Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Dragging Her Back to the Bai Family

Having had her fill of the drama, Bai Su finally roused herself and got back to running her little shop.

*

Bai Su was in the kitchen prepping ingredients when Bai Xiaolang pushed the door open to announce a visitor.

Without looking up, Bai Su asked, "Who is it?"

Bai Xiaolang said, "A first-time customer. She looks like a wicked witch, even meaner than you used to be."

Bai Su shot him an amused glance, then made a face as if to smear chili water on him. Bai Xiaolang made a face back and scurried away.

Bai Su washed her hands and came out of the kitchen. When she saw Mrs. Bai standing in the courtyard, she raised an eyebrow.

’How should I put this? It’s not exactly a surprise.’

Mrs. Bai was dressed in a lavish gown, her hair piled high in an updo. Her two rabbit ears were impeccably groomed and woven into the braid at the back of her head. At first glance, it looked like she was wearing a fluffy headband.

Her hair was elegantly braided and coiled at the nape of her neck, secured with a white, jeweled comb. Simple, small jeweled flowers decorated the bun.

Her nails were painted with a red velvet cat-eye polish, her makeup was exquisite, and beneath her expensive day dress, she wore a pair of elegant high heels.

She looked completely out of place in the mountaintop shop.

Mrs. Bai was holding a small, champagne-colored handkerchief to her mouth, her brows tightly furrowed. Her eyes were filled with disgust, as if staying a second longer would infect her with a poverty virus.

Bai Su mentally rolled her eyes. "You don’t visit a temple without a cause. What ill wind blew you in?"

Mrs. Bai glared at her, her face a mask of displeasure mixed with a hint of wariness. "It’s been a while. Xue’er said you’ve changed a lot. I didn’t believe her at first, but now I see it’s true."

"You’re even more unruly than before!"

She lifted her head high, looking down her nose at Bai Su. "I’m here today to take you back to the Bai family. Are you satisfied now? Didn’t you cause all this ridiculous trouble just to get the family’s attention?"

"Even if I let you return to the Bai family, don’t think for a second you can become the eldest young miss. The only eldest young miss of the Bai family is Xue’er."

"Even though you’re the firstborn daughter, don’t even think about coveting what doesn’t belong to you!"

"And this cheap, filthy shop of yours—shut it down after you come back. Then, copy down those recipes for Xue’er."

"You should consider it your good fortune that she’s taken an interest in your recipes. Otherwise, did you really think you could come back to the Bai family?"

"You’d better thank Xue’er properly when you get back!"

A wave of physical revulsion washed over Bai Su. ’It’s happening all over again.’

They were clearly sisters, born of the same mother, yet their parents always favored the younger one.

In the novel’s plot, Bai Xue was the "true, good, and beautiful" heroine of an old-school Beastman romance, while Bai Su was the unloved elder daughter who developed a dark and withdrawn personality out of jealousy for Bai Xue.

But the novel’s narrative was infinitely biased toward the heroine.

In the memories Bai Su had accessed, the original Bai Su would never have turned out this way if not for their parents’ extreme favoritism throughout their childhood.

The extreme favoritism in food, clothing, housing, and transportation was one thing.

Just because Bai Xue once said she didn’t like seeing her sister dressed more beautifully than her, Bai Su was forever forbidden from wearing pretty clothes, forced to wear the servants’ drab, gray uniforms.

Even though Bai Su was clearly the one with a talent for painting, the family pushed Bai Xue to take her place, allowing her to win a major art award and bask in all the public praise.

Because Bai Xue said she didn’t like people knowing the Bai family had two daughters, Bai Su had to enroll in her all-girls high school under the guise of being a servant’s daughter, where she was ostracized and bullied by everyone.

Even when she was cornered and bullied and came home to complain, Bai Xue would condescendingly accuse her of being petty and unkind, saying it was no wonder her classmates disliked her.

’It’s absolutely disgusting!’

’Those rotten parents from the Bai family, why don’t they just drop dead?!’

Bai Su’s eyes filled with a vicious glint.

’In her past life, how different was she from the Bai Su in the novel?’

She had also spent her entire life living in her sister’s shadow, constantly subjected to her parents’ favoritism and unfair treatment.

She gave up the university acceptance letter she’d worked so hard to earn, surrendered the business empire she’d painstakingly built, and was even forced to give up her own husband.

The one time she resisted, her sister burned her alive in the dressing room on her wedding day.

A vicious glint flashed through Bai Su’s eyes. She sneered, "? Lady, are you okay? You think putting a gold rim on a chamber pot makes you some kind of treasure? Why the hell should I go back to your Bai family?"

Mrs. Bai’s face fell. Shocked by her vulgar words, she stumbled back two steps. "How can you be so crude! You don’t have an ounce of a noble lady’s grace. You really are low-class to the bone. It’s useless no matter how long you’re raised in a wealthy family!"

Bai Su smiled faintly. "Oh, you’re not crude? Stomping around in those stilettos like a wriggling stick bug. Do you see me laughing at you?"

Mrs. Bai gritted her teeth in anger. "Bai Su, you are insolent! I’m your mother! Is that any way to speak to me?"

Bai Su rolled her eyes. "My mother is dead. Who are you?"

"Am I the one being insolent, or are you the one asking for it? Coming all the way to someone else’s turf just to show off your high-and-mighty sense of superiority."

"You know, I’ve got to ask, are all you rich ladies so pathetic and insecure deep down?"

"Can you not survive a single day without flaunting that superiority complex of yours?"

"Putting on airs every day, trying to act all noble like you’re some aristocrat. Are you? Is the Bai family?"

"Are you one of the three great families of the Federation?"

"You’re nothing, so barking a few times in front of a commoner like me makes you feel powerful?"

"If I were you, I’d be too embarrassed to go out dressed like that. You look all prim and proper, but when people ask, ’Are you related to the imperial family?’ No. ’Are you one of the Federation’s three great families?’ No. ’Is your family rich enough to rival a nation with endless money?’ No."

"So~ damn~ embarrassing~!"

"Pah! If you can live with it, live. If you can’t, then go die!"

"Next time you show up here asking for trouble, I’ll be throwing out the slop water."

Mrs. Bai was so furious her chest heaved violently, and her whole body trembled.

She clutched her expensive handkerchief, her finger jabbing madly at Bai Su. "You... you... you..." she stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

Bai Su looked at her in mock surprise. "When did you develop a stutter?"

She put on an apologetic expression, quickly stood up, and bowed to Mrs. Bai. "My apologies, my apologies. I don’t usually bully the disabled. I didn’t realize you’d become handicapped. I won’t be so harsh next time, okay?"

Mrs. Bai was so angry she started to laugh. "Very good. You’re quite the clever talker, aren’t you?"

She turned and walked out of the courtyard, waving toward the entrance. "Men! Seize her and tie her up!"

A dozen or so Bear Beastman bodyguards poured in from outside. Each one was powerfully built and looked extremely aggressive.

Bai Su pursed her lips and discreetly pressed the emergency call button on her smart-brain wristband.

’That bastard Lu Tingyan, who knows what he’s been up to lately. He hasn’t shown up once since their last... intimate encounter. He hasn’t even come by for a meal.’

’He’s never around when you need him.’

’Damn man. If he can’t help her today, he should just stay away forever!’