Liu Yutong would never allow her grandparents to continue living at her uncle’s house, even though Uncle Liu Jianhong was her grandfather’s own nephew. Blood ties could only go so far.
She would take care of her grandparents herself.
Still, she held deep gratitude in her heart for the kindness shown by Uncle Liu Jianhong and his family.
It was almost ironic—her own father, Liu Jianyi, cared far less for her and her grandparents than this distant uncle did.
Gambling truly had the power to destroy a person completely, to turn someone into something worse than an animal.
"Big sis, do you want me to bring Great-grandpa and Great-grandma over?" Liu Debao’s voice on the phone carried a hint of eagerness. He had barely ever set foot in the city his whole life.
Since it wasn’t the busy farming season, he thought he might as well take the chance to explore, especially the university district. He had always wondered what the inside of a university—the place he had once dreamed of attending—looked like.
Liu Yutong’s younger cousin had it rough. He had dropped out of school in his first year of high school, not because he didn’t want to study, but because his family simply couldn’t afford it.
His mother had fallen seriously ill, and his father, while working the fields, had lost control of the tractor and crushed one of his legs, leaving him permanently disabled and unable to do heavy labor.
With no one to tend the land, their income dried up, and they had to rely on government aid and welfare to get by.
Back then, if Liu Debao had insisted on staying in school, his family wouldn’t have been able to shoulder the tuition, especially with his younger sister also needing an education. The burden would have been too much.
Liu Debao and Li Xiaohui shared similar personalities—both were a bit carefree and even a little "foolish," though in his case, it was deliberate.
Ever since his mother’s diagnosis, his grades had plummeted.
Anyone who knew the truth could guess why. He was doing it to leave the opportunity for education to his sister, who was in her third year of middle school at the time. In their village, where traditional beliefs favoring sons over daughters still lingered, he had to make his grades bad enough to justify dropping out. That way, he could help with the farm work, support the family, and ensure his sister could keep studying.
"If you want to come, then come. I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up."
Originally, Liu Yutong had planned to return home herself—partly to give her good-for-nothing father a piece of her mind.
But she held back. Going back now would only embolden Liu Jianyi further.
So, to ensure a peaceful New Year when she did return, she decided to have Liu Jianyi locked up ahead of time, preferably for at least five years.
She would have loved to sentence him to life, but that was a stretch.
If he still refused to change after his release, she’d just find a way to send him back in.
"Really? Then it’s settled, sis!" Liu Debao was thrilled, but another thought quickly dampened his excitement. His uncle, Liu Jianyi, might be planning to sell his cousin off to Er Gou, the local troublemaker, as a bride.
He had no intention of telling Liu Yutong, afraid she’d storm back to the village in a rage.
And if she did return, escaping again might be impossible—Er Gou and his gang were the village bullies.
They might even force her into a wedding ceremony, ruining her life forever.
Even though it was 2007, in the village, parental authority and arranged marriages still carried immense weight.
Sometimes, it wasn’t about whether you wanted to marry or not. Once your parents gave their word, unless you ran away, there was little chance of escaping that fate.
If they forced her into a wedding, even calling the police would likely only lead to mediation.
Moreover, that gang led by Er Gou was notorious for bullying the locals, and ordinary families couldn’t afford to provoke them. In her past life, Liu Yutong had avoided returning home after starting university due to her resentment toward her father, Liu Jianyi—ironically, this had spared her from the disaster. So in this life, she remained unaware of her father’s plans to sell her off.
"Sis, it’s settled then. Don’t come back. I can handle taking care of Mom and Dad by myself," Liu Debao said.
Liu Yutong had no intention of returning anytime soon anyway. If she showed up now, it would complicate her plans to deal with Liu Jianyi and those local thugs. She needed to wait until they were thoroughly trapped before swooping in to close the net.
"Got it. Oh, and Debao, tell Grandma and Grandpa they don’t need to pack any extra clothes. Lugging around big bags is inconvenient. Just come empty-handed."
"Huh? No change of clothes? Won’t they start smelling after a while?"
"Stop asking so many questions! Just do as I say!"
"Yes, ma’am!"
After hanging up, Liu Debao stared at his phone and muttered under his breath, "Why does my sister seem kinda scary lately?"
Bright Pearl City, University of Finance and Economics.
Liu Yutong was in no mood for classes. With such a mess happening at home, how could she focus? She decided to skip lectures altogether and went straight to her advisor, Lu Hong, to request leave.
Without hesitation, Lu Hong approved it. There was an odd sense of pride in her tone as she spoke to Liu Yutong, her enthusiasm unusually high. Though Liu Yutong noticed her advisor’s unusual demeanor, she didn’t dwell on it.
Right now, she had more pressing matters—finding a place to live.
With her grandparents coming, they needed a decent place to stay. A hotel would’ve been more convenient, but she wanted them to settle here long-term, away from that wretched home. The last thing she needed was Liu Jianyi pulling another stunt and giving the elderly a heart attack.
When Liu Yutong reached the university gates, Yun Cheng was already waiting by the car.
"Where to, Miss?" he asked as she got in.
"Moonlit Bay," she replied without hesitation.
Moonlit Bay was the only villa community near the university district, nestled by a lakeside with an artificial hill at its back. Its name evoked the imagery of "moonlight shimmering over water, a jade palace by the waves," and it was one of the few luxury villa areas in Bright Pearl City.
All in all, Moonlit Bay’s environment was quite impressive.
By future standards, the prices weren’t outrageous, but at present, they were steep—averaging over 6,000 per square meter, double the 2,500–3,000 range of ordinary housing in the university district.
What’s more, the villas here were spacious, typically spanning five to six hundred square meters. A single unit would cost at least three to four million.
Yun Cheng mentally reviewed what he knew about Moonlit Bay before asking, "Miss, are you planning to look at properties?"
Liu Yutong nodded. "Yes. I’m bringing my grandparents here to live."
"Understood," Yun Cheng said, catching on immediately.
No wonder the young miss suddenly wanted to buy a house. Still, he’d have to remind Ma Da and the others to lay low for a while. The last thing they needed was the old man showing up and regaling them with war stories about carrying rifles and executing hoodlums back in the day.
Wait—why was he even worried?
The young miss had made it clear: they were a legitimate company now, full of law-abiding citizens who just happened to be good Samaritans.
The car pulled up in front of the villa complex’s sales office.
Liu Yutong didn’t encounter any of those cliché novel scenarios where salespeople look down on customers. The moment she and Yun Cheng stepped into the sales office, an enthusiastic salesperson greeted them, offering tea and water with exceptional eagerness.
At this time, properties weren’t selling well—especially high-end villas, which would become even harder to move next year with the looming financial crisis. So, whenever a potential buyer walked in, the staff went out of their way to be courteous.
Liu Yutong got straight to the point: "I want the best-located property you have, preferably one that’s already furnished. I’m not interested in bare units."
Ideally, she would have loved to design a home according to her own tastes, but time was tight, and there was no room for delays.
The salesperson hesitated. "Apart from the show units, all the remaining unsold properties are bare. Would you consider a show unit, Ms. Liu?"
Liu Yutong shook her head. "No show units. If there’s nothing ready to move into, then forget it." She had no time to waste and turned to leave.
Just as she did, the salesperson quickly called out, "Wait, Ms. Liu, please hold on!"
She paused. "What is it?"
"There’s a homeowner in our community who might be willing to transfer their property. Would you like me to check for you?"
He was desperate to close this deal—his family was barely scraping by, and sales had been abysmal lately.
"What kind of property is it?"
"It’s a recently renovated unit, though unfurnished and never lived in. To be honest, the owner seems to have moved abroad and likely has no use for the place anymore. I thought I’d ask on your behalf."
"Fine. If it’s suitable, I won’t shortchange you on your commission."
The salesperson immediately expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Ms. Liu!"
He then looked up the contact and dialed, even putting the call on speaker—a surprisingly transparent move.
A familiar, slightly arrogant voice came through the line.
"Not selling. I don’t need the chump change—"
"Is this Yu Mo?"
"Sell? Of course I’ll sell! That villa was bought by my dad anyway. Since he’s settled overseas and isn’t coming back, there’s no point keeping it. Sell it—no, wait, give it away! For free!"
