No one could have anticipated Xia Fu would eat her own household registration page. Even Xia Biao was stunned for a full four seconds before he snapped out of it.

Her desperate act ignited the man’s fury, the veins on his forehead throbbing as if they had a life of their own. He ground out his words through clenched teeth, “You’ve really got guts, don’t you?!” He stormed toward Xia Fu, reaching to his belt as he spoke.

“I was going to let it go, considering your age, just give you a lesson. But now? You’re just asking for it. I’ll beat you to death today!”

The crack of the belt slicing through the air was followed by the snap against her back, each strike like a tongue of fire slashing through dry wood. The sound made Zhang Mei’s heart pound as she scrambled up from the ground and rushed to hold her husband’s waist, pleading, “Stop! Please, stop! If you actually hurt her, how will she face people? What will we tell her in-laws?”

But Zhang Mei’s weak arms couldn’t halt Xia Biao’s rage. Finally, it was Xia Changqing, who had been watching silently, that pulled the furious man back with brute force.

“Enough, enough. My sister is just a naïve girl who’s never seen the world. It’s no surprise she got tricked by a man. Let me talk to her.”

The scorching pain on her back almost knocked her out. Xia Fu curled up, guarding her head, teeth clenched tight—she didn’t make a single sound.

She didn’t need her brother’s sympathy.

Don’t cry, don’t fear, don’t let everyone laugh at you.

No matter how much he hit or scolded, there was a limit. If he truly went all out, things might get out of hand. With this stubborn obstacle before him, Xia Biao could only spit at her in anger.

Panting heavily, he grabbed her arm and dragged her all the way to her room, tossing her inside.

Xia Fu was locked up. Zhang Mei took away her phone, computer, and anything sharp. The only things left in the empty room were school souvenirs and other useless trinkets.

Though exhausted, the welts left by the belt on her skin throbbed, swollen and burning, making it impossible for her to close her eyes.

She took slow breaths, trying to alleviate the burning pain with deep breathing. Her eyes drifted aimlessly across the ceiling, finally landing on a rough bump. To maximize space, her parents had even asked a contractor to tear down a load-bearing wall during renovation; that little shadow was the only proof it had ever existed.

Even though this place wasn’t prone to earthquakes, this kind of violation was dangerous. Thinking about how this was the new home her parents had gone out of their way to get from Boss Chen, Xia Fu couldn’t help but pray to the heavens that it would collapse immediately. If it buried the daughter they wanted to marry off, they’d get no benefit from her anymore.

But, as usual, the heavens ignored her wishes. No miracle came that night. Instead, her most annoying brother came knocking, trying to “talk some sense” into her.

Xia Fu, battered and bruised, had only eaten breakfast that day. As night approached, her brother knocked on her door and started his lecture.

“Sis? Still awake, right? I’ve calmed down too. It was wrong of me to eavesdrop on your call, I admit. But I was just worried about you. There’s no need to keep fighting with the family over some unreliable rich second-generation guy, is there?”

His bizarre conclusion almost made Xia Fu laugh.

So, after all, blood is thicker than water—the words family knows best about you are all nonsense. To this point, he still thought her change in attitude was over some romance?

Xia Fu’s lips pulled into a sarcastic smile, and she could never have imagined that his next words would erase her expression altogether.

“Your phone’s lock screen password is the code for F University’s school, right? Back when you were applying to colleges, you memorized those numbers by heart, so I figured it had to be that.”

“Mom already called that Fang Jingcheng guy. You know her temperament—it’s best you two don’t meet again.”

“They’re old-fashioned, they can’t accept premarital stuff. But Boss Chen doesn’t mind things like that. After all, he’s more experienced. Women are only truly claimed once they’ve borne a man’s child. Talk to him nicely; if he says a few kind words to our parents, they’ll let you out.”

“Graduates from Q University are going back to work on farms now; finding a job is tough. Marrying sooner could save you a lot of trouble. You could help out at Boss Chen’s shop and be a relaxed boss lady.”

“If you like F University so much, you could even go back to school after getting pregnant. Your kid could grow up in F University’s environment.”

He knew, he knew everything!

If he understood that going to F University was her greatest joy, why was it that he—and even some future child—could pursue higher education, but she couldn’t?

He was a towering pine, while she was a wildflower, uprooted and dried to be consumed. Why? Why?!

Xia Fu had never hated someone as much as she did now. She moved to the door and pressed her hand against it, as if she could choke Xia Changqing through the wall.

She clenched her fingers, making a silent vow.

Why could he ruin her life, yet she couldn’t ruin his?

If the world wasn’t going to crumble down around her, she would tear it down herself.

When dawn broke again, and the sound of noisy renovations filled the day, Xia Fu finally reached a decision. She knocked on the door and pleaded, “Changqing, Xia Changqing, I’ve thought it through. I’m willing to talk to Boss Chen. Let me out.”

Her brother gave her a long, scrutinizing look, more alert after his experience at the 4S store.

“Oh? Really thought it through?”

“Yes. Mom already called him, and with how things are, we’ll never work out… probably just end up as a joke for my classmates. I’d rather think ahead and keep studying.”

Her empty gaze rested on his new jacket, and her cracked lips trembled as she spoke of that person, each word forced and heavy.

It must have taken her a lot of effort to pursue someone like that rich second-generation. And now that it had all gone wrong, she was utterly heartbroken. But so what? One look at the guy’s photo, and you knew he was just a playboy. There was no way he’d marry her; after being chewed out by Zhang Mei, he’d probably dismiss her as a silly joke.

“It’s good that you’re over it.”

Whether she truly was or not didn’t matter. She was so frail from hunger, what trouble could she stir up now?

That afternoon, Boss Chen arrived at the Xia house, holding a basket of fruits. He cheerfully waved a red paper packet, showing no hint of the previous unpleasantness.

“I heard Little Fu was dizzy and came home early, even fell down the stairs.”

“I brought some medicine for her. It’s a family remedy, great for bruises and won’t leave any scars.”

Zhang Mei set out a tray of tea, chatted warmly with the guest, and, after hesitating, looked to Xia Biao for guidance. Seeing him nod, she forced a smile, saying, “Go on in and check on her. She’s so fussy about scarring that she hasn’t eaten.”

“Ah, thank you, then.”

Boss Chen adjusted his gold watch, bowed his plump frame, and headed toward her room.

Three pairs of eyes watched his retreating back, the lively atmosphere in the living room suddenly dead. They all knew what applying the medicine symbolized, but each tacitly allowed it, each awaiting the inevitable outcome in their own way.

But a sudden scream shattered the silence.

Boss Chen, who had worked his way up from sales, knew how important it was to craft a touching story, to wrap a high-priced product in an appealing package.

Women were no different. By now, he’d encountered countless women younger and prettier than Xia Fu, but top-of-the-class university grads like her were rare. Within that sparkling package, even a countryside girl could shine.

Books, stationery, awards—he eyed the objects in Xia Fu’s room with greedy admiration, feeling intoxicated by the dreamlike aroma.

“You even brought textbooks home? In school, I really admired the math rep, but my grades were bad. I was always embarrassed in front of her.”

Right, his crush had liked the boy next to her. His grades were better, his family was better. But if not for the teacher assigning her to tutor him, they’d have ended up together.

But things were different now. Xia Fu would lower her cute little head to him, for him to handle as he pleased.

Who cared if she had a boyfriend? That would just make him humiliate her more.

How hilarious. As he reached the bedside table, the girl clenched her fists nervously, trying to change the subject.

“It’s just a simple book for tutoring younger students. Want to take a look? You should be able to understand it.”

A deep purple math book lay on the bedside table, its pages worn and curling at the edges. She’d attached F University’s metal badge to the pages—silver with red details, the dreams of many students.

Boss Chen nodded, “Sure, teach me too.” He grabbed the book spine with one hand and reached for her leg with the other, eager to indulge in the gift he’d paid handsomely for. But suddenly, he felt his hand empty, followed by searing pain in his nose, warm liquid gushing out.

She had smashed his face with the thick book?!

“You damn brat!”

He couldn’t even finish cursing before a cold draft hit his face—Xia Fu was drawing back the book, clearly intending to strike again.

Panicking, he covered his nose with one hand and reached for her hair with the other. But she bent her knees and sidestepped, her move a feint; her real counterattack was aimed lower. A surge of pain spread across his foot.

Her little tricks were unexpectedly effective. The delicate toe could barely bear a bump against a wall, and Boss Chen, wincing, stumbled back, hit the bedside table, and was then kicked in the knee by the girl, collapsing onto the floor.

Groaning in pain, he felt her flip and mount his back.

Was she trying to use some self-defense technique she’d learned from TV? She was just digging herself into a trap. With their weight difference, he could easily throw her off with a bit of effort.

But he only got that far in thought before he felt something cold and sharp pressing against his eyelid. He screamed in horror, “Wait! Take it away! What are you doing?!”

The only item left in her luggage was a commemorative bookmark, now gripped firmly in her hand.

At that moment, Xia Fu pressed the sharpened end closer to his eye, her hoarse voice trembling with fury. “Open the door, or I’ll kill him!”

The once gentle, well-mannered girl had become a vengeful demon. As blood seeped from Boss Chen’s eye, he begged frantically, “Open it! She’s crazy! She’s going to stab me in the eye!!”

The door finally creaked open, their shocked eyes fixed on her as if seeing her madness for the first time.

Zhang Mei muttered nervously, “What are you doing? Put that down!” clenching her apron in fear. Xia Biao, red-faced, raised his thick arm, pointing a finger at her pale face, jabbing his words down to crush her. “Stop this nonsense! Go ahead, stab him! Do it, and you’re no longer a college student—you’re a murderer. Years of schooling down the drain, off to prison!”

“They’ll all laugh at you, see you as a joke!”

A joke, always a joke.

They stripped her of everything, yet expected her to preserve her dignity?

Were beasts supposed to be cute and lively even as they met their end?

Furious, Xia Fu laughed, “Yeah, I’m a joke. So what does that make your precious son? A weakling who needs to sell his sister to survive?”

Her mocking laughter finally drew Xia Changqing’s attention.

She could hear a neighbor from the nearby nail salon pounding on the door, demanding to know, “What’s going on in there?! I’ll call the police if you don’t come out!”

Exasperated, Xia Changqing cracked the door open and muttered, “It’s nothing, just a little family squabble.” Then he yelled louder, “Enough! You’re the older sibling; it’s only right to make some sacrifices for your younger brother!”

As though he’d dropped the final straw on Xia Fu, she was pushed past her breaking point.

If they wouldn’t let her live her life, she’d destroy everything.

“Fine! Since my life is worthless, I’ll be a murderer! Watch your precious son lose his job and live in disgrace forever!”

Closing her eyes, Xia Fu pressed the makeshift blade down.

Destruction was foreign but absolute. Time stretched in that moment, the world falling silent except for her rapid breathing—then the dull thud—

“Thud!”

It was the sound of Xia Fu slipping off Boss Chen. She hadn’t succeeded. Boss Chen had seized his chance when her body slackened, breaking free with desperate strength.

But it was also the sound of Xia Changqing being punched to the ground.

“Thud, thud, thud!”

Lying on the floor, panting heavily, she heard the sound of chaotic footsteps and many, many voices calling, “Xia Fu, Xia Fu, Xia Fu!” The voice sounded like her beloved teacher from high school, or perhaps the lover she had buried deep in her heart.