No Longer Balancing - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I had always known.

The two brothers of the Pei Family harbored deep-seated resentment toward me.

From anyone’s perspective, I was the one punching above my weight.

They were the golden boys of the Beastman Academy-top-tier in both looks and ability. They were arrogant, dazzling, and constantly sought after.

I, on the other hand, was mild, mediocre, and as unremarkable as a weed among a sea of common grass.

If it weren’t for that shockingly high compatibility rate, the state never would have matched us together, and our paths would never have crossed.

In the beginning, I was genuinely happy.

Having grown up in an orphanage, my greatest longing was to have a home. I naively believed that Chu Zhou and Chu Chuan were the family heaven had granted me.

So, no matter how poorly they treated me or how disdainful their words were, I acted as if I couldn’t feel it. I continued to cling to them with enthusiasm and joy.

Every time I saw them eat the meals I prepared, I felt a profound sense of satisfaction. It made me feel like I was needed…

Everyone needs some kind of tether to this world, and Chu Zhou and Chu Chuan were my connection to it.

The first six months were grueling.

The two of them were bitter about the matching results. Their former rivals finally found an opportunity to mock them for being paired with such an unremarkable wife. To men who had always held themselves in such high regard, it was a massive humiliation.

So, they took out all their pent-up frustration on me.

Chu Zhou was the more composed one; for the most part, he simply ignored me, maintaining a cold and distant demeanor. Chu Chuan, however, had a fiery temper. He frequently ridiculed me, criticizing everything from my appearance to my job. In his eyes, I was utterly pathetic-a total loser who was useless from head to toe.

Then, I’m not sure exactly when it started, but their attitudes began to shift.

Chu Zhou, in particular, stopped treating me like I was invisible. Every time I handed him a glass of milk, he would take it and even thank me. Occasionally, while looking at me, he would suddenly ruffle my hair with the kind of intimacy shared by other Beastman couples.

I had never experienced such treatment before; I was practically overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

As for Chu Chuan, his mockery gradually lessened. Sometimes, he would even drag me along to play games with him. Though he would constantly curse at me for being a drag, he would simultaneously headshot anyone who tried to attack me.

I thought I had finally moved them-that my period of suffering was over and the sweetness was finally beginning.

I believed my persistence had paid off; that while I was working hard to please them, they were also trying to accept me.

Until that shattered glass of milk…

It was like a dream being torn apart without warning.

All those years of effort, passion, thoughtfulness, and devotion were ultimately distilled into just one word.

A lapdog.

The most ordinary, common, shameless, and undignified lapdog.