The Villainous Sister-in-law Mistakenly Marked as the Heroine (Transmigration) - Chapter 38.1

“Rong Jing, what brings you here?”

Rong Jing walked over, her icy gaze sweeping past Wu Xue standing beside her. “Seems I came at a bad time, interrupting something?”

“What are you talking about?”

Why did that sound so sarcastic?

“You tell me.”

A chilling aura radiated from Rong Jing.

Tell her what?!

Lin Qile completely missed the point, assuming Rong Jing was just in a bad mood from stress lately. Patiently, she asked, “Have you eaten yet? I was just about to treat Wu Xue to a meal. I asked around, some of the cafeteria stalls here are really good. Want to join us?”

She smiled, extending the invitation, utterly unaware she was dancing on a minefield.

“Hmph!”

Seeing that smile on Lin Qile’s face only fueled Rong Jing’s anger. She turned and walked away.

“Hey! Don’t go, wait!”

Lin Qile set the bag down and hurried after her, grabbing her wrist. “You still haven’t told me why you came to see me!”

“Let go!”

She must have been out of her mind to think of picking Lin Qile up after work.

A medical student who had failed every year for four and a half years, now claiming she wanted to be a good doctor, it was pure delusion. But she had seen a video online, one of Lin Qile performing emergency first aid on a patient.

It was a side of Lin Qile she had never seen before.

Maybe she really did want to be a doctor.

And yet, when she arrived, Lin Qile was laughing and chatting with another omega, so relaxed and carefree, a smile she had never once shown Rong Jing.

She had protected the Lin family for her, safeguarded her mother’s comfortable lifestyle. Sure, she threatened her sometimes, but when had she ever not helped when things got tough?

Not only that, she had even dug into her own pockets to keep the Lin family afloat.

After all she had done, was she not even worth a single genuine smile?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became until suddenly,

“Ugh… ugh…”

She covered her mouth and rushed to a nearby flowerbed.

“Feeling sick again?”

Lin Qile quickly ran over, patting her back. “Give me your car keys, I’ll get you some water.”

When Rong Jing didn’t respond, she started frisking her.

“St-stop… ugh…”

Ignoring her protests, Lin Qile stubbornly retrieved the keys. “You’re clearly suffering, no need to tough it out. Wait here.”

With that, she sprinted to the sports car parked by the roadside.

Seconds later, she returned with two bottles of water. “Here, rinse your mouth.”

Rong Jing took the bottle and tilted her head back to gargle.

“Is your stomach acting up? There’s a hospital right outside the north gate of our campus. Since you’re already here, let me take you to get checked out. A lot of illnesses start small but get worse if you ignore them.”

Rong Jing suddenly turned and glared at her. “Lin Qile, if you ever become a doctor, you’ll be the scourge of the medical field.”

“Alright, alright, you’re absolutely right. But you really shouldn’t avoid seeing a doctor out of pride.”

Muttering to herself, she opened the other bottle, wet a tissue, and handed it over. “Here.”

As Rong Jing wiped her mouth, she glanced sideways at Wu Xue, who was still standing by the books, and sneered, “So this is the kind of omega you like? Your taste is nothing special.”

The abrupt shift in topic left Lin Qile completely lost.

Honestly, she replied, “Don’t talk nonsense. Wu Xue and I are just friends. I made a bet with you to rank first, but I didn’t have any study materials. She happened to be done with her exams, so she lent me her books.”

Tossing the used tissue into Lin Qile’s hand, Rong Jing strode step by step toward Wu Xue.

“My hand isn’t a trash can!”

She grumbled but obediently turned around to toss the paper into the trash before striding after her.

As she got closer and overheard Rong Jing’s conversation with Wu Xue, she felt the urge to rush over and tape Rong Jing’s mouth shut.

“Your books won’t be needed. You’re not from the same school, so they won’t be much reference for her. Take them back, I’ll reimburse your fare.”

With that, Rong Jing pulled a banknote from her bag.

“Wait!”

Lin Qile dashed over, grabbing both the money and Rong Jing’s hand in one swift motion. She positioned herself in front of Rong Jing and grinned at Wu Xue. “Don’t listen to her nonsense. Textbooks are pretty much the same, and your notes would be really helpful for me,”

“Try using her books, and see what happens.”

Rong Jing’s icy voice slithered into her ear from behind: “Do you want Lin Corporation to go bankrupt?”

Her entire body stiffened, her cheerful expression twisting into a bitter grimace. “Wu Xue, I’m sorry. Maybe… maybe you should take them back after all. I’m really sorry for making you carry all these books here for nothing.”

“It’s fine.”

Wu Xue glanced behind her, offering a faint smile. “I was actually visiting a high school classmate anyway. Bringing the books for you was just a detour. No need for money, I’ll give them to my friend. She can use them.”

With that, she picked up the books.

“I’ll head off now. I won’t disturb you two any longer.”

Wu Xue nodded at her and walked away.

Lin Qile watched until Wu Xue’s figure disappeared through the school gates before sighing in regret. An omega with such a good temper was truly rare.

“If you miss her so much, why not chase after her?”

Her body tensed as she spun around to find Rong Jing glaring at her, displeasure written all over her face.

“Miss Rong, what exactly have I done to offend you this time?”

Rong Jing’s expression remained stony, offering no reply.

Lin Qile could only assume the worst that Rong Jing was resorting to underhanded tactics to sabotage her chances of winning their bet.

She decided it was time for a serious talk. Past threats and intimidation aside, she couldn’t compromise on her dream of studying medicine.

Clearing her throat, she carefully chose her words, adopting an exceedingly diplomatic tone. “Rong Jing, I’ve always thought that, despite your occasional temper, you’re quite reasonable when it comes to important matters. Studying medicine is my goal. You can’t just!”

Before she could finish, Rong Jing cut her off with an impatient glance. “Tomorrow, I’ll have someone deliver a brand-new set of textbooks to you.”

Huh? Had she misunderstood Rong Jing?

Relief washed over Lin Qile, though confusion lingered. “There’s really no need for new ones. Used ones would work just as well,”

“Shut up!”

The words “can be used” died in Lin Qile’s throat.

“I’m hungry. Let’s go home and cook.”

Rong Jing turned and headed for the sports car.

Lin Qile: “…”

After dragging her all the way here and causing this whole scene, it was just to make her go back and cook?!

But with no other choice, she swallowed her frustration even as a herd of imaginary alpacas stampeded through her mind and obediently followed Rong Jing back.

Once they returned to the villa, Rong Jing tossed out a casual “I’m going to shower” before heading upstairs.

Resigned, Lin Qile entered the kitchen to prepare dinner.

While the stew simmered and Rong Jing remained in the shower, she sat at the dining table and called Lin Xinrou, curious about how her mother’s trip was going.

“Sweetheart, it’s evening over there, right?”

Hearing Lin Xinrou’s voice lifted her spirits a little, and she exhaled deeply. “Yeah, Mom. Are you having fun?”

“It’s great. The scenery outside is lovely. Mom ran into some high school classmates, and they’ve all been taking good care of me. Don’t worry.”

She grumbled inwardly: Of course they’re taking care of her, I’m footing the bill for their entire trip, with the sole condition that they keep Lin Xinrou company.

They say a mother worries when her child travels far, but here it was the opposite, the child fretting over the mother’s travels.

“Mom also bumped into an acquaintance.”

“An acquaintance?”

Lin Xinrou glanced toward the beach where someone was sunbathing in the evening light. “That female alpha who drank me under the table during a business deal years ago. Didn’t expect her to be on vacation too. She just bought me a fruit cocktail.”

“What a coincidence! So, it’s like reuniting with an old friend in a distant land.”

“Yeah, really serendipitous. Uh… I should go now. Aunt Chen just changed and came out. We’re heading to a party tonight.”

“Alright, Mom. Have fun!”

Hanging up, she gleefully spun in place, clutching her phone. “A trip like this is just what she needs to forget all about Qi Song and Qi Dao!”

“Don’t be so optimistic. Do you really think you can afford your mother’s current lifestyle?”

Rong Jing, now dressed in a sleek black modal dress, walked over, opened the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of water.

She froze. The cost had completely slipped her mind.

Rong Jing took a sip, glanced at her, and scoffed. “Do you even know how much debt your family is in right now?”

“H-how much?”

“Over a billion.”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

She snatched the water from Rong Jing’s hand, gulped down several mouthfuls, and barely managed to steady herself before asking again, “H-how much?!”

“Conservative estimate, 1.76 billion.”

“How is that possible?! How could we owe that much?! Didn’t Rong Corp invest in the company? Lin Corp hasn’t declared bankruptcy and is still operating under your management!”

Rong Jing gave her a look as if she were an idiot and said coolly, “Without Rong Corp’s three-billion investment, Lin Corp would be nearly five billion in debt.”

Lin Qile sucked in a sharp breath.

She silently counted the zeros in her head, fingers nearly failing to keep up, before despair settled in. The absurdity of it all felt surreal.

Owing millions felt like the sky was falling. Tens of millions made life seem unbearable. Billions? Numbness set in after all, it was impossible to even fathom that much money.

And given Rong Jing’s nature, she’d never make a losing investment. If she was still willing to pour three billion into Lin Corp, the odds of turning a profit had to be high. She’d tossed out three billion without blinking.

At this moment, Rong Jing might as well have been a gleaming golden Buddha in Lin Qile’s eyes. She stared, starstruck.

Rong Jing shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze, snorted, and turned away.

“What are you staring at? Shouldn’t you check on dinner? I think I smell something burning.”

“Ah! My ribs!”

She bolted into the kitchen.

Ten minutes later.

The two sat at the dining table. Rong Jing ate leisurely, completely ignoring the anxious stare from across the table.

Lin Qile fidgeted, sweat beading on her nose, nails scraping against the marble surface, feet tapping impatiently under the table.

“Hurry up… are you done yet?”

Rong Jing popped a piece of tofu into her mouth, savoring it. “Passable.”

“Practice makes perfect, that’s not important! Miss Rong, are you finished? Can I ask my question now?”

Practice makes perfect?

Rong Jing pondered the words for a moment before asking suspiciously, “Who have you cooked for before?”

“Plenty of people.”

The dining room instantly fell into silence. Rong Jing slammed her chopsticks down, her expression darkening.

Lin Qile, however, was entirely preoccupied with the staggering debt and didn’t notice the shift in Rong Jing’s mood.

She pressed urgently, “Can I ask my question now? Will those debts be transferred to me and my mom?”

Rong Jing wiped her mouth, stood up, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window balcony in the living room. She sat on the hanging chair, leisurely crossing her legs. “Of course they’re yours. Did you think they’d be mine?”

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