Today was a day full of progress for Li Caiyi. A few unexpected things happened here and there, but thankfully, all ended well. She had successfully roped Dai Shenqiang into her plan, so the only thing left to do was now to wait for his hand to heal as she thought about a good plotline.

Li Caiyi had read many books but not so much with manhua. She probably had to borrow or buy some to do some research.

In the end, she left the Dai family's house without meeting Dai Zhiqiang even once. She wanted to apologize to both of them for behaving so strangely the other day, but she heard from Dai Shenqiang later at night via chat that his brother had not come back until late at night.

'He must have been working so hard to pay back the debt and take care of his father's medical fee.' Li Caiyi thought, feeling worried for Dai Zhiqiang. If only Li Junjie was a quarter as caring as Dai Zhiqiang, perhaps Li Caiyi would not need to be so stressed. She was kind of jealous of Dai Shenqiang for having such a good brother.

When she arrived home, it was a bit before the sky darkened. Su Suyin was waiting for her in the living room. Upon seeing her arrival, she rose from her seat and asked worriedly, "Xiaoyi, how is it? Did you finish trying on your dress?"

"I did. I heard from Brother Renshu that you had talked with him."

Su Suyin heaved a sigh of relief. She was worried Li Caiyi would act stubborn and refused Meng Renshu again. If she did that, she would only incur Li Jirong's rage, which would affect Su Suyin badly.

"Yes, about that," Su Suyin rubbed her forearm with an apologetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry for talking so harshly this morning. Renshu had specifically asked you to be his partner, so I was just trying to make you more aware of that fact. I didn't mean to say that Xiaohua should be the one to become his partner instead."

Li Caiyi did not answer immediately and gazed at Su Suyin deeply. Even after everything that happened to her in both lives, she could never bring herself to hate her mother. For her, Su Suyin's warmth was the only salvation she could get her hand on in this cold and suffocating place.

Maybe that was why Li Caiyi kept giving her the second, third, and many other chances, even after getting hurt so many times. She wanted to keep that tiny flame of hope inside her.

However, after her conversation with her mother and brother, it did not seem her effort would ever amount to anything. She should stop acting so stubborn and face reality more. Su Suyin's most precious daughter would always be Li Chunhua, and she was just another daughter of hers who happened to be born at the same time as her 'daughter'.

"It's okay, Mother. You don't have to apologize to me anymore." Li Caiyi said with a weak smile. "As of now, I want to change myself. I might disappoint you more and more in the future to do that. I wish I could keep being your obedient child, but I don't want to feel miserable anymore."

Su Suyin's facial expression became sterner. "Xiaoyi, are you trying to start a fight again with me? Can you just put it to rest already? As long as you can eat well, get a good education, and marry a good husband, isn't that good enough? What is so miserable about it? If you can be more patient about it, only a good life would await you!"

Li Caiyi smiled sadly. "I see. Mother, you must have been through a lot, too. I want to help you, but it does not seem like we are going to ever see eye to eye on anything."

"What are you talking about now?" Su Suyin asked in confusion.

There was nothing Li Caiyi could do to change Su Suyin's belief. Her mother was raised in an environment that created her current idea and personality. Su Suyin was not a bad person; she was simply not a good parent. Knowing that was enough for Li Caiyi.

"Nothing," Li Caiyi shook her head. "Mother, I won't ask you to understand, but I hope you can properly think about it once again. Was the current life you had was a happy one? Is this truly the life you want?"

historical

Su Suyin's frown deepened. "Xiaoyi, you are talking about nonsense again. Living with a successful husband and my three beloved and precious children, I had a happy life. Why would I be unhappy about it?"

Li Caiyi: "....."

She wondered if her mother would still think the same after knowing about her husband's betrayal. Su Suyin was just a simple-minded woman and had a blind trust in Li Jirong. She would always think of her husband as her sole hope and the sky that would protect her, and she was obligated to support him unconditionally.

If she came to understand what she had believed all this time was false all along, would she break into pieces?

Li Caiyi did not want to think about it for now because she did not want to second-guess her decision. She cut their conversation short and quickly returned to her room.

***

Li Chunhua came back shortly after dinner. She happily entered the house with dozens of shopping bags in both of her hands, saying that Meng Renshu had given them to her as a gift. Su Suyin greeted her and patiently listened to her story.

This time, Li Caiyi joined the dinner under Su Suyin's urge. It looked like she had forgotten about the past and ceased her punishment on her daughter.

Li Caiyi was not complaining. She could make her own meals, but her mother's home-cooked meals would always taste the best for her.

When the dinner was finished, the twins returned to their room. Li Chunhua was humming the whole time happily. She seemed to spend quality time with Meng Renshu today. Had Li Caiyi remained in that place for even a second longer, she might have been forced to eat dog food, seeing their loving moment up close.

"Xiaohua, I want to talk to you." Li Caiyi said in a severe tone. She folded her arms in front of her chest.

"Eh? What is it? Can it wait until after I take a shower? I sweated from walking a lot today," Li Chunhua whined with a pout.

"No. I'm going to make you explain what you are planning to do here and now," Li Caiyi responded firmly.

Li Caiyi could not trust Li Chunhua anymore after what she did to her friends last time. She vaguely noticed that Li Chunhua had an issue with her way of thinking, but being a person who used to be in the same shoes as her, Li Caiyi just could not leave her alone, even if she wanted to. Her conscience would not allow that. Thankfully, the past incident ended peacefully, so there was no need for her to confront Li Chunhua strongly.

She had tolerated her sister's behavior all this time, but she could not allow her to do anything to Dai Shenqiang. He already had enough problems on his plate, and he did not need additional trouble.