"Begging you?"
Lin Jingchen laughed. He laughed at Lin Yu’s overestimation of her own capabilities and her whimsical fantasies.
He looked at his exquisitely dressed younger sister, then scanned Lin Yu from head to toe, sneering, "You’re nothing but an illegitimate daughter. I suggest you learn your place."
Lin Yu’s expression remained calm as she looked at him. "Then let’s wait and see."
Without waiting for them to say anything more, Lin Yu turned and limped away, favoring one leg. Blood from her calf dripped down her pant leg, leaving a trail on the ground.
Watching her retreating figure, a sense of inexplicable irritation rose in Lin Jingchen’s heart, as if something precious was about to slip away from him. But the thought was quickly interrupted by someone arriving.
"Dad, Mom."
Two tall, poised men walked over. When their eyes fell on the scene outside, a flash of surprise crossed their faces. They had just finished comforting the guests; had Lin Yu really just walked away like that?
"Big Brother, Second Brother!" Lin Shuyu threw herself into their arms, tears welling up in her eyes. "Sister... Sister said that Dad switched me and her, and that she is your real sister."
Both men looked bewildered. Their first reaction was disbelief, and they rushed to comfort her. "We only have one sister, and that’s you. Don’t listen to her nonsense, little one."
"You actually believe what that little liar says?" the older brother tapped her nose, dotingly adding, "You’re already eighteen, and you’re still crying like a child."
Lin Shuyu sniffled, acting stubborn. "Big Brother, you’re teasing me again. I’m just afraid that Mom... will be taken away, too..."
Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, eventually burying her head in her clothes.
The four of them exchanged glances, all of them amused by her little insecurities.
Not far away, Lin Yu turned back just in time to catch this heartwarming scene. *Go ahead and laugh,* she thought. *I hope you can still smile once you know the truth.*
It took a long time for Lin Yu to walk out of the villa district. She wanted to hail a taxi, but given her appearance, she waited for a long time without a single car stopping. Watching the vehicles speed past her, she let her raised hand drop once more, deciding to just keep walking.
Just as she was about to give up, a black car pulled up in front of her.
A middle-aged man rolled down the window. "Little girl, hurry and get in. I’ll take you to the hospital."
He had spotted this girl a moment ago, but as just a driver, he hadn't dared to make decisions on his own. Thankfully, his young master was kind-hearted and had told him to pick her up.
Lin Yu was in so much pain she was on the verge of fainting; she didn’t have the energy to ask about the driver's background. She pulled the door open and climbed in. "Thank you, sir."
Seeing that she was settled, the middle-aged man stepped on the gas, and they soon disappeared into the distance. Between the hunger, the pain, and her motion sickness, Lin Yu didn’t manage to say another word to him.
"Hang in there, kid! We’ll be at the hospital in no time!"
Seeing how much she was suffering, the man accelerated. Lin Yu nodded, closing her eyes to try and cope with the agony.
Five minutes later, Lin Yu was placed on a stretcher and rushed into the hospital. The doctors moved so quickly that she didn't even get a chance to thank the driver.
After undergoing surgery and having her wounds bandaged, Lin Yu was admitted to a hospital room. Having gone three days without a drop of water, the doctors put her on an IV drip to replenish her strength; once she recovered, she could start eating light meals.
Lying in the hospital bed, Lin Yu tallied the money left behind by the original owner: 538 yuan. It likely wouldn't even cover the surgery costs.
She looked at the nurse who came in for a checkup. "Hospital... do you allow credit for bills?"
The young nurse smiled kindly. "Someone has already paid the bill. Don’t worry, little sister, just stay and recover. You can leave once your wounds have healed."
Who could have paid for her?
Aside from that man in the car, Lin Yu couldn't think of anyone else. She remembered from the information she had that the man’s name was Zhou Haimin, and he was a driver for the Ji Family.
It seemed she would have to wait until she recovered to thank Mr. Zhou and pay him back for the medical expenses he had covered.
After the nurse left, Lin Yu fell into a deep sleep. The original owner had been terrified of dogs, yet Lin Shuyu had used them to torment her for three days. The girl had lived in a constant state of fear and helplessness, life feeling worse than death. Her body and mind had been tortured to such an extent that she hadn't dared to close her eyes, let alone sleep.
The next morning, Lin Yu woke up from hunger.
She opened her eyes and struggled to sit up. It was seven in the morning, and according to the doctor's instructions, she could eat now.
"Little girl, are you hospitalized all by yourself? Where is your family?" the woman in the next bed asked with a kind smile.
Lin Yu shook her head. "I don’t have any family."
She had been an orphan in her past life, and those people in the Lin Family certainly didn't count as family.
A look of regret flashed across Wang Xiufang's face, and she quickly apologized. "I’m sorry, dear. I didn't know."
Wang Xiufang’s leg was in a cast. Through the prompts appearing above her head, Lin Yu knew she had been so anxious about introducing her daughter to a potential partner that she had accidentally fallen down the stairs.
Lin Yu smiled. "It's alright." The woman couldn't have known.
After chatting for a bit, Lin Yu felt the urge to use the restroom. Fortunately, there was one in the room, so she didn't have to go far. She disconnected her IV and took small, careful steps toward it. Wang Xiufang would have helped her if not for her injured leg.
When Lin Yu returned, there was someone else by Wang Xiufang’s bed. A young woman with delicate features was carefully raising the head of the bed and setting up a small table, placing a bowl of porridge on it.
Wang Xiuying saw Lin Yu and smiled. "Little Lin, this is my daughter."
Shen Xue turned and nodded at Lin Yu, who smiled back in response. Wang Xiuying pointed to the porridge and eggs on the table. "I saw you hadn't eaten, so I asked Xiao Xue to bring an extra portion for you."
The girl was only eighteen, had no family around, and her body had been bitten so badly—as an outsider, it pained Wang Xiuying just to look at her.
Lin Yu was surprised; she had been planning to go downstairs to buy something herself.
Wang Xiuying added, "It’s not convenient for you to be here alone. I’ll be here for a while, so if you need anything, just ask Xiao Xue to pick it up for you."
Shen Xue gave Lin Yu a gentle smile. Feeling grateful, Lin Yu quickly pulled out her phone. "Let me transfer the money to you."
"It's just a bowl of porridge, it doesn't cost much," Wang Xiuying insisted. "Just eat."
She had heard the conversation between Lin Yu and the nurse yesterday. The poor girl couldn't even afford her medical bills; she was a truly pitiful soul. When you're out in the world, everyone hits a rough patch, and one should help where they can.
Receiving care from strangers one after another, Lin Yu couldn't help but be moved. She said sincerely, "Thank you, Auntie Wang."
"Eat up," the woman replied kindly.
Shen Xue helped her open the bag and handed her a spoon. Lin Yu felt a bit embarrassed by all the attention. Shen Xue was an only child, and her father had passed away early; seeing Lin Yu so young and alone in the hospital, she felt a genuine sense of sympathy for the little sister.
After the meal, Lin Yu became better acquainted with them.
Through their conversation, Lin Yu learned that Shen Xue was getting married in three months. The groom was a man Wang Xiuying had painstakingly selected through an introduction—a man with a great appearance and an even better family background.
"Congratulations, Sister Xiao Xue." Lin Yu gave her heartfelt blessings, though she caught a fleeting look of helplessness in Shen Xue's eyes.
Lin Yu possessed a supernatural ability, so she naturally sensed that Shen Xue didn't like this suitor and didn't want to get married. But Auntie Wang was pushing too hard, and with her own leg injury, she felt she had to compromise and follow her mother's arrangements.
It had been less than four months from meeting to marriage. Lin Yu didn't know what to say. Perhaps all parents in the Long Country were like this; marriage pressure had become the norm.
"Look, Little Lin, this is your Sister Xiao Xue's future husband. He works for a big company and is a good person," Wang Xiuying said, flipping through her phone and showing a photo to Lin Yu.
Lin Yu frowned after glancing at it. She said gravely, "Auntie Wang, this man won't do. If Sister Xiao Xue marries him, she will end up a 'beard'!"