I Had No Obligation to Save Her

Tao Family

The family sat around the dining table. Tao Jingcheng thoughtfully placed some food on Tao Niannian's plate, and she thanked him distractedly.

Tao Mother asked with concern, "Niannian, what's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

Tao Niannian set down her chopsticks. "Mom, I'm worried about my sister. I don't know if she can take care of herself at school."

Tao Jingcheng frowned at that, as though he had heard something utterly disgusting. "Niannian, why bring up Li Zhaoxi out of nowhere? What, is she going to starve herself to death at school?"

Tao Father snorted. "If she doesn't want to come home, she can stay away forever. If I'd known what an ungrateful wretch she was, I never would have brought her back!"

Tao Jingcheng said calmly, "Dad, we rarely get to eat together. Just drop it."

Tao Niannian apologized cautiously. "I'm sorry, Dad. If I hadn't brought up my sister, you wouldn't have gotten so angry."

Tao Mother hurried to comfort her softly. "Niannian, this isn't your fault. Don't cry. It breaks my heart."

"Exactly, Niannian. Li Zhaoxi is the one at fault. This family hasn't had a moment's peace since she came back."

Yan Wen leaned against the headboard with a bag of chips in his hand. Watching this, he couldn't stop shaking his head. "This is the first time I've seen an entire family of blind people. They really haven't noticed a single thing about the life Li Zhaoxi's been living in their house."

Xiao Qi nodded. "They're all blind."

"When do you think we should hold the Family Severance Banquet?"

"Hmm... we'd better choose an auspicious day!"

Yan Wen's phone chimed twice. Mu Xu Xi had sent him a message. [Wen, Mom made Xiao An kneel for over five hours. When he went back to his room, he couldn't even walk steadily. A servant had to help him back. Well? Doesn't that feel satisfying? (Teasing sticker attached)]

Yan Wen raised an eyebrow. Mom really did give Mu Huai'an a proper lesson. I thought they'd just ignore it since I wasn't going back this time.

Xiao Qi said, "The Mu Family has very strict rules. Good personal conduct is a must."

[That felt satisfying. Thank Mom for me, Third Sister.]

Immediately afterward, Li Zhaoxi sent him a message. [Junior, there's something else I need your help with.]

Yan Wen replied, [Go ahead, Senior.]

[I want to get my hands on the DNA test proving my relationship to the Tao Family.]

[That... might be a little difficult. Why not just get another test done?]

[A DNA test requires hair, saliva, or something like that. Aside from my own, I can't get any of those samples from the others.]

[Let me think of a way.]

[Forget it. We can think of something else. The test isn't that important anyway.]

Yan Wen didn't reply. Instead, he asked Xiao Qi, "Get that DNA test report for me, would you?"

"No problem, Host!" Xiao Qi snapped, and the test report sitting in a drawer, long since forgotten by the Tao Family, was transferred into the system space.

"Host, just say the word whenever you need it. You can take it out anytime, anywhere."

Li Zhaoxi put down her phone and went into the bathroom to shower. When she came out and picked up her phone, more than a dozen missed calls and unread messages had piled up.

Before Li Zhaoxi could figure out what was going on, another call came in. Tao Jingxing said anxiously, "Li Zhaoxi, Niannian accidentally fell down the stairs. The doctor says she needs a blood transfusion. You have the same blood type as her. I'm coming to pick you up right now. You're coming to the hospital with me!"

Li Zhaoxi almost felt as if she could see Tao Jingxing's disgusting face through the screen. "What does Tao Niannian falling down have to do with me? Why don't you give her your blood? Isn't she your dearest little sister?"

"Li Zhaoxi! Can you stop being unreasonable at a time like this? Niannian is waiting for you to save her!"

"There are plenty of people in the world with the same blood type as Tao Niannian. Why do I have to be the one to give her blood? Am I nothing but Tao Niannian's walking blood bank to you?"

A burst of urgent car horns sounded on Tao Jingxing's end, followed by Tao Jingcheng's furious voice. "Li Zhaoxi, Niannian is your sister. How can you be so vicious?"

"I'm vicious? Tao Jingxing, search your conscience. Since I came back to the Tao Family, which of you has ever treated me sincerely? I've been back for two years. Does anyone even know I'm the Tao Family's biological daughter?"

"Enough! Mom and Dad told everyone you were adopted for your own good. You grew up in the countryside, after all. They did it to keep you from going astray. Although Niannian is the adopted one, she grew up in the Tao Family. I'm almost at Shengyuan. Hurry up and come out. Wait for me at the gate."

"I'm not a doctor, and I have no obligation to give Tao Niannian blood. You should be going to a doctor for something like this. Also, don't call me again unless there's a reason."

After hanging up, Li Zhaoxi saved and backed up the recording as usual.

Three recordings should be enough. Her deliberate efforts to draw them out hadn't been wasted. Tao Niannian was the adopted daughter, and they had admitted it themselves.

Tao Jingxing arrived at Shengyuan. Apart from the security lights flashing red and blue and the illuminated buildings, there was nothing else.

A muscular security guard stepped out of the guardhouse. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

Tao Jingxing said, "I'm here to pick someone up. Sorry for the trouble, but could you let me in?"

The guard stood his ground. "We haven't been notified, so I can't let you in. Please leave."

"I really am here to pick someone up. It might have been too short notice. If you don't believe me, you can call and check."

The guard took out his phone. "Who are you picking up? Do you have their number?"

"Yes." Tao Jingxing showed him Li Zhaoxi's number. The guard called, and she soon answered. "Is this Li Zhaoxi? Someone's here to pick you up. He's already at the school gate."

Li Zhaoxi feigned confusion. "But no one told me anyone was coming to pick me up today. Who is it?"

The guard asked Tao Jingxing, then replied, "He says his surname is Tao and he's your eldest brother. He came in too much of a hurry to notify your adviser."

Li Zhaoxi smiled. "Sir, my surname is Li. How could my eldest brother's surname be Tao? Besides, I haven't received any messages or calls. What if he's a scammer?"

The guard checked again. "You really don't know him?"

"I really don't."

The guard hung up and looked at Tao Jingxing. "She says she doesn't know you. Leave now, or I'll detain you as a potential threat."

Tao Jingxing was shocked and furious. "What do you mean, she doesn't know me? I'm her eldest brother!"

"She already said she doesn't know you. Do you think I'm an idiot? You think you can fool me with some made-up story? Go on, get out of here!"

The guard returned to the guardhouse, crossed his legs, and started playing a game.

Tao Jingxing clenched his fist and slammed it hard into the guardhouse wall.

Tao Mother called. "Jingxing, have you picked up Li Zhaoxi?"

Tao Jingxing frowned deeply. "No. Li Zhaoxi said she didn't know me, and the guard kicked me out."

"What? That ungrateful wretch! How can she be so vicious? If anything happens to Niannian, I'll never let her get away with it!"

"Let's put that aside. Saving Niannian is what matters now. Mom, hurry and get Dad to contact the hospital and arrange for blood of her type."

"Yes, yes, I'll do it right now."

Li Zhaoxi was applying a face mask in front of the mirror. Looking at her phone, which had finally gone quiet, she happily began humming a song.