Nangong Han, lying in bed, couldn't fathom why he had been struck by lightning. How could heaven be so blind? It should have struck Shen Qingxia instead.
Since he couldn't wake up anyway, he carefully recalled the events of that day and discovered something was amiss; he had switched places with Shen Qingxia at that time.
Did that woman know beforehand that lightning would strike? Was she a monster? Impossible, impossible. This was the new era; superstition and legends were unreliable.
Oh dear, speaking of which, where had Bai Zhi gone? She hadn't visited him in a long time, and he hadn't heard her voice. Wouldn't his mother trouble her? And his little Qiangwei, seeing him like this, must have been terrified.
Thinking of these things made him anxious. Qiangwei was, after all, his only child. His mother wouldn't lay a hand on her, but Bai Zhi was different.
His mother, not knowing the full story, would surely blame Bai Zhi for everything.
That Shen Qingxia woman deserved to die; he would certainly teach her a lesson once he woke up.
Shui Wa: "Haha, the male protagonist's inner monologues are so frequent. Too bad he won't wake up."
Jun Jiu Li: "How is Nangong Qiangwei's luck?"
"After Nangong Han was struck by lightning that day, Nangong Qiangwei's luck decreased by 1/3. She's still in the hospital and continues to absorb it, though with minimal effect."
"The male protagonist's life is only worth 1/3."
"It's not like that; it should include the price of the heavenly lightning. That bolt of heavenly lightning must have also consumed her luck."
"It seems the Heavenly Dao isn't very kind to her either. I thought it was a gift."
"The Heavenly Dao gave the host a lightning bolt; you seem quite happy about it."
"Shui Wa, do you want to try a man-made version?"
"Forget it, forget I said anything."
Wherever Bai Zhi went with the child, people chased and cursed them. Her exceptionally unlucky constitution had caused them trouble several times.
Living a life of constant hiding, Nangong Qiangwei was extremely displeased.
"Mom, I don't want to live like this. I want to be a big star and have everyone's attention."
"Darling, not yet. Once people forget about what happened online, I'll find a way to debut you, okay?"
"Mom, how long will that take?"
Bai Zhi hugged Nangong Qiangwei and started to cry.
"Mom doesn't know either. If only I hadn't come back. Mom is sorry to you, Weiwei, Mom is sorry to you."
"Don't cry, Mom. I'm sorry, I was too willful. Let's go see Grandma, Grandma has money. She'll definitely protect us."
"No, your grandmother hates us mother and daughter the most."
"Dad's foundation was injured by the lightning. I am now Dad's only child."
The two arrived at the hospital. As soon as they saw Xie Wanrou, they burst into tears, lamenting how difficult their days had been and that they hadn't intentionally neglected to visit Nangong Han.
Xie Wanrou's icy eyes had already seen through everything. Nangong Han, lying on the hospital bed, was deeply moved. He regretted that he couldn't speak words of comfort to the mother and daughter, feeling an extreme sense of urgency in his heart.
Xie Wanrou eventually agreed to their mother-daughter request. The doctor said that communicating with a comatose patient was beneficial for recovery. She would personally raise Nangong Qiangwei, hoping she could still be guided onto the right path.
Bai Zhi continued to serve Nangong Han without any formal title. When Xie Wanrou was present, she always rushed to do everything. She was less like Nangong Han's lover and more like a nanny. Many people in the hospital looked down on her behavior.
Nangong Qiangwei had many courses to study daily at the Nangong family residence. When Xie Wanrou had free time, she would also take her out to broaden her horizons. The time the mother and daughter spent together decreased.
Bai Zhi, fearing her daughter would become estranged from her, often instigated her against Xie Wanrou, telling her all sorts of bad things about her and advising her not to be dazzled by small gains, as the entire Nangong family would be hers in the future.
Xie Wanrou's strictness made Nangong Qiangwei very dissatisfied with her. Her obedience was merely a pretense; before her wings were fully developed, she had to appease Xie Wanrou.
After pretending for a while, she realized it was useless. Xie Wanrou was not as easily fooled as her father. Therefore, she could only absorb the Nangong family's resources to strengthen herself.
She then begged Xie Wanrou to let her debut as a child star, throwing tantrums and refusing to eat for days in the villa. She was sent to the hospital unconscious several times due to starvation, and eventually, Xie Wanrou had to grant her wish.
After taking care of Nangong Han for several weeks, Bai Zhi grew impatient. Her life revolved around the villa and the hospital, and she was mostly under surveillance, lacking any freedom.
She felt that all of this was Nangong Han's fault for being struck by lightning, which had implicated her. When no one was around, she would verbally abuse and mistreat Nangong Han.
Nangong Han's skin was covered in scars, crisscrossed and scorched black, making it impossible for anyone to recognize him.
Nangong Han never knew that his "white moonlight," his "heart's desire," was actually like this behind his back.
His mother hadn't forced her to take care of him; she had volunteered herself to provide for a better life. His perceived deep affection was so easily scrutinized.
Thinking about it, he hadn't felt as deeply for her as he thought either; they were both equally flawed.
But this woman dared to abuse him. He vowed to expose her true face once he woke up, force her to kneel and beg for forgiveness, and deeply repent.
Enduring the physical and psychological torment through hatred for Jun Jiu Li and Bai Zhi, he held on stubbornly. He constantly encouraged himself in his heart, believing that as long as he persisted, there would be hope.
Upon learning that Nangong Qiangwei could participate in a talent show, Bai Zhi requested to be Nangong Qiangwei's assistant. She claimed she was afraid others wouldn't take good care of her and that her daughter would be bullied on set.
Seeing her eager gaze, Xie Wanrou understood everything. Thinking that keeping her around was of no use, she let her have her way.
However, she also didn't want to have the mother and daughter in her sight anymore. Nangong Qiangwei showed no signs of repentance. She felt she had done her utmost and would leave their fate to the mother and daughter.
Xie Wanrou gave the mother and daughter a small villa and promised to provide Bai Zhi with 20,000 yuan for living expenses each month.
The mother and daughter were overjoyed, believing they had escaped Xie Wanrou's watch and could freely enjoy their lives.
In reality, Xie Wanrou had given up on Nangong Qiangwei, and the Nangong family's resources would no longer flow towards them.
On the first day of the show, Bai Zhi made a blunder. She failed to wake up on time to do Nangong Qiangwei's makeup and styling. The mother and daughter rushed to the television station in their pajamas, hailing a taxi.
Nangong Qiangwei had no agent, and the Bai Zhi mother-daughter duo were amateurs. They knew nothing and, believing they held a noble status, maintained a stern demeanor towards everyone.
They expected the director to personally greet them and for a dedicated makeup artist to attend to Nangong Qiangwei. They treated the assistant who came to arrange things with indifference.
Their first appearance offended all the staff present.
The director had also spread the word within the industry that this mother and daughter were very troublesome and required caution.
The Nangong family had also made it clear that Nangong Qiangwei was not considered part of the Nangong family, and all matters should be handled according to regulations.
A cute child, wearing a small yellow hat and white hoodie with denim overalls, walked onto the stage.
Approaching the panel of judges, she introduced herself somewhat timidly.
She repeatedly glanced towards her mother. Although shy, she persevered and finished her lines.
The judges were amused by her adorable appearance and offered favorable comments.
The "Meng Bao" (cute baby) skipped back offstage joyfully, instantly melting the hearts of many audience members.
Nangong Qiangwei, sitting backstage, watched the big screen with disdain. If someone like that could score points, she was sure she could achieve a perfect score, amaze everyone, and successfully debut.
"Mom, why hasn't the makeup artist come yet? It's only three people before me."
"I don't know either. I'll go urge them."