What is there to fear from such a small display of acting?

Shu Nian stepped lightly across the plush carpet, moving from the bedroom into the spacious, brightly lit living room.

The three people downstairs, along with the domestic staff, scrutinized her carefully. She wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her long hair draped over her shoulders, her face radiating the freshness of youth. Her father sat on the large sofa, his brow furrowed, while her brother stood to the side, head bowed in silence. The atmosphere was heavy. Opposite them, that vicious stepmother wore a look of smug satisfaction, a glint of calculation flickering in her eyes.

*This girl is getting prettier by the day; it would be a pity not to use her for a strategic marriage.*

The crystal chandelier cast a brilliant light across the room, yet it seemed unable to penetrate this cold, dark corner. Shu Nian’s heart sank; she felt the undercurrents swirling in the air, as if a storm were brewing.

*What is going on? The atmosphere is so oppressive. Don't tell me I've walked into some "true vs. fake heiress" drama? No, that didn't happen in my past life! Could it be that wicked woman? Did she whisper something into Father's ear?*

In truth, her father and brother were merely wondering how their daughter and sister had changed so much. They remembered her health had been quite good before; how had she suddenly collapsed? Had she suffered abroad? Was someone bullying her? They had heard rumors of drugs abroad—could she have... At the thought, father and son shook their heads in unison.

Seeing them shake their heads, a sense of crisis surged within Shu Nian, compounded by the look in her stepmother’s eyes. *Oh boy, am I about to be kicked out of the house? This didn't happen in my last life either! Did I trigger a butterfly effect? Is it really necessary to go this big?*

*Stay calm, stay calm,* Shu Nian cheered herself on internally. In her previous life, she had clawed her way up, refusing to rely on family influence to become a top-tier actress, all just to gain enough clout to force Yun Yang to marry her. Thinking back, she had been so foolish. *Why should I be afraid of a little acting?*

"Dad, Brother, I’ve missed you so much!" Shu Nian ran over to them, grabbing their hands and swaying them back and forth.

Seeing their daughter and sister acting so coquettishly for the first time, their hearts softened instantly. They figured the girl must have suffered greatly abroad; otherwise, the once-proud Shu Nian would never have—well, it was nice to have her close again.

Father Shu asked kindly, "Nian, now that you're grown, let's have a meal together sometime."

Shu Nian replied sweetly, "Mhm, okay!"

Nearby, the vicious stepmother, He Xun, saw this warm scene and felt a chill. *My Rou Rou has never acted like that toward me.*

*We’ve been married for so many years, yet he doesn't cherish his own biological daughter, favoring only the child of that woman who died young.*

"Nian, you’re staying at home today, right? We’ve kept your room perfectly clean all these years, always maintaining your original preferences with the best of everything," the stepmother said. Her voice was gentle, but her eyes remained cold and cruel. "Oh, that’s right, your younger sister is still a sophomore in college. Although her grades aren’t great, her talents are top-notch—unlike you, who were always a bookworm. Remember to have her take you out and show you around to liven things up."

Father Shu, witnessing such a harmonious scene, couldn't help but add, "That's right, Rou Rou has won so many talent awards in university. You’ll definitely like her; she’s like a little ray of sunshine!"

In her past life, although Shu Rou didn't do much, she had used her proficiency in piano, guzheng, and pipa to win countless international awards. But... when the Shu family fell, she hadn't helped; instead, she had publicly denied being a daughter of the Shu family. And the stepmother? She had abandoned the father and brother, even turning the tables on them.

*Truly... family ties are as thin as a desert island; even with the sun shining, one feels no warmth.*

*Family ties so thin that even a greeting feels redundant—how utterly ironic.*

However, she had to play her part well. After all, "playing the pig to eat the tiger" was her specialty. She turned to her stepmother with a sweet smile: "Little sister Rou Rou is so pretty and cute. I must find a time to have a good chat with her, sit down for coffee, and discuss the philosophy of life!"

"Little sister Rou Rou hasn't done well in school, and then there’s your neighbor, Zhou Yu—his grades aren't great either. You should encourage them both. You can also learn some of their good qualities; after all, 'among three people, there must be one who can be my teacher,'" Shu Han said, thinking his sister was truly reasonable.

After the meal, the stepmother approached Shu Nian. "Nian, did you know? The company has been having some capital turnover problems lately. As the elder sister, you should help the family out, right?"

Shu Nian was puzzled. *I didn't hear any rumors of this in my past life. Why is there a funding issue now?* Something was fishy.

She looked at her stepmother with an expression of confusion. "But Mother, I don't know what to do. I only studied economics and medicine abroad. Are you asking me to manage the company?" She then glanced at her father and brother with an innocent look. "Father, Brother, would you have any objections?"

*Perfect, perfect. My acting is too good. Ah, time truly never defeats great acting.* Shu Nian praised herself internally.

Hearing this, He Xun’s lips curled into a cold sneer, which she quickly replaced with her gentle mask. She parted her lips, her voice soft yet possessing an irresistible force: "Nian, you may be young, but your potential is limitless. If you put in the effort, it won't be hard to follow in your father and brother's footsteps. But there is a ready-made opportunity for you to contribute to this family in a big way—a marriage alliance."

The stepmother took Shu Nian’s hand, using a coaxing tone: "Think about it. Becoming the daughter-in-law or wife of a prestigious family would be a huge help to you and to our Shu family. Nian, are you willing to be the hero who saves the family from crisis?"

She slowly reached out, as if to stroke Shu Nian’s cheek, the gesture appearing eerily unsettling. The father and son, sitting to the side, only saw the two of them looking intimate.

Shu Nian cursed the stepmother’s entire family in her heart. *You old hag. You don't even think about it—you want me to enter a marriage alliance? I am the legitimate eldest daughter of the Shu family; if there’s a marriage alliance, your cheap daughter should be the one to go! You climbed into my father’s bed, and now you want me to marry? Do you think I’m a match for that? And what kind of man have you picked out for me? A man with a beer belly? Is he as handsome as my—oh wait, my sugar daddy? He’s rich and handsome, he crushes these guys easily!*

Her eyes gradually turned red, tears welling up as she struggled to keep them from falling. Her voice trembled with grievance: "I’m sorry... there is one thing I’ve kept from everyone. I... I got married while I was abroad."

She paused for a few seconds, as if time had frozen, and everyone’s breath hitched. Shu Nian lowered her head, twisting the corners of her shirt, her shoulders trembling as if she were about to break down in tears. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum, yet clear enough for everyone to hear: "I... I can’t help Father and Brother anymore. I’m sorry..." As she spoke, a crystal-clear tear finally slid from the corner of her eye, tracing a path down her cheek.

*Thanks to the basic skills of a top celebrity from my past life, these crying scenes are a piece of cake.*

Father Shu’s face turned as dark as water, his brow furrowed so tightly he could have crushed a fly. His eyes were filled with pain and fury, his hands balled into fists, unconsciously drumming against the armrest of the sofa.

Shu Han turned deathly pale at these words, his eyes widening as if he had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world. He sprang from the sofa, his body swaying, barely able to stand. The words "got married" echoed in his mind like a bolt of lightning. He felt a surge of regret—this girl must have been tricked by some unreliable dog of a man abroad, tricked into getting married in a daze.

He sighed heavily, his eyes filled with self-reproach and helplessness. If he had known, he never would have let her go abroad alone to study. Now that she still wanted to help the family, her filial piety made him both moved and heartbroken.

A fierce glint flashed in Shu Han’s eyes, as if he would tear the air apart. He let out a low roar: "Which dog of a man dared to touch my sister?! I will tear him to pieces and make him wish he were dead!"

Shu Han truly loved his sister, unlike Rou Rou, who only knew how to fish for attention.