The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

The apologetic voice of the homeroom teacher came from outside the door.

Class teacher Wang Qian walked ahead, her face looking a little tense. As she led the way, she explained, "Mrs. Pei, this was truly an emergency. We took her to the infirmary immediately..."

The woman who followed her in looked to be in her early thirties and was very well-maintained. She wore a well-tailored silk dress, carried an extremely luxurious Hermès bag, and her hair was neatly styled.

"Chen Zhi, you can go back now." Wang Qian waved her hand quickly when she saw that Chen Zhi was still there. "There are teachers here, so it's fine."

Chen Zhi didn't waste any more words; staying here at this point would only make him miserable. He nodded to Wang Qian, glanced at Pei Ningxue who was about to pull her hand back from the hospital bed, then turned and pulled Lin Wanwan, who was still sulking, out of the room.

"Hey, slow down! My kettle is still over there!" Lin Wanwan was pulled and stumbled.

"Why drink water? Go back and starve." Chen Zhi lowered his voice. "Didn't you see the atmosphere was off? It's like gods are fighting; we mortals should get out of there."

Stepping out of the infirmary, a wave of heat hit me again.

The two walked along the tree-lined path towards the classroom. Lin Wanwan was still standing there awkwardly, kicking at the pebbles on the side of the road: "Who is that auntie? She looks so fierce. Although she's smiling, I always feel like she's being fake."

"It should be Pei Ningxue's mother," Chen Zhi said casually.

As they were talking, the two walked to the square in front of the teaching building.

It was recess, and many students were leaning over the railings looking down. Following their gaze, Chen Zhi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

A Maybach S-Class was parked so casually next to the flower bed below the teaching building.

In this day and age, the visual impact of a luxury car of this caliber appearing on a junior high school campus is nothing short of a nuclear bomb.

"Holy crap... whose car is that? That's amazing!"

"Is that a Maybach? I've seen it in car magazines, it costs several million!"

All around were gasps and whispers.

Chen Zhi looked at the car and could only sigh inwardly. The Pei family was truly wealthy and genuinely didn't care about the consequences. With this car parked there, the whole school would know tomorrow that Pei Ningxue was a super-rich second-generation heiress.

……

Inside the medical room.

Liu Yi walked to the bedside, her expression instantly switching to a perfect blend of anxiety and heartache.

"Xiaoxue, how are you? Are you feeling alright?" She reached out her hand, seemingly wanting to touch Pei Ningxue's forehead, her movements gentle like a loving mother.

Pei Ningxue seemed startled and instinctively shrank back to avoid the hand.

Liu Yi's hand froze in mid-air for half a second before she naturally withdrew it. She then tucked the blanket around Pei Ningxue, her tone slightly reproachful: "You silly child, why didn't you tell us you weren't feeling well? You scared your aunt to death."

Pei Ningxue lowered her head, looking at the white bed sheet, and simply nodded without saying a word.

She's used to it.

In this house, as long as she doesn't speak, there will be far fewer troubles.

Seeing that Pei Ningxue didn't respond, Liu Yi turned around, her smile fading slightly, and looked at Wang Qian standing to the side.

"Teacher Wang, I'm not trying to be mean," Liu Yi's voice rose a few octaves, though it was still soft, but the condescending pressure was instantly apparent. "Military training should take into account the students' physical condition, shouldn't it? My daughter Xiaoxue has always been weak, and you haven't been paying attention. If something really happens, who will be responsible?"

Wang Qian is a responsible teacher, but faced with this kind of parent, she could only force a smile and say, "Mrs. Pei, this was our oversight. We really didn't expect the weather to be so hot..."

"Didn't expect that?" Liu Yi chuckled, interrupting Wang Qian. "Teacher Wang, if I remember correctly, the school's laboratory building and library were donated by Lao Pei last year, right? We donated money to give the children a good environment, not to make them suffer."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qian's face flushed red instantly, and she could only lower her head and apologize, "I'm sorry, we'll be more careful in the future."

Seeing that things were going well, Liu Yi stopped pressing the issue. She turned to Pei Ningxue, her tone becoming incredibly gentle again: "Alright, Xiaoxue, we're not doing military training anymore. Ask your teacher for leave, and Auntie will take you home so we can go to the hospital for a proper check-up."

Pei Ningxue remained silent, simply lifting the covers and putting on her shoes.

As Pei Ningxue followed Liu Yi out of the teaching building and got into the much-anticipated Maybach, they happened to catch the students of Class 3 returning from their military training.

Li Jiahao, with his sharp eyes, spotted it immediately.

"Holy crap! That's Pei Ningxue? She got into that Maybach?" Li Jiahao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he grabbed the boy next to him. "Did you see that? That's Pei Ningxue!"

"I saw it! I saw it! Oh my god, there's a super rich girl hiding in our class!"

"No wonder I don't recognize the shoes she usually wears; they're probably custom-made."

"Was that woman her mother? She looks so young. Is that Hermes bag?"

Chen Zhi stood at the back of the crowd, watching the Maybach slowly drive out of the school gate. The windows were covered with dark shatterproof film, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"Let's go, what are you looking at? It's not yours even if you keep looking." Chen Zhi patted Li Jiahao, who was still in a daze. "Hurry up and go back to the classroom, you smell bad."

……

On the way home, the carriage was eerily quiet.

Driver Lao Zhang focused intently on driving, barely daring to breathe.

Liu Yi sat in the back seat, holding a bottle of Evian water, and handed it to Pei Ningxue beside him: "Drink some water, soothe your throat. Were you scared just now?"

Pei Ningxue took the water, whispered a thank you, and then turned her head to look out the window at the rapidly receding street scene.

Liu Yi didn't seem embarrassed at all, and continued, "If your dad knew you fainted, he'd be heartbroken. I've already texted him, and he said he'll try to come home early tonight to have dinner with you."

"Mm," Pei Ningxue responded.

"Also, that military training is too tough. I've already told the school that you shouldn't go for the next few days. Just stay home and rest." Liu Yi continued to ramble on. "Ji Ming has been saying he misses his sister these past few days, so you can stay home and keep him company."

Upon hearing the name "Ji Ming," Pei Ningxue's fingers, which were resting on her knees, curled slightly.

Pei Jiming, her half-brother, is only six years old this year.

That is, this woman's biological son.

The car drove into a luxury villa district in the city center.

The door slowly opened, and as soon as the car came to a stop, a chubby-faced little boy rushed out of the house.

"Sister! Sister, you're back!"

Pei Jiming scurried to the car door.

Pei Ningxue got out of the car and looked at the innocent-looking little boy in front of her. Her originally cold heart softened slightly. After all, the child was innocent. Pei Jiming had been attached to her since he was little. Although she really didn't like this blended family, it was hard for her to be cold to this younger brother.

"Yes, you're back." Pei Ningxue forced a smile, reached out and patted Pei Jiming's head. "Were you a good boy/girl today?"

"I was so good!" Pei Jiming looked up, his face pleading for praise. "I finished practicing all my piano pieces today!"

"Alright, alright, stop bothering your sister." Liu Yi walked over and pulled Pei Jiming aside. Although she was scolding him, her actions were full of doting. "Your sister isn't feeling well. She just came back from the hospital. Let her go back to her room to rest. Don't disturb her."

Pei Jiming blinked his big eyes, looking puzzled. "Mom, didn't you tell me to be nicer to my sister and play with her more?"

Liu Yi's expression froze for a moment.

She glanced subconsciously at Pei Ningxue, who was about to go upstairs.

Pei Ningxue paused for a moment, but did not turn around, and continued walking upstairs.

Liu Yi only breathed a sigh of relief after watching Pei Ningxue's figure disappear around the corner of the stairs. She squatted down, straightened her son's collar, and lowered her voice.

"Silly son, there's a reason why your mother wants you to be good to her."

Liu Yi glanced at the closed door on the second floor, a cold smile playing on her lips: "You're the only male heir of the Pei family. This huge family fortune will be yours sooner or later. Be nicer to your sister now, so your father thinks our family is harmonious and that you're sensible. That way, he'll leave everything to you in the future, understand?"

Pei Jiming nodded, seemingly understanding, still clutching the Transformer in his hand: "So, that means if I'm good to my sister, Dad will buy me more toys?"

"Yes, not just toys, everything." Liu Yi touched her son's face. "Alright, go play now."

On the second-floor corridor.

Pei Ningxue did not return to her room.

She stood quietly in the shadows at the top of the stairs, her hands gripping the solid wood handrail tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

She heard every word of the conversation downstairs.

Although I had long known that this stepmother was all sweetness and no substance, and although I had long been accustomed to the hypocritical warmth in this family, hearing these words still felt like being pricked by needles, causing a dense, persistent pain in my heart.

Less than six months after his mother passed away, his father returned with this woman, who was pregnant with Pei Jiming.

At that time, my father said, "Xiaoxue, this is Aunt Liu. She will take care of you like a mother."

Oh.

Like a mother?

Pei Ningxue closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forcefully suppressed the warmth in her eyes.

She let go of his hand, turned around and went into her room, locking the door behind her.

The room was large and decorated in pink, all arranged by Liu Yi in the style of a so-called "little princess," but it made Pei Ningxue feel suffocated.

She walked to her desk, opened a drawer, and took out a slightly worn photo frame from the very back. In the photo, a young, gentle mother was holding her tiny child, smiling so brightly.

"mom……"

Pei Ningxue gently stroked the photograph with her fingers, her voice sounding particularly lonely in the empty room.