four

Hu Tao's heart began to ache, curling up into a tight ball, feeling as if it were a matter of life and death.

Her lips moved slightly, yet not a word could she utter

The man opened his mouth to smile, revealing teeth thickly coated with tobacco stains. His lips, having lost care over the years, were wrinkled and sagging, and his face bore scars resembling knife wounds. He spoke with a strong accent, unmistakably not from this city, and said: "I am a father"

However, when school starts next Monday, Hu Tao realizes that this matter is far from over. She keenly observes that not only her class but the entire grade has begun to intentionally or unintentionally isolate her. Those who were previously not very familiar with her but would always greet her warmly upon meeting have suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving not a single one behind. Wherever she goes, people point and whisper, keeping their distance.

However, they possess a natural sense of inferiority when facing the student body, which is why their eyes always sparkle with envy when they see the students. Perhaps in their hearts, they believe that "all pursuits are inferior, only studying is exalted"

That night, he probably lost a lot of money, kicking the door in the yard with a loud crash. Walnut's mother got up, put on her clothes, and brought him a late-night snack, having simmered chicken soup for a long time. As soon as she uncovered it, steam filled the entire living room

That walnut, huh? I have never thought she is good-looking. Don't you think her left and right faces are particularly asymmetrical?

I don't know where Hu Tao's reaction was pricked; it provoked them, and soon someone began to speak loudly: "Why pretend so hard while studying so diligently!"

The other security guards gaped in shock, glancing at Hu Tao, while critically sizing up their colleague in front of them

Hu Tao straightened her back and said, "Do you not remember a single word of what you said back then?"

Indeed, I saw them using their hands, which had just picked at their feet, to dig for boogers! It was utterly disgusting! Just the sight of it made me want to vomit!

... ...

The small walnut stood in the corner of the room, coldly observing the scene before her. At that time, she was still called Yang Tao, using his surname.

After she finished speaking, she realized that many unrelated classmates had gathered around her. Their gazes had shifted from daytime curiosity to blatant malice

It is likely due to the strength in numbers that the local thugs around the school have indeed diminished significantly.

Yet he saw him stumbling in, supported by a heavily made-up young woman. The woman was wearing a cyan qipao, draped in a white mink coat, and walking in high heels, her hips swaying even more than her neck.

For instance, Hu Jin's biological daughter, who is three years younger than Hu Tao, is Hu Lin, currently attending elementary school. Having lost her mother, Hu Lin has been cherished and raised like a treasure by Hu Jin since childhood. She is truly both proud and willful, especially in her treatment of Hu Tao and her mother, looking down on them and constantly finding ways to drive them out of the house

Hutao stopped

Several individuals dragged the man back, while he stood upright, motionless, merely looking at Hu Tao with a pleading expression

Truly shameless

Just as Hu Tao was looking forward to her new life more and more each day, an event occurred that plunged her back into hell once again

Hu Tao quickly finished the multiple-choice questions in her workbook, completing today's tasks. With a blank expression, she closed the notebook, took out her portable cassette player from her backpack, inserted an English tape, and put on her headphones to start learning vocabulary

In order to enhance campus safety, the school has recently hired a new group of security personnel. However, it seems that the school is unable to offer a high salary, resulting in concerns about the quality of this new batch of hires. The younger ones appear to be only eighteen years old and are quite thin; the older ones spend their days lounging in the security room, smoking and playing cards. They are always dressed in dirty green security uniforms, and their speech is often marred by the unpleasant odor of smoke, frequently laced with profanity.

It was on that day that she and her mother were driven out of their home

Hutao returned home without telling her mother about this matter

... ...

Hello, do you know Walnut from Class 3? She doesn't even have the surname Hu. Her mother is a mistress, being kept by a very wealthy boss

The man strode up to the walnut with great strides, his joy evident in his expression, and called out loudly once more: "Yang Tao!"

Suddenly, a security guard stopped and stood in front of the students. Everyone was puzzled, but they heard him incredulously exclaim: "Starfruit?!"

and those dark, twisted, and envious hearts

At that time, he was exceedingly arrogant and domineering; everyone in the city knew the third young master of the Yang family, who was well-versed in all vices, including drinking, gambling, and debauchery

The students were all stunned, stopping in their tracks and looking at each other in bewilderment

If there is anything in the world that spreads faster than the speed of light, it must be rumors.

The group of security guards at our school are all a bunch of unsophisticated country folks

As soon as she walked into the classroom, the entire class suddenly fell silent. This deliberate silence, in stark contrast to the noisy corridor, created an exceptionally awkward atmosphere. In such an uncomfortable ambiance, Hu Tao nonchalantly returned to her seat.

Hutao's mind finally began to function again, and she struggled to recall the last time she saw her biological father. It must have been many years ago when he returned from the casino, dressed only in a genuine leather jacket in the weather of February and August. His eyes were bloodshot from staying up late, but he could not help having a handsome face, resembling a refined scholar from a television drama.

However, to this day, when she sees him in such a destitute and impoverished state, witnessing him in distress, observing how cruel fate has been to him, seeing him tormented by life to the point of losing his humanity, resembling neither a man nor a ghost, stripped of dignity and bowing low, with his face and body marked by the ugly imprints of suffering, she finds herself utterly unable to bear it

Isn't it said that she is a young lady? Even the children of wealthy families need to study hard

Just consider it as having had a dream, she said to herself

Life is always like this

Hu Tao said nothing, took out her exercise book and fountain pen, and began to do her homework

Hu Tao continued, her tone carrying a sigh that was not befitting her age: "Since there is no fate, there is no need to force it. My mother and I are doing well now, so please do not disturb us any further"

This farce has lasted for a long time; campus life is inherently dull, and only these gossip-laden stories can serve as fodder for after-meal conversations, being recounted ad nauseam.

Hu Tao quietly spoke: "I know, it is you"

One day, after physical education class, the students in the class, all dressed in red sports uniforms, walked from the playground to the classroom, with Hu Tao walking at the back of the crowd. Just then, several patrolling security guards approached them.

apple, apple

She looked at the man standing by the door; his back was quite hunched, yet he was still very tall, nearly reaching the top of the door.

Did you know? Her father is the security guard at our school

Indeed, if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked; I see that she is not a good person either

Hu Tao thought that her good temper towards the people around her might have been shaped by Hu Lin

It happened to be Friday, and there was no need to clean the public areas. Hu Tao left the school with her backpack, and as she passed by the guard room, she did not slow her pace; instead, the man spoke first, calling out to her: "Yang Tao!"

Hutao casually shifted her gaze away from them and then walked straight out of the school gate

Is it true

"Oh, there are still people waiting for you to come home," the woman said sharply, provocatively looking at Walnut's mother

Every day, Hu Tao remains alone, indifferent to the right and wrong of those around her, a state to which she has become exceedingly accustomed. She has never mentioned a word about school to her mother, who is remarried. Although Hu Jin treats both of them very well, the reality is that Hu Tao's mother has far too many concerns to worry about.

The five words instantly caused an uproar at the scene, and everyone became excited, eagerly enjoying the farce before them

She once hated him immensely, cursing him in her heart, wishing for his death, immediately and without delay

He is a completely different person from the once-dissolute young master.

Blood is thicker than water; perhaps there is no hatred in the world greater than that of the heavens and the bonds of kinship

Absolutely true! Everyone knows it!

They say he does not deserve to have such a daughter, but that is because they have not seen what he looked like in his youth. Even Walnut's mother said that her good looks are entirely inherited from her father

He pointed aggressively at Walnut and her mother, shouting like a mad dog: "Get out! Get out!"

He laughed in a lewd manner, looking at the soup on the table, and staggered over to the woman, only taking a shallow sip. With a loud "bang," he smashed the entire ceramic soup pot on the ground, spitting a mouthful of soup onto her mother: "What is this? It's so disgusting, are you trying to poison me?"

Hutao looked at the man in front of her; a tuft of his hair had turned white, disheveled like a bird's nest, tangled and undoubtedly unwashed for several days. He was also wearing a cheap, low-quality military green jacket that could hardly shield him from any wind or cold.

The whispers exchanged in hushed tones are small and fragmented, yet the malice inherent in human nature is magnified infinitely

The man, as if jolted by an electric shock, suddenly withdrew his hand that was hovering in mid-air, wanting to touch Hu Tao. He silently gazed at her

In the end, she could not bear to see him suffer even the slightest bit.

Then why does she walk around with her nose in the air, looking incredibly arrogant

But just as she sat down, her deskmate suddenly reached out and pulled away his desk. The legs of the desk scraped against the floor, producing an unpleasant creaking sound. At the same time, the people around Hu Tao did not hide their discomfort and moved their seats away.

The man opposite her, rubbing his hands back and forth, wore a face full of eagerness, forcing a flattering smile: "I never expected that I have been looking for you for so many years and have not found you."

After the physical education class, Walnut suddenly felt a 180-degree shift in the attitude of those around her towards her

However, Hu Tao seemed somewhat off-topic as she softly said, "Such a large household, have you really squandered it all?"

her charming and dashing father, who is deeply in debt due to romantic entanglements

I do not know where it came from

When Hu Tao raised her head and saw him for the first time, her mind went blank, and then slowly, as if it took a century, she finally remembered who this person was

Several other security guards stepped forward, vigorously pounding the man's shoulder, laughing heartily: "What are you going crazy about? Your daughter? You have a daughter? Your daughter could look like this? Why don't you take a look in the mirror? Don't embarrass her!"

This is so disgusting