From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

I sensed something was wrong, so I opened my eyes again and turned to look at her.

Her face was pale, her brows were tightly furrowed, and she exuded tension and anxiety, clearly indicating that she had encountered a serious problem.

"What's wrong?" I asked seriously.

Su Qing gripped her phone tightly and said urgently, "My mom called me!"

My heart skipped a beat, and I instantly snapped to attention: "Does your mom know you're in the no-man's-land?"

"I don't know! I didn't dare answer!" Su Qing shook her head repeatedly. "It's definitely not right for her to call so suddenly! What if she really finds out?"

I was truly exasperated by her: "Then why did you call me? You know your parents' tempers better than I do. How can I make decisions for you?"

No sooner had I finished speaking than her cell phone rang suddenly.

Su Qing looked down and her face darkened even more: "They've called again!"

I immediately advised, "Answer it! Don't keep ignoring the phone. When adults avoid answering their parents' calls, it's the easiest thing for people to overthink. Maybe she doesn't even know about the no-man's-land incident and is just trying to reach you normally."

Su Qing looked up at me, like a flustered child.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she bit her lip and forced herself to press the answer button.

She had barely uttered a soft "feed" when a forceful female voice, devoid of any warmth, came from the other end of the phone:

"Su Qing, I'm asking you, where are you right now?"

Just from the tone of that questioning, I could tell something was wrong even sitting next to him; he probably knew the truth.

Su Qing paused for two seconds, then replied in a deliberately cold voice, "What's wrong? Just say it."

Don't mistake her calmness for composure. I know her; she's panicking and using toughness to mask her true feelings.

The tone on the other end of the phone suddenly became harsh: "Did you run off to some deserted area? I don't care where you are now, come back right now! Do you hear me?"

Her face turned deathly pale instantly, but the next second she retorted defiantly, "Why should I go back? This is the path I chose, my decision, and it's none of your business!"

I sat to the side, shaking my head inwardly. This girl had absolutely no communication skills.

She could have explained things properly, but instead, she started with a confrontational and head-on approach, which would have infuriated any parent.

Her mother clearly understood her personality; instead of losing her temper on the spot, she suppressed her anger and patiently advised her:

"Let me tell you something nice, don't you know what a no-man's-land is? What are you, a young girl, doing going there to cause trouble? Come back right now!"

Su Qing, however, did not respond in a friendly tone, replying methodically:

"First, I am an adult, and I have the right to choose my own life and my own path!"

"Secondly, you promised me a year of freedom and that you wouldn't interfere with any of my choices! I haven't bothered you once in the past month; I've behaved myself. You're the ones who broke the agreement first!"

"Third, you've ignored me from childhood to adulthood, and now that I'm making something of myself and doing what I want, you're jumping in to control me. Don't you think it's too late?"

A series of rhetorical questions completely shattered the long-standing estrangement.

On the other end of the phone, Su Qing's mother's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a forceful tone: "I don't care what reasoning you have, or what agreements you've made! I'm ordering you now to return home immediately!"

Su Qing's temper flared completely, and she replied directly, "I'm not replying!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she hung up the phone decisively and turned off her phone in one swift motion.

I was completely dumbfounded by this series of operations.

To put it bluntly, she's just avoiding the problem.

Unable to face the control of their family members and unwilling to give up their hard-won freedom, they can only resist in the most childish and impulsive way.

But I also felt inexplicably heartbroken; I understand that feeling all too well.

People who lack companionship from childhood and are neglected by their families find it hardest to bear sudden and forceful interference from their family members once they finally break free from constraints.

Even expressions of concern feel incredibly off-putting.

I rolled down the car window, lit a cigarette, slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, and looked at her as I asked softly:

"Is it really appropriate for you to just shut down your phone like that? It will only make the conflict worse."

Su Qing's face was nonchalant, but her eyes concealed grievance and resentment as she said defiantly:

"Why bother so much? They've never cared about me since I was little, and now they jump in to interfere when they see me doing something. Where were they before? Too late!"

I shook my head and sighed, not knowing what to say.

I shook my head gently and sighed helplessly, not knowing how to persuade him for a moment.

Every family has its own problems, and the conflicts within one's family of origin can never be resolved with just a few words.

After a moment of silence, Su Qing frowned and muttered to herself, full of doubt:

"That's strange. How did my mom know I came to the no-man's-land? Did Leng Shanshan betray me and secretly tell on me?"

I chuckled at that and asked casually, "Do you think she's the kind of person who stabs you in the back?"

Su Qing immediately shook her head and said, "Impossible! She's my best friend, on my side, and would never betray me."

"That's the question," I frowned, "How did she know if no one told on her?"

Su Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, "I know! Could it be that we gave ourselves away by going live just now?"

I was incredulous: "Really? We only have about a hundred followers in our live stream, and the engagement is so low, how could it be your family member who managed to get it?"

"Just because I didn't show my face doesn't mean I'm without flaws! My voice is so recognizable. What if someone I know in my family sees the live stream, recognizes my voice, and tells my mom?"

Upon hearing this, I was instantly speechless.

It's really possible.

Sometimes coincidences happen so suddenly that no one could have imagined that the initial stage of live streaming would cause such a big uproar.

Just as I was pondering the ins and outs of this matter, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.

I took out my phone and saw the caller ID: Wang Yi.

I was slightly surprised.

His sudden phone call after this incident was quite unexpected.

I thought he was just asking about the progress, so I didn't think much of it and pressed the answer button.

After the call connected, Wang Yi spoke first: "Lin Ye, where are you now? Is the trip going smoothly?"

I glanced at the car's navigation system and replied truthfully, "We just got onto the Ya'an-Ye'an Expressway from the Guanghong Expressway and encountered a major accident and traffic jam. If all goes well, we should be able to reach Kangding on time tonight."

"Um."

Wang Yi paused for a moment, then his tone suddenly turned serious. "I have another question for you. Answer me honestly."

"you say."

Are you with Su Qing right now?

The moment I heard those words, my heart skipped a beat, and I felt completely chilled.

That's it, this is a complete disaster.

Without a doubt, Su Qing's mother must have approached Wang Yi, the business partner!

In just over ten minutes, the conflict escalated rapidly, creating a butterfly effect.