After being kicked out of the wealthy family along with her yandere childhood friend

Thinking of cola chicken wings, Bai Tao's stomach couldn't help but growl twice.

She rubbed her lower abdomen with her hand, "Stop yelling, stop yelling. We'll have cola chicken wings when we get home."

Bai Tao glanced at Bai Shen secretly, only to find that he wasn't even paying attention to her.

Bai Tao walked into the venue arm in arm with Bai Shen. The light from the crystal chandelier poured down from above, coating everyone's shoulders and hair with a layer of light.

Bai Zhenzhen and Lin Meng were already chatting somewhere. Bai Shen's gaze swept across the room, then he pointed to the dark red velvet sofa in the far corner, lowered his head and whispered something in her ear, his voice very low.

"Go grab something to eat over there and wait for me. I'll take you home after I'm done."

Bai Tao nodded, released his arm, and walked towards that corner.

Bai Shen stared at Bai Tao's retreating figure, pausing for a few seconds under the lamplight, a complex and indescribable emotion welling up inside him.

Wouldn't it be much happier for Bai Tao to simply say, instead of blocking the report's conclusion, that she's currently living in a basement and cohabiting with a man?

Bai Tao had no idea what he was thinking. She walked to the sofa area and casually picked up a wine glass.

She didn't drink it, she just held it; it would be a bit awkward to walk around here without holding something.

She didn't see Lin Meng anywhere, nor did she deliberately look for her. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she secretly slipped to the sofa in the corner and sat down.

There is a very inconspicuous aisle next to the sofa; you can't see it at all unless you look closely.

She peeked inside and saw the light shining on the dark red walls. It looked sophisticated, but also like a seemingly endless corridor from a horror movie. She glanced at it, then tentatively took two more steps inside before finally spotting a restroom sign on the wall.

Good heavens, who would dare to use a toilet designed like this?

She pushed him away, took a small cake, and obediently sat down on the sofa.

She was out of place at the banquet; almost everyone knew she wasn't the real heiress of the Bai family, so no one came to greet her.

That's good; she can eat her fill and then go home.

Bai Tao was making plans in her mind.

She originally thought she would show her face and maybe, if her paintings became famous in the future, these people would buy her paintings because they had seen her a few times. But she never expected it to be such a huge matchmaking event.

Almost every family with children of suitable age came.

Why is it different from my previous life...?

She wanted to use the Bai family to help Pei Jin, but she was kicked out and had no intention of helping the Bai family with marriage in the future.

Although she knew from a young age that her existence was to arrange marriages for the Bai family and help the Bai family rise to a higher level.

"Oh! Ouch—I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't mean to, I didn't see it."

As Bai Tao was thinking, a woman's voice suddenly came from behind her, carrying an exaggerated sense of urgency and panic.

Bai Tao turned around and saw that a waitress had spilled the wine she was holding onto a man in a black suit in front of her.

Dark liquor dripped down the front of the suit jacket, gleaming a dark reddish light under the lamp.

The man was very tall, with broad shoulders, and stood straight, like a tree.

The little girl kept apologizing to him, her voice trembling with tears.

The man in front of her took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped himself without saying a word.

Just when Bai Tao thought he was mute, she heard a deep, pleasant voice from the other end.

"It's okay, where's the restroom?"

The waitress was still apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, sir. Please don't fire me. Let me take you upstairs to change your clothes, sir."

"No need, where's the restroom?"

Xie Lingyun patiently asked again.

The other party was still absorbed in their apology and did not respond.

"Sir, let me take you upstairs to change your clothes. I've washed this one and will return it to you."

Just as Xie Lingyun was about to lose control, a pleasant female voice suddenly came from the sofa behind him.

"Over here."

Xie Lingyun turned around, didn't see anyone at first, and then lowered his head.

On the dark red sofa, a girl in a pink fishtail dress lay lazily on the backrest, holding a half-eaten cupcake in her hand, her bright eyes looking at him.

She pointed to a passageway next to her that was barely noticeable unless you looked closely, and then repeated herself, afraid he hadn't heard her clearly.

"The toilet is here."

Xie Lingyun looked in the direction she was pointing and finally saw the entrance hidden in the shadows.

He nodded. "Thank you."

As he walked toward the restroom, unfamiliar with the layout, he paused slightly at the entrance of the dimly lit corridor, almost bumping into the wall. However, he quickly adjusted his direction and disappeared into the dim red light deep in the corridor.

The waitress stood there, still clutching the empty tray in her hand, her expression shifting from panic to something else entirely.

She glared at Bai Tao, picked up the wine glass from the ground, and then turned and ran away.

Bai Tao raised an eyebrow. Whose plans had been ruined?

Sorry~

She shifted to a more comfortable position on the sofa and took another bite of the cupcake in her hand.

Bai Tao sat on the sofa, looking down at her high heels.

The shoe's upper is adorned with tiny sequins that refract light under the lamp, truly resembling Cinderella's glass slippers.

I forgot to ask if I needed to return this outfit.

She was getting a little bored. Relying on the Bai family wouldn't work; she had to rely on herself when it mattered most.

If only I had seized the opportunity presented by the Bai family during my university years and held a couple more art exhibitions of my own.

"Why."

She sighed, her figure sitting alone on the burgundy sofa looking somewhat forlorn.

The sounds in the hall suddenly changed. What had been a jumble of voices and the clinking of glasses from all directions now seemed to be drawn towards the door by something.

When Bai Tao turned around, she couldn't see anything.

She stood up, looked in that direction, and jumped up and down twice, but still couldn't see clearly.

"It's Pei Che, the son newly recognized by the head of the Pei family."

Xie Lingyun came out of the toilet, his body cleaned of dirt and grime, so that he was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

He stood leisurely beside the sofa, looking towards the door with Bai Tao.

Bai Tao was somewhat surprised and couldn't believe what she had heard.

"What?"

"The Pei family's new son, Pei Che."

Xie Lingyun's tone was devoid of emotion; after all, it was none of his business who was in power in the Pei family.

"The purpose of this trip is simply to give him some exposure. I estimate that a brief press conference will be held in a couple of days to explain the situation to the industry."

The previously lively and restless white peach suddenly became quiet.

She stood beside the sofa, her hand still resting on the backrest, and the slight upturn of her lips slowly faded.

How can I describe my current feelings?

She felt it had stopped beating...

Slightly dead.

Pei Che,

Pei Jin,

Water and fire are incompatible.

Does Pei Jin know about this news?

Is this the third person the housekeeper mentioned, the one she should observe?

Bai Tao's gaze was still fixed on the direction of the door, but she didn't actually see anything inside.

Xie Lingyun glanced at Bai Tao, who had been quite lively beside him, and suddenly panicked.

"What? You know him?"

Bai Tao shook her head, her voice very soft, "I don't know her."

She suddenly wanted to go home.

She now understood why the Bai family wanted to take her back: it wasn't because they missed her, but simply because she was still useful.

She was still naive, thinking that it was because she hadn't caused trouble in her life that Bai Zhongjing and Lin Meng truly felt sorry for her.

The Bai family needs a daughter they can be proud of, whether it's Bai Tao, Bai Zhenzhen, or anyone else.

If Pei Jin is affected because she has changed, then she won't leave Pei Jin alone.

She already knew how difficult this path was, and she wouldn't let Pei Jin walk it all over again.

Bai Tao gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, looking at the figure at the doorway surrounded by lights and people.

She doesn't belong here now.

So she's going back to eat cola chicken wings.

No matter how difficult the road ahead may be, it won't be as difficult as it was in my previous life.

Bai Tao lifted her skirt and had just stepped around the sofa when a voice came from behind her.

"I still don't know your name."

Bai Tao turned around and saw Xie Lingyun standing a few steps away, his gaze fixed on her.

Lin Meng achieved her goal, but her plan was about to fall through.

She's no longer a puppet.

Bai Tao smiled, a smile that shone brightly under the dim red light, dazzling Xie Lingyun's eyes.

"You don't need to remember me; we'll most likely never see each other again."

After saying that, she turned around and didn't linger any longer.

She walked around the venue twice and saw Lin Meng and Bai Zhenzhen talking to Mrs. Shu.

Bai Tao walked around to Bai Shen's side, stood beside him, and spoke in a very low voice.

"Big brother."

Bai Shen looked down at her. "What's wrong?"

"I want to leave, brother. I don't belong here anymore. Could you return these clothes for me?"

She came to Bai Shen to return the clothes because she was afraid that if she returned them at home or asked someone to return them for her, Lin Meng and Bai Zhenzhen would accuse her of damaging luxury goods, and she couldn't afford to pay for such expensive clothes.

However, if the gift is given directly to Bai Shen, that risk can be bypassed.

She was gambling, gambling that Bai Shen might still have a place for her in his heart.

Bai Shen gave her a meaningful look, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.

"Have you thought it through?"

Bai Tao's departure meant that from now on, she would never have any contact with the Bai family again, and would be completely detached from this extravagant lifestyle.

Although the marriage will cost her her happiness, at least she'll have money. With the Bai family's support, Bai Shen will do his best to ensure she won't be mistreated and will find her a wealthy man so she can continue to live a life of extravagance as before.

But breaking ties with Lin Meng and Bai Zhongjing means that Bai Tao has to say goodbye to all of this for good.

Bai Tao nodded, her tone showing no reluctance or hesitation.

"So, brother, could you please return my clothes for me?"

Bai Shen nodded, took out his phone, sent the message, and then looked up to tell her...

"I had my secretary prepare an outfit for you in the car."

"The clothes you wore to the Bai family today, I'll send someone to return them to you tomorrow. You can take this dress off and put it in the car."

Bai Tao nodded, deeply moved. He truly was the only person who had ever cared about her in her past life.

"Thank you, brother, I'm off!"

Bai Shen nodded, watching her happily and sneak away, a pang of sadness rising in his heart.

When I was your older brother, it was because he was useless.

Even when he's no longer your older brother, he's useless; he doesn't even want to say goodbye.

Bai Shen's female secretary was already waiting at the entrance of the Rolls-Royce, carrying a paper bag containing the latest LV Chanel-style dress and a pair of flat shoes.

When Bai Tao got into the car, her secretary gently placed the bag into her hand.

The partition on the car was raised, and only Bai Tao sat in the back seat, surrounded by bodyguards and the driver with their backs turned.

She took off her necklace and rings one by one and placed them on the tray next to the chair. After changing her dress, she bent down to straighten the hem of her skirt. Suddenly, her fingertips touched a hard edge.

She pulled out a card, Bai Tao pushed open the door and got out of the car. The secretary saw the card between her fingers and walked over.

"This was instructed to be placed here by the boss. Miss, there's a million in the card; it was transferred from the boss's personal account, so it won't be traced..."

Bai Tao was stunned for a moment.

She originally thought that she was the only one who realized that this departure might be permanent.

She looked down at the card and smiled.

She had clearly thought it through if she could do it all over again; if Bai Shen gave her money, she would keep it.

But when that day actually came, she didn't actually want it that much.

Even during high school, Bai Shen worked hard, invested, and started her own business. She never missed out on gifts for her during holidays.

Bai Shen owes her nothing; they had no choice in being born into this family.

They are all just puppets being pushed around.

"Thank you, sister. Tell my brother I won't accept it, so as not to cause him any trouble."

When the secretary tried to chase after her again, she waved her hand dismissively, her voice light and cheerful.

"Bye-bye, sister. The car I called is still waiting for me at the door. If it's any later, I'll have to pay more."

She turned around and walked towards the car with its hazard lights flashing at the door, without looking back.

Bai Tao turned on her phone as soon as she got in the car; it was 20:30 PM.

Pei Jin sent her a picture at 20:10. She thought it would be cola chicken wings, but it turned out to be a picture of the entrance to her apartment complex.

She stared at the photo for two seconds, then looked up at the driver and said something.

"Driver, please speed up a bit."

The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror and smiled.

"Young lady, are you in a hurry to see someone you like? There's a speed limit on this road, so there's nothing I can do."

Bai Tao didn't refute, but just looked down at the photo.

She could feel Pei Jin's melancholy even through the screen.

Pei Jin has some good news and some bad news this afternoon.

The good news is that among all the resumes he resubmitted, a biomedical technology company replied to him.

Although it was just a small company, he glanced at its background and innovative ideas, and found that they highly overlapped with his own.

The bad news is that he roughly realized what Bai Tao did this afternoon.

The only thing that could make Bai Tao so uneasy and obediently return home is the Bai family.

In his understanding of the Bai family, Bai Tao was born to prepare for a marriage alliance, including the public image that the Bai family constantly maintained for Bai Tao within the industry.

She is beautiful, well-mannered, and sensible, making her an excellent marriage prospect.

Even on the afternoon Bai Tao was kicked out of the Bai family, when she sent him that inexplicable message, he felt it was Bai Tao's last effort to arrange a marriage.

He made cola chicken wings and then came out early to wait at the entrance of the residential area.

He actually had no idea where Bai Tao had gone tonight, or what time she would be back, but he couldn't stay in the basement any longer.

Pei Jin squatted by the roadside, burying his head in his knees.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he anxiously opened his phone. Bai Tao had sent him two messages half an hour earlier.

I miss you.

Just kidding, I was craving cola chicken wings.

Before Pei Jin could think of a reply, the next second...

"Pei Jin!"

He looked up abruptly, thinking he had misheard.

Bai Tao stood under the streetlight, wearing a Chanel-style dress he had never seen before, and ran towards him.

"Pei Jin! I'm back!"

Her voice was slightly breathless. Pei Jin stood up, but before he could speak, she had already run up to him.

She bent over, panting, and looked at his empty hands.

"Where are the cola chicken wings?! Why did you come out empty-handed to pick someone up?"

At that moment, Pei Jin thought that he was probably beyond saving.

Even if Bai Tao wanted his life from now on, he would be willing.