Chapter 36: Prelude to the Grand Drama
Page 1 of 3
Lin Wan watched Lin Mo lower her head and drink her porridge.
An idea came to her.
Since everyone in the family already detested Lin Mo so deeply, if she reinforced that impression a little further, then even while she was away at school, Lin Mo would be unable to shake her position during that entire year...
The more Lin Wan thought about it, the better she felt. She went upstairs in high spirits.
Only then did Lin Mo set down her spoon and cast a long look at Lin Wan’s retreating figure.
She had known all along that Lin Wan would never give her a chance to catch her breath. She would certainly seize the opportunity to drive her into a dead end.
Lin Mo rose and walked out into the courtyard.
Qin Lian watched her warily.
“Lin Mo, I’m warning you. Until the engagement is called off and you enroll in school, you are not allowed to take a single step outside the Lin residence.”
“And don’t entertain any thoughts you shouldn’t have. This year, you can study at home or do whatever else you like.”
“We’ll support you as much as we can. Don’t act as if the family is trying to harm you.”
Lin Mo’s expression did not change.
She quietly surveyed every blade of grass and every tree in the courtyard. “I’ve been back for eight months, and you have never supported me in anything.”
The moment Qin Lian heard her start again, her brows twitched. “The whole family is terribly busy right now. I can’t be bothered to deal with you, so don’t come over here and bring me bad luck.”
Lin Mo neither agreed nor disagreed.
She was preparing a spectacular performance—one that would allow her to leave the Lin family.
This time, she would leave the Lin family in Lin Wan’s way...
Lin Mo did not believe that the Lin family would ever feel guilt or regret over what they had done to her. Therefore, she intended to sever ties with them—completely and irrevocably.
The corners of her lips curved faintly.
After all, Lin Mo had once been an excellent actress.
There were only forty-eight hours left until the banquet where the engagement would be called off.
Mu Bai arrived around noon.
He first went to speak with Lin Wan for a while. When he noticed Lin Mo weeding in the courtyard, however, his expression grew slightly unnatural.
“Mo Mo, you seem to be in fairly good spirits today.”
“Even if we aren’t right for each other and our engagement is dissolved, we can still be friends.”
“We can appreciate one another, and I’ll think of you as my little sister.”
Lin Mo lowered the hoe in her hands. “Is that so?”
“The truth is, you’ve loved Lin Wan from beginning to end. You used me to amuse yourself. Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”
As she spoke, Lin Mo gave Mu Bai a smile devoid of either sorrow or joy.
Ever since she had left the hospital, she had rarely treated Mu Bai with such calmness.
Mu Bai looked at her. The young woman stood beneath the sunlight in a blue dress.
The hem swayed gently in the breeze, revealing a pair of slender, fair calves. Nearby, small white daisies had blossomed in perfect abundance.
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
Mu Bai suddenly lowered his head.
The truth was, Lin Mo had treated him very well.
“I’m sorry. I really did intend to spend my life with you.”
“But feelings cannot be forced.”
“Being with you would also be unfair to you.”
Perhaps because Lin Mo’s attitude was so composed, Mu Bai even wanted to say a few more words. He hoped that once the engagement was dissolved, Lin Mo would not hate him quite so much.
“Mo Mo, will you hate me after the day after tomorrow?”
Lin Mo smiled faintly. “No. I’ve already come to terms with it. I used to love you very much, but love cannot be built on one person’s wishes alone.”
Lin Mo was forcing herself to play the role of the good actress.
She brushed aside the loose strands of hair by her cheek. “I believe you’ll be happier with Lin Wan.”
“I really do love you. If you can be happier, then I should be happy for you.”
The guilt in Mu Bai’s heart grew heavier.
When he had first met Lin Mo, she had not been so jealous.
She was intelligent and hardworking, with unique opinions about many things.
She was no less capable than the boys in competitions, and in certain respects, she hardly seemed like someone who had come from the countryside.
Mu Bai was about to speak again, but Lin Mo interrupted him.
“That’s enough. Don’t say anything more. The more you say, the more it hurts.”
“You do want the banquet to dissolve the engagement to go ahead as scheduled, don’t you?”
Lin Mo seemed to sigh. With a sorrowful expression, she turned and walked into the house.
Mu Bai watched her retreating figure. She was almost unnaturally slender.
Her expression was also haggard; she probably had not been in good spirits these past few days.
Mu Bai suddenly found himself unwilling to be so heartless toward Lin Mo.
After all, she was facing the end of their engagement and still held such deep feelings for him.
No matter what, he could not bring himself to disappoint her completely.
“As for the engagement banquet, you don’t have to return anything I gave you. Consider it compensation.”
Lin Mo’s footsteps paused, but she showed no reaction.
From the bottom of her heart, she already loathed a hypocritical man like Mu Bai.
If he continued speaking, she feared she might vomit.
With her back to Mu Bai, Lin Mo revealed a mocking smile.
During the day, Lin Mo obediently stayed at home.
She packed every belonging of hers from her room into garbage bags and threw them away.
Before long, not even a strand of her hair would remain in this place.
Qin Lian was rather surprised. She had expected Lin Mo to try every possible way to escape or deliberately provoke Wan Wan.
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Instead, Lin Mo was unexpectedly obedient.
Qin Lian was extremely satisfied. “If she had behaved like this from the beginning, would we really have disliked her so much?”
Lin Tiancheng was in an excellent mood this time and had returned home early.
After hearing Qin Lian describe Lin Mo’s condition, he dismissed it with a shrug. “She’s still just a child. Her mind isn’t mature yet. Once the family puts a little pressure on her, she’ll know what she should and shouldn’t do.”
“We shouldn’t have been so lenient with her before. If we had handled things this way from the start, we wouldn’t have wasted an entire month.”
“Oh, right. Didn’t Second Brother give Wan Wan a car? When is she going to take the whole family out for a drive?”
Qin Lian smiled with satisfaction. “Whenever she likes. If we don’t ask Wan Wan to spend more time with us now, she’ll be off to school in a few days.”
When Lin Wan heard that her father had returned, she hurried downstairs and clung to Lin Tiancheng’s arm.
“Daddy, you’re finally home. I’ve missed you so much.”
Lin Tiancheng lovingly stroked his daughter’s head. “You’re already grown up, yet you still act like this every day? Once you go to school, won’t you cry your eyes out all by yourself?”
“I already told you I don’t want to live on campus. Mother said she rented me a place so my roommates wouldn’t bully me.” Lin Wan sighed dramatically. “But I want to live at home. I can’t bear to leave you and Mother, or my five brothers.”
All five brothers happened to be at home.
Hearing Lin Wan speak so childishly, Li Yunhe could not help laughing. “It’s us who can’t bear to part with you.”
The entire family was wrapped in warmth and laughter.
Nearby, Lin Mo was filling a disposable cup with water. She seemed like an unwanted outsider—or as though she were no different from the air around them.
She took a sip.
The laughter from the others sounded unbearably grating.
Suddenly, Lin Hen spoke up. “The people at the dealership just delivered the car Wan Wan had her eye on.”
“Shall we test Wan Wan’s driving skills? Give her a little examination?”
Lin Wan’s eyes turned, and she said, “Sure. Then... Mo Mo should come along too.”
“Mo Mo, you can ride in the same car as me. There are two seats left, so let Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother have them.”
“I object,” Third Brother Lin Juan said with a smile. “It’s not as if three people can’t sit in the back seat.”
“I only said that because I was worried you’d be uncomfortable, Third Brother. You’re such a distinguished executive.” Lin Wan clapped happily. “Then it’s settled.”
“Mo Mo, go change your clothes. I bought a camera especially for today. We can take some pictures together later.”
Lin Mo curled the corners of her lips. The scheming in Lin Wan’s eyes was practically spilling over...
She really had become carried away with her own success.
“All right. It was my fault that we didn’t get along before, but I’ve accepted the reality now.”
“After a year, who knows? Perhaps we’ll even be classmates.”
Lin Wan showed no reaction.
But when Lin Tiancheng and Qin Lian heard those words, they both visibly relaxed, and their attitude toward Lin Mo improved considerably.
Lin Tiancheng said, “That’s more like it. If the two sisters get along better, their parents will have less to worry about!”