Hitting yet another brick wall in the conversation with her daughter—just when she had expected things to take a turn for the better—Wang Xia couldn't help but feel a rising sense of irritation.
'What is wrong with her today? Did she swallow gunpowder?', she thought, mentally rolling her eyes; she hadn't suspected her daughter had such a knack for getting under someone's skin.
But how had Liu Zihan developed this "talent"? She had raised her daughter to be obedient and understanding. Thinking that her daughter's temperament was starting to resemble Liu Fengying's "spoiled princess" attitude, Wang Xia concluded that the latter was likely to blame; they had been so close in the past, after all, it was only natural they would influence each other.
Nevertheless, she tried to keep a smile on her face; in the end, regarding the matter of marriage, she depended on Liu Zihan, not the other way around. It wasn't like a hundred years ago, when girls who didn't want to marry were bound and sent straight to their future husband's house.
Of course, she could tell that her daughter had no desire to enter a relationship at the moment. In this case, the best strategy would be that of "boiling the frog in lukewarm water"—making her daughter realize how much she stood to gain from a relationship. She could tell her about the gifts her friends' daughters received from their boyfriends, describe the luxury vacations of well-known couples, or start taking her to the lavish weddings of the city's elite; Wang Xia was convinced that, seeing all this evidence of opulence and adoration, it was impossible for Zihan not to feel at least a spark of envy toward girls in relationships.
The problem, however, was that time was not on her side. The greatest danger was that the "young grass" might lose interest in her daughter. One could even say she was already running late: from what she had gathered, the boy in question had been trying to get close to Liu Zihan for about a month.
Naturally, this wasn't Liu Zihan's only chance to become the daughter-in-law of an influential family; even better opportunities might arise. Because of this, although she had known the identity of the suitor for several days, she hadn't rushed to bring him up. Furthermore, she felt it was better for Liu Zihan to be someone "hard to get." This would not only test the suitor's sincerity but also increase her value in his eyes; after all, the harder something is to obtain, the more it is cherished.
But after hearing about the popularity her stepdaughter had gained following her recovery, a sense of urgency gripped her; she realized it might be vital for her plans to increase the value of the cards in her hand. Moreover, Zihan's flat refusal to cooperate in controlling Fengying had fueled her anxiety. Truth be told, she had begun to perceive her own daughter's presence more as an obstacle than an asset.
Taking all these variables into account, it was no wonder that Wang Xia had suddenly become extremely eager to see Zihan involved with that "pedigreed" boy. Moreover, she thought it would be best if they married as soon as they both turned eighteen; therefore, she had to convince her daughter to give him a chance as quickly as possible.
"Of course, the most important thing is to focus on school, but that doesn't mean it isn't good to relax every now and then to clear your mind..." Wang Xia began to "educate" her daughter.
One could say that Liu Zihan had expected too much from her mother; Wang Xia felt not even a flicker of guilt while trying to lure her toward a more relaxed attitude regarding her studies. Furthermore, her mother seemed completely blind to her own hypocrisy, maintaining a totally different standard for her education compared to that of her brother.
Naturally, Liu Zihan could guess her justification: that her actions were "for her daughter's good." After all, even though she was a good student, she was no genius, so her mother likely believed she had the most to gain in life by putting effort into finding a life partner with great potential.
"That's why I thought it wouldn't be a bad thing if you accepted a boy's invitation to have dinner or go to the cinema..." Wang Xia continued, proceeding to paint the budding feelings between a boy and a girl in the most idyllic colors. Honestly, Liu Zihan wouldn't have been surprised if her mother had pulled out a book of romantic poems and started reading to her.
"So, what do you say, Hanhan? If this boy is sincere in his attempt to get close to you, why not give him a chance?" Wang Xia asked in conclusion.
The question, however, was a mere formality, as Wang Xia was almost certain she had managed to stir her daughter's young heart. After all, she too had been a young girl once, a time when the things she had just described—those ethereal beginnings of love—seemed like the most wonderful things in the world.
Yet, it would be an exaggeration to say Wang Xia was merely deluding herself, as most girls of Liu Zihan's age would likely have been moved by her words. The problem, however, was that her daughter was not one of them. Specifically, Zihan was quite disillusioned with the "beauty" of relationships between men and women due to her family's past; it was a situation similar to that of children of alcoholics, who develop an instinctive aversion to alcohol.
Even if she had been one of those girls who dreamed of princes, as long as she remained aware of her mother's calculations, how could she ever agree to dance to her tune? Driven by a mindset of "willingly suffering a loss of 800 just to ensure the enemy loses 1000," she would have preferred to be alone for the rest of her life rather than let her marriage bolster her brother's "reign."
"Unfortunately, I don't share your talents when it comes to relationships, so it would be difficult for me to focus on something like that..." Liu Zihan replied, standing her ground. After all, by putting her studies first, she was taking a position encouraged by modern society; she didn't need any other justification to reject her mother.
As for exposing her mother's true intentions behind the encouragement to accept the boy's advances, Liu Zihan was far too disgusted by the subject to bother. She simply lacked the energy; she knew that fighting her mother's arguments was like fighting a hydra—for every head cut off, two more immediately sprouted in its place.
"Anyway, now that I've finished eating, I think I should get to studying..." Liu Zihan rose from the table, giving her mother, who was still dazed by her failure, no chance to regroup and launch a new attack. "And when I say studying, I mean actually studying—it's not like with Zihao..." she couldn't help but add; it was as if she were saying, "Look, not only was I filial enough to join you for dinner, but I am also truly applying myself to my studies. Am I not a much better child than my brother, who did neither?"
Although she expected her mother to have a comical reaction to her words, Liu Zihan didn't stay to witness it, leaving the room in a manner similar to her brother. After all, if someone looks back, they risk being turned into a pillar of salt.
Reviewing the conversation, Liu Zihan concluded that if one were to calculate who suffered most from this exchange, Wang Xia had emerged as the loser. Did that mean she had won? On the surface, yes. Not only had she refused any compromise, but she had also managed to vent some of the built-up rage toward her mother; this left her in a much better mood than before.
Yet, looking at the bigger picture, her opposition hadn't changed much: her mother was still determined to help Liu Zihao take the place that rightfully belonged to his half-sister, and her mother's efforts to push her into a relationship with Han Yu—the boy her mother had mentioned—would likely not only continue but intensify.
So, was the effort worth it? Liu Zihan believed so, because once she decided to confront her mother, the chains holding her captive loosened considerably. More accurately, she realized that once she stopped clinging to the illusion of familial affection, her family lost all power to control her. She needed no inheritance, no high-society connections, nor anything else they could offer.
Because of this, the thought of going to a university as far from home as possible—a thought that had occasionally crossed her mind—returned with full force. She was aware that as long as she lived in the same city as her family, it would be impossible to escape their toxic influence. Thus, her only path to true freedom was to build a future from scratch, somewhere where no one knew her.
There, the expectations of others, the intrigues, and the shame of her origins would finally end. She would live her life alone, perhaps with only a cat for company. Wouldn't that be a true paradise? At that moment, Liu Zihan could imagine nothing more beautiful.