Standing at the door, Jiang Pei held a medicine bottle in her hand, her palms sweaty.

She hesitated for a long time, knowing in her heart what going in meant.

But my cousin has to keep her mouth shut forever. If she utters even a single word, it will be difficult for me to continue living the life I enjoy at home, where I am treated like a star.

Ever since I joined the military's cultural troupe, whenever I visited relatives during holidays, everyone treated me with great respect, showering me with praise and envy.

This feels so good!

Back then, I was thinking of marrying Gu Shaoxuan. He was handsome and a military officer, which would bring honor to my family and allow me to have influence within the clan.

Who would have thought that Xia Enruo would appear out of nowhere and completely disrupt her plans? If her reputation were ruined, she would be unable to recover at home.

Jiang Pei gritted her teeth and raised the corner of her eye.

"Jiang Ting, you're a good-for-nothing. You can't do anything right. Useless people shouldn't be kept around."

She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Just as I reached the center of the yard, my aunt came out of the house.

"Jiang Pei is here! Come in quickly! You must be on holiday for the New Year, right?"

"Auntie, I can't rest, I still have to continue rehearsing. I have a performance for the troops tomorrow, so I came to see how Jiang Ting is recovering!"

She put down the box of pastries she was carrying and replied.

"That's why you're the most successful one in the family. Jiang Ting is feeling much better these past two days. When she went to the hospital for a follow-up appointment, the doctor said that she should be fully recovered in a few months."

She's in the bedroom. Go in, your auntie will wash some fruit for you.

Jiang Pei pushed open the bedroom door, and Jiang Ting was sitting on the bed. Sure enough, her eyes were much more lively than before.

"Cousin, you're here."

Jiang Ting's voice still sounded weak.

"Sis, are you feeling better lately? I was so worried about you. I haven't been able to concentrate on dance rehearsals these past few days. That's why I came to see you before the New Year. How have you been feeling lately?"

Jiang Pei sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled the blanket up a bit, and grabbed Jiang Ting's hand, pretending to comfort her.

"I feel much better, but my chest feels tight and I don't want to go out."

Jiang Ting's hands were slightly cold, her lips were chapped, and she looked like she hadn't had water in a long time. Her hair was so oily that Jiang Pei felt disgusted.

"Tingting, it's all my fault. I didn't protect you well and made you suffer. I shouldn't have said those things to you and made you take this risk."

Jiang Pei squeezed out a few tears, just as her aunt walked in and saw the scene.

"Jiang Pei, don't be sad. Your sister is much better. She is so lucky to have a sister like you. Here, Auntie has washed some fruit for you. Pick a few that you like and have some."

"Auntie, I just feel so sorry for my sister..."

Jiang Pei turned her head away, covered her face, and pretended to cry.

"Sister, don't cry. I'm fine. Thank you for coming to see me on New Year's Eve."

“That’s right, Jiang Pei, don’t cry. Your aunt feels sorry for you seeing you like this. You’re such a good girl. You’re the most sensible and considerate person in the family.”

"Auntie, I want to have a private talk with Tingmei and share my thoughts."

"Alright, alright, you two sisters chat. I'll go out and cook for you and comfort her. With your comfort, your sister will definitely recover faster."

As her aunt walked out of the house, Jiang Pei took out a handkerchief from her pocket, wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes, and said...

"Tingting, I ran into Yuan Qiang a few days ago and told him you were sick."

Upon hearing the name Yuan Qiang, Jiang Ting immediately perked up. She straightened her back and stared at Jiang Pei, asking:

"Sis, how has he been lately? Has he said anything?"

Jiang Pei pretended to be embarrassed and pursed her lips without saying a word. She stared at Jiang Ting.

Thinking to myself, this bitch really can't forget Yuan Qiang. Even after all this, she's still thinking about him. What a tragic drama.

"Sister, say something! What's wrong with Yuan Qiang? Did he say anything to you? Did he check on me?"

Jiang Ting was getting impatient.

"Tingting, I really can't say it. I'm afraid you'll get upset. It's better if you don't know, otherwise your uncle and aunt will worry about you."

"Sister, don't worry. I won't cry or make a fuss. I just want to know if he's okay. I even dreamed about him last night. How wonderful it would be if we could be together!"

Jiang Pei thought to herself, "He's like a toad trying to eat swan meat. He's not only making a fool of himself all over campus, but he also dares to dream of dating Yuan Qiang. He should take a look in the mirror and see what kind of person he is now."

She's no different from a middle-aged woman from the countryside.

I was so blind back then, I even helped you relay your message and shamelessly asked Yuan Qiang if he was willing or not.

Even Xia Enruo couldn't handle it, and instead got hurt by her. People who are so stupid don't deserve to have love.

“Tingting, I told you, no matter what you hear, you can’t make a fuss.”

"Sister, I'm in this state now, the sky outside is all gray, how can I have the mood to make a fuss or cause any trouble? I feel like there's no point in living."

When Jiang Pei heard Jiang Ting say that life was meaningless, it was exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Yuan Qiang is doing very well. He's always being all lovey-dovey with that girl surnamed Mao. He even brought her to the army and introduced her to all his comrades. He said that girl was the one he was going to marry."

Upon hearing these words, the excited light in Jiang Ting's eyes gradually dimmed.

Jiang Pei continued:

“I couldn’t bear to see you like this, so I went to Yuan Qiang and told him about your illness. I wanted him to say a few words of comfort to me so I could tell you. But as soon as I finished speaking, his expression changed.”

He said whether you live or die has nothing to do with him. You're ugly to begin with, and compared to his girlfriend, you're like a maggot wriggling in a cesspool—stinky and disgusting.

He also said that you were covered in excrement and urine, running around the streets and campuses, polluting the school, and that whoever married you would be extremely unlucky.

"I'll let you find peace and quiet, hide there and wait to die. He said he never wants to think about you again; just thinking of your name makes him smell excrement and urine, it makes him want to vomit."

Jiang Pei spoke with great enthusiasm, making up vivid stories for Jiang Ting, and even gesturing with her hands in the end.

Her facial expressions were extremely rich, and her acting skills were so superb that even Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung combined couldn't match her.

Jiang Ting leaned against the bed, her eyes vacant, silently shedding tears, not even having the courage to cry out loud.

Her eyes were bloodshot, a frightening red, and even the tears that flowed from them had a pale red tinge.