Xu Zhaodi watched them all retreat into their rooms, and only when snoring could be heard from within did she tiptoe out. Zhang Datou had visited the Xu household a total of three times.
She knew she couldn't persuade her parents to give Zhang Datou even a little favor. Zhang Datou had secretly slipped her 300 yuan, and she had already bought her ticket to Nanyun District yesterday.
She had been blamed before for not planning thoroughly enough, always being caught before she could get far.
This time, she deliberately put on a show in front of them, making them think she had a breakdown to lower their guard. Today was her best opportunity to escape.
She was trembling all the way. Only when she boarded the high-speed train did her heart settle slightly. All she needed to do was find Brother Feng.
She didn't dare to spend a single penny carelessly. After two bus transfers and a half-hour walk, she finally arrived at Feng's former villa. Xu Zhaodi wiped her face, tugged at her clothes, and mustered the courage to inquire with the gatekeeper.
Her Brother Feng didn't recognize her yet, but that was alright. She was sure she could make him fall in love with her again. As long as she had money, she would soon become the great beauty she was in her previous life.
Brother Feng would definitely not dislike her. He wouldn't. Come on, Xu Qingjian, you are always the best, the greatest.
Brother Feng would surely see her kind heart through her current less-than-beautiful appearance. After all, they had loved each other so much in their past lives, and they would be happy together in this one.
"What? How is that possible? Look again, how can there be no owner named Feng Yechuan? Little brother, please, just help me."
She blinked her innocent big eyes, looking pitifully at the security guard.
"Miss, stop making a scene. There really is no one here by that name."
"Oh, right, check again for the homeowner, maybe it's Feng Jianye." She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, pleading.
The guard had no choice but to search again.
"Miss, there really is no one here by that name. Have you lost contact with them? Are you sure you have the right place?"
Xu Zhaodi shook her head in despair and disbelief. "Impossible, impossible. How could they move? I've lived here my whole life, how could they suddenly move? Wuwuwu~"
Xu Zhaodi felt a blur before her eyes, and she collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down her face, her shoulders heaving as she cried.
For years, she had placed all her hopes in Feng Yechuan. The sudden shattering of her hope was too much of a blow.
"Miss, are you alright?"
She covered her mouth and shook her head vigorously, leaving shakily. She spent the day on the streets, finding a job as a waitress that provided room and board.
In her spare time, she inquired about the Feng family's past. When she learned that the Feng family had gone bankrupt, Xu Zhaodi gritted her teeth. It must have been Zhong Qingyun.
Even though the Feng family had gone bankrupt, she believed her Brother Yechuan would surely make a comeback. After all, Brother Yechuan was so outstanding.
She would still choose to stay by his side when he was down. He would surely love her even more. Thinking of this, Xu Zhaodi laughed out loud with joy.
After receiving a few days' wages, she eagerly went to see Feng Yechuan. When she saw him lying in bed, unable to move, all her dreams shattered once again.
She seemed to have woken up. It appeared Feng Yechuan was no longer reliable. She didn't even have the courage to take another step forward.
Feng Yechuan spoke coldly, "Who are you?"
"I... I... Wuwu~"
"Stop crying! Get out of here."
Looking at Feng Yechuan's sunken cheeks, pale skin, and messy hair, she couldn't bring herself to call him Brother Yechuan.
She had fantasized about all the beautiful ways they would meet in this life, never expecting the outcome to be like this.
She couldn't accept such a degenerate Brother Yechuan and ran away crying. Feng Yechuan thought she was a lunatic and had no impression of her at all.
Xu Zhaodi ran crying to a nearby small park, feeling dazed. In her previous life, she had always lived by relying on others. After marrying Feng Yechuan, she depended on him for everything.
That man who was like a god, who could make the Zhong family go bankrupt with a wave of his hand, had now become a useless person lying in bed, needing care.
There was no point in following him anymore. He couldn't change her miserable situation and would only drag her down for life. What should she do now? Her future was bleak.
If she continued to live as she had before, marrying Zhang Datou at her parents' request, what would be the meaning of such a life?
She looked up at the large advertising screen opposite, trying to find a glimpse of the future and hope. On the big screen, a confident and elegant girl was playing the piano.
The melody seemed to have a soothing effect. If only she were the true daughter of the Zhong family. Then, whether she had Feng Yechuan or not, she would be a pearl, definitely more outstanding than the person in the video.
After living for so many years, if one day someone told you that you didn't belong, who could accept it? Why did she have to encounter such a misfortune?
When the song ended, the words "Zhong Qingyun" lit up on the big screen, followed by a description of her awards, so numerous that Xu Zhaodi's eyes ached.
She still watched it all like self-torture, then cried uncontrollably. Why did this slut get to be reborn? Why did she have to live so well? She was just a beggar raised on garbage, why should she be able to lord over her?
She stared blankly at the surface of the lotus pond. If only she could have a second chance. She should have found someone to deal with Zhong Qingyun first, then no one would ever discover the secret of the true and false daughters.
If only she could have a second chance, just one more time. She muttered to herself, her feet already leaving the bridge.
With a splash, she fell into the lotus pond. In the moment before losing consciousness, all she could think about was being reborn.
She was discovered in the pond after two days. Her entire body was pale and swollen like a ball, her original features unrecognizable.
Her family couldn't be contacted. Fifteen days later, no one had come to claim her body. The public security department confirmed it and sent her directly to the crematorium for cremation.
Her ashes would be stored for three years. If no one claimed them after that, they would be disposed of by the crematorium.
The day after Xu Zhaodi escaped, the Xu household was in an uproar. They searched everywhere but couldn't find her. Blind marriage was not permitted now, and this time, they didn't dare to report it to the police.
When the Zhang family came knocking, a huge argument ensued between the two families. They even got into a physical fight, with neither side backing down. most of the items in the Xu house were smashed. Xu Father and Xu Mother were beaten so badly they couldn't move.
They were already exhausted. The day after being beaten by the Zhang family, they both died, even before Xu Zhaodi. They had suffered all their lives and never had a single good day.
Xu Dafu played arcade games with his friends until he spent all 3,000 yuan he had. The weather was muggy and hot, and Xu Father and Xu Mother's bodies had already started to smell.
He was just a teenager, terrified and crying his eyes out. After crying, he ransacked every possible place where money might be stored at home. Then, he called his relatives in the countryside to help bury his parents.
There was no coffin and no tombstone. They were transported back to the countryside in a tricycle. Two pits were dug directly in the backyard of the old Xu house, and they were buried.
With no one to supervise him, Xu Dafu stopped going to school. He was free to indulge. After some time, he developed a gambling addiction, and the money he had quickly ran out.
He sold the small house at home to continue gambling. He spent his days eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, without any ambition. All the money he had was lost, and in the end, gamblers broke one of his legs and chopped off three of his fingers.
If a kind person gave him some money, he could get a meal. If not, he went hungry. The injuries to his body twisted him.
Even the beggars in the neighborhood wouldn't associate with him. Gradually, everyone knew his character and no one pitied him anymore. He spent his days rummaging through trash cans and drinking river water to survive.
Whenever it was windy or rainy, his whole body ached. Without a decent living environment, without proper medical treatment for his injuries, he soon became infected and died.
Feng Yechuan, lying in his hospital bed, saw a different life. He felt that those were not dreams, but reality, and finally died in despair.
Shui Wa: "Bad luck, bad luck, finally dead."
Jun Jiuli: "Didn't you want to watch the show a little longer? Otherwise, just ending it would have been simpler."
"Then we're off. Zhong Qingyun is very satisfied with this mission."
"Alright."
Zhong Qingyun's life was filled with love. She lived her life to the fullest, achieving much success in her field. In the end, she married her desk mate.
They shared the same values and interests, traveling the world together. The Zhong family, under Zhong Qinghuai's leadership, continued to thrive. She was the carefree little princess of the Zhong family, never having to worry about anything, pampered her entire life.