That little bitch was so vicious, Dad would surely throw her out. Then, she would go back to being the one and only Miss Situ. There was no way she was going to be the “second” daughter! “Faster, I need to get home right now!” Situ Qingshan urged the driver. The car flew down the road, pulling up to the Situ Manor in no time. Stepping out of the car, she saw the villa ablaze with light, as if no one inside had gone to bed. They must all be worried sick about me, too anxious to sleep. She was, after all, the Situ family's precious little princess. A smirk played on Situ Qingshan’s lips as she strode confidently toward the villa's entrance. Situ Qingshan could already picture it: the moment she walked in, Mu Xinyue and Situ Hai would rush to her side, fussing over her. That would be the perfect moment to reveal that the snake was most likely Mu Xia’s doing—an attempt to kill her. Then Mu Xia could pack her bags and get lost! No, wait. Mu Xia hadn't brought anything with her in the first place. She could just get lost! The more Situ Qingshan thought about it, the more excited she became, her pace quickening. The mere thought of watching Mu Xia get thrown out sent a thrill through her, almost making her forget the pain from her wounds and the lingering discomfort of the venom. “Mom!” Finally, Situ Qingshan reached the main hall. The room was brightly lit, but all the servants stood silently along the walls, their presence doing nothing to dispel the deathly, oppressive stillness in the air. It felt as if something terrible had just happened. This was not the homecoming she had imagined. “Mom, what’s going on?” Situ Qingshan asked, confused by Mu Xinyue’s unusual silence. Mu Xinyue walked up to her, her eyes filled with a frustrated disappointment, as if scolding a child who would never learn. But seeing Situ Qingshan’s pale face, she couldn't bring herself to lash out. Her voice was stiff as she asked, “How are you? Why did you rush to leave the hospital?” Remembering her "mission," Situ Qingshan ignored the strange atmosphere in the hall. “I'm fine, Mom. I came back because I have something important to tell Dad!” A bad feeling rose in Mu Xinyue’s gut. She instinctively grabbed Situ Qingshan’s arm. “Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow. So much has happened today. Once you've recovered, we can talk properly.” “No, Mom, it has to be now!” If she lost this chance, she wasn't sure she'd find a better way to get rid of Mu Xia. She couldn't wait another second! Her mother was being far too indecisive. A time like this called for a swift, decisive strike! So she simply shoved Mu Xinyue aside and marched toward Situ Hai. “Dad! I have something to tell you!” Situ Qingshan declared, casting a deep, triumphant glare at Mu Xia. Mu Xia met her gaze, tilting her head slightly with a flicker of amusement in her eyes. Situ Hai’s face was a mask of ice. “What is it you want to say?” he asked coldly. If she were to confess and apologize on her own, he might have considered forgiving her this once. However— The first words out of Situ Qingshan’s mouth were, “Dad, the venomous snake that bit me… Mu Xia put it in my room! She can't stand me, so she tried to have me killed! Dad, you can't keep such a vicious woman in this house!” Situ Hai froze. He never imagined that after doing such a thing, Situ Qingshan would not only feel no remorse but would try to turn the tables on Mu Xia. How had he raised such a stupid and malicious daughter?! Seeing her father's silence, Situ Qingshan assumed he was still reluctant to cast Mu Xia out. She pressed on urgently, “Dad! You can't be soft on her! She failed to kill me this time, but there will be a next time! If she can harm me, she can harm you too!” Situ Hai’s eyelid twitched violently. Losing all restraint, he raised his hand and swung, slapping Situ Qingshan hard across the face. *Crack!* The sharp sound echoed through the hall. The blow was many times harder than the one Mu Xinyue had given Mu Xia. Situ Qingshan cried out, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor. Mixed in with the blood was a white tooth. He had knocked one of her teeth out. Situ Qingshan was completely stunned. What… what was happening? Shouldn't Dad be slapping Mu Xia? Why was he hitting *her*? In disbelief, she raised a hand to her stinging cheek. Just as she was about to ask her father why he'd hit her, Mu Xinyue rushed over and grabbed her arm. “Don't say another word. Let's go upstairs, now!” “No! Why should I go upstairs?!” Situ Qingshan, feeling wronged and furious, violently shook off her mother's hand and turned back to Situ Hai. “Dad, why did you hit me? Mu Xia is the one who did something wrong! How can you be so biased and hit me, the victim?” “Victim? You still think you're the victim?” Situ Hai was so enraged he could barely speak, panting for breath. “Am I not? I was in the hospital! The doctor said if I'd arrived a few minutes later, I wouldn't have made it…” The memory alone sent a chill of fear through her. A faint smile touched Mu Xia's lips before quickly vanishing. She took a step forward. “Sister, even now, you're not going to tell the truth? Are you determined to anger Dad to death?” Situ Qingshan's brow furrowed in disgust. “Since when do you have a say in this family?” Mu Xia simply raised an eyebrow. “It seems you're not aware, sister, that everyone already knows what you did.” A flicker of guilt made Situ Qingshan clench her fists. “What… what are you talking about?” Mu Xia smiled faintly. “So you haven't heard. Your nanny has confessed everything. You had her buy a venomous snake to kill me, but it crawled from the balcony into your own room… Sister, to put it bluntly, you have no one to blame but yourself.” Hearing this, Situ Qingshan's eyes widened in shock. The nanny… had betrayed her? Suddenly, she remembered the strange atmosphere when she first walked in, and her mother's desperate attempts to stop her from talking. So, they all knew the truth? No wonder! No wonder Mu Xia's gaze had been so defiant! No wonder Dad had slapped her! Panic seized Situ Qingshan. She grabbed Mu Xinyue's sleeve. “Mom…” In the end, she was still her daughter. Mu Xinyue's heart ached for her. She pulled Situ Qingshan into her arms and whispered, “Don't say anything else. Just come upstairs with me.” This time, Situ Qingshan obeyed, not daring to utter another word as she meekly followed her mother upstairs. “Stop!” Situ Hai's voice was like ice. “From this day on, you will stay in your room and reflect on what you've done. You are not to take a single step outside for a month! I will hire the best tutors for ethics to teach you how to be a decent human being!” Situ Qingshan's blood ran cold. Situ Hai ruled this family. Without his favor and trust, she could very well be the one thrown out! At that thought, the color drained completely from her already pale face. A wave of regret washed over her for what she had done, but it was useless now. It was too late.