Chapter 2: A Whole Family of Masochists

“Oh, weren’t you supposed to be seriously ill and staying in the hospital?” Lin Jingyue watched as the family of four entered, her gaze settling on the pale-faced Lin Xinrou.

Lin Xinrou, who was the same age as the original, was eighteen this year as well. She looked delicate and frail, like a fragile flower. Coupled with her current pallor, she was the very picture of vulnerability.

It made Lin Jingyue appear like the malicious elder sister.

At Lin Jingyue’s words, Lin Xinrou shrank back. “Sis… Sister, I know you didn’t mean to push me. I’m not angry, and my illness isn’t serious. I don’t need to be hospitalized, so I won’t spend any money.” Her words, pitiful and timid, trembled in the air.

“Lin Jingyue, how much longer are you going to cause trouble?” Father Lin glanced at his obedient daughter with concern, then turned and glared angrily at Lin Jingyue.

Step-mother Hu Cuiqi’s face was equally grim, as if she wished she could strangle Lin Jingyue.

Lin Xinrou’s twin brother, too, looked at Lin Jingyue with hatred in his eyes. “Lin Jingyue, you’ve gone too far!”

Lin Jingyue watched their changing expressions with leisurely amusement.

She liked the original’s good-for-nothing persona. It freed her from caring about others—she could continue to do as she pleased.

“You—”

“Lin Jingyue, I never imagined you’d be this kind of person!” Before Lin Jingyue could finish her sentence, she was interrupted.

She turned toward the speaker.

A young man of eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He was handsome, but his gaze was full of contempt, as if he looked upon Lin Jingyue as something filthy.

Lin Jingyue arched her eyebrow. “Who are you?”

“You—” Zhao Hua frowned, clearly not expecting Lin Jingyue to pretend not to recognize him.

Was she scheming something again?

“Heh, Lin Jingyue, stop pretending. You know very well who I am.” He sneered at her.

Whatever she was plotting, he had no interest in it.

Lin Jingyue was a little surprised. She scrutinized Zhao Hua carefully, searching her memory for him.

The original had never cared about him; clearly, he wasn’t anyone important.

She scoffed. “Why should I care who you are? This is my family’s business. Get out of my way.”

Zhao Hua said, “You’re impossible!”

“Brother Zhao, I’m alright. Sister wouldn’t bully me. You should go home. Auntie must be worried.” Lin Xinrou spoke meekly, all gentle compliance.

It only made Zhao Hua feel more protective.

His gaze toward Lin Jingyue grew harsher, but Lin Jingyue glared back as if to say, so what if your eyes are big?

“Xinrou, rest well. I’ll come visit you another day.” He spoke warmly to Lin Xinrou, then greeted Father Lin and the others before leaving.

“Sis—”

“Stop. Don’t call me sister. Say it once more and I’ll beat you.” Now that he was gone, a shadow flickered in Lin Xinrou’s eyes, though she resumed her fragile façade—only to be met with Lin Jingyue’s stern refusal.

With her formidable strength, who did she have to fear?

As she toyed with her slender fingers, the four family members shuddered in unison.

Lin Jingyue bared her teeth in a smile.

Watching them huddle and retreat into the house, she laughed even more heartily. Yet, inwardly, she thought they were all sick—why did they keep coming back for more abuse, as if they enjoyed it?

Father Lin hesitated. “Jingyue, this month’s wages… I won’t be giving them to you. Xinrou spent quite a bit in the hospital, and the family—”

“Oh? And what does that have to do with me?” Lin Jingyue was completely unconcerned, indifferent to their troubles.

The family was left speechless yet again.

“You’re the one who pushed Xinrou—”

“Is that so? Lin Xinrou, did I push you?” Lin Jingyue turned to Lin Xinrou, her gaze calm.

Lin Xinrou felt odd—was it her imagination, or had her usually brute-force sister changed?

She lowered her eyes. “Dad, it wasn’t sister who pushed me. She had nothing to do with it.”

Tsk—

Lin Jingyue rolled her eyes. Still unwilling to admit the truth, huh? She suddenly stepped forward and seized Lin Xinrou by the throat.

The three others hadn’t even reacted: “!!”

Lin Xinrou: “!!”

“Yes, that look of terror—I do so enjoy it.” Lin Jingyue smiled brilliantly, like a demon.

“Jingyue, what are you doing?! Let go of Xinrou!”

“Lin Jingyue! Let go of my sister!”

“Jingyue—”

Lin Jingyue ignored them, tightening her grip. “Lin Xinrou, care to explain what happened?”

She tilted her head, her demeanor wicked.

Lin Xinrou didn’t dare pretend anymore. At that moment, she truly believed Lin Jingyue meant to strangle her. Panic overtook her, and she stopped acting pitiful. “It was me, I wanted to frame sister. Cough, cough—as I jumped, I accidentally pulled sister down with me. Cough…”

“Accidentally?”

“No, I did it on purpose.” Tears rolled down her red-rimmed eyes as she spoke.

Lin Jingyue raised her eyebrows and withdrew her hand in disgust. “Hear that? Now you know what really happened. Still asking me for money—ridiculous!”

She pondered for a moment—Father Lin asking her for money was likely because the original had always extorted twenty yuan from them each month.

Father Lin’s monthly wage was only forty-eight yuan and fifty cents, and stepmother's was twenty-eight. Giving Lin Jingyue twenty yuan at once, while stepmother still had to support her own family and Father Lin sent five yuan to the elders each month, made life a struggle.

But Lin Jingyue didn’t believe the family was really poor.

The original was strong and lazy, never bothered to think about how much they had in savings.

After absorbing the memories, Lin Jingyue realized the family probably had considerable savings. The original’s mother had died when she was seven, sacrificing herself to protect the factory’s property. The factory must have compensated the family with a death benefit.

But Father Lin had never admitted it.

The original never saw the money, so she had no choice but to let it go.

But now that Lin Jingyue was here, she intended to reclaim that money—no matter what. And Lin Xinrou owed her a life; how could she not repay?

“Jingyue, Xinrou didn’t do it on purpose. Please forgive her this once.” As Lin Xinrou slumped like a dead pig, Hu Cuiqi hurried to support her.

Father Lin and Lin Xinrou’s twin brother, Lin Xinjian, stared at Lin Jingyue, their hands clenched.

No doubt, at the first opportunity, they would try to beat Lin Jingyue to death.

But would Lin Jingyue give them that chance?

Dream on.

Lin Jingyue glanced at the four with casual disdain, scoffed arrogantly, strode into her room, gathered her valuables and cash, tucked them away in her space, and left the house.

Only after the door closed did the family of four finally breathe a sigh of relief, their expressions full of resentment as they looked toward the door.

…

Lin Jingyue left the staff building, greeted the aunties she met along the way, and walked out in a delightful mood.

Father Lin was the deputy workshop director at An City’s food factory. The original’s mother had died protecting factory property, and in compensation, the factory gave the Lin family a two-bedroom apartment and reserved a job position for Lin Jingyue—she only had to graduate high school to start working.

This was also one of the reasons why Lin Xinrou risked pulling Lin Jingyue down with her.