“The rain stopped.
A pale white glow spread along the horizon.
Morning on Seagull Island carried a fresh, salty scent.
The life-and-death struggle from last night felt like a dream—
but the atmosphere in the courtyard
had completely changed.
Lu Xiangnan woke the earliest.
She quietly mopped the main room floor three times.
Even the sofa legs were polished until they shone.
When she passed the master bedroom door,
she instinctively slowed her breathing—
afraid of waking the person inside.
That wasn’t just her sister-in-law.
That was the pillar of the house.
Creak—
The courtyard gate opened.
Sister Wang from next door peeked in with a basket, nosy as ever.
Last night’s storm had been fierce—
and she thought she heard crying and shouting from the Lu house.
Her excitement hadn’t faded.
Surely that delicate woman had clashed with that wolf-like boy!
How could she miss such drama?
“Oh, Xiangnan!”
She called out loudly, her face full of gossiping delight.
“What happened last night?”
“Sounded like someone didn’t want to live anymore!”
“Did your stepmother try to throw you out?”
She squeezed into the yard, eyes darting everywhere—
searching for signs of chaos.
Before Lu Xiangnan could reply—
a figure shot out like a cannon.
Lu Xiangbei.
With dark circles under his eyes, hair like a bird’s nest—
and an axe in his hand.
He stood at the gate—
his killing aura ten times stronger than before.
“Get lost.”
One word.
Simple.
Brutal.
Sister Wang flinched, stepping back.
“Hey! You brat!”
“Did you eat gunpowder?”
“I’m just checking on you!”
“Checking?”
Lu Xiangbei sneered, tossing the axe lightly in his hand.
His gaze cut like a blade.
“My family’s doing great.”
“We were celebrating last night.”
“Celebrating?” she blinked. “Celebrating what in the middle of the night?”
“Celebrating that I have the best sister-in-law in the world.”
He lifted his chin proudly.
That fierce loyalty stunned her.
Was this the same boy who wanted to bite her days ago?
Had he been bewitched?
“Stay away from my house if you value your life.”
He slammed the axe into the ground.
Thud!
A dent formed in the dirt.
“If anyone dares say one bad word about my sister-in-law—”
“I’ll sharpen my blade at their doorstep.”
“Every day.”
“Even at midnight.”
A chill ran down her spine.
This boy—
was serious.
“Crazy… your whole family’s crazy!”
She muttered as she hurried away—
twice as fast as she came.
Inside—
Su Ci turned over.
She had heard everything.
A satisfied smile curved her lips.
That was a good sleep.
So this was what it felt like to have loyal followers.
Not bad.
But peace wouldn’t last long.
Now that she had money—
and labor—
it was time for the next step.
Shouldn’t the rest of the island
learn about “Su’s rules”?
Her gaze drifted to the ceiling.
The points system came to mind.
Maybe—
it was time to expand it to the whole compound.
After all—
she needed a way to “cash in” the treasures in her space.
For example—
those premium seafood sauces she hadn’t used yet.
She touched her stomach.
Hungry.
If her “little wolf” was working hard—
maybe breakfast could be seafood porridge.
With abalone.
Her mood lifted.
The day—
was just beginning.
Early morning—
the air carried the sweet, damp scent of grass after rain.
The communal well was livelier than usual.
Lu Xiangnan crouched by the well, diligently washing clothes.
Her face was clean, her hair neatly tied with a floral cloth—
a completely different girl from before.
In her basin—
a striking piece of clothing shimmered in the sunlight.
Su Ci’s silk blouse.
She washed it with extreme care—
as if it were priceless treasure.
She felt delighted.
Three points for this task!
Plus two from peeling eggs earlier—
soon she’d earn enough
for a pair of city sneakers!
“Oh, isn’t this the Lu family’s second girl?”
A sharp voice cut through the morning.
Sister Wang again.
Her eyes swept over the blouse.
“Tsk tsk… got a stepmother, got a stepfather, huh?”
She sat down loudly.
“Only been a few days and she’s already making you work?”
“You’re a grown girl—why act like a servant to an outsider?”
“That blouse is worth more than your face! Where is she? Still sleeping?”
The nearby wives listened closely.
Lu Xiangnan paused.
Then looked up—
her once timid eyes now burning.
“Aunt Wang, who are you calling an outsider?”
She stood straight.
“That’s my sister-in-law.”
“Hah!” Sister Wang scoffed. “Looks more like an ancestor you serve!”
“She came here to follow her husband—not to live like a rich lady!”
“She does nothing all day while you serve her!”
Her voice grew louder.
“This is exploitation! It should be criticized!”
“You kids are being used!”
That word—
exploitation—
was dangerous.
The crowd’s expressions changed.
Lu Xiangnan’s face flushed red.
“You’re lying!”
She stood up, like a protective hen.
“I want to wash clothes for my sister-in-law!”
“I want to serve her!”
Her voice trembled—but rang loud.
“My sister-in-law is a fairy!”
“Her hands are for beauty—not scrubbing rags like ours!”
“And she’s not well! The doctor said she needs rest!”
“If she gets sick, will you take responsibility?!”
“And she’s not like some people—strong as an ox but useless, only gossiping all day!”
Her words fired like bullets.
Everyone was stunned.
Was this the same quiet girl?
Sister Wang turned red with rage.
“You little brat! Who are you calling an ox?!”
“I’m helping you!”
“What did she feed you? She’s just a fox spirit!”
Smack!
A sharp sound rang out.
Not a slap—
a muddy broom slammed into the bucket beside her.
Water splashed all over her pants.
Lu Xiangbei stood there—
eyes dark, face stormy.
Holding the broom upside down.
“You…”
His voice was cold.
“…say that again.”