Liu Yifei glanced once at her stepsister, Liu Ziyu, and then at her own hand" the one Ziyu was still holding tightly.
The next second, she pulled her hand away with a sharp jerk.
Casting Liu Ziyu a brief, unreadable look, Liu Yifei turned around and walked straight toward her room without another word.
It was only then that something truly sank in.
Today, Liu Yifei finally realized how strange her stepsister really was. A wave of anger slowly rose within her.
Whenever the family mistreated her, Liu Ziyu was never there to help. Never once did she step forward. And yet, the moment no one else was around, Ziyu would suddenly show concern,, gentle words, worried eyes, a caring touch.
The more Liu Yifei thought about it, the clearer it became.
It wasn't concern.
It was an act.
On the other side, Liu Ziyu remained seated in the same spot where Liu Yifei had just been moments ago.
She had been expecting something else as always.
Just like every other time, she had assumed that the moment she showed concern for her so-called cold stepsister, the foolish girl would break down, cling to her, and cry.
Just like always, Liu Yifei was supposed to see her as her only comfort.
Her only well-wisher.
But today, Liu Yifei's changed attitude caught her completely off guard. For a brief moment, Liu Ziyu was confused. Then realization struck.
That useless, good-for-nothing girl "Liu Yifei had dared to show her an attitude. In an instant, the gentle expression on Liu Ziyu's face twisted into something ugly.
Rage surged through her veins, her blood boiling as if it might burst straight through her skull.
Her fingers clenched tightly.
At that very moment, Liu Ziyu felt an overwhelming urge
She wanted to kill someone.
____
In a distant corner of the country, inside an exceedingly grand and luxurious mansion in Shanghai, chaos had broken out.
The usually silent estate was now filled with hurried footsteps and anxious voices.
One maid was frantically making a call to inform Young Master Zhang's parents, while another paced restlessly across the living room, panic written all over her face.
The rest of the servants and maids stood in a straight line to one side, their heads lowered, not daring to make a sound.
Amidst the turmoil, a car suddenly sped out of the Xiao Mansion, its engine roaring through the stillness of the estate.
Inside the car, Zhang Xiao lay unconscious, his head resting in his grandmother's lap.
Blood trickled down from his forehead, staining her trembling hands.
Seeing her precious grandson in such a state, Grandmother Xiao was completely shattered, her sobs filling the confined space of the car.
Grandfather Xiao sat in the front seat beside the driver, his face tense with worry.
"Drive faster," he urged repeatedly, his voice tight with urgency.
"We must reach the hospital as soon as possible."
Driver Mo, Zhang Xiao's personal chauffeur, pushed the accelerator as hard as he could.
Ignoring the traffic and the pounding fear in his chest, he drove at reckless speed.
Nearly twenty minutes later, the car finally screeched to a halt in front of the hospital.
This was Shanghai's most prestigious and advanced hospital "the best not only in the city, but among the finest in all of China.
And it was not unfamiliar to Zhang Xiao.
For the past ten years, this very hospital had been closely tied to his life. The corridors here housed China's top medical experts, doctors whose names alone carried authority.
Yet even that had never been enough for Zhang Xiao's father.
Unwilling to leave even the slightest thing to fate, he had brought in the world's best foreign specialists, flying them in at enormous cost.
These international experts worked side by side with China's finest doctors" all for one purpose.
To keep Zhang Xiao alive. To treat him.
To save him.
For ten long years, his life had been balanced on the edge of medicine and money.
Far away from the chaos of the real world,
with his eyes tightly shut, Zhang Xiao drifted into another realm altogether.
In that strange world, a scene slowly unfolded before his eyes.
A small child, barely five or six years old, was strapped onto a futuristic electric chair. Thick belts bound the child's wrists, ankles, and chest, leaving no room to move. The surroundings were unnervingly clean" cold, sterile, and eerily silent, resembling a high-tech laboratory rather than a place meant for human life.
The child was unconscious.
He neither cried nor struggled to escape.
But suddenly,, The laboratory doors slid open. A group of people walked inside.
From their posture and expensive attire, it was clear—they were powerful and wealthy.
All of them wore black clothing, their faces hidden behind dark masks, revealing nothing but their eyes.
Among them stood:
• an elderly woman,
• a young woman,
• three young men,
and two bodyguards who followed closely behind.
The moment they entered, they summoned a man who looked like a doctor. After a brief exchange of words.. The doctor stepped forward and injected something into the child's arm.
Just a few seconds later, the child jerked violently, awakening from unconsciousness.
Tears streamed down his face as he cried uncontrollably, his blurry eyes desperately scanning the faces before him.
Pain exploded inside his body.
It felt as though thousands— no, millions-of insects were biting him all at once, tearing through his veins.
He cried for help.
Begged for mercy.
Seeing the child's agony, the young woman laughed.
With amusement dancing in her eyes, she walked closer and unbuckled all the belts.
The child collapsed instantly, falling off the chair and onto the cold floor, writhing in pain.
The woman watched for a moment longer, clearly enjoying the sight.
But just as she was about to continue,
the man who had come with her grabbed her by the waist, stopping her.
Allowing the so-called doctors to continue their research. Moments later, the doctor picked the trembling child up and placed him back onto the electric chair.
Another injection followed.
The child's body went completely numb.
He was awake. His eyes were open.
Yet he couldn't move" not even a finger.
Escape was impossible. As the doctor began preparing the electric shock, holding the crackling wires in his hands—
Zhang Xiao's expression twisted in pure panic.
The closer those wires moved toward the child's body, the wider Zhang Xiao's eyes grew. Fear flooded them.
And the instant the electric current touched the child—
Zhang Xiao squeezed his eyes shut and screamed.