Su Yi isn't beautiful, and judging by the way she talks, her IQ doesn't seem that high either.

Someone like her really shouldn't be someone I fear.

But the key point is, she has that DNA test report in her hands.

She might fake it to become a phoenix, but the Su family isn't foolish. How could father and mother not tell whether her DNA report is fake?

Why is she still here then?

Could it be that she really is...

I began to get nervous.

I decided to observe Su Yi for a few more days.

If necessary, I could just deal with Su Yi the same way I dealt with Su Wen before.

While I was considering when the right moment would come, I didn't expect that the very next day, Su Yi would seek her own downfall.

The next day was Saturday, a day off from school, and everyone could freely spend their time except for going out to play.

I attended my usual flower arrangement and tea ceremony classes in the morning, and when I came back, I saw everyone nervously standing in the living room.

I asked what happened and was told that Su Yi had secretly gone to father's room to try and meet him.

But father didn't see her; she was caught by mother on the spot and was now locked in the small dark room.

Originally, it was Su Yi's mistake alone, but mother was very angry and implicated the others, punishing everyone to reflect in the living room. Everyone was forbidden from having dinner until nine o'clock, and only then could they go upstairs to sleep.

Just then, mother walked in from outside. Seeing me, she said, "Axi, come with me."

I nodded and followed her.

In mother's room, she asked me, "Axi, what do you think of Su Yi?"

I shook my head, "I don't like her; she doesn't understand the rules."

Mother said, "Indeed, she's very unruly. She made a mistake today and should have been kicked out of the Su family, but your father kept her and only punished her with confinement."

Hearing mother’s words, I immediately grew worried.

Mother continued, looking at me, "Axi, you are the daughter I have the highest expectations for. You need to keep an eye on Su Yi in the future and not let her make any more mistakes."

I nodded.

After returning to my room, I couldn't sleep at all.

I was already very wary of Su Yi, and today’s incident made me even more suspicious. Su Yi must be different from us.

Even though I've never met father, I know how strict and ruthless he is. Just a small mistake can lead to severe punishment, even for someone as excellent as me. Father never shows mercy.

Why is he so lenient with Su Yi?

Could it be that Su Yi really is the Su family's missing daughter?

That night, I fell asleep with all sorts of doubts.

In my dream, Su Yi became the Su family's daughter, and all of us were driven out.

Su Yi sat in the position I had always dreamed of, wore the clothes I dreamed of, and did the job I dreamed of.

I was sent back to the orphanage, fighting with boys older than me for a bowl of food.

At four-thirty in the morning, I was startled awake by this nightmare.

I couldn't sleep anymore, so I got up, changed into my workout clothes, and went downstairs to run in the garden.

The sky was still dark, but there were streetlights every few steps in the garden. I ran lap after lap as if I didn't know exhaustion.

Finally, I was so tired that I couldn't run anymore and sat on a bench to rest.

A familiar voice came, "Axi, what's wrong? Got something on your mind?"

I looked up and saw that it was Uncle Qi. I smiled, "Nothing, I just couldn't sleep."

Uncle Qi is a servant of the Su family, usually responsible for cleaning the garden.

When I was in the orphanage, I was often bullied. They would lock me in the cellar, causing me to develop a stress response and a fear of the dark.

When I first came to the Su family, mother said that no lights were allowed after lights out. I was so scared that I couldn’t sleep.

Uncle Qi found out and gave me a small palm-sized night light. He told me to put it under the covers when I was scared at night, and I would see the light and not be afraid anymore.

After that, I became familiar with Uncle Qi.

Although we couldn't often chat together at the Su family, Uncle Qi would always manage to bring me some food when mother wasn’t watching closely.

Uncle Qi and I got along very well, and I often joked that we were friends despite the age gap. Even though there was a big age difference, we could still talk.

But today, when Uncle Qi asked me, I couldn't speak.

My experiences made it impossible for me to trust anyone completely, even this Uncle Qi who had been kind to me since I joined the Su family.

The purpose of me coming to the Su family is known only to me and that mysterious person. I don't want to tell anyone in case it ruins my plan and makes me lose more than I gain.

Uncle Qi looked at me, "I can tell you definitely have something on your mind just by looking at you."

I thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Qi, have you ever seen my father? I mean in real life, not in a photo."

Uncle Qi nodded, "Of course I've seen him, why?”

I frowned slightly, "A few days ago, someone named Su Yi came to our house. She's not very outstanding but wasn’t kicked out after making a mistake. She claims she's the real daughter of the Su family and has a DNA test report. I think I'll be kicked out soon, right?"

Uncle Qi smiled, "Axi, you should have more confidence in yourself. You're the most outstanding among these kids. The Su family wouldn't easily kick you out."

"Once you go to high school and then get into a university, Su family will definitely arrange a better job for you because of your excellence."

I quickly asked, "What about Su Yi? She's not as good as I am. Why is she allowed to stay here?”

Uncle Qi shook his head, "Maybe there are other reasons, but Axi, as long as you do your best, that's enough."

After talking with Uncle Qi, I felt even more scared.

I thought I had the situation under control, but there have been unexpected changes.

I did consider using my old tricks to deal with Su Yi as I did with Su Wen, but although Su Yi seemed careless, she wasn’t easy to deal with.

Especially, I was afraid of being discovered. If anything went wrong, then even the issues regarding Su Wen would be exposed.

I couldn't take that risk.

I could only work even harder. Not just in academic subjects, but I also diligently studied other courses.

I worked harder than ever. I wanted the Su family to see how good I was so they wouldn't easily give up on me.

During this period, Su Yi frequently made mistakes, but father only gave her minor punishments each time. I often wanted to help create a bigger issue, but I could never find the right opportunity.

So time passed, year after year, until high school and then university.

Su Yi got into a regular vocational college, while I directly entered a prestigious university as the top science student.

I started to appear online more frequently, and the Su family arranged for me to attend many high-end banquets, where I met many important people.

Everyone in the Su family knew that I was definitely the most outstanding child and that I would be the one they focused on grooming in the future.

Everyone thought I had a bright future ahead of me, but only I knew that as long as Su Yi didn’t leave, my future would always be uncertain.

After all, no matter how excellent I was, I could never compete with actual blood relations.