During those busy days of preparation, Xia Wan devoted herself wholeheartedly; she was not blindly following others and doing futile work.

To her, these items, which carried the original owner's memories, were like ancient keys radiating a mysterious light. She secretly hoped that they might be the key to awakening Xia Shuhua's soul.

Every painting her aunt had painstakingly created, every page of her diary filled with her thoughts, and every toy she had cherished as a child were treasures she treasured dearly.

Xia Wan eagerly anticipated that when these items were presented to her aunt, they would be like a warm spring breeze, gently brushing away the dust of time, allowing her aunt to rediscover her former innocent and kind self, and completely break free from Zhao Guodong's demonic and evil control.

She firmly believes that these items, filled with past laughter and warmth, will surely touch the softest part of her aunt's heart and awaken her dormant conscience and kinship.

Finally, everything was ready. Xia Xiong carefully arranged for someone to send a letter to Xia Shuhua, inviting her to come home for dinner that evening.

To prevent the Zhao family from interfering or obstructing the process, he specially wrote a sincere and heartfelt letter and had it delivered along with the letter. Every word in this letter was filled with a father's deep longing and endless concern for his daughter.

It is a deep affection that transcends the years, filled with memories of the past, including Shuhua's childhood laughter and the little things along the way.

At the same time, the letter was also full of concern and high expectations for her, hoping that she could see reality clearly as soon as possible and return to this warm and loving home.

Every word seemed to carry warmth, bearing the hopes of the family, enough to warm Shuhua's blinded heart.

At that moment, Xia Shuhua was sitting in Zhao Guodong's study, idly flipping through the newspaper. Her eyes revealed a hint of laziness and boredom, her fingers mechanically turning the pages of the newspaper, but her mind had already drifted far away.

Suddenly, upon seeing the familiar handwriting on the envelope, she paused slightly, a complex emotion welling up within her.

That was the original owner's lingering attachment to home. Though faint, it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples that could not be ignored.

This fleeting emotion, like a ripple on a calm lake, broke the long-standing ice of indifference within her heart.

In her heart, it was as if a long-sealed door had been gently pushed open a crack by this emotion, and a long-lost warmth and familiarity quietly seeped in.

Zhao Guodong looked up from the desk piled with documents next to him and keenly noticed her unusual behavior.

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, fell on the envelope, and his face instantly darkened, as if a storm was about to break and dark clouds were gathering.

His eyes were filled with vigilance and suspicion, as if the letter were a bomb that could explode at any moment and destroy everything. His heart was filled with unease and distrust, fearing that the letter would ruin his carefully planned scheme.

"Who sent you the letter?" Zhao Guodong's tone was icy, each word seemingly carrying the frost of winter, exuding an undeniable sense of oppression.

His voice was deep and authoritative, as if it came from the depths of hell, sending chills down one's spine.

The tone revealed an extremely strong desire for control, as if he wanted to firmly grasp the ins and outs of this letter.

Xia Shuhua pouted and reluctantly handed the letter to Zhao Guodong: "It's from my family, asking me to go home for dinner tonight."

Clearly, apart from the faint emotions left by the original owner, the current Xia Shuhua, who has been possessed, has no goodwill towards the Xia family.

In her blinded eyes, the Xia family members were all stumbling blocks on her path to so-called "happiness," obstacles that had to be removed.

Her heart was already filled with Zhao Guodong's sweet words, and she lost the ability to make correct judgments about her family.

Zhao Guodong stood up, walked a few steps to her, snatched the letter with a swift and decisive motion, and quickly began to browse through it.

His gaze swept across the letter like lightning, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper, as if he could trap a fly in them.

After reading it, his eyes were as cold as an abyss, as if they could devour people mercilessly, but his tone was as gentle as a spring breeze, carrying a false concern: "Then go ahead, do you need me to come with you?"

In his mind, he was rapidly calculating how to deal with the situation, but on the surface, he pretended to be caring and considerate.

"I don't want to go..." At this moment, Xia Shuhua looked at Zhao Guodong with eyes full of longing, as if he was the whole meaning of her life, the oxygen she depended on for survival.

She nestled tightly in Zhao Guodong's arms, like a docile kitten who had lost her sense of self. She was completely deceived by the illusion Zhao Guodong had created and had lost all ability to judge for herself.

Zhao Guodong gently stroked Xia Shuhua's hair, a seemingly doting yet calculating smile playing on his lips. He said, "If Shuhua doesn't want to go, then we won't go. They're probably trying to persuade you to leave me again. How could I bear to let you face those unhappy scenes?"

Although he didn't know why Xia Shuhua had changed so much recently, her current foolishly obedient manner saved him a lot of trouble.

He secretly rejoiced, as if he had gotten a great deal, and smugly plotted his next scheme. He felt he had everything under control, unaware that danger was quietly approaching.

Xia Shuhua nestled in his arms and nodded heavily, as if Zhao Guodong was her whole world, someone she was willing to give everything for.

She secretly grumbled to herself, "I don't want to go back to the Xia family at all. That old man and his two daughters can't stand me no matter what I do. They're always thinking about how to scheme against Brother Guodong!"

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