Chapter 11

Su Tao's low and gloomy voice made the two other men in the room sit up straight instantly, feeling a slight chill.

Xie Jin wanted to say something but was silenced by a cold glance from Su Tao, so he closed his mouth.

Even Xie Jin was cowed, so Su Yang Xing didn't dare to speak up randomly either. He could only sit quietly to the side, minimizing his presence.

"I'm going to sell the car. If you don't give me the spare key, I'll call the police."

After throwing down those words, Su Tao took off her work badge and stormed out with large strides.

-

The weather at the end of June was unpredictable. It had been sunny and hot during the day but was now cool and gloomy at night.

Su Tao arrived at the villa compound of the old family home. Looking at the house she hadn't returned to for a year, her eyes dimmed.

Holding a cake, she rang the doorbell.

Soon, an unfamiliar young woman's voice came through the intercom, "Who is it?"

Su Tao hesitated for a moment before answering, "Su Tao."

"Su Tao?" The voice on the other end also seemed to hesitate for a moment before falling silent. After about half a minute, the lock on the gate clicked open.

Su Tao curled her lips. This family was becoming more and more unfamiliar.

Walking through the yard, there was a half-grown small tree in the corner of the west wall. It was planted by her father with his own hands when her mother was still alive. Now it had a few scattered leaves, looking malnourished.

Arriving at the door, Su Tao withdrew her gaze and looked inside the bright, warmly lit living room. An unfamiliar woman was fawning over her elder brother Su HaoYang with a charming smile.

That was probably the woman who had spoken through the intercom just now, her brother's new girlfriend.

The door wasn't locked so Su Tao pushed it open. Her stepmother Li Pei happened to come out of the kitchen at that moment and they bumped right into each other.

Li Pei was startled for a moment, looked Su Tao up and down, and gave a perfunctory slight smile. "You're back, have a seat."

Su Tao ignored her cold attitude, directly changed into slippers and went inside.

Her tall and thin brother came up to greet her. He wore gold wire-rimmed glasses, which should have made his quite handsome face look sharper. But that effect was ruined by his shifty little eyes. "Tao Tao, why did you only just come back? I was thinking of calling you today to ask what time you'd be back, and whether I should send a car to pick you up."

Of all the people in this family, only her big brother would show her some courtesy on the surface, regardless of whether he was sincere or not. At least it didn't make things awkward.

"Where's Dad?" But Su Tao didn't bother reciprocating his fake courtesy. She just wanted to wish her dad a happy birthday face to face, even though she knew he wouldn't care about her well wishes.

"In the study."

Watching Su Tao walk towards the study, Su HaoYang's girlfriend said coyly, "Didn't you say your little sister is the most scheming and we have to watch out for her? She looks quite well-behaved to me."

Su HaoYang glared at her and hissed, "Shut up."

The study door was open. Su Tao stood quietly in the doorway, watching the man nearing sixty write large characters. The scene of their argument from a year ago was vivid in her mind. She seemed to have knocked over his ink at the time.

Su Tao closed her eyes briefly, mustered her courage, and gently knocked on the door. Su Sheng slowly raised his head. Seeing Su Tao visibly tense up, the warmth in his eyes cooled. "You're back."

Su Tao didn't mind his cold attitude. She took out the red packet she had prepared long ago, went in and placed it on his desk. "Dad, happy birthday."

"Take it away!" Su Sheng looked at her coldly. "My inheritance has nothing for you. I don't need you to support me in my old age either."

That was fair.

Su Tao smiled gently and lowered her eyes. "This isn't for your retirement. It's to fulfill the promise I made to Mom when I was little, to give Dad a big red birthday envelope with my first year's salary after graduation."

She had fulfilled her promise to her mother.

Su Tao no longer had any reluctance. She turned and left the study. The red envelope stood out brightly against the black ink and white paper on the desk.

Su Yang Xing rushed back just a few minutes after Su Tao.

As soon as he got back, he searched the whole house for people and bumped right into Su Tao, who had just come out of the study.

"Su Tao, why didn't you wait for me to come back together? Are you really angry?" Su Yang Xing's loud voice resonated throughout the living room.

Hearing the commotion, Li Pei came over and asked, "What's going on, why are you angry?"

"I got a new car originally because I wanted to trade with you. If you really don't want to give me your car, then we won't trade, okay?" Su Yang Xing looked at Su Tao aggrievedly, playing the victim.

"What car is this? Tao Tao is angry with you for taking her car?" Li Pei wouldn't stand to see her precious son wronged and her malice leaked out. "What's the big deal, why get angry over this? That car was bought with money I gave you!"

"Mom! Don't say anything more!" Seeing Su Tao's changing expression, Su Yang Xing glared at Li Pei and quickly stopped her words.

Su Tao's gaze went past Su Yang Xing and Li Pei to look at the doorway, where Xie Jin was standing tall and stern, cold and majestic.

Those unfamiliar with him would be deceived by his exquisite, handsome features and fail to see the tremendous anger in his heart right now.

"Oh my, President Xie!" Su HaoYang was the first, apart from Su Tao, to see Xie Jin. He immediately went up to greet him, his face a mask of delight, and almost jogged to Xie Jin.

"President Xie, please come in. Yang Xing, you brat, how could you not tell the family President Xie was coming? We should have gone out to receive him." Stepmother Li Pei also reacted and her brows curved into a sincere smile, the most earnest one Su Tao had ever seen her make.

"President Xie, I'm Tao Tao's elder brother Su HaoYang. I think we've met before at Tao Tao's school." As Su HaoYang extended his hand to Xie Jin, he also offered his name card.

Xie Jin briefly shook his hand and took the name card, his gaze fixed on the title - General Manager of XingYang Entertainment.

"XingYang Entertainment? I remember it didn't used to be called that, right?" Xie Jin's voice was slightly low.

Before venturing into the film and television industry, Xie Jin had thoroughly researched the major entertainment companies nationwide, so he naturally knew the history of the local entertainment companies.

"Yes, it used to be ShengYuan Entertainment." Su HaoYang answered.

ShengYuan Entertainment was an old establishment in North City. It had successfully nurtured an Oscar-winning actor, an Oscar-winning actress, and a king of pop who acted and sang. In the domestic entertainment industry, it was top-tier.

But it had declined over ten years ago when all its superstars left. It had barely survived on new small-time artists it signed.

Now it had changed its name and business model, switching to training trainees. It had nurtured a boy band and still had decent popularity.

"Let's not keep standing, come sit." Hearing the voices, Su Sheng, who had come out of the study, busied himself getting everyone seated while closely observing Xie Jin's attitude towards Su Tao.

He knew Su Tao was dating Xie Jin but hadn't paid much attention before.

He was very clear about the nature of these rich second generation heirs who inherited family businesses. They all played the field, with a new beauty on their arm every month. Weren't his two sons like that?

So he didn't have high hopes when Su Tao first dated Xie Jin, and didn't pay his daughter much attention, assuming they had broken up long ago.

Just the other day, he saw the news about the launch of Xie Jin's media company's portal and video site, and thought about asking Su Tao if she could still contact him.

Yet now he showed up! They had been together for four years now, right? He never imagined this daughter he always looked down on actually had skills.

Seeing how demure and obedient Su Tao was, Xie Jin probably valued her acquiescence and thoughtfulness.

That was a merit too, Su Sheng thought, satisfied.

Everyone sat around the dining table, chatting animatedly and harmoniously. Ironically, Xie Jin's arrival made the family seem united for once.

"President Xie, I heard your company's portal and video platform has officially launched. Let me offer my belated congratulations." Su HaoYang raised his glass with a smile towards Xie Jin.

Now as company head, he spoke like a seasoned corporate executive.

Xie Jin was the platform founder after all. This relationship was invaluable.

But Xie Jin didn't raise his glass. His thoughts still lingered on the company name as his fingers habitually tapped the table slowly.

Su Tao knew this meant he was in a bad mood and angry.

"Our Tao Tao is prettier than ever," Li Pei said with a smile as she put a prawn on Su Tao's plate, chummy as a real mother. "Your dad talks about missing you every day. I was just thinking today, your dad's birthday would be so much happier if Tao Tao could come back."

The small tapping sounds suddenly ceased. Xie Jin casually picked up the prawns from her bowl and peeled them for Su Tao, disregarding everyone's astonished looks as he stuffed them into her mouth. After wiping his hands, he raised his head to look at Li Pei.

"So you made Su Yang Xing steal Xiao Tao's car just to get her to come back for dinner?" Xie Jin's deep eyes lightly flicked up as he smiled mockingly. "Your family has such a unique way of getting people home for dinner."

The four looked at each other, their smiles freezing instantly.

They didn't know Xie Jin's temperament and didn't expect him to be so sharp-tongued and aggressive.

"Yang Xing, what's going on? How could you take your sister's car?" Li Pei scolded him, but her eyes darted to Xie Jin.

Su Tao smiled silently. If she had been deaf earlier, Li Pei's words might have fooled her.

"Alright, let's stop pretending to be ignorant and acting. I shouldn't have come today," Su Tao stood up again and said softly, "I won't come again in the future either."

Everyone was stunned when Su Tao calmly got up to leave. They wanted to stop her but didn't dare say another word under Xie Jin's ominous gaze, only watching her depart.

"Sis!" Su Yang Xing chased after her from the house and grabbed her arm, holding up the car key. "Here's your car back. Will you still be able to come home in the future?"

Su Tao glanced at the small tree in the corner before taking the car key from him and saying lightly, "The things I left in this family, I won't ask for them anymore in the future. Use whatever you took however you want, no need to specifically tell me again."

"Sis, you really don't want this family anymore?" Su Yang Xing furrowed his brows tightly.

He liked bullying Su Tao.

But who made Su Tao always so good-tempered that he wanted to see her yell and vent her anger at him.

At least that way she wouldn't seem so distant.

He didn't know how envious his classmates were that he had a sister like a fairy - good grades, good personality, good looks.

But this perfect sister wasn't close to him. Though they were family, blood siblings, she spoke to him even less than strangers.

He deliberately provoked her to get her attention.

But what Su Yang Xing didn't know was that the unfair distribution of family resources made her cherish everything she obtained even more.

Those were all hard-won through her efforts. If she lost or damaged them, she wouldn't have replacements. She'd have to work even harder to get them again.

So Su Yang Xing didn't understand why Su Tao treasured so much things he could easily obtain.

He also didn't know how much harm he had caused her.

But it was all in the past. She no longer needed the family's resources. She could now obtain anything she wanted herself. She looked up at the gloomy weather but suddenly felt much lighter, why bear so much? She should travel light.

"I don't need it anymore."