The original single apartment had become a three-bedroom, one-living-room decorated apartment.
The room's curtains were tightly drawn, and the lights were on, making it impossible to tell if it was day or night. The clock on the wall showed 8 AM.
On the back wall of the living room hung a family photo, with the faces of the family members scratched out.
On the living room sofa sat a middle-aged couple, engrossed in watching television. However, the TV screen showed only static, nothing else.
On the balcony, an old woman sat in a wheelchair, her eyes closed.
Su Qingyu suddenly appeared in the living room, with Shuangxi standing silently behind her.
In her hand, a yellowed sticky note appeared.
【Welcome to Sweet Home, a happy big family. To ensure ordinary life continues, you must obey the following rules and play your role as the daughter well. If you violate them, you are responsible for the consequences.】
Sweet Home Rules （ Top ）
【1. Please remember, you are Mommy's good daughter. Mommy loves you so much. Love is not wrong, even if the method is not quite right.】
【2. Daddy has sacrificed a lot for this family. Do not refuse Daddy; Daddy is under a lot of pressure. If you refuse, you can act cute with Mommy.】
【3. You are a good child. Good children do not engage in early romance.】
【4. Pets are not allowed in the house. Mommy detests pets, especially cats.】
【5. Grandma needs to rest, do not disturb her.】
【6. You need to go online for class in the study room. Class time is from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM, and from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM. You must remain quiet during online classes. At other times, there is no study room in the house.】
【7. If you don't want to see them, you can enter the bedroom and lock the door from the inside; they will not disturb you.】
【8. Younger Brother is very mischievous. If Younger Brother disturbs Grandma, remember to stop him.】
Shuangxi looked at the note and reminded, "The rules have been polluted. Master must maintain clear cognition. If Master is severely polluted, I can help Master once."
Because someone was in the room, Su Qingyu did not speak, only nodding.
At this moment, the middle-aged couple turned their heads in unison, looking in Su Qingyu's direction.
Mom beckoned to her, "Precious daughter, there's still some time before online class. Come watch TV with Mommy."
Dad did not speak.
Based on the surface of the rules, it can be judged that Mom is less dangerous than Dad.
The sticky note read: Sweet Home Rules （ Top ）, which means there are also Rules （ Bottom ）.
Without the complete rules, one faces unknown danger.
Mom and Dad could only see Su Qingyu, as if they couldn't see Shuangxi.
Su Qingyu sat on the sofa watching TV, but the TV screen showed nothing.
Seeing Su Qingyu sit down, Mom smiled, while Dad frowned.
There was nothing on the TV.
Dad's expression became increasingly irritable.
Half an hour later, Su Qingyu stood up.
She said to her parents, "I have online class in an hour, so I'd like to go back to my bedroom to review yesterday's lessons."
Dad's furrowed brow relaxed, "Children should read more and watch less TV when they have free time.
Children who don't study have no future!
If your grades aren't good, it's better to have given birth to a steamed bun than a child!"
He became unusually agitated when he mentioned steamed buns.
Mom, on the other hand, said, "Don't get too tired from studying. Study hard when you study, and play happily when you play."
Su Qingyu obediently replied, "Mom and Dad are right."
There were three bedrooms in total: one gray, one pink, and one blue.
The gray room had a wedding photo of Mom and Dad.
The blue room contained skateboards and basketballs.
The pink room contained dolls.
Mom and Dad suddenly stood up, stopped watching TV, and walked from the living room towards the hallway leading to the bedrooms, staring intently at Su Qingyu.
Dad's eyes were pitch black as he asked, "Daughter, why aren't you going in to read? Do you want to watch TV? Are you being naughty! You just said you were going to read, did you lie to me?"
His voice grew louder and louder.
Entering the wrong bedroom meant "not wanting to read" and "deceiving."
Su Qingyu dared not act rashly and signaled Shuangxi to scout ahead.
Shuangxi entered the bedroom first, searched around inside, and then came out.
"The blue room's wardrobe is full of sportswear, there's a sanitary napkin in the basket, and the bedside table has photos of the daughter's athletic activities. This should be the daughter's room.
The pink room is filled with boys' clothes. Next to the dolls are notes entrusted by someone else for Younger Brother to deliver and greeting cards for Older Sister. This should be the son's room.
The gray room contains adult clothes; it should be Mom and Dad's room."
As Shuangxi spoke, both Mom and Dad's gazes focused on her.
They could see Shuangxi!
Su Qingyu decisively entered the blue room.
Outside, Dad's enraged voice quieted down.
Rule Seven.
【If you don't want to see them, you can enter the bedroom and lock the door from the inside; they will not disturb you.】
Su Qingyu said to the outside, "Mom and Dad, I'm reading in my room and have locked the door."
Dad did not speak.
Mom nodded at her.
This rule was correct; Su Qingyu locked the door from the inside.
She walked to the desk and opened a book, which was filled with incomprehensible scribbles.
After searching the room quietly for a moment, Su Qingyu found no rules.
She had to go to the study room for online class at 9:30 AM. The blue room only had an alarm clock, but its time still showed 8 AM.
She had just entered the instance, and the time displayed in the living room was 8 AM.
It was impossible that not a single minute had passed.
This time was clearly wrong!
Su Qingyu's scalp tingled for an instant.
If she went out now to check the time, she might be misunderstood by Dad as wanting to watch TV, which could enrage him.
If she didn't go out to check the time and missed the 9:30 AM online class, she would violate the rules.
Violating the rules could lead to pollution, or worse, a tragic death.
Su Qingyu recalled Mom and Dad's gazes from earlier and asked, "Shuangxi, can Mom and Dad see you?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't they look at you when you first appeared?"
Shuangxi stood rigidly by the desk, looking ancient and out of place in this room.
"I am not within their rules' range and have no connection to them. They noticed me because I helped Master."
"Will Mom and Dad attack you?"
"Within the scope of the rules, if they judge it necessary, they will attack me."
Su Qingyu lowered her eyes in thought. She hadn't burned many paper figurines, and each should have a different function.
Shuangxi had already helped her once. If she were to ask her to go to the living room to check the time again, it might draw Mom and Dad's attention.
Su Qingyu didn't know what would happen then.
Shuangxi was very useful, and this was not a critical moment, so there was no need to sacrifice Shuangxi.
Su Qingyu then remembered the Tribute Card.
She must have burned a paper Vacheron Constantin women's watch.
Tributes cannot be polluted, so the time on it must be accurate!
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