The Mysterious Night of Beijing

"I was so stupid to think you could save me from this misery, but in reality you're all in cahoots."

She laughed until she was breathless, pointing at him and then at herself.

"Are you just making all this up as if you're standing up for your loved one, or are you simply acting out of shame and anger because of what you've done?"

Jiang Xian'an's face was terrifyingly gloomy under the car headlights.

"This is utterly absurd. Even now, you still won't admit your mistake, so don't blame me for being ruthless."

He slammed the car door shut, the tires screeching on the ground, and turned the car around and drove away, leaving Lin Chuxiu alone in the desolate suburbs.

The surroundings were so quiet that even the slightest rustling sound could be heard clearly. She hugged her arms tightly, the smile on her face slowly fading, leaving her expressionless.

She didn't know how long she had walked, only that her legs were numb.

The rain started suddenly, with drops hitting her face and large raindrops soaking her through instantly.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally saw some car lights in the distance. She used the last of her strength to rush to the roadside and wave her hand.

"I can't get a taxi outside, could you please take me back? I'll pay whatever it takes."

The taxi driver felt sorry for her, hesitated for a moment, and then stopped.

"Come on up. What are you doing here all alone in this desolate place?"

"The Lin Family Mansion".

Lin Chuxiu did not answer, but gave the address in a hoarse voice.

The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror, didn't ask any questions, stepped on the gas, and drove the car into the rain.

"We've arrived, so I won't take the money. Don't go to such far places alone next time."

Lin Chuxiu opened her mouth, her voice hoarse, "Thank you."

Her phone was broken, making it difficult for her to pay. The driver didn't say anything and left after watching her get out of the car.

Looking at the brightly lit villa, Lin Chuxiu felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She pushed open the door and went inside, covered in mud and rainwater. She stood there, her gaze falling on the sofa in the living room.

"I'm back."

Lin Hai and Song Yulan sat down, while Lin Lengyan leaned against Song Yulan, sobbing softly.

Hearing the noise and seeing Lin Chuxiu's appearance, Lin Hai's anger flared up, and he slammed his hand on the sofa armrest.

"How dare you come back? Look at the state you've become! You've disgraced our family. You're not even as good as Yan Yan."

When has he ever looked so embarrassed? Before, wherever he went, people would praise him for having a good daughter. Now, it's all the opposite.

Song Yulan frowned, looking her up and down as if she were looking at something dirty.

"You reek of filth! Get your ass off and wash yourself clean! Anyone who didn't know better would think the Lin family was abusing you, that they picked you out of a garbage dump!"

She wished she had never given birth to this daughter; she wouldn't even bother to look at her.

Lin Lengyan immediately stood up, her face filled with worry, and quickly walked to her.

"Sister, you're finally back! Mom and Dad were so worried about you, and Brother Xian'an was worried something had happened to you. He was just about to send someone to look for you."

As she spoke, she reached out her clean hand to help Lin Chuxiu up.

"Ignore her, she only brings shame to our family."

Dissatisfied, Song Yulan intervened.

Lin Lengyan frowned in disapproval, "Mom, don't talk about my sister like that. After all, she didn't do anything wrong. It's all my fault for taking her place."

"If she were half as sensible as you, I wouldn't have to worry about her."

Song Yulan felt sorry for Lin Chuxiu and glared at her with dissatisfaction.

"Get up there and get clean. You're out there messing around all day, all you do is embarrass us."

Lin Lengyan broke free from Song Yulan's hand and stepped forward to help Lin Chuxiu, saying, "Sister, Mom was just angry for a moment, don't take it to heart."

"Get out of here, I find it disgusting."

Lin Chuxiu's voice was cold, and she took a step back.

Lin Lengyan's hand froze in mid-air, tears welling up instantly. She took two steps back and threw herself into Song Yulan's arms.

"Mom, is my sister still angry with me? Should I not have come back?"

This completely ignited Lin Hai's anger. He rushed to Lin Chuxiu in a few steps, raised his hand, and gave her no chance to explain.

"Snapped!"

"What right do you have to be angry?"

The slap caused Lin Chuxiu, who was already unsteady on her feet, to fall to the ground. Her ears were ringing, and half of her face quickly swelled up.

"Yan Yan cares about you, and this is how you treat her? You've made yourself into this state, hoping we'll pity you, haven't you?"

"Don't try to make us feel sorry for you with this self-inflicted pain. I just feel disgusted. Look at you, and then look at Yan Yan. You're worlds apart. I wish Yan Yan was my own daughter."

Lin Hai's chest heaved with anger as he pointed at her nose and cursed.

These words made Lin Chuxiu's heart clench. She supported herself on the ground and slowly stood up.

Rain dripped down her hair, forming a small puddle at her feet, but her back remained perfectly straight.

"Do you hope she's your biological daughter?"

"Dad, have you forgotten that she's living the life of a biological daughter now?"

"The banquet was for her, so shouldn't the engagement have been made for her too?"

"Then what am I? I've been out there for over a decade, and suddenly I pop up and steal her place. I've never supported you, and you're accusing me of bringing shame to you?"

With each sentence she spoke, she took a step closer to Lin Hai, her gaze so cold that Lin Hai instinctively took a half-step back.

"Stop talking nonsense! How have I treated you badly? Everything you eat and use is provided by me!"

Lin Chuxiu sneered, "Where were you when Jiang Xian'an was playing me for a fool, using me as a substitute by his brother, and my private photos were leaked everywhere?"

"When my thesis was plagiarized, my postgraduate recommendation was revoked, and someone had food dumped on my head in the cafeteria, did you care about me then?"

She suddenly stopped, tilted her head, and gave a sarcastic smile. "You're all feeling sorry for your good daughter, Lin Lengyan, and you're criticizing me for being so mean and for not being able to stand to see her doing well."

"I wish I had never been born. I'll grant your wish. From this day forward, I, Lin Chuxiu, will have nothing to do with your Lin family anymore."

"Keep your precious daughters to yourselves and cherish them."

Lin Hai was so angry at her words that he trembled all over. He pointed at her, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"Are you throwing a tantrum? Who do you think you are? Do you think you can survive a single day outside without the Lin family?"

He was panting heavily when he pulled his wallet out of his suit pocket, took out a bank card, and slammed it on the coffee table.

"Let me tell you, from this moment on, you won't get a single penny out of this card! I want to see how you'll come crying back to me then!"

Lin Chuxiu didn't say anything, but silently walked back to the entrance, picked up her soaking wet backpack, unzipped it, took out her wallet from the backpack's inner compartment, and also took out a bank card.

She walked back to the living room and placed the card next to the one Lin Hai had thrown out. Lin Chuxiu raised her eyes and calmly looked at Lin Hai, whose face had turned ashen.

"Dad, you might be mistaken."

"I haven't touched a single penny of your money."

After saying that, she didn't look at anyone in the room again, turned around, and walked into the heavy rain without looking back.

As Lin Hai stepped out of the Lin family's gate, a cold wind mixed with rain lashed at him. He stood there, speechless, his mouth agape.

She took the phone with the cracked screen out of her pocket, glanced at it, and then casually tossed it into a roadside trash can. Then, her fingertips touched another cold, hard object in her pocket.

That pure black card with a special material.

She took it out; the rain blurred her vision, but she could still make out the name stamped on it: Meng Huizhou.

Lin Chuxiu stood in the rain, clutching the business card. She stood there for a long time before finally turning around and walking toward the 24-hour convenience store on the street corner.

The bright lights of the convenience store made Lin Chuxiu dizzy. She stood in front of the shelf, wanting to grab a bottle of water, but her outstretched hand trembled violently, causing her whole body to sway.

The shop assistant was a young man. Seeing that she was soaking wet and her face was deathly pale, he kindly asked her what was wrong.

"Miss, are you alright? Should I call an ambulance for you?"