I replied, “Everything’s fine,” then transferred most of my living allowance to Grandma.

In this house, I felt no love—but at least I got money.

Even though the monthly allowance they gave me wasn’t even enough to buy one of Gu Mingzhu’s dresses.

But to me, it was a huge sum—more than Grandma and I could earn selling baskets and baskets of vegetables.

I told her not to skimp on herself, to take good care of her health, and that I’d come visit her soon.

I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and was about to turn off my phone when a message from my homeroom teacher popped up.

“The Global Mathematics Competition is coming up soon. Do you want to sign up with me?”

Attached was a list of entry requirements.

My eyes lingered on the words “No entry restrictions,” and my heart couldn’t help but stir.

I loved math more than anything. Every night before bed, I’d close my eyes and visualize formulas, working through problems in my head.

Even after entering technical secondary school, I never gave up.

I’d chosen the only major remotely related to math—fashion design.

My homeroom teacher always praised me for my mathematical talent, and we were kindred spirits.

Whenever we had time, we’d get together to tackle tough problems.

That feeling of racking my brain, solving a problem step by step, and finally writing down the answer with a sense of clarity was absolutely intoxicating.

“I think you have what it takes to compete. Even if you don’t win first place, it’ll be a great experience.”

But as I looked at the million-yuan prize for the top three finishers, my resolve strengthened.

I agreed without hesitation.

In the days that followed, I buried myself in a sea of competition papers, throwing myself fully into preparation.

At home, aside from meal times, I stayed cooped up in my room, studying nonstop.

I’d always been invisible in this family anyway—they were more than happy to ignore me.

And I was happy to ignore them too.

My mind was filled with nothing but solving problems; I didn’t even have time to feel sad.

Gu Mingzhu tried to sabotage me, but she couldn’t find a single opportunity.

Then, at the dinner table, she cleared her throat loudly. Under everyone’s gaze, she pulled out the registration form for the Global Mathematics Competition.

“This is a global competition—it’s way too showy. I didn’t even want to sign up, but my advisor insisted. I had no choice.”

She flipped her long hair, putting on a humble expression.

Mom, Dad, and my brother took the form, their eyes lighting up. They showered Gu Mingzhu with praise, calling her the pride of the family.

If you didn’t know better, you’d think she’d already won first place, not just signed up!

I kept my head down, shoveling food into my mouth, trying my best to stay out of sight.

But just then, Gu Mingzhu grabbed my wrist.

“Sister, are you entering this competition too? I saw this form in your bag the other day!”

My mind went blank for a second. I met her gaze, then suddenly remembered—after I’d taken a shower that day,

I’d caught Gu Mingzhu sneaking around my room. She’d claimed she was bringing me cake.

I gritted my teeth. “You went through my bag without permission?”

Bang! Dad slammed his chopsticks on the table, glaring at me coldly.

“Only top students from famous universities enter this competition. What are you doing, a technical school student, meddling in things that don’t concern you?!”

“Are you not embarrassed enough at home that you have to go humiliate us in front of thousands of people?!”

Before I could speak, Gu Mingzhu cut in first.

“Maybe she heard my advisor talking to me about it earlier. She probably wanted to prove herself by entering the same competition as me.”

My brother sneered at me, his eyes sharp as knives, piercing right through me.

“So you’re not just a simpleton—you’re a copycat too.”

“I didn’t…”

I tried to defend myself, but they wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise.

“When you can’t even understand the questions, you’ll be so embarrassed! We certainly will be!”

“Do you know how high your sister scored on her college entrance exam? You didn’t even get into a proper high school—how dare you compare yourself to her?”

“Know your place! Don’t overestimate yourself!”

A flood of harsh accusations crashed over me, making it impossible to breathe.

I slammed my chopsticks down and stormed back to my room.

“She has the nerve to throw a tantrum? So uneducated!”

“Cancel your registration right now, do you hear me?!”

“If we’d known we’d have a daughter like this, why did we even bother finding her? We should’ve left her to fend for herself!”

I covered my ears, refusing to listen, and rushed back to my room, locking the door behind me. Only then could I finally catch my breath.