episode_0042

The car Xu Qingshan drove was a luxury vehicle.

Su Qingya couldn’t recognize the brand, but her first impression was that it must be expensive.

She had originally prepared many things—bags large and small—but after a single glance, Xu Qingshan told her to just bring some change of clothes, adding that he would buy everything else anew.

Xu Qingshan wasn’t ignorant of what a girl might need.

With a daughter at home, he naturally had some understanding.

The cosmetics, bags, shoes, clothes, and other essentials Su Qingya used were all too cheap.

At least, that’s how it seemed in Xu Qingshan’s eyes.

But in truth, these were all items Xu Nian had deliberately chosen at modest price points out of consideration for Su Qingya’s self-esteem.

If things were too expensive, Su Qingya would feel pained and reluctant to use them.

If gifts were always lavished on her or if she were told these things were nothing, she would panic and grow despondent.

Xu Nian understood.

Su Qingya was never a “cheap” girl.

Such gestures wouldn’t make her grateful—they would only burden her.

So Xu Nian had always carefully balanced things, keeping the price range from triggering Su Qingya’s discomfort while also relying on her emotionally, making sure their relationship felt entirely equal.

Romantic relationships had to be built on equal footing.

Su Qingya looked at her bags.

In the end, she only gave up a few less important items.

Many things in those bags were gifts from Xu Nian, along with photos and memories of their time together.

They were fragments of Xu Nian’s presence woven into her life.

She couldn’t bear to discard them.

Noticing Su Qingya’s expression, Xu Qingshan didn’t press further. He had only made a suggestion—he respected her choice.

After all, the trunk wasn’t too small to fit everything.

“Let me help you carry those,” Xu Qingshan offered, hoping to bridge the distance between them.

“No, I’ll do it myself.”

Then he watched as Su Qingya lifted a suitcase with one hand and hauled a pile of belongings downstairs.

Xu Qingshan was stunned.

He hadn’t expected his biological daughter to possess such unusual strength.

“She’s really been through a lot,” he murmured.

It must have come from all those part-time jobs.

He glanced at the bodyguard beside him. “What are you standing around for? Just because she said no doesn’t mean you don’t help. Hurry up and carry something.”

“Yes, sir.”

Suddenly, the bodyguard asked, “What about this apartment?”

“Keep renting it. It’s not like we can’t afford it. In case she forgot anything, leave it as is for now. We’ll deal with it once she’s completely moved on.”

“Yes, sir.”

The move didn’t take long.

The bodyguard served as the driver. Originally, Xu Qingshan had been sitting in the back, but for the return trip, he took the front passenger seat, leaving the entire rear to Su Qingya.

Su Qingya happened to sit directly behind Xu Qingshan, completely obscuring herself from view.

Inside the car, she felt intensely uncomfortable.

She quickly pulled out her phone, dimmed the screen brightness, and after confirming no one would notice, sent a message to Xu Nian.

[Nian Nian, are you done showering? I’m so nervous.]

At that moment, Xu Nian had just finished bathing and was drying off.

Seeing her phone light up, she smirked.

[Done. Still not dressed. Want to see?]

Su Qingya instinctively wanted to reply “yes,” but given the circumstances, she thought better of it.

Ah!

Only afterward did she realize how indecent that thought was.

Ugh! It’s all Xu Nian’s fault!

Always tempting her like this—even if she wasn’t a pervert before, she’d been trained into one.

[No.]

Suddenly, a voice call request came through.

The distinctive ringtone of WeChat startled Su Qingya.

She had accidentally turned off Bluetooth earlier and frantically reconnected it, silencing the sound.

She noticed the driver-bodyguard’s expression shift slightly but didn’t dare check Xu Qingshan’s reaction.

This was mortifying.

A wave of fear and unease rose in her heart.

[Nian Nian! Why did you call so suddenly? Couldn’t you have warned me first?]

“Wah, I called you right after my shower, and this is how you treat me?”

[N-no, I forgot to connect my headphones. The sound was so loud—it was so embarrassing.]

“Pfft—trash~ trash Qingya~ trash~”

Xu Nian’s giggling on the other end made Su Qingya’s stomach churn with frustration.

She really wanted to grab Xu Nian and teach her a lesson! Acting so smug just because they weren’t together right now.

“Was that a scam call?”

Perhaps because the backseat had been silent, Xu Qingshan grew curious, seizing the chance to break the awkward quiet.

“Ah, yes. Just a scam call.”

“You called my call a scam? How hurtful~”

[Nian Nian!!!!]

But after this commotion, Su Qingya’s anxious heart gradually settled.

It seemed… she wasn’t as tense anymore.

“So, I heard you’re attending a top-tier high school, right? Haha, what a coincidence—your younger sister goes there too. You’re around the same age; you might even be classmates.”

“Oh. Really.”

Su Qingya responded flatly, uninterested.

When she didn’t engage, Xu Qingshan didn’t know how to continue.

He decided to drop it.

There’d be time for family conversations later. No need to rush.

They had to warm up to each other gradually.

The car fell silent again, devoid of further conversation.

The ride passed without incident. Though Su Qingya didn’t get carsick, staring at her phone made her dizzy, so she rested her head against the plush seat pillow and dozed off to the sound of Xu Nian’s chatter.

She only woke when the car came to a stop.

Pushing the door open, her eyes met a villa surrounded by a garden.

This was the affluent district of City A.

Su Qingya had never been here before.

Stepping out, she was visibly stiff with unease.

“Take Miss’s belongings to the room prepared for her.”

“Yes, sir.”

The bodyguard nodded and summoned a few maids to unload the trunk.

Su Qingya raised a hand as if to say something but ultimately stayed silent.

She probably wanted to carry her things herself but didn’t know how to refuse without seeming distant.

“Qingya, come on, don’t just stand at the door. Go inside—your mother and sister are waiting for you. They’re so excited to see you.”

“O-okay… Dad.”

The panic on Su Qingya’s face was unmistakable.

It was like forcing someone with social anxiety to perform on stage—torture.

But this was something she had to face.

She wanted Xu Nian to say something comforting.

Only then did she realize—Xu Nian had hung up at some point without her noticing.

She froze. Without Xu Nian’s voice, her nervousness skyrocketed.

And with it came the fear lurking deep within.

[Fear Level: 71%]

Why did Nian Nian hang up?

Su Qingya’s heart pounded violently.

As an Emoter of the [Fear] Pathway, she was more susceptible to the emotion of fear.

Fortunately, after yesterday’s amusement park trip, she had better control over it, preventing the fear from manifesting physically.

Otherwise, her terror might have seeped from her pores, distorting the environment around her.

Closely following Xu Qingshan through the door, the interior furnishings fully came into view.

So this… was her new home?