The relentless June rains left the branches sodden, the ground shimmering with a film of water.
Bai Yu was covered in grime, helping her grandmother plant radishes in the village, when she was unexpectedly told she was the long-lost daughter of the wealthy Bai Family from Jing City—a girl who had been missing for over a decade.
And so, clutching a woven plastic bag, she stepped into the luxury villa district for the very first time.
The trope of a commoner girl suddenly finding herself a princess felt far too melodramatic for her own life. However, when Bai Yu heard the tearful, wailing exchange coming from the villa’s rooftop, she realized that it was the world itself that was overdramatic.
"Mom, now that the real daughter has been found, I have no face left to stay in this home. I can never repay ten years of upbringing, so I might as well end my life to atone for my existence."
"Jiaojiao, you must not jump! You are the daughter I raised with such tenderness; how could I ever cast you out? Even if that girl from the village comes back, you are still our daughter."
"But Mom, you will surely treat her better than me from now on. I can't accept that—I’d rather die."
"That will never happen! In my heart, you are my only daughter!"
"Mom..."
"Jiaojiao, you have been brilliant since you were a child. You are the pride of the Bai Family. How could I ever abandon you for some wild girl from the village?"
The elegant woman with her hair in a chignon was Liu Qing. Dressed in a velvet dress, she hugged her daughter, who stood teetering on the edge of the roof, tears streaming down her face.
Just as the mother-daughter drama reached its peak, a crisp "crunch-crunch" sound echoed from downstairs.
A young girl stood there in a pair of faded, washed-out jeans and a plain white T-shirt. She carried a cheap, few-dollar woven bag over her shoulder and was munching on a raw carrot as she looked up.
Seeing that the performance on the balcony had paused on account of her presence, Bai Yu offered a naive, goofy smile and waved. "I had a long walk and got hungry, so I ate a carrot. Please, carry on, do carry on."
Something shifted inside her woven bag, and a fluffy, large orange cat’s head poked out.
"Meow~" The orange cat let out a yawn and rubbed its head against Bai Yu’s arm.
"Daju, I’m telling you, even though this house is wealthy, they don't look like pleasant people. There's a good chance neither of us will be allowed at the table for dinner."
"Meow~"
"But don't you worry. As long as I have a bite to eat, I’ll make sure you have a bowl to lick."
The orange cat rolled its eyes and retreated back into the bag to continue its nap.
When Bai Yu placed her woven bag on the living room coffee table, Liu Qing gave a light cough, and the girl immediately shifted the bag to the floor.
In the living room, aside from the sobbing Bai Yujiao and Liu Qing, there sat a man with a dark, grim expression.
*Is that my cheap excuse for a father, Bai Jianshu?* Bai Yu thought to herself.
The atmosphere was heavy. Bai Yu remembered what her grandmother had said: be open and confident, and don't let people look down on you just because you grew up in a village.
"Uh... nice to meet you. I didn't bring anything valuable. These are just some carrots we grew ourselves. They’re huge and juicy—have a taste."
The girl pulled a plastic bag out of her woven one. It was filled with carrots still dusted with a bit of soil, which she placed brightly onto the coffee table.
Bai Yujiao covered her nose and mouth with her hand, looking at the bag of carrots with utter disgust.
When the elegant mother saw them, her already furrowed brow deepened into something that could only be described as the Great Rift Valley.
"So dirty! How much bacteria could be on those? Get them out of here at once! Jiaojiao has been delicate since she was small; everything she uses is disinfected daily. People from the village really have no class. How are you fit to be a daughter of my Bai Family?"
Before Bai Yu could even reach for them, a bloated nanny lunged forward, grabbed the bag of carrots, and tossed them out the door. She then whipped a bottle of alcohol from her pocket and scrubbed the coffee table until it gleamed.
"Hey?" The girl tried to stop her, but it was too late. She clenched her hands in anger.
Those were the ones her grandmother had specifically asked her to bring.
"Since you’re in our house now, stop wearing such rags. The Bai Family is a prominent medical dynasty in Jing City, after all. Don't go embarrassing us."
"Mom, Dad, now that my sister is back, she can have my room. I’ll move into the guest room," Bai Yujiao said, her eyes red and her voice raspy from sobbing. Her words sounded so obedient and aggrieved, it was enough to break one’s heart.
Sure enough, Liu Qing’s eyes reddened again. "Jiaojiao, you keep your room. That wild girl from the village can just stay in the guest room."
"Meow~" Just as the tension became unbearable, the large orange cat crawled out of the bag.
"How is there a beast in here?! Get it out of here at once!" the grim-faced father bellowed in a booming voice, giving both Bai Yu and Daju a massive fright.
"This is my cat. I bathe it several times a month; it’s very clean." Seeing the nanny crudely grabbing the cat by the scruff of its neck, Bai Yu hurried to snatch it back.
"Cough, cough, cough... Mom, I feel like I can't breathe..." Bai Yujiao began wheezing, causing Liu Qing’s face to turn pale with worry. She immediately barked, "Get that stray cat out of here! Jiaojiao is allergic to animal fur!"
"I won't!" Bai Yu pulled the orange cat back to her chest.
"If you insist on keeping that beast, then get out and live on the streets!" Bai Jianshu roared.
"Meow~" The orange cat wailed as its neck was tugged painfully. Bai Yu held her fur-baby close, her heart aching.
She looked at the hypocritical, ugly faces of this family. "If I didn't know better, I’d think you were remnants of some old, backwards society. Has your brain been taken over by parasites?"
"You see germs everywhere. There’s bacteria in your eyes, and your hearts are filled with nothing but rot."
"You’re all just a family of bacteria! I don't even want to acknowledge parents like you!"
If it weren't for her grandmother’s failing health, she wouldn't have rushed here to reconnect. She had thought that since the Bai Family was wealthy, they might at least provide some money for her grandmother’s treatment.
But right now, Bai Yu completely discarded that notion; she just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Watching Bai Yu rant, Bai Yujiao suppressed the gleam of triumph in her eyes and stepped forward, feigning the role of a peacemaker. "Sister, we’ve finally found you, please don't be like this over a cat—ah!"
The orange cat loathed the pungent scent of perfume on this woman. As soon as she got close, the cat’s claws struck out in a flurry, hissing in warning.
"Jiaojiao! Oh, my poor Jiaojiao! Let Mom see—you’re bleeding! Nurse Liu, get the first-aid kit! Call an ambulance, get her to the hospital!"
"Take your beast and get out!" Bai Jianshu saw Bai Yujiao’s injury and slammed the table, ordering them out.
Bai Yu didn't hesitate for a second. She grabbed her woven bag and headed for the door.
As she stepped outside, the phone in her pocket buzzed incessantly.
She walked away, fuming, and reflexively pulled out her phone, only to discover that a "Animal Chat Group" had been added to her WeChat at some point.
The one speaking in the group was an orange cat.
Bai Yu looked at the profile picture—it was identical to her Daju.
*Orange Cat: I am the hegemon of Xiangyun Village, and these people actually treat me like a common beast!*
*Orange Cat: Human, don't worry. As long as I’m here, I’ll never let you go hungry. I can catch mice for you to eat.*
*Orange Cat: Human, you’re so pitiful, having no home to go to. But it’s okay, I’ll find you a new home that’s even richer.*
"Daju? Is that you talking? Daju?" Bai Yu looked at her phone, then at the orange cat tucked under her arm.
Under the girl's astonished and expectant gaze, the phone trembled again.
*Orange Cat: Human, you can finally understand me. Looks like you’ve grown up.*