Jiang Lin had just ridden his bicycle out of the school gate when he saw his eldest sister standing by the wall at the entrance, staring blankly at the gate. She clearly saw him come out, yet it was as if she hadn’t seen him at all.
Her expression was dull, almost lifeless.
Jiang Lin’s heart skipped a beat. Something about her state felt very wrong.
Jiang Xiuyun was lost in thought when suddenly, with a sharp screech, the sound of brakes jolted her back to reality.
Seeing her tall and sturdy younger brother standing in front of her, her nose suddenly stung, and her eyes reddened.
“Dalínzi!”
The moment Jiang Lin saw the redness in her eyes, he immediately understood… she must have discovered something.
He had never expected her to remain unaware forever. Xiao Chenghe had left far too many loopholes.
In his previous life, his sister had been kept in the dark. Partly because she had never doubted this relationship, and partly because everyone around them had been too kind… no one had imagined someone could be so malicious.
On top of that, Xiao Chenghe had been an excellent actor. On the surface, he was the model husband everyone admired.
Jiang Lin patted the back seat of the bicycle. “Sis, get on. I’ll take you home.”
Jiang Xiuyun sat on the back seat and leaned against her brother’s back. For some reason, she suddenly felt at ease.
Her heart was in complete turmoil, yet sitting here, she didn’t want to think about anything at all.
Jiang Lin rode slowly, extremely carefully. His sister was clearly close to giving birth.
He took her home without rushing.
Along the way, Chen Jiangshan didn’t dare say a word. Jiang Xiuyun’s expression was simply too grim.
After returning home and finishing dinner, Jiang Xiuyun sat there in a daze, saying nothing.
Jiang Zhiyuan and their mother had long noticed that something was off with her, but they didn’t dare ask. Their daughter was usually steady and composed… seeing her so absent-minded now could only mean something serious had happened.
And with her being heavily pregnant, they were even more afraid to press her.
Jiang Lin quietly shook his head at them and gestured for them not to worry.
This wound had to be exposed sooner or later. He believed in his sister’s strength.
In his previous life, she had been incredibly strong. Even for a child who wasn’t her own, she had exhausted herself, enduring heart disease just to get the child treated.
Compared to that, this setback… she could bear it.
Still, Jiang Lin felt helpless.
If possible, he would have preferred for her to give birth safely first.
And once that happened, convincing his sister would be delayed by at least ten years.
Right now, neither their county nor the city had the capability to conduct a paternity test.
That would mean his sister suffering for ten more years.
Thinking about how she had been treated like dirt in his previous life, Jiang Lin’s heart twisted painfully.
Why should such kind people like his family suffer this kind of fate? Why should they endure this?
Jiang Lin walked into the next room and saw his sister lying on the bed, turned on her side.
“Sis, if there’s anything, just tell me. Staying silent like this… Mom and Dad are worried.”
Jiang Xiuyun didn’t respond.
The silence stretched on… nearly five minutes.
Then suddenly, she sat up and stared straight at Jiang Lin.
“Is that story you told me true or not?”
Jiang Lin, of course, couldn’t say it was false. If it were false, how could he explain knowing Xiao Chenghe’s intentions?
As for being reborn… something like that was too unbelievable. Even for his own sister, he felt there was no need to say it.
“Sis, why are you asking about that all of a sudden?”
“Just tell me. Is it true or not?”
“Sis… of course it’s true. It’s something that happened to a classmate of mine. Why are you so concerned about it?”
He paused, then asked, “Sis, did something happen?”
Jiang Lin deliberately played dumb.
Looking into her brother’s eyes, seeing no hesitation… only sincerity and concern, Jiang Xiuyun suddenly felt like slapping herself.
How could her brother possibly know something like this would happen to her?
And the things he had mentioned afterward… they hadn’t even happened yet. How could he know?
Was she losing her mind?
How had she let her thoughts wander this far?
“Dalínzi… I’m not carrying twins. There’s only one child in my belly.”
Jiang Lin felt a sense of certainty. As expected, she had discovered the truth. He immediately put on a shocked expression, confident his acting wouldn’t give him away.
“How could that be? Wasn’t it supposed to be twins?”
Seeing his reaction, Jiang Xiuyun’s tears fell instantly.
“I don’t know why either. When I went to the hospital today, I suddenly remembered the story you told… about your classmate’s mother.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“I just couldn’t get past it in my heart. So I went to the county people’s hospital.”
“And the result… it turns out there’s only one child in my belly.”
“That means the whole ‘twins’ thing… from beginning to end, it was all fake.”
Seeing her cry, Jiang Lin felt his heart ache intensely. He hurriedly took out a handkerchief and handed it to her.
“Sis… why would Xiao Chenghe lie to you about this child being twins?”
“Could it really be like my classmate’s mother… that he wants to pass off a child with another woman as yours?”
Jiang Xiuyun shook her head, then nodded painfully.
“I don’t know… my mind is a mess right now.”
“I know I shouldn’t doubt Xiao Chenghe, but… why would he do this?”
“The doctor at the workers’ hospital is his old classmate. And every time I went for a prenatal checkup, he went with me.”
“Why?”
“Other than what happened to your classmate’s mother… I can’t think of any other reason.”
Jiang Lin sat beside her and said softly, “Sis, don’t be upset. I know this is hard to accept. I’m your brother. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll help you.”
He let her lean against his shoulder and cry freely.
Let her cry this time.
After this… he would never let her shed tears again.
After crying for a long while, Jiang Xiuyun wiped her tears and suddenly straightened up, her voice firm.
“Jiang Lin, let’s tell Mom and Dad about this.”
“This can’t just be let go.”
“If Xiao Chenghe thinks he can shove his illegitimate child into my arms… he’s dreaming.”
“Does he really think our family is easy to bully just because we only have one son?”
Hearing her say this, Jiang Lin finally relaxed. He knew his sister had regained her composure.
That night, Jiang Zhiyuan and their mother didn’t sleep. The light in the room never went out.
The whole family went over the situation again and again, discussing every detail.
Early the next morning, Xiao Chenghe appeared outside their courtyard, knocking eagerly on the door.
“Xiuyun, Xiuyun! I just got back from my business trip. I didn’t see you at home, and you weren’t at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative either. Then I figured you must be at your parents’ place.”