LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 75:
Chapter 75: Backstab! The Fifth Daughter’s Return and the Female Lead’s Path:
While Xu Hongjiao was gaining popularity and becoming the talk of the internet, a message arrived at a prison.
Inside a cell, a large man received the news, his breath hitching and his expression changing. He was the king of this prison, unaffiliated with any major organizations, but still commanding respect from everyone. In the prison, various groups banded together for survival, forming small gangs, but regardless of their allegiances, everyone respected him. Even the guards avoided crossing him.
He was the leader of the Brotherhood’s six brothers: Gao Qiangsheng. He was also Chen Mo’s mentor.
Three years ago, when Chen Mo was arrested and bullied, Gao Qiangsheng noticed his strong will. Bored with prison life, he decided to take Chen Mo under his wing. To his surprise, Chen Mo had a remarkable talent for martial arts, reaching Gao Qiangsheng’s level in just three years. But now, the stoic man couldn’t remain calm.
The Brotherhood was destroyed. His sixth brother was killed. His apprentice was framed. And all of this happened in just a few days. It was hard to believe.
The six brothers had founded the Brotherhood, overcoming obstacles and enemies, becoming the largest force in Nan City. It had taken over a decade to reach this point, and now, everything had collapsed in a matter of days. The news was from trusted allies, so it had to be true.
“I need to get out of here,” Gao Qiangsheng thought. He couldn’t stay idle while the Brotherhood was dismantled, his sixth brother was dead, and his apprentice was falsely accused. He had one year left on his sentence, and there was no way to reduce it. But using his old connections, he could get out for a short while.
…
In a private room, four men sat across from each other in tense silence. After a while, the youngest, Brother Wu, spoke up.
“Are we really going to do this? He’s our big brother. He saved my life more than once. How can I betray him?”
The fourth brother shook his head. “We don’t want to hurt him, but what choice do we have?”
The third brother downed his drink in one gulp. That morning, Old Mo had approached them with a plan to lure their eldest brother out of prison. Then, they would backstab him.
The Brotherhood was outraged. “He’s our brother, our closest family. We won’t hurt him, no matter what.”
They had already joined Old Mo’s Blood Slaughter Society, but this was too much. They could work for him, but betraying their eldest brother was out of the question.
Old Mo had laughed coldly. “You love your brothers, huh? I’ll give you something else to think about. Your families—remember them? I control their lives. If you don’t comply, I’ll take action against them.”
He wasn’t bluffing. Xu Hao had instructed him these ruthless methods—do whatever it takes to win. Dead men don’t tell stories, after all.
Reluctantly, the brothers agreed. They weren’t afraid to die, but when it came to their families, they had no choice but to comply.
“If anyone isn’t worried about their family, feel free to back out.” The second brother muttered, silencing everyone.
The group fell into a grim silence. Their families were their Achilles’ heel.
…
Meanwhile, the “Seven Fairies with Beautiful Faces and Moon Faces” group of sisters were chatting online.
Someone asked, “Third Sister, when you composed ‘Wei Ling,’ how did you come up with the idea? It’s so ancient yet modern. I love it.”
Another sister chimed in, “Your three new songs are amazing. Especially ‘Under the Sea.’ It’s going to be a hit!”
They were proud of their sister Xu Hongjiao, but they had no idea that she had joined forces with their father, Xu Hao.
Sisters Xu Shiqing and Xu Huayi exchanged a knowing glance. They kept this information from the other sisters, curious to see their reactions when they eventually found out.
Sure enough, soon after, Xu Hongjiao replied to the messages.
“I’m not a big star: Eldest sister, second sister, fourth sister, fifth sister—you’ve misunderstood. The lyrics for those three songs were written by our father.”
The group was shocked. Traditional Chinese Medicine yyds asked, “Did you make a typo? Try again.”
Xu Hongjiao hesitated for a moment. She had already come to terms with acknowledging Xu Hao as her father, so there was no going back. She decided to tell the full story.
“Sisters, I think we may have misunderstood our father. Yes, he seemed distant before, but maybe he had his reasons. Since I returned, I’ve seen how much he cares about us. He’s not the cold man we thought he was.”
She continued, “He teaches me piano every day. He bought me a 9 million yuan piano after I returned home. When Zhao Media blacklisted me, he fought for me. He even wrote three songs overnight when I was struggling with my mental health.”
She added, “Dad’s a genius at music. If he debuted, he’d be a superstar!”
“I have a best friend, Xiao Wanling. Do you all know her? She’s always been excellent at tea art, and she used to think she was just as good as the tea masters you see on TV,” Xu Hongjiao began. “But after watching her father’s tea art, she felt embarrassed. Recently, she’s been following him closely, learning everything she can.”
She continued, “Eldest sister, second sister, fourth sister, and fifth sister, please come back. My two sisters and I are really looking forward to being reunited with you.”
The chat suddenly burst with responses.
Please Call Me Queen: “Third sister, don’t you have any sense?”
TCM yyds: “Are you betraying our organization, Third sister?”
Technology is the Primary Productive Force: “Sister, what are you talking about? Weren’t you supposed to check if the two sisters were brainwashed by Xu Hao? Now it seems you’ve been brainwashed too.”
Just Want to Make Money: “Sister, even if what you’re saying is true, have you forgotten what Xu did to us before? How can you forgive him so easily?”
Reading these messages, Xu Hongjiao bit her lip, her feelings mixed. She had thought the same way as her sisters not long ago. She had believed she could never forgive Xu Hao, no matter what. But after everything she had experienced, she understood the helplessness he must have felt. She now cherished the feeling of having her father there for her, supporting her.
Xu Shiqing and Xu Huayi, the two sisters who had been swayed, felt it was time for them to speak.
The Little Girl Selling Nuclear Bombs: “Haha, I told you! My father is a good man. None of you believed me, but now, do you believe me? Look at our third sister.”
Draw a Circle and Curse You: “Yes, yes, Dad is very kind to us. I’m sure it’ll be the same for you all. You’ll be surprised when you come back.”
TCM yyds: “I still don’t believe it.”
I’m Really Not a Big Star: “@I’m really not a big star, didn’t you say you’d never forgive Xu Hao, even if you had to jump off a tall building? Now you owe us an explanation.”
Technology is the Primary Productive Force: “What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Xu Hao is not the man you’re describing.”
Please Call Me Queen: “Stop talking to these two traitors. You’ve both been poisoned. I’ve been free recently, so I’ll come back and see for myself how Xu Hao brainwashed you.”
The Little Girl Selling Nuclear Bombs: “Fifth sister is coming back? Great! One more for the family.”
The group chat quieted down after that. Xu Shiqing and Xu Huayi had joined the discussion, but the remaining sisters moved their conversation to a private group titled “Five Sisters Who Love Each Other.”
Just Want to Make Money: “@I’m really not a big star, don’t you owe us an explanation?”
Xu Hongjiao sighed, feeling both amused and helpless. Hadn’t she already explained everything? It seemed her sisters all thought she was hypnotized by their father, just like she had once feared.
I’m Really Not a Big Star: “Sisters, everything I’ve said is true. Dad is genuinely good. You’ll understand once you return. I believe you’ll have a different impression of him, just like I did.”
After sending the message, Xu Hongjiao started to type another one, but an exclamation mark appeared. She had been removed from the group chat.
Confused, she realized the group name had also been changed to “Four Sisters Who Love Each Other.”
Technology is the Primary Productive Force: “@Please Call Me Queen, do you really want to go back, fifth sister?”
TCM yyds: “Don’t be like the third sister, giving in so easily. I don’t know what trick Xu Hao used.”
Just Want to Make Money: “Fifth sister can go back. She knows martial arts, so she can defend herself. Just make sure to tell us the truth after you return.”
She was skeptical, not necessarily of Xu Hongjiao’s words, but of Xu Hao’s abilities. Could he really play the piano that well? Why hadn’t she known about it before? She suspected he might have stolen someone else’s music.
Please Call Me Queen: “Don’t worry, I’ll go back and expose Xu Hao’s true face. I’ll save our third sister and the others from his clutches. I’d rather die than forgive Xu Hao!”
The boldness of this message made her sisters uneasy, feeling a sense of foreboding.
…
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Xu Hao was calmly teaching Xiao Wanling the art of tea, step by step.
Xiao Wanling stood respectfully, wanting to make sure she didn’t inconvenience him. She was mindful of his every movement. Whenever Xu Hao taught her, she placed the tea set on a higher platform so he wouldn’t have to bend over, standing attentively in front of him.
Xu Hao smiled, finding her actions amusing. But today’s lesson wasn’t going to end so easily. He continued his patient, step-by-step guidance.
Although Xiao Wanling had become accustomed to these lessons, she still blushed with embarrassment each time. After all, she was a proper young lady and had never experienced such situations before.
Today, she thought Xu Hao would finish the lesson as usual and let her go. But he didn’t.
After setting down the tea utensils, Xu Hao wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.
Xiao Wanling’s heart raced. “What… what are you doing?”
“F.”
She didn’t quite catch what he said. “What?”
“I’ve been teaching you for so long. Shouldn’t you help me now? It’s not good for your health to keep holding it in for too long…”
Xiao Wanling hesitated, but she recalled her studies. This was true—holding tension could harm the body. Uncle Xu had been enduring this strain every day while teaching her. He must be exhausted, she thought.
But how exactly was she supposed to help him? She didn’t know what to do. “…How?”
This was all thanks to Xu Hao’s calculated efforts to build her trust over the past few days. He had been careful to control her growing fondness for him. Now, the time had come to take their relationship in a new direction. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear.
Xiao Wanling’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, then quickly shut it. She touched her lips, stunned by what she had just heard.
Could that really be possible?
Her face turned beet red, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “I can’t do that…”
But then she thought about how considerate Xu Hao had been during all their lessons. Refusing him now would hurt his feelings. Maybe she could help him just this once.
“Okay… but we have to be careful. We can’t let Hongjiao or anyone else find out.”
Xu Hao smiled, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Come with me. Let’s find somewhere quiet.”
With that, Xu Hao led a blushing Xiao Wanling to his study room.