Chapter 23: Lin Xiaodou Reunites with Her Biological Parents

After watching the two leave, Wu Ya wore an anxious expression. "Min, what are we going to do? If Tianjun finds out that Xuefei was the one who hit someone, will he refuse to associate with her?" She had finally found an excellent son-in-law and couldn’t afford to lose him now. She loved to boast about him to her group of old friends. If they learned of this incident, she’d be the laughingstock.

Lin Zhengmin replied, "Don’t panic. Your temperament always gets flustered; you nearly gave us away just now."

Wu Ya pursed her lips. "I’m just worried for Xuefei..."

Lin Zhengmin glanced at her lightly, refraining from exposing her real intentions.

After a moment, he spoke, "Actually, there’s still a way to turn this around—as long as we find a scapegoat."

Wu Ya frowned. "How are we supposed to find one? Everyone living around here is either rich or influential; who’d want to be involved in something like this? It could land them in prison."

Lin Zhengmin sipped his tea. "It’s possible someone was just passing through to visit relatives. They don’t necessarily have to live here."

"That’s true; it makes things easier. We could use some money or offer benefits—maybe it’ll work!" Wu Ya’s eyes lit up, but worry quickly clouded her face again. "But with Tianjun’s personality, he’ll probably have everyone investigated within ten days. Time is tight; how can we find someone so quickly?"

Just as Lin Zhengmin was about to reply, their housekeeper, Aunt Chen, approached.

"Mr. Lin, Mrs. Lin, there’s a woman outside named Lin Xiaodou. She says she’s your biological daughter and wants to see you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhengmin’s lips curved into a smile. "Isn’t this the perfect candidate?"

...

Ten minutes later, in the living room.

Lin Xiaodou stood before them, dressed poorly, her face marked by an unsightly scar.

Wu Ya covered her mouth in disgust. She couldn’t understand why her husband had let such a shabby, destitute person in. And this ugly girl claimed to be their biological daughter? Ridiculous!

Wu Ya rolled her eyes, her tone full of contempt. "You say you’re our biological daughter—what proof do you have? The Lin family is a medical dynasty; not every stray cat or dog can claim a connection."

Her late parents-in-law were professors at the capital’s premier hospital. Her husband was a surgeon and deputy director there. She herself was head nurse in internal medicine. Their family had been in medicine for generations and were considered prominent in the city. How could she let some unknown, ugly girl speak so freely?

Lin Xiaodou listened to Wu Ya’s words and suddenly smiled.

Before coming to the Lin home, she’d harbored some hope. The characters in books were always manipulated by plot, but maybe reality would be different, since these were her blood parents.

But the moment she met them, Lin Xiaodou realized she was mistaken.

"If I’m a stray, then my biological parents must be beasts. Or perhaps, even less than beasts—since they refuse to acknowledge their own child."

She smiled at Lin Zhengmin, making him uncomfortable.

Lin Zhengmin clenched his fists and coughed twice. "Child, why must you speak so harshly?"

Wu Ya snorted. "If a daughter can utter such filthy words, I doubt her parents are any better!"

Lin Zhengmin’s face darkened. "Enough!"

Wu Ya looked shocked, her voice trembling with grievance. "Min, you’re yelling at me? You’re actually yelling at me over some unknown, filthy girl?"

Lin Zhengmin shot her a warning look. "I’ll explain later in our room."

The look carried a deep warning, and Wu Ya dared not make another sound.

Lin Zhengmin turned to Lin Xiaodou. "Since you’re here, settle in properly. We won’t treat you badly."

He didn’t know how she’d learned about her origins, but that didn’t matter now. They desperately needed a scapegoat to take the blame for Xuefei. Since she’d come to them, he didn’t need to search elsewhere.

...

There were two servant rooms on the first floor. Aunt Chen occupied one, and the other was empty.

Lin Xiaodou moved into the vacant room. After setting down her wooden suitcase, she summoned TiaoTiao from her space.

TiaoTiao held a piece of beef in one paw and a caterpillar in the other, munching contentedly. Noticing the change in environment, TiaoTiao blinked its large, expressive eyes in confusion, tilting its head toward Lin Xiaodou as if asking why it’d been called out.

"TiaoTiao, stop eating and go do your mission. Finish it and I’ll give you something even tastier!"

Lin Xiaodou sent it upstairs to eavesdrop.

Hearing the promise of better food, TiaoTiao immediately waved its furry paw in excitement. "Master! I’ll get it done!"

BIU~

It leapt three meters in one bound and quickly disappeared.

Watching its desperate quest for snacks, Lin Xiaodou couldn’t help but laugh. The little thing was certainly greedy.

With some leisure, Lin Xiaodou examined the room. It had a large bed, wardrobe, desk—everything one might need. The space was generous, larger even than the old Lin family’s living room. Truly a medical dynasty, to furnish even a servant’s room so lavishly.

Lin Xiaodou didn’t mind staying in the servant room. She had no intention of lingering. Once she’d taught this family a lesson and emptied their valuables, she’d leave—why worry about anything else?

The reason Lin Xiaodou had come of her own accord was because, according to the original plot, the protagonist was also recognized as family within these few days.

In the novel, after running away and breaking her leg, the original character rested for ten days, but was still forcibly married off to the simpleton by her family.

She’d run once and lost confidence to escape again, so she resigned herself. She thought if she behaved and worked hard in the simpleton’s home, nothing bad would happen. But the simpleton was violent and brutish, always tormenting her.

Unable to endure, the original character fought back during a particularly violent encounter. The simpleton stabbed her eye with scissors, leaving her blind in one eye and sent to the hospital.

The surgeon who operated was her biological father, Lin Zhengmin.

Lin Zhengmin was a surgeon at the capital’s top hospital. He’d long suspected the original girl was his biological daughter. Ten days earlier, when she was brought in with a broken leg, he treated her. During the operation, he noticed her blood type was as rare as his—panda blood. This type is uncommon in the country and usually inherited.

Lin Zhengmin grew suspicious. That night, he found an opportunity to get some of Lin Xuefei’s blood and discov