Sister 01

The Blue Star Empire.

Fang Zhaodi's life was tragic, a fact evident from her very name.

Until her younger brother was born, Fang Zhaodi was largely unwanted by her family—except for her grandmother, who would secretly slip her snacks and tell her stories from her own youth.

But her grandmother was old, and when Fang Zhaodi was scolded, she could only bow her head silently and fiddle with whatever was in her hands.

Fang Zhaodi attended school for a while, but her father saw no use in educating a girl. He believed she’d be better off helping at home, so she was pulled out of school.

She loved reading but disliked school, where classmates would curiously—or mockingly—ask about her name.

Zhaodi, Zhaodi.

It wasn’t until her brother was born that Fang Zhaodi somewhat understood her parents’ intentions. They gazed at her brother’s smiling face with an expression she had never seen directed at herself.

Fang Zhaodi once sneaked a peek at her baby brother. His tiny pink hands reached out, so adorable that her heart melted—until her parents shooed her away, ordering her back to work.

From that day on, everything in the house seemed to exist solely for her brother.

As she grew older, Fang Zhaodi left home to work. Her parents’ instructions rang in her ears: the money she earned was to pay for her brother’s education.

She bore no resentment, as if this were simply her fate. When she was bullied or cheated out of wages, she endured it silently. The frail girl had long since learned to accept everything—even when her lecherous supervisor groped her, her only resistance was to stiffen her body.

Her brother grew quickly, and she took pride in having contributed so much to his schooling. Her mother assured her that once her brother succeeded, he would take care of her. At such moments, Fang Zhaodi’s slightly hunched back would straighten with quiet hope.

But that year, when she returned home, her father informed her that a match had been arranged. She would marry after the New Year.

Fang Zhaodi was terrified. She had never even met the man—why must she marry him?

Her parents discussed the matter openly in front of her. She gathered that the man had a disability, but his family was wealthy and willing to pay a hefty dowry for her. Fearful, she tried to ask her brother for advice, but he remained buried in his video games, annoyed by her presence.

“What’s the big deal? Every girl gets married at some point.”

“The Huangs are rich. You’ll live comfortably once you’re married.”

“Your dowry will be kept safe by your mother.”

And so, Fang Zhaodi was married off in a daze.

The man walked with a limp. She bit her lip as his gloomy eyes raked over her like a predator sizing up prey.

Life in the Huang household was no different from before. Fang Zhaodi worked tirelessly, but her mother-in-law was never satisfied, her words laced with scorn. This hardly fazed Fang Zhaodi—her own mother had treated her the same way.

But her failure to conceive soon drew the Huangs’ displeasure.

One night, after drinking, Huang Minhao revealed his true nature, slapping her again and again. Her father-in-law smoked calmly, while her mother-in-law cheered him on with curses.

Fang Zhaodi lay in bed the entire next day. That evening, when she didn’t cook dinner, Huang Minhao beat her once more.

From that day onward, Fang Zhaodi was plunged into hell.

No—perhaps it would be more accurate to say she had never left hell in the first place.

Her parents came to visit, but they didn’t care whether she had been beaten. Her mother said it must have been her own fault for not doing things properly, then went on to reassure her that a little fighting and quarreling was just part of married life.

They wanted Fang Zhaodi to ask the Huang family for money—her younger brother had taken a liking to a girl, and the girl’s family had demanded a hefty betrothal gift. They didn’t have enough.

After they left, before Fang Zhaodi could even open her mouth to ask for money, her mother-in-law launched into a tirade of abuse, accusing her of being a worthless burden who had married into the Huang family just to steal their money for her own family.

Fang Zhaodi had no way to defend herself. When Huang Minhao came home and saw his mother berating his wife, he flew into a rage and beat Fang Zhaodi again.

This time, she was badly injured. Only when the Huangs saw how serious her injuries were did they reluctantly take her to the village doctor. There, they received joyous news: Fang Zhaodi was pregnant.

For a while, the beatings stopped. Even her husband occasionally smiled at her, and Fang Zhaodi began to believe, in a daze, that her days of suffering might finally be over.

As time passed, Huang Wenhao was born. Fang Zhaodi looked at her child with a mother’s love, and even when her own family cut ties with her, declaring they would no longer acknowledge her, she didn’t care.

She understood many things now—how her parents had only ever wanted to use her to support her brother, that distant, indifferent brother.

But the respite didn’t last. Huang Minhao’s fishpond was devastated by a sudden storm, and when he returned home to see his wife happily playing with their child, a nameless fury rose in him.

So Fang Zhaodi was beaten again. At first, Huang Minhao avoided doing it in front of their son, but soon, he didn’t even bother.

Huang Wenhao watched his mother being beaten, sometimes even clapping and laughing, much to his grandfather’s amusement.

A neighbor once reported the abuse to the authorities, but to the Huangs, this was just a family matter. The officials could only leave helplessly after scolding them. Behind closed doors, the abuse continued.

A poorly cooked meal, unwashed clothes, even losing at cards—any of these became excuses for Huang Minhao’s violence.

In such an environment, young Huang Wenhao learned to glare at his mother and even mimic his father’s blows. Though his strikes didn’t hurt, Fang Zhaodi’s heart turned to ice.

Finally, one day, she ran away, escaping that hellish home.

Fang Zhaodi had no skills, so she survived by selling her body. Along the way, she met another woman, her face bruised. The sight awakened the fear and hatred buried deep inside her.

That night, she killed—using her own body as bait.

Once she started, she couldn’t stop. Fang Zhaodi began moving from place to place, committing more crimes, until her actions drew the attention of the male lead. After some investigation, he deduced her final destination: the Huang family, the root of all her suffering.

Sure enough, he intervened just as Fang Zhaodi returned to the Huang household with a can of gasoline. She was arrested, forced to watch as the Huangs thanked the man profusely, as her own son spat at her in disgust.

Bitter resentment filled her heart—she had been so close! So close!

Fang Zhiyi let out a heavy sigh. "This is too oppressive."

Though Little Hei couldn't fully comprehend human emotions, he nodded along in response.

Fang Zhiyi stood up, stretching her neck with a slight twist. "Spending the last world just giving orders has left me a bit rusty."