Chapter 5 — Mother and Twin Daughters

Minors are not permitted to ride unregistered, modified motorcycles.

Lu Xiao was momentarily stunned before breaking into a careless laugh. Who on earth are you to meddle in this?

Tinh Hoa remained entirely expressionless. Her sister.

Lu Xiao looked her up and down slowly, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. Oh, the brilliant honor roll student. Do people like you even need to memorize the legal code just to fall in love?

Tinh Hoa replied calmly, I only study things that are useful. For instance, enticing minors into signing high-value contracts bears all the classic hallmarks of fraud.

Lu Xiao expression flickered for a fraction of a second, though he quickly recovered his charming smile. Your little sister is certainly quite a character.

Kieu Kieu grew visibly impatient. Tran Tinh Hoa, stop trying to humiliate me in front of others.

Without another word, Tinh Hoa picked up a plastic milk tea cup and inspected it closely. There is no manufacturer label on this.

Kieu Kieu was so furious she stamped her foot. On the walk back home, she refused to speak a single word to her sister. That evening, the two sisters engaged in their first-ever cold war. Kieu Kieu felt that the rest of us treated her like a naive fool who was easily duped, while Tinh Hoa maintained that a few empty compliments had simply gone to her head, making her lose all sense of reality. Caught right in the middle, I suffered from a splitting headache. I knew all too well that I could not simply lock Kieu Kieu away; the more restraints I placed upon her, the more alluring the illusion of external freedom would become. Hence, I established three strict rules for her. First, she must be home before nine o'clock every night. Second, she had to share her live location wherever she went. Third, she was strictly forbidden from touching her personal identification card, the household registry booklet, bank cards, or any binding legal documents whatsoever. Outwardly, Kieu Kieu nodded in agreement. Yet three days later, upon returning home to retrieve a copy of my business license, I discovered that the household registry was completely missing from the drawer. My mind echoed with a heavy, disorienting ring. Instantly, translucent strings of text and flashing warnings flooded my field of vision. She is finally here! She is going to sign the contract! Do not let her sign! The contractual penalty alone is half a million yuan, and it will drag the entire family down with her! I rushed frantically to the school, only to be informed by a teacher that Kieu Kieu had requested a leave of absence for the entire afternoon. Tinh Hoa face had drained of all color. Lu Xiao is not at school today either.

I pulled out my phone and checked the real-time location tracker. The blinking dot had come to a complete halt at an office building located in the western district of the city. The enterprise was registered under the name Star Brilliance Media. Scanning the list of legal representatives, a painfully familiar name stared back at me. Lam Man.

When I burst through the doors of Star Brilliance Media, Kieu Kieu was already seated at the head of a sleek conference table. She wore a brand-new dress, her hair styled into soft, cascading curls, and her face dusted with light makeup. At just sixteen years of age, bathed in the sharp office lighting, she possessed a striking, undeniable beauty that commanded attention. Yet resting right before her was a thick, ominous stack of papers. The signature line on the final page remained pristine and blank. Tran Canh Xuyen sat comfortably beside her, projecting the affectionate image of a doting father. Standing tall nearby, Lam Man beamed with an intensely warm, practiced smile. Lu Xiao leaned lazily against the doorway, offering Kieu Kieu a subtle, encouraging wink.

All you need to do is sign your name, and you will instantly become one of the agency primary key trainees, Lu Xiao cajoled smoothly. Once you start shooting short web dramas and filming commercials, you will be making enough money to buy whatever your heart desires. You cannot possibly spend the rest of your life selling wontons alongside your mother, can you?

Kieu Kieu fingers hovered over the pen. Catching sight of me striding into the room, a flicker of panic crossed her features, but she hardened her expression almost immediately. Mother, why are you here?

I strode forward, snatching the contract from the table. The opening page boldly declared Artist Training Agreement. The second page outlined Exclusive Management Rights. From the third page onward, however, every single clause was dedicated to exorbitant breach-of-contract penalties. Terminating the agreement before the mandatory three-year term expired would incur a penalty of five hundred thousand yuan. Failing to obey corporate scheduling would cost two hundred thousand yuan. Refusing to participate in live-streamed sales events carried a fine of one hundred thousand yuan. The sheer predatory nature of the terms sent a rush of hot blood straight to my head. Who on earth authorized you to sign this garbage?

Tran Canh Xuyen frowned heavily. Khanger, Kieu Kieu is my daughter as well. I am merely offering her a legitimate opportunity; do not stand in the way of her future prospects.

A cold, mirthless laugh escaped my lips. An opportunity? Or a carefully laid trap?

Lam Man interjected smoothly, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. There is no need to use such harsh terminology. What young girl today does not dream of stardom? Our company is willing to invest in her potential; she should consider this her immense fortune.

Tinh Hoa stepped out from behind me, her gaze sharp and analytical. She swept up the contract and flipped rapidly through the pages. The signing entity is not even a properly registered artist management agency, she stated clearly. Their official business scope does not include talent representation whatsoever. Furthermore, the penalty clauses are grossly disproportionate and legally predatory. Since the signing party is a minor and bears only the signature of a single guardian, the validity of this entire document is highly questionable.

The gentle, welcoming smile on Lam Man face faltered visibly. Tran Canh Xuyen slammed his palm against the tabletop in rage. A mere child has no business standing here pretending to understand the law.

Tinh Hoa looked him dead in the eye. Even if I do not understand the complexities of corporate law, I certainly know that you intend to trick my sister into hawking counterfeit weight-loss tea. Boxes of those unverified promotional samples are piled high in the adjacent office, and their packaging bears no official regulatory approval numbers whatsoever.

An absolute, suffocating silence descended upon the conference room. Lu Xiao expression twisted into something deeply unpleasant as he muttered a foul curse under his breath. Kieu Kieu whipped her head around to stare at him in shock. Didn't you tell me we were only going to shoot standard commercials?

Lu Xiao smile grew strained and rigid. Aren't commercials just a form of selling products? Do not listen to your foolish little sister trying to scare you.

Kieu Kieu grip on the pen tightened so hard her knuckles turned white, her eyes welling up with hot tears as she looked up at me. Mother, I only wanted to carve out my own path in this world. I am sick and tired of everyone defining me solely as the wonton vendor daughter.

A sharp, piercing pain stabbed directly through my heart. Is it truly such an immense humiliation to be the daughter of a wonton shop owner?