Gu Chengzhang’s calls of “Xiaozhao” and “Dad” made Gu Xingzhao’s ears ache. Watching the man pretend, she responded coldly, “My father died years ago when my grandfather was gravely ill.”

Her words made Gu Chengzhang realize that his daughter still resented him. He forced a smile, trying to placate her. “Xiaozhao, I was really busy back then, I had no choice…”

But Gu Xingzhao showed no sympathy. “Of course, too busy enjoying your 198 yuan steak to care.”

Her gaze shifted to the woman standing behind him. The words they had used to drive her out all those years ago were clearly forgotten by the pair, but she remembered them vividly. Back then, the woman had said, “Why waste money on an old man who’s about to die? Soon we’ll be eating steak that costs 198 yuan a piece.”

Frustrated by being repeatedly rebuffed, Gu Chengzhang’s expression darkened. The moment he raised his hand, Gu Xingzhao instinctively stepped back, but then stopped herself. The man in front of her had aged. Even if he did intend to hit her, she had the system’s protection. What was there to fear?

The woman behind him hurried forward, wearing a fake smile. “Chengzhang, this must be Xiaozhao. She’s grown up to be so beautiful! Why don’t you introduce us?”

Gu Chengzhang then pulled forward his current wife and son, standing on either side of him, and introduced them to Gu Xingzhao. “Xiaozhao, this is your Aunt Guan Lian and your brother Guan Shun.”

Guan Lian was well-maintained, appearing in her fifties but looking more like she was in her forties. She smiled hypocritically, acting as if she felt an immediate bond with Gu Xingzhao. Casting a reproachful look at her husband, she complained, “Chengzhang, this is your fault. You should have brought Xiaozhao to live with us years ago. If you had, our family wouldn’t feel so distant now.”

Gu Chengzhang nodded along with his wife’s words, offering a self-critical reflection. “It’s all my fault, all my fault. I was just worried she wouldn’t adapt if she left home back then. I didn’t think it through enough, it’s entirely my oversight!”

Watching the couple sing in harmony, Gu Xingzhao felt her lunch rising in her throat.

Guan Lian’s eyes darted around the cramped, cluttered supermarket, filled with disdain. What a dump. If they hadn’t lost so much money in recent years and needed to offload a batch of goods, she wouldn’t have bothered coming to this place with her husband.

Noticing her son staring at Gu Xingzhao, she silently cursed the woman as a seductress and nudged him. “Shunshun, this is your sister. Aren’t you going to greet her?”

The moment Guan Shun laid eyes on Gu Xingzhao, he was struck by her beauty. Then, something clicked, and he quickly recognized her. Excitedly, he stepped forward. “I know you! You’re Gu Xingzhao!”

His reaction surprised Gu Xingzhao. The man in front of her didn’t look any younger than she was, and his unfamiliar face didn’t ring any bells. She couldn’t remember knowing anyone like him.

Gu Chengzhang and Guan Lian were both taken aback. “Shunshun, how do you know your sister?”

Guan Shun, full of pride, replied, “She’s been really popular online recently. Everyone knows her!”

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone, eager to take a photo with Gu Xingzhao. He wanted to post it and make his friends envious!

Gu Xingzhao had been on guard the whole time and immediately sidestepped as he approached. Her face darkened, and her tone was icy. “I don’t like taking photos.”

After being rejected, Guan Shun sheepishly put his phone away, thinking this sister sure had a high-and-mighty attitude.

Gu Xingzhao then picked up a nearby broom, her eyes cold as she glared at the trio. With only a shred of patience left, she spoke sternly, “If you have nothing to say, get out of my house. I still need to clean.”

Ten years ago, Gu Chengzhang treated his wife and daughter like puppets, not allowing them to defy him. Even now, he couldn’t stand the idea that one of his puppets had broken free and was trying to resist him.

He barked at Gu Xingzhao, “Where are your manners? You’re holding a broom to drive out your elders? Is this how your old man raised you?”

Bringing up her grandfather was a mistake. Hearing this, Gu Xingzhao’s temper flared. She sneered and hefted the broom over her shoulder. “Oh, I have no parents, so naturally, I have no manners. Not like you, who had parents and still turned out to be a scumbag.”

After the insult, she spat in his direction.

Enraged, Gu Chengzhang raised his hand to strike her, but Guan Lian quickly intervened, whispering urgently, “Don’t forget why we’re here.”

Though she couldn’t stand the little wench, she knew they might need her to sell that batch of goods.

Regaining his composure, Gu Chengzhang swallowed his anger and forced a smile. “Xiaozhao, I know I was wrong before. But I’m here to make amends. Let’s not dwell on the past. We’re family, after all. Let’s start fresh and live well together.”

Gu Xingzhao cut him off immediately. “No thanks! Just hearing you say that makes me sick. If you’ve got something to say, say it. If not, then get lost. I’m not playing your little family game.”

She had no interest in being part of their twisted family dynamics. The thought alone was nauseating.

Gu Chengzhang’s expression soured. Though people say not to strike a smiling face, his daughter’s obstinate defiance infuriated him. She was nothing like the submissive child she used to be.

If he didn’t need her help right now, he would have dragged her inside for a beating, just like her late mother—a wretch to the end. She deserved worse.

Guan Lian, ever the actress, was growing tired in her high heels. “Xiaozhao, we do have something to discuss. It’s good news, really. We’re family, after all, and it wouldn’t be right to let an opportunity slip by. Why don’t we sit down and talk it over with some tea?”

Gu Chengzhang chimed in with agreement.

Gu Xingzhao sneered inwardly. Good news, coming to her?

“Fine, let’s sit down and talk,” she said, leading them outside.

Seeing her relent, Guan Lian and Gu Chengzhang exchanged a glance, worried she might change her mind, and quickly followed her.

A while later, Gu Xingzhao was sitting outside her house, legs crossed, on a stone bench in the alley, clearly impatient with the three standing in front of her. “Speak. What do you want?”

Guan Lian eyed the stone bench, no doubt used by countless people, with disdain. Rural folks, she thought, have no standards at all!

Guan Shun, dressed in designer clothes, couldn’t possibly bring himself to sit on something that looked so dirty. He couldn’t believe such a beautiful woman could be so casual, so unhygienic in private.

Gu Chengzhang’s face was no less sour. His daughter was defying him at every turn, not even letting him into the house!

Fearing her husband might lose his temper and ruin everything, Guan Lian discreetly pinched him, signaling him to get to the point. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could leave. She had no desire to linger in this filthy, rundown place, probably crawling with rats and bugs.