Ling Lu swept her eyes across the comment section, eventually lingering on a few particular remarks.
"Huh? Who is this Ling Lu? She’s exactly my type! She looks a bit familiar, though. Where have I seen her?"
In the photos, Ling Lu’s skin was fair and her features so refined they hardly seemed real. Her amber eyes were especially striking, possessing an indescribable, ethereal liveliness, like a sprite that had tumbled into the mortal world. Her overall presence was unique, and combined with her beauty, the initial impact was staggering.
"I know this one! Ling Lu, a bottom-tier, C-list celebrity who’s only ever played extras in some low-budget dramas."
"But that’s not what she’s famous for. She’s best known for trying to crawl into a wealthy patron’s bed late at night and getting rejected. Her reputation is absolutely trashed."
"Oh? How could the production team invite someone like that? Won't that just ruin the show's reputation?"
Ling Lu’s gaze skimmed over the line about her "attempting to crawl into a patron’s bed," a hint of derision touching her beautiful eyes.
If they hadn't brought it up, she would have almost forgotten about that incident.
In her past life, not long after being signed by Star Shine, Ling Lu had accompanied Ling Jinmo to a hotel for a cocktail party, only to be secretly photographed by paparazzi. The video was edited to omit the beginning and the end; it started with her holding Ling Jinmo’s arm as they entered the hotel and ended with Ling Jinmo leaving alone in a car.
Since the Ling family had never publicly acknowledged her as their true daughter, the outside world assumed that Ling Lu, a minor starlet at the company, had tried to seduce a high-level executive for resources and failed.
The scandal was massive at the time. The internet was flooded with abuse directed at Ling Lu, calling her a slut and a shameless woman. She had gone to Ling Jinmo, hoping he would step forward to clarify things, only to be accused of having ulterior motives.
"Clarify? You don't mean you want me to announce your identity to the world, do you?"
Ling Lu still remembered the look in Ling Jinmo’s eyes back then—his narrow gaze fixed on her with cold disdain, as if looking at something filthy.
"Did you orchestrate this yourself? Because the Ling family hasn't been willing to reveal your identity, you thought you could use this tactic to achieve your goal? Let me tell you, it’s not going to happen!"
"Linlin was almost hospitalized from the stress of all this before. I will never allow you to hurt her again using this matter."
With the CEO having spoken, no one under him dared to handle PR for Ling Lu. Her nascent career hit rock bottom because of this incident, and it had remained stagnant ever since.
Ling Lu exited the social media app and turned off her phone. The vitriol online couldn't affect her. She would still appear on the show, and more than that, she would seize every opportunity to make a comeback. She would prove with facts that, away from that nest of lunatics in the Ling family, she, Ling Lu, would only live a better life!
The show was scheduled to begin filming in three days. During the interim, a minor event occurred.
Ling Lu opened the door to find the tall Ling Yeli, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, standing there alongside Ling Lin, who was dressed in a dainty white dress. Her pretty face immediately went expressionless.
"What are you two here for?"
The Ling family was one of the top elite families in Jiangcheng, with widespread business interests and connections in every field, so finding Ling Lu’s location was child’s play.
When Ling Yeli saw that the address provided was in the old town district, his heart tightened, followed by a sense of impending dread. The old town area had no urban planning; the buildings were crooked and haphazard, and cars couldn't enter—one had to walk.
Ling Lin looked at the pitted, uneven ground and the sallow, thin elderly passersby wearing cheap clothes, a look of distaste flashing across her face. It was all Ling Lu's fault! If it weren't for that bitch, why would she ever have to come to a godforsaken place like this?
The alleys of the old town never saw the sun; they were cold, damp, and the corners were covered in moss. Even though Ling Yeli kept up with his physical training, he couldn't help but shiver as they passed through due to the temperature drop.
Ling Lu lived in a place like this?
Ling Yeli’s mind recalled the sight of the girl in her wheelchair—pale, her lips devoid of color, her thin shoulders and back as fragile and flimsy as paper. She hadn't even recovered from her illness, her leg was still injured, and when she left the Ling family, she hadn't taken money or even a change of clothes.
Did Ling Lu feel as cold as he did when she passed through here? What was she thinking as she walked down this narrow path? In the days she had been living here, had she missed home?
At the thought, a pang of bitterness struck Ling Yeli’s heart.
The two Ling siblings eventually stopped in front of a chipped, dilapidated iron gate.
*Bang, bang.*
The rusty metal door emitted a harsh, grating sound. A moment later, the sound of a wheelchair moving came from inside, and then Ling Yeli saw Ling Lu.
Her complexion looked much better than it had a few days ago. Her lips were a soft, pale pink, and the sickly, grayish pallor on her face had vanished, replaced by a clear, luminous fairness. Although she still seemed somewhat weary, compared to just days ago, she felt as if she had been reborn—like a lonely orchid in a deep valley, blossoming with vibrant life under the dark, starlit sky.
Ling Lu’s eyes flashed with surprise, followed by a cold, impatient glare. After severing ties with the Ling family and parting ways with Star Shine, Ling Lu’s entire goal was to have no further involvement with them. She never imagined they would seek her out themselves.
Naturally, Ling Lu did not offer a warm reception.
Ling Yeli was choked by her words. His initial guilt quickly morphed into a touch of irritation, though he suppressed it. Since her car accident, his sister’s temper had become erratic, and she could say things that would make someone's blood boil. He was the older brother, and considering she was still ill, he could afford not to hold it against her.
Ling Yeli exhaled and spoke as calmly as he could.
"Mom and Dad asked me to bring you home. They’ve forgiven you; just come back with me now."
*Forgiven?*
Ling Lu let out a cold, mocking laugh in her heart. Even now, in their eyes, she was still the one in the wrong.
Ling Lu’s gaze was icy. She swept a look over the two people at the door and said, "Are you done? If you're done, you can leave."
She reached out, placed her hand on the doorknob, and made a move to close the door.
A look of shock crossed Ling Yeli’s face. He had invoked their parents; what reason could Ling Lu possibly have for not leaving with him? Didn't she used to be the most obedient child? Seeing that she was really about to shut the door, he hurriedly pressed his hand against it, feeling a bit anxious.
"Ling Lu, Mom and Dad have already said they wouldn't hold the car accident against you. Why are you still throwing a tantrum?"
"Throwing a tantrum? You think I’m doing all this just to throw a tantrum?"
Ling Lu let out a cold laugh at these words, her eyes chilling. Although she had long stopped expecting anything from them, hearing this still made her laugh with sheer indignation.
"I won't admit to things I haven't done, and I don't need your forgiveness! You aren't welcome here, and don't come looking for me again. I don't want to see any of you Ling family members."
Ling Lu slapped away Ling Yeli’s hand from the door and slammed it shut.
Her unwavering words hit Ling Yeli like a sharp thorn, leaving him rooted to the spot. The look in his eyes as he looked at Ling Lu was one of utter estrangement. She had clearly been the one most attached to home—why was she now so unwilling to return with him?
Ling Yeli still remembered the orchid on her windowsill at home, the one their mother liked best. Its stems were long and its leaves a lush, vibrant green, clearly tended to with great care... On the bedside table sat a half-finished knee brace, seemingly for Ling Canghai, whose legs had been injured in his youth and would ache whenever it rained... And on her small bed sat the rabbit plushie he had given her, neatly placed by her pillow. Though it was one Ling Lin had discarded and he had only passed it on to Ling Lu, he hadn't expected her to treasure it so much...
Ling Yeli couldn't help but ask himself: In these three years, what had he ever given Ling Lu?
Was it the toys Ling Lin didn't want, endless scolding, or cold, biting sarcasm?
At the thought, his breath hitched. Guilt rushed over him like a tide, and he felt as if his very organs were being soaked in salt water, stinging with a fine, persistent ache.