My Bizarre Relatives 013

"Listen here, you Li bitch," Fang Yu spat, her voice dripping with venom. "Don’t think the Fang family is extinct. I know I’m no saint, but from now on, if you dare lay a finger on Ruoruo again, I’ll fucking end you!"

With that, Fang Yu strode away, leaving Li Mei clutching her stinging cheek in stunned silence.

Some time later, Fang Ruoruo learned that her mother had remarried—apparently because her aunt and grandmother had grown tired of her living at home and hastily arranged a match. So Li Mei had been married off.

Fang Zhiyi delivered the news with detached calm. "Want to go? I’ll take you if you do."

Fang Ruoruo shook her head. Since that day, she’d begun reflecting on her past. With her father and aunt’s guidance, she’d moved on quickly.

One of her aunt’s sayings had particularly stuck with her: "When someone who hurt you apologizes, don’t soften. They should suffer just as much as you did—no, even more. That’s the only real apology."

Her classmates noticed the change in Fang Ruoruo too. Once soft-spoken and reserved, she now carried herself with newfound confidence, her demeanor bright and outgoing.

Meanwhile, Xu Jiaqing had devolved into a full-blown delinquent, parading around with a gang of kids sporting rainbow-colored hair. Xu Jiayuan, though enrolled in a lousy high school, had no interest in studying and eventually dropped out.

Li Xue and her husband shifted their focus to their youngest son, Xu Jiawei.

Fang Ruoruo still kept in touch with her mother, though their relationship wasn’t as close as before. During holidays, she’d visit her grandmother’s house with gifts, enduring her aunt’s passive-aggressive remarks with a shrug. Her father had taught her well—getting angry at such people was a waste of life.

Fang Ruoruo excelled in her studies and was accepted into university.

To celebrate, Fang Yu booked a lavish banquet at the city’s finest restaurant, even extending an invitation to the Li family.

The Lis showed up with a "free meal is a free meal" attitude—some offered hollow compliments, others sneered, and a few couldn’t hide their envy. Fang Zhiyi watched it all with cold amusement.

Li Mei sat at the edge of the room with her new husband and child, her heart aching as she gazed at her radiant daughter. Regret gnawed at her, and Li Xue’s snide remark only twisted the knife.

"Look at them, splurging like it’s nothing. Tch. And you? You insisted on divorcing back then. Bet you regret it now, huh? Pity Fang Zhiyi never remarried. No way he’d hand his business over to that little girl, right?"

Li Mei noticed her husband’s darkening expression and silently lowered her head to her meal.

When Fang Ruoruo left for university in another city, Fang Yu couldn’t rest easy. She fabricated an excuse to follow, claiming it was for business expansion—but really, she just wanted to protect Ruoruo from being bullied.

Fang Zhiyi, meanwhile, threw himself into his work. The Li family tried to approach him several times, but he always managed to evade them.

By the time Fang Ruoruo graduated, she wanted to return and help her father. Fang Zhiyi agreed without hesitation, even transferring the entire company to her name and giving Fang Yu nearly half the shares.

The move left both women stunned.

Fang Zhiyi just laughed. "I’ve worked hard for decades—time to retire!"

He wanted to spend more time with his daughter, playing the role of her advisor.

"Tomorrow, you’ll die," Little Hei warned.

Fang Zhiyi scoffed. "Bullshit. I just had a full checkup yesterday—perfect health."

"The original plot had you dying from specific conditions. Things are different now."

The next day, Fang Zhiyi stepped out cautiously, dodging a falling flowerpot and a snapped power line. He smirked. "Fighting people is nothing compared to outwitting fate."

"Above you," Little Hei said.

Fang Zhiyi looked up. Dark clouds churned overhead, thunder rumbling ominously.

He cursed under his breath. Screw it—if heaven wanted him dead, so be it. After a lifetime of battles, wasn’t he entitled to enjoy himself before dying?

Then he saw her.

Fang Ruoruo spotted him and broke into a grin, sprinting toward him.

"Damn it, of all the luck!" Fang Zhiyi saw Death’s hand reaching for him, but he had no choice. He lunged forward, shoving Ruoruo out of the way—just as a car slammed into him, sending him flying.

The drunk driver stumbled out, bewildered. "The hell… speed bump?" Then he saw the scene before him and froze.

The driver was arrested for DUI, and Fang Zhiyi was rushed to the ER.

Outside, Fang Ruoruo wept uncontrollably while Fang Yu paced like a caged animal.

Fang Zhiyi didn’t make it. But as the doctors wheeled him out, they handed Ruoruo a note—one he’d prepared in his final moments. He always had a backup plan.

"Fate’s a bitch. Not your fault. Mwah." He’d even doodled a smiley face.

Fang Ruoruo’s wails tore through the hallway. Fang Yu stood pale and trembling, her lips moving in silent fury.

"So… that’s it?" Fang Zhiyi stared at his own corpse.

Little Hei nodded. "What happens next is beyond your control."

"That’s some dirty trick, using my kid as bait when it couldn’t kill me straight up. Classy." Fang Zhiyi seethed.

"Ruoruo wouldn’t have died even if you hadn’t acted," Little Hei pointed out.

"You willing to bet on that? Oh right—you’ve never been a father. Couldn’t be one either." Fang Zhiyi exhaled sharply. Then, after a pause, he grinned. "Hey, how about you eat that thing?" He jabbed a finger skyward.

Little Hei considered it. "Risky."

"Live a little."

"…Worth a try?"

News of Fang Zhiyi’s death and Fang Yu’s collapse spread fast. Mourners arrived in droves—including the insincere Li family.

To them, Fang Ruoruo was now a vulnerable lamb, ripe for the taking. Especially with all those assets in her name.

After the funeral, Fang Ruoruo returned home, her heart hollow.

She remembered this house—her father had bought it just for her. "When you get married," he’d said, "you’ll have your own place. No one can push you around."

But before she could even settle in, the doorbell rang.

She opened it and immediately frowned. Aunt Li Xue and her family stood outside.

"Auntie," Fang Ruoruo greeted, polite but cold.

"Oh, sweetheart, I was so worried about you!" Li Xue barged in without invitation. "After what happened to your father, I couldn’t let you wallow alone."

Xu Jiaqing slouched behind her, eyes roaming greedily over the interior. Xu Jiayuan barely glanced up from his phone, while Li Xue’s husband plopped onto the couch and lit a cigarette.

"I’m fine, Auntie. You didn’t need to come," Fang Ruoruo said flatly.

Li Xue forced a laugh. "We’re family, Ruoruo! You know I’ve always cared for you." Her gaze swept the room. "This place is huge—bigger than our house back in the village. Tsk tsk."

Her eyes gleamed with naked hunger.