chapter 5

After an unpleasant parting with Zhou Ciye, I slowly made my way home.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Shen Fang holding a glass of milk out to Xu Nian.

Her gaze was gentle as she softly stroked Xu Nian’s long hair.

“In a while, Mom will take you to Teacher Bai. She said you’ve been making great progress, but you mustn’t get arrogant. You have to keep working hard.”

“By the way, are you sure you don’t know that boy from earlier? Hand your phone to Mom-let me check.”

“Niannian, this is a critical moment. You absolutely cannot follow Xu Sisi’s example and get mixed up with those no-good boys.”

“Xu Sisi is already ruined. Mom only has you now. You have to make me proud.”

“Alright, drink your milk while it’s still warm.”

Shen Fang had noticed me standing there long ago.

But she didn’t care, and even shot me a look of disdain.

I thought to myself in silence, having already been branded as ‘ruined,’ I wasn’t going to bear that reputation for nothing.

So I stepped forward, snatched the glass from Xu Nian’s hand, and smashed it on the floor.

“Xu Sisi, what do you think you’re doing?”

Shen Fang screamed hysterically.

I raised my eyebrows.

“From now on, if I can’t have this milk, Xu Nian can forget about drinking it too.”

Did I ever drink milk when I was little?

I can’t remember.

Anyway, for as long as I can recall, I’ve never touched any of the good things at home.

Those exquisite foods, those carefully balanced nutritious meals-just as I tried to reach out with my chopsticks, Shen Fang would slap the back of my hand.

“What are you eating for? This is for Niannian.”

“It’s a waste to give it to you.”

“Better to feed it to the dog. At least a dog can guard the house-what can you do?”

At first, I would cry and make a scene for it.

But all I ever got in return was a beating.

Shen Fang always hit me with her full strength.

She would raise her hand high and bring it down hard-there’d be a loud smack, and my head would whip to the side, half my face and my whole head going numb.

“Xu Sisi, are you trying to rebel?”

“You still want to drink milk? Do you even deserve it with those grades of yours?”

“Trying to compare yourself to Niannian? Just look at yourself.”

“Get out! You’re not welcome in this home.”

As she said this, she grabbed the pointer from the table and aimed it at me.

This time, I didn’t just stand there and take it. I bolted, knocking over tables, chairs, and vases as I ran.

The room filled with the sounds of things crashing and shattering, the house getting messier by the second.

Shen Fang screamed and chased after me.

No matter how chaotic or noisy it got, Xu Nian just sat there quietly, calmly watching-not helping, not stopping anyone. She even picked up a book from the table and started reading, as if none of it had anything to do with her.

Not until I grabbed her phone.

At last, she looked up at me.

For a moment, confusion flickered through her cold eyes, then her expression froze.

She watched, frozen, as I rushed into her room with her phone and slammed the door shut.

My first instinct was to lock the door-

only to find the lock was broken; there wasn’t even a locking mechanism.

All I could do was press my back hard against the door.

Outside, Shen Fang was kicking and cursing at the door.

A twisted but satisfied smile crept onto my face as I pulled out the phone, opened it, and wailed into the receiver.

“Hello, 110? My mom is going to kill me-please come quickly, come save me!”