The planned date was canceled, so Xu Qingqing accompanied her boyfriend back to his company and borrowed two bodyguards from him to return to the Xu Family residence.
Given that the Xie Family was one of the top elite families, it would be strange if Xie Lianqing didn’t have bodyguards. However, since public security in the country was generally good, he rarely used them and preferred to move around alone.
When Xu Qingqing arrived at the Xu Family home, the housekeeper who opened the door said, "Miss, the master and madam are in the study."
Seeing no one in the living room, Xu Qingqing had no intention of seeking out Xu Changshan and instead decided to check her own room. Although she didn’t usually live here, at her grandparents’ insistence, her room had been preserved so she could stay whenever she visited.
Pushing open the door, she found the once-tidy room in complete disarray. Clothes had been pulled from the closet and strewn across the floor, the walls and bed were covered in handprints of paint, items from the drawers and desk were scattered everywhere, and broken glass shards littered the ground.
A few minutes later, a loud "BANG!" echoed from upstairs, followed by Xu Qingqing’s furious shout: "Xu Tianbao!!" The servants, already aware of the situation, kept their eyes down and remained silent.
The rapid sound of footsteps descended the stairs.
Xu Qingqing dashed down in a few strides, yelling, "Xu Tianbao, where are you?! Get out here right now!"
A boy around ten years old came running out of the playroom, clutching a toy water gun. He aimed it at Xu Qingqing, pressing the trigger as he mimicked shooting sounds: "Pew pew pew! Die, you big bad villain!!"
Xu Tianbao was the beloved youngest son of Bai Yaxiu and Xu Changshan, a spoiled little troublemaker who ruled the household like a tyrant.
As he sprayed water at Xu Qingqing, he giggled gleefully, "The old witch is back in someone else’s house again! I’m gonna chase you out!"
Xu Qingqing looked down at the water stains on her clothes and smiled. "Oh, so Xu Tianbao likes playing with water, huh?"
In a flash, she snatched the toy water gun from his hands, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it until it was crushed beyond repair.
Her movements were so quick that Xu Tianbao barely had time to react. Staring blankly at the shattered remains of his toy, he suddenly burst into loud, dramatic sobs. "My water gun! You old witch, you owe me a new one!!"
He lunged at her, but Xu Qingqing swiftly twisted his ear and dragged him toward the bathroom.
The servants couldn’t just stand by and watch the young master of the house get bullied. They immediately tried to intervene, but before Xu Qingqing even had to speak, the bodyguards she’d brought stepped forward to block them.
Before setting out, Xie Lianqing had instructed them to protect Xu Qingqing at all costs—his exact words were to "help clean up the mess" and even take action if necessary. At the time, the bodyguards had found it odd. Wasn’t Xu Qingqing just going home? Why would the young master make it sound like she was storming a battlefield?
Now, they realized just how naive they’d been.
With the bodyguards ensuring no one interfered, Xu Qingqing easily hauled the wailing Xu Tianbao into the bathroom. She turned on the showerhead and shoved him inside before slamming the door shut.
"Have fun playing with water, Xu Tianbao!" Xu Qingqing flipped her hair and clapped her hands, thoroughly pleased with herself.
Who was Xu Qingqing? She was the queen of mischief, the undisputed champion of chaos. When it came to being a troublemaker, she had no equal!
The peaceful villa was instantly filled with the child’s ear-splitting screams.
"What’s going on?! Where’s Tianbao?!" Earlier, when Xu Qingqing had shouted, no one in the house had reacted. But now, hearing his precious son’s cries, Xu Changshan immediately rushed out of the study.
After searching frantically, he followed the sound to the bathroom and glared at Xu Qingqing standing by the door. "Where’s Tianbao?! What did you do to him?!"
The servants quickly explained what had happened. Xu Changshan’s face darkened with rage. "You’re utterly shameless! Is this how an older sister should behave?!"
Behind him stood a delicate-looking woman with wispy bangs framing her face—Bai Yaxiu. Hearing her son’s cries, she frowned in distress and immediately ordered someone to get him out of the bathroom.
While her husband berated Xu Qingqing, Bai Yaxiu subtly added fuel to the fire. "Qingqing, I hate to say it, but Tianbao only plays with you because he likes you. Even if he’s a bit mischievous, you’re an adult—shouldn’t you be more mature than to pick on a child?"
Xu Qingqing raised her chin proudly. "I’m not picking on him! I’m playing with him. Look how happy he is—listen to that joyful crying!"
Everyone: "……"
Xu Tianbao’s sobs paused briefly before escalating into even louder wails.
Seeing his beloved little son drenched and pitiful, Xu Changshan raised his hand as if to strike Xu Qingqing. "I’ll teach you a lesson, you ungrateful brat!"
Just as the slap was about to land, Xu Qingqing darted away like a startled rabbit. Caught off guard, Xu Changshan roared, "Don’t you dare run! Stand still, you disgrace!"
Xu Qingqing sprinted away while taunting over her shoulder, "Funny, Grandpa says the same thing about you!"
The old master of the Xu Family had long been disillusioned with his eldest son’s betrayal and had even been hospitalized multiple times due to anger. Nowadays, whenever he mentioned Xu Changshan at home, he simply referred to him as "that useless waste."
Xu Qingqing’s grandmother, however, was reluctant to curse her own son. She once sighed and said to Xu Qingqing, "Calling him that just makes me feel like I’m the mother of a useless waste."
Xu Changshan tried to chase after Xu Qingqing, but the two bodyguards blocked his path. Humiliated and furious, he shouted, "What kind of freak brings bodyguards into their own home?! Only a cold-blooded monster like you would do something like this! Call them off right now!!"
Xu Qingqing flicked her hair and smirked, completely unafraid. "Why should I listen to you? Go ahead, hit me. I dare you. The second you lay a hand on me, I’ll go straight to Grandpa and Grandma!"
With her mother’s family dividends and the shares promised by her grandparents, Xu Qingqing had more than enough leverage.
In this household, her stepmother relied on whispering in Xu Changshan’s ear, and her stepsister constantly curried favor with him. But Xu Qingqing?
She wasn’t afraid of him in the slightest!
Xu Changshan’s eyes bulged with fury, but in the end, he lowered his hand, ending the farce. Panting heavily, he spat, "I can’t reason with you. You’re heartless, ruthless—do you even know what it means to be a sister?!"
Bai Yaxiu, busy comforting her son, nearly rolled her eyes at her husband’s words. Tianbao already had a sister—why would he need this wretched girl to act like one?
Xu Qingqing gasped in mock horror. "I warn you, don’t go spreading lies! Since when is Xu Tianbao my brother? Look at that chubby face—don’t you dare associate him with me. Just say he’s Bai Youlan’s brother."
With her stunning looks, if people thought Xu Tianbao was her brother, they might start questioning whether her face was natural too.
Xu Tianbao: "……"
Everyone else: "……"
Bai Youlan, who had just walked in: "……"
That mouth of hers was truly lethal.
Bai Youlan bore a striking resemblance to her mother, with delicate and refined features that made her the epitome of a "white moonlight" beauty. She handed her bag to a nearby servant and said softly, "Xu Qingqing hasn’t been home in so long, and the moment she returns, she stirs up trouble. Anyone who doesn’t know better would think she has a grudge against the family."
Bai Youlan had attended art schools since childhood and later enrolled in film academy. She began acting in her freshman year and had already amassed a sizable fanbase. Today, she had just returned from a film set.
Hearing her words, Xu Qingqing’s father frowned even deeper. Who else would Xu Qingqing hold a grudge against if not him and Bai Yaxiu?
Xu Qingqing simply ignored them. When people she disliked spoke, she always pretended not to hear. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the little boy in front of her, flashing him a playful "you’re dead" gesture that made him tremble in fear.
Xu Qingqing’s father, seeing his youngest son’s pale face, looked furious. "Xu Qingqing! Your sister is talking to you!"
Xu Qingqing looked everywhere except at Bai Youlan, deliberately saying, "Stop yelling, stop yelling. It’s not that I can’t hear you—I just don’t feel like responding. How about some self-awareness?"
Her father was so angry he could barely speak, pointing at her and sputtering, "If I’d known you’d turn out this disobedient, I never would’ve agreed to have you in the first place!" Meanwhile, Bai Yaxiu was entirely focused on her son, having already taken Xu Tianbao away to change his clothes.
Xu Qingqing had heard such remarks too many times to care. She replied casually, "Yeah, yeah, I’ll never be as sweet as your precious Xu Tianbao. So why did you call me here today? If you’ve got nothing to say, I’m leaving."
She hadn’t forgotten her purpose for coming to the Xu Family today—to find out what underhanded scheme Xu Changshan was plotting and then ruin it.
The Xu Family’s combat skills were laughably weak. How dare they keep provoking her when not a single one of them could hold their own?
Xu Qingqing mused that she was far too kindhearted. She only visited Xu Changshan’s household once a month. If she put in a little more effort and came every day to stir up trouble, she might just succeed in angering him to death—sending him straight to her long-deceased mother.
As she silently praised herself, she glanced up and froze when she caught sight of Bai Youlan standing behind her.
Above Bai Youlan’s head hovered several lines of golden text—
[Beautiful Life System binding in progress]
[Fortune Points Acquired: 40/100]
[Task Completion: 50/100]
[Reward: Inherit billions in wealth, achieve a beautiful life]
Xu Qingqing: "……???"
She glanced at Bai Youlan, who seemed oblivious, then turned to look at the others. No one else showed any reaction, as if they couldn’t see the words floating above Bai Youlan’s head.
Xu Qingqing wondered if she was hallucinating. She blinked hard, but the text remained firmly in place.
Bai Youlan, unnerved by her stare, asked casually, "Xu Qingqing, why are you staring at me like that?"
