Standing Next To You-Chapter 472: Who would understand

Lin Sunji stood frozen, her usual bravado stripped away by the weight of those words.

Bei Sangyun’s response hit her like a cold bucket of water, jolting her awake to the harsh reality of how cruelly she had treated Bei Sangyun when she first became part of the family.

A rush of guilt, shame, and frustration surged through her. Why had she been so spiteful back then?

Lin Sunji crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, attempting to mask her vulnerability with a casual tone.

"I was just a spoiled child back then, with the whole world revolving around me. I hated you before—and maybe I still do now. But... I don’t hate you as much as I used to. I sincerely hope we can bond—like cousins, or maybe even friends."

Bei Sangyun studied Lin Sunji silently, her expression unreadable.

What was this girl really after? Was she looking for reassurance that she wouldn’t seek revenge now that Lin Sanju was on the cusp of being crowned heir? Or was it fear—fear that she would make things difficult for her again?

After a long pause, Bei Sangyun finally spoke, her tone honest and steady. "I don’t hate you as much as before either. But I’ll never become friends with you."

Bei Sangyun’s words weren’t rooted in an inability to forgive. It wasn’t about forgiveness at all.

Lin Sunji and the Lin family had destroyed her—and she, in turn, had destroyed them. The debt had been paid in full, and she had suffered the consequences of her actions, even into death.

The reason she couldn’t be friends or simply forget the past was the constant reminder of what had transpired.

She couldn’t forget how Lin Sunji and the rest had met their ends—ends that she had orchestrated and witnessed with her own eyes.

How could she ever pretend friendship with someone whose life she had utterly destroyed?

Even though she had returned to the past and now stood before a healthier, changed Lin Sunji, the shadow of the Lin Sunji from her previous life still loomed, overlapping with the person in front of her.

She couldn’t simply pretend that the past hadn’t happened.

The least she could do now was to leave Lin Sunji alone—to let her live her life without repeating the destruction she had caused before.

Lin Sunji blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of her reply.

Today, she had been genuinely earnest in trying to mend their relationship. Over the past four years, during Bei Sangyun’s absence, she had come to see the world in a new light.

She had come to terms with her own flaws—how foolish and short-sighted she had once been. She had learned to discern between friend and foe, and she now recognized that Bei Sangyun had been far kinder to her family than she had deserved.

Bei Sangyun had chosen not to take revenge on her personally. Lin Sunji had hoped they could rebuild some semblance of a relationship—as friends, or at least as cousins.

But it seemed she had realized this far too late.

As the weight of Bei Sangyun’s words sinking in, her face reddened, and she took a small step back, embarrassment flickering in her eyes.

"...Oh... I see," she mumbled, forcing an awkward smile. "I was just hoping for... girl talk. If you ever need it, just call me, okay?" Her voice wavered as she tried to keep her composure. "I’ll leave now. Bye."

Without waiting for a reply, Lin Sunji turned and left hurriedly, brushing past Lin Sanju on her way out.

Lin Sanju stood in the doorway, watching her retreating figure before turning to Bei Sangyun. A faint, self-deprecating smile curved his lips.

"Can I say something as your cousin?" he asked tentatively.

"No," Bei Sangyun replied sharply, her tone leaving no room for discussion.

Lin Sanju chuckled, undeterred. "I’m going to say it anyway." He stepped closer, his voice soft but earnest. "There’s nothing wrong with letting people into your life. I just hope... one day, you can open up to us—like how we’ve been trying to open up to you."

Bei Sangyun didn’t respond, her expression unreadable. Lin Sanju waited for a moment, then sighed, recognizing the futility of pressing further. "Take care, Sangyun. I’ll see you around."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone on the stairs.

The house grew quiet. Bei Sangyun remained where she was, her arms wrapped around herself, her gaze fixed on the floor.

Who would understand?

She thought of the two lives she had lived—two completely different worlds. The first life had ended in tragedy, her death sealing a bitter, unresolved fate. The second life, though a chance at redemption, was fraught with ghosts of the past and a deep loneliness that no one seemed to notice.

Her heart ached with a longing she could never voice.

Who could understand her struggles, her doubts, and the weight of carrying two lives’ worth of pain?

For the first time in a long while, a profound sense of isolation crept into her chest.

If only there was someone... someone she could tell everything to. Someone who could truly understand her....how good would it be?

Her fingers tightened on her sleeves. The thought was fleeting, but it lingered like a faint echo in the empty house.

How comforting it would be, she mused, to have even one person who could shoulder her burdens. But for now, all she could do was carry them alone.

*****

Additional Scene:

Later that evening, after the dinner.

Driver Chen was ready to retire for the night, having completed his duties for the day. But just as he settled down, his phone buzzed with an incoming call.

The number was familiar, though no name was saved.

His face paled as he looked around nervously. Ensuring he was alone, he answered the call in a hushed voice.

"Young Master, please... don’t contact me anymore." He pleaded.

But the voice on the other end ignored his plea. "Is she asleep?"

Driver Chen glanced toward a specific window on the second floor, its light still glowing softly.

"...I don’t think so," he replied reluctantly.

"But she texted me goodnight. What could she be doing?"

Driver Chen: "..." How was he supposed to know?

"Young Master," he began cautiously, "why don’t you just ask her yourself? It seems the two of you are talking again. You don’t need me for this anymore."

He glanced around once more, the uneasy weight of secrecy pressing down on him. He feared someone might overhear and discover that he was providing updates to a certain someone—a situation that had plagued him for years, leaving him sleepless with guilt.

He felt like he was betraying the Young Miss.

But then again, if only he hadn’t uncovered the existence of that car following them two years ago...

Two years ago, in Country A

Driver Chen was waiting in the car for Bei Sangyun. When she decided to leave the country, he had insisted on accompanying her. novelbuddy.cσ๓

A single man with no strong ties in Country C—his aging parents were well cared for by his two siblings—he had volunteered to continue serving her as her driver. Along with him, Maid Ye Zhai had also come to assist Bei Sangyun in her new life abroad.

However, over the past few days, Driver Chen had noticed something unusual. Wherever he went, a specific car seemed to follow them.

In this foreign country, Bei Sangyun lived a low-profile life, keeping to herself and avoiding entanglements. She had neither made friends nor enemies. So who could this person be?

Concerned but lacking solid evidence, Driver Chen decided not to alarm Bei Sangyun. Instead, he devised a plan. One afternoon, he set out to drive alone without the Young Miss.

As he suspected, the mysterious car tailed him, even through remote areas where few would normally venture.

Driver Chen’s suspicion was confirmed—the car was indeed following Bei Sangyun.

Just as he prepared to lose the tail, the car suddenly accelerated and cut him off, forcing him to a halt.

Driver Chen’s heart raced as the driver’s door of the pursuing car opened, and out stepped a familiar figure.

It was none other than Fei Chuan.

"It seems you’ve noticed me following you. Quite sharp, Driver Chen," Fei Chuan remarked with a calm smile.

Driver Chen: "..." So he reveal himself because he was caught.

Fei Chuan approached him. "I need a favor from you, Mr. Chen."

The favor had seemed simple enough at the time—Fei Chuan had asked Driver Chen not to tell Bei Sangyun that he had found her and had been following her ever since.

Driver Chen, who had long noticed that the Young Miss often went to places where Fei Chuan happened to be, watching him from a distance, knew she still harbored deep feelings for this man.

If he could do something, however small, to help the two of them reunite, he was willing. After all, all Fei Chuan wanted was for him to pretend he didn’t see the car shadowing them.

But who would have thought that this seemingly harmless favor would spiral out of control?

What had started as silence turned into something far more invasive. Now, Driver Chen found himself providing updates to Fei Chuan about the Young Miss’s every move.

He had truly dug his own grave.

Even so, now that the two had finally met face-to-face—no more sneaking around or shadowy encounters—Driver Chen hoped Fei Chuan would release him from this deal.

But Fei Chuan did not let him go.

"Not yet," Fei Chuan said coolly. "Until I say otherwise, you will continue reporting to me, Driver Chen."

Driver Chen: "...." How he wished these two mend their relationship sooner so he did not have to do these things!