CH 58.2

It was a short distance from the convenience store to Ji Fanyin’s house, but she took her time walking back while enjoying her oden. After she finished her food, she tossed the empty cup into the nearest trash bin.

It was around then that she spotted a car stopped in front of her apartment building. Its interior lights were on, indicating that someone was inside. 

Are they here for me?

Ji Fanyin eyed the car with raised eyebrows. She casually reached into her pocket and took out her warm milk. She twisted its cap and took a huge gulp of it. 

Drinking warm milk in this frosty environment feels amazing.

She decided to ignore the car and head straight into her apartment building. 

However, as she walked by, two individuals rushed out of the car, and one of them hollered, “Stop!”

Ji Fanyin turned around and assessed the two individuals for two seconds. She was able to recognize them much faster this time around. 

It’s Father Ji and Mother Ji. 

It looks like I’ve underestimated Ji Xinxin. I never thought that she would dish out this set of lousy cards first. I can’t even put my trump card, Li Xiaoxing, to use here. 

Oh well, it’s no biggie. I just need to dish out a few face slaps and send them packing.

“You have business with me?” Ji Fanyin asked nonchalantly with her warm milk in hand. “Who told you I was living here?”

Security in minor residential areas like the one she was living in was practically just for show. It wasn’t that surprising that they would allow outsiders like Father Ji and Mother Ji in. 

The real issue here was how the two of them managed to get hold of her address. 

Furthermore, it was nearly 1 A.M. by now. The two of them wouldn’t camp here till this ungodly hour if they weren’t up to something. 

“It was your delivery address,” replied Mother Ji with a slight frown. “We only found out about it recently. We happened to pass by the area today, so we came over to see how you’re doing.”

With a hand in her pocket and the other grabbing a milk bottle, Ji Fanyin tilted her head and replied, “As you can see, my limbs are intact. What else do you want?” 

Father Ji and Mother Ji were known to be a foolish duo. To be more exact, they were just… ordinary people. 

They got greedy over the littlest things. They fooled others and got fooled by others. Mistakes that other humans would commit, they were fallible to them too. 

Even though Ji Fanyin had hardly looked through ‘her’ memories, she knew that those two had believed at least 70 to 80% of Ji Xinxin’s lies. By the time Ji Xinxin was recovering from her illness, she already knew how important it was to secure her parents’ support and authority. 

She told ‘Ji Fanyin’ that sisters should share everything, including their accomplishments, only to turn around and ‘share’ those accomplishments ahead of ‘Ji Fanyin’, leading everyone to think that she was the talented one of the two sisters. 

Similar to the fable of ‘The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountain’, she started her deed from the seemingly smallest things. 

Ji Xinxin didn’t just abruptly rise to prominence in her social circles. These were all the fruits of the relationships she had carefully managed over the course of many years.

When Father Ji’s business started declining in recent years, she tapped into her connection of fishes to help him out. This further elevated her standing in the Ji Family. 

It eventually came to a point where no one remembered the amazing talent ‘Ji Fanyin’ displayed in her younger years. Even if they did have an impression of it, their evaluation of her was probably something like ‘That child wasn’t fond of speaking in her younger years, but she seemed to be pretty smart back then. Ahh, but those who are smart as children don’t necessarily remain smart as adults…’ or ‘Probably just another Fang Zhongyong, I reckon’.

‘Ji Fanyin’ was simply too sensitive and thought too much into things. That was why she lost to Ji Xinxin. This was a common problem amongst prodigies. 

Even a random passer-by grabbed off the street could easily name talented actors, singers, and artists who eventually fell into depression and committed suicide. 

“Yinyin, won’t you come home with us?” asked Mother Ji. She glanced at her husband before continuing on, “The apartment houses are small and stifling. You’ll feel much more comfortable at home, and there’ll be maids to help you clean up too. Come home with us, alright?”

“I refuse,” replied Ji Fanyin. She tilted her head quizzically and asked, “I don’t think that either of you have paid me any heed when I left. For the two of you to be suddenly calling me back, you must have finally discovered a use for me.”

“You aren’t young anymore. It’s time for you to get married,” grumbled Father Ji with a darkened face. He was perfectly playing the role of the bad cop. “I’ve already chosen the ideal husband for you. Stop hanging out with whatever rotten company you’re associating yourself with and return home!”

“Why don’t you ask Ji Xinxin instead? She looks much more interested in marriage,” asked Ji Fanyin curiously.

“Do you think that the two of you are the same?” roared Father Ji. “You have always bullied your younger sister even when the two of you were still children. You stole her stuff and made her fall ill. She always pleaded with us not to tell you, but you refused to learn your lesson. You owe it to her!”

Ji Fanyin calmly listened to his words as she took a sip of milk.

I see.

There were no such memories in ‘Ji Fanyin’s’ mind. Ji Xinxin had been feeding lies to Father Ji and Mother Ji before coaxing them to keep it a secret. This way, she could secretly worsen their impression of ‘Ji Fanyin’.

Those who were terrible at words and observing the atmosphere tended to be vulnerable against such petty tricks. 

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In a story written by a politician and author in Southern Song, Fang Zhongyong was an incredibly smart child dubbed to be a ‘child prodigy’ in his town. However, his father refused to allow him to go to school, saying that he was already smart and didn’t learn, so he ended up growing up to become an average person.