Chapter 4

The banquet hall was filled with the melodious sound of a piano.

Xu Jiao, in a long fishtail wedding gown and holding a large bouquet of white roses, walked towards Song Fei.

After my parents gave their speeches, it was Xu Ze’s turn.

He stood on stage and playfully shook his fist at Song Fei.

“This is my only sister, our whole family’s treasure. If you dare treat her badly, none of us will forgive you.”

Song Fei gazed at Xu Jiao’s face, his tone full of affection. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Applause erupted from below the stage.

The scene on stage was heartwarming.

My soul stood on a bouquet of flowers by the side of the stage, watching them numbly.

I thought my heart would ache.

But perhaps before I died, I had already experienced all the pain of this lifetime.

I just watched it all with cold detachment, my heart empty, as if a wind was blowing through it.

At one of the tables, someone whispered, “Hey, I remember the Xu family has three children. Why did Xu Ze say he only has one sister?”

“It’s because of their second daughter, Xu Tao. Tsk, what’s the use of being good at studies? The most important thing is to have good character…”

Thanks to my parents.

Among our relatives, my reputation was also infamous.

Actually, when I was little, one of my aunts was quite nice to me.

When she came to visit during the New Year, she gave me a plush dolphin toy.

Only I received one; Xu Ze and Xu Jiao did not.

Xu Ze, used to getting his way, demanded to play with it. When I refused, he simply took a pair of scissors and cut the dolphin to shreds.

Not long after, my aunt returned to retrieve a scarf she had forgotten and saw the pieces scattered on the floor.

To protect the reputation of her beloved son, my mother told my aunt:

“Taotao didn’t like this toy. She insisted on cutting it up with scissors, said she didn’t want to see it.”

My aunt’s expression changed instantly. After that, whenever she visited, she would even skip me when handing out red envelopes.

After this incident, my mother, perhaps feeling a little guilty, was nice to me for a while.

But that soon faded.

In our family, our parents’ favoritism was clearly divided.

The year Xu Jiao was born, my father’s business took a major turn for the better.

He believed Xu Jiao brought him good luck, so he doted on her the most.

As for my mother, she adored Xu Ze the most, because he was the son she had longed for after having three children.

As for me.

I was born chubby and healthy, while my twin brother didn’t even survive for 24 hours.

They all thought I was bad luck.

When I was little, I could never understand.

Why was it that whatever Xu Ze and Xu Jiao wanted to eat, it would appear on the dinner table the next day?

But I was allergic to seafood, yet on my birthday, just because Xu Jiao mentioned wanting to eat crab, my father booked a table at a seafood restaurant.

When I was twelve, there was an earthquake in the neighboring county.

The whole family was napping at home. Without a second thought, my parents each grabbed a child-one held Xu Ze, the other held Xu Jiao.

I stumbled downstairs, looking at the shaking ceiling, crying my heart out.

But no one would come to save me.

It was like that when I was twelve.

And it was like that when that driver choked me and dragged me into the deserted woods at the foot of the mountain.