"Dad, it's all thanks to Xiao Jiu this time; otherwise, you never would have paid off those debts!" Li Yuan pursed her lips. "You can't go gambling anymore."
Gu Qinghuan sighed upon hearing this. "Actually... we've been keeping something from you. Your father wasn't gambling; he was swindled. A business partner talked him into an investment, and then... all the money was invested, and that partner just took the funds and ran."
Li Jiu pondered this for a moment. "Then why doesn't Dad handle the business himself?"
Li Cheng sighed. "It's not that simple. The business world is full of twists and turns. I don't have the experience, and without a professional to assist me, it's very easy to lose everything."
Li Jiu understood.
She returned to her room, took an unlabeled book from her schoolbag. The cover was plain white, with no author or publisher information—it looked like a generic, obscure product.
"Dad, I have a book on business here. It’s full of practical wisdom; you should take a look. It will be very helpful for starting a business."
Li Cheng took a glance, but accepted it in the end. This book... it didn't look like a business manual at all. He figured his youngest daughter had probably been scammed.
"Thank you, Xiao Jiu." Li Cheng kept a cheerful expression on his face.
"Dad, you must remember to read it. It's full of successful case studies. Once you finish it, you'll definitely have a new perspective," Li Jiu urged repeatedly. She knew the true value of this book; after all, she had edited it herself.
In her past life, she had given this book to her eldest brother, Chu Hao, which saved his near-bankrupt enterprise. Not only that, but after she joined his company to assist with business operations, it took only one year for the company to thrive and become one of the most influential firms in the capital.
Li Cheng nodded solemnly. "Alright, I'll listen to you."
"Our Xiao Jiu is so filial." Gu Qinghuan looked on with a gratified expression, then glanced at her husband.
Everyone knew the truth in their hearts: Xiao Jiu was far better than Chu Yunyun. Everyone had doted on Chu Yunyun, never expecting that they had raised a selfish and self-serving person.
"However..." Gu Qinghuan suddenly became serious. "Xiao Jiu shouldn't always be thinking of the family. Let's go shopping in a bit and buy her some clothes and daily necessities. Xiao Jiu is starting school soon, and these things must be bought in advance."
"Agreed." The three sisters nodded in unison, reaching a consensus on this point.
"I have a case that just came in; I need to return to my room." Li Xin’s phone rang, and she instantly turned serious, hurrying back to her room.
Li Jiu asked out of curiosity, "Is the second sister a lawyer?"
Li Yuan nodded with a smile. "Yes. Have you heard of Zhang Wei?"
Li Jiu blinked, instantly thinking of that internet meme about a "professional team."
"She’s at that level. Xin-xin is a marvel, truly. Even as a top student, she manages to lose every single lawsuit." Li Yuan kept an eye on the bedroom door as she spoke, her tone laced with faint helplessness.
Li Jiu nodded.
A lawyer. It was a perfect match.
In her past life, Chu Xi was also a lawyer. To please her third brother, she had studied law diligently and eventually helped Chu Xi win several major cases, earning him the title of an "undefeated lawyer."
"It's fine. Second Sister is working so hard; she will definitely succeed in the future!"
Because she was here now.
Li Yuan nodded. "She says the same thing."
"I'm off. I have a meeting to attend, heading back to the company." Li Yuan left in a flurry.
Gu Qinghuan was already used to it. Her three daughters were busy running around every day, yet it seemed... they had achieved little. Fortunately, she was an open-minded parent and wouldn't make things difficult for her children. She let them do as they pleased.
Li Jiu summarized the situation: the eldest sister, Li Yuan, worked at a small company with mediocre performance; the third sister, Li Wan, was a painter but never seemed to get any serious commissions, just playing around. It seemed the entire Li Family was living in a rather depressed state.
Li Jiu mused that she now shouldered a heavy responsibility.
"I’m going to go study, too," Li Jiu said, making up a quick excuse.
"Alright." Gu Qinghuan nodded, looking at her with doting eyes.
Once everyone had left, Gu Qinghuan caught her husband’s sleeve. "When can the situation at home... be made public?"
Li Cheng’s expression tightened. "The hostile forces are acting out quite brazenly right now. I’m worried that being too flashy will put our daughters in danger. Give it some time. Once I’ve dealt with it, we can also take this opportunity to properly understand what kind of person our youngest daughter really is."
"Alright, I'll listen to you." Gu Qinghuan agreed.
Li Cheng put on a smile and suddenly kissed Gu Qinghuan on the forehead. "It’s been hard on you, Qingqing. You could have lived a life of luxury, but instead, you suffered so much with me and had to pretend to be..."
Li Cheng looked at Gu Qinghuan’s legs.
Gu Qinghuan opened her arms. "Then, will you carry me back to our room?"
Gu Cheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he bent down and scooped her up. "Then I’ll have to properly repent tonight..."
...
The next morning, Li Jiu sat down with everyone for breakfast before heading to school.
It had to be said, the Li Family’s breakfast was truly extravagant. Even though they were poor, they didn't skimp on food at all—there was abalone for breakfast!
Li Jiu couldn't help but wonder... if they were spending most of their money on food.
As soon as Li Jiu arrived at school, she was surrounded by a group of boys dressed in colorful, gaudy clothes.
"Move," Li Jiu said, her voice cold as she kept her head down, a chilling glint in her eyes.
"Yo, looks like the rumors are true. People from the countryside are all violent thugs. But listen—now that you're in the capital, whether you're a demon or a monster, you'd better crawl for me!" the leader sneered viciously.
Li Jiu’s red lips curled. She lifted her head and scanned them.
It seemed... someone else wanted to die today.
"I heard you made the Chu heiress crawl on her knees around the playground yesterday. Today, we're going to make you run naked around the school!" The boy leered at Li Jiu, his eyes revealing other, darker intentions.
"You're not very tall, but you've got a big mouth. I hope your capabilities match your ambition," Li Jiu said in a calm, clear voice that possessed a maturity beyond her years.
The boys were momentarily stunned by her presence before they had even made a move. But they quickly regained their composure, deciding that she was clearly just trying to scare them.
"I advise you to go apologize to Yunyun right now, or else... heh, just wait for us to finish you off!" the boy continued to bluster.
Li Jiu checked her phone.
"What are you looking at?" The boy felt her behavior was odd and asked instinctively.
Li Jiu gave a wicked smile. "Checking up on the Criminal Law."
"You dare call the police!"
Li Jiu shook her head innocently. "I just wanted to see if intentional homicide requires a prison sentence."
What the hell?
Intentional homicide... does it require a prison sentence?
Is that something a normal person would search for?