After spending over a decade in this kind of environment, enduring had long since been carved into Qi Sen’s very bones.

He merely answered with a faint “Mm,” expression unchanged as he led Can-Can toward his room.

Out on the streets, when faced with thugs and mockery, he still had ways to fight back. But here at home, under the fists and cruelty of his foster parents, he had no choice but to submit.

Until the college entrance exams ended— until he stepped into university— he would endure. Endure it all. And then, finally, they would never be able to control him again.

—

Can-Can tilted her little head, blankly staring at her Second Brother’s stoic face, then turned to stare at the woman’s back in the living room, serious little brows furrowing.

She was clearly pondering some very important question.

When they were nearly at Qi Sen’s room, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, Can-Can completely forgot his earlier warning and asked brightly:

“Shouldn’t everyone take care of their own business? Auntie is so big already, how come she still doesn’t know that?”

Xu Zhen froze for two seconds. Furious, she stood up.

Who was this little brat mouthing off?!

From her angle, all she caught was Qi Sen shielding someone behind him— and the faint glimpse of a pale blue chiffon skirt.

“Who’s behind you?” Xu Zhen demanded sharply.

Can-Can, as if completely unaware of the rising danger, tilted her little head and poked her face out from behind Qi Sen:

“It’s me!” she chirped, like a child playing hide-and-seek, completely ignoring the malice in Xu Zhen’s voice.

Xu Zhen’s face darkened. She pointed furiously at her:

“Where did this wild child come from? Get out!”

Can-Can frowned deeply:

“Auntie, why are you so fierce?”

Xu Zhen stomped forward in a rage.

Qi Sen immediately guessed what was about to happen. He quickly cupped Can-Can’s ears with his hands, shielding her from the filthy words that followed.

“Bringing home strays was bad enough before— and now you’re dragging in more?!”

“I bust my back every day for this house, and now you expect me to raise another worthless thing?!”

“I raised you this big, and all you do is bring trouble!”

“Take that cursed little brat and get out!”

Qi Sen’s face remained blank through most of it.

But when those last few venomous words spilled out, his expression turned dark, eyes black as frozen lakes.

He said nothing. He simply stared at Xu Zhen coldly.

Xu Zhen, feeling that frigid gaze, instinctively took a step back.

“Apologize to her,” Qi Sen said in a low voice.

“I’m your mother!” Xu Zhen screeched. “You want me to apologize to a piece of trash like that?!”

Drawing strength from her title of “mother,” she snatched up a long steel drying rod, pointing the sharp end directly at Qi Sen:

“Try looking at me like that again, I dare you!”

—

Can-Can reacted faster than Qi Sen.

She wriggled out of his grasp, tiny brows furrowing in fierce anger.

How dare she! This bad person wants to hit Second Brother with a stick!

Raised by a family that adored her, Can-Can feared nothing— only worried about her Daddy, Mommy, and brothers being away.

Now that she had found her Second Brother, she was utterly fearless.

Bad people? She, the mighty Ancestor Can-Can, was not afraid!

In “Can-Can’s Growth Manual,” Rule 98 said:

“When encountering bad people, you must be fiercer than them! Only then will they back off!”

Without hesitation, Can-Can darted to the doorway and grabbed a long broom.

“Hee-ha!” She swung it clumsily, cheering herself on, and pointed it at Xu Zhen, lifting her little chin high.

Mimicking Xu Zhen’s earlier words, she announced:

“Try using that stick on my brother, just see what happens!”

The stance, the phrasing— she imitated about eighty percent.

Only the tone was all wrong.

Xu Zhen’s words had been full of aggressive menace.

But Can-Can’s soft, childish voice sounded more like she was genuinely inviting someone to try hitting her just to see what would happen.

A tiny toddler who couldn’t even speak in full sentences yet, yet she stood firmly in front of him, protecting him with all her might.

Qi Sen was momentarily speechless.

Even Can-Can knows how to fight back… Yet I— I have spent years doing nothing but endure.

Even if he endured until the college entrance exam… what then?

If he couldn’t break free, his whole life would be nothing but endless torment.

—

The doorbell rang twice.

Xu Zhen, furious, jabbed the drying rod toward Can-Can:

“I’ll deal with you later!”

She dropped the rod and stomped toward the door, grumbling and cursing under her breath:

“Who the hell is it now?”

The moment she opened the door, her entire demeanor flipped.

Xu Zhen beamed brightly, smiling like a sunflower in full bloom:

“Director Liu! What brings you here? Come in, come in, have some tea!”

Standing at the door was an elderly man with white hair.

Director Liu waved his hand:

“No need for tea. I was just passing by and heard some shouting. Everything alright?”

Xu Zhen and Qi Hai both worked at the textile factory. Xu Zhen was an accountant; Qi Hai handled warehouse storage.

Director Liu was the head of accounting. Naturally, Xu Zhen had to flatter him. Besides, he was about to retire, and the factory was quietly selecting candidates to replace him.

Xu Zhen had always been socially savvy outside and well-liked within the factory.

Xu Zhen laughed:

“Oh, nothing serious. Just a relative’s kid visiting for a few days. We were just playing around.”

Director Liu glanced into the house— and the words “Go on and play” were just about to leave his mouth when—

A tiny figure came running up with a broom.

Can-Can clutched the broom tightly and declared in her sweet, clear voice:

“It’s not true! She’s lying!”

Xu Zhen’s face stiffened.

“You silly child, stop talking nonsense!”

Can-Can turned her head away with a hmph, ignored her, and clutched Director Liu’s shirt.

Eyes wide, voice trembling with indignation:

“She wanted to hit Brother with a stick! We weren’t playing at all!”

Then, cautiously, Can-Can picked up the drying rod.

Her little hand pointed solemnly:

“Look—this one.”

Director Liu instinctively frowned.

“She was going to hit someone with this?”

Can-Can nodded frantically, like a little pecking chick:

“Yes, yes! Look, the end is all sharp!

“It’s like a sword—if it stabs you, you’ll bleed a lot! It’s very scary! You mustn’t touch it, okay?”

The terrified way she hugged herself, shrinking into a tiny, trembling ball—

it made her look as if she’d just barely escaped being hurt.

Xu Zhen rolled her eyes so hard they nearly fell out.

This kid— what is she, a little drama queen trying to frame me?!