Locking away my heart and love! Going back to 2000 to be a top student again.

Xu Weiping was very concerned about his reputation, especially in front of his family. He didn't want to lose face. He was initially somewhat regretful for his impulsiveness and thought he shouldn't have hit someone. It wasn't that he felt sorry for his daughter; he was mainly worried about the man she was with, who he had heard was quite influential.

After hearing Xu Weiguo's words, she didn't detect any provocation in them at all. Instead, she became more determined, feeling that it was only natural for her as a father to discipline her daughter.

Xu Weiping's slap was very hard. Xu Su's right cheek swelled up quickly, and she couldn't hear anything for several seconds. She blinked blankly, and after regaining her senses, she shakily took out her phone from her pocket. Just as she found Zhou Mochen's number, Xu Weiping snatched the phone away and smashed it heavily on the ground.

Phone parts flew everywhere, and a piece of screen glass grazed the back of Xu Su's hand, leaving a shallow cut that hit a blood vessel, causing small drops of blood to seep out.

"Who do you want to call? I think you're just getting ambitious. What, you're going to hire outsiders to deal with your own father?"

Provoked by his younger brother's words, Xu Weiping, who was already a staunch chauvinist, and considering his daughter's lukewarm attitude from last night to today, decided that since he had already hit her, he had lost all reason.

With his eyes red, he slapped her hard again, yelling, "I gave you my life, I can kill you, let alone hit you! If you dare to find someone to deal with me, even the heavens won't let you off the hook, you'll be struck by lightning!"

For so long, the couple had been trying to please and flatter their daughter, showering her with sweet words and affection. Yet, she had become such a spoiled brat. Xu Weiping was furious and felt that Xu Su deserved to be taught a lesson.

It's perfectly justified for parents to hit their children!

The slap was stopped by a calloused hand and didn't fall.

Xu Su covered her face and quickly took two steps back.

Uncle Xu Jiandang stood firmly in front of Xu Weiping, shaking his head frantically and yelling, while waving his hand at her, signaling her to run.

A tear rolled down Xu Su's cheek. Knowing that a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle, she turned around, pushed aside Chen Shulan and Yang Yun, who had somehow come out of the kitchen and were gathered at the gate, and ran out without looking back.

Xu Weiguo behind her frowned, moved his foot as if to grab Xu Su, but stopped because of something.

She ran out onto the street in one breath. It was lunchtime, and there were few pedestrians on the street. Everyone who passed by stared at her. Xu Su felt a burning pain on her face. She wrapped her scarf around her face twice, leaving only her eyes exposed and covering half of her face. The scarf was made of cotton and linen, and it was breathable even when lightly wrapped around her nose.

As Xu Su passed by a jewelry store, she looked at herself in the glass mirror at the entrance. Her right cheek was swollen and red, with five clearly visible finger marks on it, making her look ferocious and terrifying.

This was the first time in two lifetimes that Xu Su had been slapped. She looked at herself in the mirror for a long time, forced a smile, and wanted to ask herself if she had given up this time.

What other expectations do you have for your parents?

Her hands were still trembling from her extreme anger.

My phone was smashed, I can't contact anyone, I have no money in my pocket, I can't even take a taxi back to Yupin Central, and I'm wandering the streets hungry during the Chinese New Year. I've never been so miserable.

Xu Su walked aimlessly along the street for a long time until she saw the familiar arcade sign. She stood there for a few seconds, then stepped inside.

Xu Su sat on a rest chair in the arcade, quietly watching the couples in front of the claw machine across the street. She thought back to this time last year when Xi Zirong brought her here for an afternoon and won her a plush toy.

She closed her eyes, looking somewhat bewildered.

At the same time, the Shen family's New Year's Eve banquet in Beijing began.

The Shen family is a large, century-old clan with many branches and leaves. Any member of the Shen family with any ability is always busy, traveling all over the country and even abroad throughout the year. They can only truly reunite during the few days of the Lunar New Year.

The New Year's Eve dinner had six large tables set up, and only close members of the Shen family were eligible to attend.

At the main table, Shen Chen, the eldest grandson of the direct line, kept glancing absently at his phone. He had been waiting for a full hour for the photos Xu Su had promised to take for him, but she still hadn't sent them. He sent her a text message to urge her, but she didn't reply.

Based on his understanding, Xu Su either wouldn't agree, but once she did, she wouldn't back out without a reason. Shen Chen felt a strange sense of unease.

After toasting Old Master Shen, Shen Chen could no longer contain himself. He picked up his phone, left his seat, went to a quiet corner, and dialed the number.

The phone is switched off.

Shen Chen frowned slightly. Was his phone out of battery?

Or has something unexpected happened?

Shen Chen waited a while and tried calling again, but the message still said the phone was switched off.

His brows were furrowed tightly, worried that something might have happened to Xu Su, when suddenly he felt a weight on his shoulder. Shen Yu leaned over and said, "Brother, what are you busy with? Take a break during the New Year. I didn't even see you at the reunion dinner."

"Get out of here, don't bother me." Shen Chen shook off his cousin's hand.

"Come on, tell me, what's bothering you?" Shen Yu, who was always close to his cousin, glanced at Shen Chen's phone with a grin. "Xu? Who's that? Do I know her?"

Shen Chen ignored him and waited for several minutes with his phone in hand, but Xu Su still didn't call back. He dialed a third time, but the phone was still switched off.

Shen Yu watched the whole thing from the side and asked with some confusion, "You have a girlfriend? She's not answering your calls?"

Shen Chen looked at his cousin, not denying his words, but asked in confusion, "We were just chatting fine, why did your phone suddenly turn off? Did something happen?"

"That's it? Who is this Xu student? You're so anxious about not being able to get through on the phone that you can't even eat?"

Shen Yu was shocked. Was this still his womanizing cousin?

Seeing that he didn't help to figure out the reasons and instead made sarcastic remarks, Shen Chen's face darkened immediately.

Shen Yu quickly replied, "At this time of year during the Lunar New Year, everyone is having a reunion dinner. What could possibly happen? Either they've had a fight with you, or their phone is dead and they're eating and don't have time to contact you, or something has happened to their phone, like it suddenly broke or fell into the water and can't answer your calls."

What he said made perfect sense, but Shen Chen still felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Alright, bro, let's go eat first. We can talk about everything after we finish eating."

Just then, someone in the main hall called out to them.

Shen Chen told his cousin to go first, and then took his phone and dialed another number.

Xu Su was completely unaware of what was happening in the capital. Like a homeless little pitiful girl, she sat blankly on a rest chair in the arcade. It had started to drizzle outside. The arcade was doing good business, with people coming and going in waves.

She didn't want others to see her swollen face, so she covered it well with a scarf, revealing only her pair of bright and intelligent eyes, making her a unique sight in the bustling arcade. Several men came up to chat her up, but Xu Su didn't even raise her head, ignoring them completely.