The Seductive Pretender: Sister-in-Law is Turning Gay - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Her Protective Umbrella.

When Cui Ran arrived, she had two cups of coffee in her hand. Seeing the dead-serious expression on Wu Liyuan’s face, she knew the coffee was the right call.

She set one cup on the edge of the desk. Wu Liyuan said, “Why buy coffee at this hour? Aren’t you off duty tonight?”

“You called me over so urgently, what’s the difference between this and a night shift?” Cui Ran sighed, settling comfortably into the single sofa nearby. “What went wrong with Yuqing?”

Wu Lishan pushed the door open, holding a thermos in one hand and her phone in the other. She leaned slightly against the long sofa in the corner. “I’ve already called to confirm according to Sister Lin’s previous arrangement. She performed very well on the phone, saying she had not visited the Mental Health Center for treatment.”

Wu Lishan skillfully opened the folder in her hand, flipping through last month’s records. “The time it took for her to remember shifted fifteen days later than the second time. I asked the corresponding questions as required; she hasn’t remembered anything about the Lin family.”

Cui Ran put down her coffee and swiped through her tablet. “Not necessarily. Yuqing is a smart person. So, did she agree to a follow-up consultation?”

“No, she hung up during the second attempt,” Wu Liyuan sighed. Cui Ran added, “According to the agreement, her refusal means we proceed to the third stage of the cycle. Her subconscious is saying it’s not time to come back yet.”

A brief silence fell over the three people in the room. The younger Wu Lishan couldn’t hold back; she reflexively gripped her stylus tighter, her voice tinged with anger. “How can we just accept this? No matter how long Sister Lin stays out there, is she really going to give up what belongs to her in the Lin family? They are just cuckoos in the nest…”

“She can hide now, but she can’t hide for a lifetime. As long as she is still here, the Lin family won’t let her go! Sister Lin said it herself—this is a plan, it must be followed. She can do it.”

Wu Liyuan said flatly, “What if she truly wants to give it all up and live like this forever?”

Wu Liyuan looked toward the wall. Next door was the consultation room, and she knew exactly who was sitting there.

Wu Lishan murmured, “There’s no time. Zhong Suyuan has already leaked news of his engagement. Even if the Lin family doesn’t look for her, the Zhongs will. She doesn’t have much time, but she isn’t in the right state to enter the ‘active’ phase of the plan yet.”

Cui Ran lowered her eyes in thought. “Have any of you seen what she looks like now? Yuqing said after being sent to Yuhai County, we weren’t allowed to visit. She said if she saw us, she would remember. I haven’t peeked.”

Neither Wu Liyuan nor Wu Lishan had gone either. Among the three of them, anything regarding Lin Yuqing had to be discussed and coordinated; they were terrified of making a single mistake.

Wu Liyuan didn’t speak. She opened her computer, navigated to an encrypted document, and clicked on a video labeled 2.

On the large screen before the three of them, Lin Yuqing and Wu Liyuan appeared.

“Yuqing, we are ready to begin.”

In the footage, Lin Yuqing’s expression was cold, like a beautiful wooden carving. She reclined in the chair, staring at the ceiling, and nodded. “Alright, Dr. Wu.”

“Where did you grow up?”

“In the orphanage in Forestry Township, Yuhai County. I was raised by Director Zhou Rutang until I was twelve, after which I moved to the Lin family in Yibei City.”

“Good. How did your siblings treat you?”

“They treated me very well. When I first arrived and was unfamiliar with the house, it was my Second Brother who took me around to meet everyone. He told them to take good care of me. Knowing I wasn’t used to big houses, he found me a smaller room where I felt more secure.”

In the video, Wu Liyuan merely pushed up her glasses, recording the notes with a neutral face, and continued the questioning.

“How was your life at home?”

“Very good. They all took care of me. Second Brother was afraid I’d be bullied since I was the youngest, so he taught me many things.”

“How did Lin Yueshan teach you?”

“Self-defense, anti-harassment techniques, combat, and archery, so I wouldn’t be bullied. He urged me to practice diligently. Indeed, I never lost again.”

“Was your father good to you?”

“Very good. Even when he was ill, he would check my schoolwork. He would talk to me about my mother. Most of the time, he let Second Brother and Fourth Brother act on his behalf.”

“But after entering the Lin family company, you never appeared in public, nor did you have an official position. Will you continue to stay under those conditions?”

“I will. I will repay them. Second Brother said that when he becomes Chairman, he will let me buy my own house and try to live independently.”

“If you lived on your own, how would you want to live?”

In the video, Lin Yuqing paused only at this question. Her numb face and eyes showed a flicker of emotion. After a long moment, she said softly, “Just having enough to eat and keep warm would be enough.”

Wu Liyuan stood up, walked slowly to Lin Yuqing, and opened her hand. In her palm was a small, grayish-black mouse plushie.

“Yuqing, look at this. What is it?”

Lin Yuqing turned her head. “It’s a little doll.”

Wu Liyuan: “Look closely. Get closer. What is it?”

Lin Yuqing stared at the little mouse for a long time. She slowly sat up, her focus narrowing to that single point. “It’s a mouse. It’s… a mouse.”

Wu Liyuan’s voice carried a hint of tension: “Go on. What is it?”

“A mouse.” Lin Yuqing frowned deeply. Her gaze froze for a second—lost, then becoming as clear as the eye of a hurricane. Her voice began to fluctuate. “I see it. It’s a mouse, Liyuan.”

Only then did Wu Liyuan exhale softly, putting the mouse plushie away and picking up her medical notepad. “Yuqing, this is our second experimental trial. I will start the questions again. Prepare yourself mentally.”

Sweat broke out on Lin Yuqing’s forehead, but she seemed not to notice. She nodded.

“Do you know me? Who am I? Do you know who is waiting outside?”

“You are Wu Liyuan, my friend. Outside are Xiao Ran, who is waiting to give me anesthesia, and your sister, Lishan.”

“How did your siblings treat you?”

“They wish I would die immediately, but they don’t want me to die without being useful first. Lin Yueshan is a ‘smiling tiger.’ When I first arrived, he locked me in the basement and let the others bully me. I was twelve years old.”

“How was your life at home?”

“I don’t know. to them, I am a mouse fit only to live in the basement and the gutters. I could only tuck my tail and be a mouse in front of them. Lin Yueshan trained me to be the tool for his dirty work. I only had to obey.”

Wu Liyuan hesitated. “Yuqing…”

“Why the hesitation? Where is your professionalism, Liyuan?” Lin Yuqing didn’t even lift her eyelids; her voice was ice-cold. “Continue.”

“How was your life at home?”

“I don’t know. I am the Lin family’s mouse that cannot see the light. Them beating and scolding a mouse was a daily routine, a given. So when they occasionally stroked the mouse gently, the mouse was moved to tears of gratitude, forgetting all the scars and pain on its body. If that is ‘good,’ then I lived very well.”

“How did Lin Yueshan treat you?”

“He trained me well. I am a sharpened blade that will eventually be plunged into him.”

“Was your father good to you?”

“Him? He never considered me his child. He said my mother didn’t even count as a mistress. I will send him to that same nursing home, where he will spend the rest of his life staring at my mother’s tombstone.”

“The plan is not foolproof. If Zhong Suyuan discovers your intentions and keeps you completely under his control there, what will you do?”

Lin Yuqing was silent for a long time before sitting up from the recliner.

“Zhong Suyuan has a sister named Zhong Manjing. I’ve seen her. She was intentionally raised to be useless by him; her perception of the world is different from everyone else. She is a truly sheltered socialite who knows nothing of the world. Therefore, she can become the way out.” Lin Yuqing paused, as if making a final resolution. “I will make her help me get out.”

Wu Liyuan was silent for a moment, then whispered, “That’s enough. We can prepare for the second phase. The ‘anchor’ word for the first phase: Mouse. …Do we still need the third phase?”

Lin Yuqing said, “If we’re going to do it, do it thoroughly. A month from now, if I refuse the call, proceed with the third phase. We must seize the opportunity before the Zhong family makes a move.”

Wu Liyuan: “The anchor word for this time is…”

“Mouse,” Lin Yuqing said before lying back down. “Still ‘mouse.’ Let Xiao Ran and Lishan in. Thank you for your hard work.”

Wu Liyuan put on her mask. Cui Ran and Wu Lishan entered with an equipment cart. Soon, Cui Ran picked up the prepared anesthetic needle, her voice very low: “Yuqing, I don’t support this plan.”

For the first time, Lin Yuqing’s lips curved into a smile. “How much worse could it get? Let’s begin.”

The overhead lights were turned on to a soft glow. Wu Liyuan leaned over to look at Lin Yuqing. “Look at this light. This is the light that will be in your little home. Patient Lin Yuqing, I am your attending physician, Wu Liyuan… Lin Yuqing, you will forget these painful memories and remember the anchor.”

Lin Yuqing’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum: “Mouse.”

By now, Wu Lishan had placed electrode patches on specific parts of her head. Her breathing was steady, and the focus in her eyes began to fade.

Cui Ran quickly injected the anesthetic, while Wu Lishan held Lin Yuqing’s shoulders, covered her with a blanket, and secured the restraints comfortably. The three worked in perfect harmony, completing the tasks quickly. Cui Ran closely monitored the values on the monitor, tested the degree of muscle relaxation, and said, “It’s ready.”

Wu Liyuan: “Power on.”

Lin Yuqing’s body showed no obvious tremors, but as the electrical stimulation was applied, her life-monitor curves suddenly spiked. She looked as if she were merely asleep. Wu Liyuan stared at the screen and soon cut the power.

In the footage, the consultation room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The office was the same.

The three people in the video silently began to pack up the equipment, unfasten the restraints, and wipe the sweat from Lin Yuqing’s forehead. Twenty minutes passed in silence. Although Lin Yuqing lay with her eyes tightly shut on the bed, tears began to stream uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.

Wu Liyuan picked up a tissue to wipe them, but she couldn’t keep up. Finally, Wu Liyuan’s own glasses fogged up; she turned away, took them off, and ripped off her mask. “She’s waking up. Move her to the observation room, then to the ward.”

The scene shifted. Lin Yuqing had been moved to a private room. The camera captured her waking up and staring blankly at the ceiling. Her first move was to reach up and touch her still-damp eyes.

After sitting up, the first thing she did was take off her hospital gown. Anticipating this behavior, they had left her in a short camisole and shorts. Her fingertips slid over the slightly raised scars on her back, legs, and waist. After a moment of bewilderment, she began to sob uncontrollably.

Wu Liyuan entered, but Lin Yuqing’s crying didn’t stop. When she finally ceased, she looked at Wu Liyuan through tear-blurred eyes and broke into a radiant smile.

“Lin Yuqing, how do you feel now? Do you know who I am?” As soon as Wu Liyuan finished, Lin Yuqing gripped her wrist tight. “I feel incredibly light, Dr. Wu. Thank you.”

Wu Liyuan smiled back. “The effect seems good. But why were you crying?”

“I don’t know. It was a happy cry. I feel light, so happy.” Lin Yuqing felt as though her mind had been bathed, washing away a heavy layer of filth. Even though she felt a bit dizzy, she continued, “I feel very hungry, Dr. Wu. What’s for dinner? Recommend something, and I’ll treat you. I really want something sweet. Do you have any candy?”

Wu Liyuan smiled and patted her wrist, tucking her hand back under the covers. “Can you dress yourself? I have things to do tonight. The head nurse, Lishan, will be here to help you shortly. Later, Dr. Cui will do rounds. Rest well now; we’ll arrange the second session tomorrow.”

Lin Yuqing smiled brightly. “Okay, okay.”

Before leaving, Wu Liyuan glanced toward the monitor, and the screen went black.

In Consultation Room 1, the moment the screen went dark, Zhong Manjing saw her own eyes filled with tears.

Like Lin Yuqing had done in the video, she touched her cheek in disbelief.

Consultation Room 1—this was the very room where Lin Yuqing had answered those questions, the room where she underwent treatment. It was right here.

Zhong Manjing staggered back two steps from the one-way observation wall, away from the bed, but then stopped and reached out a trembling hand to touch the edge of the mattress.

A boom of thunder from outside jolted her awake.

She pinched her leg hard, opened the door, and ran out.

“Ms. Zhong! Wait! It’s pouring outside!” The staff recognized her face but couldn’t stop her. Zhong Manjing had already charged into the rain.

She ran down the street without stopping, wanting to calm herself, wanting the rain to wash her clean. Pedestrians came and went; she darted past umbrella after umbrella, past neon-lit shops, and through flashing green lights.

She bumped into several people’s umbrellas, earning herself a few “Is she crazy?” glares.

“I’m sorry.” I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

She kept saying it, eventually turning it into a silent chant in her heart. She had nowhere to go here. She ran in circles, only to end up back at the starting point the guesthouse she was renting.

Zhong Manjing wiped her face, looking disheveled at the person standing in front of the guesthouse, thinking she was hallucinating.

The person was wearing a familiar backpack, holding an unfamiliar navy blue umbrella, and carrying a familiar umbrella in their hand the one covered in little hearts.

Only when that person turned their umbrella did they quickly walk toward her, pulling her firmly under the protective shade.

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