Bai Nian was standing by the side of the road, gazing up at the sky. The sunlight was descending harshly from above, striking her eyes. It was glaring, making her slightly uncomfortable.
"Bai Nian, you wretched woman. How does it feel now? There's never been a place for you in Fan Yan's eyes. No matter how much you give, you're nothing more than trash to him." Bai Linshan was laughing triumphantly. Clinging onto her arm was Ling Fanyan. The man and woman standing together looked flirtatious, like a golden boy and jade girl, stirring up envy in others.
"Alright, Linshan, let's get going…" Ling Fanyan, standing next to them, frowned a bit, an expression of impatience flashing across his handsome face. Seeing Bai Nian's somber expression, he felt a strange twinge in his heart. To get rid of such feelings, he wanted to move away quickly.
"Mm. Fanyan, I'll listen to you," Bai Linshan sweetly smiled at Ling Fanyan, then gave Bai Nian a fierce glare as she turned to leave.
Humph! Bai Nian! No matter if you're the pampered daughter of father, even though I'm an illegitimate daughter, I am still a hundred times better than you. You adore Ling Fanyan, don't you? Have you been longing to marry him?
I’m taking everything that's yours! Do you see? I have already succeeded! In Fanyan's eyes, you are just a dull and weak girl, while I… I am the second miss of the Bai house, the favorite daughter of Bai Ziming! Even if you're the legitimate heir of the Bai family, even if you're aloof and compelling, without the means, how could you compete with me?
You will always be under my foot!
…
Watching Bai Linshan and Ling Fanyan sweetly leave hand in hand, Bai Nian's heart bled!
Ling Fanyan had been the object of her affection ever since middle school. He'd once told her she was the most beautiful princess, the gem of the Bai family, and the starlight in his eyes.
So, she had grown to love everything about him, secretly adoring him for nearly four years. Her father, Bai Ziming, having learned about Bai Nian's feelings, had arranged for them to meet early on. Though there were many interests involved and she was engaged since childhood, she didn't care about creating a rift between the Bai family and her fiance's family, as all she wanted was to marry Ling Fanyan.
She had always believed that she would become his bride, grow old with him, have a handsome child like him, and watch the child grow up together. But after what happened, everything turned into a mirage…
She couldn't forget how her own sister, Bai Linshan, flaunted her relationship with Ling Fanyan.
She couldn't forget that she had chosen to trust Ling Fanyan, but then somehow witnessed them tumbling on a bed!
Even more unforgettable was the fact that after all these incidents, Ling Fanyan had remained expressionless, coldly asking her to leave, and then tenderly helped Bai Linshan get dressed!
In that moment, her chest felt as if it was being pierced by needles, an unbearable pain...
Unfortunately, the man she had loved for so many years didn't feel anything at all.
Bai Nian clenched her fists, slowly closing her eyes. Her heart shattered into many pieces in this very moment!
“Ding-ling-ling!” The smartwatch on her wrist started to ring. Bai Nian, momentarily startled, answered the call.
“Bai Nian, where are you?” The voice coming from the other end was unbelievably icy. If she hadn't recognized that voice and the familiar yet stern face displayed on her watch, she would never have believed it was her father!
“Dad…” Regardless if Bai Ziming's expression was truly apathetic, simply thinking of her parents made Bai Nian unable to suppress the urge to cry. She wanted to express this feeling of unfairness to her parents.
“Don't call me your father, I don't have a daughter like you! From now on don't even think about stepping through the doors of the Bai Family! The Bai Family doesn’t need a disgrace like you, Bai Nian!” Bai Ziming's voice grew harsher. “Go check the news! You have disgraced the Bai Family!”
An ominous feeling spread across Bai Nian's face. What did her father mean by his words?
She took a couple of steps forward, randomly clicked on a news notification from her smartwatch, instantly revealing the most recent morning news on a virtual screen for her. And with just a mere glance, she saw a large photo on the main page. It wasn't someone else, but a photo of her being abducted when she was fourteen and in ninth grade!
The frail little girl in the photo was dressed only in a thin school uniform. Her arms and legs were covered in marks from being tied tightly with a rope, showing signs of brutal beatings, with bruises and contusions all over. A pair of eyes in the darkness were vacant and devoid of life, with the corners of her mouth still bloodstained...
Bai Nian covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing. How could this picture have surfaced at this point? The events from when she was fourteen represented a memory so deep-seated and painful, she didn't dare to recall it.
