At the Li household at this moment.
A girl wearing a white dress with two braided pigtails sat nervously on the sofa.
While secretly observing the villa’s decor, she stole glances at the young man sitting opposite her on the sofa.
The young man, who was intently focused on sending messages on his phone, noticed the girl’s gaze and couldn’t help but curl his lips in disdain.
He was the eldest son of the Li family—Li Qing. Li Qing was three years older than Li Ran and had just started his sophomore year at the most prestigious business school in the country. While other children were still babbling, Li Qing had already been accompanying Father Li at the company.
Others might not envy the current scale of the Li family’s business, but they would certainly envy Li Qing’s innate talent for commerce. Some had even predicted that under Li Qing’s leadership, the Li family would reach new heights in the coming decades.
However, what no one outside the Li family knew was that Li Qing was an absolute doting brother!
When he was young, Father Li once asked him about his dreams. After blinking his big eyes and thinking for a long time, he replied very seriously to Father Li.
“Dad, I want to be like you—work hard, make my sister the little princess of our family, protect her forever, and keep her happy every day.”
Hearing this, Father Li laughed heartily, ruffled Li Qing’s little head, and bought him the toy truck he had wanted for so long—the kind that could actually be driven.
Later, Li Qing would place Li Ran in the truck bed and drive around the villa area, making other children cry and clamor for a toy truck and a sister in the truck bed.
While toy trucks were easy to buy, a sister like the one in the truck bed was rare. After all, even as a child, Li Ran had the soul of a teenage girl, making her far more endearing than other children who only cried and made a fuss.
Back then, what made Li Qing the most enviable wasn’t his family’s wealth or his excellent academic performance—it was having an adorable and sweet younger sister.
Later, despite being the Zhuangyuan (Top Scholar) of Jing Province, Li Qing chose the university closest to home. Not only was its business school ranked first in the country, but it also allowed him to see his sister frequently and prevent any bad boys from bullying her in his absence.
So when Father Li told Li Qing that Li Ran was not his biological sister, Li Qing was furious.
In his eyes, Li Ran was his sister—whether by blood or not, she was his dearest sister. If Father Li wanted to send Li Ran back to her original family for the sake of this so-called biological daughter, then Li Qing would definitely leave with his sister.
“Dad! If you’re going to send Xiao Ran back, then send me away too! Wherever Xiao Ran goes, I go! If you’re willing to abandon the daughter you raised for sixteen years, then don’t keep the son you raised for nineteen years either!”
Father Li angrily slammed the table. “You brat, when did I ever say I was sending Xiao Ran away!
Not to mention that Xiao Ran’s biological parents have passed away, even if they were still alive, no one could take my precious daughter away from me!
The reason I’m telling you about Xiaoxin today is to give you a heads-up. Don’t bully her when she comes to our house. Xiaoxin has had a very difficult life these past ten-plus years.
Her adoptive parents—oh, that is, Xiao Ran’s biological parents—were both heavy gamblers. Moreover, her adoptive father was extremely violent when drunk and often beat Xiaoxin and her adoptive mother…”
“Ah, the first time I saw Xiaoxin, the injuries on that child’s body made my heart ache just looking at them.”
Hearing this, Li Qing couldn’t help but feel a bit fearful. “It’s a good thing Xiao Ran didn’t grow up in that family. If anyone dared to lay a hand on Xiao Ran, I’d fight them to the death. But, Dad, how did you recognize this child?”
Father Li unconsciously furrowed his brow. “You’ll understand when you see her. She looks exactly like your mother. My secretary saw her sitting outside our company building and specifically took a photo to show me. Xiaoxin and your mother when she was young are like two peas in a pod.”
Li Qing scoffed disdainfully. “Isn’t that too much of a coincidence, Dad? Don’t you find it suspicious?”
“What trouble could a little girl possibly stir up? Besides, she’s still my flesh and blood. I can’t just leave her out there on her own. She’ll come to our house this afternoon. Make sure to treat her well. She’ll stay in the room next to Xiao Ran’s. Don’t bully her, understand? I need to go pick up your mother first, then we’ll go together to pick up Xiao Ran from school and explain things to her so she doesn’t overthink it.”
After finishing his conversation with Li Qing, Father Li drove to the university where Mother Li taught to pick her up.
So, at this moment, the Li household only had Li Xin, who had just dragged her suitcase inside, and Li Qing, who was sitting on the sofa sending WeChat messages to Li Ran, aside from the servants.
Li Xin was her original name, and she very much hoped that from now on, she could change her surname to Li—whether it was Li Xin or something else, she believed this surname alone was prestigious enough.
Li Xin looked at the young man across from her, who was playing on his phone without sparing her a single glance. She cleared her throat.
“Are you my brother?” She knew her voice was pleasant—no man could dislike it.
But Li Qing didn’t even look at her. Right now, he only wanted to know why his dear little sister wasn’t replying to his WeChat messages.
“You’re Li Qing, right? You’re my brother, aren’t you? Dad said I have a brother.” Li Xin tried to make her voice sound even softer and more delicate.
Before Li Qing could respond, his phone rang. On the screen were the words “Precious Little Sister.”
Li Qing hurriedly answered the call, his expression softening considerably, which made Li Xin clench her fingers tightly.
“Xiao Ran, why did you take so long to reply? Mom and Dad went to pick you up from school. Don’t wander off after school—come back with Mom and Dad!”
At that moment, Li Ran had just finished her shaved ice, calmly picked up a napkin to wipe her hands, and then spoke the words she had prepared long ago to the person on the other end of the phone.
“Brother, will Mom and Dad still come to pick me up? Does Xiao Ran no longer have a home? I can’t bear to leave Mom and Dad, I can’t bear to leave you, brother. Sob, sob, brother, Xiao Ran misses you so much.”
Listening to his sister’s tearful words over the phone, Li Qing felt as though his heart had been carried away by her cries.
He quickly explained to Li Ran, “What are you talking about, Xiao Ran! You’ll always be the little princess of the Li family. Why do I hear car sounds near you? Aren’t you at school? Where are you? I’ll come pick you up and bring you home!”
“Brother, does Xiao Ran still have a home? Where can Xiao Ran go?” After saying this, Li Ran decisively hung up the phone.
“Beep, beep, beep…” Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Li Qing grabbed the car keys from the table and rushed out.
Completely unaware that Li Xin, seated on the sofa, was clenching her fists so tightly that the hatred in her eyes seemed almost tangible.
“Li Ran? Hah, you phoenix wannabe squatting in another’s nest—I will make sure you get kicked out of the Li family!”