Li Zhiyin was summoned to the police station to identify the bodies.
The white sheets were lifted, revealing the pained expressions of her adoptive father and mother.
The officer looked at her sympathetically. “Your father drank too much and, in a fit of rage, killed your mother. A friend of your mother’s, a Mr. Wang, tried to intervene and wounded your father with the knife, but your father fought back and killed Mr. Wang.”
“Mr. Wang just passed away in the hospital despite efforts to save him. His family is demanding compensation, and I’m afraid your parents’ remaining assets will have to cover the costs. Do you know if your family has tens of thousands to spare?”
Li Zhiyin sneered inwardly.
How perfect—dogs biting dogs, leaving nothing but a mess.
She casually pulled the white sheets back over the two bodies. “My parents had no savings, only debts. The only thing of value is the house. Use it to settle the compensation.”
The old officer was taken aback by her calmness.
But in truth, they were old acquaintances.
Li Zhiyin was something of a “celebrity” in their district.
He was a veteran officer in the community. When Li Zhiyin was beaten as a child, neighbors would always call the police, and he would have to mediate.
He had watched her grow up, witnessing firsthand how she went from fear to numbness.
Later, her family had a second child. Since it was another girl, she was never treated well from the start.
So Li Zhiyin, who had been abused by her parents since childhood, became the shield that sheltered her younger sister.
It was said that Li Zhiyin excelled academically, but her family refused to pay for her education. She never attended university, instead working to support her sister and pay for her schooling.
But her sister was gone now.
When they fished her out of the icy river, she was unrecognizable, and she had left a suicide note.
Every word in it was about her beloved older sister.
The old officer looked at Li Zhiyin with pity. “If you lose the house, I can help you apply for a welfare home where you can stay temporarily. After all, Lanshan City is so chaotic—it’s dangerous for a young girl like you to be alone.”
Lanshan City in Country A was notorious as a city of extravagance, the most developed city in the world, and also famously lawless.
With advanced technology now, everyone could have electronic cyberware implanted. The wealthy lived like superhumans, even replacing their eyes with the latest models.
Meanwhile, the poor lived with their lives hanging by a thread, with robberies and murders occurring frequently.
For a young girl with no one to rely on, living alone was far too dangerous.
Li Zhiyin declined. “Thank you, Officer Zhao, but I already have a job that provides food and accommodation. Please notify me if there’s anything else.”
She ignored Officer Zhao’s further advice and quickened her pace to leave.
In her previous life, during her year with the Li family, aside from enduring their emotional abuse, she hadn’t gained nothing.
Shen Shiyi had a younger sister named Shen Lianyan, who had wanted to adopt her as a daughter in her previous life.
Unlike Shen Shiyi, who was a gentle and refined lady from a prestigious family, Shen Lianyan was a legendary figure—a self-made queen.
The Li family stood at the pinnacle of Lanshan City’s financial pyramid, and so did the Shen family.
Yet, Shen Lianyan had refused an arranged marriage in her youth, left home, and built herself into a top-tier financial magnate.
She was the queen of the security industry, commanding countless mercenaries. She herself had started as a mercenary, possessing extraordinary abilities.
The only regret was that she had suffered injuries in her youth, leaving her without an heir.
In her previous life, when Shen Lianyan discovered the emotional abuse Li Zhiyin endured in the Li family, she had proactively proposed adopting her as a goddaughter.”Sister, you already have three children, and you don’t have time to take care of Zhiyin. Why not let me raise her? After all, we share the same bloodline, and I know her background well. I happen to need an heir myself.”
Shen Lianyan said this to Shen Shiyi every time they met.
She even asked her privately if she wanted to become her child.
She didn’t refuse.
She knew she was redundant in the Li family, and it didn’t matter where she was.
No one liked her anywhere.
But Shen Shiyi wouldn’t let her go, saying she wanted to treat her well and make up for everything.
Shen Lianyan teased, “Sister, this child lives like a ghost in your home. It’s been a year since she came, and you’ve never taken her out to have fun. Don’t you think what you’re saying is hypocritical?”
Shen Shiyi flew into a rage, and the two sisters ended up arguing.
Before leaving, Shen Lianyan left her a business card, saying that if she ever felt wronged in the Li family and was willing to run away from home, she should come find her.
Perhaps it was because Shen Lianyan’s words had struck a nerve with Shen Shiyi.
The next day, when they had planned an outing, Shen Shiyi insisted on bringing her along.
No matter how much Li Wuyou cried or complained about her depression, or how hard Li Xiao and her two older brothers tried to oppose it, Shen Shiyi was determined to bring her.
In the entire year she had been with the Li family, they had never taken her anywhere—not even to family gatherings or New Year celebrations. She always ate alone at home.
Only that day, that one day, she was reunited with the family and died together with the man who kidnapped her.
Li Zhiyin arrived at the entrance of Shen Lianyan’s company and waited.
When she had left the address, Shen Lianyan had said she would stay at the company until eight o’clock every night. If she couldn’t be found at home, she should come to the company.
It was exactly eight o’clock now.
This life was different from the last. She didn’t know Shen Lianyan yet, but she believed she could convince her to give her a chance.
In Lanshan City, where people devoured others without leaving a trace, climbing up from the bottom was harder than reaching the heavens.
She had no formal education, but her abilities were not lacking. Step by step, she could certainly find opportunities to rise.
But she had no patience to start from the bottom.
Shen Lianyan could become her stepping stone to success!
Li Zhiyin stood at the company entrance, waiting for Shen Lianyan to finish work.
Shen Shiyi sat restlessly in the car, her gaze inadvertently sweeping past the window. Her face suddenly changed: “Stop the car!”
Everyone in the car exchanged puzzled glances. “What’s wrong, Mom? We haven’t arrived yet.”
Shen Shiyi got out of the car and stared at the figure across the street.
The girl wore a faded light blue T-shirt, standing out of place in this affluent neighborhood.
Her legs were straight and slender, her figure tall and thin, with her hair tied high in a ponytail. It was unmistakably Zhiyin!
“Zhiyin!”
Hearing her name, Li Zhiyin turned around and saw Shen Shiyi rushing toward her with her entire family in tow.
She furrowed her brows.
Why was Shen Shiyi here?
At this point, she shouldn’t even know she was her daughter.
Before she could think further, Shen Shiyi ran up to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. “My dear child! You’ve suffered so much! Mom is sorry. I know this will be confusing for you, but I am your real mother. Your birth parents in the Slums aren’t your biological parents!”
She held Li Zhiyin tightly, as if she were a balloon that would fly away if she let go, and sobbed, “Come home with me, my daughter!”
Li Zhiyin stood stiffly in her embrace and glanced behind Shen Shiyi.
Her father, scrutinizing her with a critical gaze.
Her two older brothers, full of wariness.And there was Li Wuyou, her face pale.
Exactly the same as when they first met in her previous life.
Killing intent surged in her eyes as she pushed Shen Shiyi away. “Who are you?”
Shen Shiyi stumbled back two steps, tears streaming endlessly as she clutched her chest. “I am your mother, your biological mother!”
Li Yanlang also stepped forward in shock. “Though I don’t want to admit it, you must be our sister.”
The Li Zhiyin before him was practically carved from the same mold as him.
She was a perfect blend of their mother and father, bearing an eighty percent resemblance to him and his brother.
In fact, she was even more beautiful than the two of them.
Their family’s looks were among the finest in wealthy circles.
Only Li Wuyou had ordinary looks among them.
This girl before him was absolutely his biological sister!