"Shh..."
"Your dad's home..."
Mother and daughter quickly stopped their conversation and switched to a topic about Su Yunian's studies.
The scumbag Su Jingang still wore a stern expression outside the door.
The moment he stepped inside, he put on a smile.
When he saw mother and daughter, he started taking off his jacket and changing his shoes.
As he did, he asked cheerfully, "Oh, Yunian, you haven't taken your nap yet? You haven't seen Dad in days. Did you miss me?"
Su Yunian suppressed every trace of disgust inside her and nodded obediently as she always did.
"Yes, I did. Dad, were you tired from your business trip these past few days?"
Su Jingang laughed heartily. "My little padded jacket really is the best. Every time Dad goes on a business trip, you ask whether he's tired. I'm so blessed!"
Su Yunian kept smiling, but inside, she hated him so much her teeth itched.
If you really thought I was wonderful and felt blessed, you wouldn't have found a mistress and lied to Mom and me.
How am I, Su Yunian, your little padded jacket?
Zhao Feifei is your best little padded jacket, isn't she?
Tsk, tsk, tsk!
Zhao Jinxuan is the heir to your estate.
That family of yours is the truly warm family of four.
Our place is just your teahouse and hotel!
Su Yunian hated him deep down, hated him to the extreme.
But she still pretended to be happy. When Su Jingang spread his arms for a hug, Su Yunian walked over and hugged her father as she always did.
Su Jingang reached into the inner pocket of his bespoke suit, felt around, and pulled out a red box.
"Ta-da-da-da... What's this?"
Su Jingang deliberately teased Su Yunian.
In the past, every time Su Jingang returned from a business trip, he would always bring presents for Su Yunian and Xie Qing.
Back then, Su Yunian had thought she was the happiest child in the world.
Su Yunian snatched the box and opened it to find a pearl bracelet inside.
She quickly said happily, "Thank you, Dad! You're the best!"
After giving Su Yunian her present, Su Jingang turned his gaze to his wife, Xie Qing, who stood beside them.
Xie Qing also pretended to greet him warmly, throwing her arms around her husband like a lively, adorable young girl.
"Honey, I've missed you to death these past few days while you were away," she said coyly.
Su Jingang quickly wrapped his arms around Xie Qing's waist. "Honey, I've got a present for you too."
Su Jingang took another box out of his suit's inner pocket.
This one was red too.
Xie Qing pretended to look very surprised.
She took the box from Su Jingang.
Opening it, she found a pearl bracelet in the same style as Su Yunian's.
"Honey, you're so good to me!" Xie Qing said bashfully.
After they chatted for a while, Xie Qing went into the kitchen to cook lunch for Su Jingang herself.
Su Jingang asked in surprise, "Honey, why are you cooking yourself? Where's Auntie Liang?"
Busy in the kitchen, Xie Qing said, "Auntie Liang's youngest son is getting married, so I gave her three days off. Auntie Liang is getting on in years,
and she's spent her whole life rushing around for her youngest son. A wedding is a big event for a family, so I let her take a few days to relax and get everything ready."
"Honey, you're so understanding. But with no one here these next few days, should we hire another housekeeper?"
Xie Qing shook her head. "It's fine. Auntie Liang will be back the day after tomorrow. There's not much to do these next few days anyway."
The food was brought to the table, and Su Jingang sat down to eat.
In fact, he had already eaten out with Zhao Min. He was merely going through the motions back home.
Not wanting to interfere with her mother's plan, Su Yunian went upstairs for a nap.
While Su Jingang ate, Xie Qing sat beside him and suddenly said, "Honey, I want to go out to work."
"Cough, cough, cough..." Xie Qing's words gave Su Jingang a terrible fright, and he thought she had discovered something. "H-honey, why do you suddenly want to work when everything's fine?"
Xie Qing rested her head on Su Jingang's shoulder and said coaxingly:
"Honey, I've been so bored at home these past few years, and I've gotten tired of going out for fun too. Suddenly, I feel like I have no worth. I'm almost out of touch with society, so I want to work. Find me a position."
"Honey," Su Jingang tried his best to persuade her, "I think things are great for you this way. You can sleep until you wake up naturally every day, go wherever you want for fun, and never worry about anything."
"No, honey, I really want to go out to work. Find me a position at our company. How about letting me be a manager? Being your secretary would work too."
Su Jingang grew a little unhappy.
Suppressing his displeasure, he looked at Xie Qing in puzzlement.
"Honey, didn't you say I'd be responsible for earning money to support the family, and you'd be responsible for being as lovely as a flower? Why have you suddenly stopped seeing sense? Look, honey, Yunian is in the most critical period of her senior year. I think it'd be better to have you at home looking after her."
Xie Qing had long expected Su Jingang to say this.
She shoved Su Jingang and said angrily:
"Su Jingang, you keep refusing to let me work. Is it because you think I'm useless and incapable, that I've become a sallow-faced old wife you can't take out in public? You just look down on me!
I don't care. Whatever you say, you have to agree to let me work today, or I'll go make a scene at the company!"
Helpless, Su Jingang sat there sulking without a word for a long time.
Only after a long while did he say, "Fine. I'll arrange a position for you."
Xie Qing quickly traded her anger for a smile, wrapped her arms around Su Jingang's neck, and planted several loud kisses on his face.
Lu Chi woke from his afternoon nap.
He gave his face a quick wash and brushed his teeth.
He clattered down the stairs, his schoolbag on his back, ready to head to school.
In the living room, he ran into Lu Sangning, who was on the phone.
Lu Sangning still wore an icy expression and looked at Lu Chi as though he were a stranger.
She had clearly spoken up for Lu Chi at noon, but now she looked as though it had never happened.
Lu Chi couldn't be bothered to care either. He was an outsider in this family anyway. He would just lie low until the college entrance exams were over.
He arrived at school and walked to the doorway of Class 2, Senior Year.
Just as he was about to enter, he saw the school belle, Su Yunian, walking out of the classroom with a small red box in her hand.
As she passed through the doorway, she deliberately bumped her right shoulder into Lu Chi.
Lu Chi: "..."
Me? Did I offend this little ice pop?
Lu Chi shook his head and entered the classroom with his schoolbag on his back.
He sat in his seat, pulled out a random book, covered his face with it, and began sleeping soundly.
The school belle, Su Yunian, carried the pearl bracelet her father, Su Jingang, had given her all the way to the doorway of Class 5.
Standing by the window, she gently tapped the glass.
She said to a girl sitting by the window, "Excuse me, could you call Zhao Feifei over?"
At that moment, Zhao Feifei was sitting in her seat, engrossed in a love letter someone had written to her.
It was the fourth love letter she had received that day.
Whenever she thought about how popular she was at school, Zhao Feifei couldn't help feeling a surge of superiority.
She felt she was the heroine adored by all, while those pursuing her were nothing but ants.
With just one word from her, they would have to submit to her control.
At that thought, Zhao Feifei took a small mirror from her desk compartment and examined her face over and over.
"Ah, flawless from every angle. So beautiful that gods and mortals alike are outraged."
"Zhao Feifei, someone's here for you!"
Just as Zhao Feifei was immersed in her own unique charm, unable to pull herself free, she suddenly heard a classmate call her.
Zhao Feifei turned her head and stared in shock at Su Yunian outside the window.
That bitch!
Ever since her mother had been fired from her job as the family doctor by Su Yunian's mother, Xie Qing, Su Yunian hadn't come to see her for days.
Now she'd suddenly come looking for her. Did she need something?