Before he died, my grandfather forced me to marry the richest man in the capital.

Deep Water Bay at that time.

After entering the door, Han Guoguo stood at the door for several minutes, pondering how to unpack all the packages. Standing while unpacking them was quite tiring.

A sudden inspiration struck her, and she hurried upstairs, took an expensive carpet from Han Yue's room, and laid it on the smooth tiles in the living room. After laying the carpet, she nodded with a satisfied expression on her face, then sat down on the floor, crossed her legs, and patiently unpacked the package while humming a little tune.

"Perhaps the southern sunshine shines on the northern wind..."

"Perhaps all that's left in the story is one unforgettable person..."

...............

The quiet, spacious living room was filled with beautiful and melodious singing. Every lyric was sung with a unique charm, as if telling a beautiful story.

Her lips kept moving, singing about all the possibilities. One hand held a package, the other a cardboard cutter, the sharp sound of the blade slicing through the tape echoing in the quiet living room.

It's like an accompaniment, making sounds from time to time.

Unpacking one package after another, online shopping has its joys. Paying by card is painful, requiring you to grit your teeth and enter the password, but unpacking the package is incredibly satisfying.

Fortunately, it was Han Yue's money that was being spent, so Han Guoguo didn't feel any heartache; in fact, she felt incredibly happy.

I'm always filled with anticipation when the goods arrive, eager to know how well I've satisfied my purchase.

At this moment, Han Guoguo was surrounded by discarded cardboard boxes, and to one side were the treasured items that had already been unpacked: skincare products, clothes, shoes, towels, sheets, curtains...

An abrupt text message notification interrupted Han Guoguo's continued unpacking of the package, but it didn't stop her from singing. She continued humming, put the cardboard cutter aside, and picked up her phone, which was pressed under the cardboard box.

The song stopped abruptly, and silence fell. All the memories exploded in an instant, like a slideshow playing on a loop before her eyes. A thin mist welled up in her eyes, but the strong woman wouldn't let the tears fall. She tilted her head back to calm herself, trying to pull herself out of the unpleasant emotions.

However, once the sealed memories break free of their seal, they will break free of their self-imposed cage.

Memories then flood back: Han Guoguo in the throes of adolescence, when she was innocent and well-protected by her family, never thinking the worst about anything.

The boy was handsome, sunny, and humorous. He was a close friend and male confidant. When they went out to play with some friends on the weekend, the boy suddenly confessed his feelings, saying proudly, "Guoguo, I've liked you for a long time. Be with me."

For teenage girls, it would be hard to refuse a confession from a handsome, sunny guy who is always there to offer warmth.

Han Guoguo was no exception either...

In fact, Guoguo also has feelings for him, but they usually refer to each other as friends. Now that one of them has spoken up first and the other is also interested, it should be a mutual pursuit.

The friends who were out with me were all cheering, "Get together! Get together..."

Friend: "Guoguo, hurry up and say yes!"

After they got together, the boy treated her very well, even better than Han Yue, taking care of her in every little detail. Guo Guo trusted him completely.

The woman paced back and forth in the living room, one hand on her hip. In a fit of anger, she smashed a glass, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. "Han Guoguo, you've really got guts! Playing the puppy love game right under my nose. You've really surpassed your teacher!"

"We truly love each other, Mom, please don't stop us. He treats me very well."

"You're so young to be in true love? Your so-called true love is just someone who likes you because your surname is Han. Do you know what Han means? Try changing your surname and see if he pays any attention to you. Do you think your so-called friends will treat you the same way now?"

She stood in the living room, clenching her fists, tears streaming down her face, and for the first time defied her mother, retorting, "You always think that everyone is close to you because of your status and your money. I'm not like you. Mom, I used to listen to everything you said, but now I realize I was wrong. We are from two different worlds."

Han's mother stood with her hands on her hips, trembling with anger, pointing at her with her index finger, "You're really something, aren't you? Just a few days of puppy love and we're already in two different worlds. You've managed to create a parallel universe for me. Why don't you go back in time? Huh?"

"Han Guoguo, I'm telling you, starting today you don't need to go to school anymore. You can go back to school when you've figured things out."

I don't remember which day it was, but she cried out, "Mom, what right do you have to read my diary? This is my privacy, you've violated my privacy!" Tears streamed down her face, and her lips trembled with anger.

Han's mother: "You really think I want to read this? Look at what you've written, it's all about love and romance, even about dying for love. I think you need to be brainwashed."

"You've gone too far! How did you know I was writing in my diary? Did you install a security camera in my room?"

Han's mother did not deny it, saying, "I'm doing this for your own good, to prevent you from making mistakes during your adolescence. Don't be ungrateful."

The man's voice said, "You've gone too far. How could you install a surveillance camera in your daughter's room? Guoguo is a girl, after all, and she has a lot of privacy. Can't you talk to her properly? Pushing her will only backfire. It's right that you don't want her to make a mistake, but stopping her like this will only make her more resentful."

Han's mother spoke loudly and refused to listen to any advice. "Do you think she's as cunning as a demon? It's like talking to a brick wall. Just give up and mind your own business."

Until one day, that boy ran up to her, sitting in a wheelchair, and said to her, "Han Guoguo, with your mother and brother around, no one will ever like you in your life. You're just a mindless caged bird."

A mindless caged bird?

She just listens to her parents more; she's already rebelling.

"No, Ah Sheng, give me a little more time, and I'll get my mom to agree."

The man refused without the slightest hesitation, as if their relationship was nothing but fleeting clouds, never having existed at all. "Your family's standards are too high; someone like me can't possibly be worthy of them. Han Guoguo, from now on, we'll never see each other again. Don't bother me anymore; consider it my bad luck."

What bad luck did I have? Was it meeting her that brought me bad luck?

They are not only lovers but also very good friends.

War has broken out once again.

The man's words were undoubtedly telling her that his leg injury was the work of her mother and brother. She could choose not to date this boy, but she couldn't hurt him so casually. She felt guilty; that was her thought at the time.

Rushing home, Han's mother sat on the sofa in a good mood, drinking coffee and instructing her subordinates on something: "Just do it like this, carry it out, and don't make any more mistakes. You know my principles."

"What right did you have to break someone's leg? Do you have any respect for the law?"

Han's mother waved her subordinates out, "Your so-called first love is gossiping about you again. Did he tell you why you broke his leg? Get to the bottom of this before you come and argue with me. Look at the state you're in now."

"They really can't tell right from wrong."

Guoguo: "Am I not good or bad? You installed surveillance cameras in my room, read my diary, and sent people to monitor me. Is this what you said? If that's the case, I'd rather not have you. Didn't you say that my friends only dated me because my surname is Han? I can cut ties with you, change my surname, and remove me from the household registration."

Han's mother said sternly, "Han Guoguo, don't push my limits again."

"So you also changed your surname to be the same as your father's, aren't you? Are you also using your surname to bully others?"

Han's mother was trembling with anger, feeling that her daughter had been brainwashed and was completely obsessed with love. "Even without your father, I, Han Lu, have my own world. I don't need to rely on anyone's power."

"Yes, you're the female bandit leader, with men all over the place. So, do you want to mold me into someone like you?"

Enraged, Han's mother lost her temper and threw a fruit knife at the hand. However, the knife did not hit Guoguo, but instead slashed across Han Yue's chest.

Han Yue stood in front of his younger sister, but Han Guoguo was not grateful to Han Yue for protecting her at that moment. She was angry and felt that Han Yue was in cahoots with her mother and that he had broken someone's leg for no reason.

Han's mother felt that her daughter had become possessed and was afraid that she would do something terrible, so she was still unwilling to remove the surveillance camera. However, Han Guoguo had grown up in such a family, so how could she not know how to remove the surveillance camera? She went back to her room and removed the surveillance camera in a few quick moves.

This suffocating, overprotective love made Han Guoguo feel like she had lost her freedom, human rights, and privacy, and that her life had no meaning.

Suffocating.

That night, Han Guoguo committed suicide by cutting her wrists. Han Yue wanted to explain to his sister, but when he entered the room, he saw the scene of his sister's suicide. Han Yue went crazy and dragged the driver to take Han Guoguo to the hospital.

Inside the hospital, Han Yue roared at his mother, "Are you satisfied now?"

Upon waking up, she realized she had been saved and wouldn't die. Pale-faced, she proposed leaving the Han family and the capital.

Mr. Han agreed, his eyes reddening as he apologized, "Okay, Dad is sorry, it was Dad's oversight. Guoguo can do whatever she wants, just promise Dad you won't do this kind of thing again. Your mother and I have worked hard all our lives to be a strong support for you and your brother. Dad and Mom know all too well how difficult it is to make a living without support, so Guoguo, let's not do such terrible things anymore."

As the Han family transitioned from the gray area to the legitimate path, there were always many things to handle, keeping them extremely busy every day. Han's mother was responsible for most of the household affairs, while Han's father rarely interfered, focusing solely on stabilizing the Han family business as soon as possible.

"Dad, please send me away from the capital. I want to go to Blue City to study medicine."

Han's father: "So what do you want to study? Dad will agree to anything you want. Dad can send you away from the capital, and your mother won't monitor you."

"I want to study medicine, pediatrics. Dad, please send me away tomorrow. This family is suffocating me."

"Okay, Daddy promises you. You're still young, so can Daddy buy you a house over there? I won't buy a big one, just a small one, something suitable for you to live in. Then you can bring a housekeeper over to take care of you. Daddy promises she won't send any messages back; she'll just cook and do your laundry. Is that okay?"

Knowing she was young and couldn't handle many things on her own, and not wanting to worry her father, she nodded in agreement.

On the day he left, Han's mother did not see him off, but Han Yue did. However, Guoguo ignored him and glared at him before leaving.

Since then, Han Guoguo, who was always well-behaved, has undergone a drastic personality change. She has become sarcastic in her speech, sometimes deep and sometimes carefree.

I recalled it for a long, long time, but the images were jumbled and disjointed.

She looked down at the text message on her phone again. Her vision was blurred, and she could no longer read the subtitles on the screen. But she remembered every word her mother had sent. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks, one after another, blurring the phone screen even more. The teardrops rippled across the screen.

After so many years, she actually apologized, a belated apology.

It's really not easy to get her to back down.

She wiped away her tears, didn't reply to the message, and continued to pick up the cardboard cutter, tearing open the package with blurry eyes, her movements mechanical yet seemingly an act of venting.

A slight smile played at the corners of her lips, mocking herself for how utterly ridiculous she had been for a scumbag back then.

She had regretted it, but she still couldn't accept her mother's domineering ways. Would things have been different if she had tried a different approach to show her the nasty side of human nature?

But there are no "what ifs." If there were, she would have seen through the scumbag's true colors sooner, and none of this would have happened. If she hadn't been so young back then, she probably wouldn't have been so stupid. If it were now, she would never have committed suicide; she would rather just live a mediocre life.

"It's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death," is Guoguo's current thought. Life is precious and hard-won.