Chapter 5 Severing Ties

Chapter 5: Severing Family Ties

Everyone in the room paled, with only Liu Hua remaining relatively composed. He hurried forward, all smiles. "We were just discussing Liu He's job with your mom. Let's not talk about money. We're family—there's no need to mention money."

Su Mi casually turned off the recording and slowly took off her scarf. "Then I must have misheard."

"Oh, right, what does my cousin's job search have to do with my parents?" she added, as if it had just dawned on her. "I remember Dad mentioning that his department still needs a security guard. Cousin is tall and strong—he'd definitely be a perfect fit."

"You—" Liu He started to speak but was immediately silenced by his mother, who covered his mouth and shot him a warning look.

Liu Hua didn't even have the decency to blush. Instead, he sighed. "Hehe was detained last night, and it will go on his record, making it even harder for him to find a job in the future."

"Of course, he brought this on himself—who told him to have no respect for his elders? But we're still family, after all. Family shouldn't hold grudges overnight. Your dad and I used to fight and scuffle when we were young, often drawing blood. But look at us now—we're still fine. It's just that Hehe's future children won't be able to apply for civil service positions. This…"

Hearing this, Liu Zhiyun was moved. "My department isn't hiring right now, but this whole incident was definitely a misunderstanding. Please don't blame Mimi. She was just scared and called the police."

"We have fifty thousand saved up. If Hehe needs any help in the future, Zhao Yun and I will do whatever we can."

"Fifty thousand?" Liu Zhenyi sneered. "Hehe's future generations won't be able to apply for civil service anymore. How is that any different from ruining his prospects? Do you think fifty thousand can buy off Hehe's entire future?!"

Liu Hua sighed again, his face clouded with worry.

Watching them play good cop and bad cop, Su Mi pulled out a chair and sat down. "So, how much do you want?"

Hearing this, a flicker of delight flashed in Liu Hua's eyes, but he ultimately said nothing.

Instead, Liu Zhenyi raised his voice. "Either find Hehe a high-paying, stable job, or compensate him with two million. If you hadn't called the police, would Hehe be in this situation?"

"Two million is still too little," Su Mi said firmly, looking straight at him. "How about I give you a billion instead?"

Liu Hua's expression changed. Suppressing a smile, he waved his hands dismissively. "This… this is too much…"

"Why would it be too much? We're family. When you all pass on, I'll definitely burn a billion for each of you. And I'll make sure Second Uncle and Third Uncle get their luxury cars and villas too. After all, we're family." Su Mi spoke with a serious expression.

Liu Zhiyun coughed lightly, signaling his daughter not to say such inauspicious things.

The others' faces darkened. In the past, they would have scolded her immediately, but now, given Su Mi's new status, they could only bite their tongues.

Liu Zhenyi, however, couldn't hold back his anger. He glared at Liu Zhiyun. "Big Brother, is this the daughter you raised? Even though she's not related by blood, she grew up in our family. They say the bond of upbringing is greater than the bond of birth, but I think she's an ungrateful wretch. Now that she has money, she's eager to shake off us poor relatives!"

"Exactly. She thinks finding a rich dad makes her so great, but she has no class at all. People are probably laughing at her behind her back," Liu Yue said coldly, crossing her arms.

"Mimi doesn't mean it like that…" Zhao Yun hurriedly tried to explain.

Su Mi couldn't be bothered to waste words on these people. She simply swept a cool glance over them. "My cousin hit my mom. The fact that Mom didn't demand compensation shows how kind-hearted she is. If you feel wronged, I don't mind having my lawyer file a lawsuit. Whether it's attempted murder or intentional assault will be up to the court to decide."

Hearing this, everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Only Liu He clenched his fists. If his parents hadn't warned him not to cause a scene today, he would have made that brat's face bloom with bruises.

"Also, Second Uncle and Third Uncle said yesterday that they weren't comfortable with Grandma living at our house. Fine. From now on, Grandma will be in your care. You can take her with you today."

"As for money, when Grandma lived with us, Second Uncle and Third Uncle only gave five hundred a month. How about this: from now on, I'll give each of you a thousand a month, as a granddaughter fulfilling her filial duty to Grandma."

Hearing this, Liu Zhenyi could no longer contain himself. He slammed his hand on the table. "If Big Brother can live with his conscience, Second Brother and I have nothing more to say. From today on, we sever ties. That way, you won't have to look at us poor relatives with disdain."

"Mimi doesn't mean it like that. How could we possibly abandon Mom?" Liu Zhiyun quickly explained. "Mom will definitely continue living with us, and we'll find a way to resolve Hehe's situation."

Knowing exactly what his older brother was like, Liu Hua adopted a strategy of retreat to advance. "Big Brother, don't feel pressured. Mom has lived with you for so long; it's time she stayed with us for a while."

Su Mi glanced back. "Didn't you hear? Hurry up and bring my grandma out."

The bodyguards swiftly moved past everyone and entered an inner room. Immediately, the sound of an elderly person coughing came from inside. Soon, they carried out the old woman, wheelchair and all.

"You… you…" The old woman's mouth twisted, unable to form a single word in her agitation. She could only glare at Su Mi with venomous eyes.

The bodyguards made quick work of it, packing up almost all the belongings from the room. Over Liu Zhenyi's shouts, everything was carried downstairs.

"Mom!" Liu Hua hurriedly followed them out.

The others didn't dare to stop them, mainly because the bodyguards were all tall and burly. They didn't dare make any sudden moves.

Realizing they wouldn't gain any advantage with Su Mi present today, they could only grit their teeth and follow. However, they knew Liu Zhiyun's character well. Next time they came, they would definitely make him pay!

Seeing this, Zhao Yun also made a move to go outside and check. Only when the door closed did she turn back, looking at her daughter with a conflicted expression.

She knew her mother-in-law had never liked her daughter, but after all, her mother-in-law had raised her husband. Moreover, the old woman was still recovering from a stroke. They couldn't just abandon her.

Only the butler looked at Su Mi with admiration. The young lady's way of handling matters truly reflected the old master's teachings. In contrast, the second young lady was too kind-hearted, resembling her biological mother in that regard.

"It's so cold outside, and your grandma's health hasn't fully recovered. Even if she's moving out, there's no need to rush it today, right?" Zhao Yun said earnestly, looking at her daughter.

Su Mi didn't respond. Instead, she got up, walked to the table, and picked up a pair of scissors.

"I won't go into detail about how much Second Uncle and Third Uncle have taken advantage of our family. When I was little, Grandma even tried to abandon me secretly. I walked several kilometers back home on my own. All these years, my heart has been in pain—so much pain that I couldn't sleep at night. Today, I'll make this clear: if you insist on keeping Grandma, today I will cut my flesh to repay my father and shave my head to repay my mother!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she brought the scissors to her hair with a decisive "snip," cutting off a section.

Zhao Yun and Liu Zhiyun turned pale with fright and rushed forward to grab the scissors.

Ignoring their attempts to stop her, Su Mi resolutely continued cutting her long hair, her face filled with unprecedented determination.

"Stop cutting! Stop cutting!" Zhao Yun grabbed her hand, tears streaming down her face. "Of course, Mom wants you!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Liu Zhiyun seized the opportunity to snatch the scissors from her.

The three of them instantly clung to each other, sobbing uncontrollably. The small living room was soon filled with the sound of their choked sobs.

Only the butler stared strangely at the pile of hair on the floor. If he wasn't mistaken, wasn't that the wig the young lady had been wearing this morning?

After crying for a while, Su Mi solemnly emphasized again that they must not interfere with those people anymore. Otherwise, she would cut her flesh to sever all ties with her mother.

Having been a corporate drone for years, she deeply understood one principle: occasional outbursts might earn you scoldings, but if you keep it up consistently, no one will dare provoke you.

For people like Zhao Yun and her husband, who were indecisive, weak, and overly accommodating, extreme measures were sometimes necessary to force them to make a choice.

"Okay, okay! Dad definitely won't give them any more money!" Liu Zhiyun hurriedly promised.

Even though they were family, nothing was more important than their daughter. They hadn't realized how much pain their daughter had been carrying inside. Ultimately, it was his fault as a father.

The Su family had raised their daughter so well, yet he had allowed Mimi to suffer such grievances. How could they face Mimi's biological father with any dignity?

Su Mi didn't mention the female lead's situation. If she wasn't mistaken, the female lead's disappearance early in the morning was likely because she had gone to see her biological parents. Otherwise, the couple would have asked her about the female lead. But since they hadn't mentioned her at all, they had probably already seen their daughter.

As for money, she definitely couldn't give it to them now. She needed to observe whether the couple had truly resolved to cut ties with those vampires. Otherwise, no matter how much money she gave, it would only fill the bottomless pit of those people's demands.

Since she had other things to do, Su Mi didn’t stay much longer.

As she walked out of the house, the butler, remembering what the young lady had said earlier, looked hesitantly at the couple. “To be honest with you both, the young lady has shown signs of manic behavior, so it’s better to humor her. Otherwise… she could hurt herself at any time…”

He sighed, left it at that, and turned away.

Left standing at the door, Zhao Yun and her husband looked at each other in confusion. In an instant, Zhao Yun covered her mouth and burst into tears, never imagining her daughter could suffer from such an illness. She blamed herself for not paying closer attention to her daughter’s mental state.

“From now on… we shouldn’t let those people come over anymore…” Her gaze gradually grew resolute.

Liu Zhiyun frowned and nodded. Now, he just wanted his two daughters to be healthy; he no longer cared about anything else. He felt he’d done all he could.

After leaving the neighborhood, Su Mi went straight to the bank, opened an account in her own name, and transferred the money from the two checks into it.

In the original novel, only the original Su Mi’s adoptive parents still cared about her in the end. They forgave all the wrongs she had done and even pleaded with the female lead to reduce her sentence.

So, later on, she would definitely need to buy property in Zhao Yun and her husband’s names. That way, even if she were kicked out of the Su family, her assets wouldn’t be wiped out. But for now, it wasn’t the right time—she still needed to observe whether the couple was truly determined to distance themselves from those vampires.

After leaving the bank, not really in the mood to see the old man, she had lunch alone outside and even invited the butler and bodyguards to join her at the table. Working in the dead of winter wasn’t easy for anyone.

However, they were too bound by protocol and refused to sit at the same table with her, no matter how much she insisted.

When she returned to the villa, she could hear voices coming from inside. Several unfamiliar strangers were seated in the living room—a couple and a young man in his early twenties wearing casual clothes, who was decent-looking.

Since Su Min had likely gone to the company, only the old man and Madam Su were in the living room entertaining the guests. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, so they were probably visitors paying a New Year’s call.

Noticing her, the young man’s expression suddenly shifted—his previously indifferent eyes now filled with unmistakable disgust.

With one glance, Su Mi instantly guessed who he was.

The female lead and the Qi family’s second son had been childhood sweethearts and were engaged from a young age. This must be the second male lead, Qi Xi.

Why was he the second male lead? Because the male lead was his older brother, Qi Yun. However, the male lead already had a fiancée, so he couldn’t marry the female lead, even though he liked her. As a result, the two could only flirt in secret.

Yet, the second male lead remained completely unaware, believing that he and the female lead were mutually in love. It wasn’t until later, when the male lead broke off his engagement with the third female lead, that he openly declared his intention to marry the female lead. Only then did the second male lead realize the truth. Caught between his own brother and the woman he loved, he could only swallow his bitterness and eventually left the country, never to return.

“This must be Mimi. What a lovely girl indeed,” Madam Qi remarked, turning her head to look over.

Su Mi took off her coat and handed it to a servant, then walked over with a slight nod.

Relieved to see her daughter acting normally again, Madam Su quickly introduced them. “This is Uncle Qi and Auntie Qi, and this is Brother Qi Xi.”

At this point, Madam Su still didn’t mention Qi Xi’s engagement to Su Ruanruan.

The person in question, however, lifted his eyelids and raised an eyebrow. “So this is Sister Su. Truly unique—rumors don’t do you justice.”

Sensing his undisguised disdain, Su Mi simply smiled faintly. “Brother Qi is even more… distinctive than the rumors suggest.”