"I... I haven't contacted him. I never did!" Lin Muyao was trembling all over. She didn't dare admit she had ever reached out to that man!
Mother Lin looked at her with nothing but disdain.
"Still lying at a time like this? You're beyond stupid. You'd better tell me the truth—otherwise, you'll be going in just like he did. And don't blame me for cutting you off as my daughter!"
"W-What?" Lin Muyao panicked. "Mom, what did you just say? What do you mean 'going in'? Where is he going?"
Mother Lin stepped back and sank onto the sofa. "He's been arrested for orchestrating a kidnapping. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll be doing time."
"H-How could that happen?" Lin Muyao's face went ghostly pale as she stared at her mother in disbelief.
"How could he get caught? How? Mom, please believe me! I had nothing to do with what he did. I don't want to go to jail!"
"Look at you," Mother Lin said, disappointment and anger flashing in her eyes. She raised her foot and kicked Lin Muyao to the floor. "If you can't handle the consequences, then don't even think about doing such things in the first place. If you dare act, you better be smart enough to cover your tracks!"
"Someone like you, still thinking you can manipulate others into doing your dirty work? You really thought that just because he sweet-talked you, he'd commit murder and arson for you, no questions asked? You're beyond foolish."
"Remember this, Lin Muyao—nobody does anything without expecting something in return. No one is willing to risk everything for someone else unless there's profit in it!"
Lin Muyao bit her lip, unwilling to accept it. He'd told her she was his precious daughter. He said he'd do anything for her.
He even said that if it hadn't been for Mother Lin selfishly taking her away, keeping her existence a secret, he never would've neglected her all these years.
If she had grown up by his side, he would've spoiled her like a princess. Everyone would envy her.
Instead, she'd grown up under Mother Lin's hand, suffering scorn and abuse, beaten from childhood all the way into adulthood.
She hated it. "But I haven't given him anything... He's never gotten anything out of me! Isn't it possible that he really just wanted to be good to me?"
"Still denying how stupid you are?" Mother Lin snapped, rising to her feet. She pulled a leather whip from under the coffee table and struck Lin Muyao with a sharp crack.
"How did I end up with a daughter this foolish? Think about your surname! If you weren't a Lin, do you think he'd treat you like a princess?"
The first lash had come too fast—Lin Muyao hadn't even had time to dodge.
The second strike brought her to her senses, and she screamed as she scrambled away.
"No! This isn't true! He promised me he'd protect me, that he'd always be good to me, that he'd care for me—he wouldn't lie to me! He wouldn't…"
She couldn't believe it. The man who had professed his love, who said he'd do anything for her—had betrayed her? Had used her?
But if he hadn't told Lin Jiayi about their contact… how else would she have known?
"What's so unbelievable about it?" Mother Lin sneered. "Why else do you think he called me? For a warm catch-up?"
Lin Muyao froze as if struck by lightning. Why… why did he have to treat her this way too? Was there no one in this world who truly cared about her?
He'd talked about fulfilling his responsibilities as a father, about protecting her—yet the moment something happened, his first reaction was to turn her in?
Did he want the Lin family to save him?
Had he considered that doing so might get her beaten to death by Mother Lin?
Why promise her everything if he couldn't follow through—only to end up hurting her instead?
He wasn't worth it. Lin Muyao regretted ever trusting He Chengdong. In the end, all she'd done was give Shu Lanzhou the perfect opportunity to shine, and now she was the one getting dragged down.
She knew there was no way she could escape punishment today—but compared to being beaten, what she feared more was being implicated and sent to prison.
He Chengdong was unreliable now. If Mother Lin refused to help him, would he turn her in too?
She couldn't go to jail. She wouldn't be dragged into this!
Dodging the whip that lashed out again, Lin Muyao threw herself to the ground, caught the whip in her hands, and knelt before her mother.
"Mom, I was wrong! I swear I know I messed up! I promise, from now on I'll never acknowledge him again. I'll never contact him again. Please, I'm begging you, save me—I really don't want to go to jail!"
She clung to her mother's legs and kowtowed again and again.
But Mother Lin impatiently kicked her away.
"Get up. Stand straight. The Lin family does not raise spineless cowards. If I hadn't seen you crawl out of me with my own eyes, I'd doubt you were my daughter."
Lin Muyao didn't dare defy her anymore. Wiping her tears, she stood up obediently.
"Start talking. When did you first get in touch with him? What has he done for you? Don't you dare lie about a single detail. If you do—I won't spare you just because you're my daughter."
"...I'll tell you everything." Lin Muyao explained the events leading up to this. "I just wanted to teach Shu Lanzhou a lesson… stop her from entering the school competition. I never thought they'd kidnap her."
Of course she had thought of it—but she couldn't admit it. She had to make sure none of this fell on her.
"Beaten down by a peasant girl—utterly pathetic," Mother Lin said coldly. "And those five senior boys of yours? What are they there for—decoration? You've got a head on your shoulders—use it."
With a wave of her hand, she dismissed her daughter. "Enough. Go. Don't bother going back to school for the next few days."
"I understand." Lin Muyao knew she'd made it through—barely. Her body ached all over, her face stung, but it was nothing compared to prison.
She didn't know what Mother Lin was planning, but she was sure of one thing: her mother would clean this up. However, she could never contact He Chengdong again.
Fine by her. The useless man couldn't even handle such a simple task—he dared try to use her to manipulate the Lin family? He deserved to rot in prison.
Before she left, she handed over the phone she used to contact He Chengdong.
After she was gone, Mother Lin went out. When she returned, it was already evening.
After dinner, she made a call to Han Weicheng.
"Weicheng, it's me—Jiayi. Muyao came home sick today. She might not be able to attend school for a while..."
"It's nothing serious, just a little emotional distress. I'm afraid her depression might worsen. I think it's better for her to rest at home for a couple of days..."
"You know how much we trust you. But as you also know, university is like a mini-society. Our Muyao is simple-minded and kind by nature. It's inevitable she'll be bullied..."
"It's my fault too. I've always emphasized academic rigor but neglected other forms of education..."
"I heard from Muyao there's some kind of competition at school recently. She seemed quite invested, put in a lot of effort. Honestly, whether she wins or not doesn't matter—but she shouldn't lose for no good reason."
"Some students these days love shortcuts, and certain professors forget their true role as educators. Professor Han, you can't just let this kind of atmosphere grow unchecked."
"Muyao being mistreated is one thing, but I worry more about the impact on the school's overall culture. You know our institute recruits directly from the university every year..."
"The level of research in the medical field is at stake—we can't let a few people drag the standards down. Don't you agree?"
"..."
The call lasted over half an hour. When Lin Jiayi finally hung up, she glanced upstairs—just in time to catch the flutter of a garment disappearing around the landing…
Three days later…