Lu Tuo suddenly lunged forward, lifted her up, and kissed her cheek, laughing, “She’s much prettier than I imagined! And looks so young! I won’t admit she’s my sister; she should be my little sister! Mom, you and Dad should work harder to give me a little brother or sister to play with!”
Zuo Shaocin spat at him, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Lu Jinghao shook his head, laughing, “Have another? Having one troublemaker like you is enough of a headache! If we had another, I’d lose all my hair!” He took Dong Qin’s hand, very kindly, “Welcome. If you like, call me dad, just like Tuo. You’re now my daughter too. Don’t worry about anything, just be happy.”
Dong Qin smiled gratefully, but inside she was sneering. Father… this word, for her, only brought shame and fear. No one… would understand. The arrival of Lu Tuo and Lu Jinghao did not disrupt Dong Qin’s life much; in fact, they hardly spoke to her at all. It was just the beginning of the summer vacation, and Dong Qin’s daily life became extremely routine. She woke up at eight every morning, had breakfast delivered to her room, then spent the entire day online. She only went downstairs for dinner with the family. Other times, she had no chance to see anyone from the Lu family, including Zuo Shaoqin. During dinner, she usually ate in silence while the trio across from her chatted happily, leaving her no room to interject. Occasionally, Lu Tuo and Lu Jinghao would exchange a few casual words with her, but these were just superficial greetings. Recently, Zuo Shaoqin was in high spirits; in just three or four days, she would have a belated wedding with Lu Jinghao. For a woman of thirty-two, whose allure was fading, finding a satisfactory home was considered fortunate. Moreover, her husband was wealthy and influential, and his son was already grown. Had she experienced all the happiness a woman could expect? Dong Qin thought that the world was sometimes unfair; a woman like her, scorned by society, ended up with what others could only dream of. Therefore, being kind and waiting for divine salvation was something only a fool would do.
