After being attacked by the rich young ladies with hatchets, I chose to enter "sage mode".

However, the first thing he did after realizing what had happened was to flick Qing Sisi's finger and scold her.

"Acting, huh? What kind of acting is this? Go back now, I'm not seeing you out!"

As he said this, Bai Yu got up and took out a small notebook, about the size of his palm, from his pants pocket. This was the notebook he usually used to memorize vocabulary words.

After quickly writing a string of words, he tore it off, folded it into a square, and handed it to Qing Sisi, saying...

"Here's a note for you. Read it when you're home alone, understand?"

Looking at the folded note Bai Yu handed her, Qing Sisi smiled and nodded. After taking it, she stuck out her pink tongue, gave a playful salute, and said...

"Yes, senior. But I need a hug to complete my mission, is that alright?"

"No."

After saying this, Bai Yu turned around and really left.

As Qing Sisi watched Bai Yu's retreating figure, the smile on her face gradually faded as Bai Yu walked further and further away.

"Goodbye, senior. I really, really, really like you."

Clutching her chest, she whispered something before sitting back down on the bench.

However, the seat he was sitting in was the same one Bai Yu had sat in before.

Gently closing her eyes, feeling the lingering warmth of the bench even after people have left, a smile once again appeared on Qing Sisi's face.

After sitting for about ten minutes, the car that Qing Sisi's father had sent to pick her up arrived.

"Second Miss, my eldest brother sent me to pick you up. Let's go."

Looking at the middle-aged man in front of her, dressed in a suit, with a slicked-back hairstyle and a scar between his eyebrows, she realized that this was Qing Sisi's father's personal driver and a brother who had traveled all over the country in his youth.

Without saying anything, he got up, put the folded note from Bai Yu into his pocket, and got into the black Mercedes-Benz.

They drove in silence for more than half an hour before arriving at a secluded courtyard. This courtyard was the ancestral temple where the Qing family worshipped their ancestors. It was built on a piece of auspicious land that Qing Sisi's father had purchased.

Today is Qingming Festival, a day for ancestor worship. Chapter 336: Lies (Bonus Chapter 8 for Donations)

As soon as Qing Sisi got out of the car, she saw her tall father, dressed in a black suit with slicked-back hair, walking quickly toward her with a cold expression.

Without saying a word, Qingyu immediately slapped Qing Sisi hard across the face.

A slap appeared on Qing Sisi's fair and jade-like face at a visible speed, but the girl did not show any signs of grievance, and did not even say a word.

At the same time, the mother with dark hair rushed out of the temple.

He quickly went to his daughter, hugged her tightly, and held her in his arms, speaking to Qingyu in a slightly angry tone.

"Qingyu, why did you hit my daughter? Can't we talk things out?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashed in Qingyu's already fierce eyes, but it was fleeting. The next moment, she frowned and reprimanded him.

"Now is not the time to talk about this. Let her go in and pay respects to her ancestors first. We can talk about anything else when we get home."

Qingyu knew that now that he had slapped Qing Sisi, he couldn't continue arguing with his wife, otherwise the relatives would laugh at him.

Qingyu understood the principle of not airing family dirty laundry in public, and Qingsisi's mother naturally understood it as well, so they both cooperated and did not continue arguing.

Qing Siling, who was standing aside watching, rushed forward to comfort her younger sister along with her mother after her father turned and entered the temple.

"It's alright, sis. Dad's just concerned about his image. Today is also the day for ancestral worship. Our family is the most powerful in the Qing family, and everyone looks up to Dad, so..."

Qing Siling actually felt that her father had gone a bit too far. Her younger sister was indeed spoiled by the whole family, to the point of being somewhat biased.

However, this only applies to her own family of four. Her grandparents' attitude towards Qing Sisi is completely the opposite. It can be said that they would not care at all even if Qing Sisi died.

"Qingsiling, come in quickly, Grandpa and Grandma have something for you, hurry up."

Just as Qing Sisi's mother and Qing Siling were comforting Qing Sisi, a cheerful old man's voice rang out at the temple entrance.

As for his grandfather, Qing Siling could only say that he didn't dislike him, and even liked him, because his grandparents treated him exceptionally well.

From Qing Sisi's perspective, her grandparents were not even as good as strangers.

When Qing Sisi goes back to her hometown, her grandparents don't allow her to eat at the table. They often say hurtful things like telling her to hold her bowl and eat on the side.

This is something no one can tolerate, not even Qing Sisi's father and mother.

They kept saying that the two elders' behavior was wrong, and Qing Sisi's mother even argued with them many times about it.

But arguing only makes things worse and will only push the two elders to return Qing Sisi to her.

It wasn't because Qing Sisi was of bad character, nor because she had done anything wrong, but simply because she was a daughter.

The idea of ​​valuing sons over daughters was deeply ingrained in the minds of the two elders.

When they were little, Qing Sisi and Qing Siling were cared for by their grandparents for a period of time.

Qing Siling received meticulous care and pampering, but Qing Sisi was frequently beaten. Even if someone bullied her and came back to complain, she would be beaten and scolded in addition.

Naturally, after that, Qing Sisi no longer liked to go back to her grandparents' house, and she never even treated them as her grandparents again.

The reason Qing Sisi ran out to find Bai Yu during the Chinese New Year was because the second elder brother had forbidden her from eating at the table during the holiday.

This naturally led to another series of arguments, and in the end, Qing Sisi chose to leave.

Originally, Qing Sisi was a well-behaved girl when she was young and didn't like fighting or causing trouble. However, she later used violence to disguise herself because she was afraid of being bullied.

But everyone's patience and mental endurance have their limits, and so does Qing Sisi's cheerful and lively nature.

Qingyu's scolding and that slap were like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

"Sisi, it's okay. Your dad just had a bad temper. Today was indeed very important, and you ran off early in the morning and even argued with him, so he hit you for the first time. It's alright, it's alright. Mom will talk to him for me tonight, okay?"

The mother, with her dark hair, gently stroked her daughter's reddened face, comforting her softly as if she were a child.

However, Qing Sisi showed no signs of grievance or anger; instead, she remained unusually calm.

"Mom, do they really not like me?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Sisi's mother paused slightly, then forced a smile and said...

"Don't worry, Mom and Dad always scold them, but they'll change their ways soon. They're just a little stubborn as they get older."

This is a completely forced explanation; whether you like it or not, everyone knows the answer.

Not only Qing Sisi's family knew, but even other relatives knew that Qing Sisi was not well-liked by her grandparents.

Going back to her hometown is torture for Qing Sisi. Everyone seems like a stranger—her father, mother, and even her brother.

Everyone else could chat and laugh at the table, but she would always seem out of place, and they would even ask her to eat on the side instead of at the table.

That kind of grievance, that kind of emotional impact, can never be truly understood without experiencing it firsthand.

The ancestral worship ceremony proceeded smoothly, just as Qing Sisi said, it didn't matter whether she was there or not.

Standing to the side, watching his father and mother being surrounded by people chatting, and his brother laughing and talking with several childhood friends, he felt so out of place.

No one paid any attention to Qing Sisi. It wasn't that no one saw her, but many relatives knew that the elderly couple didn't like this granddaughter.

Relatives are a difficult word to define. Judging from the Qing family's relatives, 99% of them are there to climb the social ladder, use connections, and so on.

Rather than worrying about the green hair that might displease the elders, it's safer to ignore it.

Sitting in the corner, Qing Sisi didn't say a word from beginning to end until dinner was over. No one came over to greet her; everyone chose to ignore her and pass by.

I'm destined to go back to my hometown tonight, as I do every year for ancestral worship.

As soon as Qing Sisi arrived home, she went straight to her room.

She closed the door and locked it from the inside; only then did she feel as if the world had suddenly become quiet.

"Hey, that brat, she slams the door as soon as she gets back. She has no manners at all. I've never disciplined her properly. She's such a brat."

The elderly man with white hair and wearing a mink coat was Qing Sisi's grandfather, but it was no surprise that he immediately said that Qing Sisi was not him.

But the two elders never hid these words from anyone, so Qing Sisi naturally heard them all.

Sitting on the bed, Qing Sisi's face was expressionless. She no longer smiled, nor did she feel aggrieved. Her expression was as calm as a stagnant pool.

He reached into a hidden compartment at the bottom of the pillow and mattress and took out a bottle of unopened sleeping pills.

It wasn't that she couldn't sleep and needed a sleeping pill; rather, she felt the world was too noisy and wanted to sleep forever. (Illustration by Si Yu)

To see the full image, you can join the group (group number: 762287100). I can't post the full image here, but that's thanks to everyone's monthly votes; I'm so happy to have received an illustration (thank you all for your support!).

Chapter 337 Where?

She opened the bottle of sleeping pills, picked up the water glass beside her, and at this moment, there was no fear in Qing Sisi's eyes because she was about to face death; instead, it was as if she was relieved.

Perhaps this is what it means to be utterly heartbroken; the world makes her feel out of place, and everything she sees seems gray.

People who always laugh aren't necessarily happy, and people who don't like to laugh aren't necessarily boring.

He gently poured out the individual white pills and put them into his mouth without any hesitation.

The pills' reaction of absorbing moisture made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Just as Qing Sisi was about to pick up her water glass, close her eyes, and drink, Bai Yu's image and her previous words suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Here's a note for you. Read it when you get back and are alone, understand?"

This sentence made Qing Sisi feel that Bai Yu was still as domineering as ever, even when she recalled it.

He reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper; the folded square was slightly wrinkled and warped from being squeezed.

As she slowly unfolded it, the handwriting, though not particularly beautiful, caused a glimmer of tears to flash in Qing Sisi's usually calm eyes.

"You're only good at smiling, not at forcing a smile. Do you really think I didn't notice? Your acting is terrible, you need to practice. If you have any worries, come to me. I'll reluctantly help you this once, just this once, so cherish the opportunity."

Even though the handwriting on the note was ugly and the content didn't seem like comforting words, Qing Sisi felt a special warmth from it.

Bai Yu would never normally say such things to her, let alone comfort her or try to understand her.

These things are abnormal for Bai Yu, who is known for being domineering, lacking tenderness towards women, and speaking very bluntly.

She opened her small mouth and spat out all the sleeping pills, clutching tightly the ordinary piece of paper that was like a light in the darkness to her.

Tears are never a cure for sadness, but they are definitely the best way to express it.