My name is Lin Qingying. I was born into the Lin family in the capital. Unlike other wealthy families, the Lin family is a family ruled by women. The Lin family is a prominent and powerful family in the capital. Its influence extends not only throughout the country but also internationally.

To outsiders, as the eldest daughter of the Lin family, it's easy to imagine that I had a happy family life since childhood, was pampered and spoiled, and had the power to do whatever I wanted.

I'm sorry, these things have nothing to do with me.

The Lin family is a family that values ​​daughters over sons. The heir of the Lin family not only needs to be intelligent and talented, but also must have a daughter; otherwise, it is all just wishful thinking.

My father was originally just a businessman in the logistics business, with a lot of connections, while my unmarried mother was the least competitive one in the family.

Around the time when Grandma decided to relinquish control, perhaps by coincidence or by calculation, the two met and went through the process of dating and getting married in just a few weeks, and then I was born.

My mother...that woman.

I benefited from the protection provided by the Lin family, so I still call her Mother, even though she is truly unworthy of that title.

To prevent her grandmother from interfering with her power, the woman sent the two elders to a nursing home abroad as soon as she took control of the Lin family business, thus seizing sole power.

I originally had a younger brother who was never born, when I was four years old.

But because of that woman's scheming, our family completely lost our unborn brother, and she also lost her ability to have children.

The father originally didn't know what that person had done; he just thought it was an accident and still loved her.

But as the saying goes, secrets can't be kept forever. My father found out everything that woman had done, and the two had a huge fight. From that moment on, my father realized that the woman didn't love him, nor did she love me.

After learning the truth, my father and she became very distant, and the atmosphere in the house was very cold. It was only when that woman was not at home that things were much better. My father always tried to make amends for me.

I know that as her daughter, that woman will not let me leave the Lin family. She needs me to silence the gossip in the Lin family. But my father is different.

Perhaps feigning maturity, the two divorced after my constant persuasion and assurances. My father left my mother and me as well.

As expected, the woman left decisively, giving my father a large sum of money she called "compensation," which he refused.

He said he had no regrets about loving his mother.

And so, for me, the days that followed were devoid of hugs, kisses on the forehead, lullabies, bedtime stories, birthdays, friends, and time...

I have no regrets about advising my father to get a divorce.

After all, in her eyes I was just a tool, something that was neither useful nor worth discarding.

I think I was quite positive about life back then, even though I felt somewhat superfluous under that woman's control.

Until he was seven years old, a special person came to the courtyard. His name was Xie Wei, and he was a member of the Xie family.

I've observed him from afar; he must have been sculpted by God himself. I've never seen such an exquisite face. But the boy seemed a bit aloof. Perhaps it was because he was good-looking and had suddenly appeared in the scene, so not many people wanted to associate with him. But what did that have to do with me at the time?

It's probably because they felt they couldn't bear to.

For some reason, I felt that the boy's situation was similar to my own, and I started to think about making friends with him. That woman wouldn't allow herself to get involved in these useless things.

My third brother noticed me when I was young, and just smiled at me, without any other meaning, polite but distant.

Later, some children were playing with firecrackers and set fire to the lawn of the third brother's house. The fire was not very big, and the yard had an emergency automatic system that quickly put out the fire. However, they roughly knew the status of the Xie family, and if the adults blamed them, they would inevitably suffer serious injuries.

So they surrounded me as I was passing by.

At that time, I had no playmates in the courtyard, and no one would speak up for me. Even though I was the eldest daughter of the Lin family, they knew that woman wouldn't care about such a trivial matter. They pushed and shoved me, wanting me to confess.

I didn't want to get entangled with them. If I just admitted to it, I probably wouldn't get any punishment, just criticism from others and that woman's disdainful look.

Third Brother and Lu Yan stood in front of me. Lu Yan stood with his hands on his hips, blocking the group of children, while Third Brother helped me up and straightened my clothes.

"Call me Third Brother, and I'll protect you from now on," he said, his voice not as cold as it was now. Before his voice changed, Third Brother's voice was somewhat childlike.

I nodded, let out a blank cry, and looked at the smile on the face of the person in front of me. I wanted to experience what it felt like to be protected, even if it was just for a short while.

Third Brother and Lu Yan drove the group away and made them "confess" and accept their due punishment—stir-fried pork with bamboo strips.

I thought my friendship with my third brother would end after that woman found out.

However, once that woman found out, she was willing to let me get close to him, probably because if I had a good relationship with him, the Lin family could gain more benefits.

Later I realized that it was the protection of a reclusive family.

And so, Lu Yan and I were a year younger than each other, but we went to the same elementary and middle schools.

That period coincided with the beginning of autumn, and the wind howled relentlessly, carrying with it the unique atmosphere of "interests," "money," and "power" found only in the capital.

Overwhelmed, I developed a fever. I don't know how to describe how I felt at that time. It was like being extremely conscious, but my body was gradually sinking.

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