Chapter 2: Born Again, Joe Shadow

Chapter 2

Yun Cheng.

The shabby ward in the affiliated hospital.

"My daughter got a concussion from the fall, and your school is only willing to pay this little amount of money to get rid of us? What if she has after-effects and becomes an idiot who can't study anymore? Her life would be ruined! Who's going to take responsibility for this? I'm telling you, if I don't get at least 100,000-80,000 yuan today, I'm going to the police station. I'll make sure everyone knows how your school handles things and ruin your reputation!"

"Mrs. Qiao, please be reasonable. Your daughter isn't a preschooler that needs constant supervision from teachers. Besides, she fell down the stairs because she's too fat. She has only herself to blame. It's already very generous of the school to cover half of her medical expenses."

"Qiao Ying usually doesn't behave well in school either. Her grades are terrible and she doesn't strive to improve. Not to mention she distracts other students from learning. Her classmates have complained to me about this multiple times. Just a few days ago, she was even dating a male classmate and bringing him breakfast. This severely damages the school's moral standards. The boy's parents have already come to me to complain."

Li Lilian put her hands on her hips with the stance of a shrew: "You're just trying to get out of paying money, aren't you?"

The few quarreled until their faces were red.

Suddenly, a cold voice snapped: "All of you shut up!"

Li Lilian, Mr. Qiao, the head teacher, and the principal simultaneously went silent and looked towards the chubby girl lying in the hospital bed.

Qiao Ying pressed a hand to her aching temples as she sat up from the bed. The thin mattress let out a tortured creak under her weight.

Sharp pain radiated from the back of her head throughout her body, causing her to frown. Then, she seemed to sense something. Her movement of massaging her temples froze abruptly. In the next moment, her eyes flung wide open.

She didn't die?

Qiao Ying quickly scanned the hospital room, her gaze landing on the four ordinary-looking people standing at the foot of her bed.

"Who are you people?"

The moment she spoke, Qiao Ying's eyes froze over. That wasn't her voice. She immediately touched her throat, only then noticing the fat arm she had raised.

This time, she deeply furrowed her brows.

What was going on here?

The girl's question left the four people dumbfounded.

Li Lilian immediately threw herself at the teachers, yelling and making a scene: "Look what's become of my daughter! And your school only wants to pay some medical fees? You're basically inhuman! Heartless jerks!"

The bespectacled head teacher in his forties also panicked a little: "Calm down, Mrs. Qiao."

"Xiao Ying, I'm your dad. Don't you recognize me?"

"Qiao, don't try to scare your teacher. Is your mind not clear yet? Take a good look at who we are."

But the girl just kept staring at her own fat arm.

Just then, the TV news anchor reported: "A massive explosion occurred on a remote island in Southeast Asia this morning at 7:10 AM..."

Qiao Ying looked towards the TV screen.

Before she could react, a segment of foreign memories suddenly poured into her mind like a flood. She grimaced in pain.

Li Lilian was still loudly arguing with the head teacher about money. Mr. Qiao and the principal kept asking Qiao Ying if she was okay in worried voices beside her.

"Hurry up and get changed so we can go home. The school only compensated a tiny amount. We don't have money for you to be hospitalized."

Li Lilian threw the clothes she'd brought at Qiao Ying while complaining nonstop about the paltry sum they were paid.

Qiao Ying's eyes turned icy as she sat motionless on the hospital bed.

"Hurry up! What are you dazed for? I still have work soon. If I'm late and they dock my pay, you'll have to cover it for me!"

Money-grubbing words spewed from her mouth.

Considering she had taken over Qiao Ying's body after all, Qiao Ying endured this mean spirited biological mother.

Once they left the hospital, Li Lilian abandoned her, giving her a couple dollars for bus fare and shoving the house keys in her hand before rushing off to work herself.

With the original host's memories as guidance, Qiao Ying found her way back to this body's home.

The original host's family lived in an urban village slum area. Before even entering the dilapidated housing complex, she encountered a boy with refined features.

He wore a blue and white school uniform and seemed full of youthful spirit, though a bit skinny and quiet.

Although Li Lilian was nasty, she was beautiful, leading to her haughty personality unwilling to accept mediocrity.

This boy had nicely inherited Li Lilian's genes in terms of looks.

Seeing her, the boy paused briefly at first, then glanced at the bandage wrapped around her head.

Qiao Ying also cast an appraising look his way.

Perhaps the old Qiao Ying was accustomed to being meek and avoiding eye contact, so her bold gaze made the boy frown in surprise.

The boy walked towards her. Qiao Ying noticed he limped slightly when he walked.

Qiao Yi didn't say anything to her, but as he passed by, he shoved what was in his hand at her - a steamed bun. Then he headed off to school with his book bag on his back.

This cheap younger brother didn't seem to have inherited his mother's nasty personality.

A concussion was no small matter. The doctor absolutely did not approve of Qiao Ying being discharged, but the penny-pinching Li Lilian could not be stopped. Thus, after Qiao Ying got home, she didn't do anything except go to bed and sleep.

She slept until night fell.

"You fat pig, no wonder you were born a swine. All you do is eat and sleep all day. Why didn't you die falling down?"

Qiao Ying opened her eyes to see Qiao Lingling standing at her bedside, looking at her with utter disgust and contempt.

"What are you looking at? Get up and come eat since you're awake. You need someone to call you even for meals. You're more useless than a cripple!" After speaking, Qiao Lingling immediately stormed off, unwilling to stay in her room a second longer.

In terms of looks and personality, she was truly cast from the same mold as Li Lilian.

Qiao Ying sat up, feeling something was quite wrong with this whole family.

Especially this younger sister of hers, Qiao Lingling. Having inherited the original host's memories, Qiao Ying understood very well just how much bullying the original host suffered under this "wonderful" sister.

Young in years yet cruel in heart, she really deserved a good beating!