Being hurt by a stranger is different from being hurt by your own family.
What Lu Xu did to her was the first layer of harm. The attitudes of Sun Lanzi and Lu Guangrong afterward, especially Lu Guangrong’s, constituted the second layer.
These two layers of harm weren’t simply added together; they multiplied. It was like pouring a mixture of salt, chili powder, alcohol, and safflower oil onto an open wound, causing pain that pierces the very soul.
“Shuangshuang, how did you become like this?” Lu Guangrong was startled by Lu Shuangshuang’s appearance. He believed she would follow through on her words.
“You people drove me to it.”
Lu Shuangshuang pointed at her own face, tears streaming as she accused him: “Remember that slap you gave me? That slap destroyed any bond of father and daughter between us.”
“After that, when you hit me again, I didn’t feel the pain anymore, because no pain could ever compare to the heartache I felt at that moment!”
Lu Guangrong’s eyes held not a trace of remorse or understanding, only indifference. In his view, it was probably just a trivial matter that Lu Shuangshuang was making a huge deal out of.
She was nothing but an ungrateful wolf child.
“Shuangshuang, if you hold any grudge against me, take it out on me. But you can’t go after Xiao Xu for revenge. Xiao Xu is still so young. If you really cause him to go to jail, wouldn’t that ruin his entire life?”
“You can’t be so vicious. Tell me what you want directly. As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll agree.”
Lu Guangrong offered no apology, no word of concern. He immediately shifted the focus back to Lu Xu, his words implying that Lu Shuangshuang was to blame.
Even after going through this time and time again, Lu Shuangshuang still held onto a tiny sliver of hope for Lu Guangrong.
She didn’t want to compete with Lu Xu for anything. She just wished Lu Guangrong would truly see her as his child.
But each time, hope turned into disappointment. And when disappointment piles up, it eventually becomes despair.
This time, she was truly done hoping when it came to Lu Guangrong.
If he had shown even a shred of concern for her, she wouldn’t have reached this point. But since they refused to treat her as family, completely severing ties was the best outcome.
“Really? Whatever I want, you’ll agree?” Lu Shuangshuang curled her lip in a cold smile.
Lu Guangrong’s expression was full of caution: “Tell me, what do you want?”
“I want to take back all of my mother’s dowry. My mother’s dowry was substantial back then. It all belongs to me. I won’t let Sun Lanzi and Lu Xu get their hands on it.”
Seeing Lu Guangrong was about to speak, Lu Shuangshuang spoke first: “There are records back in our hometown of everything my mother brought as dowry. Don’t even think about denying it.”
“If even one item is missing, Lu Xu isn’t getting out.”
“Also, I’ll inform the relatives back home. I’ll have my uncles come here to act as witnesses.”
“From now on, I’ll change my surname to Feng. I’ll have no further connection with your Lu family.”
“This is the final warning. If Sun Lanzi and Lu Xu dare to provoke me again, I won’t go easy on them. They’ll get exactly what they deserve.”
Before this, Feng Wan had discussed these matters with Lu Shuangshuang, but she left the choice up to her.
Whatever Lu Shuangshuang decided, she would support.
“Shuangshuang, are you really going to be this ruthless?” Lu Guangrong asked, incredulous.
He never imagined that Lu Shuangshuang would be the one to propose severing ties, and to actually change her surname.
He thought she was just talking childishly, like when she was little and broke his teacup on purpose to get his attention.
But asking her uncles from her mother’s hometown to come and witness this – that wasn’t just playing around anymore.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Lu Shuangshuang straightened her back: “Why is it okay for you to cut ties with me, but I can’t cut ties with you?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back for every cent you’ve spent on me all these years. And Sun Lanzi, for taking care of me, I’ll pay her wages like a nanny.”
“From now on, we owe each other nothing.”
“Owe each other nothing?!” Lu Guangrong roared angrily. “If it weren’t for me, where would you even be? Let me tell you, you’ll never be able to repay what you owe me!”
“Mom was the one who carried me. Mom was the one who went through the pain of childbirth. Mom was the one who nursed me and raised me, bit by bit.”
“If I owe anyone, it’s only my mother. As for you!”
Lu Shuangshuang pointed directly at Lu Guangrong: “What did you do besides have a moment of pleasure?”
Lu Guangrong was rendered speechless.
“If you agree, Lu Xu can get out soon. If you don’t, I’ll go and report that Lu Xu raped me. There’s a strict crackdown happening now. You know very well what will happen to Lu Xu.”
Since the masks were already off, Lu Shuangshuang had no more concern. She knew that as long as she held this leverage over Lu Xu, Lu Guangrong would agree.
“Are you threatening me?”
Lu Guangrong was furious beyond words, raising his hand high to strike Lu Shuangshuang.
Lu Shuangshuang, completely unafraid, stared coldly at Lu Guangrong, making him unable to bring his hand down.
Because the look in her eyes frightened him.
He was certain that if he hit her, she really might go and report Lu Xu.
“Fine, fine! You really are my wonderful daughter!”
“No, you want to sever ties with me. From now on, you have nothing to do with me!”
Lu Shuangshuang saw through his false display of hurt: “Weren’t you the one who first severed ties with me? I’m just going along with your wish. Don’t make it sound like I’m the one at fault.”
When Lu Guangrong got home, Sun Lanzi immediately rushed over, asking anxiously, “How did it go? What conditions did Shuangshuang put forward? Does she want a share of the money?”
“She wants all of her mother’s dowry. And she wants to completely sever ties with me. From now on, she’s changing her surname to Feng.”
Still reeling from the blow, Lu Guangrong sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose hard. “Tell me, how could she sever ties with me?”
“That child is truly heartless.”
Sun Lanzi poured Lu Guangrong a cup of tea. “I think she’s just talking in anger. Anyway, it’s been so long, how would she even know what was in her mother’s dowry?”
“The Feng family has records.”
Initially, hearing that Lu Shuangshuang wasn’t demanding money and only wanted her mother’s dowry while cutting ties with Lu Guangrong, Sun Lanzi was quite pleased. But when Lu Guangrong mentioned that records of the dowry existed, she panicked.
“She’s also asking her uncles from her mother’s hometown to come and witness it.”
Lu Guangrong’s brows were tightly knit: “She’s serious this time.”
“Since her mother’s dowry was brought into the marriage when she married you, shouldn’t it all be yours? There’s no rule saying the dowry has to be given back.”
Lu Guangrong noticed Sun Lanzi’s strange behavior: “You touched Feng Juan’s dowry?”
Knowing she couldn’t hide it from Lu Guangrong, Sun Lanzi could only stammer out an admission: “I… the family had a lot of expenses before, and I just…”
“When did the family have so many expenses that we needed to touch Feng Juan’s things?”
Lu Guangrong stood up and yanked Sun Lanzi in front of him: “What did you do with her dowry?”
“I… I only sold a few pieces.”
