Gu Qinghuan took it as mere child's play, not giving her youngest daughter's words a second thought. After all, the girl had just turned eighteen, had no real experience, and how could she possibly handle her own school arrangements?
Besides, Chu Yunyun had never been one to do anything herself.
"Xiao Jiu, are you rested?" Gu Qinghuan’s expression was incredibly tender as she looked at Li Jiu.
The three older sisters couldn't help but wonder if their mother had lost her mind; she had never been like this at home before.
Li Jiu nodded.
"Oh, that's right, I bought the chair back. I didn't come in earlier because I thought you were resting," Li Yuan suddenly remembered the task at hand.
Li Jiu blinked, her voice cool and detached: "I’ve already fixed it. Just leave the chair outside."
"Fixed it? That’s impossible; it was shattered into a pile of scrap," Li Yuan said, unconvinced.
Everyone followed her into the room to see for themselves.
When they caught sight of the exquisite, perfectly intact chair, everyone instinctively rubbed their eyes.
"Little sister, when did you go out and buy a chair?" Li Wan asked naively.
"I made it myself," Li Jiu said with complete sincerity.
"That's impossible," the three sisters shook their heads in unison, refusing to believe it.
The chair was beautiful, featuring the most popular modern style. What’s more, the chair legs were carved with lifelike roses. Even Li Wan, who studied art, couldn't help but exclaim, "These roses are painted brilliantly! They’re even better than mine."
"It’s only natural they’re better than yours," came a sharp remark from her own sister.
Li Wan: ...
"This really is the same chair as before," Gu Qinghuan finally said.
Only Gu Qinghuan knew that the material of the chair was extraordinary. While it looked aged on the surface, it was actually worth a fortune. In fact, all the other furniture in the house was the same; it was just that her daughters couldn't tell.
"So... did little sister really make this?" Li Xin widened her eyes.
Li Jiu nodded earnestly: "I learned a few things before, and they just happened to come in handy."
Everyone couldn't help but give her a thumbs-up.
"Little sister is so amazing."
Li Jiu felt a momentary daze. Was this considered "amazing"? Back at the Chu family, everything she did was wrong. If she showed even a hint of pride, she would be met with vicious curses, to the point where she now wore almost no expression at all.
"Is it really true?" Li Jiu asked softly.
"Of course! Your three sisters do nothing but complain about being hungry all day long. As expected, our Xiao Jiu is the best!" Gu Qinghuan said, a happy smile gracing her lips. "But you don't need to work so hard in the future," she added.
"Okay." Li Jiu’s lips curved upward, though the smile was faint.
"How about we go out to eat today to celebrate little sister coming home!" Li Yuan suddenly shouted.
The two older sisters were overjoyed: "Yes, yes! We haven't... we haven't been out to eat in years. I vote yes with both hands!"
Gu Qinghuan huffed, pretending to be annoyed: "Are you trying to go broke?"
"Oh, Mom, isn't today special?"
"Exactly! It's little sister's birthday. On a day worth celebrating like this, going out for a meal isn't too much to ask, is it?"
The three sisters took turns pleading their case to Gu Qinghuan.
"Alright, alright, go change your clothes, we're going out!" Gu Qinghuan finally conceded.
Seeing such a warm scene, Li Jiu felt an inexplicable sense of happiness. It seemed that coming back here had been the right choice. At the very least, she wouldn't be tortured to death in a prison cell.
...
Li Yuan chose a large restaurant, and the sisters were delighted as they walked in. Li Jiu followed beside Gu Qinghuan without saying a word.
Yet, everyone's gaze was immediately drawn to Li Jiu. Her aura was icy and detached, and the way her eyes moved seemed capable of drawing people in instantly. She was so beautiful it made people want to scream.
There were no private rooms left, so they opted for a table in the main dining hall. The whole family was exceptionally good-looking, and their arrival drew plenty of attention. However, they did look a little poor.
Li Jiu noticed it too; her sisters' clothes were very clean, but they didn't seem to be any particular brand. Well... they probably didn't have any brands at all.
"What do you want to eat... first check the prices." Just when Li Jiu thought Li Yuan would grandly tell them to order whatever they wanted, the second part of her sentence made the sky fall.
Li Yuan chuckled: "Our budget is limited; we should save where we can."
Just then, a commotion broke out in the hall. Several customers nearby were whispering.
"I heard the Chu family is hosting a banquet here today to celebrate their biological daughter's return."
"It seems it's true. Honestly, to abandon a daughter you raised for over a decade just to bring back your biological one—the Chu family is truly cold-hearted."
"I heard the daughter they brought back from the slums is obedient and sensible; they spoil her to no end."
Li Jiu glanced toward the entrance. The first person she saw was Chu Yunyun, wearing a princess dress. That dress had been custom-made for her; they had spent so much time just choosing the fabric, but in the end, it was worn by Chu Yunyun. She was surrounded by her three brothers, who looked at her with doting eyes.
With just one look, Li Jiu knew Chu Yunyun was showered with love. But that was normal; she had experienced it firsthand in her previous life.
"Xiao Jiu..." Li Wan touched her arm gently, worried she might be hurt.
Li Jiu smiled: "Let's order."
"Yes, yes, let's order!" Li Xin quickly signaled for a waiter.
But... there are always people who want to stir up trouble.
The Chu family's dinner was supposed to be in a private room, but Chu Yunyun intentionally walked by.
"Aunt, big sister... what a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you eating here," Chu Yunyun said in a crisp, clear voice. Dressed in her new clothes, she really did look like a wealthy young lady.
However, when Gu Qinghuan heard this, her expression turned icy. They really had made a clean break; she had barely arrived at the Chu family before she stopped acknowledging the Li family, who had raised her for eighteen years.
Li Yuan sneered: "It’s not a coincidence at all. I think you calculated that we’d be here, and you deliberately made such a grand entrance just to show off, didn't you?"
Li Jiu was stunned for a moment, then she smirked. She hadn't expected her eldest sister to be so sharp; she had seen through it at a glance. It seemed the Li family had a rather high IQ. At least... much higher than those foolish brothers.
Chu Yunyun quickly waved her hands, continuing in a timid voice: "No, big sister, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant at all."
Then, she anxiously looked at Chu Hao: "Big brother, can we pay for their meal? I want to repay them."
Chu Hao dotingly ruffled Chu Yunyun’s hair and said in a gentle voice: "Of course. Yunyun is kind-hearted; that's a good thing. Besides, these people did raise you for eighteen years, so it's only right that we pay."