Throwing the First Punch
Gu Xi’s eyes flew open.
Faint voices drifted in from outside the door, accompanied by bursts of cheerful laughter. Her sluggish mind gradually began to clear.
She… was alive again?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, she abruptly sat up. She had moved too quickly, and her vision immediately darkened. She nearly collapsed back onto the bed and had to brace herself with both hands. It took quite a while before the dizziness finally passed.
She touched her forehead. It seemed to be burning.
Her body felt terribly weak—uncomfortable and unfamiliar. The sensation made her keenly aware that she truly had come back to life.
Gu Xi turned to look around and could not help freezing.
The room was extremely familiar. It was the room she had lived in for five years after coming to the Gu family at the age of fifteen.
The room was not large and contained very few belongings. A desk stood facing the window, with several books piled on top of it. A few yellowed certificates from another era were pasted on the wall beside it. There was also a wardrobe with peeling paint, a triangular rack holding a shoulder bag and several pieces of clothing, one chair, and a single bed.
That was all.
It was so sparsely furnished that it did not look like a room in which a girl had lived for years. It was as though she were merely a temporary guest here.
After sitting for a while, Gu Xi felt some strength return to her body. She threw off the blanket, climbed out of bed, and stumbled dazedly towards the door.
When she opened it, the voices coming from downstairs became clearer.
—
“Second Brother, are you really giving me this watch? Mine broke, and I was just thinking of buying a new one.”
Gu Yuanxiang raised her wrist and happily admired the watch fastened around it. Recognising it as a foreign brand, she became even more delighted.
“Of course. This is a luxury item I bought after saving more than half a year’s salary,” Gu Yuanzheng said with a smile. “Consider it a belated birthday present to make up for not being able to come home and celebrate with you last week.”
Gu Yuanxiang said happily, “Thank you, Second Brother! I love it!”
Beside them, Gu Yuanhui was eating snacks. Feeling somewhat left out, he complained, “Sis, why are you only thanking Second Brother? I gave you a birthday present too, but you didn’t thank me at the time!”
Gu Yuanxiang immediately replied, “Of course I’m grateful to you too, Yuanhui. I really like the pearl hair tie you gave me!”
She truly did like that pearl hair tie. It was decorated with pearls and looked both beautiful and fashionable. Anyone could tell at a glance that it had been expensive.
“That’s good. Junzi and the others helped me pick it out at the department store. That thing was ridiculously expensive. I spent all the pocket money I’d recently saved, and now I don’t even have money for food. Junzi and the others have been treating me, so I’ll have to pay them back later…”
Gu Yuanhui began to complain. He was only a middle-school student and did not receive much pocket money. In order to buy Gu Yuanxiang a birthday present, he had not only spent all his savings but also borrowed some money from his friends.
He really could not understand how a mere hair tie could become so expensive just because a few pearls had been attached to it.
Girls were troublesome.
Gu Xi slowly walked over to the staircase and looked down at the three people sitting on the living-room sofa.
They had made no effort to lower their voices and were currently examining the things Gu Yuanzheng had brought back from his business trip to Shanghai.
Last week had been Gu Yuanxiang’s twentieth birthday. Although adults of this era generally did not place much importance on their children’s birthdays, the Gu family had still prepared presents for her.
Gu Yuanzheng had been away in Shanghai on business, but he had remembered the occasion and deliberately brought back a birthday present for her.
Gu Xi calmly watched the three siblings enjoying themselves downstairs.
In her previous life, witnessing such a scene might have made her feel miserable or even inferior.
She and Gu Yuanxiang had been born on the same day. They shared the same birthday, yet neither her second brother, Gu Yuanzheng, nor her younger brother, Gu Yuanhui, had prepared a present for her.
Only her biological mother, Jiang Huijun, had bought her a silk scarf.
Of course, Gu Yuanxiang had received an identical scarf.
Gu Xi and Gu Yuanxiang had been accidentally switched at birth in the hospital. One had grown up in a government compound as the well-fed and well-clothed daughter of a cadre, while the other had become an illiterate village girl.
It was not until she turned fifteen that Gu Xi returned to the Gu family.
The Gu family had raised Gu Yuanxiang for fifteen years and could not bear to send her away. Even after Gu Xi returned, they allowed Gu Yuanxiang to remain in the family as their daughter.
Human emotions were strange.
Although Gu Xi was the Gu family’s true biological daughter, they still preferred the lively and cheerful Gu Yuanxiang. Perhaps this affection had been nurtured through fifteen years of living together.
A fifteen-year absence could not be filled by blood alone.
However, once a person had died, even the deepest love, hatred, and resentment became easier to let go of.
Gu Xi no longer yearned for things that had never belonged to her.
Holding the banister, she slowly walked downstairs.
When the three of them saw her, their laughter abruptly stopped.
Gu Yuanzheng glanced at her. The smile on his face faded slightly as he picked up the cup on the table and took a drink.
Gu Yuanhui clicked his tongue and curled his lip.
“Lazy woman. Look what time it is, and you’re still sleeping. Second Brother came home, yet you couldn’t even be bothered to come out and greet him. What kind of attitude is that?”
Gu Yuanxiang said nothing, pretending to be busy adjusting the watch strap around her wrist.
There were seven people in the Gu family: Gu Maowen and his wife, Jiang Huijun; their eldest son, Gu Yuanyang, who served in the army; their second son, Gu Yuanzheng, who worked at the steel factory; their eldest daughter, Gu Xi, who had just graduated from high school; their second daughter, Gu Yuanxiang, who attended university; and their youngest son, sixteen-year-old Gu Yuanhui.
Apart from Gu Yuanyang, who was stationed with the army, the rest of the Gu family lived here.
Summer holiday had just begun, so Gu Xi, Gu Yuanxiang, and Gu Yuanhui were usually all at home.
Gu Xi ignored them and went into the bathroom to wash her face.
As she washed, she looked into the mirror. Seeing her own face reflected there, she could not help falling into a daze.
Perhaps she had been dead for too long. It had been many years since she had last seen her own face. The experience felt almost like stepping into another lifetime, and everything seemed unfamiliar.
After washing her face, she finally felt more alert. The fact that she had returned to life became even more vivid and undeniable.
Since she had been given another chance at life, she would treasure it properly.
She had spent several decades as a wandering ghost after her death. Being all alone had been unbearably lonely.
The desolation of being the only person in one’s entire world had been terrifying. It had seemed endless, as though she would have to endure it until the end of the world itself.
Gu Xi pulled herself together and left the bathroom. Ignoring the three people in the living room, she returned to her bedroom, changed her clothes, and picked up the shoulder bag hanging from the rack.
When she came downstairs again and was about to leave, Gu Yuanxiang suddenly called out to her.
“Xixi.” Gu Yuanxiang smiled brightly. “Where are you going? Are you going out to look for work?”
Gu Xi stopped and turned to look at her.
Gu Yuanxiang continued with a smile, “You really don’t have to rush. You’ve only just graduated from high school, so you can stay home and rest for a while. Mum and Dad don’t mind supporting you. You don’t need to work as hard as Second Brother.”
Gu Xi did not respond. She merely stared at her, as though considering what she was truly trying to say.
Her cheeks were flushed an unhealthy red, making her eyes appear misty and dazed. Her thick black hair had been simply tied behind her head. Dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, she stood there gracefully, like a lotus blooming in midsummer, possessing a quiet and striking beauty.
The smile on Gu Yuanxiang’s face stiffened slightly, and an uncomfortable feeling rose in her heart.
Gu Xi was exceptionally beautiful, although she did not resemble the other members of the Gu family. It was said that she looked more like Jiang Huijun’s mother—the Gu siblings’ maternal grandmother, Old Madam Jiang.
Old Madam Jiang had apparently been a breathtaking beauty in her youth. Unfortunately, none of the children she had given birth to resembled her.
Only her granddaughter, Gu Xi, had completely inherited her beauty.
That was also why the Gu family had noticed Gu Xi and brought her back five years ago.
There was no woman who did not care about her appearance, and Gu Yuanxiang was no exception.
She envied Gu Xi’s beauty even more than she envied the fact that Gu Xi was the Gu family’s true daughter, while she was merely the fake heiress who had been switched at birth.
When Gu Xi had first been brought back, she had been a complete country bumpkin. She had been thin, dark, and short, with dry, yellow hair and the appearance of someone suffering from malnutrition.
Although the foundation of her features had been excellent, she could hardly have been considered beautiful at the time.
Who could have known that after being properly nourished for several years, she would suddenly shoot up in height? Her skin had become fair, and her superior features had grown increasingly prominent.
She had truly transformed as she matured.
Every time Gu Yuanxiang saw how much Gu Xi had changed, she felt uncomfortable.
That discomfort always made her want to do something.
Fortunately, although Gu Xi was the Gu family’s true daughter, their parents and brothers still sided with Gu Yuanxiang and liked her more.
Perhaps that was also related to Gu Xi’s strange temperament.
So what if she was the Gu family’s biological daughter?
Gu Xi had been ground down by poverty and hardship in the countryside for fifteen years. She had grown timid and cowardly, rarely speaking and always keeping to herself. She was also clumsy with words and thoroughly unlikeable.
Adults generally did not like children of that sort.
As Gu Yuanxiang silently comforted herself, Gu Yuanhui clicked his tongue and crossed one leg over the other.
“Look for a job? What kind of job could someone as pathetic as her possibly find? No one would think much of her. She’d be better off staying home and working instead of going outside and embarrassing herself.”
He continued arrogantly, “She can serve us properly. If she does a good job, we can even pay her a salary. She’s used to doing this kind of work in the countryside anyway.”
“You can’t say that,” Gu Yuanxiang replied. “It wasn’t easy for Xixi to graduate from high school. She’s already done very well.”
After all, Gu Xi had been completely illiterate when the family first brought her back. The fact that she had managed to graduate from high school was already extremely impressive.
Gu Yuanhui looked disdainful.
“When she was fifteen, she had to squeeze into a classroom with a bunch of primary-school children. It was so embarrassing. I really don’t understand why Mum and Dad brought her back. She’s a disgrace to our family.”
Gu Yuanxiang cried out in protest and scolded him playfully, telling him not to speak about Xixi that way.
Unfortunately, Gu Yuanhui had always liked contradicting others. The more she tried to stop him, the harsher his words became.
He criticised Gu Xi until she appeared completely worthless, as though even her existence itself were a mistake.
Gu Yuanzheng remained silent. He checked the time before saying to Gu Xi, “Gu Xi, go and make lunch. Mum and Dad should be home soon.”
The Gu family had previously employed a housekeeper, a distant relative who had helped with the household chores. Later, the woman had returned to her hometown after her grandson was born.
The family had been planning to hire someone else, but after learning that Gu Xi could cook, they had abandoned the idea.
Whenever Gu Xi was at home, she was responsible for preparing the meals.
Gu Xi stared at them expressionlessly.
When she remained standing there without moving, Gu Yuanhui grew annoyed and ordered her around arrogantly.
“Hey! Second Brother told you to go and cook! He’s just come back from a business trip to Shanghai. Hurry up and make him something to eat.”
Gu Yuanxiang found a tin of biscuits and handed it to Gu Yuanzheng.
“Second Brother, why didn’t you say you were hungry? Have some biscuits first. Why don’t we ask Xixi to make you a bowl of noodles? The noodles she cooks are quite good.”
“That works.” Gu Yuanzheng truly was tired and hungry, so he was not particularly fussy.
Gu Xi still did not move. Her gaze fell upon the items on the table.
“Is there a birthday present for me?” she asked.
Gu Yuanzheng froze.
For once, genuine surprise appeared on his face, as though he had never expected her to ask him for a birthday present.
Whenever they had forgotten in the past, she had never mentioned it.
It was as though she were afraid of causing them trouble.
Since she never asked, they naturally did not have to waste any thought on her.
“No,” he replied indifferently. “I didn’t have enough money, so I bought Xiangxiang’s first. I’ll buy you something next time.”
As for when “next time” would come, no one knew.
The Gu family had grown accustomed to overlooking Gu Xi. It was not only because they had missed fifteen years of her life, but also because she was far too quiet and withdrawn and never took the initiative.
Affection was mutual and had to be nurtured. Even relatives connected by blood would not approach you unconditionally, think about you in every situation, or always take your needs into consideration.
When a person never took the initiative to maintain a relationship, others would eventually stop caring and gradually forget about them.
That was exactly what had happened between Gu Xi and the Gu family.
Perhaps they had felt some guilt when she first returned, but guilt did not last forever. It faded with the passing of time.
Ultimately, she was merely a stranger connected to them by blood.
A stranger who had even brought embarrassment upon the Gu family.
Gu Yuanhui had not expected her to ask for a present. He gave a mocking laugh.
“I’ve never seen anyone shameless enough to directly ask someone else for a present! What? Do you want a watch too? Can someone like you even afford one?”
He looked Gu Xi up and down. Suddenly remembering something, his face filled with contempt.
“I heard that some disreputable young men went to your school looking for you a while ago, and you even went out with them. You’ve already humiliated our family enough. You’d better not do anything that will bring further shame to the Gu family.”
He sneered.
“What happens if someone reports you for being a loose woman one day—”
He had gone too far.
Gu Yuanzheng frowned.
Just as he was about to scold him, Gu Xi strode over, seized Gu Yuanhui by the collar, and punched him.
The blow sent him tumbling from the sofa onto the floor.
Gu Yuanhui let out a howl. The pain was so intense that tears immediately sprang from his eyes.
Gu Yuanzheng and Gu Yuanxiang stared in stunned silence, unable to believe that she had actually hit him.
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