Chapter 60: An Xiaobei

A speedboat approached on the water.

On board sat one woman and two men.

The woman wore sunglasses and the latest designer suit from a luxury brand, holding a half-finished bottle of Perrier in her hand.

The two men looked like her bodyguards—one piloted the boat, the other kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings.

Aside from the snacks and drinks the woman was enjoying, there was nothing else on the boat. It was obvious they weren’t here to trade supplies.

It looked more like they were out for a picnic, bringing along their favorite treats.

The moment An Nan saw the woman, her brows furrowed.

An Xiaobei.

—The illegitimate daughter her scumbag father kept outside.

Not long before the disaster struck, An Nan’s mother had just passed away, and An Xingye brought An Xiaobei and her mother into the family home.

That was the first time An Nan met her.

She was instantly annoying at first glance: not only did her features bear a passing resemblance to An Nan’s, but her clothes and style were all imitations, even her name was a cheap knockoff.

An Nan, An Xiaobei.

South and North—what’s next, East and West? Why not get a full set and play a round of mahjong?

What bad luck.

Beside her, Chu Peipei, who didn’t know the whole story, looked at An Xiaobei’s “I’m the most noble person here” attitude and couldn’t help but sigh:

“Princesses from rich families really do have it good. Even after a disaster, their lives aren’t nearly as hard as ours.”

Chu Peipei came from the most ordinary background.

She’d relied on herself every step of the way—studying hard, getting into college, working at a hospital, saving up to buy her own apartment and car, carving out a little corner for herself in the city.

She still had a mortgage and car payments, but life was steadily getting better.

Who would have thought that overnight, everything would be reset to zero?

But look at them—disaster or not, it seemed like the rich barely felt a thing.

An Nan looked at An Xiaobei flaunting herself and felt nothing but contempt.

A barnyard chicken perches on a high branch and thinks she’s a phoenix?

What kind of “princess” is she supposed to be?

Everything An Xiaobei enjoyed now was earned by her own grandparents, and had nothing to do with the An family.

If it weren’t for An Xingye, that “phoenix man,” stealing the inheritance her grandparents and mother left her, what would An Xiaobei have to do with any of this?

Her mother was just a village woman from the same hometown as An Xingye, who became a mistress and then suddenly transformed into a rich lady.

She wasn’t even fit to carry An Nan’s mother’s shoes.

An Nan comforted Chu Peipei: “You won’t always be struggling, and she might not be able to hold onto her wealth forever. Who knows what the future holds?”

The rich always have a stronger buffer against sudden changes.

Like now—three months into the disaster, An Xiaobei still had bodyguards and a driver.

But as the disaster dragged on, even the rich would find it harder and harder to survive.

An Nan knew for a fact that during the extreme cold, An Xingye’s family could barely manage half a meal a day.

Life would only get harder for them.

Chu Peipei nodded at her words. “You’re right, An Nan. I shouldn’t be so down. Things will get better!”

Not long ago, she could barely get a few crackers to eat—she’d nearly lost her life.

But now she had food, meat, supplies, and had even met An Nan, her lucky star. Heaven hadn’t treated her so badly after all!

Seeing Chu Peipei’s renewed fighting spirit, An Nan couldn’t help but smile.

What a tough little woman.

Always positive, always full of energy and determination.

Meanwhile, An Xiaobei quickly brought her boat alongside the man in the suit.

“Long Cong’an, what are you doing here in the villa district? It wasn’t enough to plant cucumbers next to the rare trees, now you’re selling vegetables too?”

The man in the suit—Long Cong’an—looked annoyed at the troublemaker.

“What do you care what I plant? I want to sell vegetables, so what?”

“Tch! I really don’t get why President Gu would lend you a villa. Trash is still trash—even after moving into a villa, you’re still growing vegetables inside.”

It was obvious the two knew each other, and probably clashed often.

Long Cong’an was fuming at her relentless attitude.

An Nan, disgusted by An Xiaobei’s arrogance, sneered:

“You call others trash—what kind of ‘elite’ do you think you are?”

Earlier, An Nan had been blocked from An Xiaobei’s view by Zhao Ping’an, so An Xiaobei hadn’t seen her.

Now, hearing An Nan’s voice, she looked over and finally noticed the familiar beauty standing on the other boat.

An Xiaobei froze, then her eyes widened in shock.

“An Nan?!”

She’d recognize that woman even if she turned to ash!

Especially since An Nan’s appearance hadn’t changed at all—while everyone else outside was gaunt and haggard from hunger, she was still as dazzling as ever.

An Xiaobei had hidden in the shadows countless times, watching An Nan.

As an illegitimate daughter, she could never show her face. Every time she missed her father, she had to wait a long time for a secret, fleeting meeting.

As a child, she couldn’t ride on her father’s shoulders at the amusement park like other kids. When she grew up, she couldn’t go for a drive with him.

She couldn’t even tell any friends who her father was.

But An Nan was nothing like her.

She was the girl who lived in the sunlight—a dazzling little princess, the apple of her family’s eye.

Sometimes, An Xiaobei would secretly follow her, like a rat hiding in the gutter, peeking at her glittering life.

Watching her stroll through the mall on her father’s arm, sweeping up countless pretty dresses.

Watching her live in the unattainable villa on the hillside, with a whole floor to herself.

Watching her throw a grand, glamorous coming-of-age party at a five-star hotel when she turned eighteen.

And on An Xiaobei’s own eighteenth birthday, all she got was a bank transfer from her father—because he was vacationing abroad with An Nan and her mother at the time.

If you asked An Xiaobei who she hated most in this world, it would definitely be An Nan.

An Xiaobei stood up, every muscle tense, ready for battle.

“Well, if it isn’t my dear sister! Long time no see—down on your luck, are you?”

She took off her sunglasses and looked An Nan up and down. “You used to wear nothing but custom designer dresses—what’s with the tracksuit now?”

An Nan shot her a look of pure disdain.

“Only people who can’t afford nice things care so much about what others are wearing. What, you finally got to wear some clothes you never touched before, and now you think you’re some kind of immortal?”

Before An Xiaobei could retort, An Nan continued:

“And who’s your sister? I’m an only child—I don’t have any sisters.

Oh, I almost forgot, you’re the illegitimate daughter An Xingye kept outside—over twenty years old and you’ve barely even seen your own dad, right?”

An Nan always knew exactly where to stab to make it hurt most."