The July sky was oppressively hot and irritable.

Zhao Yuexiu, following the village chief, caught sight of Chi Gui leaning against her grandmother's rundown mud wall as soon as she arrived.

The girl was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her slim figure comely, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Slightly bowing her head, her delicate, fair profile and long eyelashes cast a sharp silhouette.

She seemed very well-behaved and quiet.

Lacking the rusticity and coarseness of the villagers.

Zhao Yuexiu's annoyed heart found a bit of balance and she approached Chi Gui, saying, "Chi Gui, now that your grandmother has passed away, as of today, you'll live with me at the Chi Family."

She had no wish to bring home such a daughter who had graduated from high school and worked outside for years, one who couldn't present herself properly.

Yet considering Chi Gui's grandmother had just died, and she was her own flesh and blood, she couldn't ignore her without drawing idle gossip.

The Chi Family was a prestigious and noble family in Nancheng, and they absolutely couldn't afford a stain on their reputation over an issue like this.

Chi Gui heard her voice and slightly lifted her head to look at Zhao Yuexiu.

Her eyes were black and bright, beautiful like black gemstones, yet void of emotion.

Zhao Yuexiu was well-groomed, dressed in a luxurious, custom-mad Chanel suit that stood out awkwardly in the rural setting, her brows, which resembled Chi Gui's by sixty percent, carried impatience.

The village chief interjected cheerfully, "Chi Gui, your mother is from a wealthy family in the big city. Following her home, you won't have to worry about finding a job in the future."

"Oh," replied Chi Gui calmly.

She felt neither joy nor fear about going to live with a wealthy family.

Zhao Yuexiu was taken aback.

She didn't give it much thought, assuming a girl who hadn't seen much of the world probably couldn't grasp what it meant to live with a rich family.

-

Zhao Yuexiu hastily dealt with the post-burial matters and then departed with Chi Gui.

Cloud Village was not close to Nancheng; it was a two-hour drive.

Chi Gui sat in the back seat, head lowered, looking at her phone, quiet and aloof.

A message from an unknown number came in: "Professor Chi, I'm the bodyguard sent by Old Sir Shen, Xing Gu. Where are you?"

When Chi Gui left Capital City, Old Sir Shen had mentioned he would arrange protection for her.

Chi Gui wasn't surprised and tapped her slender, pretty fingers on the keyboard: "I have already left Cloud Village. Please take the two suitcases in my grandmother's room and come to Nancheng."

The reply was respectfully prompt: "Understood."

The car was unnervingly quiet, and Zhao Yuexiu wanted to remind Chi Gui of the Chi Family's rules, but as she turned her head, she saw her daughter focused intently on her phone, seemingly chatting with someone.

Zhao Yuexiu frowned involuntarily, "Chi Gui, don't take offense at the harsh words I'm about to say. But from today on, you are a young lady of the Chi Family, and your every action is tied to the family's reputation. If you fail to uphold it, not only will your father and I be ridiculed, but your sister and brother's reputations will also be affected."

Chi Gui looked up from her phone, puzzled.

Zhao Yuexiu grew more annoyed upon seeing her reaction.

Raised in a rural environment, she didn't understand any manners, not even grasping such a simple concept.

She explained impatiently, "So, all those messy people you knew from your jobs, you're to cut ties with all of them! Stop contacting them, understand?"

Chi Gui realized she was referring to the chatting she was just doing, frowned slightly but still responded politely and patiently, "My friends are accomplished elites in their respective fields, not 'messy people.' My interaction with them is sincere, and I will not cut ties."

Zhao Yuexiu snorted disdainfully.

A literate who hadn't even finished high school? What kind of good people could she know?

Elites?

Does she even know what 'elites' mean?

Zhao Yuexiu couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention to Chi Gui and turned her gaze out of the window.

If she really didn't know any better, she could just casually find a school abroad for her and send her out of the country!

After two hours of driving, they finally arrived at the Chi Family villa.