Chapter 63: On the Eve of the Grand Finale: The Villains' Tragedy...
The heavy iron gate of the mental hospital slammed shut behind me, cutting off those days filled with the smell of disinfectant, medication, and hazy memories.
Lin Ke, dressed in slightly worn clothes, took a deep breath of the free air outside, filled with car exhaust and urban dust, feeling every pore of her body tremble.
He came out. He finally came out.
Walking half a step ahead of him was his father, Lin Yuan, who had just returned from France, covered in dust from his journey.
Lin Ke looked at her father's not-so-broad back, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, but more than that, a twisted hatred that had found an outlet for excitement.
"Dad," Lin Ke quickened her pace to stand beside Lin Yuan, her voice tinged with deliberate grievance and a sob, "You have no idea how much I suffered inside... It's all Lin Suxing's fault! It was him! He was the one who instigated Siyi to force me in there like I was crazy! I'm not sick at all!"
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, his tone filled with resentment: "He just doesn't like me, he's afraid I'll steal his thunder! Siyi is also being deceived by him! Dad, now that you're back, you have to stand up for me and discipline Lin Suxing! We can't let him continue to be so lawless!"
He subconsciously believed that his father, Lin Yuan, was still the absolute ruler of the Lin family and could easily control Lin Suxing and even Lin Siyi.
Lin Yuan looked at his son's haggard and resentful face, his brows furrowed, his expression showing the exhaustion of a long flight and the gravity of the situation.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just sighed, patted Lin Ke on the shoulder, and said, "Let's not talk about that now. You've suffered. Dad will take you somewhere to have a welcome feast and wash away the bad luck."
Lin Yuan's "pride" as the head of the family for many years made it impossible for him to tell Lin Ke that he had been kicked out of the management of Yunyuan Group and was now just an idle person with shares.
The two got into a taxi and headed towards the bustling CBD area along the elevated highway. The traffic was heavy, the neon lights were flashing, and the long-lost urban hustle and bustle made Lin Ke feel both unfamiliar and excited.
As Lin Ke crossed the intersection, which was in the red light section, she looked up at the bustling scene outside the window, but her body suddenly froze and her pupils contracted sharply!
Across the street, a huge electronic display screen on the wall of that skyscraper is currently playing a beautifully crafted advertisement on a loop.
In the center of the image is Lin Suxing!
He was wearing Aethelred’s latest collection and stood in front of a waterfall cascading down several meters high.
In the bottom right corner of the image is Aethelred's prominent gold-plated logo.
The words “Aethelred Asia Pacific Brand Ambassador: Lin Suxing” clearly caught Lin Ke’s eye.
Lin Ke was struck as if by lightning, her whole body frozen in place, her mouth unconsciously slightly open.
How is this possible?!
Lin Suxing?! In his memory, he was just an obscure, unknown celebrity struggling on the fringes of the entertainment industry, relying on the Lin family. How could he possibly have access to top-tier resources like Aethelred?! This kind of niche, high-end luxury is something even many top-tier celebrities can't achieve!
After the initial shock came jealousy and anger that gnawed at my heart like venomous snakes.
It must be Lin Siyi! Lin Siyi must have used the Lin family's connections and resources to forcefully promote him! Lin Siyi really went to any lengths to promote Lin Suxing!
While he was still suffering in a mental hospital, Lin Suxing had already reached a height he could never have imagined, enjoying the spotlight and the support of top brands…
The immense disappointment and resentment erupted in Lin Ke's chest like a volcano. He stared intently at the exquisite and dazzling face on the screen, his eyes so sinister they seemed to drip with venom.
Lin Suxing...you just wait! You will pay for everything I've suffered a hundredfold, a thousandfold!
He gritted his teeth, uttering the most vicious curse in his heart, completely unaware that his father, Lin Yuan, beside him, was looking at the advertisement, his eyes flashing with a deeper contemplation related to the power shift within the Lin family.
Lin Yuan's worries and concerns were not unfounded. Lin Siyi and Jiang Heyun were unaware that he had returned from France, and that once he returned to the Lin family, there would likely be another bloody storm.
Several months had passed since his argument with Lin Siyi in France. He had long since been stripped of his power by Lin Siyi and Jiang Heyun, and no longer had the confidence to challenge them.
This disparity in status made Lin Yuan feel extremely frustrated, but there was nothing he could do about it.
People who have ever had power will always miss it, and Lin Yuan is no exception. So even though he will be met with Lin Siyi's coldness upon his return, Lin Yuan is still determined to please Lin Siyi in order to continue working in Yunyuan Group.
Arriving at a congested area where taxis couldn't enter, the two got out of the car and continued walking along the bustling street, surrounded by hurried office workers and noisy traffic.
Suddenly, a sharp cry with a foreign accent pierced Lin Ke's ears, causing him to turn his gaze to the somewhat disheveled figure at the source of the sound.
It was a figure dressed in a tight short skirt and black stockings, looking very alluring and sexy. She was facing away from them, crying and pleading into her phone.
"Please, please don't cancel my work visa! I can't live without this job... If I lose my visa, I'll be deported! I don't want to go back to Southeast Asia, I don't want to go back to that place! My boyfriend is still here..."
Even with a sob in her voice, it still carried a familiar, affected sweetness.
The other person had once been somewhat popular on Douyin, so Lin Ke recognized him immediately.
Salyn clearly received no sympathy from the person on the other end of the phone; the call seemed to be abruptly ended.
He gripped his phone, his shoulders trembling violently. His heavy eyeshadow and eyeliner were smudged by tears, leaving black and glittery marks on his face. His once exquisite makeup now looked dirty and disheveled.
He seemed unwilling to give up; his fingers trembled as he dialed another number, pleading almost with his last hope: "Honey, I... I might lose my work visa. The company is going to fire me. Can you help me? Or, can I move in with you for a while..."
His last hope also collapsed.
Salyn lost control and squatted on the ground, not caring about her image, and burst into tears, attracting the attention of passersby, but most of them were indifferent and quickly walked around her.
Looking at his miserable, disheveled appearance, his messy makeup, and his loss of composure in public, Lin Ke felt no sympathy whatsoever, but rather a strong sense of disgust.
He found the noisy crying and the chaotic scene before him particularly jarring, as if even the surrounding air was polluted.
"What bad luck!" Lin Ke cursed under her breath, her brows furrowing in disgust, feeling that even looking at it for another second was an eyesore.
He quickly tugged at his father Lin Yuan's arm, practically dragging him along, and quickened his pace to get away from Salin as if he were avoiding some filthy garbage.
Salyn's desperate cries were gradually drowned out by the noise of the street, but Lin Ke's restlessness and hatred for Lin Suxing burned even more fiercely.
He felt that he was completely different from this kind of rotten person struggling at the bottom. He, Lin Ke, was destined to take back everything that belonged to him and then trample Lin Suxing under his feet!
He desperately needed to find an ally, an ally who also harbored resentment towards Lin Suxing and Li Xinian.
At this critical juncture, Lin Ke's first thought was of Li Jingjia, the collateral descendant of the Li family whom he had tried so hard to curry favor with.
He immediately pulled out his phone, found Li Jingjia's number, and dialed it, only to hear a cold, standard voice saying, "The number you dialed is not in service..."
Undeterred, he switched to social media, only to find that all his friend relationships had been unilaterally terminated, and he couldn't send messages at all.
A chill crept up my spine.
Lin Ke recalled the last time she contacted Li Jingjia, and the other party's terrified and ruthless warning: "Lin Ke, don't you fucking contact me again! Brother Xi Nian has already spoken. If I get involved with you again, not only me, but my dad will be in trouble too! If you come looking for me again, don't blame me for having someone deal with you first!"
At the time, he thought Li Jingjia was just cowardly and afraid of trouble, but now it seems that Li Xinian has completely cut off his escape route.
He dialed Zhao Gan's private number with great anticipation.
"Beep...beep...beep..."
After a long wait, there was still no answer.
An ominous premonition began to spread in Lin Ke's heart. He impatiently dialed again, but the result was the same. In his anxiety, he directly dialed the Zhao family's home phone.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered; it was a middle-aged woman's voice that sounded quite tired and old.
"Hello, who is this?"
"I'm looking for Zhao Gan. I'm his friend Lin Ke." Lin Ke tried her best to make her voice sound normal.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a heavy sigh: "Agan... he's gone."
"Gone?" Lin Ke didn't react for a moment. "Where did he go?"
“It’s not that he went anywhere…” the woman’s voice choked with sobs, “He died. It happened about two weeks ago. He drank too much, came out of a bar… didn’t see where he was going, and fell into a construction pit… couldn’t be saved.”
It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in Lin Ke's mind; he froze, and his phone almost slipped from his hand.
Dead? Zhao Gan is dead? The Zhao Gan who promised him that he would find a way to teach Lin Suxing a lesson, just died like that? Because of alcoholism and falling down?
No! It can't be that much of a coincidence!
Although Lin Siyi is assertive and ruthless, she always has a bottom line and will not easily get involved in things that directly threaten lives.
But Li Xinian is different!
That man controlled the vast Li family, with businesses spanning all walks of life, and his hands were stained with blood.
The thought that Zhao Gan might have been killed because of her, because he had helped him deal with Lin Suxing, sent a surge of emotion mixed with fear, anger, and twisted guilt rushing to Lin Ke's eyes, which instantly welled up with tears.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and his body trembled slightly from the extreme emotion.
“Li…Xi…Nian…” He squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, each word filled with venomous hatred.
At this moment, his jealousy of Lin Suxing and his fear of Li Xinian all transformed into overwhelming hatred.
He raised his hand and fiercely wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes, his gaze becoming crazed and resolute.
He'll remember Zhao Gan's grudge! Li Xinian, Lin Suxing, you just wait! Even if I, Lin Ke, have to risk everything, I'll make you pay the price!
Filled with resentment and the hope of finally finding a backer, Lin Ke followed Lin Yuan back to the Lin family's old house.
He had already mentally rehearsed countless times how his father, Lin Yuan, would display his former authority, reprimand Lin Siyi, and seek justice for his son who had "suffered a great injustice." He couldn't help but smile.
However, the sight before him as soon as he entered the living room stunned him.
Lin Yuan, the father who always seemed somewhat arrogant in his memory, was now bowing slightly, a fawning smile on his face, speaking to Lin Siyi, who was sitting upright on the main sofa. His tone was more cautious than ever before: "Siyi, thank you for your hard work these past few days, managing the household so well. Dad... cough cough, I just came back this time to visit, nothing more."
Lin Siyi was dressed in well-tailored loungewear, holding a cup of tea in her hand. Her eyes were calm and unwavering. She didn't even look up at Lin Yuan, but simply gave a faint "hmm".
What's going on here?
Lin Ke could hardly believe her eyes. How could her father treat Lin Siyi with such a fawning attitude?!
He couldn't help but step forward, grabbing Lin Yuan's arm, his voice filled with urgency and grievance: "Dad! Look at Siyi! It's him, and Lin Suxing! They conspired to send me to that kind of place! You have to do justice for me!"
Lin Yuan's expression changed, and he abruptly shook off Lin Ke's hand, shouting sternly, "Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting! You're useless yourself, and you dare to blame your brother? Apologize to Siyi right now!"
Lin Ke was stunned by the shout, standing there dumbfounded, her face drained of color.
Just then, Lin Suxing came down the spiral staircase. He seemed to have just finished work and returned home. Seeing the tense scene in the living room, he stopped and stood still.
The handsome and composed young man looked at Lin Ke, who was incredulous and on the verge of collapse, and spoke in a calm tone with a hint of barely perceptible pity: "Lin Ke, don't you know?"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Grandpa has officially handed over all the management of the family business to my brother. Because of some previous decision-making mistakes, Father will not participate in the company's specific affairs for the time being. Now, my brother is the one who calls the shots at home."
These words struck Lin Ke's heart like a final, heavy blow.
He suddenly looked at Lin Yuan and saw that his father's face turned pale and then red, his lips trembling, but he didn't dare to utter a word in rebuttal, and even avoided his gaze.
The mountain that was supporting us... has collapsed.
Lin Ke felt a sudden dizziness, and all her resentment, unwillingness, and anger were overwhelmed by immense fear and despair at that moment.
He lost contact with Li Jingjia, Zhao Gan died tragically and mysteriously, and now even his father, whom he always thought he could rely on, has completely lost his power. In this family, he no longer has any support to fight against Lin Siyi and Lin Suxing!
He seemed to have all his strength drained away, his face was deathly pale, his eyes were empty, and he could no longer utter a word. Dejected and almost staggering, under Lin Siyi's indifferent gaze and Lin Yuan's complicated stare, he fled back to his room that he hadn't lived in for a long time.
He closed the door, slid down to the floor against the cold door panel, and was enveloped by a huge sense of helplessness and panic.
It's over, everything is over...
Just as he was sinking into despair, his cell phone suddenly rang, and an unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
He pressed the answer button with trembling hands, as if grasping at a straw.
On the other end of the phone came a male voice with a heavy accent, slightly rough but unusually enthusiastic: "Is this Young Master Lin Ke? Oh my, I've finally found your contact information! I'm Wang Fuhai. We met at that charity gala last time! I was very impressed with you, it was love at first sight!"
Wang Fuhai? Lin Ke searched through her chaotic memories, vaguely recalling that there seemed to be such a nouveau riche coal boss who owned mines, and that his eyes had been sticky when he looked at him.
Wang Fuhai's voice continued, full of "sincerity": "Young Master Lin, I heard that you've been having a hard time at home lately... Is it because you're not their biological son that they look down on you and ostracize you? Ugh, that's really too much! Don't be afraid! I, Old Wang, may not have much else, but I have plenty of money! I truly care about you! If you're willing, marry me! I guarantee you'll live a good life, even more prestigious than in the Lin family! Let's see who dares to bully you then!"
Isolated and helpless, Lin Ke listened to this "heartfelt confession," especially after experiencing the fear of being "abandoned" by her father and facing Lin Siyi's oppressive power. It was as if she saw a ray of light in the darkness.
Moved and a twisted desire to seize the opportunity to turn the tables surged through him. Almost without hesitation, he responded with a sob in his voice and a hint of urgency: "Mr. Wang, are you serious? You really want to... help me?"
"Of course it's true! Absolutely true!" Wang Fuhai patted his chest and assured him.
"Okay... I promise you." Lin Ke choked up and agreed without hesitation, as if she had found her final refuge and the means for revenge.
He was unaware that Wang Fuhai, who seemed to be a "savior," was merely a pawn casually placed by Li Xinian.
Lin Ke soon followed Wang Fuhai away from the old Lin family house that he both hated and relied on, and moved into a villa that Wang Fuhai had purchased in the suburbs. The villa was decorated in a lavish but tasteless manner.
At first, Wang Fuhai was indeed very obedient to him, and he was very generous with money and gifts, which greatly satisfied Lin Ke's vanity after his downfall, making him feel as if he had found a new backer and the capital to take revenge on the Lin family.
However, this good fortune did not last long.
Wang Fuhai's inherent vulgarity and brutality gradually became apparent.
He was an alcoholic, and when drunk, he would boss Lin Ke around, his words filled with contempt for her background as an "actress" and "adopted son." He would beat her up at the slightest provocation.
His nouveau riche-style possessiveness led him to treat Lin Ke as a private possession that he could dispose of at will.
Lin Ke, who was already proud and arrogant, harbored resentment and dissatisfaction towards the whole world. How could she endure such humiliation for long?
He was no longer the "adopted son" of the Lin family who had to be mindful of others' feelings; he considered himself an equal trader with Wang Fuhai.
Later, some rumors began to circulate within the circle.
It is said that on a smoky, dark night, an unprecedentedly fierce argument broke out in Wang Fuhai's tacky villa.
No one has investigated the cause of the argument in detail; all that is known is that the conflict quickly escalated from verbal attacks to physical altercations.
Driven by alcohol and anger, Wang Fuhai made a move. This time, Lin Ke, who had already reached her limit, did not back down and endure as usual. Instead, like a cornered beast, she fought back frantically.
The scene was reportedly extremely chaotic, with valuable antique vases shattered and crystal chandeliers torn and teetering on the brink of collapse.
When the assistant mustered the courage to open the door the next day, he found two cold bodies lying in pools of blood. The forensic examination determined that both died from fatal injuries inflicted by the other.
A union that began with scheming and hidden agendas ended abruptly with both partners perishing in such an ugly and brutal brawl.
When the news reached the Lin family, Lin Siyi remained silent for a moment, while Lin Suxing sighed softly and said nothing.
As for Li Xinian, who was far away, he may never have paid special attention to this news. To him, the disappearance of that insignificant pawn, along with the prey he originally intended to use to annoy others, was nothing more than an expected and long-forgotten, trivial matter.
***
The scorching sun relentlessly baked this private island in the Pacific Ocean, far from the mainland.
The sky was an almost cruel azure, without a single cloud, as pure as the finest sapphire.
The pristine white sand beach glistens in the sunlight, stretching endlessly, while the coconut palms sway gently in the warm sea breeze, making a soft rustling sound.
The crystal-clear, azure water gently laps against the shore, creating tiny waves, while colorful tropical fish frolic among the coral reefs.
From any perspective, this is a paradise-like resort that fulfills all fantasies.
However, for Li Tingzhu, Li Yuanhong, and Li Wanshan, who were imprisoned here, this ultimate beauty was the most exquisite frame of hell.
They were confined to a simple wooden cabin area in the center of the island, completely isolated from luxury.
The wooden house can only shield you from the wind, but it can't keep out the pervasive heat and dampness and mosquitoes.
There was no air conditioning, only a few old palm-leaf fans; no soft beds, only hard wooden beds covered with rough straw mats; and no servants on standby at all times. They had to fend for themselves everything they needed, even a sip of clean water.
At this moment, Li Tingzhu was sitting on a piece of rotten wood that had been washed ashore by the waves. Her once meticulously tied-up hair was now disheveled. Her hair had turned white overnight when she was sent to this island where the family traitors were imprisoned, and her gray hair was blown by the sea breeze like withered grass.
Her once sharp and shrewd eyes now stared blankly at the boundless blue sea, a symbol of absolute isolation, her pupils unfocused, filled only with a deathly grayness.
She tried to recall what it felt like to give orders and manage billions of dollars in transactions, to recall the faces surrounding her, obsequiously awaiting her instructions, to recall the thrill of private jets, exclusive clubs, and controlling the destinies of others…
But all of this is like a mirage under the sunlight, illusory and distant.
The immense psychological gap gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake day and night.
Power is their oxygen, the nutrient they depend on for survival. Now that it has been completely taken away, the suffocating feeling it brings is a thousand times more painful than the deprivation of the people.
Not far away, Li Yuanhong paced back and forth barefoot on the scorching sand like a mad savage, repeatedly muttering incoherent words, sometimes the name of a project, sometimes the name of an enemy, and more often meaningless roars.
His once imposing and wrinkled face now only showed obsession and madness.
He would occasionally stop abruptly, stretching out his withered fingers toward the sky, as if trying to grasp the long-vanished illusion of power.
Li Wanshan, on the other hand, appeared to be much "quieter".
He spent his days huddled in the shadows of the cabin, leaning against the rough wooden wall, his eyes fixed on the ground as if he could see some secret in the mud.
His deep cunning and scheming were useless in this isolated cage; instead, they became the sharp blade that tormented him.
He replayed the night of his defeat in his mind over and over again, every detail playing like a slow-motion replay. Regret, resentment, and fear of Li Xinian's ruthless methods intertwined into an impenetrable net, tightly binding him and almost driving him mad.
There was no internet, no books, and no way to communicate with the outside world.
Time loses its meaning here; sunrise and sunset, tides rise and fall, become the only measure of time.
This extreme, empty silence is a more agonizing torment than any torture for those who are used to manipulating power and whose every brain cell is used for calculation.
She could no longer bear the maddening calm and despair that came day after day.
The brilliant sunshine seemed like a piercing mockery to her; the gentle sea breeze felt like a cold lash; and the heavenly scenery was her endless mental torture.
They are alive, yet they seem to be dead. In this forgotten corner of the world, in the embers of their shattered dreams of power, they slowly and painfully rot.
Every minute, every second, is the cruelest torture of past extravagance and power.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Rainbow Praise] [Please add "After Transmigrating as the Youngest Cub of a Cleaning Cloth in an ABO Novel" to your collection. I already have 50,000 words in reserve~ See the synopsis below ↓]
Jiang Xiaomian transmigrated to a world that was a multi-dominant restricted ABO novel serialized on the Huatang website. The protagonist of this novel was a single father who had given birth to his own child.
He transmigrated into the body of the protagonist's nine-year-old child, serving as a background character for erotic scenes in the original story.
[Wedding Bed]
"This is my wife's and my wedding bed, you can't..."
"The baby is watching us, please don't do this, sob sob..."
Jiang Xiaomian: ?
[Women's Clothing]
"If I go out like this, people will know I'm a man..."
"No, wear your rabbit tail. And if you bring Little Cotton along, don't make any strange noises outside, okay?"
Jiang Xiaomian: ? ?
The censorship system he was bound to told him that because the novel website had been banned, the entire world would also be censored.
His mission is to use his cheat ability to rewrite the script to prevent R-rated content from happening, otherwise the world will be wiped out immediately.
[A distant nephew, staying at the protagonist's house, develops evil intentions.]
The original script reads: "Every time he saw Jiang Ding bend over, revealing her slender, fair waistline, he would get incredibly excited."
Jiang Xiaomian changed "hard" to "soft," and her nephew, who was far away, made an excuse to leave a few days later, supposedly to see urologists everywhere to treat his erectile dysfunction.
[The neighbor, eyeing the protagonist, came over specifically to freeload a meal.]
Jiang Xiaomian changed the "cucumber" in the script to "mushroom" in the line "[the neighbor devoured the cucumber salad]". The neighbor was immediately sent to the hospital after the meal due to mushroom poisoning. It is said that during his hospitalization, he kept complaining that he saw ten old men riding on trees every day.
[The protagonist is forced by her boss to use her sexuality to please a business partner]
The original script reads: [The boss looked at Jiang Ding, a calculating smile on his face: "Our business partner likes good-looking men, so why don't you go?"]
Jiang Xiaomian changed "you" to "I", so the boss went to the banquet by himself because Kayan was kicked out and fired because the contract was not negotiated.
[The aloof CEO accidentally discovers the protagonist's physical secret]
Jiang Xiaomian threw the script down: "What's the point of changing this?! I recognized him at a glance as my old Qian's father... oh no, my biological father!"
Lu Kaifeng was still lost in thought when suddenly a chubby-faced little boy grabbed his leg.
The little dumpling, barely reaching his thigh, had clear eyes and chubby cheeks, and called out in a sweet, childish voice, "Daddy~"
【Eating Guide】
1. Pairing: Father generation - resilient and gentle beauty (uke) × cunning and wealthy tycoon (seme); Son generation - intelligent but manipulative (uke) × reborn aloof and domineering CEO (seme);
2. The main character, Xiao Tuanzi, has a childhood sweetheart relationship that runs throughout the entire story, with intimate scenes only occurring after they grow up;
3.1V1, HE, SC, continuing the lighthearted and cheerful writing style, with occasional explicit content.
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