Chapter 25: Lin Wan's Methods

Lin Mo returned her costume and removed her makeup.

Questions lingered in her mind. She wasn't in a hurry to leave, so she followed her memory back to the spot where she had been struck. Last time, she had been working as a stand-in and was squatting on the ground to rest when something suddenly fell from above. It knocked her unconscious instantly. If she hadn't been discovered and rushed to the hospital, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The small building was empty at night. When not being used for filming, it was just a regular structure within the scenic area. Looking up from the second floor, she noticed a security camera pointed toward the area. Since filming had concluded, the site was deserted, and the surroundings were silent, leaving no trace behind.

Lin Mo paid the security guard 200 yuan to let her review the footage. The guard looked at her curiously, "Why do you want to check the surveillance here? There's only one camera on the second floor, and it might not have caught anything. If you lost something, you probably won't find it now."

Lin Mo smiled. "It's fine, just show me the footage from early July..."

The guard, who worked for the scenic area, was happy to make some extra cash. In the security office, the monitor skipped to the day of the incident. Everything had been normal until, while Lin Mo was resting, a woman wearing a mask stood on the floor above. After a moment, she dropped a porcelain vase, then walked away. Shortly after, a crowd gathered—evidently, someone had found Lin Mo.

However, no one had investigated the matter. The production crew had suppressed the issue to avoid delays and had simply compensated Lin Mo with a few thousand yuan. Since the perpetrator had kept her face hidden, it had been impossible to track her down after so much time.

Lin Mo’s expression turned cold as she copied the video to her phone.

"How vicious of her. Why would she do that?" The guard broke into a cold sweat. "And she never showed her face the whole time. She must have known about the camera and did it on purpose."

"It's fine," Lin Mo said, holding her phone. "I know who it is. Please don't spread this around."

The guard nodded. "Understood."

Lin Mo left the office. She knew exactly who the culprit was: the third-billed actress in the production, and none other than Lin Wan’s best friend, Zheng Yueya.

The Zheng family was wealthy—far wealthier than the Lin family. Zheng Yueya had dreamed of breaking into the industry for a long time, and since there were few projects filming in City A, it was no surprise that she and Lin Mo had ended up on the same set. Having only debuted a little over a year ago, Zheng Yueya had already secured a third-lead role, a testament to her family's influence.

Lin Mo gripped her phone tightly. "I have no grudge against her, and I’ve never even met her properly; I’ve only seen her from a distance. She attacked me with such lethal intent—this wasn't an accident. It was clearly deliberate."

A dark, icy light flickered in Lin Mo’s eyes. "Lin Wan, you really won't let me go anywhere, will you?"

It was 10:00 PM by the time she arrived home. She ate a bowl of noodles downstairs after Li Hongmei transferred 500 yuan to her. While 500 yuan could cover basic living expenses, it was nowhere near enough for tuition.

Just as she was lost in thought over her noodles, someone appeared before her. With a pink skirt hem and a designer bag slung across her shoulder, Lin Wan stood there, arms crossed, looking down at her.

Lin Mo frowned. Having just discovered what Lin Wan had orchestrated, she wasn't surprised to see her show up.

"Lin Mo, I’ve been waiting for you for three hours," Lin Wan said, her brow slightly furrowed, her delicate, "innocent flower" face showing signs of impatience. "You’re quite capable, staying out until the middle of the night." Her tone was casual and dismissive. "Can you actually eat those noodles? Even the servants in our house eat better than that. Oh, I almost forgot—your cards are frozen, and you don’t have money for anything else. A country bumpkin like you must be used to living in poverty."

Lin Mo smiled. "It’s eight yuan a bowl; what’s wrong with it? As you said, I’m used to it. And you, you’re used to being a cuckoo in the nest, pretending you’re the true daughter of the family."

Lin Mo remained calm. She knew why Lin Wan had come. Lin Wan was desperate. Seeing that she wouldn't be able to get into City A University, she was clearly panicking. Lin Wan had been raised to demand only the best; she could never accept retaking her exams or attending a vocational college. Being a "fake daughter" was Lin Wan's biggest trigger.

"Heh, so what? The one who isn't loved is the fake, the redundant one," Lin Wan sneered. "Should I remind you who the redundant person in our family really is?"

Lin Wan’s brows tightened with anger. "And I’m not here to bicker with you. You know why I’m here."

Lin Mo: "Keep dreaming."

Lin Wan gritted her teeth. "You’d pass if you took the exam again anyway. If you give the spot to me, my brothers will give you half a million! Mom and Dad have promised to treat you better, too. What more could you want? Do you really want to be kicked out of the Lin family?"

Lin Mo didn't care. She finished the last bite of her noodles in silence and turned to head up the stairs to her rented room.

Lin Wan chased her to the door, grabbing Lin Mo’s arm, her eyes reddening. "You have to agree! If you hadn't come home and ruined my mood, I wouldn't have failed! You owe me this!"

Lin Wan was truly desperate. "I can give you whatever money you want. You’re broke, but I have money!"

The stairwell was dark and silent. In the old building, the soundproofing was poor. Lin Mo’s gaze was icy, tinged with a sudden surge of hostility. "Lin Wan, you are truly repulsive."

Looking at that hypocritical face, she didn't hesitate to raise her hand and strike Lin Wan, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"You dare hit me?" Lin Wan lay on the floor, staring in disbelief at the once-docile Lin Mo.

Lin Mo looked down at her. "You brought this on yourself." She mocked, "I already know about what you had Zheng Yueya do. I have the video."

Lin Wan’s breathing hitched. She clutched her hands tightly, overcome with terror, her eyes turning vicious. If Lin Mo showed that video to their parents and exposed everything... what would they think of her? Would her brothers realize her "kindness" was all an act?

Fear finally took hold of Lin Wan. "It’s all your fault! If you hadn't come back to compete with me... why would I have needed to teach you a lesson? It’s been eighteen years... couldn't you have just stayed in the countryside forever?"

Lin Wan’s eyes grew sharp. "Lin Mo, I will make Mom and Dad hate you forever! I will make my brothers despise you! That university spot will be mine!"

Glancing at the pitch-black stairwell, Lin Wan hardened her heart and threw herself backward. A scream echoed through the stairwell. Lin Mo tried to reach out to stop her, but it was too late; Lin Wan had already collapsed in a pool of blood, unconscious.

Moments later, someone rushed up the stairs. It was their eldest brother, Lin Yunhe. He scooped Lin Wan up in horror, crying out, "Wanwan! Wanwan, don't scare me like this!"