1 – Don’t bully them
The green train crawled slowly along the tracks.
These days, green trains were rare, found only in underdeveloped areas where a few outdated models served as the main means of transportation, helping people from small towns reach big cities.
This green train had departed from a small coastal fishing village, bound for City A, the provincial capital.
In the height of summer, the carriage was cooled by large electric fans.
“Tongtong, someone will pick us up when we get off. Once we’re home, just treat it like a vacation and enjoy yourself. I’ve looked into the Ye family—they’re real estate tycoons in City A, doing quite well with a decent amount of assets. You’re going back to live as a young lady, a good life awaits you.”
In carriage 18, a man and a woman sat facing each other. Aside from them, the carriage was empty.
“Don’t blame anyone for what happened back then. It was a natural disaster, nothing could be done. Your mother’s passing wasn’t their fault. They’ve been searching for you for years. Once you’re home, make sure to build good relationships with your family.”
“I also found out that your father remarried. Your stepmother has a good temper and treats your two older brothers as if they were her own. She seems like a kind woman. Don’t let those stories online about cruel stepmothers abusing children get to you—there aren’t that many bad women in the world. Whatever you do, don’t bully her.”
“Oh, and I heard she brought a daughter with her when she married. She should be around your age. When you go back, don’t bully her either. Try to be friends. You’re still young—spend more time with people your own age and stop hanging out with those old-timers. They’re a bad influence on you.”
“Your grandparents are getting old too, so definitely don’t bully them!”
“As for your brothers, well, I won’t say much. They’re your own flesh and blood, tough-skinned anyway. If you bully them a little, it’s fine.”
“Once you’re back, just live as an ordinary person. Don’t get involved in anything else.”
A balding man in an old polo shirt and leather slippers lectured tirelessly, but the girl sitting across from him was slumped on the sofa, dozing off, her eyelids fluttering open and shut as if she were about to fall asleep.
The girl was strikingly beautiful, clean and fresh, wearing no makeup yet radiating an indescribable, dewy vitality—as if she were truly made of water.
But her posture was far from proper. With one leg tucked under her, she sprawled lazily against the green sofa behind her, one hand propping up her head, the other resting on her knee. Though she was a vibrant young girl, she exuded the seasoned, roguish air of an old hand.
Dong Qi was used to her boss-like demeanor.
And what he kept emphasizing was: don’t bully them.
“Tongtong, at least try to rein it in a bit when you go home. Your family is a respectable, well-known household. Your mother was the eldest daughter of the Song family in the capital. It doesn’t look good for you to act like this.”
“Alright, shut up!” Finally responding to the nagging, the girl yawned and stretched lazily. Sunlight streamed through the large window, bleaching the air white and illuminating her figure as if she were glowing.
Tiny specks of dust floated in the air. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she opened them fully, her amber pupils gleaming transparently in the sunlight.
But her gaze held none of the clear, vibrant energy typical of a girl her age. Instead, it was filled with lazy roguishness and a hidden, tiger-like arrogance—a disdain that seemed to look down upon the world.
It was an innate, domineering aura that, even when concealed, could not be fully suppressed.
After Ye Yuntong finished speaking, the old man opposite her obediently shut his mouth. Dong Qi still wanted to mutter a few more words, but Ye Yuntong lazily glanced at him, the corner of her mouth curling as she uttered, “C-357!”