Chapter 51: Escape

Chapter 51: Escape

As soon as the college entrance examination ended, the family hosted a celebration banquet. Both children had just taken the exam, but the stepbrother, Su Ming, was the undisputed star of the event.

Su Changjin personally stood up to pour a glass of red wine for Su Ming, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "Good, good, good. The child of our family has finally grown up."

Bai Li returned late. When she pushed open the front door, the dinner party was already halfway through.

She was beckoned over to take a seat.

Looking at the abalone and seafood feast spread across the table, she pressed her lips together, ate just a few mouthfuls of rice, and sat quietly at the edge of the table, watching them chat.

Mrs. Hu glanced at her and tapped the table, signaling Bai Li to follow her into the kitchen.

Holding a transparent goblet with her brightly polished red nails, swaying like a crimson rose, she pointed at Bai Li's forehead and said, "Why are you standing there like a block of wood? Don't you know how to pour a drink for your brother?"

Bai Li's almond-shaped eyes were pitch-black, resembling two dark grapes, staring unblinkingly at her own mother.

She could not comprehend what message was being conveyed.

Was she supposed to drink alcohol? But she was not yet eighteen.

In June, the sky darkened slowly. Even at seven o'clock, a faint evening glow could still be seen on the horizon.

Mrs. Hu took a sip of the red wine. "Aren't you going to college? Uncle Su still has to pay for your tuition. If you want an easier life, you need to keep him happy. When his biological son and daughter are happy, you can be happy too. Make sure to behave well this summer."

Bai Li took a few deep breaths. "Don't you think I look like a maid?"

"What?"

Standing by the counter a meter away from her, Bai Li spoke in a voice that was both soft and chilling, "Don't you think you are raising a maid?"

As if she finally understood the meaning behind the words, Mrs. Hu smiled—a smile that felt utterly alien. She walked over and reached out to stroke Bai Li's hair, keeping her voice very low, as if afraid someone outside would overhear:

"Are you still looking to stir up trouble? If you hadn't run away from home last time, things wouldn't have come to this. I've told you already, Bai Li, don't drag me down with you. It's impossible for me to abandon this family for your sake."

Bai Li had lost count of how many times she had heard these words.

Once upon a time, she would have believed that it was her own disobedience and lack of understanding that left her mother with no reason to love her. But later, she complied with everything, swallowing every grievance, only to be met with the same chilling indifference.

She could still catch a flicker of regret in the depths of her mother's eyes, as if she deeply regretted giving birth to such a burden.

After a long silence, Bai Li parted her lips, making one final, desperate struggle: "I can earn my own tuition. Just don't make me get close to him. Do you know why I had to go to the police station that day? He tried to touch me."

There was no pleading or grievance in her tone.

Bai Li was merely stating a fact.

She no longer harbored any delusions that her mother would fight for justice on her behalf. After all, just as her mother had said, it was impossible for her to give up the life she had worked so hard to secure simply for the sake of her daughter.

All she hoped for was that Mrs. Hu would grant her permission to hide herself away.

Hu Qingmei froze.

She looked over her daughter's face in disbelief once more, realizing that without her noticing, the girl had indeed grown up and blossomed into a beauty.

She did not doubt a single word of what her daughter had said. Even though Su Ming usually acted like an obedient child, she knew her own daughter well enough to know that Bai Li disdained to lie.

Softening her tone ever so slightly, she gracefully set down her wine glass.

"Your brother... he was just joking around with you. You're still young, stop reading too much into things."

Hearing this, Bai Li could not put into words what she was feeling.

She stared blankly at her own birth mother, a numb sensation washing over her. She thought she had grown used to it, yet her body betrayed her; her hands trembled uncontrollably.

The sliver of light she had managed to recapture in Lingjiang flickered and died away in her eyes.

Thinking of the "brother" in Mrs. Hu's mouth, she reflexively retorted, "He is not my brother."

Mrs. Hu frowned, opening her mouth as if to tell her not to utter such things.

Bai Li took a deep breath. "I will earn my own tuition. Once I go to college, I will never be a burden to you again, nor will I make you choose between me and your family."

Her heart had completely turned to ash.

She had finally accepted that in this world, there truly were mothers who did not love their children.

Back in her room that night, Bai Li began to plan her escape. If entering university meant becoming an adult and growing up, then she never wanted to set foot in this place again for the rest of her life.

She had the one hundred thousand yuan Fang Ye had given her.

Yet she refused to touch a single coin of it.

If she successfully passed the exams and entered Qing University, the school would award a scholarship of five thousand yuan.

Five thousand yuan...

With that, she could rent a place in Northern City first and then work part-time to cover her tuition. And if she failed... she would apply to a university in Lingjiang instead, where she was bound to find a job that provided room and board.

She didn't know why she refused to bow her head. Perhaps it was simply the stubborn pride of youth, a desperate bid to salvage a shred of dignity for herself.

...

By the end of June, her exam scores were released.

She achieved an exceptional ranking within the top ten of the entire city.

In mid-July, she received the acceptance letter mailed by the institution. Qing University, her first choice, had finally opened its doors to her.

She had succeeded.

Along with the admission letter came the five thousand yuan grant provided by Private High School Number One.

Meanwhile, Su Ming had also successfully passed the exams for a prestigious double-first-class university.

Su Changjin was beside himself with joy, declaring repeatedly that they must throw a lavish banquet.

Bai Li kept a calm expression on the outside, accepting the praises directed her way.

Upon returning to her room, however, she found her stepsister Su玲 sitting on her bed, surrounded by numerous dolls and clothes.

All of her own belongings had been tossed onto the floor, including her most cherished new backpack, from which the pear plush keychain had already been ripped off.

It lay crushed beneath Su玲's bare feet.

The warm summer breeze drifted leisurely in through the window as Su玲 smiled and said, "You'll be leaving soon, right? I already told Aunt Hu that this room will be used for my dolls from now on. I just came in early to arrange the space."

The tiny patch of living space that had temporarily belonged to her in this household was now reclaimed. The sunlight felt dazzlingly harsh, and Bai Li closed her eyes.

She forced herself to endure it.

It's fine, it's fine. It will all be over soon.

Yet...

That backpack had been bought for her by Fang Ye, and the pear plush was a gift from him as well.

Even though she knew that clashing with this stepsister would bring her no good, the sight of her most treasured possessions being used as a footstool stirred a bitter ache in her heart.

She snapped her eyes open, strode toward Su玲, and shoved her aside. She tenderly picked up the plush toy and the backpack, her slender white fingers brushing away the dust and dirt.

It was as though she were protecting the things Fang Ye had given her.

And as though she were picking up her own discarded dignity.

Su玲 shrieked, "What are you doing?!"

Bai Li carefully reattached the plush toy to the backpack, her voice carrying a rare, suppressed anger, "Did no one ever teach you not to touch other people's things without permission?"

Su玲 retorted, "What do you own that wasn't bought by my dad? Everything that belongs to my dad belongs to me!"

Lifting her gaze, Bai Li looked right at her and said, word by word, with utter seriousness, "This was not bought by your dad."

Hearing the scream, Mrs. Hu rushed over immediately. Seeing Su玲 looking disheveled as she scrambled up from the bed, she glared straight at Bai Li. "Why are you bullying your younger sister?"

Su玲 cried out, "Aunt Hu, she pushed me!"

Before Bai Li could utter a single word in defense,

a sharp, crisp slap echoed across her cheek.

"Bai Li, apologize to your sister."

And then—oh, and then—the escape from this place was truly within reach.

(End of this chapter)