After the Fake Heiress Died, She Was Filled with Regret - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Because, Of Course, You Occupied What Belonged to…

Xia Shentu was furious and finally locked her in the house, forbidding her to go out or be given food and drink, essentially leaving her to starve.

This was the third time Xia Shinan had been imprisoned.

Looking at the lavishly decorated room, she once thought she was a princess; later, she understood this was merely an exquisitely carved birdcage.

Now, she, the canary, was caged again.

She pulled the corner of her mouth, which tugged at the injury on her cheek. She lightly touched it and found it wasn’t too painful, nothing compared to the suppression and agony in her heart.

She collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, closing her eyes to stop the tears.

She had cried too many times today.

Tang Yin…

Would she know her current predicament and save her again?

Xia Shinan still held onto hope.

The girl, like a hero, always rescued her from adversity.

She believed Tang Yin didn’t post the thread and that she only left suddenly due to an emergency.

However, emotional belief couldn’t withstand the harsh reality of logic.

Her nerves were stinging, pushing Xia Shinan close to breaking point.

She tilted her head, staring blankly out the window.

The silent night was graced only by a lonely full moon hanging in the sky.

Just last night at the amusement park, Tang Yin had said, “Your birthday falls on a full moon. How nice.”

Nice? Not at all.

Xia Shinan stayed awake from nightfall until dawn, only gradually falling asleep then.

Although Xia Shentu had forbidden food and drink for Xia Shinan, he left the villa after venting his anger last night and went to his other home with his mistress.

Xie Wan was dissatisfied with Xia Shentu. Even when she had locked Xia Shinan up before, she never let her daughter suffer regarding food and drink.

She instructed Auntie Zhang to take some food to Xia Shinan, but by noon, Auntie Zhang brought the food down, untouched.

“She won’t eat?” Xie Wan frowned.

“She won’t. I looked at Miss… she doesn’t seem right,” Auntie Zhang said with concern, hesitating to speak further.

“I’ll go see.”

The door opened, and Xia Shinan was seen sitting on the piano stool.

Hearing the sound, she looked up, her eyes empty of light, her face pale.

The cheek that had only been slapped was frightfully red.

“You…” Xie Wan had never seen her daughter like this. “You didn’t even dodge when you were hit. So stupid! Does it hurt?”

Xia Shinan smiled faintly. “It hurts, the same amount as when you hit me last time.”

Xie Wan froze, a trace of remorse flashing in her eyes. “Come downstairs to eat. I’ll have Auntie Zhang make what you love.”

Xia Shinan looked up, her tone flat: “Didn’t Dad say he was going to starve me to death? I’m waiting to die.”

“What he says doesn’t matter!” Xie Wan was furious. “Xia Shinan, are you finally being obedient now? I told you to marry Lin Yu to secure a life of prosperity, and you refused. Now what?”

“Where is that girl you like? Where is she now that things have happened!”

Xia Shinan’s heart trembled, but she still put on a brave front. “Liking her is my business. Even without her, I wouldn’t marry Lin Yu.”

She didn’t want to tell Xie Wan how good Tang Yin had been to her. Xie Wan wouldn’t understand.

Tang Yin’s goodness didn’t need to be understood by others.

“How did I raise such a stubborn daughter!” Xie Wan was enraged. “That mistress is about to give your father a son. Aren’t you afraid of being kicked out of the Xia family?”

Xia Shinan blinked, and tears dripped onto the piano keys.

“I would welcome that.”

The thread fermented overnight, and with Qi Ning’s help, A University Goddess Same-Sex Kissing Video] trended on social media, attracting many vile comments from men.

What’s the point of kissing a girl? She just hasn’t tried a man.

The A University Goddess is nothing special. I thought it was an ad for some sort of video…

I have the A University Goddess same-sex video. Add me on WeChat to buy.

Tang Yin stayed up all night watching the thread. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was frighteningly pale.

She saw all the vulgar comments and finger-pointing directed at Xia Shinan. Her heart felt like it was stabbed with a thousand needles.

If she felt this pain, what about Xia Shinan?

Tang Yin opened her call log, wanting to call Xia Shinan countless times, but giving up a second before pressing call. Finally, she called Qi Ning.

“It’s been a night. Find someone to take down the thread, and the trending topic on Weibo. Get them removed quickly…”

Qi Ning chuckled. “Why the hurry? The Xia family will surely handle it. Why should I worry?”

“The things people are saying online are too awful. Xia Shinan won’t be able to handle it!” Tang Yin said angrily. “Auntie Qi, if you don’t remove the trending topic, I won’t help you with the rest of the plan.”

Qi Ning naturally disagreed. “Tang Yin, how can you accomplish great things like this? Besides, even if you stop now, will Xia Shinan forgive you?”

Of course not.

Tang Yin knew very well. She closed her eyes. “I never intended to beg for her forgiveness.”

Five minutes later, the thread was deleted, and the trending topics on various platforms were removed, but it didn’t seem to be Qi Ning’s doing.

Qi Ning called again to question her. “Did you delete the thread?”

“How could I have that capability? It wasn’t me.”

“Then it seems the Xia family made a move.”

The call ended. Tang Yin sat by the bed, the room shrouded in darkness, just like her future, which had long lost its light.

She returned to the place she shared with her grandmother, holding her grandmother’s photo, gently stroking it.

“Grandma, if only you were still here.”

At eight in the evening, a reporter posted on Weibo.

[According to informed sources, the marriage alliance between the Xia and Lin families may be canceled. As for whether the investment from the Lin family in the Xia Group will be withdrawn, that depends on the shareholder meeting in two days.]

Many comments speculated whether Xia Shinan’s relationship exposure was related to the upcoming shareholder meeting.

Definitely a business war! The Xia Group was founded on real estate. Everyone knows the market situation these years. Leaning on the Lin family is the safest bet. If the marriage alliance is gone now, why would the Lin family continue to help the Xia family?

Click the link. Tune in at 8 PM tonight for my live analysis…

“Little Yu Mao told me that Xia Shinan has been uncontactable since her mother took her back. She’s probably locked up at home again.”

Ming Jing scrolled through Weibo, muttering occasionally.

Since Qian Yu couldn’t reach Tang Yin, she naturally told Ming Jing everything.

Or perhaps, she knew that by telling Ming Jing, Tang Yin would also find out.

“Tang Yin, are you really not going to explain to her?” Seeing Tang Yin’s distressed and melancholy look, she couldn’t help but think, “Maybe things aren’t as complicated as you think…”

She stopped herself, seeing the desolation in Tang Yin’s eyes, and realized she was oversimplifying the situation.

Tang Yin had already said, what good would an explanation do? What followed would only be tearing open Xia Shinan’s healed wound and stabbing her again.

“Never mind. Let’s not talk about this. This is a drink I mixed for you, called… Delusion.”

Ming Jing quickly came up with a name. “Just pretend everything that happened was an illusory dream.”

The sound of wind chimes came from downstairs. She patted Tang Yin’s shoulder and went downstairs to greet a customer.

Tang Yin immediately downed the drink in front of her. At the same time, a message from Qi Ning arrived on her phone.

It was a paternity test report.

Ming Jing was busy for a while, and more customers came in, but she never expected it to be Qian Yu and Xia Shinan…

“You two…” Ming Jing was stunned. “Xia Shinan, weren’t you locked up at home?”

Then she noticed Xia Shinan’s cheek, which was severely swollen, as if she had been hit.

Xia Shinan smiled faintly at Ming Jing.

This time, Xie Wan let her leave.

“Your father thinks I didn’t raise you well and is now even more determined to divorce me. Are you satisfied?”

“Leave. I’ll just pretend I don’t have a daughter like you.”

“I’ll arrange for you to transfer to a school in America. You’ll be on your own there.”

She didn’t reply to Xie Wan, just opened the suitcase in the corner and packed everything she wanted to take. There wasn’t much, actually.

Before leaving, she looked at Xie Wan.

“Mom, did you ever love me?”

Xie Wan’s body stiffened, but she didn’t turn to look at Xia Shinan.

Sorrow flowed in Xia Shinan’s eyes. Although the answer was known, her heart still ached.

She nodded. “I understand. Goodbye.”

Then, dragging her suitcase, she left without looking back and went to find Qian Yu.

Qian Yu said she still couldn’t reach Tang Yin, but Xia Shinan felt certain Tang Yin was there.

“Sister Ming Jing, is Tang Yin upstairs?” Her tone was gentle, as if nothing had happened.

Ming Jing paused for two seconds, wanting to say no, but meeting Xia Shinan’s determined gaze, she knew she couldn’t lie.

“Shinan, Tang Yin has her reasons. You two should talk properly.”

“Thank you.” Xia Shinan said, walking straight toward the second floor. Qian Yu wanted to follow but was pulled back by Ming Jing. “What are you doing? Let them talk it out themselves.”

Qian Yu felt Ming Jing was right and stopped following, but she didn’t give her a pleasant look and even rolled her eyes.

“Hey, why are you rolling your eyes at me?”

“You have the nerve to ask? Helping Tang Yin lie to me. I’m breaking up with you!”

Xia Shinan climbed the stairs, recalling the times Tang Yin brought her here. The shop was still the same, but her state of mind was completely different.

Tang Yin was sitting by the window, watching Xia Shinan walk toward her.

The lighting on the second floor was dim, and from some angles, Xia Shinan’s face was unclear.

She could feel her heart pounding frantically, guilt and sadness erupting. Xia Shinan’s steps seemed light. Had she not eaten or slept?

How many of those thread comments had she read? Was she very upset?

She wanted to show concern, to comfort her, but the first thing she said was: “You’re here. What do you want to drink? It’s on me.”

Xia Shinan’s footsteps paused, then she continued to walk up to her and sat down.

The light faintly illuminated Xia Shinan’s face, and Tang Yin immediately noticed the swelling on her cheek.

“You… were hit?”

Xia Shinan looked up and smiled. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Then, she looked at the two empty glasses in front of Tang Yin and reached for the other one. “I want to try yours.”

Tang Yin instinctively wanted to pull it away. “The alcohol content is too high. You won’t be able to handle it.”

Xia Shinan raised the glass, causing Tang Yin to miss. She took a sip and then frowned slightly. “It doesn’t taste good. Not as good as the drink you specially mixed for me before.”

Tang Yin lowered her arm, leaning against the wall behind her, pretending to be relaxed, and asked with a curved lip, “Did you come here just to drink? I thought you were here to demand an explanation.”

Xia Shinan looked at Tang Yin’s face. “Tang Yin, I believe you. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me like that. Even if you don’t say anything, I still trust you.”

Tang Yin was stunned, listening to Xia Shinan continue in a light tone.

“I don’t have to marry the Lin family now. We can continue to be together, and just pretend yesterday never happened.”

“What are you talking about?” Tang Yin’s eyes were red, her face full of disbelief.

“The Xia family doesn’t care about me anymore. I’m free now,” Xia Shinan said, clutching the glass, summoning her courage.

“If you want to stay at A University, I’ll stay at A University too. If you want to go abroad, then we’ll…”

“Xia Shinan! Do you trust me that much? You still want to be with me? Do you truly know what kind of person I am?!” Tang Yin interrupted her, her eyes wide with surprise.

Xia Shinan smiled at her, with her usual tenderness.

“Of course I do. You are the best person!”

Tang Yin’s chest heaved violently. Xia Shinan’s unconditional trust was clearly saying that she was the ugliest person on earth.

How did she deserve love like Xia Shinan’s?

Someone like her should rot in the mud. How could she expect Xia Shinan to pull her out?

Tang Yin took a deep breath, her tone becoming incredibly cold: “Xia Shinan, are you really that naive?”

Xia Shinan was silenced by Tang Yin’s words. Her sense of unease grew. She stood up, wanting to embrace Tang Yin, but was pushed away.

“Tang Tang, you’re my girlfriend. Of course, I believe you! It couldn’t have been you…”

“Why not?” Tang Yin clenched her fist, speaking with difficulty. “It was me. I posted the thread. Have you forgotten? The photos and videos were also… things I said I wanted to take before.”

Xia Shinan shook her head, unwilling to believe Tang Yin’s words. “How could that be? You have no reason to do this! We are lovers. We wouldn’t hurt each other…”

“Why not!” Tang Yin looked at her with red eyes. “Lovers? What kind of lovers are we? Being with you was always for a purpose! You’re just stupid and foolish, and you jumped right into my trap.”

“No, you were the one who suggested we get together. I never initiated anything.”

Xia Shinan stood frozen, her face even paler, looking at the girl who had claimed to like her yesterday, but who was completely different today.

“Why?”

Tang Yin chuckled mockingly, stepping back. The light and shadows obscured her face. Xia Shinan couldn’t see her expression.

Only her cold voice was heard.

“Why? Because, of course, you occupied what belonged to me!”

She shoved the paternity test report in front of Xia Shinan. “See clearly? You are not the Xia family’s daughter. I am!”

“All the hardships I suffered should have been yours!”

“The education you received, the clothes you wore, your money, your life—they should all be mine!”

Xia Shinan was nearly shattered by Tang Yin’s words, her face full of shock and tears.

“Don’t you like me?”

Tang Yin let out a light laugh. “Like? You’re the one who liked me. Did I ever say I liked you? I don’t think so…”

Her words were like a massive stone, smashing Xia Shinan’s painstakingly reassembled heart into pieces again.

Xia Shinan’s lips trembled. “Then what were all those days we spent together?”

Tang Yin turned her face away. The glass butterfly ornament outside the window caught the light, fluttering its wings with the breeze, looking exactly like a real one.

She took a deep breath and spoke calmly:

“It was just a beautiful dream I crafted for you. Who knew you wouldn’t wake up even after dawn.”

“Xia Shinan, every second I spent pretending with you made me feel disgusted.”

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