Chapter 8 Talent

Chapter 8: Aptitude

"Mimi! How can you speak to Grandpa like that!" Madam Su quickly stepped in front of her, while giving the butler a pointed look.

Having worked in this profession for many years, this was the first time in his career the butler had encountered such a situation. He seriously suspected that what the young lady had said earlier wasn't a lie—she might genuinely have manic episodes.

However, he reacted swiftly. Without another word, he directed several maids to pull Su Mi away. Yet, the atmosphere in the entire dining room fell to a freezing point. Everyone else stood there, not daring to make a sound.

The young lady had the most audacious temper they had ever seen—bar none.

Su Min also didn't dare look at his father's gloomy expression. He could only give a light cough and say, "Mimi has suffered a lot over the years. Plus, she just returned home and isn't quite used to her surroundings yet. It's normal for her emotions to be unstable. Please don't hold it against a child."

"That's right. Besides, what Mimi said isn't without reason. She's just straightforward and doesn't mince words."

Madam Su waved the servants away discreetly. In an instant, only the three of them remained in the dining room.

"I know you're fond of Ruan Ruan, but when it comes down to it, she isn't a true blood descendant of the Su family. In your generation, you had three siblings, but in mine and Ah Min's generation we only have one daughter. It's not like we didn't try other methods back then, but nothing worked. Perhaps this is a warning from our ancestors—a warning that we've been mistaken all along. What's real is real, and what's fake is fake. If we go against the natural order, we might end up putting the cart before the horse and angering our ancestors."

Su Zhenan closed his eyes and remained silent, though the clouded expression on his aged face now carried a hint of something inscrutable.

Even though he knew his daughter-in-law was speaking in favor of this uncouth girl, he had to admit that by his son's generation, the lineage had indeed grown thin. For so many generations the Su family had thrived, yet this was the first time such a situation had occurred.

"At such a young age, she shows no manners or respect for her elders. If we don't discipline her now, I'm even more afraid our ancestors will be turning in their graves."

His gaze swept over the two of them, sharp as a torch. He abruptly stood up and, using his cane for support, walked step by step toward the second floor.

"Mimi is just new here and not used to her surroundings yet. I will definitely guide her properly," Madam Su said gently.

Watching his father's retreating back, Su Min rubbed his temples wearily. His daughter had been perfectly normal these past few days; he had no idea why she suddenly caused such a scene.

Even if she had grievances, she could have talked to them about it. Throwing a tantrum regardless of the setting would only make Father favor Ruan Ruan even more.

"Mimi has always had a gentle temperament. If your father hadn't said those words, she wouldn't have suddenly gotten so angry," Madam Su complained, casting a glance toward the upstairs. "What does he mean, 'Mimi can't compare to Ruan Ruan'? Just listen to what Dad said. Anyone hearing that would feel wronged. How is my daughter inferior to anyone else?"

Seeing his wife was also about to make a scene, Su Min quickly drew her into a side hug to comfort her. "You know how it is—Dad watched Ruan Ruan grow up. After all, she is his own granddaughter. Once he spends more time with Mimi, he'll surely come to care for her too."

Madam Su didn't say anything more. Instead, she got up to go comfort her daughter.

After being unceremoniously dragged back to her room, Su Mi immediately closed the door. Indeed, she still needed to learn combat skills. Otherwise, the next time she had an outburst and got dragged away again, it would really cramp her style.

"Ding! Host gains +60 Luck Points!"

Hearing the cold, mechanical voice in her mind, a glint flashed in her eyes. So, luck points were calculated based on the intensity of her outbursts.

It seemed her guess was correct. Tasks were also triggered based on the original host's deep-seated issues. Because that old man's words touched upon the original host's biggest complex—she couldn't understand why she was considered inferior to the female lead, to the point where even her own grandfather sided with someone else.

That's why she later desperately tried to prove she was no worse than the female lead, step by step leading herself down a path of no return.

"Convert 30 Luck Points to combat skills, and the other 30 to acting talent."

"Conversion successful! Host's combat talent value: 80! Acting talent value: 30!"

Why not convert all the luck points to acting? Because, for now, maxing out combat skills was more beneficial for her self-preservation. One day, she would inevitably have an outburst in front of others. If she came up against a tough opponent, she would definitely suffer.

Therefore, having sufficient self-defense capabilities was crucial.

As for acting, she could gradually increase her talent value later—it would work just as well.

"Mimi, are you okay?"

Suddenly, Madam Su's concerned voice came from outside the door. Su Mi got up and went to open it. She saw her mother holding a fresh breakfast, clearly aware that she hadn't eaten much earlier.

It was evident that her mother truly loved her daughter. Otherwise, most parents would scold a child who showed such disrespect—that was the reality in many households.

"Thanks, Mom." She calmly took the breakfast.

Looking at her daughter, who had now composed herself, Madam Su couldn't hide the heartache in her eyes. She became even more convinced that her daughter had only erupted because she had been wronged.

"Mom knows you're feeling down. It's normal if you don't want to talk to me about it. So, I've arranged for a psychologist for you. If there's anything bothering you, you must speak up. Don't keep it bottled up inside," she said hesitantly.

Without even thinking, Su Mi knew it must have been the butler gossiping. So, her mother also thought she had intermittent manic episodes.

But it didn't matter. Seeing a doctor was fine. She felt she needed to work through her issues too; otherwise, she'd start finding fault with everyone.

"I understand."

She nodded, then closed the door.

The original host's parents were quite open-minded. They didn't force her to apologize to the old man—that alone put them ahead of ninety-nine percent of parents.

However, sure enough, a psychologist arrived in the afternoon. After asking a few questions, he had her fill out a psychological assessment form.

To ensure she could continue her outbursts long-term without raising suspicion, she deliberately chose the more severe options for certain questions.

After reading her report, the doctor's expression gradually turned serious. He then had her fill out two additional schizophrenia screening tests on the spot.

This time, she filled out the multiple-choice questions honestly. She couldn't mess around with these; otherwise, she might really be treated as mentally ill.

After checking her scores, the doctor's expression relaxed slightly.

"Miss Su, you've simply been in a long-term oppressive environment, coupled with significant psychological stress, which leads to greater emotional fluctuations. You also show some tendencies toward manic episodes, but they are only mild. With proper adjustment, there's a high possibility of recovery," the doctor quickly reassured her.

Su Mi leaned back on the sofa, frowning slightly. "Doctor, could I develop depression or bipolar disorder?"

Hearing this, the doctor immediately shook his head. "You don't show any signs of depression at all. It's likely just intermittent manic episodes. However, we still need to observe carefully going forward to prevent the condition from worsening."

"Since you don't show signs of insomnia, I won't prescribe any medication for now. We'll proceed with conservative treatment, focusing on relaxation and mental well-being. I'll send you the treatment plan later. If necessary, you can take some traditional Chinese medicine to avoid symptoms of excessive liver yang," the doctor said seriously.

Su Mi nodded, then politely shook his hand. "I will definitely try my best to control myself."

The doctor smiled. "Any medication is only an aid. Ultimately, it depends on you regulating your own emotions."

Watching the other person leave the room with his things, Su Mi immediately re-filled those assessment forms. This time, she didn't mess around, and sure enough, her scores were normal.

Better safe than sorry. Sometimes she even felt like she was a bit crazy herself. But thankfully, that was just an illusion.

It's normal for people to vent their emotions appropriately. Right after graduation, she was also quite reserved. But after encountering those difficult clients and colleagues, she gradually became a powder keg, teetering every day on the edge of blowing up at others or self-destructing. Eventually, even her superiors didn't dare scold her anymore.

She didn't know what the doctor had said, but at lunch, only she and Madam Su were present. She heard the old man's migraine had flared up again, and he was receiving acupuncture in his room, so he didn't come out to eat.

The facts proved that bottling things up only consumed you from the inside, while letting loose could infuriate others.

Her mother, however, personally prepared a feast and showed even more care, fussing over her. She even said Su Mi should do whatever she liked and not worry about others' opinions.

Clearly, after hearing what the doctor said, the old man didn't come to demand an explanation. Otherwise, with his petty nature, he definitely wouldn't have let it slide.

Nothing else happened for the rest of the day. The next day, she went to the training center for classes according to the schedule.

That coach was definitely relying on his good looks, spoiled by wealthy ladies, which was why he dared to be so arrogant. He'd better have some real skills; otherwise, she'd replace him tomorrow.

When she got to the gym, the manager came out to greet her right away again. Perhaps sensing her dissatisfaction, he explained there was no other choice—too many people specifically requested Coach Li, but with all the lingering injuries from his past fights, Coach Li could no longer handle high-intensity work, so customers inevitably get shortchanged sometimes.

“He looks quite solid. Is he already worn out so young?” Su Mi mused, feeling a pang of something like pity.

The manager cleared his throat and led her into Training Room Two. “Professional athletes are all like that—they end up a wreck while they’re still young. I hope you can understand.”

Su Mi certainly understood. People in this business literally bet their bodies to make a living. But if you’re getting paid, you should have basic professionalism. Slacking off on the job is never a good thing.

Sure enough, the coach hadn’t arrived yet.

She could only head to the locker room first to change into a simple workout outfit. A five-time world freestyle fighting champion had to have some serious skills. She needed to find time to watch his matches online—she couldn’t just rely on others’ praise.

Just as she finished twenty sit-ups, the training room door finally opened. The coach walked in wearing a simple black T-shirt, the well-defined muscles of his back faintly visible beneath the fabric.

Her bodyguards were all broad-shouldered with narrow waists, but compared to this coach, they still fell slightly short. With looks like his, it was no wonder wealthy women found it hard to resist.

“Can you usually do fifty of these?” the man asked, walking over with a tablet that displayed her questionnaire.

Su Mi remained unfazed as she sat there. “I can also do sixty push-ups.”

Since her talent points increased, exercising felt like a duck to water—no more panting, no more sore legs. She could even learn Wing Chun from videos on her own.

A faint smile touched Lin Yue’s lips as he handed her the tablet. “These are targeted drills. Stick to this for the first month. Once your physical strength improves, we’ll move on to more advanced training.”

Su Mi took it and glanced through the exercises. They were indeed basic, but they didn’t look easy.

“Run through them once first. I’ll correct any mistakes,” he said, unscrewing a bottle of mineral water.

Seeing that he was finally saying something useful, Su Mi didn’t waste any time—every second was money slipping away.

So she studied one set of movements, starting with donkey kicks, high knees, and planks with alternating elbow touches, practicing each move twenty times. It was indeed more technical than push-ups.

On the flat ground, the girl in her white workout clothes moved with a slender, precise figure, each action as flawless as a professional’s. There was no trace of a beginner—at first glance, it was hard to tell who was teaching whom.

A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Yue’s eyes. According to her profile, she had no prior experience in this area.

After completing the set, a light sweat broke out on Su Mi’s forehead. She wiped it off with a towel and glanced at the man. “Were there any mistakes in my form? Coach, why aren’t you saying anything?”

The man watched her every move intently, a spark of curiosity igniting in his eyes. His voice was low. “Hit me.”

Su Mi: “…”

It was the first time in her life she’d ever heard such a request.

Studying his sharply defined features, she once again thought he must be testing her reaction speed. Besides, she hadn’t trained in power techniques yet—she probably wouldn’t be able to ruin that face of his.