Shen Qi watched as the images on the computer screen disappeared one after another. Unable to hold back, she asked, "Brother, what's happening?"
"It worked," Shen Lu replied simply.
"What worked?" Shen Qi was still completely confused.
Shen Lu reached out and pointed to a book on the table.
Following the direction of his finger, Shen Qi picked up the book and flipped through it casually. Her eyes instantly went wide!
*Fundamentals of Hacking*?
When did she ever have a book like this?
No, this was Zhan Bo's book!
Shen Qi immediately realized what her brother had just done.
Terrified, she rushed over, snatched the laptop away, and forcefully shut it down!
If the building's management found out that her brother had hacked the entire security system, she would definitely be kicked out!
Lowering her voice urgently, Shen Qi said, "Brother, no, you can't do things like this!"
Shen Lu looked at her with a hurt expression. "Xiao Qi... so fierce."
Shen Qi took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. "Brother, if we get caught, we'll be thrown out!"
Only then did Shen Lu lower his head and fall silent.
Watching Shen Lu's long eyelashes flutter, Shen Qi's mind drifted to other things.
Now that she had agreed to be He Yining's full-time stylist, she would inevitably have to travel for work in the future.
If she wasn't home, who would look after her brother?
What if her brother caused some trouble while she was away?
No, she needed to hire a home care service—at least someone to keep an eye on her brother when she wasn't around.
Shen Qi immediately called a familiar home care agency to request a caregiver who could come during her work hours to help look after her brother.
Coincidentally, right after Shen Qi hung up, Shen's mother also called the same agency.
The agency worker, quick to speak, immediately mentioned Shen Qi's request for a caregiver.
Upon hearing that Shen Qi could afford a caregiver, Shen's mother assumed she must have money now!
After hanging up, she immediately called Shen Qi.
Seeing the familiar number, Shen Qi hesitated for a moment before answering. "Mom, what's the matter?"
"What? Can't a mother even call her own daughter now? Now that you've married into the He family as the eldest daughter-in-law, you look down on the Shen family?" Shen's mother said discontentedly. "Where are you now?"
Covering the phone, Shen Qi stepped outside. She absolutely couldn't let Shen's mother know her and her brother's real residence, so she gave her the address of the villa the He family had provided.
"Fine, I'll be right there." Without waiting for Shen Qi's reply, Shen's mother hung up.
Sighing, Shen Qi went back inside to settle Shen Lu before taking a taxi to the villa.
She had barely been inside for a few minutes when Shen's mother arrived with Shen Yinyin.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how shabby!" Shen Yinyin immediately started nitpicking as soon as she entered. "Is this where the He family's eldest daughter-in-law lives? Good thing I didn't marry into that family!"
Shen Qi stood there calmly, saying nothing.
Shen's mother also looked around with a critical eye, dissatisfied. "How can the He family be so stingy? They only gave you this villa? What about jewelry? Money?"
Shen Qi closed her eyes briefly, suppressing the anger rising in her heart.
From the moment they walked in, not one of them had asked about her brother's condition!
Maybe in their eyes, her brother was already as good as dead.
Watching Shen's mother and Shen Yinyin rummage through her wardrobe, Shen Qi barely held back her fury. "Mom, don't you want to ask about brother's situation?"
Shen's mother blurted out, "What's there to ask? Don't you already have money to hire him a caregiver?"
A wave of deep sorrow washed over Shen Qi.
She wanted to ask Shen's mother: Am I really your daughter? Are my brother and I truly your biological children?
Why do we get treated so differently from your other children?
But she couldn't ask.
She had tried once before, and Shen's mother had thrown a tantrum, rolling on the floor and wailing so loudly that the whole street could hear.
In the end, Shen Qi and her brother had to kneel in the yard for three hours just to calm her down.
Shen Yinyin dusted off her hands—though there was no dust—and said disdainfully, "You're the He family's eldest daughter-in-law now. They must have given you some money, right? I've been wanting to buy a set of jewelry, and I'm short about a million. You can cover it for me."
A million?
Shen Qi almost laughed out of sheer exasperation.
Shen's mother frowned, looking at Shen Qi with disgust. "This is the only use you have. You may be married off now, but don't forget your surname is Shen. As the older sister, you should support your younger sister! The He family is wealthy beyond measure; even the scraps from their fingers would be enough for the Shen family to live comfortably for a lifetime. Since your sister likes the jewelry, just buy it for her."
This time, Shen Qi couldn't hold back.
"Mom, you both know exactly how I ended up marrying into the He family. It was only because Yinyin refused to marry that I took her place. You've also seen how the He family treats this marriage. On our wedding day, all they gave me was this villa—nothing else! If you want to buy jewelry, fine. Take this villa, sell it, and buy whatever you want." Shen Qi placed the house key on the table.
"Are you kidding? This villa isn't even in your name! You can't sell it!" Shen Yinyin glared. "You just don't want to buy it for me, do you? Mom!—"
Shen Yinyin turned to Shen's mother. "Shen Qi used to hand over her salary to you. I don't care—I want that jewelry!"
Shen's mother immediately turned to Shen Qi. "Shen Qi, you haven't handed over this month's salary yet, have you?"
Hand over her salary?
She had been foolish enough to believe that before, handing over every cent she earned.
Now she wanted more?
No way!
"I have no money!" Shen Qi said bluntly. "I had to borrow money just to cover my brother's treatment. All my past wages are in your hands, Mom. I don't have anything left! The He family didn't give a bride price, and the Shen family didn't provide a dowry. My salary wasn't even enough to pay off the debts!"
"No money?" Shen Yinyin's face darkened. "That's your problem. I don't care!"
Feeling like she was about to lose her mind, Shen Qi pulled out her phone and started dialing. "Fine. In that case, I'll call the He family. If they find out that the He family's eldest daughter-in-law is being forced to borrow money to buy jewelry..."
As expected, Shen's mother grabbed her hand.
"Alright, enough of this nonsense!" Shen's mother shot Shen Yinyin a look, and the girl huffed before stomping away.
"Yinyin was just joking with you. As her older sister, can't you take a little teasing?" Shen's mother scolded. "There's no need to bother the He family over something so trivial. We can sort this out among ourselves."