Qian returned home, and the house was pitch dark.
Her mom was nowhere to be seen, probably went to her uncle's house to cry, her dad hadn't returned either, definitely out playing mahjong all night.
Her brother, Chen Zilong, hadn't returned, likely still wasting away at the internet café.
Only the light in Qu Xue's room was still on.
Ruining a family like this, yet Qu Xue still shamelessly stayed here, sleeping soundly.
Qian thought for a moment.
If she barged in, smashing things with a chair or hurling curses, such things that would ruin her image and character, she wouldn't do it.
She hated those who resorted to violence when faced with problems. Things that could be solved with intelligence didn't need violence. She despised those who solve issues with brute force—it lacked sophistication. Qian thought as she walked upstairs.
Her parents' bedroom was empty; she confidently walked in, wondering if her mom's phenolphthalein for constipation was still there...
She found the phenolphthalein, went downstairs, calmly located Qu Xue's teacup, opened it, threw the pill in, and stirred it evenly with her finger.
Phenolphthalein, commonly known as a laxative, would make a normal person have diarrhea. Besides diarrhea, it might also cause changes in urine color, though it's not guaranteed, some people don't experience it. Nowadays, if you don't study, you're at a disadvantage—knowledge is power.
Returning upstairs, while the house was empty, Qian started rummaging through everything.
She didn't know if her admission letter had been hidden or torn by her dad.
Even though it seemed replaceable, the paperwork and all was quite troublesome. Finding it directly was ideal, as there were only half a month left until school started.
If she couldn't find it, time would be limited for her to arrange the paperwork with the school, which required time.
She turned everything upside down but found nothing. Qian sat on her parents' bed, thinking about how her dad might have brought Qu Xue up here while her mom was out gossiping, and the two of them probably had sex. The thought made her feel nauseated.
Feeling the urge to wash her hands again, Qian got up and realized there was no soap at the sink. She opened the cabinet, remembering that her mom had the habit of keeping new soap in the cabinet.
There was a brand called Sansmile, with floral and fruity scents, costing one yuan per bar. Its scent was quite strong, probably loaded with fragrance, but after some use, the scent would fade. Her mom particularly liked this scent, stuffing it in the wardrobes at home, so opening them all smelled the same.
She opened the cabinet, dug to the bottom, and found a soapbox, the kind that could fit two bars of soap, something Chen Lin had forced from a sales rep as a freebie when he made a purchase.
Opening it, Qian intended to take the soap but unexpectedly found a piece of paper.
After unfolding it, Qian was amused.
So easily obtained!
She never expected her dad to hide her admission letter in such a place!
Now that she's found this, all that's left is her ID and household registration book. She remembered her mom kept these documents in a shoebox on top of the cabinet, so she'd secretly take them out, photocopy them tomorrow, and then return the household registration book.
With everything prepared, Qian was heading out when she turned around and got startled.
A boy with a side-parted hairstyle and bleached bangs stood at the door, looking at Qian as if catching her.
"Chen Xiaoqian! Are you stealing Dad's money?"
This was the Chen family's spoiled son, Chen Zilong. Though their parents hoped he'd become a dragon, he wasn't even a caterpillar.
Qian was initially startled by his sudden appearance but quickly recovered and walked over boldly, "Do you think I'm like you?"
This brat, skipping classes, obsessed with online games, always stealing money from their parents to surf the internet, fighting and brawling at school, joining gangs, boastfully valuing brotherhood, with all his gray matter replaced by muscle, ignorant and trouble-seeking—he was a typical bad kid.
Qian was disgusted by him.
Not just because this guy was a delinquent, but more so because their parents gave all their love and affection to this kid, even hiding her college admission letter to save money for his college education.
Yet this kid didn't even pass high school and dropped out, causing trouble outside, breaking someone's leg, who then demanded compensation; and when Chen Lin couldn't pay, he squeezed money from Qian. And when Qian discovered Ni Jianren couldn't perform as a homosexual, wanting a divorce, Chen Lin, wanting to save money for his son, stubbornly refused.
In fact, upon reflection, although Chen Zilong was foolish, he didn't directly cause harm to Qian, and her dislike for him was because of everything associated with him.
In her previous life, after her brother had a terrible time, she had him work for her, paying him a few thousand a month, delighting in stepping on him while making him say thank you.
Seeing his sister ignoring him, Chen Zilong grabbed her arm.
"Sis, give me 5 yuan, I have no money to buy study materials."
"You mean you have no money to surf the internet all night?"
It'd be a miracle if this kid could actually study hard.
His intention was exposed, and Chen Zilong avoided her gaze.
"Follow me to my room, I'll give it to you."
"Thanks, sis!"
Qian dug out a few coins from her piggy bank for him, considered hush money so he wouldn't rat her out for going through the household registration book.
With coins in hand, Chen Zilong was about to leave, heading for an all-nighter at the internet café, when he seemed to remember something.
"Sis, I saw brother-in-law go into the Binhai Hotel with another man; was he going to play mahjong all night?"
The internet café was just opposite the hotel.
Qian adjusted her glasses, "Fool, who told you that going to a hotel is definitely for playing mahjong?"
"Then what else would two men do at a hotel if not play mahjong?" Chen Zilong was only 12, and although he sneakily watched some adult films, those were limited to men and women.
Two men—now that was pushing it.
"Besides mahjong, two men at a hotel might also be... picking up soap…"
Thanks to her spoiled brother for giving her this piece of information—it mattered for her tuition fees.
"What?" Chen Zilong didn't understand what his sister meant; he just felt that his sister was different today, her eyes behind her glasses particularly bright, unsettling him.
"After staying up all night, you'll be hungry in the morning. I'll give you another 2 yuan so after your all-nighter, you can buy a pancake for yourself." Qian deducted another two yuan from her piggy bank.
Chen Zilong looked at his sister, dumbfounded, "Sis, are you okay?"
This wasn't his usual sister! How did she suddenly become so nice to him?
"Are you going or not? If our parents come back, they'll surely hit you!"
Ruining someone often starts with spoiling them. Unconditional indulgence can completely ruin a person. Qian smiled, standing by the window, watching her brother sprint towards the internet café with the money.
Based on the time, that bastard was probably opening the "special surprise" she had prepared for him and his lover soon, right?
Hope they would like it.