"Why are you still here? Go cook something." The sharp voice of a young boy rang out.
That voice belongs to her younger adopted little brother, Wang Yu Jin. This year, he had turned twelve years old. He had not quite reached adolescence yet, but he already wore a perpetually proud and arrogant look on his face.
She ignored him and headed straight to the kitchen. Upon entering, she saw her adoptive mother, Madam Wang. Madam Wang, whose name was Shi Xen, was smiling at her, though the expression lacked warmth.
"Make breakfast faster. We are hungry," Shi Xen commanded.
Even though she was smiling, her eyes told a different story. In her gaze, Yu Qi was nothing more than an object. Madam Wang had adopted Yu Qi with a hidden motive. Since Yu Qi was not her biological daughter, she felt there was nothing wrong with treating her this way.
Yu Qi knew exactly what Madam Wang thought of her. The look Madam Wang gave her was nothing like the gaze a mother should give a daughter. Yu Qi realised now how ignorant she had been in her previous life. Back then, she had mistakenly thought her mother was simply a "strict" character.
She began to cook scrambled eggs, her thoughts bitter. 'If you guys are hungry, why don't you cook for yourselves? And you, Madam Wang, you are the mother. You should be the one standing here cooking.' She mumbled to herself as she worked.
She had never seen Madam Wang cook a single meal. As far as she could remember, she had started cooking for the family when she was only four years old. At that time, there were only four family members to feed.
After she finished preparing breakfast, she informed Madam Wang. Madam Wang then called the rest of the family to sit and eat. They gathered at the table and began their meal without Yu Qi.
Yu Qi did not sit with them. It had always been this way. The table consisted of only five chairs, yet the family consisted of six members. There was quite literally no seat for her. In her previous life, she had felt this arrangement was okay. She had never truly realised back then that they simply did not consider her a member of the family at all.
Carrying her own portion back into the kitchen, she began to eat alone. Sensing someone entering the room, she turned her head to see who it was.
Appearing in front of her was a young girl with a beautiful oval face and fair skin, Wang Fu Ya. She was the eldest daughter of the Wang family, excluding Yu Qi. She was the same age as Yu Qi, both of them turning sixteen this year.
"Help me with the essay we have to submit tomorrow, okay?" Wang Fu Ya said, wearing a sweet smile while making the request.
Instead of responding, Yu Qi slightly narrowed her eyes and stared silently at Wang Fu Ya. Being stared at in such a way made Wang Fu Ya feel that something was wrong. She looked deep into Yu Qi's eyes.
Yu Qi's eyes were completely void of any emotion. Wang Fu Ya felt as though Yu Qi was staring deep into her very soul, which made her feel a sudden sense of fear. She instinctively stepped back away from Yu Qi. After a tense moment, Yu Qi suddenly smiled and nodded at her as if nothing had happened.
Wang Fu Ya let out a small snort. 'This fool is always a fool'. She thought.
She had always known that Yu Qi was not her real sister, but merely an adopted daughter. Her mother had told her the truth six years ago. That was why she never thought of Yu Qi as family. To her, Yu Qi was just a servant she could use whenever she pleased. Satisfied, she walked out of the kitchen.
With a small, mysterious smile on her face, Yu Qi also began to walk away from the kitchen toward her room. However, someone blocked her path. Her adoptive father, Wang Bai Ye, stood there, smiling provocatively at her as he always did. He had always wanted to "have a taste" of her. He had almost succeeded in her past life, if only his wife had not intervened.
Yu Qi shot a sharp, piercing look at her adoptive father. "Yes?" She asked coldly.
"Nothing, my dear." Wang Bai Ye replied.
Sensing his wife's eyes on him, he turned around and left Yu Qi alone.
Yu Qi understood that her adoptive mother was constantly watching her husband. 'Perverted man', she thought darkly before entering her room.