Chapter 1 — The Real Female Lead Returns

Right from my mother's womb, I understood the truth that "roles are meant to be taken". My father is a military commander who has accomplished countless glorious victories, and my mother is the number one "surgical surgeon" at the military hospital. With such a top-class background, there are certainly quite a few "green tea" or "white lotus" scheming to approach. To maintain my position, I have practiced my acting skills since childhood. When I was one year old, with just a "giggle" I captured the entire family's emotions. When I was two years old, I squirted a mouthful of fake blood into the face of the female leader of the literary troupe who was planning to express her secret feelings towards my father, causing him to say on the spot: "Mind magic is illegal." When I was three years old, I used my innocent, pitiful appearance with tears in my eyes to make my mother give up her idea of bringing a poor relative from the countryside to help. However, people's calculations are not as good as God's calculations. I was unlucky enough to be kidnapped by human traffickers. Fifteen years later, I returned from the wild mountains and forests to the military headquarters. The family soon had a replacement - an adopted daughter named Tham Lan. I have prepared a meeting gift just for her. In front of her parents, who were feeling both guilt and love, Tham Lan showed a gentle and dignified look. As soon as they turned away, her face darkened:

“A girl from the countryside like you, can you give me anything nice?”

The next second, when she opened the gift box, her shrill scream echoed throughout the courtyard:

"Khuong Nguyet, are you crazy! Who would give a snake as a gift?!"

01

I coldly looked at Tham Lan, so scared that her face changed color and she sat down on the ground. Her face that always had a gentle and courteous smile was now twisted like a dried tangerine peel.

"Aaaa——! Snake! Take it away! Take it away!"

She tremblingly pointed at the flower snake slowly raising its head out of the gift box, her voice cracking with panic. I bent down, used two fingers to grasp the seven-inch snake, lifted it up, and held it under the swaying fluorescent light:

"Pssh, what are you calling for? Haven't you seen it before?"

I brought the snake close to her face:

“It's just a children's toy from the countryside, it's not poisonous, it's just a little colorful pattern.”

I conveniently bought this snake on the old train when returning, just to see her reaction. A noble lady who was held like an egg by my parents in the main courtyard for the past fifteen years, as expected, was only able to show off on the outside. At this moment, the study door was pushed open with a "bang". My father, Khuong Chan Quoc, dressed in a blue military uniform, walked out quickly, followed by my mother - Tran Thuc Van - and a tall, tall young man wearing military uniform.

"Tieu Lan! What's going on?!"

My mother quickly walked over and lifted Tham Lan, who was limp on the ground, into her arms, her eyes filled with worry and compassion. My father's eyes were as sharp as a knife and fell straight on the snake in my hand. He immediately frowned and his voice was filled with the majesty of a soldier:

"Khuong Nguyet! What are you doing!"

In her mother's arms, Tham Lan seemed to have found support and began to sob:

“Dad, mom… Sister… she gave me a snake… I'm so scared…”

While crying, she buried her face in my mother's lap, her shoulders trembling every time - just like a white lotus flower being buffeted by wind and rain. My mother immediately turned her head, her eyes filled with blame:

"Tieu Nguyet, how could you do that to your sister? She's been afraid of these things since she was little, are you trying to scare her to death?"

Before I could open my mouth, the young man standing behind my father stepped forward. He is very tall, broad shoulders, clear angular face, sharp eyes like a eagle. He didn't even glance at Tham Lan, his eyes locked on me — or to be more precise, on the snake in my hand.

“Khuong Nguyet?” He spoke in a low, magnetic voice, "After fifteen years of not seeing each other, your meeting gift is still very special."

Ha Tieu. That name was like a pebble thrown into the lake of memories that had covered me with dust. I remember him - when I was little, he was the most mischievous kid in the university, always taking me to climb trees to catch birds and wade in the river to find fish. It's just that at that time he was still a skinny, dark boy, not like he is now - calm, solid. I smirked and deliberately brought the snake closer to him:

“Ha Tieu brother, are you scared too?”

Ha Tieu didn't even frown, raised his hand to take the snake from me, skillfully wrapped it a few times in his hand and then turned to my father:

"Uncle Khuong, flower snakes are not poisonous, very common in the countryside. Tieu Nguyet just came back, probably just wanted to have a little fun with Tieu Lan."

My father's expression softened a bit, but remained serious:

"There must be a limit to joking! What kind of system is this! Ha Tieu, take it away to deal with it."

“Clear.” Ha Tieu nodded, turned and left the living room.

The atmosphere in the living room was still tense. My mother comforted Tham Lan, who was still sobbing, and looked at me with disappointed eyes. I laughed coldly in my heart. This is my first day back home. Fifteen years ago, I was kidnapped, they went crazy looking for me for half a year, and then adopted Tham Lan - said to be a street child who somewhat resembled me. Now that I - the real owner - have returned, Tham Lan, the little flower they have cherished for fifteen years, has suddenly become the "little sister" that I have to hold like an egg, caress like a flower? Ridiculous. Whatever is mine — my parents' love, or this house — no one can take it away. I slowly stood up, brushed the dust off my pants, walked in front of my mother, my face immediately turned into a confused and resentful look. Red eyes, choked voice:

"Mom... I... I didn't mean it. In the countryside... we all played like that... I thought... I thought you would like it..."

As I spoke, I secretly observed my mother's face. Sure enough, seeing my red eyes, the blame on her face softened somewhat, replaced by complexity and guilt.

“I… I didn't know city girls were so fragile…”