly return to her room, close the door, hide under the blanket, and cry silently.
She didn't want anyone to see.
The little girl believed something very simple.
If she complained…
Her parents might think she was a troublesome child.
And if she became a troublesome child…
They might dislike her even more.
So she tried very hard to become a good girl.
A very good girl.
The little Shen Yueling thought that if she behaved well enough, maybe her parents would start loving her more.
So she began to work harder.
She studied seriously.
She pushed herself more and more.
Every exam, she aimed to be in the top ranks.
And she succeeded.
She was always among the top students.
But she didn't stop there.
As the daughter of a noble family, she also had to learn many other things.
Etiquette.
Arts.
Music.
Various skills expected from a young lady of high society.
Her mother always emphasized perfection.
So the little girl believed that if she became perfect, her mother would finally praise her.
Maybe her father would even smile at her.
Maybe they would look at her proudly.
But that moment never really came.
No matter how well she performed…
Her parents rarely showed any special reaction.
Shen Yueling sighed softly.
She closed her eyes and spoke quietly, almost as if talking to the original girl.
"Little girl… you really tried your best."
"You worked so hard just to get their attention."
"But did you ever think about something?"
"What they wanted… was never those things."
She shook her head slowly.
"This wasn't your fault."
"If anyone is wrong here… it's them."
Still, something about this family felt strange.
She frowned slightly as she thought about it.
"Maybe it's some kind of family drama…"
Her thoughts wandered.
"Maybe her parents had an arranged marriage and didn't really love each other?"
"But then again… they don't seem to hate each other either."
She thought carefully about the memories she saw.
They didn't fight.
They didn't argue.
They didn't act like enemies forced into marriage.
Instead, their relationship felt more like…
"…a business partnership."
Yes.
That was the closest description.
Almost like a contract.
They lived together.
Maintained appearances.
Fulfilled their responsibilities.
But there was very little emotional connection.
Shen Yueling rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"Honestly… this family is strange."
Then she suddenly remembered something else.
At school, Shen Yueling had a nickname.
The students called her Ice Queen.
She was quiet.
Distant.
Cold.
Unapproachable.
Most people thought she was arrogant.
But now, after seeing her memories, the current Shen Yueling couldn't help but laugh a little.
"These students are really funny."
"They think she's some cold and proud ice queen."
"But in reality…"
"She was just an innocent and lonely girl."
An introvert.
Someone who didn't know how to interact with others.
She stayed quiet not because she looked down on people.
But because she simply didn't know how to open up.
Shen Yueling leaned back against the bed.
"Though honestly…"
"That personality suits me quite well."
She chuckled lightly.
"I'm not exactly the same as her, but I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to dealing with people."
"A quiet life sounds much better."
The room fell silent again.
After thinking through all those memories, a strange feeling rose in her heart.
Pity.
She felt a little pity for the original Shen Yueling.
That girl had lived her entire life like this.
Trying hard.
Trying to be perfect.
Trying to earn love that never really came.
"…You had it rough," she murmured softly.