Chapter 4

They walked up the stairs, with Uncle Kun enthusiastically introducing the place along the way. The second floor had private rooms, which were quieter, and above that, the third floor was where the family lived.

“The boss’s family lives on the third floor.”

The boss’s family?

Liang Kefeng asked, “Besides my dad, who else?”

Realizing he had let something slip, Uncle Kun hesitated, struggling to explain. “Uh, no one else really. Be careful on the stairs, Miss.”

She’d find out soon enough who else, so she didn’t press him further, not wanting to make things awkward for him.

At the entrance to the third floor, there was a metal gate, but it wasn’t locked. Inside, there was a small front hall with just a few tables and chairs, and although there was no one present, voices could be heard from deeper inside the house.

Uncle Kun asked her to wait a moment while he went in to announce her arrival.

Soon, Uncle Kun returned with a smile. “Miss, your father’s finishing up a phone call and will be out shortly.”

“Thank you, Uncle Kun.”

“No need to thank me, it’s my duty. You don’t look too well. Why don’t you sit down while you wait? They’re still settling accounts downstairs, so I’ll head back down.”

After Uncle Kun left, Liang Kefeng waited for about ten minutes, but no one came out. The sound of the phone conversation had long since stopped. She walked over to the door and peeked through a crack. Inside was a large living room, with a black-and-white TV turned on, though the volume was very low.

A man in his forties was pacing back and forth.

From the original host’s memory, she knew this was indeed her father, Liang Yaozu.

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman with a shower cap on her head—likely just out of the shower—appeared from somewhere inside the house.

As soon as Liang Yaozu saw the woman, he hurried over to talk to her.

Liang Kefeng tried to read their lips to see what they were discussing, but just then, voices sounded behind her. She turned around and saw two young girls, laughing and chatting as they walked in.

One girl seemed to be about seventeen or eighteen, while the younger one was probably around fifteen or sixteen. Both were wearing wool coats, and from their conversation, it was clear they had just returned from watching a movie.

When the girls noticed someone in the front hall, they stopped in their tracks and looked her up and down—dressed in a blue windbreaker, wide-leg pants, and wearing an out-of-place beach hat. What a strange outfit!

“Who are you looking for? Why are you standing in our house?”

Liang Kefeng’s mind raced. Her father, Liang Yaozu, had been out of touch for nearly a year, and now there was a middle-aged woman in the house, plus these two girls who clearly belonged there. Combined with Uncle Kun’s vague words earlier, it wasn’t hard to piece together what was going on.

In fact, she had already suspected this before coming here. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why Liang Yaozu hadn’t tried to contact her…

The family had already established a new household, leaving their elderly father and daughter back home, forgotten for the time being.

The younger girl, seeing this unexpected guest sizing her up, raised her voice and asked accusingly, “Who exactly are you looking for? Did you see the door was unlocked and just come in?”

Liang Kefeng calmly replied, “This is my home.”

The two girls were visibly stunned.

“Dad! Mom!” the younger girl shouted, “Mom! There’s some woman here, dressed all weird, claiming this is her house.”

The older girl looked at Liang Kefeng again, giving her a disdainful once-over, “You’ve got the wrong place!”

At that moment, the door inside opened, and out came Liang Yaozu and the middle-aged woman wearing a shower cap.

“Mom, this woman says this is her house,” the younger girl added.

“Baoling, don’t be so loud,” said the middle-aged woman. She was in her forties, with her hair up and a broad face, still carrying some charm. She walked over, carefully examining Liang Kefeng before taking her hand with a warm smile, “You must be Kefeng, right? Your dad just told me you were coming, and I couldn’t believe it. How did you get here all the way from the mainland?”

Liang Kefeng pulled her hand back, glaring silently at Liang Yaozu, who stood behind the woman.

Liang Yaozu, wearing glasses and slightly chubby, seemed both happy and embarrassed to see his daughter after so many years. He awkwardly smiled, “Kefeng, why didn’t you write a letter ahead of time? I could have arranged to pick you up.”

“Dad, who are they?” Liang Kefeng asked. Though she had already guessed, she still needed to hear the truth. If the original version of herself were still here, she would certainly demand answers.

Now it was the turn of Baoling and her sister to feel uncomfortable.

Liang Yaozu scratched his neck, clearly uneasy and guilty, and managed a forced smile as he introduced, “This is your Aunt Fengping… and her two daughters, Yuan Baoli and Yuan Baoling.”

In simple terms, these were the woman Liang Yaozu had gotten involved with and her two daughters, whom she had brought along.

Liang Kefeng gave them a glance and commented, “So, they’re outsiders. The way they were talking, I really thought I’d walked into the wrong house.”

This comment made Baoling grit her teeth in anger.

The key was that when Liang Kefeng mocked them, her tone was casual, which made it even more painful than if she had been outright arrogant.

This mainland girl!

Liang Yaozu opened his mouth to say something but ultimately said nothing.

He looked far more awkward and inarticulate than Liang Kefeng had imagined him to be.

Zhu Fengping, however, was much smoother. She pretended not to hear Liang Kefeng’s sarcasm and continued smiling warmly, “Kefeng, have you eaten? You look a little pale. Would you like something to eat?”

“You’re not just catching a cold, are you? Let’s sit in the living room, no need to stand here foolishly,” Zhu Fengping suggested.

Liang Kefeng was indeed exhausted and didn’t want to waste energy arguing with these people. She stayed quiet, focusing on healing and getting her ID card sorted.

Zhu Fengping instructed her daughter, “Baoling, clean up your room for Kefeng to stay in. You can sleep with your sister.”

Yuan Baoling wasn’t happy about it. She looked to Liang Yaozu, pleading, “Dad!”

Liang Yaozu shook his head slightly, “Go on, listen to your mom.”

The tone of this exchange, sounding like a conversation between biological father and daughter, left an uncomfortable feeling in the air.

Yuan Baoli tugged on her sister’s sleeve, and Baoling reluctantly agreed, heading into her room with a sullen expression.

After they sat down in the living room, Liang Yaozu and Zhu Fengping asked how Liang Kefeng had made her way to Hong Kong.

“I took a snakehead’s boat and landed at Hongsha Bay…” Liang Kefeng gave a vague and brief answer.

She could tell that her father wasn’t genuinely concerned about how she managed to smuggle herself over, nor whether the journey had been difficult. What he was really asking was: why did you come?

She also didn’t mention that her cousin had gotten into trouble, as she wasn’t sure how Liang Yaozu would react.

Liang Yaozu didn’t say much, leaving most of the conversation to Zhu Fengping.

Zhu Fengping asked, “Is your grandfather feeling better?”

Liang Kefeng hesitated for a moment. Normally, people would ask, *”How is your grandfather’s health?”* The fact that Zhu Fengping phrased it as *”Is your grandfather feeling better?”* indicated that she knew he had been sick.

Could it be that Liang Yaozu had received the letter the original character had sent?

“Grandfather passed away from his illness,” Liang Kefeng said, keeping her eyes on her father, trying to gauge his reaction.

Liang Yaozu visibly paused, his eyes shifting uncomfortably before he let out a heavy sigh, “I’m such a disgrace! It’s all my fault!”

Zhu Fengping softly comforted him for a moment, then asked about the funeral arrangements. Since Liang Kefeng wasn’t familiar with the details, she gave a vague response.

Finally, Liang Kefeng probed further, “When grandfather got sick, I had someone send you a letter. Dad, did you receive it?”

Liang Yaozu touched his nose and responded in surprise, “A letter? I didn’t get any.”

The fact that he was touching his nose and blinking indicated some level of guilt.

But now wasn’t the time to dig deeper.

Feeling more relaxed, the pain in Liang Kefeng’s head worsened. Though her fever had subsided earlier, her forehead was heating up again. Not fully trusting her father and his new family, she said, “Dad, could you call Uncle Kun for me? I need his help with something.”

Liang Yaozu glanced at Zhu Fengping.

Zhu Fengping quickly asked, “Why call Uncle Kun so late? What’s the matter?”

“Just call him up. I have something important,” Liang Kefeng insisted firmly.

Seeing his daughter’s determined attitude, Liang Yaozu had no choice but to reluctantly pick up the phone and call the front desk on the first floor. Uncle Kun arrived shortly after.

When Uncle Kun walked in, Liang Kefeng slowly took off the hat she had been wearing.

Seeing the bandage wrapped around her head, Uncle Kun was shocked. “Miss, you’re injured?”

“I hit the back of my head…” Liang Kefeng replied.

Finally showing some concern, Liang Yaozu stood up, and Zhu Fengping approached her, saying, “I was wondering why your face looked so pale. Yaozu, since Kefeng doesn’t have an ID, she can’t go to the hospital. We need to call a doctor to come here quickly.”

“Yes, we should get a doctor to check on her,” Liang Yaozu echoed.

“Uncle Kun, could you please help me find a good surgeon? My father will cover the cost.” This was the reason Liang Kefeng insisted on calling Uncle Kun—she didn’t trust her father and Zhu Fengping to find a proper doctor for her.

Uncle Kun glanced at his boss. Liang Yaozu, pressured by the situation, had no choice but to agree. “Get the best doctor.”

“Alright, I understand. I’ll go right away,” Uncle Kun replied.

The injury at the back of her head was deep, and the doctor had to shave part of her hair to treat it. By the time the wound was dealt with, it was already midnight. After taking some medication, Liang Kefeng finally went to sleep.

Due to the injury, she had to sleep on her side. Her rest was fitful, and she couldn’t get into a deep sleep. She woke around five in the morning and lay in bed, thinking about her next steps. During her recovery, her main priority would be obtaining her ID card. After that, she needed to find Wu Biyun to retrieve her cousin’s watch, then locate her cousin’s grandfather, Liang Dalong.

To successfully complete her task, connecting with Liang Dalong, a senior figure in the Hongmen triad, would be her best approach. If she could leverage this relationship well, she might achieve her goals with less effort.

In any case, she needed to stabilize her situation first.

From what she could tell, staying at her father’s place wasn’t going to be a long-term option.

It was almost six o’clock. Since it was winter, it was still dark outside. She threw on a coat and got up to use the bathroom. On her way past the kitchen, she heard voices inside.

The voices were low, so she couldn’t make out everything. Peeking through the door crack, she saw Liang Yaozu and Zhu Fengping talking inside. Zhu Fengping was making rice cakes, while Liang Yaozu occasionally helped out.

By combining what she could hear with reading their lips, Liang Kefeng was able to piece together the gist of their conversation.

Liang Yaozu said, “She’s not that easy to deal with. I don’t even know how to talk to her.”

Zhu Fengping kneaded the glutinous rice dough vigorously and responded, “Then just talk to her less. Let’s hold off on getting her ID card for now and say we’ll handle it after the New Year.”

“No need. Make sure you give Uncle Kun a heads-up and warn him not to say too much. I can tell she trusts him a lot,” Zhu Fengping said.

Liang Yaozu thought for a moment and responded, “We could just send Uncle Kun to work at the branch store in Sifang City. He doesn’t need to come here during the New Year period.”

Zhu Fengping complained, “That Uncle Kun should have been fired a long time ago, but you never listened to me.”

Liang Yaozu replied, “He knows the business well.”

“Those mahjong parlors relied on him in the past,” he added.

Zhu Fengping suggested, “Let my two brothers help out. After the New Year, we can find an excuse to fire Uncle Kun. Hey, what do you think about marrying Liang Kefeng off to Abao as his wife?”

Liang Yaozu hesitated, “Your nephew? Don’t make things worse! He can’t handle it.”

Zhu Fengping added some hot water to the dough and said, “My nephew may not be the smartest, but he’s still a man. We can figure out a way to make sure things happen. Afterward, Abao can take her away and lock her up, solving a big problem for us.”

Liang Yaozu sipped his hot water, clearly swayed by her idea, “It’s not impossible…”

Zhu Fengping continued, “As long as she doesn’t have an ID, she can’t escape us. Don’t worry, I’ll have Abao come over for the New Year. You just follow my plan.”

The conversation between these two despicable people left Liang Kefeng, listening from outside the door, in shock.

She was Liang Yaozu’s only daughter! According to the original story, he had worked hard for many years for her sake, and had never considered remarrying. How could he have changed so completely?

People do change, but not like this. In Liang Yaozu’s eyes, had she become nothing but a nuisance? Was he really going to allow Zhu Fengping’s idiot nephew to violate her just to get rid of her?

This wasn’t how a father treats his daughter—this was how you treat an enemy!

Liang Kefeng couldn’t understand it.

She quietly returned to her room, retrieved her hidden gun, loaded the magazine, and strapped one gun to her leg, hiding another under her mattress.

Fortunately, she wasn’t the original host, or she would have become helpless prey.

The next morning, she got up as usual to have breakfast.

Yuan Baoli, who was only a year younger than Liang Kefeng, begrudgingly served her a bowl of lean pork and century egg congee under her mother’s orders, forcing out a reluctant smile. “Sister Kefeng, have some breakfast.”

Yuan Baoling, on the other hand, kept her head down, focusing on her fried noodles and completely ignoring Liang Kefeng’s presence.

As always, the smiling tiger Zhu Fengping remained overly enthusiastic, saying, “Kefeng, come, have some congee first. We’re out of fresh milk, but I’ll order more later. The doctor said you need to eat more nutritious food.”

Liang Kefeng sat down and replied politely, “Thank you, Aunt Ping. Where’s my dad?”

Yesterday’s softness reassured Zhu Fengping a little.

She smiled and said, “Your dad has already eaten. He went out to take care of some business and won’t be back until the evening. If you need anything, just let Aunt Ping know, okay?”

Liang Kefeng nodded obediently while drinking her porridge, saying, “Okay.”

“Aunt Ping, when can I go register and get my ID card?” Liang Kefeng asked with a smile, wanting to see what excuse Zhu Fengping would come up with to refuse.

Without changing her expression, Zhu Fengping smiled and replied, “The New Year is just around the corner. I’ve heard that the offices in Central are already on holiday. I think you’ll have to wait until after the 15th of the lunar new year to register for your ID. It’s a simple process, so when the time comes, I’ll go with you to handle it. Don’t worry, just focus on recovering and enjoying the New Year.”

“Oh,” Liang Kefeng responded.

Seeing that she didn’t question further, Zhu Fengping added, “Later, I’m going shopping with Baoli and Baoling to buy new clothes for the New Year. Since it’s inconvenient for you to go out, we’ll pick some up for you. Does that sound good? If you have any styles or colors you like, just let us know.”

Liang Kefeng did need clothes, shoes, and other daily necessities, so she didn’t hesitate, “Sure, I’ll make a list for you.”

When they heard Liang Kefeng mention a shopping list, Baoli and Baoling exchanged annoyed glances but didn’t dare say anything.

After breakfast, the mother and daughters went downstairs to go shopping for clothes and New Year’s goods. Liang Kefeng stood by the window, watching them cross the street to the opposite side.

Walking ahead, Yuan Baoling turned to her mother and asked, “When is that Liang Kefeng going to leave? She’s driving me crazy. She made such a long shopping list without a hint of shame. She’s so picky about everything she buys, even asking for a wig—she’s bald! It’s so annoying!”

Zhu Fengping’s back was to Liang Kefeng, so she couldn’t see her mouth move and didn’t know what she replied.

Once the three of them disappeared around the corner, Liang Kefeng went to the stairwell and locked the metal gate from the inside.