The Villainous Sister-in-law Mistakenly Marked as the Heroine (Transmigration) - Chapter 40.1

7:00 PM.

Rong Jing returned home to find the living room lit and the aroma of food lingering in the air, but there was no sign of the eager figure waiting for her in the entryway.

Hearing movement from the study, she walked over.

The door was slightly ajar.

Lin Qile sat at the desk, engrossed in Cardiac Surgery: Techniques and Applications, a pen twirling casually between her fingers. Occasionally, she would glance up at the computer screen, then jot down notes in the book.

Rong Jing was surprised.

This version of Lin Qile was unfamiliar to her.

After their marriage, Lin Qile had often asked her for favors, always with an ingratiating smile. This focused, serious expression was something she rarely saw.

“You’re back!”

Startled, she watched as Lin Qile set the book aside and hurried over. “Rong Jing, I have great news!”

The sudden proximity of that beaming face was infectious, tugging at the corners of Rong Jing’s lips. “What is it?”

“I was worried I wouldn’t do well on the exam and lose our bet, but after studying all day, I realized I haven’t forgotten anything. I’m definitely going to win!”

Lin Qile was so excited that she impulsively hugged Rong Jing.

“Hey! Who said you could hug me? Let go!”

Though her tone was scolding, there was little coldness in her voice.

Lin Qile chuckled and released her. “Sorry, I was just too happy and had no one else to share it with. But I promise you, I’ll become an excellent doctor, I’ll never embarrass you because of me.”

Humming a tune, she walked out of the study.

After a few steps, she turned back to add, “I made dinner for you. Go eat while it’s hot, all my best dishes!”

She then headed to the balcony, happily watering the plants.

Today had truly been a good day.

It just proved that passion for one’s field was the best motivation!

But her happiness didn’t last long Rong Jing brought up something: in three days, Bai Jiao’s birthday party would take place, and she was expected to attend.

Rong Jing sat elegantly at the dining table, eating.

Lin Qile walked over and sat beside her. “Do I really have to go? I still have so much material to review. If I don’t do well on the exam, wouldn’t that embarrass you too?”

The flattery in those words inexplicably pleased Rong Jing. Setting down her chopsticks, she turned to Lin Qile, who was gazing at her with hopeful eyes.

“You have to go.”

Lin Qile: “…”

“This party will be attended by a lot of people. With the Lin family in such turmoil, if you don’t show up, it’ll only make others think we’ve cut ties. If that rumor spreads, it’ll make things even worse for the Lin family. So, are you going or not?”

“Fine, I’ll go.”

A faint smile curled Rong Jing’s red lips. She reached out and patted Lin Qile’s cheek. “But you’ve been good today, so I’ll reward you.”

At the word “reward,” Lin Qile’s eyes lit up. “What kind of reward?”

“Hmm…” Rong Jing propped her chin on her hand, studying her with a playful glint in her eyes. “My secondary card won’t be any worse than your mother’s.”

With that, she stood up. “I’m going to shower.”

Left behind, Lin Qile stared blankly, pulling the black card from her pocket and examining it for a moment. “What kind of reward is this?” she muttered to herself.

The next morning.

When Rong Jing woke up, Lin Qile was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast was ready, and a note was left behind.

Breakfast is ready, I’ve gone out. I might not make it back in time to cook dinner tonight, so I’ve picked a few light restaurants that should suit your taste. Order for yourself.

Here are the phone numbers for three restaurants.

“Order food? Lin Qile, do you even realize I don’t need to order food myself?”

Thinking to herself, she decided she’d definitely tease Lin Qile about it when she got back that evening.

But by 11 p.m., she was so exhausted from waiting that Lin Qile still hadn’t returned.

Unable to hold back any longer, she called directly.

It took a long time for the call to connect, and she immediately snapped, “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Ah, you’re still awake?”

“Hmph.”

“Sorry, I only finished work at 10:30. I thought you’d be asleep by then, so I didn’t call to disturb you. I’m done now, heading back.”

Rong Jing frowned. “What are you doing?”

“I’m at the library.”

Rong Jing’s brain froze for several seconds. “You… where?”

“The university library. A professor’s research project needed students to help gather a lot of reference material, manual retrieval only. I beat out dozens of competitors to land this part-time gig.”

Lin Qile packed up her things while talking on the phone. In the distance, the professor and assistant walked over. “Lin Qile, you did great work today. Thank you.”

“Professor, it was no trouble at all. I’m honored you chose me for this job.”

“Head back to the dorm early.”

“Will do.”

Only after they left did she continue the call. “It’s hard to get a taxi now. I probably won’t be back until past 1 a.m. You should get some sleep.”

“You didn’t drive?”

“Uh…”

Rong Jing sensed something was off. “What’s going on?”

“I sold the car.”

“You what?!” Rong Jing sat bolt upright. “Why would you sell the car?”

Walking out of the library, Lin Qile explained, “Like you said, I can’t afford my mom’s expenses, but I can’t rely on you either. Selling the car should buy me some time. When my mom comes back, she’ll have to adjust to a simpler life too.”

“I gave you a supplementary card, didn’t I? Lin Qile, are you still planning to divorce me? I warned you!”

“No.”

She cut Rong Jing off, glancing up at the moon. “You never mentioned it before, but I always thought investing in Lin Corp was easy for you. Turns out, you’ve been shouldering so much debt under pressure. I’m really no good at business Lin Corp might still need you to carry it for a long time, but I can’t let that happen anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rong Jing, 1.76 billion is an astronomical number to me. I can’t pay it back, but I won’t just ignore it because I can’t. I’ll work hard to achieve the first step not spending your money.”

A gust of wind blew past, making her shiver. “It’s only October, but it’s already getting cold. I’m freezing and starving. I’ll grab a late-night snack near campus before heading back. You go to sleep.”

“Mm.”

Rong Jing hung up after a brief acknowledgment.

Lin Qile put away her phone. The campus was nearly empty at this hour, and she walked alone under the moonlight toward the school gates.

From childhood until now, she had walked this kind of path countless times for school, for scholarships.

As she walked, bored out of her mind, she couldn’t help but chat with the system:

“System, you know, when I was little and scared walking alone at night, I used to talk to imaginary friends. And now, it’s actually come true.”

【Host, you could actually use the secondary card Rong Jing gave you. 1.76 billion, I did the math. To earn that much money, you’d need at least 8,500 years.】

???

Her temple twitched. “How many years did you say?”

【That’s assuming you don’t eat or drink the entire time.】

“That long?!”

【Mhm. But don’t lose heart, here’s some good news. Rong Jing’s corruption value dropped by 3%.】

“I can’t even feel happy about that right now.”

Eight thousand five hundred years longer than the entire recorded history of humanity.

Instantly, her fighting spirit crumbled. Head bowed, she dragged her heavy steps toward the exit.

Arriving at the late-night snack stall by the school gates, her stomach growling fiercely, she ordered a bowl of spicy noodles.

“Who cares about 8,500 years or even 85,000?! I’m eating first!”

Halfway through her meal, it started to rain.

She had to speed up. The stall was run by a middle-aged woman, and a man soon pulled up in a small van. “It’s raining, pack up quick.”

“There’s still a customer.”

She stood up with a smile. “I’m done. You can close up.”

Under the eaves, she watched the couple tending their stall, a flicker of envy surfacing in her eyes.

“If one day someone comes to pick me up in the rain, I’d love them to death!”

“Lin Qile!”

She turned instinctively and saw Rong Jing, standing about ten meters away, holding an umbrella, her expression tinged with exhaustion.

She froze.

Had Rong Jing not slept?

Why was she here?

Rong Jing walked toward her under the umbrella, stopping at the foot of the steps. The rain grew heavier, and gradually, the passersby vanished, as if the whole world had narrowed down to just the two of them.

Rong Jing said, “Let’s go home.”

At that moment.

Lin Qile swore she had heard the three most beautiful words in existence. Something unfamiliar swelled in her chest, filling her to the brim, almost overflowing.

“You… why are you here?” Her voice trembled slightly when she spoke.

No one had ever come to pick her up before. Never, not once in her entire life.

She had long grown accustomed to weathering every disappointment and awkwardness alone. But who wouldn’t crave being someone’s priority?

She did. She just never thought it was something she could have.

Rong Jing masked her own unease with a scoff. “I came to get you so you wouldn’t wake me up when you got back.”

Lin Qile gazed at her softly. “Thank you.”

Rong Jing’s face flushed, and she quickly looked away, grumbling, “Are we going or not? My arm’s getting tired.”

“I’ll hold the umbrella!”

She took it from Rong Jing’s hand, and the two walked side by side under the shared shelter, through the rain…

Back at the apartment.

Rong Jing yawned. “I’m going to bed. Wake me up, and you’re dead.”

“Okay.”

After showering in the guest room and changing into pajamas, she eyed the bed restlessly, her heart unsettled. She really, really wanted… to go to the master bedroom.

Gritting her teeth, she finally pushed open the master bedroom door.

After all, ever since they got married, unless she had angered Rong Jing, they always slept together. Today shouldn’t be an exception.

Tiptoeing to the bed, she carefully climbed in.

“Mmm…”

Hearing Rong Jing stir, she stiffened. When the other woman didn’t wake, she slowly lay down.

For some reason, even though this wasn’t their first time sharing a bed, lying beside Rong Jing now, staring at the back of her head, Lin Qile pressed a hand to her chest, her heart was pounding wildly.

Her mind was filled with the image of Rong Jing standing in the rain, holding an umbrella.

She had never imagined that the first person to pick her up in her life would be Rong Jing this big villain who was always threatening her.

Reaching out, her fingertips brushed against Rong Jing’s long hair, twirling a strand between her fingers. So soft, so unlike the person it belonged to.

“Mmm…”

Rong Jing suddenly turned over, startling her into stillness.

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