Bai Tao felt Bai Shen shift beside her. He had spent the entire night making do on the sofa, and his suit was already wrinkled.
Bai Shen slowly sat upright. His long, slender fingers tugged at his tie before he stood and straightened his clothes, preparing to go upstairs.
Thinking that he had already gone upstairs, Bai Tao quietly opened one eye.
Only to find herself meeting Bai Shen’s eyes, which seemed to be deep in thought.
Bai Tao:
Caught red-handed.
Thinking of how her eldest brother had been the only person who had secretly cared about her in her previous life, Bai Tao curved her eyes and gave him a big, soft smile.
Bai Shen froze for a moment.
Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that Bai Tao’s face really didn’t resemble anyone from the Bai Family.
Bai Tao had the kind of beauty that made it impossible to look away at first sight. She was beautiful, alluring, and dazzling.
Her peach blossom eyes seemed to overflow with affection. Every frown, smile, and gesture was captivating, and she could make people turn their heads wherever she went.
Yu Xiaozhen was the delicate and refined type. She was pretty, composed, and pleasant to look at, but when placed beside Bai Tao, she was like a cup of lukewarm water.
Bai Shen’s gaze lingered on Bai Tao’s face for a moment. Then he gave a slight nod, said nothing, and walked around her to go upstairs.
Bai Tao imitated Bai Shen, nodding solemnly.
See?
This was the Bai Family.
Even if your sister was about to stop being your sister, the eldest brother still had to go to work on time. Nothing, not even the sky falling, could delay his career.
At nine o’clock, the people in the Bai Family’s living room gradually woke up.
The nanny began bringing breakfast to the table. Millet porridge, steamed buns, and several side dishes were steaming hot, filling the entire room with their aroma.
Bai Tao lowered her head and glanced at her phone, silently beginning a countdown in her mind.
Nine-thirty.
The Bai Family’s private doctor hurried into the living room, carrying three paternity test reports. Beads of sweat still clung to his forehead.
Bai Zhongjing took the reports and quickly scanned them.
The living room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Bai Shen, Yu Xiaozhen, Bai Zhongjing, and Lin Meng had a 99.99% blood relationship.
Bai Tao.
95%
At once, Yu Xiaozhen’s tears burst forth like water from a broken dam.
With a thud, she dropped to her knees and threw herself against Lin Meng and Bai Zhongjing’s legs, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.
“Dad, Mom… you believe me now, right? I’ve missed you so much… so, so much…”
Bai Zhongjing and Lin Meng exchanged a glance.
To be honest, they did not have any deep feelings for this biological daughter who had suddenly appeared in their lives.
They had not seen each other for twenty-three years. She had suddenly appeared and started calling them Mom and Dad. Aside from their blood relationship, there was nothing else between them.
Bai Zhongjing’s hand froze in midair before finally landing on Yu Xiaozhen’s back. He gently patted her twice.
Lin Meng also patted her, but no matter how one looked at it, the gesture seemed more like she was comforting the child of a distant relative.
Bai Fenglan, however, was different.
She picked up the report from the table, took a picture of it, and immediately began shouting.
“I knew it! Xiaozhen is such a good and obedient child. Now that’s what I call Bai Family genes!”
“Bai Tao obviously isn’t an obedient or sensible child. She’s been willful and disobedient since she was little. I’ve known it all along!”
Bai Tao sat on the sofa and listened to her aunt’s tirade. Her heart remained completely unmoved, and she even felt like laughing.
In her previous life, she would have already started screaming and making a scene by now. She would have fought with Bai Fenglan until the whole place was in chaos, and even after being dragged out by the bodyguards, she would still have been cursing.
But in this life, Bai Tao simply sat there quietly, her eyes slightly red.
Then she slowly raised her head and looked at Bai Zhongjing and Lin Meng with an expression that said, I am very sad, but I am very sensible.
“Dad… Mom…” Her voice trembled slightly. “Is this true?”
The next second, Bai Tao also dropped to her knees and threw herself into Bai Zhongjing and Lin Meng’s arms. She even very naturally and subtly squeezed Yu Xiaozhen to the side.
Yu Xiaozhen was pushed sideways and almost lost her balance. She looked up at Bai Tao, irritation flashing in her eyes.
Bai Tao, however, wore an innocent expression and continued crying.
Bai Zhongjing looked down at Bai Tao nestled in his arms, his heart filled with complicated emotions.
Even if Bai Tao was not his biological daughter, he had raised her for twenty-three years.
Twenty-three years.
From a little child who could barely speak to a graceful young woman, she had finally grown into someone who could bring value to the family and help the Bai Family rise to greater heights.
Moreover, Bai Tao’s appearance, temperament, speech, and abilities were all far superior to Yu Xiaozhen’s.
This was not favoritism.
It was simply a fact.
Bai Zhongjing fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“It’s alright. Although Xiaozhen has returned, Bai Tao will always be my and Lin Meng’s child. Our Bai Family isn’t short of an extra place at the table.”
The moment he said this, Yu Xiaozhen’s expression changed.
She cried even harder. This time, her tears were no longer delicate. They came like a violent storm.
“No! Dad, Mom, it’s all because of her mother that our family was separated!”
“I worked so hard from a young age, doing all kinds of exhausting chores, while she enjoyed herself in the Bai Family…”
“Every time I see her, I think of how her mother tortured me…”
Yu Xiaozhen raised her head. Her eyes were red from crying, and her voice was filled with an almost obsessive plea.
“Please, Dad, Mom… kick her out, okay?”
Bai Fenglan immediately added fuel to the fire.
“Exactly, Big Brother! If you acknowledge Xiaozhen again, you’ll have three children.”
“Do you really want someone who has no blood relationship with you, whose biological mother is such a despicable woman, to inherit your shares?”
The moment those words were spoken, Bai Zhongjing’s expression changed.
The Bai Family’s wealth was an empire built by generations of the family.
Shares, properties, trust funds… every cent had its own source and destination. Naturally, not a single cent could be allowed to fall into the hands of an outsider.
Yu Xiaozhen was remarkably good at reading people’s expressions. Seeing Bai Zhongjing’s expression soften, she immediately pressed her advantage.
“It’s alright, Dad. We’re both twenty-three years old. The Bai Family has already raised that bad woman’s child so well. She won’t starve if she goes out on her own.”
She wiped away her tears, lowering her voice.
“I work at a supermarket during the day and at a convenience store at night. I’ve grown up like that too.”
“Sister Bai Tao looks so much more capable than me… she’ll definitely have a better life than I do.”
Her words were flawless.
On the surface, she appeared generous and forgiving, but every word subtly implied that Bai Tao should leave.
Bai Zhongjing was still hesitating.
After all, he had raised Bai Tao for twenty-three years. Feelings could not simply be severed at will.
Besides, he had planted an apple tree.
Now it was time to harvest the fruit.
But Bai Tao knew perfectly well what was going to happen next.
Bai Zhongjing was about to tell her to move out of the Bai Family home.
A child who did not possess even a single share of the Bai Family’s assets, no matter how outstanding she was, could not help the Bai Family rise to greater heights.
In her previous life, what she had received was the cold sentence:
You should move out first.
This time, she would not wait.
Bai Tao reached out and grabbed Yu Xiaozhen’s hand, holding it tightly. Her expression was completely sincere.
“Really, little sister? You really think I look more capable than you, prettier than you, and more talented than you, and that I’ll definitely have a better life than you?”
She blinked her peach blossom eyes and smiled sweetly.
“Thank you, little sister. Thank you for your blessing.”
Yu Xiaozhen: ???
When did I ever say you were prettier than me???
Regardless of what Yu Xiaozhen was thinking, Bai Tao decisively released her hand and stood up.
She walked over to Bai Zhongjing and Lin Meng and respectfully bowed.
Elegant and generous.
“Bai Tao is here to thank Dad and Mom. No, thank you, Uncle and Aunt, for raising me.”
Her voice was not loud, but every word was crystal clear.
“Since my sister can’t stand having me around and feels uncomfortable whenever she sees me, then I’ll move out now.”
“As for the money the Bai Family spent raising me… I’ll definitely do my best to repay it.”
Bai Zhongjing and Lin Meng were both stunned.
Especially Bai Zhongjing.
Looking at the graceful young woman standing before him, a trace of surprise suddenly surfaced in his heart.
He did not know when Bai Tao had grown into such a poised and graceful woman. She was calm, composed, and elegant enough to appear in any grand setting.
What a pity.
If this incident had never happened, Bai Tao would definitely have been a suitable marriage partner.
Far more suitable than Yu Xiaozhen.
Bai Zhongjing sighed inwardly and nodded.
“It’s rare for you to think this way. Since that’s what you’ve decided, then pack your things and move out.”
He paused before adding,
“As for the money spent raising you… you don’t need to pay it back. Consider it compensation for the brief family bond we shared.”
Bai Zhongjing knew very well that Bai Tao probably would not be able to repay all the money that had been spent raising her.
A single handbag could cost hundreds of thousands, and a piano could cost several million. Not to mention the money spent on art and dance lessons.
Bai Tao nodded and wiped away nonexistent tears with the back of her hand, looking as obedient as a model student.
“Then I’ll go upstairs and pack some personal belongings. After that, I’ll leave.”
She turned around, her back facing everyone.
No one saw the sly glint in Bai Tao’s eyes.
She had never intended to repay the money.
She had only said it to make herself look sensible.
After all, free dignity was still dignity. Why would she refuse it?
Bai Tao crouched down inside the walk-in closet and dragged out the suitcase she had packed earlier.
With a whoosh, she pulled open the zipper and began stuffing clothes inside.
Fortunately, it was summer.
The skirts were light and thin. Folded properly, she could fit dozens of them into the suitcase.
If it were winter, a single coat would be enough to keep the suitcase from closing.
She might have ended up crying herself to sleep in the walk-in closet.
As she packed, Bai Tao silently praised her own cleverness.
Thankfully, she had already hidden some of the valuable things in her luggage the night before.
Just as she was enthusiastically packing, footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.
Bai Fenglan came upstairs with Yu Xiaozhen, dragging Lin Meng along as well.
The three of them, along with the nanny, formed a large group standing behind Bai Tao.
Bai Fenglan had clearly planned this in advance. She wanted to supervise personally and prevent Bai Tao from taking all the valuable things belonging to the Bai Family.
But when she came upstairs, she discovered that this little brat was already almost finished packing.
On the surface, the suitcase was filled with clothes and skirts. Bai Tao had not even taken a decent handbag.
Bai Fenglan’s eyes shifted, and her gaze landed on the corner of a skirt sticking out from the suitcase.
She moved quickly, grabbed the hem, and gave it a hard tug.
With a ripping sound, the neatly folded clothes were pulled apart, revealing jewelry hidden underneath.
“Oh dear, you didn’t pack this skirt properly.”
Bai Fenglan pretended to be concerned at first.
Then she covered her mouth, her eyes widening as her voice suddenly rose several octaves.
“What are these? Well, Bai Tao, after we’ve raised you for so many years, you’ve even learned how to steal!”
Bai Tao was so angry that she nearly exploded on the spot.
“Steal what? Does Auntie really think the Bai Family’s upbringing is such a failure?”
Her voice was not loud, but every word struck like a nail.
“These are all gifts I’ve received since I was little. Birthday gifts, holiday gifts, rewards for good grades. Which one of them wasn’t given to me by my elders?”
After she finished speaking, tears welled up in Bai Tao’s eyes.
This time, they were not fake.
She was genuinely aggrieved.
She turned her head and looked pitifully at Lin Meng, her voice as soft as melted cotton candy.
“Mom, I didn’t mean to steal anything… I was just worried. worried that if I missed you someday, I could take these things out and look at them.”
Seeing the tears in Bai Tao’s peach blossom eyes, Lin Meng’s heart softened instantly.
How much could this little bit of jewelry really be worth?
Even if they were exchanged at a luxury store, they would not fetch much.
Besides, Bai Tao was right. These were things she had received as gifts while growing up. She had not stolen or robbed them.
Lin Meng nodded. Her tone was indifferent, but her meaning was clear.
“Let her take them.”
Bai Fenglan was so angry that her teeth hurt. Her expression looked as though she had swallowed a live fly.
Just then, Yu Xiaozhen moved.
She linked her arm through Lin Meng’s and nestled against her like a little bird. She raised her face, her eyes filled with envy and longing.
“Mom, I’ve never seen so much beautiful jewelry before. If I hadn’t been switched away, would all of this have belonged to me?”
Before Lin Meng could answer, Yu Xiaozhen added another blow.
“Mom, don’t let Sister Bai Tao take them, okay? These are proof of how much you loved me while I was away.”
“I want to see how much you would have loved me if I had grown up in this family.”
Bai Tao:
Bai Fenglan was becoming more and more fond of this new niece.
The moment Yu Xiaozhen finished speaking, Bai Fenglan rolled up her sleeves and directly began rummaging through Bai Tao’s suitcase.
Bai Tao’s heart skipped a beat.
The bracelet her grandmother had given her was still inside!
She reacted quickly and pushed Bai Fenglan’s hand away.
“Fine, I’ll get them for you. Don’t cry, little sister. They’re all yours. It’s all my fault. I’m just a thief.”
She crouched down and carefully took out the jewelry one piece at a time from the bottom of the suitcase, placing everything on the small coffee table beside her.
Every piece she pulled out made her heart bleed.
As she took them out, Bai Tao regretted putting so much jewelry outside the hidden compartment.
If only she had known, she would have stuffed a few more pieces into the secret compartment.
A terrible miscalculation.
Far too terrible.
After taking everything out, she raised her head and looked at Bai Fenglan. Her expression was as calm as a still pond.
“Are you satisfied now?”
The lesson from her previous life’s tantrums had been too profound.
In this life, Bai Tao had chosen a different path.
The sympathy card.
She did not argue or make a scene.
She simply stood there quietly, shedding tears and making everyone feel that she was a pitifully sensible child who had suffered an enormous injustice.
The tactic clearly worked.
Bai Fenglan had originally not even wanted Bai Tao to take her cosmetics and clothes.
Her mouth had already opened, but before she could say anything, Lin Meng waved her hand impatiently.
“Let her pack them.”
Yu Xiaozhen still wanted to act spoiled.
She snuggled closer to Lin Meng and had just opened her mouth when Lin Meng spoke first.
“Those are things she has already used.”
Lin Meng looked down at Yu Xiaozhen. Her tone was gentle but firm.
“I’ll buy you new ones.”
Yu Xiaozhen closed her mouth and obediently nodded, but a flash of resentment quickly passed through her eyes.
Bai Tao said nothing more.
She repacked her suitcase, pulled the zipper shut, and stood up.
All the beautiful, glittering things that had once belonged to her in the walk-in closet were left behind.
When Bai Tao walked out through the Bai Family’s gate, she finally let out a deep sigh of relief.
The air outside carried a coolness and the scent of earth. It smelled far better than the air inside, which had been filled with perfume and tension.
With such a commotion at the Bai Family’s house, there was no way the neighbors could not be curious.
Bai Tao could feel several gazes coming from different directions.
She did not hide or lower her head.
Instead, she smiled at everyone who looked at her, poised and generous, as though she were walking down a red carpet.
Bai Tao dragged her suitcase behind her, her back perfectly straight and her pace steady.
When she passed the Pei Family’s gate, Bai Tao deliberately stopped.
Pei Jin.
Oh, Pei Jin.
Her mortal enemy from her previous life.
The man she intended to bring home in this life.
Bai Tao thought for a moment before asking the servant at the gate to go inside and pass on a message.
Tell him that Bai Tao of the Bai Family was waiting outside and had something to say to him.
The servant hurried inside.
Bai Tao stood at the gate for a while, her fingers lightly tapping against the handle of her suitcase.
A few minutes later, the servant came back out with an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry, Miss Bai. The young master says. he’s not home.”
Bai Tao:
If you’re not home, then who told the servant that you’re not home?
Fine.
Pei Jin, you’re aloof. You’re amazing.
In the past, with Bai Zhongjing supporting her, she would have stormed straight inside and confronted Pei Jin, demanding to know why he was pretending not to be home when he clearly was.
But not now.
If she barged in now, the Pei Family would call the police and have her arrested.
Bai Tao took out her phone, opened her WeChat friend list, and found the account with the black profile picture.
L.
She and Pei Jin had been friends on WeChat for several years.
Their chat history was completely empty.
Neither of them had ever paid any attention to the other.
Bai Tao thought for a moment, typed a few words, deleted them, typed again, then deleted them once more.
Finally, she took a deep breath and sent the first WeChat message since they had added each other as friends.
【Goodbye, my friend. I’ll miss you.】
After sending it, she felt that it was not enough, so she added another message.
【Even if I’m kicked out, I’ll still consider you my best friend.】
There was no reply.
Bai Tao waited for a few seconds, shrugged, slipped her phone back into her pocket, and continued walking while dragging her suitcase.
On the second-floor terrace of the Pei Family mansion, a tall, slender figure was lazily leaning against the railing.
Pei Jin was wearing black loungewear. His hair had not been styled, and several strands hung over his forehead, making him look as though he had just been woken up.
He held his phone in his hand, the cold light of the screen reflecting off his indifferent face.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the two inexplicable messages on WeChat, his brows furrowing slightly.
Goodbye, my friend.
My best friend.
Him and Bai Tao?
Friends?
Pei Jin scoffed and casually tossed his phone onto the lounge chair on the terrace.
He had no friends.
Bai Tao dragged a huge suitcase behind her, walking slowly and steadily.
Even after being kicked out, she still maintained that stubborn pride.
Pei Jin withdrew his gaze, turned around, walked inside, and casually closed the glass door to the terrace.
Crazy.
Ridiculous.
Who was her friend?
Bai Tao had arranged to meet Brother Wang outside a Mixue Ice Cream shop.
From more than half a street away, Bai Tao spotted a man.
How should she put it?
He had an eye-catching head of bleached blond hair, tight pants, loafers, and tattooed sleeves depicting a dragon on one arm and a tiger on the other.
Bai Tao dragged her suitcase over cautiously.
The blond-haired man was holding two cups of Mixue Ice Cream and absentmindedly scrolling through his phone. His leg bounced along with the background music playing in the shop.
“Society. My Brother Wang?” Bai Tao asked cautiously.
The blond-haired man looked up.
Standing in front of him was an incredibly beautiful woman, around 165 centimeters tall, dragging a suitcase.
The blond-haired man froze for two seconds, nearly dropping the lemonade in his hand.
“Are you Tao?”
Bai Tao nodded and forced a friendly smile.
“Yes, yes. That’s me.”
The blond-haired man suddenly turned around, showing his back to Bai Tao as he quickly tidied himself up.
First, he smoothed down his blond hair.
Then he tugged at the hem of his tight T-shirt.
Finally, he rubbed his hands awkwardly against his clothes to make sure his palms were not sweaty.
Only then did he turn around and solemnly extend his right hand.
“Hello, hello. My name is Wang Jianguo.”
Bai Tao extended her hand.
Their hands touched briefly before separating.
He’s actually quite well-mannered, Bai Tao thought.
Wang Jianguo took hold of Bai Tao’s suitcase and led the way.
Bai Tao followed behind him, weaving through the streets and alleys and making several turns.
After chatting casually for a while, Bai Tao learned that her so-called Brother Wang was actually four years younger than her.
He was only nineteen.
He had stopped studying after graduating from junior high and started following the so-called big shots he talked about.
When he spoke, there was a kind of youthful arrogance in his voice, as though he were desperately trying to sound mature.
But his slightly chubby, baby-faced cheeks betrayed him.
Bai Tao looked at the stubborn tuft of blond hair sticking up at the back of his head and felt strangely sad and amused at the same time.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Wang Jianguo stopped in front of what appeared to be a fairly new apartment building.
“We’re here.”
Bai Tao took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself.
But when she actually went inside and saw the place, she was completely stunned.
Three rental households sharing a single toilet.
Bai Tao poked her head into the bathroom, took one look, and immediately pulled back.
“No, no.”
She shook her head repeatedly, like a rattle.
“I can’t accept this… having to line up to use the toilet.”
Wang Jianguo: …
Three households sharing one toilet meant that if everyone was rushing out in the morning, they would have to line up outside the bathroom.
Just thinking about it made Bai Tao feel suffocated.
Wang Jianguo scratched his blond hair.
“I also have a basement with its own kitchen and bathroom.”
“The windows are small, so the lighting and ventilation aren’t very good. But the location is pretty good. It’s on the Third Ring Road.”
A private bathroom.
“Let’s go take a look!”
Without another word, Bai Tao dragged her suitcase outside.
So Bai Tao dragged her suitcase and followed Wang Jianguo onto the subway.
An hour and a half.
A full hour and a half.
Bai Tao nearly fell asleep on the subway. Her suitcase rested against her legs while her head bobbed up and down.
Wang Jianguo, on the other hand, was full of energy.
Along the way, he kept telling her things like, “I know this area really well,” and “My big brother has a lot of influence around here.”
Bai Tao let his words go in one ear and out the other, answering him absentmindedly.
Finally, they arrived.
The so-called basement was actually the underground level of an old residential compound.
Wang Jianguo took out his key and opened the iron door.
Bai Tao followed him inside.
Her first reaction was:
So dark.
Two tiny windows, each only about the height of a palm, were embedded near the very top of the wall. From outside, one could see almost everything inside.
The kitchen, living room, and bedroom were all combined into one space, without any curtains or partitions.
Only a narrow passage separated the pots and pans from the sofa.
The bathroom was separate.
It was tiny and squeezed into the area beside the foot of the bed. There was also a small window inside, about the size of a palm, allowing in just a little light.
A desk stood in the middle of the room, its surface covered in a thin layer of dust.
A light bulb hung from the ceiling, with its electrical wires exposed and swaying slightly whenever the breeze passed through.
A rope had been casually stretched across the wall for hanging clothes.
At the moment, it was completely empty.
The bed was nothing more than a bare wooden platform.
There wasn’t even a mattress.
Bai Tao pressed her hand against it.
It was hard and uncomfortable. Sleeping on it would probably feel no different from sleeping directly on the floor.
The air was also slightly damp.
Fortunately, it had not rained recently, so it was still bearable.
Bai Tao stood in the middle of the room, turning around and around.
Wang Jianguo rubbed his hands together at the doorway.
Under the dim light, his blond hair no longer looked quite so eye-catching.
“How is it?”
“Don’t you have any other rooms?”
“Let me tell you, beautiful, I have the most small apartments in this area.”
“No one else has as many as I do. And you need somewhere you can move into immediately. There are only a few rooms available. If you really want it, I can give you a discount.”
He paused as though he were making an extremely difficult decision.
“Five thousand a month. I’ll rent it to you.”
Bai Tao looked around the place again and sighed deeply.
Wang Jianguo was right.
She needed somewhere she could move into immediately, but she also did not want to spend too much money.
This was already the best option she could find.
She had just taken a quick look through other rental apps, but all the messages she sent had disappeared without a trace.
Not a single person had replied.
Bai Tao thought for a moment before cautiously asking,
“Can I rent it for just one month?”
“No, beautiful. One month’s deposit and three months’ rent in advance. How would you like to pay?”
“Five thousand? That’s too expensive.”
Bai Tao shook her head and held up three fingers.
“I’d say it’s only worth three thousand a month. Don’t try to fool me.”
“Three thousand? Beautiful, are you kidding me? This is the Third Ring Road! The Third Ring Road!”
The two of them stood at the basement entrance and argued back and forth for a long time.
They bargained from three thousand to three thousand five hundred, then from three thousand five hundred to four thousand.
Finally, both sides took a step back.
One month’s deposit and three months’ rent in advance.
Four thousand yuan a month.
Bai Tao gritted her teeth, opened her mobile banking app, and transferred sixteen thousand yuan to Wang Jianguo.
After receiving the money, Wang Jianguo became even more enthusiastic.
As he was leaving, he reached the doorway, then suddenly turned around.
He pointed at the rusty iron door, his expression unusually serious.
“Remember to change the lock on this iron door, beautiful.”
Bai Tao nodded.
After seeing Wang Jianguo off, Bai Tao stood inside the room for a while.
She took a deep breath, dragged her exhausted body outside, and went to the supermarket at the entrance of the residential compound.
A mop.
Alcohol.
Rags.
Dish soap.
Garbage bags.
Clothes hangers.
Slippers.
Towels.
A toothbrush.
Toothpaste.
Shampoo.
Shower gel.
Tissues.
A water cup.
An electric kettle.
Bai Tao pushed the shopping cart around the supermarket again and again.
Whenever she saw something and thought she might need it, she threw it into the cart.
By the time she reached the checkout, she had spent several hundred yuan.
Bai Tao stared blankly at the number on the receipt.
She was already numb.
Back in the basement, Bai Tao rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
After everything was finally cleaned and organized, Bai Tao straightened her aching back and glanced at her phone.
Two in the morning.
She stood in the middle of the room, looking at the small, simple, but spotless space.
Suddenly, an indescribable feeling welled up inside her.
The wooden bed was far too hard.
Just looking at it made her back hurt.
Bai Tao hesitated for two seconds before taking the long coat she had brought from the hanger and spreading it over the sofa.
Then she pulled a thin blanket over herself and curled up on the sofa.
The sofa was tiny, so she could only keep her legs curled up.
In this lifetime, she would never make the same mistakes again.