Xia Qingkong kept her head down, silent, as Xia Qingchuan looked at her cold demeanor and beautiful face with even greater disdain. Why should good things always fall to her? Returning to the Xia family and still dressed like this, how could she be eligible for a marriage alliance with a wealthy family? "Qingkong," he said.

Xia Qingkong had been enduring Xia Qingchuan's mockery with her head lowered, but at this moment, she heard a deep voice and looked up to see Xia Zhenghua—her father.

Xia Zhenghua stepped forward, ready to question why she didn't return to the living room first upon arriving at the house but instead lingered at the entrance. Now he also noticed the clothes on Xia Qingkong. "This..."

"Dad, ask Yun Shen where he picked up Sister Qingkong from," Xia Qingchuan said, immediately stepping forward and linking her arm with Xia Zhenghua's, speaking discontentedly upon seeing his hesitation.

"Crown Entertainment Club," Zhou Yun Shen answered honestly when he saw Xia Zhenghua looking at him.

Xia Zhenghua knew all too well what the Crown Entertainment Club was, and his eyes darkened as he looked at Xia Qingkong.

Xia Qingkong kept her head down, silent, defaulting to all of this.

The hardships Xia Qingkong faced living outside... even working as a waitress was nothing.

Xia Zhenghua sighed, ready to let it go, but then he heard Shen Miaoyu say, "She has been wandering outside for many years, don't be so harsh on her, she is still a child who doesn't understand."

Xia Qingchuan was not pleased and pouted at her mother.

"But she should still know her own identity, right? Dad had people looking for Sister Qingkong a long time ago. How do you think others will view our family when she dresses like this?"

The two of them echoed each other, and Xia Zhenghua's originally relaxed eyebrows furrowed tightly again. Xia Qingkong's identity had already spread in SH City. Recently, Xia's family had been under financial strain, and the negotiations for cooperation couldn't be finalized. If any more bad scandals came out, the blow would be significant. Thinking of this, Xia Zhenghua's gaze towards Xia Qingkong carried a hint of disgust. However, when he just looked at Xia Qingkong, he couldn't help but freeze. Xia Qingkong still looked soft and weak, but her eyes were bright, as if all her expectations had fallen through. Xia Zhenghua's words were stuck in his throat, and before he could speak, he was interrupted by Xia Qingkong. Xia Qingkong pulled out the contract from her waist and handed it to Xia Zhenghua with both hands, her eyes timid, like a little rabbit. Xia Zhenghua was stunned, reached out to take the stack of papers, and upon closer inspection, his hands immediately... This is... this is... Shen Miaoyu curiously looked and her brain buzzed. This was actually the contract that couldn't be agreed upon in the previous negotiations with Zhou's Enterprise! Xia Zhenghua's hands were slightly trembling. This contract from Zhou's Enterprise was the key to Xia's family's current crisis. However, because Tengyun Enterprise had been trying to swallow them up, Zhou's had the intention to sign a contract with Tengyun for a joint venture. Xia Zhenghua personally showed sincerity and negotiated with Zhou's, but the contract had not been signed. 'How... how did you sign this...' Xia Zhenghua looked at Xia Qingkong in surprise. This daughter, who had been lost for nearly twenty years, had given him such a big surprise as soon as she returned home. Xia Qingkong lowered her head, brewed her emotions, and then looked up at Xia Zhenghua with tears in her eyes. 'Previously, when Dad found me and asked me to come back, I had been wandering outside and wasn't ready. I had given too little to the Xia family. Later, when I heard that Dad's company was in trouble, I thought about helping Dad do what I could, so I would have the qualifications to return to the Xia family...' Xia Qingkong was almost moved to tears by her own words. Previously, she didn't want to return to the Xia family because the family dynamics were complex and she didn't want to get involved. Later, when Shen Miaoyu sent someone to create a car accident to assassinate her, she knew what was coming. Since she was going to return, instead of passively waiting to be slaughtered, it was better to take the initiative! Xia Zhenghua looked at Xia Qingkong with new respect, and at this moment, he didn't care about what she was wearing, he directly took off his coat and put it on Xia Qingkong. 'So you dressed like this at the Crown to help Dad?'

"Yes..." Xia Qingkong deliberately shrank back as Xia Zhenghua hurriedly instructed someone to prepare hot water and led Xia Qingkong into the courtyard. Xia Qingchuan, who was following behind, finally reacted, stamping his foot in anger. It was simply infuriating! Just as Xia Qingkong reached the entrance of the main hall and extended his hand, he saw a gray shadow darting towards him. "Woof, woof!" The white-haired dog wagged its tail, eagerly biting at Xia Qingkong's hand. "Ah!" Startled, Xia Qingkong shook his hand vigorously, trying to shake off the dog. In that moment of hesitation, Xia Qingkong was bitten, and with a tearing sound, a large gash appeared on his hand. Xia Qingkong glanced at the dog, then calmly fell to the ground, rolling around with the white-haired dog. "Quick, save the master!" Xia Qingkong pretended to struggle with the white-haired dog while keeping an eye on the bodyguards beside him. They were obviously anxious, fearing something might happen to him, but they dared not approach. The white-haired dog in front of him looked like a mad dog, frolicking and rolling around, but its fur was smooth, indicating it was well-groomed. Seeing Xia Qingchuan standing aside with his arms crossed, watching the drama unfold, Xia Qingkong understood what was going on. So this was a way to give him a warning! As the group of bodyguards were about to surround them, Xia Qingkong immediately shouted loudly, "Don't move!" The bodyguards breathed a sigh of relief; they couldn't harm the second young master's beloved pet, nor could they let the dog hurt the young master. Xia Qingkong's intervention greatly reduced their psychological pressure, but before they could steady themselves, they heard Xia Qingkong shout with a righteous demeanor. "This is a mad dog, don't come any closer, it will bite!"

And Xia Qingchuan and Shen Miaoyu stood aside, watching coldly, as if to give Xia Qingkong a lesson, reminding that they were the true members of the Xia family! But as soon as Xia Qingkong finished shouting, a knife appeared out of nowhere, its blade flashing coldly under the light. Xia Qingchuan's face changed, her heart skipped a beat, and before she could scream, she heard a howl, and her legs went weak. It was then that Xia Qingkong kicked away the white-haired dog she had just stabbed to death, stood up, tugged at her torn clothes, and threw the knife on the ground with a clatter. The loud noise snapped Xia Zhenghua and the others out of their shock. Xia Zhenghua quickly ran up, grabbed Xia Qingkong's arm, and asked, 'Are you alright? Are you alright? Look at the bite from the dog!' Xia Qingchuan's eyes welled up with tears, ready to step forward and scold angrily, but she was held back by her mother. That was her most beloved Hungarian Shepherd Dog! 'I'm fine.' Xia Zhenghua glanced reproachfully at the butler, 'Where did this dog come from? Why wasn't it taken care of?' 'It seems to be the second...' someone whispered from the side. 'It's Qingchuan's dog?'