"Su Cheng, do you admit your mistake?" The voice was cold and unyielding, cutting through the air like a blade.
Su Cheng, struggling for breath in the pool, opened her eyes with difficulty, the water stinging as she blinked. Her vision cleared to reveal her second brother, Su Tianze, standing at the edge of the pool, his expression as icy as his tone. Beside him stood her fourth brother, Su Yuan, cradling Song Xi in his arms.
The scene hit her like a thunderbolt. She had been transported back three years, to the day Song Xi had been officially adopted into the Su family. It was during the celebratory banquet that Song Xi had orchestrated a trap, making it appear as though Su Cheng had pushed her into the water.
Su Yuan had been the first to spot the two in the pool, but without hesitation, he had swum straight to Song Xi, leaving Su Cheng, who couldn’t swim, to fend for herself. On the shore, Su Tianze had interrogated her with a chilling detachment, his words implying that unless she admitted her guilt, he wouldn’t lift a finger to save her.
Desperate, Su Cheng had thrashed in the water, gasping out apologies and pleas for help. It wasn’t until she was on the verge of losing consciousness that she was finally dragged out. From that day on, she had bent over backward to please Song Xi and her brothers, hoping to earn their favor. But what had it gotten her?
Song Xi had plagiarized her thesis, and Su Tianze had even provided false testimony to protect her, resulting in Su Cheng’s expulsion from school. When Song Xi needed a kidney transplant, her third brother, Su Luochuan, had unceremoniously pushed her into the operating room without a second thought. And when Song Xi wanted to shine on the international stage, her fourth, fifth, and sixth brothers—Su Yuan, Su Lin, and Su Heng—had unhesitatingly kicked her off the team.
Su Cheng had painstakingly gathered irrefutable evidence of Song Xi’s forgery and plagiarism, only to be met with scorn when she presented it to her eldest brother, Su Yizhou. He hadn’t even glanced at the proof before casting her out of the family home. Left with nowhere to go, she had endured hardship after hardship on her own.
The memories surged back, bitter and unrelenting. Su Cheng clenched her fists, the water around her suddenly feeling colder. This time, she vowed, things would be different.
Lost in these thoughts, Su Cheng ceased her struggle, allowing her body to sink to the bottom of the pool.
Her eyes were open but lifeless, watching her brothers fussing over Song Xi on the shore.
Even though it was the second time she had experienced this, her heart still felt as if it was about to shatter.
How ironic. A biological sister was less important than an outsider.
Su Tianze stood on the shore, his gaze fixed on Song Xi. It wasn't until he noticed the stillness in the pool that he turned his attention to the water—only to see Su Cheng submerged at the bottom.
"Cheng Cheng!" Su Tianze's face turned pale, and without a second thought, he plunged into the water.
Song Xi, seeing Su Cheng sink, a flicker of triumph flashed in her eyes. She thought to herself, how wonderful it would be if Su Cheng drowned.
But on the surface, she feigned weakness, clutching Su Yuan's clothes, and said in a feeble voice, "Fourth brother, cough... I should go and save Sister Cheng. She fell into the water because of me."
"Don't cause more trouble. Second brother is enough," Su Yuan quickly reassured her. "This is Su Cheng's own doing. She'll be fine." As he spoke, his gaze towards the pool was complex.
Underwater, Su Cheng watched her second brother swimming towards her, his face filled with concern. But just moments ago, when she was struggling desperately in the water, hadn't this same brother stood by indifferently, even forcing her to apologize to Song Xi?
Hah, this time she didn't need his rescue. Su Cheng's eyes were full of sarcasm as she turned and swam to the shore herself.
She remembered her past life, when after this near-drowning incident, her second brother had forced her to learn swimming from Song Xi. Despite being terrified, she had gritted her teeth and learned, just to make him happy.
And what had been the result? Her second brother had only praised Song Xi for her bravery. Who cared about the trauma she had endured from being deliberately held underwater for a minute? In Su Tianze's eyes, Song Xi was always the best.
"What trick are you playing now? Do you think pretending to drown will make up for your previous mistakes?" Su Tianze blocked her path, scrutinizing her suspiciously. He was puzzled—since when had this girl known how to swim?
Su Cheng looked up at her second brother. How ironic. In the past, she had relied on him the most, because their eldest brother was too strict, and only her second brother had been somewhat kind to her. But now, Su Tianze's eyes were filled with annoyance and impatience.
"Second brother, you really can't blame Sister Cheng," Song Xi's voice was soft and delicate. "I know she doesn't want me to become part of the Su family. It's all my fault for being too greedy, for hoping to have a warm home. Please don't argue because of me. You are all my most important family."
Su Yuan glared fiercely at Su Cheng: "Now you've got what you wanted, haven't you! If it weren't for her father who died saving you, Xi Xi wouldn't be left all alone. We shouldn't have saved an ungrateful wretch like you in the first place. We should have just let you die!"
Su Tianze frowned deeply: "Cheng Cheng, one must learn to be grateful. Xi Xi is part of our family. This is what the Su family owes her, and more importantly, what you owe her. Do you understand?"
"Second brother, someone as heartless as her, if she really understood, she wouldn't have pushed Xi Xi into the water. Uncle Song would have been better off saving a dog than saving her!"
Su Cheng felt as though she had fallen into an ice cellar, her entire body chilled to the bone.
If time could be reversed, she would rather not have been saved.
She forced herself to endure the burning pain in her chest, her voice hoarse: "It was my fault. I won't do it again."
She would never make such a foolish mistake again.
Since they all cherished Song Xi so much, she might as well step aside.
"Cheng Cheng, did you really do it on purpose? Didn't you know Xi Xi can't swim? What if something had happened to her!"
Su Tianze was deeply disappointed. He had thought it was just an accident, but it turned out Su Cheng had intended to harm her.
He couldn't believe how malicious Su Cheng had become.
At that moment, the family doctor arrived. Su Yuan turned and glared at Su Cheng: "You'd better pray that Xi Xi is okay, or you'll have hell to pay when big brother gets back."
Su Tianze took a few steps forward, then turned back to see Su Cheng standing there, drenched and pale. His heart softened a little.
He said, "Go back to your room and change. The banquet is about to start."
Su Cheng remained silent, waiting until everyone had left before she could no longer hold back. She bent over, erupting into a fit of violent coughing, as if her entire body was about to shatter. A metallic, sweet taste rose in her throat, and she fought against the discomfort, leaning on the wall as she made her way back to her room.
Lying in the bathtub, she couldn’t help but recall the tragic end of her previous life. Back then, she had been wandering the streets, her personality completely altered, consumed by the desire to kill Song Xi for revenge. Not only had she failed, but her eldest brother had sent her to a mental institution. There, the caretakers arranged by Song Xi had abused her, ultimately leading to her death.
At the thought of it, she let out a chilling laugh, the sound sending shivers down her own spine. When Su Cheng opened her eyes again, there was no trace of warmth left in her gaze.
After changing her clothes, she glanced around the room. The bedroom felt somewhat unfamiliar. In her past life, this space had been taken over by Song Xi, while she had been relegated to a smaller room. Her eyes fell on the family photo on the desk—a young couple cradling a baby, with six boys standing beside them. Sadly, just a few years later, her parents had died in a car accident.
At the time, the driver had rescued her first, then went back to save her parents. But the fuel tank exploded, and the driver perished as well. Song Xi was the driver’s only daughter, and she had always been in poor health. After the accident, her eldest brother brought Song Xi to live with the Su family. From that moment on, everything had changed.
Her once closest brothers had all favored Song Xi.
"Song Xi is frail, so we’ve hired a chef to prepare nutritious meals for her. Chengcheng, make sure you watch over her and see that she finishes her food."
"Su Cheng, Song Xi wants to learn painting. You’ve been studying for so long—why don’t you let her have the teacher?"
"Su Cheng, drop out of this competition and let Song Xi take your place. She’s been preparing for it for a long time."
"Su Cheng, apply to the same university as Song Xi, even if her grades aren’t great. That way, you can take care of her."
Su Cheng clutched her head in agony, her heart throbbing with a sharp, relentless pain. She took deep, measured breaths, trying to suppress the overwhelming ache. This time, she vowed to sever all ties with the Su family once and for all!
Quickly, she tucked the photos away and began packing her belongings. A maid's voice drifted in from outside the door, "Miss Su, the second young master has asked you to change into your evening gown for the banquet."
"I know," Su Cheng replied curtly.
Not long after, Su Cheng pushed open the door and strode purposefully toward the banquet hall. The maid, wide-eyed and whispering to herself, murmured, "Good heavens, what on earth is Miss Su wearing? Has she lost her mind?"
The banquet hall was a scene of lively festivity.
Song Xi, dressed in a flowing white evening gown, her jet-black hair cascading gracefully over her shoulders, looked every bit the sweet, approachable girl-next-door. Her second brother, Su Tianze, and fourth brother, Su Yuan, stood by her side, their eyes filled with adoration.
The scene was almost too heartwarming to bear.
Su Tianze couldn't help but think of Su Cheng and sighed inwardly: If only she could be as obedient as Song Xi. Over the years, Su Cheng's temperament had become increasingly difficult to manage.
Just then, someone called out, "Su Cheng is here!"
