The scenery outside the car window flew backward. Song Chenglu kept her eyes down, reminding herself to stay calm.
The mont the car stopped, Song Chenglu pushed the door open.
She even made a point to turn back and thank Wang Gui and the driver repeatedly.
"Thank you, Comrade! Thank you, sir! I’ll be back on ti, I promise. I won’t be a minute late!"
With that, she turned and walked briskly toward her family’s front gate.
But the mont she rounded the corner of the wall, the smile vanished from her face, her gaze turning as cold as a razor’s edge.
She tiptoed, using the courtyard wall for cover, and slipped into her room without making a sound.
She had just closed the door and hadn’t even had a chance to catch her breath when it was suddenly thrown open.
Mrs. Song stood in the doorway, a rag clutched in her hand, looking her up and down.
"Lu Lu, what happened to you?"
"Your hair is a ss. Where on earth have you been? Did soone bully you? Or did you get yourself into trouble again?"
Song Chenglu’s heart clenched. Her gaze flickered away, unable to et her mother’s eyes.
She lowered her head, her voice taking on a tearful, aggrieved tone.
"It was my sister... She ignored the whole ti and just left outside by myself. She ran ho on her own..."
Her voice began to tremble as she spoke.
"How could she be so heartless? She didn’t even spare a glance. It’s like she doesn’t even see as her own sister! I was almost dragged away, and she didn’t even care!"
Hearing this, Mrs. Song’s expression darkened. Instead of feeling sympathy, she grew more suspicious.
She knew this side of Song Chenglu all too well—the tendency to bla others the mont sothing went wrong.
Ever since she was a child, she was always the first one to pass the buck whenever she was about to be scolded.
"Lu Lu," Mrs. Song said, her tone suddenly turning stern as she stared at her. "Tell the truth. What happened today? Where were you? Don’t use your sister as a scapegoat!"
"I saw the car at the gate just now. It wasn’t the one Ajin usually takes."
Song Chenglu hadn’t expected her mother to notice such a detail. Her heart sank, and she instantly panicked.
She knew her mother was observant, and if she pressed the issue, there was no way she could talk her way out of it.
Her eyes darted around. She realized she had to calm her mother down first.
So she reached for Mrs. Song’s arm, her movents gentle and fawning.
"Mom... I... I really didn’t an it... Please, just take pity on ... I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, I swear..."
She wasn’t repenting. It was more like she was making excuses, trying to convince her mother that her actions were justifiable.
This only confused Mrs. Song more.
Her gaze swept over her daughter’s face. ’Do her words an she’s in so kind of serious trouble?’
A sense of unease grew within her as she faintly realized things were far more complicated than they seed.
She violently shook off Song Chenglu’s hand.
"What did you do? Why did soone else have to bring you ho?"
"If you don’t explain yourself today, you can just leave with them! I won’t look out for you anymore!"
She spoke every word with deliberation, as if delivering an ultimatum.
Song Chenglu’s composure completely shattered, her mind a chaotic ss.
She no longer cared about keeping up her pretense or acting pitiful. Her mind was consud with one thought: how to escape the coming judgnt.
She glanced around, her frantic gaze sweeping every corner of the room.
’The wardrobe won’t work; it’s too small. Under the bed is no good either; it’s too obvious.’
She paced anxiously, her heart pounding like a drum.
Seeing her daughter in this state, the last shred of hope in Mrs. Song’s heart died.
She understood that the problem had likely escalated to an irreversible point.
She heaved a deep sigh, her tone softening despite herself.
"Lu Lu, listen to ."
Her voice was gentle, filled with a mother’s unique blend of love and helplessness.
"Your sister... Qingya isn’t a bad person. You need to listen to her."
She paused, as if waiting for her daughter to respond.
"No matter what, she’s still your sister. She’ll rember that you’re blood."
"She won’t really do anything to you."
She said this with a degree of confidence.
She knew Song Qingya’s character—cold on the surface, but deeply loyal to her family at heart.
She knew that no matter how unhappy Qingya was with Lu Lu, she wouldn’t truly be cruel to her.
This ti, Lu Lu must have made a terrible mistake, forcing Qingya to take action.
The fact that she had rely sent her back proved she had already shown rcy and hadn’t let things spiral out of control.
But when Song Chenglu heard her mother’s every word was praise for Song Qingya, a long-suppressed rage flared up inside her.
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly broke the skin.
"Sister? Blood?"
She sneered, her voice dripping with ridicule and disdain.
"Mom, you’re too naive! What kind of sister is Song Qingya!"
"She’s just so country girl who knows a bit about dicine. What right does she have to compete with ? She can’t stand . She’s jealous, so she wants to have locked up!"
"If she really cared about family, would she just stand by and watch get taken away? Would she have the heart to let suffer in a place like that?"
Song Chenglu grew more and more agitated as she spoke. Her breathing beca ragged, and she looked like she might explode at any mont.
Listening to these resentful words, Mrs. Song felt as if a knife were twisting in her heart.
She looked at her own daughter and felt, to her horror, that she was looking at a stranger.
She had once believed that blood was thicker than water, that family ties could overco anything. But now, that last shred of hope had shattered.
Seeing her mother’s silent, downcast head, Song Chenglu mistakenly thought she had won her over and felt a surge of smug satisfaction.
A cold smirk played on her lips, and a sinister glint flashed in her eyes.
"Mom, don’t count on her! She just wants to lock up and tornt to death! I’d rather die out there than be her prisoner and suffer!"
"She’s doing this on purpose! She wants to destroy !"
After hearing this mad rant, Mrs. Song collapsed into her seat, unable to utter a single word.
She leaned against the cold wooden chair, her lips trembling, but no sound ca out.
She subconsciously raised a hand to press against her chest.
"Lu Lu, please, calm down..."
She finally managed to force the words out, trying to soothe her daughter in the gentlest tone she could muster.
"How can I not be frantic!"
Song Chenglu cut her off sharply. "Mom! If you don’t help today, I’ll die right here!"
Her voice was distorted with agitation.
"You have to hide ! Or else..."
Her frantic gaze swept the room, finally landing on a chipped old porcelain bowl on the table.
The edge of the bowl was cracked, the chip jagged and nacing.
"Or else I’ll die right here in front of you!"
She lunged forward, smashed the bowl violently on the floor, and as shards flew everywhere, she snatched up a sharp piece and pressed it against her neck without a mont’s hesitation.
Mrs. Song was scared stiff. The color drained from her face, and her heart pounded so hard she felt it would leap out of her throat.
She shot to her feet but dared not move, terrified of provoking her daughter.
The cold touch of the shard on her skin only seed to spur Song Chenglu on. Far from backing down, she pressed it even harder against her throat.
"Lu Lu, be a good girl. Put that down..."
Mrs. Song’s voice trembled, but she forced a calm she did not feel, choosing each word with extre care.
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