Chapter 3  : Rebirth

Qiao Jiusheng remained imprisoned for years.

During this period, whenever Qiao Jiuyin encountered something exciting, she would come over to the room to show it off. Whenever she quarreled with Fang Mu or encountered something unpleasant, she would come over to torture Qiao Jiusheng.

Qiao Jiusheng could neither live nor die. She could only stay in the house and wait to get insulted.

Time passed very quickly. Qiao Jiusheng lost all her weight, and her once beautiful sister, Qiao Jiuyin, could not withstand the ravages of time as well. Wrinkles crawled up the corners of Qiao Jiuyin’s eyes. Every time she came to the house, she would put on exquisite makeup. Yet, Qiao Jiusheng could still see the creases under her makeup.

Qiao Jiusheng knew that she had also become old. Occasionally, when the moonlight shone on her face late at night, she would raise her hand and touch her face over and over again. She felt the deep creases. When she touched her cheekbones, there was no flesh on them.

She knew that she looked terrible.

***

On a certain day, the door opened and the woman walked in.

Now, Qiao Jiuyin was 46 years old.

She was wearing a gray sweater, and her hair was disheveled. The moment she stepped inside the room, she smiled at Qiao Jiusheng. However, her smile was no longer as flamboyant as it used to be. Only bitterness and misery remained.

Qiao Jiusheng’s eyes flashed. After being imprisoned for so many years, the pain had long washed away the love she had for Fang Mu back then.

Still, Qiao Jiusheng’s heart trembled when she heard that Fang Mu was dead.

Qiao Jiuyin sat down beside Qiao Jiusheng. She blankly stared at the sunlight and muttered to herself, “He’s dead. His expressionless blind brother killed him.”

Qiao Jiusheng only listened. This was the first time she heard Qiao Jiuyin mention anyone other than Fang Mu and her child.

She vaguely remembered Fang Mu’s brother. Although she had never seen him before, she knew that his name was Fang Yusheng.

“Hehe…” Qiao Jiuyin dejectedly laughed. She seemed to have aged by more than ten years. “Hehe… He’s dead. Qiao Jiusheng, are you satisfied now?” When she could not hear Qiao Jiusheng speak, Qiao Jiuyin suddenly murmured, “My good sister, I can’t even remember your voice.”

Qiao Jiusheng silently looked at Qiao Jiuyin with a calm expression.

Qiao Jiuyin continued, “I’m going to take my child overseas. If he stays in the Fang family, that crippled wolf, Fang Yusheng, will sooner or later kill him.” Qiao Jiuyin raised her hand and touched Qiao Jiusheng’s dry and white hair. Due to malnutrition, Qiao Jiusheng’s hair had already turned white. Qiao Jiuyin’s fingers passed through her hair. When her hand fell, several strands of white hair were left on her hand.

Staring at the white hair, Qiao Jiuyin was stunned.

“Xiao Sheng.”

Qiao Jiusheng finally looked up when she heard an unfamiliar greeting she had not heard in a long time. However, Qiao Jiuyin did not say anything else and left just like that.

After that day, Qiao Jiusheng never saw Qiao Jiuyin again. Qiao Jiusheng originally thought that she would starve to death in this house. However, unexpectedly, the second day after her sister left, the nanny who had been responsible for delivering her meals sent her to a remote nursing home.

Of course, that nanny only left her outside the nursing home.

Qiao Jiusheng was fortunate that the nursing home’s dean saved her. The dean was called Wei Shuyi, and he was the last bit of warmth Qiao Jiusheng met in this life.

Wei Shuyi accompanied her for twelve years. Their relationship was like that between lovers, but also like that between family. There was no love between them, but a bond stronger than love. When Qiao Jiusheng died, Wei Shuyi had sat by her bed. He had held her slightly fleshy hand and softly said, “I don’t know your name, I don’t know where you came from, and I don’t know what you’ve suffered.

“But I hope that you will be happy in your next life. I hope that we can meet again in your next life. If I meet you, I will definitely protect you and won’t let you suffer again.

“The pain and suffering you experienced in this lifetime have already passed. Just let go of everything, and pass away in peace. Don’t worry about me.”

Let go of everything and pass away in peace?

When Qiao Jiusheng closed her eyes, her mind only had one thought. She was unwilling to die just like that and let Qiao Jiuyin get away scot-free!

***

“Boss, full tank!”

…

“A total of 400 yuan.”

…

In a daze, Qiao Jiusheng heard a strange conversation.

She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt heavy. She couldn’t open them for a while.

Then, the sound of a steam whistle reached her ears. Qiao Jiusheng felt her body sway. Someone pushed her shoulder, and a young and pleasant woman’s voice softly rang in her ear. “Xiao Sheng, are you still sleeping? We’ll reach Linfeng County in half an hour. It’s time to wake up.”

Qiao Jiusheng didn’t find her eyelids so heavy anymore.

She opened her eyes. Since her head faced sideways, the moment she opened her eyes, she saw the beads of heavy rain on the glass window. The stunned Qiao Jiusheng turned around and saw a beautiful face she would never forget even if she died.

That face was exactly the same as hers. It was Qiao Jiuyin’s face!

As she looked at Qiao Jiuyin, who was only 23 years old, Qiao Jiusheng’s mind went blank for a moment. She looked out of the window at the pitter-patter of the rain. In her mind, she repeatedly replayed the scenes of Qiao Jiuyin torturing her…