Chapter 1

With a loud bang, the house shook as if an earthquake had struck. Ming Shu, fast asleep on the bed, felt like she was falling into a dream and instinctively kicked the bedframe hard.

“Stupid girl, what’s wrong with you? Get up already!” a coarse female voice shouted from outside, accompanied by the sounds of things being thrown around.

Ming Shu’s eyes snapped open, but all she saw was darkness. She used her mental energy to sense the outside and realized it was already broad daylight.

Taking a deep breath, she sat up, ran a hand through her short hair, and got out of bed to dress in the dark before stepping out of her tiny, pitch-black room.

In the bright living room, four boys were sitting at the round table eating breakfast at a leisurely pace. The moment they saw Ming Shu’s door open, they started chewing faster, one by one, as if afraid.

“Eat slower, or you’ll choke,” Ming Shu said flatly, her face expressionless as she walked calmly to the window with a toothbrush and cup to freshen up.

Her adoptive mother, Lin Wanmei, emerged from her own room and, seeing her sons still so intimidated by Ming Shu after all these years, scowled. Even eating breakfast around her made them nervous.

Lin Wanmei’s disgust for this “daughter” of hers was evident as she said with a sour face, “After you get your graduation certificate today, come back early. We have guests tonight.”

Ming Shu glanced at her coldly without replying and went outside to wash up.

“Mom, why didn’t Big Sis fight us for food today?” Ming Guo asked, watching Ming Shu’s retreating figure in surprise.

“Eat your food. Soon, she won’t have the chance to take anything from you anymore,” Lin Wanmei muttered, her lips curling up into a sneer as if recalling something.

“Mom, what do you mean by that?” Ming Guo asked suspiciously.

“Nothing. Just eat and get to school,” Lin Wanmei urged.

“Mom, are we really going to do it tonight?” Ming Xin whispered as he glanced toward the door to ensure no one was eavesdropping.

“Don’t talk about it here. Hurry to school,” Lin Wanmei said nervously, eyeing the doorway.

“Mom…” Ming Xin tried to speak again.

Suddenly, steady footsteps approached from outside.

Lin Wanmei’s face turned anxious as she cut him off. “That troublemaker is back. Go to school quickly! And don’t come home tonight—stay at Grandma’s.”

“Oh.” The four boys quickly scarfed down their food, grabbed their backpacks, and left the house.

At the door, they ran into Ming Shu, and one by one, they obediently lowered their heads and called out, “Big Sis.”

“Hmm. Off you go,” Ming Shu said, looking down at them with a smirk as they meekly filed downstairs. This was the authority she had established over seven long years.

Placing her toothbrush and cup on the windowsill, Ming Shu glanced at the table filled with leftovers. “Where’s my breakfast?”

“In the kitchen. Get it yourself,” Lin Wanmei said with a scowl before leaving for work.

Ming Shu was long used to her adoptive mother’s attitude. She went to the kitchen, scooped up her breakfast, and ate slowly, not wasting a single grain.

Having survived a decade in the apocalyptic wasteland, where Earth was barren, resources depleted, and even food was a luxury, Ming Shu had learned to treasure every meal. Eating her fill was her top priority.

After finishing breakfast, Ming Shu headed to school.

When she reached the entrance, a group of young people wearing armbands was loudly parading a teacher who had once taught her. They shouted baseless accusations about his crimes as they dragged him off to the streets.

Ming Shu saw her once-gentle and respectful teacher now looking utterly disheveled. A flicker of emotion flashed in her eyes but quickly disappeared.

She continued walking to her classroom, only to find it in complete disarray. After a moment of hesitation at the door, she headed to the principal’s office, only to discover it ransacked as well.

It was clear she wouldn’t be getting her graduation certificate. Then again, in these chaotic times, a certificate didn’t seem to matter much anyway.

Sighing inwardly, Ming Shu left the school she had attended for three years and wandered aimlessly through the streets.

She saw soldiers rounding up people, cries of pleading and denunciations, and slogans being shouted under fluttering banners.

Standing quietly on the street, Ming Shu watched for a while before turning away to continue her aimless stroll.

Eventually, she stopped in front of a wall covered in plastered slogans:
“Broad Horizons, Great Opportunities. Knowledgeable Youth, Go to the Countryside to Help Build Rural Areas.”

Ming Shu stood with her hands in her pockets, staring at the wall for a long time.

By the time she returned home that evening, only her adoptive mother Lin Wanmei and a man in his thirties were in the living room.

Lin Wanmei was smiling obsequiously at the man.

“Mom,” Ming Shu said, frowning as she interrupted their conversation.

Both of them immediately turned to stare at her.

The man’s eyes roved over Ming Shu from head to toe. Her shoulder-length hair framed a cold but beautiful face, her eyes carried a touch of allure, and her loose, coarse clothes couldn’t hide her curvaceous figure. She was stunning in a cold, elegant way.

The man’s gaze lit up with delight.

He had expected another plain, unremarkable woman, but this one was exceptional.

Ming Shu frowned at his assessing gaze, her eyes blazing with anger. Then, remembering that this man was her mother’s guest, she took a closer look at him. Though he appeared just over thirty, his deeply furrowed brow and thinning hair made him look at least ten years older.

Turning her suspicious gaze to her mother, Ming Shu silently questioned her with her eyes.

Ignoring Ming Shu’s unspoken inquiry, Lin Wanmei grinned at the man and said, “Director Wu, this is my daughter. She just graduated from high school today.”

Director Wu’s satisfaction grew. “Good. Don’t worry—if this works out, I’ll fulfill my promise to you.”

“You can count on me; this will definitely work out,” Lin Wanmei assured him with a wide smile.

Ming Shu frowned deeply as she listened to their conversation.

Director Wu, who had been staring at Ming Shu, found her furrowed brows and delicate face even more alluring. His heart raced as he said, “Team Leader Lin, why don’t you introduce us properly?”

Lin Wanmei quickly complied, standing up and gesturing to Ming Shu. “This is my daughter, Ming Shu.”

Then she turned to Ming Shu and said, “This is Director Wu from my factory. He’s also the man I’ve arranged for you to marry.”

Ming Shu’s gaze turned icy as she stared at Lin Wanmei. “I told you yesterday—I’m not getting married now.”

With that, she turned and returned to her dark little room.

“Team Leader Lin, is your daughter refusing?” Director Wu’s face darkened as he questioned Lin Wanmei.

“Director Wu, don’t worry. I make the decisions here,” Lin Wanmei said with a forced smile, reassuring him repeatedly.

“Team Leader Lin, for the sake of your sons’ futures, I hope you won’t disappoint me,” Director Wu said sternly.

Lin Wanmei glanced toward Ming Shu’s room before leaning close to whisper in Director Wu’s ear.

When she stepped back, Director Wu’s expression softened slightly, though he still looked uncertain. “This won’t cause any trouble for me, will it?”

“Not at all. You can trust me,” Lin Wanmei promised with a smile.

After some hesitation, Director Wu nodded. Images of Ming Shu’s figure flashed through his mind, making him tremble with anticipation. “Alright. If this works out, I’ll keep my end of the deal.”

“Great. Please make yourself comfortable while I prepare dinner,” Lin Wanmei said before hurrying to the kitchen.

Later that evening, Ming Shu lay in her dark room, pretending to rest. She heard a gentle knock at the door.

“Ming Shu, come out and eat,” Lin Wanmei called.

Hearing it was time for dinner, Ming Shu immediately got up and left her room.

At the table, Lin Wanmei and Director Wu were already seated.

Seeing Ming Shu, Lin Wanmei quickly stood up, pulling her to sit next to Director Wu. “Director Wu is our guest tonight. I don’t drink, so you should keep him company with a few drinks.”

As she spoke, Lin Wanmei filled a cup with alcohol and placed it in front of Ming Shu.

Ming Shu glanced at her mother, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Then she picked up the cup and drank it all in one go before focusing on eating the food in front of her, ignoring Director Wu’s hungry gaze.

She finished her meal quickly and returned to her room without a word.

“Is it done now?” Director Wu asked, standing up and pacing excitedly.

“Wait a little longer. It’ll take effect soon,” Lin Wanmei assured him.

Inside her room, Ming Shu felt her body growing hot but didn’t think much of it.

However, her breathing became increasingly labored, and her temperature continued to rise.

Her consciousness started to blur. Clenching her fists, she tried to stay awake, but her body weakened, and she collapsed onto the bed.