After pressing the doorbell several times and still getting no response, Su Mo simply stopped ringing.

She turned and walked in the opposite direction.

The gate of the villa had a surveillance camera, and having lived there for three years, Su Mo knew exactly where the blind spots were.

They were trying to ignore her, not because they didn’t want to come out.

Especially now, it was just the time for people to leave for work or school.

Su Mo glanced at the camera by the gate and walked toward the blind spot.

Sure enough, not long after she left, the villa’s gate opened from the inside.

Liu Chengye’s car slowly pulled out from the driveway. Without hesitation, Su Mo ran straight toward the car and stood in front of it.

Liu Chengye, probably not expecting someone to suddenly appear in front of his car, slammed on the brakes, his head almost hitting the steering wheel.

He immediately got out of the car to confront the person, but upon seeing who it was, he froze for a moment.

“Xiaoxiao?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Su Mo lifted her small face, looking at the man in front of her, her eyes not filled with resentment or sorrow, but only stubbornness.

There was a time when she longed to be loved and cared for by her parents, just like her sister Liu Yiyi. But all her hopes shattered that summer five years ago, and since then, she had learned not to hold any illusions about anyone.

“Heh, I was wondering who it was. Turns out it’s you. Didn’t you say you were done with the Liu family? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t recognize us anymore? Why are you shamelessly coming back now?”

At some point, Jian Ruyun also came out of the villa, followed by Liu Yiyi, who was dressed in a school uniform.

Liu Yiyi was three years younger than Su Mo, and at just 20 years old, she hadn’t even graduated from university.

Seeing Su Mo standing at the gate, Liu Yiyi couldn’t help but sneer, thinking Su Mo must have some big reason for coming back so soon.

“Alright, since Xiaoxiao is back, why don’t you come in and sit for a bit? It’s too cold outside, and it would look bad if the neighbors see you standing here.” Liu Chengye said, noticing Su Mo’s pale face.

Su Mo’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. She could tell he was asking her to sit down, not telling her to leave immediately. The reason he wanted her to stay was because he didn’t want the neighbors to see her standing outside, making it awkward.

All these years, she was still the one who embarrassed him in his eyes.

“No need!” Su Mo firmly replied.

“I’m not going inside that house, so I don’t dirty the air inside.”

Liu Chengye frowned sharply. After all these years, she still hadn’t learned anything. He had thought that after she spent a few years abroad, she would have lost all her sharp edges, but now it seemed, the more time passed, the sharper she had become.

“Xiaoxiao!” Liu Chengye’s voice carried anger. “I told you to go inside! Just go in!”

“No, I won’t go in. I’ll be direct with you. I won’t stay here long, and I won’t let the neighbors see me and think it’s embarrassing.”

She paused, then added, “I came here today to borrow some money.”

Her words made Jian Ruyun’s face immediately break into a sarcastic smile. “So you’re here to borrow money. I thought you’ve been doing well these past few years, and yet, you don’t even recognize your own family anymore.”

“It’s not that I don’t recognize you. It’s that you kicked me out back then. It was you who said the Liu family had nothing to do with me anymore!” Su Mo’s gaze swept over Jian Ruyun’s face, the same face that had once looked at her with deep hatred.

Back then, she didn’t understand why her mother hated her so much. She was abandoned in the countryside at three, and after finally being brought back, she had never enjoyed the love of her parents. After the accident, she was directly kicked out.

She still didn’t understand, but she no longer cared to understand. Some people don’t need a reason not to like you. They didn’t want her, so she’d just forge her own path.

“Then how dare you come back! Do you think you can just come and go as you please? Borrowing money? How shameless can you be?” Jian Ruyun shouted, her face twisted in anger.

Su Mo looked at her with calm eyes.

“I might not have expressed myself well earlier. I’m not here to borrow money. I’m here to ask for the alimony for the daughter you made my grandmother raise for more than ten years.”

“From the moment I was three and thrown to my grandmother’s care, you never cared for me. It wasn’t until I was fifteen that you brought me back. During those twelve years, I don’t ask for much, just one thousand a year. Twelve thousand, and you’re done.”

“What did you say?”

“If you’re not willing to pay, I’ll go to a lawyer and find out exactly what responsibility you’ll have for not providing support, and not paying alimony.”

“Although the Liu family isn’t a prestigious household in the capital, don’t forget, you plan to become in-laws with the Lu family. If you don’t mind the shame, let’s make this bigger! After all, my reputation has been bad for years, but now I have the entire Liu family with me, and I don’t care one bit.”

“You…” Jian Ruyun’s face turned white with anger. Liu Chengye’s expression darkened as he looked at Su Mo, while Liu Yiyi glared at her with fury.

“Liu Xiaoxiao, try spreading this around!” If the Lu family found out there was such a disgraceful person in their family, they’d definitely look down on them. Liu Yiyi was furious, staring daggers at Su Mo.

Su Mo smiled faintly, “Don’t want me to say it? Then give me the money. If you hand it over, from now on, we really won’t have any more connection.”

Jian Ruyun’s anger flared. Although twelve thousand wasn’t a large amount to her, being threatened like this made her feel exceptionally uncomfortable.

She stood there, panting with rage, her face still pale. But she knew that yelling at Liu Xiaoxiao was one thing; she couldn’t really drive her away, or else all the effort she put into pushing her back would have been in vain.

Jian Ruyun gave Liu Chengye a look. Liu Chengye frowned, then turned to Su Mo.

“Xiaoxiao, your mother was just angry. No parents hold grudges against their children. Come on, it’s too cold outside, just come in and sit for a while. Later, if you need money, your mom will give it to you. We’re family, no need to be like this.”

Su Mo couldn’t figure out if Liu Chengye’s words about family were sincere or not, but as long as she could get the money, she didn’t care what was true or false.

Jian Ruyun sneered, turning to Liu Xiaoxiao, “Let’s go, if you had come back earlier and apologized, you wouldn’t have had to do all this.”

With that, she turned and walked back inside the villa, while Liu Chengye patted Su Mo on the shoulder.

“Xiaoxiao, don’t argue with your mom. Whatever she asks you to do, just do it. Parents only want what’s best for their children, understand? Everything we do is for you.”

Su Mo clenched her fists tightly, remaining silent.

Everything was for her? Was abandoning her in the countryside for years part of that? Or kicking her out of the Liu family like that?

And now, what was this so-called “for her” about?

She could clearly feel that the Liu family had an ulterior motive, but for her grandmother’s medical bills, she still followed them inside without hesitation.