The bright moon was obscured by dark clouds, and the earth was pitch black and eerily quiet. Lin Qinghuan was in the darkness, as if she had become one with it, unable to find her way out.

Lin Qinghuan looked up and saw nothing but darkness ahead, with no light in sight. No matter how she walked, there seemed to be no end in sight. It was as if the road ahead was not the way home, but the gates of hell.

Lin Qinghuan suppressed her fear and mechanically lifted her feet to walk forward. A cool breeze blew by and seeped in through the gaps in her clothes, making her feel cold all over and giving her goosebumps.

Suddenly, she heard rustling footsteps behind her. Lin Qinghuan's pupils dilated abruptly, her heart skipped a beat, and then began to pound rapidly. It was so dark, how could there still be people on the mountain?

Lin Qinghuan mustered her courage and looked behind her, but she saw nothing. She clearly heard footsteps, so why didn't she see anyone?

Lin Qinghuan quickly stepped forward, but her foot tripped over a stone. She staggered and fell forward uncontrollably, landing on the ground with a thud. Pain shot through her palms and knees, and a mix of grievance and bitterness welled up inside her. Tears instantly filled her eyes, blurring her vision.

Lin Qinghuan endured the pain and struggled to get up, constantly telling herself, "Lin Qinghuan, don't cry, don't be sad, be brave," but tears still flowed uncontrollably.

The rustling footsteps grew closer and closer, and Lin Qinghuan couldn't help but start jogging. As she ran, her foot slipped, and Lin Qinghuan's body fell forward, the bag flying out of her hand and landing on the ground with a "thud".

"Ah!" Lin Qinghuan's knee hit the stone, and she cried out in pain. Her body felt like it was falling apart, and she couldn't get up no matter what she did.

Lin Qinghuan subconsciously touched her knee. Her pants were torn, and her knee was also scraped. She felt a warm, wet touch on her hand, indicating that it was bleeding.

Lin Qinghuan closed her eyes in despair, tears streaming down her face. A sense of desolation permeated her entire being. Living is so hard, living is so bitter!

Lin Qinghuan slowly got up, sat on the ground, crawled forward, and groped around on the ground. She found the fallen wild ginseng, but did not pick it up. Instead, she continued to grope around until she finally found the pocket.

Lin Qinghuan picked up the bag and found that the pockets were much lighter, her face fell.

The rustling footsteps grew closer and closer. Lin Qinghuan tensed up, clutching her bag tightly, sitting on the ground, not daring to move an inch. All she could hear was her heartbeat, the footsteps, and the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.

Lin Qinghuan curled up into a ball. Each rustling footstep felt like it was stepping on her heart, making her feel suffocated.

The rustling footsteps grew closer and closer, finally stopping behind Lin Qinghuan. Lin Qinghuan felt a wave of despair wash over her, and helplessly buried her head in her knees.

That's it! Let fate decide! Maybe death will bring relief, and I won't feel so tired and stifled anymore.

The footsteps stopped behind Lin Qinghuan. Lin Qinghuan's mind went blank, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"You're sitting in the middle of the road, blocking my way." A rough, hoarse voice rang out beside Lin Qinghuan.

Lin Qinghuan forcibly suppressed the scream that was about to come out, not daring to turn her head to see whether the person who told her to make way was a person or a ghost.

"You're blocking my way." The rough voice rang out again.

Lin Qinghuan's heart was in her throat, pounding like a drum. Suppressing her fear, Lin Qinghuan moved her bottom toward the side of the road until her back hit a tree trunk, and she stopped when she had nowhere left to retreat.

A pair of large feet wearing liberation shoes walked past Lin Qinghuan, getting further and further away until she could no longer hear a sound. Only then did Lin Qinghuan gasp for breath. My God! She was terrified.

Lin's father and mother stood at the door of the main room, looking at the dark and quiet night, their faces showing dissatisfaction. Lin Qinghuan was really bold. She had been out playing for so long and didn't want to come home even when it was dark. Did she not want to come back to this house?

Lin Piaoxue laughed gleefully, hoping he would die out there and never come back.

Lin Feng said coldly, "Father, Mother, Lin Qinghuan hasn't come home yet. She's getting more and more outrageous. When she comes back, you must give her a good beating."

Lin Piaoxue immediately chimed in, "Dad, Mom, I think Second Brother is right. Lin Qinghuan is asking for a beating and should be taught a lesson."

As Lin Piaoxue spoke, she looked at Lin Qing and Lin Ming, who were sitting in the courtyard enjoying the cool air, and asked, "Big brother, third brother, do you think what I said is right?"

Lin Qing said calmly, "Piaoxue, don't ask me. I'm not interested in Lin Qinghuan's affairs and will not comment."

Lin Ming smiled and said, "Piaoxue, I'm not interested in Lin Qinghuan's affairs either, so you don't need to ask for my opinion."

Lin's mother didn't think there was anything wrong with Lin Qing and Lin Ming's attitude, nor was she worried that something might have happened to Lin Qinghuan since she hadn't come home so late. Instead, she said, "Why bother with that brat? I hope she dies out there."

Lin's father glanced at his four children, his brows furrowing as they chatted. "The eldest and the others don't treat Qinghuan like a sister at all!"

Lin's father sighed. The habit had already been formed, and it was too late to change it. He would just let things take their course. Anyway, Lin Qinghuan harbored resentment towards them, so there was no point in relying on her.