12 – Chapter 12
Looks Are Predestined
Rong City was abuzz with news overnight—the Lin family’s Second Miss was engaged to the Duan family’s eldest young master, with marriage imminent.
No one knew where the rumor started. Without any evidence, this single sentence spread through every street and alley, yet it sounded remarkably plausible.
Many who had heard the terrifying rumors about the Duan family’s young master privately expressed pity for Second Miss Lin.
“Wasn’t Second Miss Lin just recently brought back by the Lin family? Is she already being discarded?”
“Marrying into the Duan family? Isn’t that a death sentence? Everyone knows that monster takes pleasure in tormenting people!”
“They say his hands are stained with blood. Though he’s the eldest son born to the first wife, he’s not favored! The Duan family would never let a cripple inherit the business, so his half-brother is the ultimate winner!”
“So the Lin family must be fools—why marry their daughter to the eldest instead of the second young master?”
“With Second Miss Lin’s looks, would the second young master even want her?”
Lin Jinyi had overheard many such conversations, but her mood had finally stabilized these past few days.
Her sister marrying into the Duan family could only end in death! That Duan Yuan was a bloodthirsty devil at his core—how could he ever become gentle?
Recalling how her mother had been silenced with a Silver needle through the mouth, Lin Jinyi felt less heartache or anger than excitement!
If he knew how ugly Second Miss Lin was, he’d probably strangle her with his bare hands! Hahaha…
Wait, she almost forgot—Duan Yuan was blind. He wouldn’t be able to see anyway.
The more she thought about it, the happier Lin Jinyi became.
Eating breakfast while staring at A Tao across the table, she found her increasingly repulsive. Lin Jinyi picked up her phone and glanced at her own reflection in the black screen—large eyes, double eyelids, sharp jawline, voluminous waves, and pink lips—completely outclassing the other.
“Why aren’t you eating your congee?” Lin Jinyi smiled. “Are you upset about the rumors, so you’ve lost your appetite?”
Watching A Tao bow her head over the congee bowl, looking listless as if disgusted by her own appearance, Lin Jinyi grew even more smug: “Little sister, looks are predestined. What will be will be—you should learn contentment.”
“Oh…” A Tao had originally been staring at her reflection in the congee, truly unhappy with her current appearance. But as she looked closer, she noticed something odd about the bowl. Her keen nose, highly sensitive to all kinds of scents, detected an overpowering medicinal odor in the congee.
It was poison…
She’d heard from the original Lin Xiantao that this mother-daughter pair had been feeding her slow-acting poison. Was this how they administered it?
Comparing their untouched congee bowls, she noticed hers was noticeably fuller than Lin Jinyi’s.
A Tao grew wary and didn’t touch the congee.
Truthfully, she had no desire to eat this food—it looked utterly unappetizing. In her fragmented memories, she couldn’t recall ever consuming such things…
Like the morning congee, the rice served at lunch and dinner was similarly portioned—always significantly fuller than Lin Jinyi’s servings.
So over the following days, A Tao always made sure to be the first at the dining table during meals, quietly swapping her bowl with Lin Jinyi’s.
Sure enough, one morning, A Tao heard Lin Jinyi’s excited shrieks: “Ahhh! Mom, did you know I’ve lost 10 pounds in two days! My weight loss is really paying off!”Upon hearing this, A Tao snorted coldly. She gradually realized that this emaciated body, with its sallow complexion and malnutrition, was the result of the slow-acting poison administered daily in her meals.
Over the past few days, she had either avoided the poisoned food or her soul was exceptionally resilient, for her body had already begun to change.
Her sleep at night grew increasingly restful, her body felt lighter day by day, and even walking became noticeably less strenuous.