"My grades aren't good enough for Class One. And as for my penchant for fighting, it's beyond reform," Qin Sheng's tone was icy and indifferent, her words dripping with discontent.
Qin Hai's face darkened with anger, his frustration palpable. His fists clenched at his sides, struggling to contain his rage at his daughter's blatant defiance. His disappointment was evident, and he struggled to keep his voice steady.
Qin Sheng tilted her head thoughtfully, then let out a soft chuckle, her gaze dripping with mockery. "Rest assured, no one at school, aside from the few you've informed, will know that I am your daughter. I won't bring shame to you. Besides, whether I excel or not is none of your concern, is it?"
She would never acknowledge being Qin Hai's daughter. The connection was a burden she wished to sever entirely. She no longer cherished this identity, much less wanted to reveal it to others. She wished she could drain every drop of blood that bound her to this family.
Qin Hai, struck by her words, grew even more furious. "Qin Sheng, you are my daughter! How could you speak about your father like that?"
"Do you ever consider me your daughter?" Qin Sheng glanced at Qin Churou with disdain, scoffing. "It seems to me you have only one daughter, and that's Qin Churou."
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and headed upstairs.
Her back was straight, her figure frail and slender. Alone on the staircase, she appeared fragile and vulnerable. Yet, despite her delicate appearance, her resolve was unyielding. Each step she took seemed to echo with a newfound determination, her anger fueling her stride.
Qin Hai paid no mind to any of this. He angrily slammed the table, the sound echoing through the room. "I should have known better than to bring her back."
Lin Shuyuan gave Qin Hai a sidelong glance and snapped, "I told you, we should have just considered Rou'er our only daughter. But no, you insisted on bringing her back."
"I did it for the Qin family," Qin Hai retorted with a note of defensiveness in his voice. "Qin Sheng is beautiful. If we marry her off to someone suitable, it could greatly benefit our family."
His words, every one of them, reached Qin Sheng's ears as she was about to open the door on the second floor. The mention of her being used as a pawn for their gain stung sharply, and a sneer curled at her lips.
She had never understood why Qin Hai and Lin Shuyuan had brought her back if they disliked her so much. Now, she knew.
They saw their only biological daughter as nothing more than a tool to advance their interests, while Qin Churou, the adopted daughter, was showered with their affection.
How laughable.
Qin Sheng had no interest in their conversation any longer. She opened the door and went inside.
The heavy door shut them out, sealing their conversation behind her.
After taking a shower, Qin Sheng sat cross-legged on her bed with her laptop on her lap. She opened it and logged onto Black Emperor, her favorite hacker forum. She noticed that her challenge post had long since sunk into obscurity without a single response.
Qin Sheng frowned slightly in confusion. Was her initial challenge too mild? The lack of engagement was unexpected, a stark contrast to the response she had anticipated.
She tilted her head in thought, her lips curling into a faint, arrogant smile. Her slender fingers danced across the keyboard, typing out an exceptionally provocative message.
[QS: I took a look at your scores and have a few words to summarize: pathetic! Utterly mediocre! I genuinely wonder how any of you ever earned the title of top hacker. It seems the famed Black Emperor isn't all that impressive.]
She made sure to tag a few of the top-ranking hackers in the community, taunting them directly. "If you have any guts, then challenge me. Unless, of course, you're all cowards, afraid to be outdone by a newcomer."
After posting her new message, Qin Sheng shut her laptop with a decisive click, feeling a surge of satisfaction. She knew her provocations would stir up the community.
She barely remembered her high school studies and needed to review thoroughly. Pulling out her Chinese textbook, she knew that with just one read-through, the knowledge she had learned in her previous life would resurface, allowing her to apply it effortlessly.
Qin Sheng was a genius, but she had grown up in an environment where she was constantly oppressed. To protect herself, she had to carefully conceal her brilliance.
Just after middle school, Shen Mei had forbidden her from continuing her education, and Qin Sheng had learned to adapt and survive in the shadows. But now, the time had come to show the world her true capabilities.
**(End of Chapter)**