Volume One, Chapter Seven: The Whole Family Are Masters of Drama

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Chuxian sat upright before Chumian, his expression unusually tense for the first time. His hands fidgeted nervously with the edge of his garment, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. After hesitating for a long while, he took a deep breath and finally spoke:
“Sis, that helicopter was actually rented with all my savings. I heard the Xie family is quite wealthy, and I didn’t want you to lose face in front of others.”
Chuxian wasn’t lying; the aircraft indeed didn’t belong to the Chu family. Although the five brothers each owned a customized private jet, all were oddly styled. While impressive to see, such flamboyance was hardly appropriate for the solemn task of fetching his sister.
Upon hearing this, Chumian’s finely arched brows knit slightly. “Huh?”
Chuxian’s spirits sank as he saw her attitude truly shift, almost allowing his frustration to boil over.
Yet Chumian was more puzzled than anything.
Beyond whether such a flashy plane could even be rented, the haute couture Chuxian wore alone was worth hundreds of thousands. Renting a helicopter seemed unlikely.
His strange explanation left Chumian baffled, and she said casually, “How much would that cost? The Xie family doesn’t deserve such treatment. I should have told you to cancel it.”
Glancing at the flashy pink helicopter, she thought it was indeed a convenient mode of transport, though the color was excessively girlish.
Chuxian hadn’t anticipated this turn of events; his anger dissipated strangely. Scratching his head, he smiled sheepishly, “Money can always be earned again. I just can’t stand to see you suffer.”
Chumian sensed the genuine emotion behind his words and didn’t mind his clumsy act.
Not to mention his understated yet luxurious attire, even his every move radiated an aura that made it impossible for him to be the “country bumpkin” the Xies claimed.
Perhaps this was his way of testing her.
Chumian reached up to ruffle Chuxian’s hair, then took a card from her bag and handed it to him.
Her voice was steady yet gentle: “Brother, I’ve saved a little over the years—not much—but you take this to spend for now. Life must go on. Don’t borrow too far ahead.”
Holding the card, Chuxian thought of how the Xie mother and daughter bullied Chumian and surely never gave her pocket money.
That she managed to save meant she must have worked hard through study and labor, enduring great hardship.
The card burned in his hand, almost prompting him to reveal the truth.
“Thank you; my little sister is so good to her third brother,” Chuxian’s voice choked with unfamiliar emotion.
“We’re family.”

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Chumian looked serene, quietly anticipating what “surprises” her biological parents had prepared.
Chuxian led her to a decrepit old building.
It was a house their mother had deliberately purchased—dilapidated and dark, with damp hallways.
The air carried the unmistakable scent of a slum.
Without a word, Chumian stepped inside.
They were met by a strikingly beautiful woman, dressed plainly but with a face unmarked by the ravages of time.
“Mian... Mianmian...”
The woman spread her arms, voice trembling with restrained sobs.
“I’m your mother! Come to me.”
Seeing a face so remarkably like her own, Lin Yueru’s tears flowed freely as she rushed forward to embrace Chumian.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll never lose you again.”
Feeling the warmth on her shoulder, Chumian’s heart swelled with mixed emotions as she returned the embrace of the tearful woman.
“Child, you’ve suffered. After you got lost, my health failed, and I couldn’t work. With so many children at home, conditions... were truly difficult.”
After heartfelt pleasantries, Lin Yueru calmed herself and resumed the scripted act they had agreed upon.
Chuxian sat uneasily nearby.
The sofa beneath him was probably older than he was, creaking ominously with every movement.
If the earlier awkwardness had some performance in it, this discomfort was entirely genuine.
Chumian held a chipped glass, her face still warm and gentle.
She understood the logic behind her family’s behavior and could feel their sincere, passionate love beneath it all, so she bore no grudge.
She even found some amusement in their performance.
“Mom, isn’t this a bit much? If we were really this poor, I’d probably want to go out and make my own way.”
Chuxian finally found an excuse to rise from the sofa and followed Lin Yueru into the kitchen to “prepare dinner.”
Lin Yueru shot him a glare and whispered, “You’re a grown man with no progress. Look at your sister—she’s not ashamed and is already independent. If we really had no money, how would you support yourself?”
Chuxian grinned mischievously, pulling out the bank card Chumian had given him and waving it teasingly in front of Lin Yueru.
“My sister supports me.”
Lin Yueru hadn’t expected Chumian to be so straightforward and sincere.

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She felt ashamed and heartbroken, accepting the fresh grapes delivered by drone. Seeing the dusty, cracked bowls on the rack, she couldn’t bear it and asked Chuxian to carry the grapes out to serve Chumian.
That evening, to fit the “barely a roof over their heads” image, Lin Yueru only ordered four vegetable dishes and one soup.
All the dishes were vegetarian; the soup contained no meat.
Chuxian was on the verge of a sharp outburst but was silenced instantly by Lin Yueru’s steely glare.
“Dinner’s ready!”
After enough time in the kitchen to prepare this seemingly simple meal, she brought out the dishes—actually all carefully ordered from a private home-style restaurant.
“Mianmian, sorry, we’re out of meat. When your father gets paid, I’ll buy some and make you braised pork.”
Lin Yueru tidied her hair and pulled Chumian close affectionately.
Chuxian secretly turned on his phone camera and sent the footage to the family group chat, then muted it as they prepared to eat.
The door creaked loudly as it was pulled open forcefully.
Chumian stood and looked toward the entrance, where a man appeared, awkwardly smiling.
Chuguanshan wore patched clothing, uneasy as he stepped inside, his smile the practiced expression of a hardworking office drone.
According to Lin Yueru, Chuguanshan was now “30% humility, 30% endurance, 40% gentle and easily bullied.”
But he was used to calling the shots and found it awkward to play the part of the poor man.
Lin Yueru glanced warningly at her husband, who shivered under her gaze.
“Heh heh, Mianmian, this is your father.”
Hearing this, Chumian understood and obediently set down her utensils to say, “Daddy.”
Chuguanshan’s face stiffened. “Uh... yes!”
Overwhelmed by emotion at seeing his beloved daughter, his mouth betrayed him despite efforts to maintain the act, his facial expressions twitching uncontrollably.
Chuxian had never seen a father like this before—too awkward to film up close.
Unfortunately, in this poor household guise, he couldn’t openly pull out the latest limited-edition phone he’d bought.
Chuguanshan sat down, head lowered as he ate, eyes darting nervously, avoiding Chumian’s gaze.
Though he tried to conceal it, his natural dignity and aura remained difficult to hide entirely.