Either You Die or You Perish

Lin Weiwei sat on the bed, looking miserable.

She picked up her phone and dialed An Yi's number again, but there was still no answer.

She started feeling uneasy.

Lin Weiwei liked An Yi, he was handsome, came from a good family, and, most importantly, he was Lin Yuhuan's fiancé.

Taking something away from Lin Yuhuan made Lin Weiwei happy.

At the birthday party last night, both she and An Yi had been humiliated.

She should have listened to her mother and cut ties with him.

But after spending so much time and effort on An Yi, how could she just let him go?

That night, Lin Weiwei lay in bed, haunted by nightmares.

Whenever she closed her eyes, she felt like she was back at Lin Yuhuan's birthday party.

She and An Yi were like chickens plucked of all their feathers, standing on stage and enduring the contemptuous looks of everyone around them.

She woke up from her nightmare but couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.

When morning finally came, she dragged herself to the dining room.

There, she saw Lin Yuhuan sitting at the table, eating breakfast gracefully.

Compared to Lin Weiwei's heavy dark circles, Lin Yuhuan looked completely refreshed.

Her face, bare of makeup, was as delicate and smooth as white porcelain, without a single visible pore.

Hearing Lin Weiwei's footsteps, Lin Yuhuan lazily glanced at her, then looked away.

Lin Weiwei deliberately sat across from her, a hint of challenge in her eyes. "Yuhuan, are you going on a blind date today to find a boyfriend? If you don't want to marry An Yi, marrying Wang Hongwei is a good choice too. There's no need to drag things out for a whole month."

"Who I marry has nothing to do with you," Lin Yuhuan said while eating. "You should worry about your own reputation as an underage mistress. That's not something good to have spreading around."

She happily continued eating.

After all, in her past life, she had been forced to eat tasteless prison food for years before she died.

Now that she had been reborn and regained her freedom, she could finally enjoy delicious meals prepared by the household chefs.

But her good mood disappeared as soon as she saw Lin Weiwei.

She picked up a wet tissue, wiped the corner of her mouth, set down her half-eaten breakfast, and stood up to leave.

Just as she took a step, she heard Lin Weiwei sobbing behind her. "Yuhuan, we're both part of the Lin family. Why must you ruin my reputation like this? Can't we get along?" She sniffled pitifully. "I know what happened with An Yi. I'm sorry. But if you just give me a chance, I'll make it up to you."

Lin Yuhuan turned her head slightly and sneered. "Lin Weiwei, there's no need to act in front of me. I know how vicious you really are. As long as I'm alive, you won't be able to live in peace. Between us, it's either you or me."

Then she turned away, her soft slippers making no sound as she walked upstairs.

As soon as Lin Yuhuan disappeared from sight, Lin Weiwei's fragile act shattered.

She slammed her hands onto the table, knocking over plates and cups.

The crisp sound of porcelain shattering echoed through the dining room.

Meanwhile, Lin Yuhuan returned to her room and called a maid to bring her a fresh breakfast.

While waiting, she pulled out her phone and searched for Lin Weiwei and An Yi's names online.

There was no news about them on any major websites.

It seemed that the scandal from last night's birthday party had been successfully covered up by the Lin and An families.

Both families had the power to suppress such news.

But in her past life, when Lin Weiwei caused a scandal, the news had spread like wildfire.

That was because An Yi and Lin Weiwei had manipulated things behind the scenes, ensuring that only Lin Yuhuan's reputation was destroyed.

That day, Song Yingjun and Lin Weiwei stayed home all day, hoping to see how Lin Yuhuan planned to find herself a rich husband.

But to their disappointment, Lin Yuhuan never left the house.

She didn't even come downstairs for lunch or dinner, instead having her meals sent up to her room.

By 8 p.m., Xiao Shu couldn't hold back anymore and sneered in the living room. "Didn't Lin Yuhuan say yesterday that she'd find a man better than An Yi? Then why hasn't she gone out yet? Is she just stalling for time?"

Song Yingjun smiled softly and said, "Don't say that. Maybe an outstanding young man has already appeared by Yuhuan's side, and she's just too shy to tell us."

Lin Weiwei, worried, quickly added, "Mom, Yuhuan and I are always together, and she tells me everything. Recently, I heard she's been hanging out with some bad people from outside."

"What? Are you saying the man Lin Yuhuan claims is better than An Yi is just some street thug? That won't do!" Xiao Shu exclaimed. "Big brother, I think it's best if we have her marry Wang Hongwei as soon as possible."

Lin Tianyi frowned, thinking carefully but not saying anything.

Just then, the sound of high heels echoed through the house.

Lin Yuhuan appeared, her long black curly hair cascading down her back.

The red dress she wore made her fair skin look even more striking.

Her makeup wasn't thick, yet it was more eye-catching than heavy makeup.

Xiao Shu's face darkened. "Lin Yuhuan! What are you wearing? Where are you going? You said you wanted to marry a rich man, is this how you're planning to do it? Are you selling yourself?!"

He couldn't stand looking at her.

The more beautiful Lin Yuhuan was, the more it reminded him of the humiliation he suffered when he had pursued Lin Yuhuan's mother.

Xiao Shu hated her.

Just seeing her was enough to make him remember his rejection and fill him with rage.

Lin Yuhuan flicked her long hair, a look of disdain in her eyes. "Xiao Shu, I've already been patient with you, considering you're so old and still a nobody. But if you keep forgetting your status as an elder and keep talking nonsense about me… do you believe I won't kill you?"

"Yuhuan! What are you saying?" Song Yingjun quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Your uncle is just worried about you. It's not proper for a young girl to dress so beautifully and go out late at night. Listen to him and stay home to rest. Or, if you really have to go out, I can find you some more conservative clothes."

Lin Yuhuan's lips curled into a smirk. A mocking light shone in her eyes.

"Auntie, you're acting strange. If I remember correctly, last week, Lin Weiwei came home at 2 a.m. wearing a low-cut mini dress, covered in kiss marks. But you didn't say a single word to her. You even snuck downstairs to open the door for her, making sure the servants wouldn't see."

She tilted her head slightly and smiled. "And now, just because I'm wearing a long dress, you suddenly think it's inappropriate? Auntie, don't you think your double standards are a bit obvious? Does this match the image of a 'good stepmother' you've worked so hard to build?"

Song Yingjun's face stiffened. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

How did Lin Yuhuan know about her sneaking downstairs to let Lin Weiwei in?