Chapter 5 Exclusion

As soon as Bai Shanshan raised her hand, Bai Ruoxi quickly grabbed her wrist and then slapped her hard across the face. "Smack." "Hiss" Everyone gasped, feeling the burning pain just by watching, completely stunned. Bai Shanshan couldn't possibly win against Bai Ruoxi. The pain made her eyes turn red, and she was filled with anger, wishing she could devour Bai Ruoxi's face. Bai Ruoxi squinted her eyes and scolded angrily, word by word, "Remember this, first, my mom is not a mistress. She met my stepfather years after his divorce. Second, my mom is not a murderer. She was framed. Third, Qiao Xuanshuo never treated me like this before, he..." Speaking of this, Bai Ruoxi hesitated, her calmness fading away, and her heart started to ache again. Why did she need to explain all this to someone who had nothing to do with it? Bai Shanshan knew she was weak and couldn't possibly win against the healthy and energetic Bai Ruoxi. After shaking off Bai Ruoxi's grip, she reluctantly walked to the sofa, muttering curses under her breath and shooting a malicious gaze at Bai Ruoxi. Bai Ruoxi stood still, feeling exhausted and lost. Once upon a time, her third brother had loved her dearly. But at some point, their relationship had cooled down rapidly, even reaching freezing point. To avoid disturbing others' rest, Bai Ruoxi didn't knock on the door or call out. She stood alone by the window, looking at the sea. The night grew deeper. Everyone had fallen asleep. Her desolate figure stood under the bright and hazy night sky, gazing at the countless stars, the pitch-black ocean, and listening to the lonely voice in her heart. When she was three years old, her mother married into the Qiao family with her. Since she could remember, she had been particularly fond of her stepfather's third son, her aloof and hard-to-approach third brother. The more he disliked her, the more she wanted to get close to him. Qiao Xuanshuo, who suffered from autism due to his parents' divorce, pushed everyone away, but she had managed to enter his inner world. At that time, she was like an invincible little bug, sticking to him like chewing gum every day. Every time they met, she shamelessly asked for a hug. She ate the food he had eaten, used the things he had used, wore the clothes he had worn, and did the things he had done. Her heart had long been devoted to him. Every night, she sneaked into his room, climbed into his bed, and slept beside him. Although her third brother often woke up and found her, she persisted, displaying her shamelessness to the fullest. He didn't push her away, although he remained cold. But at least she was different from others. When she was young, she even insisted on changing her surname to Qiao, so that she could be closer to her third brother. She had even joked about becoming his bride when she grew up, but her mother had beaten her severely, and she never dared to mention it again. It was a beautiful childhood memory. She thought her third brother liked her, even if it wasn't love, it didn't matter. But she didn't know what she had done wrong to make that man hate her so much. During his ten years in the military, she had returned to the Bai family to live with her father. They rarely had a chance to meet. He was no longer the brother he used to be, and she was no longer the shameless Bai Ruoxi. When dawn broke, the ship docked. The police had already been notified and were waiting on the shore with a line of police cars. Ten or so men and women were handcuffed as soon as they disembarked and pushed into the police cars. Bai Ruoxi was taken away alone. She was taken to the hospital, forced to undergo a full-body examination, and then brought back to the police station to give a statement. However, unlike what she expected, she was not detained. After the police finished taking her statement, they let her go home. - The Bai family! A commercial apartment located in an upscale residential area. This was where Bai Ruoxi currently lived, belonging to a middle-class family. Her father and stepmother owned a food factory, and their lives were relatively comfortable. As soon as Bai Ruoxi stepped into the house, before she could even greet anyone, she was greeted with a fiery slap. "Smack." The crisp and loud sound shattered the morning tranquility. Her cheek stung with pain, and Bai Ruoxi froze, covering her throbbing cheek in astonishment. The woman who slapped her was Liu Yue, Bai Shanshan's mother and her stepmother. Liu Yue stood with her hands on her hips, her bloated figure adorned with gaudy jewelry, exuding a domineering aura. She angrily questioned, "Where did you take my daughter? Why did the police notify us that she was detained?" Bai Ruoxi felt exhausted and bit her lip. The thing she had done most in her life was endure, but she didn't want to endure anymore after this slap. Coldly, she retorted, "Why don't you ask the police?" "You took Shanshan out, causing her to be arrested by the police. How can you come back unscathed? You really have the nerve. What did you do to Shanshan?" Liu Yue snapped, her eyes filled with hatred. Bai Ruoxi bitterly smiled and asked, "Why don't you dare to ask the police? Or do you already know what crime she committed?" Liu Yue didn't answer, glaring at Bai Ruoxi with clenched teeth and a fierce gaze. The middle-aged man sitting in the living room remained silent. He was Bai Ruoxi's weak and incompetent father. On the other hand, the elderly woman with white hair spoke with insinuation, "Like mother, like daughter. Let Shanshan stop considering everyone as family. Nowadays, all sorts of people pretend to be someone they're not. People's hearts are unfathomable." Pretending to be someone they're not? Even the most foolish person could understand the implication. Bai Ruoxi couldn't help but let out a bitter cold laugh. Speaking was her grandmother. According to her mother, they divorced because of a domineering mother-in-law. Unable to bear the suffering, her mother took her away. Bai Ruoxi coldly said, "Please tell Bai Shanshan that she doesn't need to call me sister anymore, and she doesn't need to get close to me. I, Bai Ruoxi, am not fortunate enough to enjoy her affection." Liu Yue's face darkened instantly, and she clenched her fists, wanting to explode in anger. Just as Bai Ruoxi was about to leave, the old woman slammed her palm on the coffee table with a loud bang, stopping Bai Ruoxi in her tracks. The old woman scolded angrily, "You have no respect for your elders, do you? You dare to show such an attitude to your elders. Are you rebelling? How could Shanshan, such a well-behaved child, end up in prison because of you? How much suffering she must endure!" Bai Lihuahua, Bai Ruoxi's father, finally spoke, but he only meekly nodded to the old woman, "Mom, maybe it's really Shanshan's fault. She's been obsessed with becoming a star..." Liu Yue immediately retorted, "Nonsense! What could my daughter possibly do wrong?" Bai Lihuahua shrank back and fell silent again. The old woman didn't appreciate being scolded by her daughter-in-law, but she still cleared her throat and reminded her with a polite tone, "Ahem..." Liu Yue restrained her arrogant demeanor, staring at Bai Ruoxi and slowly said, "Every time I see her now, I feel annoyed. She's already 25 and still not married. She should go back to her mother's side and live with her family. She has been causing trouble for us here, she's simply a jinx. Now she has even caused Shanshan to be locked up." With that, Liu Yue began to cry dramatically, "How could you make Shanshan suffer by imprisoning her for months?!" Bai Lihuahua immediately walked over and hugged Liu Yue, comforting her, "Stop crying, I will find a way to get Shanshan out." The old woman also anxiously consoled, "Daughter-in-law, don't worry, Shanshan will be fine. Those wicked people will surely face consequences." Bai Ruoxi's mouth curled into a bitter and cold smile. Even the dumbest person could understand the meaning behind their words. Without saying a word, she went upstairs and packed her bags, leaving the Bai family. There was no retention, no reluctance, no matter in which family, she was always the most excluded and despised person.