Finally, Lu Zhaozhao revealed her true purpose for coming.
Xia Nuan stared at her intently, her eyes dark and unreadable.
Why was Lu Zhaozhao so determined to snatch the bracelet away? Could it be that she already knew the secret of the Space?
No, probably not.
If she really knew, she would have already performed the blood-binding ritual, and it wouldn’t have been possible for Xia Nuan to reclaim it.
But if Lu Zhaozhao knew nothing, why was she so persistent?
The bracelet looked utterly ordinary from the outside, no different from cheap trinkets sold at roadside stalls.
It wasn’t quite iron, nor was it silver—completely worthless.
Why was Lu Zhaozhao willing to stand here and endure such harsh words just to insist on getting the bracelet?
Could it be that she was also a Rebirth?
Xia Nuan narrowed her eyes slightly, her mind filled with various conjectures.
But even if Lu Zhaozhao was a Rebirth like her, it didn’t matter.
In her previous life, she had been brainwashed so thoroughly that she willingly allowed the Lu family to exploit her like a beast of burden.
In this life, she had already seen their true colors and would never be deceived again.
After the Apocalypse, the Lu family had used both soft and hard tactics to coax her, knowing full well that the entire family relied on her to venture out and find supplies for survival.
A bunch of cowards who only dared to hide at home, they only dared to harm her when she was severely injured and unable to move.
Even if Lu Zhaozhao was a Rebirth, so what?
If they dared to get tough, she had plenty of ways to ensure they never saw the light of another day.
“The bracelet you mentioned is probably the token of love between me and my husband. That item holds extraordinary meaning for me, and I always intended to pass it down to my own child. You’re not my child, so why should I give it to you? Earlier, you said you liked it and asked to borrow it for a few days before returning it. But from what you’re saying, if Nuan Nuan hadn’t asked for it back, you wouldn’t have planned to return it at all? Borrowing something and refusing to return it, taking matters into your own hands—how is that any different from a deadbeat?”
Fu Ying recalled the pure silver bracelet from her memory and immediately frowned.
Even if her own biological children borrowed something from her, they couldn’t just keep it without returning it.
The word “borrow” inherently carries a promise. No matter how close the relationship, it’s no excuse to break one’s word.
This Lu Zhaozhao—once she borrowed something, did she really think it belonged to her?
Ridiculous.
As for their Nuan Nuan, she wasn’t “snatching” it away—she was simply reclaiming what was rightfully hers.
“Auntie, I didn’t… I wanted to tell you earlier, but before I could, my sister took the bracelet back. I’ve lived with you for over twenty years and called you ‘Mom’ for over twenty years. In my heart, you are my mother. How am I not your child?”
This time, Lu Zhaozhao was genuinely hurt.
Although the Xia family couldn’t provide her with a life of luxury, they had never let her suffer even the slightest grievance.
Her adoptive mother had doted on her to the core, even speaking too loudly for fear of startling her.
Today, not only were her words harsh, but their underlying meaning was to completely sever ties with her.
It was all because of that bitch Xia Nuan!
Ever since Xia Nuan returned home, her adoptive mother had treated her so poorly.
Xia Nuan must have said something. Why didn’t that bitch just die!
The venomous resentment in Lu Zhaozhao’s eyes was crystal clear to Xia Nuan.
Being hated by Lu Zhaozhao was nothing new—she had long grown immune to such looks.
Leaning lazily against the doorframe, Xia Nuan shattered the other’s delusions with a soft whisper.
"The bracelet? I already threw it away. Anything you've touched disgusts me, but I didn't want to give it back to you either. I tossed it in the trash on my way out. If you want it, go dig through the garbage yourself."
"You threw it away? How could you throw it away? That was Mom and Dad's love token, it's really important!"
Lu Zhaozhao's voice unconsciously rose several pitches, her sweet and serene image completely shattered. Beyond shock, there was an uncontrollable anger.
"So what if I threw it away? It wasn't worth much anyway. If my daughter likes it, I can buy her eight or ten to play with and toss around. Why are you making such a fuss? It's not like I threw away your stuff."
Fu Ying's repeated stance completely broke Lu Zhaozhao's composure.
Didn't she just say the bracelet was important and meant to be passed down to the next generation?
How could it suddenly become something to toss around for fun?
Even changing faces isn't this fast!
"But… you just said the bracelet was important?!"
"Nothing is more important than my daughter! As long as my Nuan is happy, what does it matter if it's thrown away? I don't have time to argue with you. Go back to your own home. If you want the bracelet, check the trash. My daughter just recovered from an illness, don't disturb her rest."
Fu Ying pushed Lu Zhaozhao back a step.
Creating just enough space to close the door, before the other could react, she decisively slammed it shut.
No matter how much Lu Zhaozhao knocked afterward, she was completely ignored.
"Mom, you're not mad at me for throwing the bracelet away?"
Xia Nuan looked at her mother's unchanged expression and asked softly.
With her doll-like face, delicate features and petite frame, round bright eyes, and having shed her cold exterior, she resembled a little kitten rolling over to show its belly while acting cute—looking soft, adorable, and easy to bully.
Fu Ying completely forgot how fiercely Xia Nuan had confronted Lu Zhaozhao earlier, only feeling that her daughter was the cutest girl in the whole world.
"How could Mom be mad at you? If you threw it away, so be it. It wasn't worth much anyway. Go back and rest now, you just recovered and need to recuperate properly."
Xia Nuan hadn't yet realized that Fu Ying already saw her as a soft, adorable, and easily bullied little thing.
In her heart, she only felt how wonderful her mother was, strengthening her resolve to protect her family and ensure they lived well through the Apocalypse.
Back in her room, Xia Nuan lay in bed but couldn't stay idle.
Since she couldn't go out anyway, she might as well work in her Space and level it up.
With a thought, the scene before her instantly transformed.
The fields were lush and green, a sight that lifted the spirits.
Xia Nuan walked to the wooden signboard and sold yesterday's harvested wheat to the marketplace.
The seeds bought for ten Gold Coins yielded twenty Gold Coins upon harvest and sale.
She bought another batch of wheat seeds, waited two minutes for them to mature, sold them immediately, and continued planting.
The mechanical, repetitive back-and-forth labor was tedious and boring, but Xia Nuan was full of drive.
The hard work now was for a better life in the future. If she had such a big Golden Finger and still lazed around, she'd truly deserve to starve.
After working nonstop for a full hour and a half, Xia Nuan earned four hundred Gold Coins.
When she returned to the wooden signboard for the last time to sell the wheat, she noticed several previously grayed-out icons had now unlocked.
"Five more farm plots can be cleared for free. New seeds added: carrots, corn… and a cowshed and warehouse!"
Xia Nuan's eyes suddenly lit up.
Only the warehouse in the Space could store items. With two hundred floors up and down, the ten-meter-tall warehouse looked large, but in actual use, it felt incredibly cramped.
Not only did she need to store supplies bought from outside, but also the produce from the Space. No matter how she thought about it, it would only be barely enough.
Now she could add another warehouse, which meant she could stockpile more goods and have greater security in the future.
How could she not be happy?
"Cowshed: 360 Gold Coins, Warehouse: 250 Gold Coins…"
Xia Nuan stared at the two unlocked building icons, feeling torn.
In the end, she chose the cowshed first.
The warehouse wasn’t urgent—she could work another hour later, and the money for the warehouse would come easily.
She was more curious about what the cowshed would be like. If the Space could raise live animals, she could become self-sufficient in the future, achieving an ecological cycle on the farm.
That would truly mean never worrying about food or drink.
She clicked to purchase, and the drawing on the wooden board dispersed like mist, then condensed again into a bird’s-eye view of the farm.
Apart from the currently accessible area, everything around was shrouded in fog.
[Please select the location for the cowshed.]
Following the text prompt, Xia Nuan chose to place the cowshed next to the farmland.
After clicking confirm, a brick building suddenly rose from the ground, and the cowshed was instantly completed.
The sound of cows mooing came from inside the brick building. She hadn’t expected it to come with live animals right from the start. Xia Nuan couldn’t wait to rush over and check.
Entering the brick building, Xia Nuan’s first sight was three robust black-and-white spotted cows.
Unlike the plain exterior, the interior of the cowshed was incredibly high-tech and futuristic.
The roof was made of metal pipes connected to an automatic milking machine at the entrance, which collected milk at regular intervals, bottled it directly, and sent it to the warehouse. The feeding and watering troughs had automatic refilling functions, and there were also automatic cleaning and manure recycling systems.
It made efficient use of all resources, with fully automated management for raising livestock.
Xia Nuan couldn’t help but sincerely marvel.
This Space is truly amazing!