“Since you’re here, let’s go to Youchuan and try the new dishes.”
People always say that before death, one slowly remembers all the beautiful things in life. Yet in Liu Siyin’s mind, only that one line, spoken with a trace of pity, kept looping over and over again.
It felt as if she had dreamed. In the dream was her mother, her mother’s tearful eyes, and repeated pleas, “Siyin, go back!”
Liu Siyin had not been taken back to the Liu family after her mother died. Rather, she had been begged by her mother to return to the Liu family.
Her mother was Shen Si, a woman as gentle as water. She was too weak, so when the legitimate wife came knocking, she could only avoid her again and again. In the end, her pair of tender, affectionate eyes were stabbed blind, and even then, she only thought about running farther away.
Liu Siyin’s life now was not happy, and her life before that had not been happy either.
From a very young age, she had been mocked by schoolmates for having no father, for being an illegitimate daughter. When she finally escaped far away to a small town where no one knew them, she was mocked again for having a blind mother.
Shen Si had originally been very weak. She had almost no ability to protect herself, and after she went blind, she became even weaker. She was also beautiful, so everyone wanted to bully her. Back then, Liu Siyin fought every day, fighting people her own age, fighting adults.
She had to protect Shen Si.
So, she had actually been strong for a period of time, before her stepfather arrived, before she came to the Liu family. Her stepfather was a street thug. He was very good at fighting, and in Shen Si’s words, he was the kind of man who made her feel extremely secure, so she would never have to fear anyone coming to bully them again. But her stepfather loved drinking, and when he got drunk, he loved beating people. He also had a son, and that son took after him, arrogant and overbearing.
Liu Siyin had long since forgotten how she had made it through all that, how she had endured until fourteen, until the Liu family came looking for her. Liu Siyin looked like a flower. Her biological father was not some powerful figure. It was Auntie who insisted on bringing her back, because she possessed beauty that was rare in this world. Auntie said she could bring great benefits.
She had begged Shen Si and asked to be left behind.
But Shen Si was too weak. At that time, she was also pregnant, and she was even more afraid of the large and powerful Liu family. She begged her to go back to the Liu family. The Liu family then announced to the outside world that her mother had passed away, and brought her back to the family home to be raised beside her biological father.
It was only at the age of eighteen that she understood what the “benefits” Auntie spoke of actually were. It was at a banquet, when Auntie pointed at the girl seated in a wheelchair and told her, “Siyin, she is your future destination.”
But she was useless. She ruined it.
The moment she stepped closer, that girl frowned in disgust. “Illegitimate daughter, disgusting!”
Only later did she learn that the girl was called Yin Man, the eldest miss of the Yin family. Rumor had it that Yin Man was promiscuous and licentious. As long as a beauty passed before Yin Man’s eyes, she would never let them go. So Auntie thought that with her looks, Yin Man would definitely fall for her. She should have been offered to Yin Man as a pet.
But Yin Man looked down on her. Clearly, she could have accepted someone lower, a somewhat pretty maid or a rookie model who had entered the industry through pornography, yet she just looked down on her and could not accept her.
She had ruined it. Auntie punished her by not allowing her to eat. After starving her for three days, Auntie said again, “Siyin, from now on, you’ll have the surname Yin.”
It was Yin Man who, in order to disgust her younger sister, forcefully shoved her onto her younger sister, Yin Youxia. She knew Yin Youxia did not like her, because she was given to her by the older sister she hated, because she was an illegitimate daughter.
But the more she knew these things, the more clearly she understood that this was already the best fate she could have. Marrying Yin Youxia, even if Yin Youxia did not love her, she would not be too miserable. Yin Youxia was a good person. Although she often spoke to her coldly and glared at her fiercely, she had never truly hurt her.
She had never hit her, never cursed at her, never locked her in a cage like a wild beast, and never refused to feed her.
Liu Siyin had hardly ever come into contact with any kindness at all. Yin Youxia was already the very best. Suddenly, she remembered those eyes that carried a faint trace of pity. “Since you’re here, let’s go to Youchuan and try the new dishes.”
It almost made her unable to believe those eyes belonged to Yin Man.
That beast, in other people’s mouths, had actually shown her kindness today. At that moment, she really could not control herself. She knew that rushing over might mean death, but she did not want Yin Youxia to die, and she did not want Yin Man to die either.
Fortunately, she had managed to push them away in time.
It hurt so much.
Pain climbed up to her brows. Was she about to die?
Actually, there was nothing good about being alive either. It was just such a pity that she had not had time to look at Shen Si again, that she had only just begun to feel that there was a little warmth in this world being handed to her.
So quiet. So quiet that she could only hear breathing.
Before her was a stretch of darkness. Only pain and loneliness remained. At last, intermittent voices came through, and she could tell they were Yin Youxia and Yin Man arguing.
In the end, it still followed the original novel’s plot. Liu Siyin went blind.
Yin Man’s heart tightened. She had already been coming to the hospital room continuously, keeping watch for several days. In the middle, Yin Nanbai and Wen Si came by to take a look, then left. The Liu family had never come from start to finish. In their eyes, Liu Siyin was not important either. Since this was a marriage alliance, any child of the Liu family would do.
The Liu family did not lack children.
Only she and Yin Youxia came frequently. As expected of the clear stream in a scummy seme novel, Yin Youxia still had a few traces of gratitude in her heart.
She had stayed with her until now.
Yin Youxia rubbed her fingers over and over again, and in the end could not hold back from speaking. “Sis, I want to break off the engagement. Now that her eyes are blind, this is a good chance.”
Why tell Yin Man about it? Because those old fossils at home had said long ago that this marriage had been arranged by her eldest sister. If the engagement was to be broken, they still had to get Yin Man to agree. But how could Yin Man possibly agree? She would be thrilled if she could make her spend her life with such a woman she looked down on.
Yin Man had disgusted her for so many years. Right now, Liu Siyin was blind, and Yin Youxia was holding onto a sliver of hope, hoping that Yin Man would suddenly discover her conscience and not bear to let her spend her whole life with a blind woman.
But how could Yin Man have anything like a conscience? She said indifferently, “She went blind saving you.”
Yin Youxia failed to control her emotions and could not help shouting, “She saved you too.”
“Yin Youxia, do you hate this marriage that much?”
“Yin Man, have you forgotten?” The emotions Yin Youxia had suppressed for years finally exploded at this moment. “Liu Siyin was originally supposed to be engaged to you. You looked down on her and forcefully shoved her onto me.”
Yin Man finally remembered something.
This memory had not been described in the original novel, because there was simply too little writing about that cannon fodder, Liu Siyin, not even the cause and effect of the engagement. Only by borrowing the original host’s memories had Yin Man finally pieced this matter together.
Back then, Liu Siyin had been sent over by her aunt. The original target was Yin Zhe, but Yin Zhe was abroad at the time, so the target was shifted to Yin Man. Yin Man looked at the beautiful young girl standing gracefully before her, at those fair, tender, straight legs, and jealousy surged up. “Illegitimate daughter, disgusting.”
The original host had spoken far too harshly. The whole circle spread it around, and everyone knew that the Yin family’s eldest miss looked down on illegitimate daughters, so they followed her lead and cursed Liu Siyin together. On a whim, the original host shoved Liu Siyin onto Yin Youxia. “She’s not good enough for me, but our family still has someone called Yin Youxia. Illegitimate daughter suits illegitimate daughter, that’s more appropriate.”
The original host knew all too well Yin Youxia’s pride, knew all too well the freedom she longed for, so when she destroyed it, she was merciless.
Because of this, many people outside also followed the original host and cursed Yin Youxia as an illegitimate daughter. Yin Youxia cared especially much about her identity because of that.
And the culprit was still the original host.
Yin Man gave a bitter smile. She really had transmigrated into a complete lunatic.
Yin Youxia’s emotions seemed endless. All her grievances and frustration were vented at this moment. “Why is it that from childhood to adulthood, whatever you say goes? Even my marriage has to be decided by you. Why is it that you locked me together with a dog for three days and only got a couple of painless remarks, but I just touched your doll and got hung up and beaten by you?”
“Everything I like, I can’t get. Everything you dislike, you dump on me. You think Liu Siyin is dirty, so why can’t I think so too? You won’t even marry an illegitimate daughter, so why should I marry one!”
“I’m going to break off the engagement with Liu Siyin. I don’t like her, so why should I marry her? That is my future. I want someone I truly love to stay with me. Is that wrong?”
Listening to each accusation, Yin Man also felt some sympathy rise up. The heroine had really lived all nineteen years under the original host’s shadow. She took a sip of water.
Her gaze drifted to Liu Siyin on the hospital bed. Her wounds had all been treated, and many places were wrapped in thick bandages. Her right leg was also in a cast, and her eyes were wrapped in thick bandages too. In her mind, however, there was still that pair of beautiful eyes rippling faintly like water.
So beautiful. So regrettable.
Yin Youxia was still shouting. Yin Man covered her ears. “Hospital. Keep your voice down.”
Yin Youxia finally calmed down. She said, “I’m definitely breaking off this engagement. If you don’t agree, I’ll talk to the Liu family myself.”
Yin Man was silent for a while, then said, “If you break off the engagement, she might die.”
“You’re threatening me?” Yin Youxia stared at Yin Man in disbelief. “Why do you think she can threaten me? Whether she lives or dies, what does that have to do with me!”
A nineteen-year-old girl still had all that innocence. No, to be precise, Yin Nanbai had protected her fairly well. A beautiful woman who had gone blind, a beautiful woman who had always been treated by the Liu family as a tool. If she lost her last protection, how miserable would she be? Yin Youxia probably could not imagine it.
Yet she took that as Yin Man threatening her.
Yin Man smiled. There was no need for her to do anything. The Liu family would push her toward a deeper abyss. Otherwise, Liu Siyin would not have killed herself in her previous life.
“I’m going to break off the engagement right now!” Yin Youxia left in anger.
Yin Man curled the corners of her mouth. “Heh.”
For the first time, she felt that she was actually a fairly smart person. Relying on the original novel, relying on the original host’s memories and her own deductions, she had seen through the darkness of the Liu family, but Yin Youxia had not.
She really would die.
Yin Man’s gaze fell back on Liu Siyin’s face. The expression of pain and endurance on her pale little face was pitiable. At this moment, she could already be certain that Liu Siyin had awakened.
She had heard everything Yin Youxia and she had just said.
It must hurt inside, right.
The fiancée she had just risked her life to save was now going to abandon her.
She was not very good at comforting people. She remained silent until an abnormal sound of breathing belonging to Liu Siyin rang out in the hospital room, mixed with small crying sounds born of fear.
Yin Man froze. “If you don’t want to break off the engagement, I can help you.”
She admitted it, she had softened.
Even if it went against the plot, she still wanted to make the little cannon fodder in front of her feel a little better.
Liu Siyin trembled violently, making noises. Her lips had even been bitten until they bled. Yin Man watched helplessly as she self-destructively abused her own lips, anxious in her heart. She slightly arched her body and tried to stop Liu Siyin’s behavior, but her legs could not exert any strength at all. She could not get near Liu Siyin’s lips, and could only rebuke her, “Stop biting!”
Blood beads rolled down from her lips, staining the white bedsheet red. A timid whisper finally reached her ears: “Man, Sister Man, can, can you turn on the light? It’s so, so dark.”
Do not tell her that Liu Siyin was afraid of the dark!
A person who was afraid of the dark had gone blind.