Volume One, Chapter Two: One on Each Side—That's True Symmetry!

Pushing open the Su family’s main gate, Su Ningxia hadn’t even stepped inside before she heard a sharp crack from her room. Her heart leapt—she remembered all too well what had happened at this very moment in her previous life—and she rushed toward her room in a few quick strides.

“I’m sorry, Sister, I accidentally broke your bracelet. But since it was Grandma’s keepsake, it rightfully belongs to me,” said Su Tingxue, sitting cross-legged on her bed, her wide eyes blinking with feigned innocence.

Su Ningxia regarded her coldly. This was the only memento Grandma had left her. In her past life, she’d been so furious she’d slapped Su Tingxue without thinking, only to be met with a storm of accusation and abuse from the entire family.

This time—

Smack!

She slapped Su Tingxue again, even harder and louder than before.

Su Tingxue’s head snapped to the side from the blow, her body tilting. When she recovered, she stared in disbelief. “Su Ningxia, how dare you hit me!”

Smack—

Without hesitation, Su Ningxia raised her left hand and landed a second slap on Su Tingxue’s other cheek, admiring the symmetry of her handiwork. “Ah, that looks better—perfectly balanced.”

In her previous life, faced with Su Tingxue’s provocations, she’d never dared fight back—timidly clinging to the hope of familial affection. But in this life, if anyone dared to cross her, she would go mad in return. After all, that group of blind, heartless fools would never wake up. If that was the case, she might as well embrace her reputation for being “vicious” to the very end!

“You… you—” Su Tingxue trembled with rage. She was about to retaliate when she caught sight of a figure in the courtyard out of the corner of her eye. Her expression shifted, and without another word, she collapsed to the floor, pressing her hand onto the shards of broken glass.

“Aah—!”

Just then, Su Third Brother pushed open the door. He hurried over to help Su Tingxue up, his gaze landing on the fresh blood on her palm and the angry red handprints on her cheeks. Fury flashed across his face.

He was always quick-tempered, and now he unleashed his anger on Su Ningxia. “It’s one thing if you don’t like Xiaoxue, but why did you have to hit her? Su Ningxia, when did you become like this?”

Looking at this brother—so familiar yet so estranged—Su Ningxia felt a chill deep in her bones. In her past life, she had endured his accusations, but she knew in her heart she owed none of them anything.

Su Ningxia sneered. “Was I not supposed to hit her? She broke Grandma’s keepsake—am I supposed to cheer for her and clap my hands in joy?”

Su Third Brother hadn’t expected such defiance from her and was momentarily at a loss. “It’s just a bracelet, isn’t it? In the end, it’s only an object. How could a thing compare to Xiaoxue?”

“Third Brother, don’t blame Sister. Grandma left it to her—it was my carelessness. I grew up in the mountains and have never seen anything so precious. I just wanted to have a look, but I was too clumsy to even hold a bracelet properly…” Su Tingxue’s eyes filled with tears as she nestled pitifully in Third Brother’s arms.

Hearing this, his dissatisfaction with Su Ningxia only grew. “Look how sensible your sister is! You received such a good education, yet you’re not half as considerate as she is. First, you stole the gift Eldest Brother gave Xiaoxue, and now you’ve hit her. Su Ningxia, you’re getting more outrageous by the day.”

Su Ningxia scoffed. “That gift—I don’t even know where it is. How could I have stolen it? If you’re determined to pin this on me, fine. Call the police. Let them sort it out—nothing is fairer than the law.”

Seeing her so resolute, Third Brother frowned, hesitating. He knew what kind of person his little sister was. Could it be… he’d wrongly accused her?

As he wavered, a small, white hand tugged at his sleeve.

“Third Brother, it’s all my fault. I came back and took the affection you used to show Sister, so of course it made her upset.” Su Tingxue bit her lower lip, tears streaming down her face. “Sister, I’m sorry. If you have grievances, hit me, scold me as much as you like.”

She raised her injured hand, wincing in pain. “I won’t tell our other brothers what happened today—after all, I shouldn’t have touched your things. I won’t blame you.”

After her delicate display of tears and tact, any guilt on Third Brother’s face vanished without a trace. He glared at Su Ningxia, his eyes filled with disgust. The kindness he remembered was a thing of the past; people change. Since Xiaoxue’s return, Su Ningxia’s actions had proven she was no longer the gentle, innocent sister they’d known.

“Call the police? If you’re not ashamed, we certainly are,” he snapped.

Su Ningxia felt frozen to the core. What hurt her most wasn’t that she wasn’t the Su family’s real daughter, but that after more than ten years of heartfelt affection, those she called family could twist her intentions and come to hate her like this.

“Hurry up and apologize to Xiaoxue. Also, give her your announcer job. You can always take the exam again,” he said.

Her job as a radio announcer was something she’d worked hard to earn—and yet he demanded she hand it over to Su Tingxue as if it were nothing. Jobs were scarce, with everyone being sent to the countryside to build; opportunities like this were rare. To just give it away? Easier said than done.

But if Su Tingxue wanted her job—

Well, then she’d like to see if Su Tingxue could handle it.

“Fine, but the handover will take time. You’ll need to come to the radio station with me first and see if you’re up to it,” Su Ningxia replied, turning the situation to her advantage.

“What are you all doing here?” came a deep voice.

Su Ningxia’s fiancé, Fu Zhilin, lifted the curtain and entered. He was tall and solidly built, dressed in a pressed military uniform with a slightly worn cap perched on his head. His upright features carried an air of authority even in silence.

Ningxia wasn’t surprised to see him return unexpectedly. She and Fu Zhilin had grown up together—he was gentle, attentive, and always promised to take care of her. Their mutual affection had blossomed naturally into a relationship.

But after Su Tingxue entered their lives, even he changed. Because Fu Zhilin’s leg had once been caught in a trap and Su Tingxue had “rescued” him, she had ensnared his heart as well—never realizing it was Su Tingxue who set the trap in the first place…

Over time, he, like all the rest, became convinced that Ningxia owed Su Tingxue a debt. Today, too, he’d returned only because he’d promised to take Su Tingxue to the military camp for a visit. When Su Ningxia had asked before, he’d refused, saying the camp was no place for outsiders. But for Su Tingxue, all it took was a single request and he’d agreed without hesitation.

She’d experienced this favoritism too many times to count.

“Brother Zhilin…” Su Tingxue’s large, dewy eyes fixed on him, making his heart soften. When he looked at Su Ningxia, however, there was a sharpness in his gaze.

“Xiaxia, did you bully Xiaoxue again? Apologize to her.”

“Apologize?” Su Ningxia let out a short laugh. “Do you even know what happened before demanding I apologize?”

“She broke the bracelet Grandma left me. So tell me—who should be apologizing to whom?”