It was late at night.
Su Wanqing lay on the bed, eyes wide open.
That bundle of money and coupons felt heavy.
It gave her a sense of security, yet also made her uneasy.
The feeling was unreal, almost floating.
She closed her eyes, her mind in a tangled mess.
With these things, she could live well in the countryside, and the family’s hardships could ease a little.
But what was the point?
Her second brother’s fate had only been temporarily changed.
If she went to the countryside to take revenge on Lin Zhaodi, what would happen to her family back in Shanghai?
What about the enemies hiding in the shadows?
On her own, she was useless!
That invisible net would still be cast down.
Her father’s wrongful case.
Her mother’s tragic death.
Her brothers’ fates…
All of it wrapped around her tightly.
No.
If she just hid in the countryside and quietly grew stronger, it wouldn’t change anything.
She had to tell them!
Tell them about the blade hanging over their heads!
Even if they didn’t believe her!
Even if they thought she was crazy!
Su Wanqing suddenly sat up.
Yes.
She would use a “dream” as an excuse.
The next day.
Her eldest brother came home from work.
The family gathered for dinner.
The day for Su Wanqing to go to the countryside was getting closer.
The dining room was frighteningly quiet.
In the middle of the table sat the sponge cake she bought yesterday.
Golden and tempting.
No one touched it.
Shen Manyun was quietly crying again, Su Hongyuan smoked one cigarette after another, filling the room with choking smoke.
Her two brothers kept their heads down, poking at the plain rice in their bowls.
“Dad, Mom, big brother, second brother…”
Su Wanqing put down her chopsticks.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but everyone looked up.
Her face was pale, her lips bloodless, but her eyes were frighteningly bright.
“I have something to say.”
Her voice trembled.
“I’m afraid… I’m afraid if I say it, you’ll…”
Before she could finish, tears had already fallen.
Shen Manyun was alarmed.
“Tell us, baby. Your parents are here, don’t be afraid.”
She immediately put down her chopsticks and hugged Su Wanqing.
“Mom, I… I’ve been having a very strange dream lately.”
“A dream?” Su Hongyuan frowned.
“A very… terrifying dream. It felt real.”
She looked at her second brother, Su Muyang, and spoke word by word.
“I dreamed that less than half a year after you went to the countryside, you were set up by a bad woman in the village named Lin Zhaodi.”
“She… she tore her own clothes and framed you, forcing you to marry her. For the sake of the family’s reputation, you had no choice but to accept. But on your wedding day, she tampered with the vehicle, causing you to fall and break your leg… Then she got involved with other men and left you to fend for yourself.”
Su Muyang’s grip on his chopsticks tightened, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
So that was it.
That’s why his sister wanted to go to the countryside in his place!
“Little sister…”
Su Wanqing didn’t stop. She bit her lip hard and turned to her parents.
“After that, something happened to our family too. Dad was falsely accused of being part of the ‘black elements.’ Those people arrested you and big brother… you both died unjustly in prison…”
“Mom, you… while trying to protect us, were pushed by those people and hit your head against a pillar…”
She couldn’t go on. Tears streamed down her face.
Clatter!
The chopsticks fell from Shen Manyun’s hand. She covered her mouth to stop herself from crying out, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
“How could this happen… how could this happen!”
Su Hongyuan swayed slightly, his face ashen.
He wanted to comfort his wife, but his outstretched hand trembled uncontrollably.
“That’s enough, Qingqing. Don’t say any more!”
Su Mufeng pushed his glasses up, his eyes red behind the lenses.
“It’s just a dream.”
“It’s not a dream!”
Su Wanqing raised her voice sharply, filled with desperation.
“Big brother, it’s not a dream!”
She lifted her tearful eyes, looking at her family, her voice full of despair.
“Our whole family… was destroyed. Not one of us survived!”
Boom!
Her words exploded in the dining room, leaving everyone stunned.
Su Wanqing had held it in for too long.
She was afraid.
Afraid the same ending from her previous life would repeat, afraid she couldn’t protect her family alone.
Why?
Why was the Su family destined to be stepping stones?
She was so unwilling!
Her brothers should have had bright futures.
Her parents should have enjoyed a peaceful old age.
She should have found her own happiness.
All of it—gone!
The room fell into deathly silence, broken only by Su Wanqing’s sobbing and Shen Manyun’s growing cries.
Bang!
Su Muyang slammed his fist onto the table, making the dishes jump.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at his sister.
“Qingqing… what about you? In the dream… what happened to you?”
The question pierced straight into her heart.
She trembled, the suffocating despair of the cellar flooding back.
She hadn’t wanted to say it.
Didn’t want to cause them more pain.
But seeing the murderous look in her second brother’s eyes, she suddenly understood.
Only by tearing open the deepest wound could she truly wake them up!
“Second brother, do you remember… the cadre surnamed Lu I mentioned yesterday?”
Her voice trembled.
Su Muyang nodded heavily, his jaw clenched.
“It was his family!”
Her voice suddenly turned sharp.
“They had an only son, Lu Zhenting! It was him—together with Lin Zhaodi—who plotted against our family step by step!”
“After everything happened… after everyone died… only I was left.”
“Lu Zhenting locked me in a cellar, interrogating me about whether our family had any valuables hidden. He wanted to drain the last drop of blood from us!”
Her nails dug into her palms as she forced herself to continue.
“I didn’t say anything… so he… he strangled me to death!”
She left out the part about almost being assaulted.
Even so, it was enough to drive the entire family mad.
“Damn it!”
Su Muyang roared, kicking his chair over and rushing toward the kitchen.
“I’m going to kill those bastards right now!”
“Muyang, stop!”
Su Hongyuan shouted, but Su Muyang was already blinded by rage.
“Second brother!”
Su Mufeng reacted fastest, rushing forward and wrapping his arms around his brother’s waist from behind.
“Calm down! What can you do if you go now? Throw your life away too?!”
“Let me go! Big brother! Those animals destroyed our family! If I don’t kill them, I’ll never be able to live with it!”
Su Muyang struggled violently.
“You’re being ridiculous!”
Su Mufeng used all his strength to drag him back, veins bulging on his forehead.
“Is it worth sacrificing yourself for trash like them?!”
“Listen to me! The most important thing right now is not to fight!”
His voice was terrifyingly calm.
“Since Qingqing could ‘dream’ about all this in advance, it means we still have a chance!”
“We can guard against it! We can dismantle their schemes one by one! We can save ourselves!”
Su Muyang stopped struggling.
His brother’s words snapped him awake.
That’s right…
Nothing had happened yet.
His sister… had come back, bringing a warning.
He turned around, looking at his sister who was crying so hard she could barely breathe, and his parents slumped in their chairs. His chest ached.
“Big brother… what should we do?”
His voice was hoarse.
Su Mufeng helped him sit down, then walked to Su Wanqing, crouched beside her, and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
“Qingqing, don’t be afraid. Big brother is here.”
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over every family member. His face was filled with determination and cold resolve.
“Muyang, that ‘Hengtong Shipping’ Qingqing asked you to investigate—I’ll handle it.”
He adjusted his glasses, a glint flashing across the lenses.
“You’re not as meticulous and you’re too impulsive. It’s safer if I investigate. As for you, from now on, you have only one task: stay with your sister and prepare everything she’ll need for the countryside. Whatever she needs, buy it—no matter the cost!”
Su Wanqing lifted her tear-filled eyes, looking at her big brother like he was shining.
At that moment, the last bit of unease and fear in her heart disappeared.
Having family who trusted and protected her unconditionally felt so good.
“That’s right!”
Shen Manyun snapped out of her grief, wiping her tears and standing up with the support of the table, her eyes burning with resolve.
“Whether it’s a dream or not, our Su family must never end up like that again!”
Su Hongyuan stubbed out his cigarette and slammed the table. This usually steady man now spoke with overwhelming hatred and determination.
“In this life, none of our family will come to harm! Those who owe us—I’ll make them repay it a thousandfold!”
The oppressive atmosphere in the dining room vanished.
In its place was a fierce resolve and unity, like breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats.
In this life, they would defy fate!
Su Wanqing felt warmth in her heart—the feeling of being trusted unconditionally by her family was truly wonderful.