The Villainous Sister-in-law Mistakenly Marked as the Heroine (Transmigration) - Chapter 36.1

At the dining table.

Rong Jing lowered her head, quietly eating her meal. Lin Qile sat across from her, looking like an obedient schoolgirl. Only her restless, fidgeting hands betrayed the calm facade she was trying to maintain.

She had to admit her own helplessness there was simply no way she could help Lin Xinrou hold onto the Lin family’s assets. Whether Lin Xinrou’s future would be as tragic as in the original story or continue to live the comfortable, affluent life she had now depended entirely on Rong Jing’s word.

As soon as Rong Jing finished eating, Lin Qile quickly stood up to clear the dishes.

“Sit down.”

She immediately obeyed, sitting back down.

Rong Jing spoke first: “The Lin family’s assets have already been drained by Qi Song. Apart from the main building and a few foundational projects Qi Song couldn’t touch, the Lin family has no value left.”

“I know.”

Rong Jing rested her hand on the table, tapping lightly. “But I won’t let Qi Song walk away so easily.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“With that brain of yours, even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand.”

Lin Qile: “……”

“I haven’t had much of an appetite lately. I don’t want to eat out. Cook dinner for me every night and wait for me to come home. If I’m not satisfied, everything I promised before will be void.”

With that threat, Rong Jing got up and went upstairs.

Lin Qile stared at her retreating figure until it disappeared at the top of the stairs. Then she covered her face and muttered under her breath, “System, does this count as changing Lin Xinrou’s fate?”

[Not entirely. Lin Xinrou hasn’t divorced Qi Song yet. If Qi Song sweet-talks her, Lin Xinrou might still soften.]

“Still soften!?”

[There’s no helping it. Lin Xinrou’s character setting is that of a love-struck fool. Her feelings for Qi Song won’t be so easily severed.]

“That won’t do!”

She abruptly stood up, her expression resolute. “Then I’ll just have to sever them myself!”

Early the next morning.

Lin Qile got up early to make breakfast. She had planned to call Rong Jing down to eat, but as soon as she pushed open the bedroom door, she saw Rong Jing stride out in a hurry.

She quickly approached, eager to please. “Breakfast is ready! I made fried eggs!”

“I have a meeting at the company. Eat by yourself.”

Without even looking up, Rong Jing brushed past her and hurried out the door.

Well, that effort was wasted.

Lin Qile ate a few bites of her meal before rushing straight to the hospital.

She had to get Lin Xinrou to divorce Qi Song immediately. Otherwise, once Rong Jing took revenge on Qi Song, there was no telling if she’d take her anger out on Lin Xinrou too.

At that point, no matter which side she took, it would be wrong!

When she arrived at the hospital and entered the ward, Lin Xinrou was nowhere to be seen. Her heart instantly sank had she really gone to find Qi Song?

“Mom?”

She ran out of the ward and went to the nurse’s station. “Where’s the patient in bed 19?”

“Not in her room? She finished her IV drip maybe she went for a walk.”

“Did anyone else visit her today?”

The nurse checked the visitor log and shook her head. “No.”

Only then did Lin Qile let out a long sigh of relief. She turned around, pulling out her phone to call Lin Xinrou.

Just as she was about to press the call button, someone tapped her shoulder. She turned to see Wu Xue holding a thermos, smiling at her. “Looking for your mom?”

“Yeah.”

Wu Xue grinned. “I know where she is. I was just getting hot water for her.”

“Where is she?”

“Come with me.”

Wu Xue led her outside, saying, “This morning, I came to the hospital to bring something for my uncle and saw your mother trying to leave secretly. I stopped her and sat with her in the garden for a while. She told me a lot of things. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry into your family’s private matters, but your mother was really heartbroken. I couldn’t just walk away, so I stayed and listened.”

She gave a faint smile. “No need to apologize. It’s hardly a secret anymore. But thank you for stopping her.”

The two of them made their way to the garden on the first floor, where she immediately spotted Lin Xinrou sitting on the edge of a flower bed in the distance.

“You go ahead. I won’t disturb you and your mother now. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

“Thank you.”

After bidding Wu Xue farewell, she walked toward the flower bed.

Lin Xinrou sat there dazed, a far cry from her usual happy, contented self. Her eyes were vacant as she stared blankly at the flowers.

Lin Qile couldn’t bear to think how, in just a few days, the woman who had once dazzled her at first glance had become like this. Her heart ached as she approached and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Mom.”

Lin Xinrou slowly looked up, her face pale and her eyes swollen. “Lele…”

“I’m here. I’ll always be with you, Mom. I’ll never leave.”

“Lele,  sob. I’m so useless. I know this isn’t right, but I, I can’t help it. Why did your mother betray me?”

Lin Xinrou clutched at her clothes, her sobs coming in ragged gasps.

“Mom, some people in this world are rotten to the core. To get what they want, they’ll sacrifice anything. You can’t talk about feelings with people like that they don’t deserve it!”

“But she,  she was the one who shared my bed!”

“Exactly. Think about those who kill their spouses for insurance money, isn’t their target always the person closest to them? It’s impossible to know someone’s true heart just by their face. You’ve been sheltered too well, Mom. You’ve never been exposed to the darker side of life. Here, let me tell you a story.”

An alpha director came to the orphanage, bringing a large sum of money to improve the living conditions. For the first time, the children had meat to eat and new shoes to wear. The director even sent them to school.

Back then, everyone was overjoyed. They’d fall asleep smiling every night.

Until one night, a thirteen-year-old girl developed a high fever that wouldn’t break, and she had to be rushed to the hospital.

Later, that girl died.

The director held a funeral for her, and it was even covered on TV. He raised another large sum of donations for the orphanage, and the children began wearing new clothes, living better lives. But within a few months, another girl died.

Lin Xinrou asked hoarsely, “Why did that happen?”

She gave a bitter smile. “The director killed them.”

Lin Xinrou gasped.

“The director enjoyed torturing and killing young girls. He’d buy them pretty clothes, give them delicious food, then make them kneel before him in the middle of the night to humiliate them. At first, some people suspected something was wrong and even reported it to the police, but no one believed them. Everyone thought he was a good man. But as more and more girls died, it became impossible to hide. Only then did people realize the truth this monster had been playing the role of the children’s protector while secretly selecting girls to torture and kill for his own pleasure.”

“This…”

Lin Xinrou sat up straight, staring at her daughter. “Lele, where did you hear this story?”

“It was a long time ago, Mom. I wanted to tell you this story just to remind you that not every place touched by sunlight is bright. You need to accept reality divorce Qi Song and don’t let her become the nightmare of your life.”

Lin Xinrou’s lips trembled slightly.

“Neither of us is good at business, but don’t worry. I’ve already talked to Qi Song. She’s willing to take over Lin Corp and give you a sum of money enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life.” Lin Qile stepped forward, gently taking her mother’s hands as she spoke softly, “I’ll work hard too, to become a good doctor and take care of you. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again, okay?”

She finished speaking from the heart, carefully searching her mother’s expression.

After a long silence, Lin Xinrou finally reached out with trembling hands, cupping her daughter’s face. “Alright. Mom will divorce her.”

Hearing her mother’s agreement, the weight in Lin Qile’s heart finally lifted.

“I’m sorry, my dear. I’m already this old, yet I still need you to coax me. I’m not a good mother.”

“That’s not true. You’re the best mom in the world.”

To avoid complications, she immediately contacted a lawyer to arrange the divorce with Qi Song at the Civil Affairs Bureau the next morning. Qi Song agreed without hesitation.

That evening.

Rong Jing set aside the documents in her hands upon hearing the news, glancing at Lin Qile, who was holding a cup of coffee. “So, you’ve truly resigned yourself to fate. Finalizing the divorce now means you’ll never recover the marital assets Qi Song siphoned off.”

“I don’t want to risk any delays.”

Rong Jing waved the documents in her hand. “Still want to learn business? Master it, and you can take back everything stolen from your family.”

Lin Qile quickly shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ll stick to becoming a doctor.”

“A… doctor?”

Lin Qile clearly saw Rong Jing’s cheek twitch at her declaration.

Was that disbelief?

“Hey, what’s with that look?” Lin Qile couldn’t help retorting.

“Like I said before let me know which hospital you end up interning at. I’ll make sure everyone I know steers clear.”

Lin Qile: “…”

“Get out. I have work to do.”

Rong Jing lowered her head to resume reading, leaving Lin Qile fuming but forced to swallow her frustration, she still needed Rong Jing’s help, after all.

Before bed, Lin Qile had just finished showering in the guest room when Rong Jing pushed the door open angrily. “Do you think you’re my guest?”

“Huh?”

Rong Jing narrowed her eyes. “Know your place!”

Ah.

Got it.

“Go back to the bedroom first. I’ll join you once my hair’s dry.”

“You have five minutes.”

With a cold snort, Rong Jing turned and left.

Lin Qile dried her hair, slipped into her pajamas, and entered the bedroom to find Rong Jing already in bed.

Familiar with their routine, she lifted the covers, slid in, and rolled over, hovering lightly over Rong Jing, who lay with her eyes closed.

Rong Jing’s eyes snapped open.

Now accustomed to their intimacy, Lin Qile traced the smooth skin beneath her before lowering her head to capture Rong Jing’s lips, their breaths mingling.

Rong Jing stiffened for a second then her hand rose to grip the back of Lin Qile’s head, deepening the kiss.

Throughout their relationship, Rong Jing had always been the dominant one, but moments of her actively indulging in tender kisses were rare. At this moment, Lin Qile felt encouraged, lingering near Rong Jing’s lips, her voice slightly hoarse as she murmured, “I’ll take good care of you, my lady.”

With that, she poured all her efforts into teasing further.

Rong Jing went from resistance to surrender in less than ten seconds.

Just as Lin Qile lost herself in this rare tenderness and leaned in for more, Rong Jing’s expression shifted from desire to coldness, and she kicked her without hesitation.

“Get lost!”

Caught off guard, Lin Qile was struck on the inner thigh. Pain flared up, twisting her delicate face into a grimace as she awkwardly rolled to the side.

Gritting her teeth but not daring to retaliate, she whined, “What was that for?!”

By the time she recovered, Rong Jing had already pulled the blanket over herself, eyeing her with disdain. “Is this all you ever think about?”

“You were the one who seduced me! I was about to sleep in the guest room, but you insisted I come here, ugh!”

Without another word, Rong Jing lifted her leg and kicked her again. Fortunately, Lin Qile was prepared this time and dodged most of the impact.

Sigh, what did I do to set her off now? Her temper is more unpredictable than a menopausal woman’s!

Lin Qile grumbled internally but cautiously scooted backward. “You should rest early. I’ll head back to the guest room.”

Before she could finish, Rong Jing’s icy voice cut in, “Get back here!”

So, like a coward, she shrank back.

Lin Qile, resigned like a bullied wife, sighed, “What now? I didn’t provoke you, did I?”

Rong Jing didn’t answer. Instead, the corner of her lips curled slightly as she crooked a finger at her.

Confused and nervous, Lin Qile reluctantly inched closer, as if stepping onto an execution ground, wondering what this tyrant wanted now.

The next moment, she was struck again, swift and merciless.

Lin Qile yelped in surprise, glaring up only to meet Rong Jing’s deep, mocking gaze.

Rong Jing’s fair foot remained planted on her calf while her fingers pinched Lin Qile’s chin. “Dare to dodge again?”

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