After Huo Chao saw the WeChat message sent by Shu Er, he felt a bit conflicted. He worried that once she returned to the Shu family, she might not be able to pay as much attention to him anymore. This thought left him feeling a bit lost.

He pressed his fingers against his temples, trying to suppress the strange feeling growing inside him. Was he actually addicted to her antics?

Unable to resist, Huo Chao sent Shu Er a video call.

When Shu Er received the call, she had already returned to her room, with her two ‘little tails’, Shu Rou and Shu Ya, following behind her. Shu’s father and mother were still sitting in the living room, stunned and speechless.

Not filing a lawsuit against them was Shu Er’s last act of mercy toward them, mostly out of respect for the deceased grandmother, who had raised the original Shu Er, and Shu Ya, who had revealed the truth about the swapped identities. Otherwise, Shu’s parents wouldn’t get away with what they did so easily.

When Shu Er saw the incoming video call from Huo Chao, she answered it casually.

Huo Chao rubbed his temples. “Don’t cause trouble.”

She had just returned to the Shu family, and she wasn’t yet familiar with the people or the situation. Shouldn’t she keep a low profile? Of course, he wasn’t suggesting she hold in her grievances, but he didn’t want her to intentionally stir up problems. What if she got into trouble, and he couldn’t help her in time?

Before Shu Er could respond, Shu Rou chimed in enthusiastically, “Boss Huo, my second sister was very strong just now. She completely shut down the couple.”

Shu Ya nodded in agreement.

Shu Er, like a triumphant general, was surrounded with enthusiasm and admiration.

Huo Chao: …

He hadn’t expected her to get along so well with her two younger sisters after such a short time.

Shu Rou, unable to hold back her excitement, quickly recounted what had just happened, ending with a satisfied comment, “Second Sister even managed to subdue you. Do you think she’ll be afraid of the Shu family?”

Huo Chao: …

He reluctantly took that as a compliment to Shu Er.

With others around, Huo Chao didn’t say much more and just told Shu Er to contact him if she needed anything.

After hanging up, Shu Rou quickly played the family card, “Second Sister, I really see you as my second sister now. Although we had some misunderstandings at first, once we cleared the air, everything’s fine. In the future, if you need someone to back you up, like to curse someone out for you, feel free to find me. I’m not afraid of fighting!”

Shu Ya also expressed her loyalty, “Second Sister, if you ever feel unhappy at the Shu family, you can talk to me.”

Although Shu Er hadn’t been in this world for long, she could feel the sincerity from both Shu Rou and Shu Ya. While Shu Rou had initially seemed like an opportunistic antagonist, she wasn’t actually bad at heart. As for Shu Ya, it goes without saying.

Shu Er made a note of their kindness.

After the monthly exam, there was a long National Day holiday.

On the second day of the holiday, Shu’s parents brought Shu Er (MC) to visit.

The moment Shu’s mother saw Shu Er (book FL), tears welled up in her eyes. “She… she…”

Even Shu’s father trembled, his lips quivering as he struggled to speak.

Shu Er (MC) smiled and answered smoothly, “She’s your biological daughter.”

Upon hearing this, Shu Er (book FL) quickly looked up, her eyes filled with resentment.

That resentment was exactly what Shu Er (MC) expected.

Perhaps worried that Shu Er (book FL) would change her mind, Liu Yan quickly tried to leave with Shu Er (MC) after bringing her back.

Her parents and grandparents had already learned about Shu Er (MC)’s existence. Her parents were rushing back from abroad to meet their long-lost granddaughter, so Shu Er (book FL) had no choice but to return to the family.

The sadness of separation lingered between Liu Yan and Shu Er (book FL), which was exactly why Shu’s mother had once warned Shu Rou and Shu Ya not to get too close to Shu Er (MC). If they grew attached, how much more painful would it be when the time came to part?

Shu Er (MC) didn’t have much to pack, just a single suitcase. One of the bodyguards, sensing the situation, stepped forward to carry the pink suitcase for her.

Everyone present knew that the real little princess of the Shu family was standing before them now.

As Shu’s parents were about to leave with Shu Er (book FL), Shu Er (book FL) couldn’t hold back her tears and whispered, “Mom, Dad…”

Liu Yan didn’t know what to say.

Shu Er (MC) tilted her head, pointing at Shu’s parents. “Your parents are over there. Why are you calling out to mine?”

At that moment, Shu Er (MC) truly felt like the antagonist in a drama.

Shu Er (book FL) was stunned, and the resentment in her eyes deepened.

Shu Er (MC) didn’t care about Shu Er (book FL)’s feelings. She enjoyed watching her hate her yet be powerless to do anything about it.

Shu’s mother stepped forward and gently tugged Shu Er’s (book FL) arm. “Child…”

Shu Er (book FL) struggled to hold back, barely managing not to immediately shake off her elderly, unadorned hand that lacked the care of high-end skincare products.

After leaving the Shu family home, Shu’s father went back to work, while Liu Yan accompanied Shu Er (MC). Shu Er thought her newly-appointed mother would take her straight home, but instead, she was brought to a luxury mall.

Liu Yan explained, “You’ve just returned to the family, and you don’t have much in the way of presentable clothing. We’ll buy a few things to get by for now, and we can add more later.”

No girl would refuse pretty dresses, so Shu Er happily agreed.

Liu Yan didn’t take Shu Er to some unknown little shop. As a VIP client of D brand, she took Shu Er directly there.

Shu Er was, of course, familiar with the D brand. If the H brand was the fighter jet of luxury goods, then the D brand was just slightly below it, but still far superior to regular luxury brands.

As soon as they arrived at the D store, the shopping guide enthusiastically greeted them, “Ms. Liu, it’s been a while! We’ve got many new arrivals. Would you like to take a look?”

Liu Yan waved her hand and said, “I’m not buying for myself today. I’m here to buy for my daughter.”

The shopping guide was momentarily stunned. She had seen Liu Yan’s daughter, Shu Er, before, but the girl in front of her was someone entirely new.

When did Ms. Liu suddenly gain a daughter of this age?

Although many thoughts flashed through the shopping guide’s mind, her expression remained neutral. She glanced at Shu Er’s attire and noticed there wasn’t a single designer item on her. Normally, the associate wouldn’t even bother with someone like this.

But today was different.

Shu Er, once inside the D store, remained calm and composed. She couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge the sales associate, choosing instead to browse on her own.

To be honest, it had been quite a while since she had properly gone shopping.

Casually pointing with her hand, she said, “This one, this one, this one, and also those shoes, that bag, and that one, and that one as well. Have them all wrapped up. By the way, the clothes should be in size S, and the shoes in size 35.”

Shopping guide: …

Although this young lady wasn’t dressed in any designer brands, she certainly carried herself like a proper heiress.

The sales associate put away her dismissive attitude and carefully confirmed, “Are you sure you want all of them?”

Shu Er gave her a dissatisfied look.

In her previous life, whenever she went shopping, did she ever need to explain herself? The clerk would swiftly pack everything up while showering her with compliments. Where would you find a shopping guide as clueless as this one?

Shu Er hummed and continued walking. The salesperson, still cautious, asked from behind, “Miss, this item comes in two colors. Which one would you prefer?”

Shu Er glanced at her lightly. “I want both.”

“Alright, understood…”

The salesperson was inwardly shocked. This girl, whom she had never seen before, was acting even more like an heiress than Shu Er (book FL) herself.

That look in her eyes made the salesperson feel uneasy.

And the way she was picking clothes—like she was buying cabbages, not items costing tens of thousands per piece.

After making another round of the store, Shu Er picked out a few more, saying, “This one, this one, that skirt, that one, that one, and these pants. All of them.”

“Okay.”

Her demeanor was surprising not just to the salesperson, but even Liu Yan was taken aback.

She had assumed that her child, who had grown up outside the family, would struggle to adapt to this new lifestyle. Liu Yan had worried that Shu Er might embarrass her and Mr. Shu in social settings. But now, she realized she had been overthinking it.

When she first met Shu Er, Liu Yan thought she was just an ordinary proud child—after all, wasn’t she raised in an ordinary family?

However, watching her now casually instruct the salesperson to wrap up her selections, Liu Yan unexpectedly saw poise, grace, and a sense of nobility in her.

The lowly, commoner air Liu Yan had anticipated was completely absent from Shu Er.

After Shu Er finished selecting her clothes, the sales associate totaled the bill—over 900,000 yuan.

Liu Yan swiped her card.

Surprisingly, Shu Er didn’t even blink upon hearing the total, behaving as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Liu Yan began to believe that her biological daughter might be something special.

If it were any other girl, would they have handled this situation with such ease and grace?

Liu Yan started to feel a strong desire to nurture Shu Er.

Perhaps Shu Er’s claims of her own excellence weren’t mere boasts after all?

While they were in the car, Liu Yan chatted with Shu Er, who was now dressed in her new clothes, looking completely transformed. She talked about family matters, and Shu Er listened carefully.

She was well aware of her strengths and weaknesses. While she was confident, she wasn’t overly conceited. She knew that her return to the Shu family wouldn’t be smooth and that several battles lay ahead. But she wasn’t afraid.

She also had a younger brother at home, who was very close to Shu Er. With Shu Er now gone, the boy was undoubtedly heartbroken and might not be able to accept her immediately.

The Shu family had many relatives, and there were plenty of boys and girls around her age. But these introductions could wait until after she returned home.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the Shu family’s home.

Naturally, the Shu family home couldn’t be compared to the Shu family’s. Situated in the heart of the city, where land was precious, the mansion was worth tens of millions. It had three floors, a swimming pool, and a small garden. There were also maids and chefs—one specializing in Western cuisine and the others divided into Sichuan, Hangzhou, and Cantonese dishes.

All in all, for an ordinary person, the sheer grandeur of this setup would have been overwhelming.

But Shu Er remained calm throughout.

She was composed when the maids and chefs welcomed her, and just as calm when Shu Qiang, her younger brother, showed his clear displeasure.

Shu Qiang’s face was wet with tears and snot. At twelve years old, he still had a bit of baby fat. His features were delicate, but the words he spoke were far from pleasant. “I don’t like you! You’re a bad person! Give me back my sister!”

The maids and chefs, awkwardly pretending not to notice, stayed silent. Liu Yan, however, reprimanded him, “How can you speak to your sister like that?”

Shu Qiang wiped his tears and said fiercely, “She’s not my sister! She drove away my real sister!”

Shu Er took a moment to survy her surroundings, giving the opulent décor a passing grade. Then she looked down at Shu Qiang, raised her finger, and said slowly, “Let me make two points clear. First, I couldn’t care less whether you like me or not. Your opinion doesn’t matter to me. Second, you’re right—I did drive Shu Er away. I have a bad temper, so be good and don’t provoke me. Understand?”

Shu Er didn’t intend to be too harsh on a young boy.

Although she didn’t like Shu Er, she harbored no ill feelings toward her biological younger brother.

Plus, the boy was still immature. It was understandable that he was unhappy with her arrival, especially since he had gotten along well with Shu Er over the years.

However, Shu Er knew how crucial her behavior was today.

This was her first appearance at the Shu family home. If she acted too kind and accommodating, others might think she was an easy target, someone anyone could push around. Even the maids might start treating her with disrespect, and that was something she would never tolerate.

She needed to make it clear to everyone that she was not someone to be trifled with—not even a little.

Even her biological younger brother had no right to boss her around.

The maids and chefs who overheard Shu Er’s words: …

It felt like the new young lady was definitely someone not to be messed with.

Best to steer clear.