The Xia Family.
At this moment, the parents and older brother whom Xia Nuan was thinking of were gathered around the dining table, their faces etched with deep distress.
A handsome young man, whose looks surpassed even those of popular celebrities, was speaking nonstop about something.
It took a long while before he finally paused, gulping down several mouthfuls of water to soothe his parched throat.
Beside him, the middle-aged couple sat with their mouths agape, taking a long time to recover from the shock.
"Son, are you saying that after our family died in a car accident, we underwent soul-transmigration and crossed over into a book? And in this book, our entire family are all vicious cannon fodder? Not only is this world about to enter the Apocalypse, but we’ll also end up dying tragically on the streets?"
Fu Ying looked at her son with disbelief and uncertainty until Xia Mu nodded, at which point her gaze once again turned vacant.
"Yeah, Mom, you summed it up perfectly. But in the book, the original family deserved their fate. When they saw their adopted daughter living well, they tried every means to curry favor with her, committing all sorts of wicked deeds. They even went so far as to give their own biological daughter away as a plaything just because the adopted daughter disliked her, all to please the adopted daughter. The adopted daughter didn’t even bother with them. After she latched onto the male lead, she wanted to cut ties with them, but they still went to her doorstep to make a scene. They deserved to die, but it’s a shame about my cheap sister—she was truly pitiful."
Xia Mu frowned, disgusted just thinking about the absurd things the original family in the book had done.
"Oh my, how could they treat their own biological daughter like that? They’re truly despicable! If I had ever had a daughter, I would’ve been heartbroken if she so much as fell and got hurt. How could parents be so cruel?!"
Xia Zhiguo slammed the table in anger, his blood boiling just from hearing about it.
As if he thought his father wasn’t angry enough, Xia Mu chimed in repeatedly.
"Exactly! The girl was a genius archer who won a national championship in her teens. In any other family, wouldn’t she be treasured like a gem? But when they found out she wasn’t their biological child, her adoptive parents didn’t want her, and her biological parents looked down on her for not being as wealthy as their adopted daughter. After the Apocalypse, her adoptive parents used her to go out and search for supplies, while her biological parents thought it was the adopted daughter who had the ability and did everything they could to bully her. They crippled her hands and sold her off. If it weren’t for these two families ganging up on her, with her abilities, the girl could’ve thrived no matter what."
While reading the book, what Xia Mu found most regrettable was the original family’s sister. She was clearly a good person—loyal, righteous, and exceptionally capable—but because she met the wrong people and was trapped by familial bonds, she met a tragic end.
As for one of the so-called female leads, Lu Zhaozhao, with her hypocritical, scheming personality, she felt that the cannon fodder sister going out to find supplies for them was just a way to steal the family’s attention, so she resented her.
She complained to the male lead, saying things like, "Even though I have a spatial ability, at home, I still can’t compare to the sister who brings back supplies," without ever considering who it was that provided their food and drink.
In the end, when she found out the cannon fodder sister had died because of her, she shed a few tears and said she just didn’t like the sister but never meant for her to die, as if that somehow showcased her profound kindness?
Xia Mu couldn’t see any of that.
"No way. Such a wonderful girl can’t be allowed to suffer like that. We’ll go pick up our daughter right away. I’ve always wanted a daughter anyway. If it weren’t for the family planning policy, I would’ve had one long ago. The fact that I ended up here and gained a daughter for free proves that she and I are meant to be mother and daughter. Once we bring her back, we’ll treat her like our own and make sure she never suffers any injustice."
The more Fu Ying listened, the more her heart ached, and she resolved to rescue her daughter from this living hell.
At that moment, Xia Nuan finally found her way home. After ringing the doorbell and waiting for what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened.
Her body grew increasingly feverish, and Xia Nuan felt as though she were burning up. When she saw the family of three standing neatly at the doorway, curiously looking at her, she finally broke into a heartfelt smile.
"Mom, Dad, Brother, I'm home."
I’ve finally reunited with you all.
Perhaps it was because she had finally laid eyes on the people she had longed for, but her tightly wound nerves suddenly relaxed, and the exhaustion and discomfort that had been building up in her body intensified. Unable to hold on any longer, she collapsed forward.
The three of them scrambled to catch Xia Nuan. Fu Ying reached out to feel her forehead and was immediately alarmed.
"Oh my! How did she get such a high fever? Son, hurry and help your sister inside. Old Xia, go get the rubbing alcohol and fever medicine right away."
Fu Ying methodically directed the two men in the household, then hurried into the kitchen to fetch ginger and start brewing a soup.
Though physically drained, Xia Nuan remained conscious. Hazily watching her family’s flustered and anxious movements, her heart grew heavy, and her eyes involuntarily welled up with tears.
In her previous life, misled by Lu Zhaozhao, she had missed out on so much time with her family.
Heaven had shown mercy, allowing her to be reborn and reunite with her loved ones.
It was truly wonderful.
After drinking a warm bowl of ginger soup, Xia Nuan felt a comforting warmth spread through her body. Having taken the fever medicine, she drifted in and out of consciousness, always aware of her mother gently wiping her down.
After a long, restless night, she opened her eyes again, the discomfort in her body finally gone.
Her mother was sitting by her bedside, and the dark circles under Fu Ying’s eyes made it clear she had likely stayed up all night caring for her.
"You’re awake, sweetheart? How are you feeling? Any discomfort left? Oh, you have no idea—when you came home yesterday, your temperature was almost 40 degrees. How could you let yourself get so sick without going to the hospital?"
Listening to her mother’s fussing, Xia Nuan felt deeply comforted.
She smiled faintly, thought for a moment, and then tentatively said, "Lu Zhaozhao accused me of deliberately breaking her things. My adoptive father punished me by making me kneel outside in the rain, saying I couldn’t come back inside until I admitted I was wrong."
After speaking, Xia Nuan kept her eyes fixed on her mother’s expression, afraid to miss even the slightest change.
Seeing her mother’s brow gradually furrow, Xia Nuan couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
After years of being manipulated, she still instinctively believed that everyone would take Lu Zhaozhao’s side.
She feared that the bond she had built with her family wouldn’t compare to blood ties, and that when it came to Lu Zhaozhao, her birth parents might make the same choices as her adoptive parents.
"What? They made you kneel in the rain as punishment? How could they be so unreasonable? Ugh! A bunch of heartless, rotten people—how could they treat someone else’s daughter like that? And that Lu Zhaozhao is no good either, always spouting nonsense without a second thought."
Fu Ying clenched her fists in righteous indignation.
Their family had retained the memories of their original selves after crossing over. In those memories, the adopted daughter Lu Zhaozhao had always been fond of making false accusations against her brother to win favor.
Lu Zhaozhao was sweet-tongued and knew how to act cute, while the original Xia Mu was quiet and reserved. As a result, the original parents had favored their daughter, sometimes punishing their son without question, as if they were blind to the truth.
But before crossing over, Fu Ying had been a seasoned teacher who had taught countless children. With just a glance, she could understand what a child was thinking. After processing the memories, she already had an extremely poor impression of Lu Zhaozhao.
Moreover, due to pity for Xia Nuan's experiences in the original story, she felt an even deeper loathing for Lu Zhaozhao.
"No, I have to go and demand an explanation from them. My daughter can't be bullied for nothing!"
Fu Ying said, getting up as if she were about to go to the Lu family to settle the score.
Xia Nuan had only wanted to test her mother's feelings, not actually cause trouble.
Dealing with the Lu family wasn't urgent at the moment; the most important thing right now was to prepare for the Apocalypse.
"Hey! Mom, wait a moment. I have something more important to tell you!"