C20 I Hate Them! 

Soon enough, the people around her dorm had started leaving. Yang Anan was the last one to go. "Remember to get me that autograph, okay? I'm holding you to it!" She would clap her hands, before racing to her parents' arms. Although they had talked about other things, she never failed to intercept Mo Jingyao's name into their conversation.

Yu Se lay on the bed and started to read. As her eyes swept across the pages, Mo Jingyao's face would pop in her mind now and then. Although they had known each other for a few days, she realized that every time she'd arrive at the Mo Family estate, he'd be the only one that could catch her in a daze. And he wasn't even awake!

She didn't know if it was because of her technique, but his complexion was getting better and better. In fact, the doctors had told her and Luo Wanyi that he could wake at any second. However, she understood that this feat could only be possible if she managed to cultivate and master the Nine Meridians Eight Veins Method.

Although her technique had gotten better, the best estimate she could give herself to master it was a month, and not a day shorter.

Sighing, she glanced at the screen of her phone. They would be meeting on Saturday–tomorrow–to better her techniques. "You'll be getting better soon," she murmured as if trying to reassure herself as she closed her book. Instead, she stared at the hazy ceiling above her, watching as the lights dimmed around her.

It had become a habit to think about him every day.

Not because of Luo Wanyi's decision, but because she had almost died with him that night back at the coffin. No matter how much she tried to scrap that memory from her mind, it still haunted her every time she'd close her eyes. Although her fear of dark and constricted areas had been mitigated in the past few days, that still didn't mean that she was over it.

Suddenly, a voice sounded, "Yu Se, your parents are here to pick you up. They're already downstairs, so hurry up." ​

'They're here?' The last time they had spoken was on her birthday, and this was the first time they ever tried reaching out. Her heartbeat raced in her chest as she snuck out of her room and peered across the waiting area. And they were there. Yu Jing'an and Chen Meishu were standing by the entrance, waiting for her to come down.

Instead of feeling relived by their presence, her face soured immediately.

It was only upon seeing them did she realize that she had lost the love she had for this family. After what they had done to her, after all the insults they had thrown her way, none of them were even worth mentioning now. Besides, the moment she had left that house, she had already cut all relations she had with them. "They don't even deserve to be forgiven," she murmured.

Back then, she had always yearned for the love, but she was starting to realize that maybe that wasn't possible anymore.

However, they were still her parents. Yu Se hesitated for a moment before changing into her casual wear before racing down the stairs. "Might as well get this done and over with."

Just as she reached the second floor, her steps slowed to a stop.

"Come down," Yu Jing'an called out, noticing her. "We're here to take you home."

She gritted her teeth. "I don't plan on going home."

"Are you still angry at us?"

Yu Se turned away in response.

"It's fine if you're still angry with us. You don't have to go home," he later said, conceding to her daughter's temper. He motioned to the corridor right ahead of him. "How about we take you out for a meal instead? I've heard that the cafeterias here don't really offer much, do they? You should be eating the right food, you know–to grow more healthily."

As soon as she heard the word 'meal', alarms were going off in her head. Yu Se's gaze immediately hardened, and she took a step back, looking as if they had just pushed her aside. Who could blame her? The last time her father had treated her to a meal, she was almost buried to death. She wasn't going to willingly walk into one of their traps again.

She immediately swept over her surroundings, trying to see if they were up to anything suspicious. There, not far away, was a shadow hiding in the bushes. Her head was sticking out for a while, only to rustle into hiding as soon as Yu Se looked in her direction. The corners of her lips lowered into a frown, and she strode towards the shadowy figure.

"Yu Mo," she called out. "I know you're there. Maybe you should start hiding around Mom's back and just tell me what you want."

She had initially thought that Yu Jing'an and Chen Meishu were sincere in their words in wanting to pick her up for the weekend, but it seemed like this was all Yu Mo's idea. Now, the situation she was in didn't sound surprising at all. They obviously needed something from her. "I'm waiting," she stated in a matter-of-fact way, growing tired of their antics.

Not wanting to face her, Yu Mo stepped out of the bushes and tugged Chen Meishu's clothes. She looked like a child who had lost her lollipop along the way.

"Fine, if you prefer it this way." Chen Meishu straightened her back. "How did you make Mo Jingyao feel better? Tell us!"

Chen Meishu really had no intention of eating with Yu Se anymore. As soon as she got her answer, she'd leave immediately like a hyena on the run. As she gazed into the teen's eyes, the disdain in her heart grew even more. It was as if she wasn't her daughter! Even Yu Se had noticed it too as she staggered backward. Although she had expected her mother to want this information, she'd never thought that she'd be so blunt about it! Was her family simply there for their convenience all along?

They had always been willing to cross bridges for Yu Mo...but never her.

Her heart filled with grief. Without another word, Yu Se walked straight into the dormitory building, not even bothering to look back.

"Stop right there!"

"Is this how you treat your parents?"

"Come back!"

They kept yelling at her to come back, but that only made her walk even faster. Yu Se avoided her dormitory prefect as she raced back into her dormitory. There, she buried herself under all the blankets as tears rushed down her cheeks. Although she knew that her parents were like this, it still hurt. How could her family be so vile?

"I hate this! I hate them!" She sobbed into her pillows.

An hour had passed when she finally raised her head from her blankets. Her vision was still blurred from the tears, but she didn't seem to care.

Outside the dormitory building, it was already quiet.

It seemed that her family had already given up.

Her phone suddenly rang out. Yu Se initially thought that the text message was from Yu Mo, so it had taken her a while before she finally had the courage to pick it up.

It turned out that it was a text from Lu Chiang.

It only had five words.

"Mo Jingyao finally woke up."