As Qin Sheng stepped into the villa, the lively chatter in the living room abruptly ceased. The three people who had been engaged in a light-hearted conversation suddenly fell silent at the sight of her.
"You're back," Qin Hai remarked, his tone as indifferent as ever, showing neither warmth nor any semblance of affection.
Lin Shuyuan, on the other hand, turned her head away, refusing to even look at Qin Sheng. Her disdain for the young woman was apparent in every gesture and expression she made. It was as if her mere presence had tainted the air she breathed.
Qin Churou, however, quickly plastered a look of surprise and delight on her face, masking her true feelings. "Sister, it's so late! Why are you only coming back now? Where have you been? I was so worried about you! You've just arrived in H City, and you're unfamiliar with the place. I was afraid you might get lost," she exclaimed, her voice dripping with feigned concern.
Qin Sheng paused in her tracks, a cold, mocking smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her eyes were sharp and clear, filled with a mixture of derision and contempt. "If I did get lost, whose fault would that be?" she asked pointedly, her voice carrying an edge that made Qin Churou's heart skip a beat.
Her gaze was so penetrating that Qin Churou felt as though every dark thought and hidden intention she harbored was being laid bare for all to see. It was a feeling she couldn't stand, one that made her incredibly uneasy. She could feel the panic rising in her chest as she worried that Qin Sheng might reveal her true nature.
In an attempt to preempt any such move, Qin Churou quickly adopted a pitiful expression, her voice trembling slightly. "Sister, I thought something terrible had happened to you. When I couldn't find you, I decided to inform Mom and Dad, and that's why I let the car come back first," she explained, tears glistening in her eyes, giving her an air of innocence and vulnerability.
Qin Sheng's expression remained unchanged, her eyes still filled with disdain. She knew all too well that Qin Churou was trying to manipulate the situation to her advantage, as she always did. Qin Churou had mastered the art of playing the victim, shifting the blame onto Qin Sheng, and earning sympathy from those around her with her delicate, fragile demeanor.
Her words were nothing but lies, meant to deceive Qin Hai and Lin Shuyuan. In her previous life, the Qin family's private car only ever fetched Qin Churou, while Qin Sheng had to make her way back on foot or take the subway and bus, regardless of the weather or time of day.
Choosing not to expose Qin Churou's lies, Qin Sheng simply averted her gaze and headed upstairs, her steps light but deliberate. She had no desire to linger among these hypocrites even a moment longer.
"Sheng'er," Qin Hai called out suddenly, his voice laced with false sincerity. "I've been quite busy lately, so we won't be holding a banquet to welcome you back. It's enough that your mom and I know you're our daughter. You're a sensible child and surely wouldn't mind such superficial matters," he continued, his words dripping with a patronizing tone that made Qin Sheng's stomach churn.
His statement, though sounding grand and reasonable, was merely an excuse to avoid spending any time or effort on her, and more importantly, a ploy to keep others from finding out that Qin Sheng was their daughter. They wanted to avoid any awkward questions or uncomfortable conversations that might arise from revealing the truth.
"Whatever," Qin Sheng replied coolly, her voice devoid of emotion as she continued upstairs.
Her eyes were slightly red, though not from tears. Although she had told herself countless times not to care about this so-called familial bond, she couldn't help the bitterness that welled up inside her. It was like a festering wound that refused to heal, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.
A biological daughter, yet she paled in comparison to an outsider—a girl who had deliberately swapped their children, causing them to be separated for more than a decade.
No matter how much she tried to please them, in their eyes, she would never be their daughter. To the Qin family, Qin Sheng was nothing more than a dispensable presence, a burden that they had to tolerate out of a sense of obligation.
Sitting down at her desk, Qin Sheng took a moment to compose herself before opening her laptop and logging into Black Emperor. Her previous provocation had borne fruit; the thread she posted had already accumulated dozens of replies, mostly mocking her for her arrogance. It wasn't many, but it was enough to gauge the reaction of the community.
The moment Qin Sheng's ID appeared, several hackers noticed and immediately issued challenges. One challenge post after another popped up on her screen, each one more taunting than the last.
[Hacker001 has challenged QS]
[Thousand Faces has challenged QS]
[I'm Little Black has challenged QS]
"..."
Qin Sheng narrowed her eyes, her lips curling into a faint smile as she casually clicked on one of the acceptance buttons. She relished the challenge; it was a welcome distraction from the chaos and hypocrisy of her everyday life.
The target of this challenge was a virtual system, requiring the breaking of three layers of defense. The opponent didn't take Qin Sheng seriously this time, choosing a simple target to attack, hoping to end it quickly; they didn't want to waste too much time on someone they considered arrogantly overconfident.
But Qin Sheng was no ordinary opponent. She tapped away at her keyboard with an almost lazy grace, her expression relaxed and unhurried. Her fingers moved with a practiced ease, each keystroke precise and deliberate, as if she were composing a symphony rather than engaging in a battle of wits.
A small window appeared on her computer screen, showing the page from her opponent's computer. A grin spread across her face as she realized that they had underestimated her once again. It was a mistake they would soon regret.
With a few more swift keystrokes, Qin Sheng breached the first layer of defense, her eyes gleaming with determination. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she pushed forward, breaking down the second layer with even greater speed and efficiency.
As she approached the final layer, she paused for a moment, her fingers hovering over the keys. She could almost sense the frustration of her opponent on the other side of the screen, their confidence slowly crumbling as they realized that they were dealing with a formidable adversary.
With a final flourish, Qin Sheng shattered the last layer of defense, her victory complete. She leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile playing on her lips as she watched the chaos unfold on her screen. She had proven her point, once again demonstrating her skills and leaving her opponents in awe.
**(End of Chapter)**