My sister, whom I raised, has turned evil after faking her death for three years.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing turned her head slightly and glanced behind her. Four men dressed in plain clothes, but clearly skilled in martial arts, were gathered in front of the seafood display case. One of them, a burly man who was obviously the leader, was staring intently at a crab waving its large claws in the tank, his expression as serious as if he were studying some major strategic deployment.

"Wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate? After all, they were ordered to conceal their identities," Su Qing asked the system in her mind.

The system replied in its usual calm tone: [Well, there's nothing we can do about it; the host has a system, after all.]

Su Qing silently recited the sentence in her mind and felt that it made a lot of sense, so she pushed the shopping cart straight toward the bodyguards.

The burly man who was studying the crab noticed someone approaching. He reacted quickly by taking off the earphone on his ear, turning to the seafood stall owner next to him, and loudly asking, "How much are these crabs, sir?" His tone was as natural as if he really was there to buy groceries.

"Alright, stop acting."

Su Qing pushed the shopping cart in front of him, looked up at the big man who was a head and a half taller than her, and smiled helplessly. "Xiao Ran sent you, right? Perfect timing, I have a lot of stuff, can you help me carry it?" As she spoke, she pointed to the three companions behind her who were also pretending to select ingredients.

All four people froze at the same time.

The burly man at the head of the group looked down at the small mountain Su Qing was pushing, then at the crab he hadn't yet put down, and then at his equally bewildered companions.

No, when did their disguise become so bad?

Their casual attire was specially styled by professionals, and even their gait was deliberately adjusted to match the rhythm of ordinary citizens. It should be flawless no matter how you look at it.

Miss Su, is this open?

The big man opened his mouth as if to say something, but Su Qing had already gently pushed the shopping cart in front of him. Her bright eyes were curved into two crescent moons as she looked at him with a smile that said, "Stop pretending, I can see right through you."

A few seconds later, four tall, burly bodyguards, each carrying four or five bags, followed Su Qing through the fresh produce section with expressionless faces.

The items weren't heavy, but the sheer number of them made them look like Christmas trees, with these men who could lift dozens of kilograms and do pull-ups with one hand on the training field now hanging from colorful shopping bags.

However, they didn't complain at all. After all, if they really let this seemingly delicate Miss Su carry so many things back by herself, then the rest of them would probably have to dig for cacti in the Sahara Desert for the rest of their lives.

And frankly, it's better that they were recognized. It saves them from having to make up a story about "just passing by and helping out" when they go to help, only to be mistaken by the onlookers as bad guys bullying little girls and arrested by the police.

As Su Qing walked through the fresh produce section, passing customers turned their heads to look. A seemingly well-behaved girl was walking in front, followed by four tall, burly men with expressionless faces and their hands full of shopping bags. The scene looked exactly like that of a mafia boss's daughter.

Su Qing didn't hear the discussions; she was looking for strawberry milk.

She circled the beverage section twice but couldn't find it, so she stopped a saleswoman who was secretly looking at them.

The young woman looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a red work vest from the mall. She had been peeking out from behind the shelves, looking this way, and was clearly startled when Su Qing called out to her.

"Excuse me, which shelf is the strawberry milk on?"

The sales assistant looked closely at Su Qing's beautiful face, then glanced at the four human-shaped shopping carts behind her, each carrying a full load of items, and quickly made a judgment in her mind.

  

That face, that aura, that poise—she's definitely a young lady from some wealthy family, no doubt about it.

She had worked in the mall for two years and had seen many wealthy people, but this was the first time she had ever seen someone bring four bodyguards just to go out to buy groceries.

"It's on that shelf up ahead," she pointed respectfully, "walk forward about twenty meters, turn right, it's a whole row of them."

"Thank you." Su Qing smiled at her, then led her "transportation team," which was laden with goods, onward.

On the other side of the shelf, Jiang Yi, accompanied by security guards, walked in the same direction.

Three years have left their mark on her, but not many.

She was still a beautiful girl, but the look in her big eyes was different from three years ago. Before, her eyes were full of innocence and soft sweetness, but now they had a sharpness honed by time and experience, like a gummy candy coated with a thin layer of icing. When you take a bite, the inside is still soft, but the first bite is no longer as unguarded as before.

She was carrying a shopping basket with several items already inside: a box of macarons, a bag of imported fruit, and a bottle of red wine that looked very expensive.

She didn't know if Xiao Ran drank alcohol, but she thought it might come in handy.

The security guard following behind her pushed a shopping cart, which was piled full of snacks, fruits, drinks, and several boxes of what looked like high-end supplements.

On top was a complete set of kitchen utensils. As Jiang Yi passed by the kitchen utensils section, she suddenly remembered that if Xiao Ran didn't have a good pot at home, she wouldn't be able to cook a decent meal even if she bought the ingredients.

The security guard looked down at the kitchen set, then at the overflowing mess in the car, and fell into deep thought.

He had been a security guard for many years and had seen many scenes of people accompanying their employers shopping, but this was the first time he had accompanied a young lady to the food section in such an manner that it looked like she was moving house.

Jiang Yi didn't notice his expression.

She was muttering the last thing.

"Strawberry milk, strawberry milk..." She walked back and forth between the beverage shelves twice, her eyes scanning the rows of colorful packaging. "I remember when Sister Su was around, Xiao Ran loved drinking this the most."

Her voice unconsciously softened, as if she had mentioned a name that shouldn't have been spoken aloud.

She still remembers that scene.

Sister Su sat on the sofa, with Xiao Ran nestled in her arms, holding a carton of strawberry milk in her hands, taking small sips. A ring of pink milk stains appeared on the corner of her mouth, so Sister Su smiled and took a tissue to wipe it for her. Xiao Ran squinted her eyes and looked up, her smile so beautiful that it seemed as if all strawberry milk was invented for her.

Xiao Ran was smiling happily back then.

It's that kind of unguarded, heartfelt joy.

Unlike now, Xiao Ran hardly ever smiles anymore, and even when she does smile, there's always something between her smile and her laughter.

But she wondered if Xiao Ran would remember the old days and smile at her more genuinely if she brought strawberry milk with her.