029 Family photo

Tan Rou knew that Tao Zheng was not without talent. In his past life, Tao Zheng's greatest dream was to become an excellent photographer. His competition entry even won an award and he was called a rising star in the world of photography by those in the industry. Unfortunately, in that life, such a rising star was toyed with by fate, because Tan Rou was used, breaking the Tao family into pieces. The changes in his life and at home caused Tao Zheng's eyes to gradually lose their longing for dreams. The last time Tan Rou saw Tao Zheng, he was utterly exhausted, having turned into a living corpse. Thinking of these things, Tan Rou felt particularly unsettled. The life Tao Zheng should have had was meant to be brilliant and successful, but she had ruined it. Tan Rou quickly took out the latest model of a professional camera from a pile of gifts and handed it to Tao Zheng, "I was just joking, brother, this is for you!" As soon as Tao Zheng saw the camera, he was so excited he didn't know what to do with himself, "My God! I'm not dreaming, am I?" Tao Zheng rubbed his hands vigorously on his clothes before carefully taking the camera, holding it lovingly in his hands, "How did you know?" Previously, Tan Jing came back with gifts, saying she'd get him the latest model of smartphone, but Tao Zheng truly wasn't interested. Photography was his greatest dream. He poured all his passion into it and didn't care for any other material possessions; even his dreams were filled with a room full of high-definition lenses. But Tao Zheng never spoke of this dream. Photography is an expensive profession; each lens is valuable. Tao Zheng didn't want to burden his parents any further, so he was saving money bit by bit, persisting through his dedication to his dream. Looking at the much-desired camera in his hands, Tao Zheng was incredibly excited. Seeing her brother so happy, Tan Rou was also satisfied, "I'm your sister, of course I know." Tao Zheng hugged the camera tightly, giving Tan Rou a somewhat proudly smile, "Then consider this an investment in me. I'll definitely create the best work and invite you to my photography exhibition as a guest of honor to thank you!" Tan Rou laughed, "Alright, I'll wait for you, brother, you'll definitely be successful." Mother Tao looked at her two children with heartfelt relief, feeling a wave of tenderness inside. Tan Rou had come back, and she was so sensible. Finally, their family was complete. But Mother Tao still expressed a touch of regret, "If only the eldest and Fourth Brother were here too; they haven't met Tan Rou yet." Tan Rou knew she had an older brother who was already working and a younger brother who was studying abroad. In her previous life, she rarely had much interaction with them. It seemed that the places where they worked and studied were quite strict and didn't allow them to leave easily. Tan Rou also eagerly anticipated meeting these two family members soon. She hugged Mother Tao reassuringly, "Mom, there's no hurry. I'm right here and won't be lost." Soon after, Father Tao also returned home. Tan Rou presented the high-end skincare products to Mother Tao and the tea to Father Tao. Father Tao was so happy he couldn't stop smiling, even saying that he would invite friends over to his house the next day to enjoy the fine tea his daughter had given him, surely making all those friends envious. The family took their first family photo with Tao Zheng's new camera, and although two people were missing, it was still very warm. In the photo, Father Tao and Mother Tao sat in chairs with smiles on their faces, Tan Rou affectionately wrapped her arms around their necks from behind, and Tao Zheng stood next to Tan Rou, all smiles, the whole family in perfect harmony. Tan Rou looked at the photo in the camera, liking it more the more she looked, and instructed Tao Zheng to have the photo printed soon. Then, unable to wait, she took a snapshot with her phone and shared it on social media. Seeing such a beautiful photo, Tan Rou felt even more determined inside—the scheming Tan Jing and Chen Yi would definitely not let things go without a fight. She didn't know what tricks they would try next; she couldn't afford to let her guard down. Tan Rou understood that no matter when, only if she was strong could she protect her family properly; otherwise, they would suffer for her mistakes. How could such a good family meet such a tragic end in her previous life? While evil people like Tan Jing and Chen Yi could enjoy the adulation of others according to their own desires, did that mean that good people never get rewarded and that evil endures for a thousand years? If Tan Jing wanted to destroy Tan Rou and the Tao family, then Tan Rou was determined to live a life full of glory, ensuring that her family would have an increasingly better life. Elsewhere, having been rebuffed at the Tao family's home, Tan Jing stayed angry at home, unable to understand what had gone wrong. Just then, a message notification arrived on Tan Jing's phone. She opened it and saw the family photo Tan Rou had shared on social media.