Su Wan’s parents had a marriage of convenience, and after they wed, they seemed to harmonize well, sharing warmth and affection for several years.

However, that changed when Su Wan was conceived.

Her father began spending nights away from home, claiming it was for their well-being, but his attitude grew noticeably colder.

After Su Wan was born, their relationship seemed to warm up a bit.

Unfortunately, appearances can be deceiving, and the illusion was ultimately shattered.

When Su Wan was still less than a year old, a storm erupted in the Su family.

The reason was that her father, using a business trip as an excuse, hadn’t returned home for over half a month. When he finally did come back, he had red eyes and brought home a strange nanny. The nanny cradled a tightly wrapped blanket, within which a weak infant was crying softly, a pitiful sound that tugged at the heartstrings.

The couple had a massive argument, and various complex reasons kept them from getting divorced. Su Wan’s “sister,” Su Qin, was taken in by the Su family.

Su Qin was a premature baby, weak since childhood, and her mother died during childbirth, which made her situation even more pitiable.

The entire Su family sided with Su Wan’s mother, and as Su Wan grew up, increasingly aware of the love from her father being taken away, she became more willful and often bullied Su Qin. Naturally, her father showered all his affection on this illegitimate daughter.

Su Wan reminisced about everything she read in the book as she slowly stepped into the Su family’s home.

The standalone villa was quite expensive, complete with a garden, fountain, and swimming pool. At this time of year, when autumn usually brings decay, the Su family’s backyard still bloomed with vibrant spring-like flowers.

“Perhaps beautiful yet untimely things are all illusions,” she thought.

Beautiful, yet unnatural.

Su Wan shook her head.

“A masterful garden art piece worth over ten million, if you say it’s not beautiful, doesn’t that show a lack of appreciation for aesthetics?”

Though late, Su Qin’s mocking voice echoed from afar.

Su Wan smiled in a relaxed manner.

“You’re right; I really don’t understand.”

She waited for Su Qin to be so furious she would lose her temper, but Su Qin suddenly fell silent.

She was utterly fed up with Su Wan’s behavior lately, which felt like a soft wall of cotton that didn’t react at all when hit.

Su Qin scoffed, thinking that Su Wan was really putting on a show to act as if everything was fine.

It would be strange if Su Wan continued to act so calm later.

“Qin Qin!”

Her father was pacing back and forth at the bottom of the stairs. Seeing his beloved daughter return, he immediately smiled broadly and affectionately called out to her from a distance.

Su Qin hurried over, playfully tilting her head and saying some cutesy words.

Su Wan stood far behind them, as if she were the one adopted.

In the past, at this moment, she would have angrily scolded the two of them like a firecracker, but today, she quietly admired the villa’s scenery.

Her father kept glancing her way, waiting for her to greet him, but he found that she didn’t seem to acknowledge his presence at all.

He cleared his throat and called out, “Wan Wan.”

Today, he had matters to discuss, and as her father, lowering his head was no issue.

Only then did Su Wan seem to notice them. She smiled and asked, “Where’s my mom?”

Her father: “…”

Su Qin: “…”

That one question struck deep into both their hearts.

One was ignored by his daughter and neglected by his wife, with no status at home; the other had lost her mother, and Su Wan’s mother was particularly harsh with her—this was a sore spot.

Su Wan’s father’s expression instantly turned stiff and ugly: “It’s not like it’s New Year’s Eve. What’s everyone back for? She’s at the company.”

Su Wan immediately understood.

This setup was just a banquet of treachery, where the father and daughter were deliberately trying to bully her, knowing she had no one to rely on and wanting to favor Su Qin.

They could have just said it plainly.

Suddenly enlightened, she continued smiling and said, “I’m not hungry; I already ate at the filming site. If you have something to discuss, just say it directly; I still need to hurry home.”