It was registration day.
He Yu volunteered to take Li Wangshu to campus. Under Li Wangshu’s persuasion, Father Li and Mother Li agreed that after helping her complete registration and settling her into her dormitory, they would let the people arranged by He Yu take them sightseeing around several famous attractions in Beijing.
He Yu stayed behind and walked around campus with her.
“You really are an excellent student, Little Moon.”
He Yu had already checked Li Wangshu’s exam results. He had known she was outstanding since she had won his scholarship, but he hadn’t expected her to be this exceptional.
The night before, Li Wangshu had managed to get even more information about He Yu from Ji Lian.
For example, He Yu had a childhood very similar to Ji Lian’s.
He hadn’t been switched at birth. Instead, shortly after he was born, he had been kidnapped by the He family’s enemies. He wasn’t found until he was already in his teens.
The suffering He Yu experienced as a child was no less than Ji Lian’s. Naturally, he had barely attended school, and the only reason he later surpassed everyone and took control of the He family was because of his own talent and years of self-study.
Years of abuse and constant hardship had left him with bipolar disorder. He had a terrible temper and often got into fights.
One good thing, however, was that he never hit women. At least, he had never hit Ji Lian.
Even in the beginning, when Ji Lian constantly provoked him, he had never pulled her hair, grabbed her throat, or done any of those typical domineering CEO behaviors.
“Reading broadens the mind and calms the heart.”
“You were lucky to be sold to a good family. At least they let you study.”
He assumed the nanny had sold her to the Li family.
“When I was very young, I stayed with that nanny’s family. They beat me every day and never gave me enough food. I almost died several times…”
Li Wangshu repeated the same story she had told the Ji family, only this time with even more details. After all, making the main villain empathize with her was an important step.
“When I was six, they nearly beat me to death. I reported them to the police and had them arrested. My adoptive parents only came into my life after I was sent to an orphanage. The government matched us together.”
“You were almost eaten by a pig… That’s really miserable.”
His gaze shifted to Li Wangshu’s right leg. He had noticed long ago that she walked with a slight limp, but since it wasn’t severe and it was a private matter, he had never asked.
“Don’t you hate them?”
He was curious about how she truly felt toward the Ji family. Although he had already seen her attitude that day at their house, he still wanted to know where she stood.
“I do.”
“I already got revenge by sending those traffickers to prison.”
He Yu nodded in satisfaction.
“Taking revenge with your own hands—that’s the best way.”
Li Wangshu thought to herself that compared to his methods, hers was nothing. He Yu had directly sold the people who abused him to a certain medical corporation.
“What about the Ji family? Do you want to go back?”
Li Wangshu shook her head.
“Go back just to watch them act all affectionate with Ji Mo? It makes me sick.”
“Then do you want to drive Ji Mo out of the Ji family?”
So this was the beginning of their alliance?
In the original story, that conversation hadn’t happened until long after they were already married.
“Yes.”
“Then beg me, and I’ll help you.”
He seemed very pleased with her answer. Smiling, he lifted a strand of her hair and lazily twirled it around his finger.
“Not yet.”
Li Wangshu looked up at him. If he weren’t mentally unstable, his appearance was undeniably pleasing.
“I’ll ask when I actually need your help.”
“Heh… Fine.”
“I’ll wait.”
The university campus felt refreshing, as if even the air was cleaner than outside.
She decided to put all the troublesome matters aside.
Now it was time to enjoy her college life.
He Yu escorted Li Wangshu back to her dormitory before leaving.
It was a four-person dormitory. All of her roommates had already arrived, and they all seemed friendly.
After making her bed and organizing her desk, everyone agreed to go to the cafeteria together.
But they hadn’t walked far from the dormitory when they ran into Ji Mo, who was carrying bags and luggage toward the dormitory.
Helping carry her things were the entire Ji family.
Ji Huaiyang.
Xu Jingya.
Ji Qingshuang.
Ji Chenxing.
The whole family was there, every one of them carrying something, while Ji Mo walked in the middle with empty hands, looking every bit like the pampered little princess.
The Ji family was visibly stunned when they saw Li Wangshu, and awkward expressions spread across their faces.
Li Wangshu simply glanced at them once before walking straight past them as if they were complete strangers.
“Ji Wangshu! What kind of attitude is that?”
Ji Chenxing shouted.
“Can’t you even greet your parents?”
She didn’t even turn her head.
Unable to swallow his anger, the young master threw down what he was carrying and chased after her.
“I’m talking to you! Are you deaf? Where are your manners?”
“My name is Li Wangshu, not Ji Wangshu.”
“You’ve got the wrong person.”
“When are you finally going to stop throwing this tantrum? Ji Mo is so much more sensible than you!”
Ji Chenxing’s fiery temper flared up again without restraint.
“Why didn’t you answer Mom and Dad’s calls? Why didn’t you reply to Big Brother’s messages?”
“I grew up wild. Being well-behaved isn’t my thing.”
“So go spoil your precious trafficker’s daughter and stop bothering me.”
Ji Chenxing froze.
At that moment, he should have snapped back with something like, Who wants to bother you? or Don’t flatter yourself.
But for some reason, when he looked into those stubborn yet cold eyes, all he could think about was the image of a little girl covered in bruises.
An indescribable ache suddenly welled up in his heart.
The words simply wouldn’t come out.
The rest of the Ji family also walked over.
“Little Moon, have you already registered? Have you finished unpacking? Is there anything Mom can help you with?”
Looking at her own family standing together while Little Moon stood alone on the opposite side, Xu Jingya couldn’t help feeling heartbroken.
“Mom bought you some new clothes. We’ve also prepared your room. When will you come home?”
“I don’t need any of it.”
“…Didn’t you say your adoptive parents treated you very well? Then why didn’t they come to send you off?”
Seeing Li Wangshu treat their mother so coldly, Ji Chenxing’s anger flared up again, and his tone became sarcastic.
“They did come.”
Li Wangshu looked at him speechlessly.
“It’s already eleven o’clock. They left a long time ago.”
“Little Moon, is there anything you’re missing?”
Ji Qingshuang asked.
“I can go buy it for you right now.”
“I’m not missing anything.”
“If you have nothing else to do, stop bothering me and spend your time with the trafficker’s daughter.”
“Little Sister!”
Ji Mo panicked.
She definitely didn’t want rumors spreading around campus on her very first day.
Since calling her “older sister” had disgusted Li Wangshu last time, she had switched to calling her “little sister.”
It was even more disgusting.
“What did I say that wasn’t true?”
Li Wangshu looked at Ji Mo, who was dressed elegantly with flawless makeup.
“Oh, right. Has your biological mother contacted you yet?”
“She just got out of prison. She has nowhere to go now.”
“Shouldn’t you take good care of her?”
“After all, she fought for eighteen years of your wonderful life.”
“Stop it!”
Ji Mo looked at Li Wangshu’s curious classmates.
“I beg you. Please stop talking.”
“Ji Mo, listen carefully.”
“If you want to keep living as the elegant Young Miss Ji, then stay away from me at school.”
“It would be best if you pretend not to know me whenever you see me.”
Li Wangshu leaned close to Ji Mo’s ear and lowered her voice.
“You’d better keep the Ji family under control too.”
“Stay away from me. Every time I see any of you, I get annoyed.”
“If you push me too far, I don’t mind causing a scene at school and making it impossible for you to stay here.”
Her words were full of unmistakable threats, yet her face remained completely expressionless.
She waved casually at the Ji family.
“My classmates are waiting for me.”
“I won’t chat with you anymore.”
“Little Moon!”
Xu Jingya reached out to grab her, but Ji Mo stopped her.
“Mom, aren’t you here to see me off?”
Looking at Ji Mo’s teary eyes and aggrieved expression, Xu Jingya’s heart softened again.
By the time she finished wiping Ji Mo’s tears, Li Wangshu had already walked far away.
“Li Wangshu, who were those people?”
One of her roommates finally couldn’t resist asking.
“The main characters in a melodramatic story.”
Li Wangshu laughed it off with a few casual words.
Today was the first day of school.
She refused to let anything ruin her good mood.