In the ward, even though Qin Yu was lying still, pretending to be weak, she could still feel the vicious gaze of her foster mom, Qu Li.

This wicked woman had been looking forward to Qin Yu’s death for a long time.

If it hadn’t been for Qin Yu’s quick wit and luck, she would have already been crushed to death by the wheels of the car.

She had only been able to see the eyes of the driver as she lay on the road, but she knew without a doubt that it was Qu Li.

Qin Yu couldn’t do anything but sigh in her heart. She had to find a way to leave the Shi family.

As the saying goes, once a thief, always a thief. Everytime Qin Yu was abused by her villainous foster mom, she had always hoped that it would be the last time.

However, Qu Li never failed to look for more ways to torture and conspire against her. Everything she did would be reprimanded, and her actions were limited under Qu Li’s strict surveillance...

Suddenly, the door flung open with a bang.

“Mom, is she dead?” a gentle but cold voice could be heard asking in exasperation.

It was her sister, Shi Xiao, who was not related to her by blood.

Qu Li whispered unhappily, “Xiaoxiao, what’s wrong? Why did you lose your composure?”

Shi Xiao cooled herself and adjusted her voice to sound soft and sweet. “Mom, this little b*tch can’t die!”

Qu Li lowered her voice before saying mechanically, “If she doesn’t die, we won’t be able to obtain the inheritance left by her dead parents, and we won’t have the money to save your father’s company! Do you want to be forced by your father to marry the blind eldest grandson of the Ning family? This is for the sake of your future!”

Shi Xiao quickly stepped forward and clung onto Qu Li’s arm lovingly.

“Mom, I knew you loved me the most! Please don’t be angry.

“Listen. I heard that the Ning family gave us 100 million yuan as dowry, and they also offered to collaborate with dad in three company projects. It’s enough for us to bounce back!”

Qu Li frowned at Shi Xiao’s words. “That deal was in exchange for your future. I would rather leave the company to rot than to send you down a path which you will regret for the rest of your life!”

Shi Xiao felt touched by her mother’s affection. In the end, it was her mother who loved her the most, not her father!

She pulled Qu Li toward the sofa in front of the hospital room and sat down.

“Mother, listen to me. I’ve thought of a better way.

“I have a plan. I’m sure we will be able to get the Ning family’s dowry as well as this slut’s property. I won’t even need to marry that crippled man! Hmph!”

Qu Li studied her daughter carefully, her eyes full of doubt.

“Xiaoxiao, what’s your idea? Tell me. Is there really a way we can get out of this?”

Shi Xiao looked up at her mother and nodded quickly.

“Mother, we can send this little b*tch to the Ning family instead! All they asked for was our family’s young miss, they didn’t specify who exactly, right?

“There just happens to be two of us in the family. We’ve gone out of our way to raise Qin Yu for so many years, she should repay us. We should make her contribute to our Shi family!”

Qu Li was shocked and quickly shook her head in disagreement. “That’s nonsense! How could we do that? Putting aside the matter of your father’s agreement, it hadn’t been easy for him to build a relationship with the Ning family. We can’t afford to make fools out of them, otherwise, who knows what they will do to your father’s firm?”

However, Shi Xiao was confident and did not sway following her mother’s concern.

“Mom, I’ve already done my research. The Ning family just wants a daughter-in-law who’s soft-tempered and obedient to take care of their elder grandson since he’s blind.

“They only chose our family because of our weakened power due to Dad’s failing business, so we could be easily manipulated.

“We’ll publicize their engagement, so that the Ning family will not be able to go back on their word.

“When Qin Yu gets married, she’ll be able to have access to her family’s inheritance, and we can coax that b*tch to hand over the dowry to you for safekeeping. Isn’t this method better compared to yours that involves bloodshed?”

Shi Xiao pointed at Qin Yu, who was lying motionless on the bed.

Qu Li could not help but be moved by her daughter’s attentiveness.

Shi Xiao saw her reaction and continued to convince her, “Mother, the most crucial thing right now is for you to get father to agree to Qin Yu and Ning Chen’s marriage. Father always protects and treats her better than me, his own actual biological daughter.”

When those words left her mouth, her realization of that reality slowly started to set in, and Qu Li genuinely puckered her lips in sadness.

With this key issue in mind, she patted her daughter’s hand and reassured her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do it. If he dares to object, I’ll threaten him with our lives. I don’t believe that he’ll give up the future of the Shi family for a fool.”

Shi Xiao smiled sweetly. “Mother always has the best ideas, unlike father!”

Flattery would get you everywhere.

Qu Li reached out her hand and tucked a lock of her daughter’s hair behind her ear affectionately.

“Xiaoxiao, you have to get the eldest young master of the official family to fall in love with you. In order for our family business to grow, you must have a strong political background.

“Even a prestigious family like the Ning family will have to humble themselves before the official family to be on good terms with them. If you’re able to become their young lady, your father would never dare to disobey you in the future.

“Do you understand?”

After digesting her mother’s advice, Shi Xiao replied briskly, “Don’t worry Mom, I got it!”

Qu Li stood up from the couch and glared at the patient lying weakly on the bed.

“Let’s look for a doctor to do their best to treat her. We have to make this slut marry into the Ning family, she can’t die on us!”

The door of the ward was shut, and the person on the bed slowly opened her eyes.

Her pair of black eyes twinkled like stars under the reflection of the light; there wasn’t the slightest bit of foolishness in them. A faint smile grew on her face, her lips glistening with a natural gloss.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch!

Chapter 2: Playing Dumb

Qin Yu moved her stiff body. She had been playing dead for a while, and was now quite tired.

She examined the injuries on her body, making sure they weren’t too bad.

The car had crashed into her, leaving her with no way to avoid it. It had caused her to roll a few times which formed abrasions on her skin.

Her right ankle was now fixed, but it was still throbbing in pain. She wasn’t sure if the bones were broken.

She leaned against a soft pillow and let out a huge sigh.

She did indeed wish to leave the Shi family, but getting into a political marriage wasn’t really a solution. There were still many things she dreamed of accomplishing. How could she allow herself to be manipulated and plotted to death by Qu Li and her daughter just like that?

Qin Yu used to be an orphan.

Her parents had passed on when she was five years old.

She was then taken into her father’s friend’s family. Shi Yong, her adoptive father, said that he considered her dad as his own brother, so it was his duty to take care of her. She didn’t have any other relatives either.

However, Shi Yong was the only one who cared for her and was willing to involve himself in her affairs.

Her adoptive mother, Qu Li, Shi Yong’s wife, did not like Qin Yu at all.

Qin Yu used to think that she was hated by Qu Li because Shi Yong brought a child with an unknown background into their family. Not only that, she was the same age as their daughter.

Later on, she found out that Qu Li’s hatred was unjustified; she wasn’t hated for being herself, but instead, it had to do with money.

Her parents had actually left her with a huge inheritance. No one knew what her parents did for a living.

Ever since she moved into the Shi family, the bank would send a considerable portion of the inheritance to the Shi family every year for the purpose of paying off Qin Yu’s living expenses and education.

At the beginning, Qu Li was quite happy with how things were going, but started to grow greedier. The yearly funds were quickly insufficient to satisfy her.

She wanted to claim all of Qin Yu’s property as her own, but there was a rule for that. Qin Yu had to get married and start a family before gaining her rights to control such a hefty amount of wealth.

If Qin Yu were to die unexpectedly before this, then as the guardian, the Shi family could receive a small portion of the funds as repayment for raising her all these years.

Just this small fraction of the immense wealth had been enough to drive Qu Li crazy, especially since Shi Yong’s business had been going downhill. This could allow his company to make a comeback.

Therefore, in the past three months, Qin Yu had encountered no less than 20 ‘accidents’, both big and small.

She rolled her eyes as she stared at the snow-white roof and sighed heavily. It was really getting quite difficult just to survive!

Qu Li and her daughter, Shi Xiao, had always been bullying her in a variety of ways, designing all kinds of accidents for her. She was only ten when Shi Xiao had pushed her down the stairs, resulting in her ending up with a concussion.

During those days of recovery, she would feel dizzy and vomit at the slightest movements, so she thought of a great idea – playing dumb!

From then on, Qin, Yu, who had assumedly damaged her brain, was considered to be completely dumb to the point of no return. Her intelligence was regarded to be equivalent to that of a three or five-year-old child.

Only then did her days gradually become peaceful.

The mother-daughter duo had to put on a gentle and kind mask when they dealt with Qin Yu in public, but in truth, they wanted nothing to do with a fool who would throw tantrums and cry like a kid at any time. They had left Qin Yu alone for the past 12 years.

Unexpectedly, however, because Shi Yong’s business had failed, Qin Yu’s life was in danger once again.

This time, it would be useless to continue playing dumb.

She had to take action and literally start ‘running for her life’.

They said that they were going to marry her off? To the Ning family?

Dream on!

These idiots!

The ward door was pushed open again, and Qin Yu quickly hid under the blanket, laying as still as a log.

A male doctor strutted in along with Qu Li and Shu Xiao. He turned toward them and explained her situation.

“Madam, don’t worry. Most of Miss Qin’s injuries are superficial. Her bones were not affected by the sprain on her ankle.

“As long as Miss Qin recuperates in a disciplined manner, she will be fully recovered in half a month or so.”

“Doctor, why isn’t she awake yet?” whined Shi Xiao. As long as there was a man beside her, Shi Xiao would speak femininely, thinking that any man would fall for her.

The male doctor’s voice sounded a little confused, as expected. “It’s alright. It should be the effect of the sedatives. After all, she did suffer quite a shock.”

“Was there any trauma on her brain?” Qu Li asked hesitantly.

“Oh, the CT scan has been done. We did not find any problems with her brain, don’t worry,” he replied respectfully.

Qin Yu’s body stifled under the blanket as she was about to burst out laughing.

Shi Xiao was really going all out to display her charm to anyone of the opposite gender, even if it was just an intern put in charge of a patient.

Why was Qu Li fretting about her brain anyway? Was she worried that Qin Yu would finally be snapped out of her trance?

She pulled the blanket away feistily and sat up, looking extremely panicked.

She closed her eyes and started to bawl.

“Mommy, mommy! I want mommy!”

All three of them whipped their heads to look at her, shocked by her sudden cry.

Qu Li’s expression hardened, and her gaze became stern.

Shi Xiao walked toward the bed quickly and grabbed Qin Yu’s hands worriedly. She held her down tightly, but her words were compassionate as she sniffled.

“What’s wrong, sister? Don’t be afraid, mother is here together with me. We’re both here for you!”

Tears hung at the corner of Qin Yu’s eyes as she watched Shi Xiao’s hands clutching hers with excessive force. Her voice was crisp as she blurted out, “Xiaoxiao, you’re hurting me. I won’t run anymore. I’ll be obedient, so please don’t pinch me.”

Shi Xiao quickly let go of her hands as if she had been electrocuted. She turned around and said to the doctor in an awkward yet weak manner.

“I’m sorry. My sister’s brain isn’t really in a good condition. Her intelligence is equivalent to that of a three-year-old.”

The doctor had initially been stunned by Qin Yu’s beauty when he had first laid his eyes on her, but after hearing Shi Xiao’s words, he could not help but stare in disbelief.

‘So, Miss Qin’s mind isn’t in good condition. What a pity, she’s such a beauty though.’

He thought to himself.

To him, although Shi Xiao wasn’t as pretty as Qin Yu, she was considerate, tender, well-mannered, and had a good temperament.

He quickly brushed off his thoughts and said, “Miss Shi, don’t worry. Your sister didn’t hurt her head this time.”

Shi Xiao was very pleased that this young doctor had not made fun of her, and even comforted her. She lowered her head shyly in front of him.

Qin Yu looked at both of them and gave a big, child-like smile.

“Hey, do you fancy my sister? Are you rich?

“My sister told me that she would only marry wealthy, distinguished men in the future.

“You’re so handsome, and you took a liking to her. You must be very well-off!”

The doctor was extremely embarrassed by her statements.

Shi Xiao held in her desire to strangle Qin Yu at this point.

However, Qin Yu wore an innocent look on her face, as if she was oblivious to the tension lingering in the air among the three of them.

Qu Li could tell that Shi Xiao had been utterly embarrassed by the situation and hurriedly sprang into action.

“Alright, stop fooling around. Xiaoyu, are you perhaps feeling unwell?”

She looked at Qin Yu, shooting daggers at her with her gaze.

Qin Yu acted as if she was frightened and shrank her body.

“No, no! Don’t be angry, mommy. I don’t feel uncomfortable, it’s just that my foot hurts.”

Her appearance was indeed like that of a little child as she spoke timidly.

The doctor could not help but feel pity for her and spoke to her gently.

“The pain will go away in a few days. Just don’t walk on this foot for the time being.”

Qin Yu’s eyes widened with horror. “I can’t walk? Then, what should I do? Mommy, will I end up being crippled for life?”

Tears welled up in her eyes again. Her beautiful, round eyes were delicate and miserable at the same time. Anyone who saw them now would undoubtedly soften their hearts.

Unfortunately, she was facing Qu Li and Qin Yu, who had never once fell for her tricks.

The intern panicked as he saw her reaction and hastily replied.

“No, no, don’t cry. I promise you that you will not end up a cripple.

“You will be fine in two weeks. Just two weeks. Do you understand? That’s around 14 days.”

Qin Yu blinked her big eyes and gave an expression that showed trust in the doctor.

Qu Li glared at her again and said, “Doctor, thank you! Since there’s nothing important, let’s leave the hospital. Xiaoxiao, help your sister to pack her things!”

On the night of the same day, Qu Li confronted Shi Yong.

Shi Yong was frowning, his face filled with distaste.

“Do you think the Ning family is stupid? Who do you take them for?

“Ning Chen is the eldest grandson of the family, and the person Elder Ning loves the most in the household!

“If I were to send Xiaoyu over instead, wouldn’t we be inviting trouble for ourselves?

“If we offend the Ning family, we won’t ever have a place to settle in this country! How could you think of such a ludicrous idea?

“He clearly has his eyes on Xiaoxiao. She has been well-known all these years, and everyone has been praising me for raising such a polite, gentle daughter!”

Qu Li did not waver at his argument, and retorted coldly.

“But Ning Chen is blind! Even if the Ning family is a thousand times better than other families out there, we can’t allow our Xiaoxiao to be humiliated like this!

“Moreover, I heard that Ning Chen’s not only blind, but he also has a hidden illness that will not allow him to live long.

“So what if he’s the eldest grandson of the elder of the household? Xiaoxiao likes the first young master of the official family, Guan Yue!

“In terms of family background and wealth, he doesn’t lose out to the Ning family at all!”

Upon hearing her side of their squabble, Shi Yong replied angrily, “But Guan Yue is not interested in our daughter! Now that the Ning family has proposed a marriage, this is our chance! This opportunity will never come again!”

Nonetheless, Qu Li disagreed.

“The Ning family wants to marry one of our daughters, not specifically Xiaoxiao!

“Shi Yong, back then, you were the one who said that you would consider Qin Yu to be your biological daughter in the future! Whatever Xiaoxiao has, Qin Yu too will have!

“Now, it’s time to prove what you said. If Xiaoxiao has a chance for marriage, Qin Yu should too!

“Xiaoxiao can be the young lady of the official family. With Qin Yu as Ning Chen’s bride, you won’t have anything to worry about, right?”

Shi Yong was left speechless by her audacity.

Once Qu Li felt that the time was right after a few seconds of silence, she softened her voice.

“Hubby, you don’t have to worry about the Ning family being choosy about Xiaoyu.

“Give us half a month’s time and we’ll definitely teach Xiaoyu all she needs to know.

“Although her mentality might be an obstacle, she is undoubtedly very beautiful. With her face as her strong point, who would be picky?

“We will teach her to be obedient and sensible again. We can bring her home every week to remind her and get her to improve.

“Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to her.”