At 7:00 p.m., the rain was pouring.
A blue taxi pulled into the villa compound.
At last, it stopped in front of a villa's gate.
The driver glanced enviously at the villa and was about to remind the person behind him when he saw several red bills being passed forward.
"No need for change."
The voice was cool and decidedly decisive.
The driver had just taken the money when he heard a "bang" as the car door was shut.
Thinking to leave with the money in hand, the driver remembered something and turned to look out the window.
The female passenger had just gotten out of the car, no umbrella in hand, wearing a white knee-length dress. In the torrential rain, her figure appeared even more slender and frail, her long, black, beautiful hair falling behind her, quickly getting soaked.
In the light that shone from the door, she faced the illumination with a steady gait, the rain drizzling behind her, turning her into a dark silhouette.
Straight, resilient.
The driver, who initially wanted to call out to her, stared blankly for a moment, his eyes flickered slightly, and in the end, he drove off.
*
At the doorstep.
After pressing the doorbell, Chu Liangxia stood still.
Less than two minutes later, Aunt Chen hurriedly opened the door with an umbrella in hand.
"Miss, you're back."
Upon seeing Chu Liangxia, Aunt Chen greeted her and walked over to hold the umbrella for her.
"Mm."
A shadow flickered in her eyes, and Chu Liangxia responded faintly.
Aunt Chen looked at her, her expression worried.
"The master and madam are both waiting in the living room," Aunt Chen reminded her as she followed Chu Liangxia's footsteps.
"Oh, what expression do they have?"
Removing her shoulder bag, Chu Liangxia handed it to Aunt Chen in a matter-of-fact way, her question somewhat nonchalant.
"It's quite..." Aunt Chen hesitated.
"Angry?" Chu Liangxia lifted her eyelids slightly.
"Yes." Aunt Chen nodded awkwardly.
With downcast eyes, Chu Liangxia felt prepared inside.
Walking along the front yard's pebbled path, the two reached the beautifully decorated villa.
Aunt Chen closed the umbrella quickly and opened the door for her.
Without pausing, Chu Liangxia walked straight inside.
On the long sofa in the hall, a man and a woman were seated.
The man, past the age of knowing his destiny, still had handsome features and an imposing presence. He was dressed in a black suit, his thick eyebrows tightly locked, a hint of anger flaring from the depths of his eyes, cold and formidable.
Chu Yunxiao, her father.
The woman beside him was younger, in her mid-thirties yet still fresh and lovely, stunning and charming. She wore a simple black long dress that revealed her figure, exuding a seductive and bewitching aura.
Lou Ruhui, her stepmother.
"Dad."
Approaching and standing across from the coffee table, Chu Liangxia called out.
With hardly any emotion, it was merely a token greeting.
Lou Ruhui, who was being ignored, saw her complexion slightly change, but then she recovered quickly.
"Liangxia is back. Didn't you bring an umbrella?" Standing up and walking towards Chu Liangxia, Lou Ruhui held her hand with a face full of gentle smiles, "Come, sit down first."
As she spoke, she turned her head to glance at Aunt Chen, "Get a towel and wipe the miss down."
Aunt Chen nodded in understanding and left.
"I won't sit," brushing off Lou Ruhui's hand, Chu Liangxia's eyes were cool and clear as she spoke to Chu Yunxiao, "Let's talk while I'm standing."
Lou Ruhui, being ignored again, stiffened slightly, struggling to maintain her composure.
As her eyes dropped, a flash of irritation passed through them.
"Your mother told you to sit!"
Watching Chu Liangxia coldly, Chu Yunxiao sat upright on the sofa, his words carrying the weight of a command.
"She's not my mother."