Lost in the fantasy of such a life, Qian Shu’s career development slowed, narrowed, and she was eventually struck from the list of priority trainees. Her colleagues whispered endlessly about the significant shift in her demeanor, yet not a single person approached her with earnest words of admonishment or awakening.

It wasn't until she failed to show up for work for two consecutive weeks that the situation became alarming. Colleagues started making calls, inquiring here and there, only to discover she was being held at the Public Security Bureau for administrative detention. It turned out that after becoming involved with Wu Shang, the black-hearted man had showered her with promises—a massive diamond ring, a trip to Europe, eternal companionship, and a villa in Furano. However, all these ‘futures’ hinged on one precondition: Qian Shu had to help him through his “current difficulties.” In total, Qian Shu lent this darling boyfriend over half a million yuan. Each time, Wu Shang used pretexts like investment, shareholding, or business ventures, promising her exorbitant returns, yet he never signed an IOU. In reality, everyone could guess that every cent was squandered by Wu Shang.

Soon, the modest fortune Qian Shu had painstakingly saved was completely depleted. Like an orange squeezed dry, leaving only a pulpless rind, the juicer tossed the peel aside without a second glance. Qian Shu underwent a similar transformation, turning from a princess held in the palm of Wu Shang’s hand to a haggard woman cast onto the street.

In the days following the loss of her money, Wu Shang visited far less frequently, his calls grew sparse, and texts became almost nonexistent. Whenever she asked what he was doing, he claimed to be busy. Qian Shu’s status gradually shifted from the Eastern Palace to the Cold Palace. It was only when she bumped into Wu Shang on the street, his arm draped possessively around another woman, that the truth finally struck her. The Furano villa, the European tours, the one-carat pigeon’s blood diamond—it was all a fleeting dream, a web of lies this man had spun so she would willingly ‘invest’ and ‘sharehold.’ Blinded by these falsehoods, she had willingly rolled up her sleeves, allowing him to drain her last drop of blood.

Realizing the truth, Qian Shu erupted in fury, intending to confront Wu Shang right there on the street. But he acted as if he didn't know her, dismissing her as a hysterical woman who had escaped from a mental institution. He shielded his girlfriend and tried to push through the crowd to flee. Enraged, Qian Shu grabbed the nearest Nuomi Duck mobile phone and slammed it down hard onto Wu Shang’s head, giving him a mild concussion. That was how she ended up with ten days of administrative detention.

There is no need to elaborate further on the story; the moral lesson is likely already apparent to the discerning reader. The current Xing'er is no different from the Wu Shang of that time; he uses filial piety to hold Xiao Shu and Hua Gu hostage, compelling them to willingly roll up their sleeves and offer him their lifeblood. Should the day come when these two are drained dry, what awaits Xing'er will not be the corpses of a father or mother, but two repulsive, foul-smelling male and female bodies. Who are Xiao Shu? Who is Hua Gu? Perhaps he retains no memory.

However, the trouble lies in the fact that these two are already deeply entangled. They are utterly obsessed with their perceived “deep affection”—the father-son and mother-son relationship they share with Xing'er. They refuse to believe Xing'er would harm them, refuse to believe this ghostly infant will suck their blood dry, and refuse to believe this lively little being held in their arms will eventually kill its used-up host. A sudden, heartless betrayal seems like a distant plotline to them.