Rebirth in the Midst of Deception

The setting sun cast dim, yellow streaks onto the self-built house, the title transfer process unfinished. In that fateful moment of my second life, I gripped the plastic bag containing 200,000 yuan, the cold cash seeping into my skin, yet my heart burned with a fierce hatred.

“Sister-in-law, thank you so much. Let’s sign the contract right now.”

The overly effusive, deceitful voices of my younger brother and sister-in-law echoed in my ears, pulling me back to the bitter reality. Their eager, bowing faces were irrefutable proof: I had been reborn. I was back at the exact turning point, the moment I had drained my savings to buy this “un-transferable” house at their secret plea.

In my past life, the moment they had the 200,000 yuan, they packed up and fled in the night, abandoning their daughter, my niece, Lin Yue Yang, with her pitiful eyes fixed on me. I raised her, pouring my heart and soul into her, hoping for a bright future. But my sincerity was met with cruel betrayal. When Lin Yue graduated top of her class, accepted into the prestigious Tsinghua-Peking University, she publicly accused me of “using a thousand yuan to seize her house,” plunging me into a spiral of cyberbullying that tragically led me to take my own life.

This time, there would be no leniency. Seize the house? In this life, I will show you what true destitution feels like.

I looked up at the master bedroom. The light was dim. My niece must have been asleep. This 200,000 yuan was not just an escape route from their debts; it was the perfect trap to leave their daughter for me to raise. They wanted their daughter to succeed and bring honor to the family but refused the responsibility of raising her. Their most vicious scheme was to wait for her success, then, citing the un-transferable title and leveraging their daughter’s fame, they would gang up to drive me out. Killing three birds with one stone—a plan so perfect it was chilling.

I recalled the previous life, where I gave her the best room and lived myself in the stuffy storage room, enduring heat rash at night. I suffered willingly, believing her success would be my reward. I was wrong.

“Not so fast. Let’s wait until tomorrow. To be absolutely sure, we should go to the Notary Office to finalize the procedure properly.”

I dropped the cold phrase and walked away. I saw a flicker of doubt, then malice, on their faces. But I couldn’t care less. Jiang Taigong fished, and the willing bit the bait. They were deep in debt; I knew they would comply.

The next day, my brother and sister-in-law showed up at the Notary Office on time. Their bruised and swollen faces suggested a recent “visit” from their creditors. After receiving the money, they left furtively without a word of farewell. The curtain had fallen on their act, and I held the script for the next one.

At noon, I was cleaning up when I saw Lin Yue Yang, schoolbag in hand, standing timidly at the gate.

“Aunt, where did my parents go?” At this moment, she still didn’t know she had been abandoned.

In the past, I wiped her tears, hugged her, and grieved for her as if she were my own. This life? I would not be soft.

“Listen for yourself.” I played the phone recording.

My brother and sister-in-law’s whispers were crystal clear: “The old woman is soft-hearted. Just leave Lin Yue with her, and we’ll run. She’ll surely raise Lin Yue like her own… Our daughter is our future goldmine; we can’t let our debts affect her.”

I watched with satisfaction as Lin Yue’s face shifted from bewilderment to disbelief, then a growing terror. I knew her heart was cruel, but she was still just a high school student, fundamentally unable to cope with sudden abandonment by her parents. I felt immense satisfaction.

Surprisingly, she didn’t shed a single tear, only looking at me with feigned vulnerability. Truly worthy of the mind that could get into Tsinghua-Peking.

“Aunt, they’re gone, what should I do? I still have to take the university entrance exam,” she finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly.

“Stay, then. I have no choice. Who told me to be your aunt?” I impatiently waved my hand. “However, you can’t stay in that bedroom anymore. I haven’t been sleeping well and can’t stand noise when I sleep. The storage room downstairs is fine; clean it up yourself and focus on your studies.”

I pointed to the storage room next to the downstairs bathroom, piled high with foul-smelling junk—the very room I had been forced to use in my previous life.

“I understand, Aunt.”

Even from the stairs, I could smell the sour odor. Seeing Lin Yue standing motionless at the storage room door, I happily returned to my room.

During this time, I often tidied up the house in the middle of the night, intentionally making a huge commotion. Perhaps due to the noise, or the overpowering smell from the bathroom, Lin Yue often went out after dinner. Several times, I saw her squatting under a streetlamp, reading. Swarms of mosquitoes buzzed around her head, leaving her body covered in bites within minutes. What a hardworking child!

Soon, the school called.

“Hello, is this Lin Yue’s parent? Lin Yue’s performance has been dropping drastically lately, and she’s distracted in class. She’s a great prospect, with hopes for Tsinghua-Peking… Is there any difficulty at home?” Teacher Li’s voice was urgent.

In my past life, I would have worried sick, preparing nutritious meals and hiring the most expensive one-on-one tutor—a thousand yuan an hour—money I scraped together right after losing my job. But all I got in return were sweet but empty reassurances: “Aunt, my parents don’t want me anymore. I’ll be your daughter from now on. I’ll take care of you.” Followed by the article that denounced me.

“Lin Yue’s parent understands. Thank you for your concern, Teacher. I will attend on time.”

Hanging up, I sighed in relief. “Lin Yue, Lin Yue, so many people care about you. Why don’t you want to be a decent person? To prevent you from becoming a high-IQ criminal later, let your aunt help you out.”

In the previous life, I prepared for a week, renting a decent business suit, getting my hair done, and wearing delicate makeup to save her face. This time? I saw the parent-teacher meeting as a surprise gift for my sweet niece.

I pulled out a green mud mask, applied a thick layer to my face, then rolled my hair into rollers, fixing them with pink plastic clips until my head was a mess of plastic rods. Clothes? The yellow duck pajamas I was wearing were perfect, paired with the plastic slippers bought from the local supermarket. I waited ten minutes after the meeting started before strolling into the school.

In the classroom, the atmosphere was tense. I forcefully pushed the door open, drawing all eyes to me. I could clearly see the shift in their expressions, from annoyance at the interruption to a struggle to suppress laughter at my appearance.

“Sorry, fellow parents, I was tied up with household chores and arrived late.” I brazenly walked in.

The homeroom teacher, Mr. Li, twitched his mouth, visibly stunned by my appearance. He quickly ended his speech, signaled for a free discussion, and strode towards me. “Lin Yue’s parent, could we step outside to talk privately?”

In the hallway, Mr. Li cleared his throat, hesitant to speak.

“Lin Yue’s parent, this is the situation. Lin Yue’s state has been very unstable recently; her concentration is poor, and she has many errors in her homework. Her midterm rank has dropped from the top 10 to outside the top 50. She’s a good prospect for Tsinghua-Peking; we can’t let her fall behind at this critical time. Has something happened at home?”

Here it comes, the main event. In my previous life, I was frantic. This time, I just let out a long, melancholic sigh. My acting skills were immediately activated.

“Ai…” I drew out a series of mournful sighs. “Teacher Li, you don’t know the half of it. This child has a harsh destiny.” I adjusted my volume just enough for the entire hallway to hear. “Her parents accumulated massive debts, sold the house to me, and fled in the night, abandoning this poor child to me. I’ve used up all my savings and am practically penniless now. Lin Yue is sensitive and highly self-respecting. Her parents abandoned her, and she has to live as a burden. How can she be comfortable? How could her studies not be affected?”

I glanced back into the classroom. Lin Yue was hunched over, wishing she could disappear under the desk. Her classmates were whispering to each other. Perfect, the atmosphere had been adequately stirred.

Mr. Li’s face was filled with sympathy and regret. I gave him no chance to react, stepping closer, my voice ringing out urgently: “On behalf of my niece, I propose to the school that they provide psychological counseling for her, and even better, a monthly living allowance!”

My voice echoed in the quiet hallway, causing a small commotion. Mr. Li was momentarily flustered: “That requires a procedure for the allowance…”

“I have all the necessary proof documents here.” I pulled out a crumpled paper from my duck pajamas pocket. “My brother owes a significant amount. This is just a photocopy of one of the promissory notes. With her parents gone, she’s no different from an orphan. My income is meager; raising her is already difficult. Will the school stand by and watch a future Tsinghua-Peking talent wither away?”

Mr. Li wiped his sweat. He likely hadn’t encountered such a formidable parent before. “How about this, Lin Yue’s parent, please calm down. Call Lin Yue out here, and I will talk to her and reflect this special case to the school leadership.”

“Good, that’s exactly what I was waiting for.”

Mr. Li stepped back into the classroom and spoke quietly to Lin Yue. Soon, Lin Yue, like a stiff puppet, rose and, under the stares of everyone, slowly dragged herself into the hallway. I looked at her with a smirk. Her beautiful eyes were clearly filled with humiliation and hatred. Excellent, that’s the effect I wanted.

I completely ignored her expression, rushing towards her. “Yue, my good niece, don’t be afraid, and don’t feel ashamed.” My voice was full of excitement. “Your predicament is not our fault, don’t worry. Even if your aunt has to risk her old life, even if I have to work myself to the bone, I will pave the way for you to get into Tsinghua-Peking!” My words exploded in the hallway.

Lin Yue trembled, trying to pull her hand back, but I held on tight. I could feel her fingernails digging into my hand, but I paid no mind to the minor pain. The surrounding gazes held sympathy, pity, curiosity, and schadenfreude. Lin Yue’s face was bloodless, her lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

After the meeting, Lin Yue became the school celebrity. Everywhere she went, people pointed at her. “Look, that’s the poor student whose parents ran away. Her aunt made a scene at the meeting and managed to get her an allowance…” The last bit of her pride had been crushed by me. She became increasingly withdrawn, her face downcast.

The allowance was quickly approved. I didn’t touch a penny, saving it all for her.

“Yue, I plan to renovate the house a bit. The drilling might be a bit loud; please bear with it…” That weekend, I casually announced over soy milk. “I plan to knock out the balcony for a floor-to-ceiling glass window… and buy a new massage chair…”

I watched Lin Yue’s expression. It was extremely ugly.

“Aunt,” her voice trembled, “but I’m about to take the college entrance exam; this will affect my studies.”

“Oh, it’s only a few months.” I waved my hand dismissively. “I know you’re sensible and will overcome it. If you can’t study here, you can go to the library; the atmosphere is better there.”

The next day, the construction team stormed into the house. The deafening sound of hammering, drilling, cutting, and workers shouting went on from morning till night. Lin Yue’s storage room was already small and damp, adjacent to the bathroom. Now, with the hellish noise outside, the thin wooden door couldn’t block any sound. I saw her several times at her desk, hands clamped over her ears, her body shaking, her expression both pained and fierce. Not a single word was getting into her head.

Finally, on a stormy night with heavy rain and thunder, Lin Yue couldn’t take it anymore. Her eyes red-rimmed, she rushed in front of me. I was comfortably wearing my mud mask on my newly bought sofa, testing the surround sound of the home theater system.

“Aunt!” she screamed. “What exactly do you want?”

I slowly took off my headphones, glancing at her. She was filthy, her hair full of dust, looking utterly wretched.

“What’s with the commotion? Can’t you see I’m resting?”

“Why are you treating me like this? This house is mine, and you’re turning it into this! How do you expect me to study? I have only two months left until the exam!”

I raised an eyebrow: “First, you need to be clear. This house is mine now; I bought it from your parents. Second, how does me renovating my house affect you? Finally, whether you study or not, whether you pass the university entrance exam or not, is your business. How is it related to me?”

She was speechless, staggering as if about to fall. “Aunt, you’re doing this on purpose.” After a moment, she hissed through clenched teeth. “You just don’t want me to get into a good school!”

“Think what you want.” I shrugged dismissively, put my headphones back on, and turned up the volume.

With the house unlivable, Lin Yue started going out frequently, visiting other relatives to complain. Soon, my phone was ringing off the hook. Auntie San, the most meddlesome relative, called first.

“Hello, Xiao Yun, I heard from Yue that you’re renovating the house? How can you be so insensitive? Yue is about to take the university entrance exam, and you’re drilling and banging! Aren’t you intentionally making her life difficult?”

I patiently listened to her babble for five minutes, then, when she paused for breath, I slowly opened my mouth: “Auntie San, if you feel so sorry for her, and think I’m mistreating her, why don’t you do a good deed and take her in?… Or you could help her pay for the living expenses and tutoring fees for the second semester of her final year, about 8,000 yuan. I thank you on Yue’s behalf for your great generosity.”

The other end fell silent. I continued: “Auntie San, are you still there? Are you going to take her in or transfer the money?”

“Ah, uh, that…” Auntie San’s voice grew weak. “I have a pot of soup on the stove.” She quickly hung up. I sneered.

The calls from other relatives followed, one after another. I used the same script, and the effect was immediate. Everyone found excuses to hang up instantly. The phone finally fell silent.

In the early evening, Lin Yue returned with a distracted look. The relatives must have relayed my words to her. The road to relying on family was blocked.

She remained discouraged for a few days, not going out anymore, just hiding in the storage room after school. The renovation was nearing completion, and the noise subsided. I thought she had finally accepted her fate and focused on studying.

Until one day, when I was scrolling through short videos, a familiar avatar popped up. It was a selfie of Lin Yue in her uniform, looking innocent. The account name was Waiting for My Parents to Return. The latest video’s title: “Day 48 Living with My Aunt After My Parents Lost Contact.”

The video began with a dark shot of the storage room, a worn-out study desk piled high with review materials. The camera was shaky, accompanied by tragic background music, creating a gloomy atmosphere. Then, a close-up of Lin Yue’s bare face, her eyes red and swollen as if she had just cried, speaking into the camera with a victimized yet determined tone, telling her story. She didn’t directly accuse me of seizing the house, but her words clearly implied I was reluctantly taking her in and pressuring her with the renovation noise.

“I can only hide in this tiny storage room to study… I know my aunt has it hard, and she has the right to renovate her house. I just miss my parents so much, and my old room.”

In the end, she looked into the camera, forcing a smile that was uglier than a cry. Truly a master of emotional manipulation.

I checked the comments section. The reaction was overwhelming. “Don’t cry, little sister. Your aunt is too much! How can she treat a high school senior like that? This is not an aunt; she’s an ungrateful wretch! Seizing the house while the parents are away and then abusing the niece! Call the press! A future Tsinghua-Peking student is about to be ruined! Give us the address; we’ll demand justice for her!”

My eyes turned cold at the last comment. In my past life, these self-proclaimed righteous netizens hunted and cyberbullied me, pushing me into the abyss.

You like posting videos to manipulate public opinion? Fine, I’ll make sure you can’t post online anymore.

The next morning, under the pretext of finishing the renovation and needing to reroute the wiring, I instructed the electrician to cut the power and internet lines leading to the storage room.

That evening, Lin Yue came home from school. Her room was pitch black. She fumbled for the switch, flipping it several times, but the light wouldn’t turn on.

“Aunt, why isn’t the light working in my room?”

I was comfortably watching TV, not even looking up. “The electrician said the wiring was old and unsafe, so he cut it. I’ll find someone to rewire it later.”

“How long will that take? I need to study tonight!” she fretted.

“What’s the rush?” I changed the channel with the remote. “Didn’t you go to your relatives? Didn’t they give you any money? Go buy a rechargeable lamp. And don’t dream about going online; the network cable was cut at the same time.”

Lin Yue was shaking with anger. “On what grounds do you cut my electricity and internet?”

“On the grounds that this house is mine,” I looked at her coldly. “I’m doing you a huge favor by letting you stay here. Does electricity and internet come for free? I’m not obligated to pay for that expense for you. If you want to use electricity, pull an extension cord from my room. Five yuan per kilowatt-hour, pay upfront for what you use.”

Lin Yue’s face was flushed red. Her relatives had only given her a few hundred yuan, barely enough for study materials. Her phone battery was old, and using 4G would drain it quickly. Without stable power and Wi-Fi, her plan to post more videos for sympathy was delusional.

After the power and internet were cut, Lin Yue completely withered. Her phone was constantly dead. She bought a rechargeable lamp, but the dim light strained her eyes. In the following days, she was like a tiger with its teeth pulled, causing no more trouble. She just went from school to the storage room and back, becoming increasingly sullen and thin. The last bit of her pride and academic glory was slowly eroded by her life circumstances. Her video account naturally stopped updating.

Time passed in a deathly silence. The college entrance exam arrived quickly. I didn’t wait outside the school gate under the scorching sun like I did in my past life, nor did I prepare any special meals. I simply said one plain sentence before she left: “Do well on the exam.”

Two days of exams passed, and the atmosphere in the house remained unchanged. I continued my small life: exercising, watching movies, researching cuisine. Lin Yue stayed locked in the storage room.

On the day the results were released, Lin Yue drifted in like a ghost, a crumpled score report in her hand, her face pale.

“Aunt, I checked the scores.” Her voice was faint.

“How did you do?” I didn’t look up.

“Total score: 532.”

This was over 100 points lower than the score that got her into Tsinghua-Peking in the previous life. This time, living in hardship, she simply couldn’t concentrate on her studies.

“532 points, huh?” I put down my calligraphy brush, lifted my teacup, and blew lightly. “That should get you into a second-tier university, not bad. You’re 18 now; you can work part-time while studying. Go find a job for your tuition now that the exam is over.”

Lin Yue trembled. She had probably held on to a shred of illusion—that I would soften, regret, or help her pay university tuition—but she was disappointed.

“Don’t you feel any pity?” she finally exploded, her voice becoming shrill. “If it weren’t for you, if you hadn’t tormented me, I could have gotten into Tsinghua-Peking! You ruined my future!”

I looked up, my gaze as sharp as ice. “You fail the exam and blame me? Lin Yue, did you forget that your parents ran away and left the burden of you with me? Me taking you in and not kicking you out is already a great favor. You are not only ungrateful but you turn around and blame me. Where in the world is that reasonable?”

“This house was originally my family’s!” she shrieked hysterically. “You seized my house and ruined my future! I will make you pay!”

She spun around, rushing back to the storage room to retrieve her precious phone. It seemed the stored-up charges from the past two months were meant for this day.

Indeed, half an hour later, her account updated with a shocking video: “Failing the University Exam: My Bloody Accusation Against My Vicious Aunt Who Seized My Family Assets and Ruined My Tsinghua-Peking Dream.”

In the video, she cried a river, portraying me as a cruel woman who plotted to seize assets, oppressed her niece, and used incredibly vicious methods. She detailed the renovation noise, the cutting of electricity and internet, the coldness, the contempt, and attributed it all to my fear that she would have the capacity to reclaim the house after graduating. Finally, she looked into the camera, pleading with the netizens. “Please help me. This house is the only keepsake my parents left me. I can’t let that woman steal it like this. I must get my home back!”

The video was more sensational than any before. Failed Genius Student, Vicious Aunt, Seized Property. Every keyword hit the public’s sensitive spot. Comments and shares snowballed. “Too vicious! This woman is not human! Demand the house back! Tag the police! This is blatant asset seizure! Demand an investigation!”

I smiled coldly. Lin Yue, I originally intended to be merciful, but you clearly haven’t given up. She had no idea I had left myself an escape route: the notarized sale. In my past life, I was caught off guard. This time, watching the surging public opinion on the screen, I felt no panic. I calmly picked up the phone and dialed three digits.

“Hello, 911 (police), I want to report a case. Someone is spreading malicious rumors online, severely infringing upon my honor and inciting cyberbullying against me. Yes, I have evidence. The person spreading the rumor is Lin Yue, my niece, and she is currently at my home. The address is…”

The police were highly efficient. Less than 20 minutes later, the doorbell rang. Lin Yue’s face was as white as a sheet. She stared at me in horror, as if I were a demon.

I slowly stood up and opened the door. Two solemn police officers stood there.

“Hello, are you the one who reported the case?”

“Yes, officers, thank you for your hard work.” I pointed at Lin Yue, who was frozen in place. “She is the one who posted false information online, slandering me for seizing assets.”