Chapter 5: Let the Room

The chopsticks slammed heavily onto the table. Gu Chengye's face darkened as he interrogated her, "Don't you know any dining etiquette? Put the strawberries back!"

He Huanhuan wasn't afraid of him at all. Her eyes widened even more, and she slammed the chopsticks even harder. "Who do you think you're scolding? What's wrong with me eating a couple of strawberries? Did I break the law?"

Jiang Yulan quickly stepped forward to pull her. "Huanhuan, don't argue with your father. Just say you're sorry, and that'll be enough..."

"Sorry my ass!"

He Huanhuan's fiery temper couldn't be held back at all.

She pushed herself up from the table and strode over to Gu Chengye, glaring at him. "Old man, what were you yelling at me for?"

"Sister, don't be mad at Father."

Gu Chacha quickly walked over and explained gently, "Sister, in a family like ours, going out to eat can't be like those nouveau riche types..."

"What's wrong with being nouveau riche?"

He Huanhuan let out a mocking laugh. "Eating all the strawberries makes someone nouveau riche? What kind of family are you? A family that glorifies waste?"

"Sister, that's not it..."

She reached out to pull He Huanhuan's arm. Huanhuan, annoyed by her whining, waved her hand to shake her off.

But unexpectedly, Gu Chacha suddenly fell to the ground, crying pitifully, "Sister, don't be angry..."

"He Huanhuan! Have you lost your mind?"

Gu Chengye's fury erupted, and he banged the table so hard it rattled.

"Why did you push Chacha?"

He Huanhuan shot him a glare. "I didn't push her."

Gu Chengye pointed at her furiously. "I saw it with my own eyes! And you still dare to lie?"

Huanhuan's anger flared up instantly. "Damn it! Are you blind? I said I didn't push her!"

"I saw it!"

Gu Chengye had truly seen it. From where he stood, it really looked like He Huanhuan had shoved Gu Chacha down.

His heart ached with disappointment—how could his daughter, lost for twenty years, be such a rude and uneducated child?

His trembling finger pointed at He Huanhuan, as if he wanted to jab it straight into her heart. "At such a young age, lying through your teeth! Who do you think you are?!"

Before he could finish, Huanhuan grabbed his finger and bent it back.

She bared her teeth at him. "Are you sick? I said I didn't push her!"

His finger was bent nearly to the back of his hand, and Gu Chengye was in so much pain he almost lost his voice. "Let go!"

Huanhuan glared at him and emphasized, "Let go my ass! I didn't push her!"

"Huanhuan, you can't hit your father!"

Jiang Yulan was terrified. Her face pale, she rushed over to pull Huanhuan away, but Huanhuan shoved her off!

"Ah!"

Huanhuan was strong. Jiang Yulan couldn't keep her balance and staggered backward several steps before collapsing onto her two sons.

Leaning against them, she asked in a hurt voice, "Huanhuan, why did you push your mother?"

He Huanhuan grabbed Gu Chengye and pointed at Jiang Yulan. "See that? That's me actually pushing someone!"

"I see, I see... now let go!"

By then, Gu Chengye couldn't care less about that. He just wanted to save his index finger!

Cold sweat dripped from his brow.

"Weakling!"

Huanhuan snorted disdainfully before releasing him.

She looked down at Gu Chacha. "Tell me yourself—did I push you just now?"

Gu Chacha felt a strange twinge in her finger, then quickly stood up and explained to Old Mr. Gu, "Father, Sister didn't push me. I lost my balance."

She gently massaged Old Mr. Gu's finger. "Father, Sister didn't mean to hit you. Please don't be mad at her, okay?"

Her big eyes blinked up at him.

It calmed his raging heart just a little. "You're too kind-hearted, child. That's how we raised you."

"What the hell—you're a Green Tea!"

He Huanhuan suddenly shouted. "Holy crap! A real-life Green Tea!"

...

Gu Chacha blinked. "Sister, what are you talking about? I don't understand..."

He Huanhuan clapped excitedly. "That's exactly it! So authentic! Say more stuff like that!"

She pulled out her phone, opened the video recorder, and started directing Gu Chacha. "Come on! Say it into my camera! More of that Green Tea talk!"

In her circle of friends, they swore like sailors and dragged each other's ancestors into it within three sentences.

She'd never seen such a fresh Green Tea before!

She had to film this—to show Qi Meili and the others what it looked like.

But as she started recording, she remembered she'd been pulled into a book.

Even if she went back later, the footage wouldn't come with her.

Whatever.

She'd just have to describe it herself.

She put her phone away, pinched her voice, and mimicked Gu Chacha: "Father~ Sister didn't mean to hit you~"

Then she looked earnestly at Gu Chacha and asked, "Did I nail it? Any tips on how to improve? Give me some pointers?"

...

Her gaze swept to Old Mr. Gu, and she beamed. "Don't trust the Green Tea. I hit you on purpose just now."

...

Behind them, Gu Jinghan silently gave her a thumbs-up. Damn, what a warrior!

Beating up the old man, talking back to the Green Tea.

An all-around fighter!

Gu Chacha's face nearly cracked. "Sister, what are you doing?"

She blinked, and her eyes instantly welled up. "Father..."

Gu Chengye's rage surged higher. He bellowed furiously, "He Huanhuan!"

Huanhuan snapped her legs together, stood up straight, and shouted with perfect clarity, "Sorry, Old Geezer! Sorry, Green Tea!"

...

Her voice was so deliberately drawn-out it only made things worse.

That wasn't a genuine apology at all!

It was pure provocation!

"You, you, you!"

Gu Chengye was so angry he couldn't speak. "What kind of behavior is this? How is this like a girl? Is this how the He family raised you?"

He Huanhuan was jiggling her leg and smirking. "I was twelve years old, wailing for money at funerals. What did you expect me to be? I'm already damn impressive that I turned out like this!"

"Twelve? Wailing at funerals?"

Gu Chengye froze. "Why were you wailing at funerals?"

Huanhuan's leg jiggled faster. "To earn money! How else was I supposed to eat? Were you going to give me money?"

Gu Chengye couldn't believe it. "Aren't He Hongying and her husband both working? How could you have no money for food?"

He'd done his research. He Hongying and her husband were both wage earners. Their income, though not high, was enough to raise a child.

He Huanhuan couldn't be bothered to make up a lie. "How the hell should I know? I never saw a cent of it!"

The truth in her expression was too real for Gu Chengye to doubt.

He couldn't help but believe her—that this kid really did make money by wailing at funerals, scraping by on that to grow up.

He didn't dare to think about how she would've survived without that money.

Oh, wait. She could survive.

She could also take beatings for money, let people smash bottles over her head—twenty bucks a pop.

His towering rage instantly fizzled out, replaced by wave after wave of guilt. He opened his mouth. "Huanhuan... I'm sorry, I failed you..."

"No, it's my fault!"

Gu Chacha cut him off, sobbing. "It's my fault I took the Gu family's daughter's place for twenty years! I made Sister suffer so much! It's all my fault!"

Her face was streaked with tears, eyes red and swollen.

Old Mr. Gu's heart ached for her, and he turned to comfort her. "How is this your fault? You were just a child. You knew nothing..."

Gu Jinghan rolled his eyes behind the two of them. Here we go again.

She had said this dozens of times over the past few days—couldn’t she come up with something new?

“You rolled your eyes!”

He Huanhuan suddenly pointed a finger at him. “Did you just roll your eyes or not?”