Lin Qiu turned to Li Ruorui and said, "When Lin Zhiluo returns to her room, go find her and make sure she understands the difficulties the family is facing. She is now part of the Lin family and should contribute to the family."
Li Ruorui hummed in agreement, and Lin Qiu warned, "I know you have no feelings for this daughter, but remember this: she is your daughter, and her status in the family is the same as Simo Jiayue's. Your attitude must be the first thing to change."
"I understand." Li Ruorui frowned. If it weren't for the title of Mrs. Lin, she would have left the Lin family long ago. Did they really think she loved Lin Qiu that much?
"Alright, go back and rest. I'll come see you again tomorrow. I heard that Lin Sheng and your uncles are coming tomorrow. You've met Lin Sheng before; he doesn't mean you any harm. But it's hard to say about the other three families, since Lin Sheng hasn't decided who his successor will be yet."
"Okay, I know. I've memorized all the information you gave me. And have you forgotten what I do?" Lin Zhilu nudged him. They had been lingering at the Lin family's door for quite some time.
On her way back, Lin Zhilu passed through the living room and saw two pretty girls sitting on the sofa. She had information from Qi Zhiyang and knew that one of them was a fake heiress and the other was Lin Qiu's illegitimate daughter, Lin Tiantian.
I heard that the two of them in the Lin family always have a fight every few days, but now it seems they've united, and they're both watching her warily.
That's right. She gave Lin Hongxi a big loss on her very first day. These two smart girls must know that she is not someone to be trifled with.
Upon seeing Lin Sijie, Lin Zhiluo wanted to greet her, but she turned her gaze away and went straight up to the third floor. She had to go back to school for an exam tomorrow.
She brought a bag with her when she arrived, filled with her usual things. She opened her books and started reviewing. The teacher had already highlighted the key points for them. Once the exams were over, she could relax and truly enjoy her vacation.
She texted Qi Zhiyang while reading, as he was really worried about leaving him at the Lin family's house.
To put Qi Zhiyang at ease, Lin Zhiluo made a video call so he could watch her, which stopped Qi Zhiyang from bombarding her with text messages.
The two of them were quietly dealing with their own things when suddenly there was a knock on Lin Zhiluo's door.
Lin Zhiluo told Qi Zhiyang to keep quiet, as it must be someone from the Lin family coming to find her.
"Luo Luo!" Li Ruorui looked at Lin Zhiluo, holding a fruit plate in her hand. If her memory served her right, this fruit plate had just been placed on the coffee table in the living room, right in front of Lin Sijie.
"May I come in?" Li Ruorui asked gently.
Lin Zhiluo opened the door and stepped aside to let her in.
Li Ruorui glanced at the room's furnishings; it was a hastily prepared room, no different from a guest room at home.
Li Ruorui placed the fruit plate on the table. She noticed the books Lin Zhilu had laid out on the table and couldn't help but ask, "Are you still in school? Aren't you a celebrity in the entertainment industry?"
"I have to work and study at the same time, otherwise I won't be able to make a living," Lin Zhiluo said indifferently, leaning against the wall at a distance from Li Ruorui.
Li Ruorui felt a little embarrassed. Remembering what Lin Qiu had told her, she felt annoyed: Lin Qiu really has no brains. Lin Zhiluo has just returned to the Lin family and is not familiar with any of them. How is she supposed to start a conversation?
"Just tell me what's on your mind. I'm going to sleep soon." Lin Zhiluo really didn't want to chat with her, but she was curious to know what Li Ruorui had to say to her.
If the original owner were still alive, how would she feel?
She knew that the original owner grew up in an orphanage and had a difficult life going to school. She always hoped for a warm family, but all she could ask for was wishful thinking.
She experienced excruciating pain that ripped her skin and tore her bones apart, so much so that after her rebirth, she had no will to live and died from an illness.
Li Ruorui couldn't sense Lin Zhiluo's admiration for her; her daughter's eyes were so distant.
"Luo Luo, you still won't call me Mom?" Li Ruorui was a little disappointed. After all, Lin Zhiluo didn't grow up by her side.
Lin Zhiluo was very good at judging people. She asked in bewilderment, "You seem disappointed in me because I don't want to call you Mom. I don't understand why you're disappointed in me."
Li Ruorui was speechless. How could she see that?
“Ms. Li, I have lived a very difficult life since I can remember.” She showed her hands, even though she had undergone a bone marrow cleansing procedure, the marks on her hands were still there.
“My hands were calloused from working so hard, and I didn’t even dare to go to the hospital because I had no money.” She looked at Li Ruorui with a cold gaze. “Because I had no money, but I shouldn’t have to live such a hard life.”
“Because I have been struggling in society for a long time, I am particularly sensitive to people’s emotions. When you complained that my rented room was too small, and even when I was taken to a room that was converted from a storage room, you only felt embarrassed rather than angry, because subconsciously you felt that it was no problem for me to sleep in such a room.”
“You don’t even value me, your own daughter, in your heart,”
Lin Zhiluo's every word perfectly captured Li Ruorui's innermost feelings.
Lin Zhiluo looked at her and said, "Actually, you and Lin Qiu already knew about my existence. Even Lin Sheng came to see me once. This spans about ten months."
Li Ruorui's heart trembled. She wanted to leave the room. Under Lin Zhiluo's gaze, she saw her own despicable self.
“You called me here because you know about my relationship with Qi Zhiyang. I never expected that I, a child who did not grow up in the Lin family, would have such an opportunity.”
"You let me come back because the Lin family is on the verge of collapse, right?"
Li Ruorui: Lin Zhiluo knows everything.
When had she ever been so disheveled? She was always high and mighty when facing a group of illegitimate children. Li Ruorui could only force herself to maintain her demeanor as the matriarch of the Lin family and say, "Yes, you are now a member of the Lin family, so you should think about the Lin family."
As soon as Li Ruorui finished speaking, she regretted it, but her pride wouldn't allow her to back down: "Although you didn't grow up in the Lin family, I at least gave you your life, so you are naturally a member of the Lin family too."
Lin Zhiluo's eyes suddenly lit up: "Does that mean that if I help the Lin family through their current difficulties, I will have repaid your kindness in giving birth to me?"
Li Ruorui felt it wasn't enough; she felt she could get more from Lin Zhiluo.
"You don't think that just because I gave birth to you, you can expect me to serve the Lin family for the rest of my life. Think about it yourself. I'll help the Lin family through this crisis, or you can abandon them and do nothing about it. Choose one."
She came here to sever ties with the Lin family.
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