I was the long-lost "True Heiress" returning home, expecting a dramatic scene of sorting out who belonged where. Instead, my family was fiercely protective of the "Fake Heiress." Mom and Dad hemmed and hawed: "You don't understand... it's just not convenient for Chloe to leave us." My brother was equally vague: "Chloe isn't like other girls. You'll get it when you meet her." My brain instantly conjured an image of a delicate, fragile white lotus flower. My heart sank. Then the door burst open. A girl as agile as a falcon slammed her hand on the table and cupped her fist in a martial arts salute: "Sister! I've occupied your nest for so many years. I have no way to repay you, so I hereby return all the spicy, numbing flavor of these years to you!" With that, she lowered her head and swallowed a bowl full of ghost peppers and Sichuan peppercorns whole! She choked so hard her eyes rolled back. Instantly, I understood my parents' and brother's hesitation. This wasn't a white lotus. This was a total idiot! 1 Mom and Dad rushed over, one handing her water, the other patting her back. "Oh my god, you big dummy! Your sister just got home, she's not ready for this level of crazy! Don't scare her!" Chloe, tears and snot streaming down her face from the spice, wailed loudly: "I just feel so bad thinking about how I enjoyed all the good life meant for my sister!" "Why did I get all the good stuff? I have to torture myself a little, or I can't let this go!" My brother, Jason, patted my shoulder like this was normal. "See? I told you Chloe isn't like other girls. Now you get it?" "With a brain like hers, if she left the family, she'd probably cause a national incident." I looked at the energetic Chloe and felt an inexplicable warmth. Seeing she was about to swallow more raw peppers, I quickly interrupted: "Wait a second. Who said I had a bad life?" The wailing stopped abruptly. Chloe looked at me suspiciously. "Look at your skinny frame—" I sighed. "I have a high metabolism. I can't gain weight no matter what I eat." "My parents—oh, wait, your parents—always tried to fatten me up, but my body just wouldn't cooperate." Mom looked at her own slender figure and nodded in agreement. "This child takes after me." Chloe looked at me with teary eyes. "But Jason said your parents—I mean, my parents—didn't even come to see you off—" I laughed. "Dad is leading his team at an international competition, and Mom has a critical surgery. Neither of them could get away." "They really wanted to see you and told me to get along with you." Chloe's eyes lit up, and she grabbed my hands. "Really? What are our parents like? Do you have photos? Tell me everything!" I pulled out my phone. The wallpaper was a family photo. "This is Dad," I pointed to a huge, muscular man. "He's an MMA coach, currently leading a team abroad." Chloe gasped. "No wonder I've always loved fighting! It's genetic!" I pointed to the tall, cool woman. "This is Mom. She's an amazing doctor. When she was young, she saved so many lives during the big earthquake!" "Legend has it they met when Dad stopped a patient from attacking Mom at the hospital. Dad got hurt, Mom stitched him up, and it was love at first sight." Chloe was shocked. "Huh? Isn't Dad an MMA coach? How did he get hurt?" I kept a straight face. "...He gripped too hard and got glass shards in his hand." The whole table burst out laughing. In the center of the photo, being hugged by them, was a delicate girl like a porcelain doll. Though I looked nothing like them, our smiles were equally bright. That was me, Sarah Xu. 2 I knew early on I wasn't my parents' biological daughter. When I was little, neighbors gossiped that I didn't look like my parents at all, suggesting I was picked up from the trash. Dad got furious, shouting at them: "How do we not look alike? My wife has big, bright eyes, my daughter has big, bright eyes. It's your eyes that are small and blind! Bah!" Mom scolded him for being rude, then covered my ears while yelling back: "Ever heard of recessive genes? Uneducated gossips! Whoever talks trash in front of my Sarah again, don't come begging me for hospital appointments later!" From then on, no one dared to gossip in front of me. But as time went on, the differences grew. Mom and Dad loved heavy, spicy flavors; I preferred bland food. Dad was a tower of a man, Mom was tall and statuesque, but despite drinking milk like water, I capped out at 5'4". I was naturally small-boned and frail. Skin tone, hair color, eye color... The doubts piled up. As a doctor, Mom sensed something was wrong but refused to believe it. Until the school physical, when I had my blood type tested for the first time. I held Mom's trembling hand and said calmly: "Mom, I'm not your biological child, am I?" Mom's eyes reddened, and she hugged me tight. "It must be a mistake. The test is wrong. You are our baby..." I held her hand back and whispered, "It's okay. Even if I'm not your biological daughter, I love you." "But I can't selfishly take the love meant for another child. Before it's too late." "Take me for a DNA test, Mom." Much later, I found out the other side of the story. Around the same time, the Gao family received their blood test results and realized their child might have been switched. They were agonizing over whether to tell their daughter. Jason happened to be watching a soap opera. "Haha, this show is so melodramatic. Switched at birth in this day and age?" Chloe chimed in: "Right? Like, don't you know if your kid looks like you? Hilarious." The Gao family members were all elegant and refined. Except Chloe. She was tall, athletic, and walked like she owned the place. A total tomboy. Chloe slapped her thigh. "Like me and my brother. Obviously biological siblings. He's six feet, I'm six feet. Could that be a coincidence if we weren't related?" Even Jason paused. Sis, is it possible that biological siblings... shouldn't be the exact same height??? ... Anyway, both families worked together, and finally, at age 16, we found each other. Back then, during the massive earthquake in Jiang City, Mom insisted on returning to the hospital to save lives despite being pregnant. Dad couldn't stop her, so he went to help and protect her. Due to exhaustion, Mom went into premature labor. Coincidentally, Mrs. Gao, who was there donating supplies, also went into labor. In the chaos, the babies were swapped. According to the birth times, I was born five minutes before Chloe, making me the older sister. When the Gao family came to pick me up, my parents were away on business. I thought about it, left them a note, and went with the Gaos. I really wanted to see this sister I had never met. On the phone, when Chloe heard I was coming alone, she imagined some tragic scenario and started wailing. Which led to the chaotic scene at the beginning. 3 With the misunderstanding cleared up, Chloe looked at me with teary eyes, patting her chest. "Thank god. If your life was actually like those novels, I would have had to commit seppuku to apologize!" Her crybaby act was exactly like Dad's. I stood on my tiptoes, patted her head, and comforted her: "Don't worry, we both have the best families in the world." She sniffled, looked back at the doting Gao family, and nodded vigorously. "Yeah, we're so lucky to have the best moms and dads." Jason leaned in with a dark face. Chloe quickly added: "And the best brother in the world!" Everyone laughed. The Gaos had prepared a feast. Near me were my favorite light dishes; near Chloe were spicy, heavy dishes. Mrs. Gao looked at me lovingly: "Your parents told us these are your favorites. Try them." Jason made a fake pained face: "Chloe is addicted to spice. She dragged me into eating heavy flavors all these years. Thanks to you, I can finally eat normal food again." Mr. Gao rolled his eyes at him, then pointed to a courier box by the door: "And your favorite snacks, all prepared according to their instructions." My heart warmed. Chloe's eyes sparkled: "Let me try a bite! Just one bite!" Jason poked her forehead, laughing: "You glutton." 4 After dinner, Mrs. Gao took me to my room. It was next to Chloe's, a bright suite decorated warmly. "Your parents said you have sensitive skin, so we washed all the bedding. It should be comfortable." "Let us know if you need anything. This is your home, Sarah." "Rest well. Tomorrow, Chloe will take you to register at the new school." Both sets of parents agreed that since the Xus were busy, and the education in the capital was better, we should both stay here for school. The Xus would visit when they finished work. I nodded and whispered, "Thank you." "...Mom." Her eyes instantly reddened, tears of joy falling. "Oh! My good daughter." That night, there was a gentle knock on my door. "Sis, are you asleep?" "Sis, are you scared of the dark? Do you want me to sleep with you?" I opened the door. Chloe darted in like a ferret. "Hehe, we're sisters. Sisters should sleep together." "I'll be your security blanket." I was confused. "Where did you hear that term?" Chunibyo Chloe said confidently: "That's how it works in anime." I facepalmed. We slept soundly.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387344", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel