Ever since her rebirth, Jing Shu had always wondered what kind of hatred could make Su Meimei loathe them so deeply. Su Lanzhi had poured her heart out for Su Meimei, so where did all this resentment come from? Now she finally understood. They were never truly sisters. Su Meimei had known since childhood that she was adopted, and that knowledge had turned into deep-seated hatred for this family.
When Jing Shu finished speaking, Su Meimei glared bitterly at Su Guosheng. "That's right. No matter what, I'm the one who was abandoned. You had a wife and children over there, so you forced me to pretend I was part of their family, just so you could wash your hands of me. Heh."
"Meimei, Meimei, don't listen to her nonsense. I'm here now, risking everything to see you. Maybe this is for the best. You've been away for so many years, it's time you came home. Bring Zhang Hanhan with you. Come back with me to our hometown. We have connections there. There's no shortage of electricity or water, and plenty of food," Su Guosheng said softly, patting Su Meimei's shoulder. Zhang Hanhan clung to her mother, her eyes lighting up at the mention of a place with water and electricity.
Su Meimei sneered. "Go back? Why? To see Zhang Zhongyong living happily with that woman? Would there even be a place for me? I refuse to live at the mercy of others ever again."
Zhang Hanhan's face fell in disappointment, while Su Guosheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His gamble had paid off. If she had actually agreed to go back, he would have had no idea how to explain it to the tigress waiting at home.
Jing Shu's gaze turned icy. She could see how skillfully this old man had defused the tension and diverted the conversation.
She had originally thought Su Meimei was her mother's biological sister. Killing her would have left a permanent scar in Su Lanzhi's heart. After all, the dead always hold more weight than the living. The thought of someone like Su Meimei occupying a place in her mother's heart disgusted Jing Shu.
And back then, Su Meimei had no powerful connections.
Killing her would have been as easy as crushing an ant, and Jing Shu liked to make her enemies suffer in the apocalypse before finishing them off. But now, Su Meimei suddenly had a father who clearly held influence, someone who casually offered promotions and power. Su Meimei was beginning to slip beyond her control. Jing Shu preferred to eliminate unstable elements before they grew into threats.
Hatred this deep demanded blood. Step one was clear: sever all ties.
"Mom, Uncle, you heard her. This is how she has always thought of us. And this Second Grand-uncle is no good person either. He abandoned his own child for his career and now comes crawling back to claim her. As for Su Meimei, she has been nursing resentment against you since she was a child. We cannot be family with people like this."
Su Lanzhi forced herself to calm down. "I stopped acknowledging her as my sister the day she and that man conned me. Now the truth is out. She has never seen me as family. She doesn't even acknowledge the parents who raised her. She is a thankless wolf. The Su family doesn't recognize her anymore."
"That's right. She's nothing but an ungrateful wolf! Our parents were blind. When they were gravely ill, they chose not to treat themselves so they could scrape together tuition for you. And this is how you repay them?" Uncle's hand trembled as he pointed at Su Meimei, tears streaking down his face. "Let's go. From now on, we walk separate roads. We are strangers."
Su Meimei sat on the floor crying hysterically. "Fake sympathy, all of you! I hate you!"
Auntie was still dazed, while Su Long stared hungrily at the garlic shoots on the balcony. Hearing they were leaving, Auntie finally moved.
Jing Shu grabbed the marinated eggs and pickles with a sneer. "Giving these to you was like feeding a dog. What a waste."
Su Meimei pointed at Jing Shu, hatred twisting her face. "You! This is all your fault! Everything turned out this way because of you!"
When Jing Shu started taking back their gifts, Auntie seemed to understand something. After a moment's hesitation, she rushed back. "Since we're no longer family, I'll take back this piece of meat you didn't appreciate." She scooped up the pork, already imagining the feast they'd have tonight.
Back in the car, Su Long stared at the marinated eggs, drooling. This time, he finally got his wish and ate one. Everyone had a taste, and Su Long polished off four eggs in one go.
"Come to my place for a bit," Uncle said, trying to comfort Su Lanzhi. Anyone would struggle to accept this. After their parents died, there were only three siblings left. Now there was only one.
"Alright."
They headed to Uncle's home at Xishan. Auntie clutched the pork, torn. Should she cook it to entertain them tonight? She hated to part with it.
But Auntie's dilemma turned out to be pointless. Halfway there, an unexpected situation arose. Jing Shu's family left them stranded in the scorching 52-degree heat, forcing them to walk several kilometers. Auntie's family nearly collapsed before reaching their home. With no taxis or buses running, there had been no choice.
"The meat is safe, but this heat will spoil it," Auntie sighed. "The car's better. It has air conditioning and it's fast."
"Mom, didn't you see Jing Shu's face? The whole car felt colder. She's terrifying. Something serious must have happened."
"Jing Shu is becoming harder and harder to read."
…
"Tell me, how can a small villa wipe out over a hundred members of Bi Ri? Don't tell me you don't know. Funny thing is, I heard you're related to the villa's owner."
"There are 129 households in your community, but the villa only has one registered owner, Jing Shu. The other 129 households have only one registered owner, someone named Jing Shanhe. Who is he to you? Let me guess. Your mother is Jing Lai, and the household head is Jing Shanhe. So he's your father. That makes him your grandfather, right?"
"So what's your connection to Jing Shu, the villa's owner? How many people are in the villa? Are there special forces soldiers there? Bi. Ri's men swore they heard gunfire. Their boss had a gun, so the villa's owner must have one too. But a gun alone can't kill over a hundred men. The only explanation is powerful traps, right? Are you sure you don't know anything?"
"Strange. Such a big event, and no one else in your community could provide any useful clues. Is it really that mysterious?"
The man blew softly, and his bangs swayed with the breeze. His sharp profile showed a touch of exasperation. He took out a piece of red candle wax. "They say women care about their looks. Which type are you?"
Wu You'ai raised her chin with a bright smile. "Me? I don't care about that."
"Oh? Then you must be afraid of pain. Perfect. It's just that I don't like to disfigure people. I prefer torture. I like to watch people suffer so much they wish for death. That's what we at Zhetian specialize in. Ever heard of Yang Yang from the Armed Police Unit? He's into pain that leaves no marks. I'm the opposite."