Chapter Five: Interweaving of Kinship and Human Nature

 "My sister is so well-behaved, you little rascal, get out of the way, let me handle this." The chubby cheeks of that infantile face are so tempting, like a laughing bunny, utterly charming. Who's the source of his prosperity? I scrutinize the video footage earnestly, trying to discern the figure of the bullied girl, but in vain. The girl, drenched and abandoned by the lens in a corner, seems forgotten by everyone. The solemn demeanor of Er Ling suddenly turned into a subplot of an idol drama, inexplicably discomforting. Yet Mother, seizing the opportunity, asserted that despite my passing two experiments, my nature remained unalterable, indicating more rigorous tests to come. Someone remarked, "Isn't this going too far? It feels never-ending. Isn't Sister still underage? Shouldn't she focus on preparing for the college entrance exam?" However, the supportive comments from my sister's fans drowned out any objections to the experiment. "Stop struggling, Sister's bullying won't be whitewashed. She's been malicious since middle school; it'll persist into adulthood." The audience's focus gradually shifted towards my sister, until a profile picture adorned with a flower bouquet tossed out a link, claiming, "You've all been deceived by Qin Ran. Sister didn't bully anyone. She was expelled from high school because of older students." Some of the videos shared by netizens were blurry, seemingly taken hastily and yet to be edited, but still discernible. I'm seen, my cheeks swollen, calmly addressing the homeroom teacher in his office. "Teacher, Bai Wei threw my textbooks into the toilet. He made me bark like a dog; if I didn't obey, he slapped me." The homeroom teacher, preoccupied with papers, dismissively waved his hand, gesturing for me to leave his office. I had initially expected him to address these instances of bullying, only to later discover that the homeroom teacher had ties to our village. Aware of my exploitation by my foster parents and my lack of study time, he harbored resentment towards me for my daughter's hard-earned top grades, gained through extensive tutoring. Feeling abandoned and bullied, when I confided in him later, he remained indifferent, asserting that if I'm being bullied, it must be because I deserve it. "You need to reflect on yourself; I know I can only rely on myself." So, when Bai Wei poked me with the lead of his mechanical pencil once again, I grabbed his ponytail and hurled him to the ground. As for Bai Wei throwing my textbooks into the toilet after school, I shrugged it off. He may have thrown his mother's expensive imported backpack into the foul drain, but that's just what I expected. "Good job, Sister. You've done us all a favor. The homeroom teacher is such an idiot, claiming one hand can't clap alone. Well, let's see how he reacts when I clap my hands." The tide of opinion shifted again, capturing Mother's visible panic on camera. Yet, I could only sneer, realizing that he had known all along the hardships I endured over the years. Mother was willing to have someone record a video, but unwilling to rescue her own daughter struggling in the abyss. The last bit of my admiration for Mother vanished. I dabbed at my moistened eyes, turned away, and unexpectedly noticed an increasing number of profile pictures with flower bouquets in the barrage. They were shouting loudly, claiming that this experiment was unfair to Sister and demanding that she leave the mountain area to enjoy the same education as me. Suddenly, I remembered Aunt Tian's fondness for flower bouquets because their symbolism represented hope and light. He really did come back for me.

The clamor for me to transfer schools grew louder, so Mother had no choice but to transfer my registration to the city where she resided, allowing me to attend the prestigious school with excellent faculty, just like my sister. Getting off the plane to be greeted by a car, something I had only seen on television, even if it was casually arranged by my family, was worth millions. The driver took the package from my hand, solemnly placing it in the trunk, stooping to open the car door for me, reaching out to prevent any possible collision. My situation did not fit the Cinderella slipping into crystal shoes covertly; every move felt awkward. "Oh, Sister looks so pitiful. This was supposed to be her life too. Sister hasn't even had bubble tea; how despicable. I might as well become a fan of Mother." In the lavishly decorated villa, Mother, wearing casual clothes, was elegantly arranging flowers, while Father, with gold-rimmed glasses, was reading an English economic newspaper. There was also my sister, nestled next to them, showered with endless affection. Holding luggage that could fit in a single package, my sports shoes were covered in mud, utterly incongruous with this elite family. The floor was filthy too; another round of cleaning awaited, annoyingly. The nanny complained loudly behind me, and it seemed as if my so-called family had finally realized my presence. Mother glanced at me disdainfully, then, aware of the camera on me, softened her tone. "You know everything now, don't you? You were abducted to the mountain area initially, and we only recently found you. Starting tomorrow, you'll go to school with your sister. She's already in her final year; to avoid affecting her grades, you'll pretend to be her cousin for now. We'll figure out the rest after the college entrance exam."