"Mom, I've come back to see you. Where are Dad and Brother?"
Lu Zhaozhao's voice fell on Xia Nuan's ears, sickeningly sweet to the point of nausea.
She listened carefully to the commotion in the living room. Though she couldn't see Lu Zhaozhao's expression, just imagining it was enough to picture how fake the smile on the other's face must be at that moment.
"You should still call me Auntie. Now that the household registration and name have been changed, calling me Mom isn't really appropriate anymore. I have my own daughter—I don't need others calling me Mom."
"Pfft…"
Xia Nuan couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
Her mother's response, which showed no regard for Lu Zhaozhao's pride, gave her the joy of being firmly chosen and protected.
The gentle, sweet expression on Lu Zhaozhao's face nearly cracked, especially when she saw Xia Nuan leaning against the doorway with a mocking smile. She felt so ashamed and angry she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
A flash of resentment passed through her eyes. Hidden in her sleeves, her hands gradually clenched into fists. Lu Zhaozhao bit her lower lip tightly, tears welling up and spilling over.
Her feigned grievance held a hint of genuine emotion.
"Mom, are you blaming me for returning to my biological parents? But they are, after all, the ones who gave me life. I can't ignore the debt I owe them for bringing me into this world. Even though I've returned to the Lu family, I haven't forgotten the kindness you all showed me before. I was just too busy recently—there were so many things to handle after I first went back. I didn't mean to neglect visiting you. Mom, can you forgive me?"
Lu Zhaozhao truly lived up to the saying that women are made of water.
Her voice was soft and gentle, yet dignified. Every word seemed to yield ground, yet subtly elevated her own image.
"Returning to your own home was only natural. We never blamed you, so there's nothing to forgive. But making my own daughter kneel outside in the rain, ignoring her even when she was burning with fever and nearly unconscious—that's going too far. My daughter suffered so much, and it's clear she no longer wants to acknowledge them. Why should we still acknowledge you?"
Fu Ying curled her lip, completely unmoved by this act.
If it had been the original family from before, seeing Lu Zhaozhao like this, they would have forgiven her no matter what she had done wrong.
The original family had been close to Lu Zhaozhao. Though their affection was tinged with the desire to hold onto their wealthy adopted daughter, over twenty years of raising her hadn't been entirely without genuine feeling.
But now, the whole family had crossed over. Memories were just memories—these extra scenes that appeared out of nowhere were like watching a movie, impossible to truly empathize with.
Compared to the Lu Zhaozhao from their memories—full of sly schemes and lies—Fu Ying naturally preferred Xia Nuan, who was sincere and adorable, even sharing the secret of her Space with them.
Lu Zhaozhao didn't know how to explain herself.
The way Xia Nuan had left yesterday made whatever the Lu family had done seem excessive, no matter how you looked at it.
But thinking of her own goals, Lu Zhaozhao racked her brains, trying to find excuses.
"Mom—"
"Are Lu Jiancheng and Qiao Yu dead? Miss Lu, instead of acknowledging your own parents, you insist on randomly claiming relatives everywhere. Or perhaps Miss Lu has hearing problems and didn't catch what my mom just said about you changing how you address her?"
Xia Nuan found Lu Zhaozhao's repeated use of "Mom" grating.
She cut her off, the corners of her lips curling into a deeply sarcastic smile.
"Sister, why are your words so harsh? After all, Mom and Dad raised you for a while. You shouldn't go so far as to curse them to death! Yesterday, Dad punished you—it was a bit excessive, but you were at fault first. Besides, you didn't even tell Dad you had a fever. If he had known, he definitely wouldn't have ignored you."
To Xia Nuan, these words were no different from empty noise.
She couldn't be bothered to argue with Lu Zhaozhao about yesterday's events.
Debating with someone destined to lie and quibble would only be a waste of breath.
Before the Apocalypse arrived, Xia Nuan had no desire to see anyone from the Lu family again.
She feared she might lose control and end them prematurely.
"If you came to my house today just to spout this nonsense, you can turn around and leave right now. No one here welcomes you."
Xia Nuan spoke coldly, trying to drive her away, but Lu Zhaozhao paid no heed and turned to Fu Ying for help.
"I know my sister has a bad temper. I'm not angry that she speaks to me like this—I'm used to it at home. But Mom, I came today to see you, and I haven't even met Dad and Brother yet…"
"My daughter's meaning is my meaning. Did you really not hear what she said just now? I have my own biological daughter; there's no need for you to call me Mom."
Fu Ying couldn't understand why Lu Zhaozhao was being so unreasonable.
According to what her son had said about the book's plot they had transmigrated into, after Lu Zhaozhao returned to her biological parents, she avoided them like the plague, afraid they would cling to her. The original host never sought her out, and she never took the initiative to meet, let alone visit their home.
What on earth had gotten into her today?
Could it be that she still held a grudge against her daughter, thinking she hadn't bullied her enough before and had now chased her here to continue?
At this thought, Fu Ying's gaze toward Lu Zhaozhao grew wary.
This look nearly made Lu Zhaozhao choke on her breath.
Why had everything spiraled out of control since yesterday afternoon?
Her father, who had never spoken a harsh word to her before, not only took her bracelet and gave it to Xia Nuan but also scolded her.
Fu Ying, who had always been eager to curry favor with her and praised her endlessly, now seemed like a completely different person.
And then there was Xia Nuan, who used to be as silent as a clam.
Since yesterday afternoon, she had suddenly grown much bolder, and several times, the look in her eyes was as if she wanted to devour her—completely unlike before.
What had gone wrong? Why had so many people changed?
Lu Zhaozhao couldn't understand, but she knew that dwelling on it would only lead to the same old arguments.
She forced herself to calm down, suppressing the unease in her heart, and maintained a gentle smile.
"Mom… no, Auntie, I truly miss you all. Even though you no longer want to acknowledge me, I've always regarded you as my mother in my heart. It's fine if you don't want to see me anymore. After all, my sister just returned home and needs time to adjust, and you need to bond with her. I can stay away in the future and not disturb you. But Auntie… whenever I think that I won't be able to live with you anymore, that I can't openly call you Mom and Dad, and that I won't be able to see you often, I feel so sad, like I could cry."
"If possible, Auntie, could you give me something as a keepsake? Originally, I wanted to keep the bracelet you gave me as that memento, but yesterday, my sister… sigh. It's only natural that she resents me for stealing her privileged life. I can give up everything else to her, but that bracelet is my most cherished possession. Auntie, could you ask my sister to return it to me?"