The Seductive Pretender: Sister-in-Law is Turning Gay - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: “Her Love Back Then Was Fake, But Mine Now is Real.”

Zhong Manjing arrived in Yuqiu City before 4:00 PM. She found a nearby guesthouse to drop off her belongings.

To her, Yuqiu City was naturally less familiar than Yuhai County. In her past life, she was always escorted here; back then, she was Zhong Suyuan’s sister, and people treated her with fearful respect. At that time, she was blissfully ignorant of her impending fate, worrying only about inventing new ways to torment Lin Yuqing.

Fate has a cruel sense of irony; who could have known that the person who would eventually fall from grace was herself?

As she headed out, the guesthouse owner greeted her: “Going out? You don’t sound like a local. Want some recommendations for good food or sights?”

Zhong Manjing shook her head with a smile. “It’s not my first time.” She gestured vaguely toward a group of people heading upstairs. “I’m like them here to see a doctor.”

“Ah, a follow-up appointment,” the owner said knowingly. “For the specialist tomorrow? Director Wu is consulting tomorrow; most people are here for her.”

Zhong Manjing didn’t deny it. She simply said, “Director Wu’s appointments are hard to get. I’ve been trying for a while.”

The guesthouse, situated right next to the hospital, frequently hosted patients. The owner knew the hospital’s ins and outs better than most. She was chatty the perfect source for Zhong Manjing to gather information. In her previous life, she hadn’t come to the West Zhou district at this specific point in time; she didn’t know if she could secure this early advantage.

The owner continued, “Director Wu is highly skilled. People come from out of province just to snag a slot. There’s so much stress these days; plenty of people have mental health struggles… Did you get a number? Don’t tell me you missed out.”

“I have an urgent matter for the Director,” Zhong Manjing said. “That’s why I came directly.”

The owner assumed she was a patient experiencing an acute episode. But the girl spoke clearly and acted normally. Wait… the owner recalled hearing that some psychiatric patients appear more “normal” the closer they are to a breaking point.

She hesitated, then said, “Is it urgent, dear? If you’re desperate, you can find a scalper for an extra slot. I hear they sell them, but they’re expensive enough to buy a whole pack of imported medicine. Otherwise, try getting there as early as possible. Be the first one there to see if she can squeeze you in.”

“The first one?”

The owner nodded eagerly. “Director Wu starts her shift at 9:00, but she’s usually in her office by 8:30. Her slots are like gold, but she sometimes accepts critical cases as ‘add-ons.’ Also, she never leaves until she’s seen every last patient sometimes staying until 8:00 PM.”

Zhong Manjing smiled again. “I understand. Thank you. I’m going for a walk now.”

“Come back early,” the owner called out. “Message me if you get lost. We close the doors after midnight, but you can wake me up.”

The owner’s fussing suggested she viewed Zhong Manjing as a patient on the edge. But Zhong Manjing wasn’t. She went out and ate a bowl of clam noodles, then bought a small cake for tomorrow’s breakfast. As she strolled along the road, she suddenly realized: Did I leave my umbrella at home?

Whatever. She was here for answers. More importantly, she had to ensure she met Wu Liyuan.

Lin Yuqing couldn’t have made it onto that train in a state of delirium alone. Wu Liyuan the hidden friend behind the scenes must have helped her. Later, Wu Liyuan joined the company Lin Yuqing controlled, serving as her right hand. Back then, Wu Liyuan despised the Zhong family, but this Wu Liyuan didn’t yet. She was protecting Lin Yuqing, and Zhong Manjing wasn’t sure if she could extract any useful information.

She wanted to team up with Wu Liyuan. Truly helping Lin Yuqing avoid those humiliations was more complex than just telling her “don’t do it.” Zhong Manjing had to understand what drove Lin Yuqing to decide to forget everything and run. Those memories were held by Wu Liyuan.

At 8:00 PM, Zhong Manjing returned to the guesthouse. The temperature was dropping; she could sense the rain coming. The owner knocked on her door with a glass of warm milk, reminding her she could use the electric blanket if she felt cold.

Zhong Manjing drank the milk in one go, her mind razor-sharp. She had to find Wu Liyuan now; she couldn’t wait another second.

She had done her research before coming. Wu Liyuan had a small apartment near the hospital. Being a dedicated doctor, she stayed there whenever she had a full day of consultations the next day so she could arrive early.

Zhong Manjing left the guesthouse and headed straight for the apartment complex a street away. Young residents were walking their dogs. Zhong Manjing lowered her head, trailing a puppy’s wagging tail, until the owner warned: “Watch out! There’s a car!”

A low-profile black BMW was pulling out of the underground garage. Zhong Manjing caught the license plate: starting with W and ending with 2. Without hesitation, she lowered her head and quickened her pace.

The BMW screeched to a halt. Simultaneously, Zhong Manjing looked up, wearing an apologetic smile as she approached the window.

“You…” Wu Liyuan was used to people who were too busy looking at dogs to notice cars. But this young woman was exceptionally striking. Before she could say another word, Zhong Manjing spoke.

“I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. It won’t happen again. My deepest apologies…” Her voice was soft and gentle.

Wu Liyuan wasn’t truly angry. “Next time, don’t just look at the dog, especially in a parking area.”

Zhong Manjing said, “I wasn’t looking at the dog. I was looking at your car.”

Wu Liyuan smiled. “Are you a new resident?”

Zhong Manjing shook her head. “Director Wu, I came to find you.”

A patient… Wu Liyuan had experienced this many times. Her smile shifted to a professional, gentle mask. “This is my private time. I’ll be at the hospital tomorrow; you can come then and register.”

Zhong Manjing estimated the time, glancing behind her before focusing back on Wu Liyuan. Her face betrayed nothing. She smiled back. “Director Wu, could I take just a moment of your time to tell you a story?”

“I recently had a very long dream. In the dream, my brother brought home a sister-in-law. She was haggard but beautiful, and very quiet. My brother said she was a proud mute. He wanted to ‘fix’ her, to make her sing a beautiful song for him at the wedding, to make everyone marvel at his ‘masterpiece’.”

“I said it was impossible. He said it could be done and asked me to help him test the possibility. He said to make a miracle happen, the best way isn’t to give her sunlight, but to make her live in darkness. In long, deep darkness, a single beam of light is a miracle.”

“I did as he asked. My brother tortured her, and I think I did too. But one day, I didn’t want to do it anymore—right before she told me she liked me. I cooked her terrible meals, I bullied her, I tied her up, but I also took her out in secret… At that moment, I felt like I woke up in the dream.”

“Director Wu, is it normal to have a dream like that?” Zhong Manjing spoke quickly, her expression earnest. “Director Wu, I think I’ve fallen for my sister-in-law. I don’t want her to marry my brother. Am I normal? This is very important to me.”

Beep— Beep.

A car approached from behind, and Wu Liyuan’s car was blocking the gate. Wu Liyuan frowned. “I’m sorry, but perhaps you need to ask another expert these questions. If you have psychiatric concerns, we can talk tomorrow—”

Zhong Manjing’s hand gripped the car door handle. “Director Wu, this is driving me insane. Please, you must hear me out. I know you’re off the clock. I’ll pay triple the consultation fee can I just get in?”

Zhong Manjing wouldn’t let go. Wu Liyuan realized she was dealing with someone persistent. With a dark expression, she unlocked the door. The police station was only 500m from the complex exit; if things went sideways, she’d drop the girl there.

Zhong Manjing smiled politely and sat in the back. “Director Wu, please say something.”

Wu Liyuan turned the wheel sharply. “Fine. My consultation rate is 1,200 per hour.”

“Deal. I’ve already timed it. It’s been twelve minutes since I stopped your car; I have forty-eight minutes left.” Zhong Manjing pulled three heavy stacks of cash from her canvas bag and placed them on the passenger seat. “Don’t worry about payment, Director. Now, what is your assessment?”

Wu Liyuan had never met a patient like this. She took a deep breath and decided to circle the blocks around the police station while assessing the girl’s mental state.

“How should I address you? You can finish the story first.”

“My surname is Zhong, like ‘clock’.” Zhong Manjing leaned back. “The rest of the story is simple. I fell for her and decided to help her escape. But she was a mute. I hoped miracles could happen outside the darkness too—I wanted her to speak. I taught her to say ‘I love you’ so she could use those words to make my brother lower his guard… but I failed. I no longer hope for miracles. I just want to know why she became a mute.”

“Because I feel that if I know the cause, I can choose a better way to help her.” Zhong Manjing paused. “It’s a pity. The first time she said ‘I love you’ with perfect pronunciation, it wasn’t to me. It was to my brother.”

Wu Liyuan said, “Ms. Zhong, can you come to the hospital early tomorrow for a slot? You need an evaluation. Do these scenes or people from your dream ever appear in your real life or speak to you?”

Zhong Manjing laughed. “Yes, of course. After I woke up, I found my ‘sister-in-law’ hasn’t actually become my sister-in-law yet. I’m not too late. I’ve hidden her away now; she’s safe. Now, I’m looking for an ally. That’s why I found you, Director Wu.”

Wu Liyuan fell silent, eyeing the red banknotes on the seat. Truthfully, she hadn’t seen someone pull out that much cash in person for a long time. She wasn’t acting as a Director now, but as an individual. She hadn’t actually intended to take the money.

After a pause, Wu Liyuan said tactfully, “The police station is right ahead. Are you sure you don’t need police intervention for your family matters?”

Words like “kidnapping,” “darkness,” and “torturing a mute” appeared too frequently in Ms. Zhong’s narrative. If she didn’t have delusions, Wu Liyuan suggested reporting it.

This time, it was Zhong Manjing’s turn to be silent.

She stayed quiet for a long while before saying, “No need. Director Wu, in the end of the dream, I died. My brother probably died later, too—poetic justice, I suppose. My sister-in-law actually, my prospective sister-in-law is a formidable person. She never liked me, but she put on such a good act. I still want to know why she became a mute.”

The girl’s story was disjointed. Wu Liyuan drove slowly as dark clouds gathered above, blotting out the stars.

Wu Liyuan asked, “If you know she was only faking her affection, why do you still want to know why she became a mute?”

As expected of a Director, her wording is precise—’prospective sister-in-law’, not ‘sister-in-law’. Zhong Manjing marveled inwardly and gave the most honest answer of the night.

“Her love back then was fake, but mine now is real.” Zhong Manjing touched the bridge of her nose. Though her eyes stung, she smiled until they crinkled. “I want to know if someone bullied her into silence. I’ll note those people down and track them down one by one.”

“Even if she lies to me, mocks me, never smiles at me again, or refuses to help me… every time I talk to her now, my heart, liver, and lungs all ache.”

Zhong Manjing said softly, “It took me a very long time to realize that that is what it feels like to fall for someone impossible.”

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