The Daughter They Tried To Bury

To outsiders, it was the perfect home.

Wealthy. Powerful. Untouchable.

But behind its beautiful walls lived a family whose smiles concealed more secrets than anyone could imagine.

Xiao Xiao stood outside the mansion's entrance, staring at the place she had once called home.

She hadn't wanted to return.

Not tonight.

But her father's message had left her with little choice.

Come home immediately. We need to discuss your future.

Her lips curved into a humorless smile.

Her future?

For years, her father had shown little interest in her future. He had barely acknowledged her achievements, dismissed her opinions, and watched silently as his new wife treated her like an unwanted guest.

Now, suddenly, he wanted to discuss her future?

Something was wrong.

Xiao Xiao pushed open the door and walked inside.

"Well, look who's finally home."

The familiar voice came from the staircase.

Zhang Yuxi descended slowly, wearing a designer dress and a smug smile. At twenty-nine, she was only a year older than Xiao Xiao, but she carried herself as though the entire world belonged to her.

Perhaps it did.

At least, that was what their father wanted everyone to believe.

"Hello, Yuxi," Xiao Xiao replied calmly.

Yuxi glanced at her simple outfit and laughed.

"I heard you went for an interview today."

Xiao Xiao's expression remained unchanged.

"News travels quickly in this house."

"Of course. Especially when it's entertaining." Yuxi walked closer. "You, applying for a trainee position? How embarrassing."

"Why would it be embarrassing?"

"Because you're a Zhang! Shouldn't you be managing a company instead of begging another company to employ you?"

Xiao Xiao looked directly into her eyes.

"Some people are willing to learn before they take responsibility. Others are simply handed everything."

Yuxi's smile disappeared.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me."

For a moment, neither woman spoke.

Then Yuxi stepped closer and lowered her voice.

"Listen carefully, Xiao Xiao. Zhang Corporation belongs to this family now. You may have your mother's name and her memories, but don't mistake those things for power."

Xiao Xiao felt something tighten inside her chest.

Her mother.

Every time Yuxi mentioned her, it felt as though someone had pressed a finger against an old wound.

"My mother built Zhang Corporation," Xiao Xiao said quietly. "She worked for everything she had. One day, I'll make sure her efforts aren't forgotten."

Yuxi burst into laughter.

"You're still dreaming about taking the company back?"

"I'm not dreaming."

Xiao Xiao walked past her.

"I'm making plans."

"Plans?" Yuxi called after her. "You should be more worried about keeping the little position you applied for today!"

Xiao Xiao stopped.

She slowly turned around.

"What do you mean by that?"

Yuxi's smile returned.

"Oh, nothing. I'm sure Sheng Corporation has plenty of qualified applicants. Why would they choose someone like you?"

Xiao Xiao studied her stepsister's face.

There was something behind that smile.

Something deliberate.

But before she could question her, a voice interrupted them.

"That's enough."

Their father stood near the living room entrance.

Zhang Wei looked older than Xiao Xiao remembered, though his expensive suit and polished shoes still gave him the appearance of a successful businessman.

His gaze moved between the two women.

"Must you two argue every time you meet?"

"She started it," Yuxi complained immediately.

Xiao Xiao nearly laughed.

Of course.

Yuxi could insult her for ten minutes, but the moment Xiao Xiao responded, she became the victim.

"I didn't come home to argue," Xiao Xiao said. "You asked me to come. What do you want?"

Her father's expression hardened.

"I heard about your interview at Sheng Corporation."

"And?"

"And I don't approve."

Xiao Xiao blinked.

"You don't approve of me getting a job?"

"I don't approve of you involving yourself in business matters you don't understand."

"I studied business management for years."

"Studying is not the same as running a company."

"Then perhaps I should be given the opportunity to learn."

Zhang Wei's jaw tightened.

"Don't speak to me as though I'm your enemy."

Xiao Xiao stared at him.

She wanted to ask him why he had allowed her mother's company to slip away from her. Why he had never defended her when her stepmother humiliated her. Why he always seemed to find an excuse to support Yuxi while dismissing everything she accomplished.

But the questions had lived inside her for years.

And she was tired of receiving answers that meant nothing.

"I'm not treating you as my enemy, Father," she said. "I'm simply asking you to respect my choices."

Before he could respond, a woman's voice floated down the staircase.

"Darling, why are you shouting?"

Madam Li, Xiao Xiao's stepmother, appeared in an elegant silk robe. Her expression was gentle, almost concerned.

But Xiao Xiao knew better than to trust that appearance.

The woman had perfected the art of looking innocent while making other people miserable.

"Oh, Xiao Xiao," Madam Li said, feigning surprise. "You're home."

"Good evening."

Madam Li approached her husband and rested a hand on his arm.

"What happened?"

"Your stepdaughter insists on working at Sheng Corporation," Zhang Wei replied irritably.

Madam Li's eyes flickered briefly.

Then she smiled.

"Well, perhaps working will help her understand how difficult business can be."

It sounded like encouragement.

It wasn't.

"Of course," Xiao Xiao replied. "That's exactly why I'm applying."

Madam Li tilted her head.

"Just remember, dear, not everyone gets what they want simply because they believe they deserve it."

Xiao Xiao met her gaze.

"And not everyone deserves what they have simply because they possess it."

The silence that followed was immediate.

Yuxi's mouth fell open.

Zhang Wei looked furious.

Madam Li's smile vanished for a fraction of a second before returning.

"Such a sharp tongue," she murmured. "You sound more and more like your mother every day."

Xiao Xiao froze.

Her mother.

She had heard those words before, always spoken with a strange mixture of contempt and resentment.

Why did her stepmother hate being reminded of the woman who had died so many years ago?

And why did her father always become uncomfortable whenever Xiao Xiao asked questions about that night?

She remembered the funeral.

The whispers.

The sudden change in the household.

And the way Madam Li had entered their lives not long after her mother's death.

At twelve years old, Xiao Xiao hadn't understood what any of it meant.

Now, at twenty-eight, she wasn't so easily fooled.

She took a step toward Madam Li.

"Since you mentioned my mother, perhaps you can answer something for me."

Madam Li's expression stiffened.

"What is it?"

Xiao Xiao held her gaze.

"Why do you always look uncomfortable whenever I ask how my mother died?"

For the first time that evening, Madam Li had no immediate answer.

Zhang Wei suddenly slammed his hand against the table.

"Enough!"

Xiao Xiao turned toward him.

"Why? It's a simple question."

"I said enough!"

His voice echoed through the mansion.

For a moment, Xiao Xiao simply stared at him.

Then she noticed something.

Her father's hands were trembling.

Only slightly.

But they were.

And he wasn't looking at her.

He was looking at his wife.

Madam Li quickly recovered her composure.

"Your father is tired," she said smoothly. "We shouldn't disturb him with painful memories."

Xiao Xiao said nothing.

She had learned something important tonight.

Her questions made them uncomfortable.

And that meant she needed to ask more of them.

"Good night," she said before turning toward the stairs.

"Xiao Xiao!" her father called.

She stopped but didn't turn around.

"If you get that job at Sheng Corporation, don't let it go to your head. You're still a member of this family, and I expect you to remember your place."

Xiao Xiao slowly looked over her shoulder.

"My place?"

Her voice was quiet, but there was steel beneath it.

"I intend to find out exactly where I belong, Father. And when I do, nobody will be able to tell me otherwise."

She walked upstairs without waiting for his response.

Behind her, Yuxi scoffed.

Madam Li, however, wasn't smiling anymore.

She watched Xiao Xiao disappear down the corridor, her fingers tightening around the edge of her robe.

"She's asking questions again," Yuxi whispered.

Madam Li turned sharply.

"Then make sure she has something else to worry about."

Yuxi frowned.

"What are you planning?"

Her mother leaned closer and whispered something in her ear.

Whatever she said made Yuxi's expression change.

A slow smile spread across the younger woman's face.

"Are you sure this will work?"

Madam Li looked toward the staircase.

"It worked before."

Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper.

"And if we aren't careful, everything we built could come crashing down."

Neither woman noticed the figure standing in the shadow of the hallway above them.

A figure who had heard just enough to know that something was terribly wrong.

Xiao Xiao.

She stood perfectly still, her heart pounding.

It worked before.

What had worked before?

And what exactly had happened to her mother?

For the first time in sixteen years, Xiao Xiao felt certain of one thing.

Her mother's death was hiding a secret.

And she was going to uncover it.

To be continued… ❤️📚