In August, Su Ningyan rode her old bicycle home, excitedly clutching her admission letter from Ning University.
Even before she could step through the doorway, she heard a heated argument inside, "Dad, I'm warning you to stop pushing me! I'll kill myself right here!"
"You won't go? Do you want our whole family to die? Can we afford to offend the Zhuo Family?"
At this moment, Su Jingyu, who was holding a knife, spotted Su Ningyan standing by the entrance, as if she was her savior.
She jumped off the sofa, grabbed Su Ningyan's hands warmly.
"Ningyan, it's perfect that you're back. You were born in the same year as I was, and our destinies align nearly perfectly. The Zhuo Family has taken a liking to you and want you to go over and take care of their young master."
Su Ningyan wasn't foolish. Su Jingyu, threatening suicide with knife in hand, was clearly the one the Zhuo Family wanted.
If it was a beneficial opportunity, wouldn't Su Jingyu eagerly seize it herself? Why would it be Ningyan's turn?
Zhang Juan didn't wish to send her own daughter to bring luck to a man severely injured in a car accident—even if the man was wealthy.
But rumors were that the accident had damaged his private parts, and any marriage he entered would essentially leave his wife a practical widow.
Zhang Juan glanced at Su Ningyan. The Su Family had raised her for so many years; it was about time she started contributing back to the family.
She signaled Su Guohua with her eyes. Su Guohua was clearly hesitant. The Zhuo Family had selected Jingyu based on their destinies aligning. Could they simply send Ningyan in her place?
Noticing Su Guohua's hesitation, Zhang Juan pulled him aside and said, "They were born the same year, aren't they? Can you really bear to send your biological daughter to keep a disabled man company for the rest of her life?"
Even though they tried to lower their voices, Su Ningyan still heard them. "Dad, the Zhuo Family has chosen Sister, not me. I won't take her place."
Zhang Juan marched over and slapped her sharply across the face, "The Su Family has raised you for so many years, and it's not your place to be speaking."
After saying this, Zhang Juan pulled out the admission letter from her pocket. Upon seeing that she had been admitted to Ning University, her rage intensified.
"You want to attend university? Dream on! If you refuse to go, you and your brother can go begging on the streets."
Su Guohua looked at Su Ningyan, his frown deepening as he seemed to make up his mind.
"Ningyan, you will go to the Zhuo Family tomorrow in place of your sister. Otherwise, I will cut off both you and your brother's financial support."
Su Ningyan covered her burning face with her hand, barely believing what she was hearing.
She couldn't help shouting, "Dad, am I really your biological daughter?"
Su Ningyan's mother, Lin Xiaozhu, was Su Guohua's first wife who died in childbirth while delivering Su Shijie.
Less than three months after Lin Xiaozhu had passed, Su Guohua married Zhang Juan. Su Ningyan seriously doubted whether she was indeed Su Guohua's biological daughter.
"Ningyan, I beg you as your sister. The Zhuo family is indeed wealthy, it's just their young master was involved in a car accident, and his fortune coincidentally aligns with mine. His lower body was damaged in the accident, and I...I don't want to go and be a widow. Besides, you have more experience taking care of others than I do. Once the young master of the Zhuo Family recovers, you can have your freedom back."
For the first time, Su Jingyu spoke to Su Ningyan using such a pleading tone.
"Going to the Zhuo Family will be an advantage for you. If you refuse to go, you and your brother can get out of this house."
Zhang Juan would never show kindness to Su Ningyan. In her eyes, Su Ningyan was a thorn in her side, a knife in her heart.
"Ningyan, the Zhuo family's patriarch has sworn brotherhood with our family's patriarch. Technically, Zhuo Junyue is your uncle. You're just going to help take care of him. The Zhuo family won't mistreat you."
Su Guohua was trying his best to control his tone. Although the two families were old acquaintances…
The Zhuo family had spent a hundred milllion to secure Jingyu's service. He wasn't willing to refund a single coin of that money.
Moreover, who could stay in Ning City after offending the Zhuo family?
Su Ningyan's hand unconsciously tightened around her admission letter. She had only just received it.
Even if she didn't go to university, her brother was only in the first year of high school. She couldn't deprive him of a high school education.
Given her current situation, she was incapable of supporting both herself and her brother, much less affording his studies.
She knew that if she didn't agree, they would really carry out their threats and find some way to force her to agree.
Su Ningyan pondered for a bit. Anyway, the Zhuo family's young master was physically disabled. At most, she'd be caring for him.
She gritted her teeth, "Fine, I'll go!"
"That's a good girl. Remember, you are to present yourself as Su Jingyu. Otherwise, if the Zhuo family finds out, your dad won't be able to predict what could happen. We can't afford to offend the Zhuo family."