Playing by Her Own Rules

Chu Tianqing quickly came back to her senses and put on an obedient smile. "I understand, brother. I won't do anything like this again. Don't worry."

Shen Heng raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced by his fake sister's words. She had agreed far too readily.

If she were that obedient, she would never have tried to kill herself.

Shen Heng paused, his tone softening a little. "You don't need to worry either. The Shen family won't treat you badly, as long as you behave yourself and stop using Mom. Remember, she's the person who treats you best in the whole world."

Chu Tianqing recalled a few more things, along with the descriptions in the original story, and felt a slight ache in her heart.

He was right. Jiang Youyi really had treated the fake heiress very, very well. After learning she wasn't her biological daughter, she hadn't shown the slightest bit of disdain. Instead, she had paid even more attention to her than before.

But the fake heiress wasn't grateful. She had always relied on Jiang Youyi's affection to stir up trouble, and when the truth finally came out, she had broken Jiang Youyi's heart.

Back when Chu Tianqing had read about the fake heiress getting her comeuppance, she had been thrilled. Anyone who betrayed another person's sincere love deserved to swallow a thousand needles!

Seeing his fake sister spacing out again, Shen Heng was a little puzzled. Could sleeping pills damage someone's brain? Why did she look so silly?

In that case, he couldn't use the threats he had prepared. Shen Heng decided to try a different approach.

He cleared his throat and tried to sound gentler as he made a suggestion. "This was all so unexpected. I understand you can't come to terms with it right away. How about this? I'll find you a place, and you can move out and live there for a while. It'll be better for everyone."

Chu Tianqing blinked. She had barely started to doze off, and Shen Heng had handed her a pillow. He really was her dear big brother!

"You're right, brother. I'll do as you say." Chu Tianqing thought for a moment, then added, "Sorry for the trouble."

Shen Heng smiled without betraying his thoughts. Something was off. She had agreed too readily; she must have other plans.

He hadn't wanted to get involved in any of this in the first place. His father had forced him, so he had no choice but to go through the motions.

If his fake sister argued with him, he could naturally report back to his father that he couldn't handle the matter.

He hadn't expected his fake sister to play by her own rules, successfully sparking his interest.

He had changed his mind. He wanted to see just what this fake sister of his would get up to.

After a few more brief exchanges, Shen Heng stood up and looked down at her. "Then it's settled. I'll have my assistant get in touch with you. He'll take you to see the place."

Chu Tianqing smiled sweetly. "Thank you, brother."

The corners of Shen Heng's mouth twitched, and he turned and walked out of the hospital room.

Chu Tianqing let out a long breath and closed her eyes to rest for a while. Suddenly, she connected this to the plot of the original story.

After discovering that Shen Xixi had taken sleeping pills to kill herself, Jiang Youyi had been so frightened that her blood pressure shot up. She had also been sent to the hospital, so she hadn't been able to stay by the fake heiress's side.

After waking up, the fake heiress must have had an unpleasant conversation with her dear big brother. When her mother didn't come to visit either, it had driven her further down a dark path.

A fake was a fake. If she didn't fight for it, she would lose the wealth and glory she enjoyed, as well as the pride she had possessed since birth.

She would fall from being a princess on high to a maidservant anyone could trample underfoot.

She would rather die than live that kind of life.

Chu Tianqing stared blankly at the ceiling. She actually understood the fake heiress's choice a little.

To be honest, the fake heiress had committed plenty of wrongs and bullied people under the protection of her family's status. If she fell from grace, she would surely face frenzied retaliation.

No, wait!

Chu Tianqing suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. She realized that she would have to pay for all the wrongs the fake heiress had committed!

Why was she so unlucky?!

Forget it. Since she had gotten a second chance at life, she would shoulder the blame.

Besides, as long as she stayed away from the circles of the rich and powerful and had nothing to do with those society ladies, she believed she could lead a peaceful, stable life.

With that thought, Chu Tianqing picked up her phone to see how much money she had and whether it was enough to start her life over.

She unlocked her phone and opened her payment apps, only to find a staggering sum.

There were more than seventy thousand in her Taobao balance. Goodness, that was a whole year's salary at her old job!

She opened WeChat next. There were more than fifty thousand in her wallet. That was no small amount either.

Chu Tianqing couldn't help laughing aloud. Enough, enough. It was more than enough to start a new life.

Although the fake heiress hadn't earned this money herself, and she ought to return it to the Shen family if she had any backbone at all.

But! This money was truly important to her. She would use it for now and find a way to pay it back once she earned some money.

With money in her account, she felt secure and at ease.

Chu Tianqing played on her phone for a while. Seeing that it was past two in the afternoon, she fell asleep out of boredom.

When she woke up, she found a man sitting by her bed.

Chu Tianqing jumped in fright. Her mind raced, and she quickly figured out who he was. Smiling, she said, "Dad, what brings you here?"

"I came to see you." Shen Yunsheng smiled affectionately, looking a little tired. "Your mother... couldn't come. When you're discharged and come home tomorrow, she'll have soup ready for you."

Chu Tianqing understood. Shen Yunsheng was concealing Jiang Youyi's illness. This was surely Jiang Youyi's idea, so the fake heiress wouldn't worry.

Unfortunately, the original fake heiress hadn't appreciated it. She had even made a fuss over it and gone down a darker path.

But that was all right. Chu Tianqing appreciated it.

Chu Tianqing struggled to sit up, and Shen Yunsheng stood to adjust the hospital bed and her pillows.

"Thank you, Dad." Chu Tianqing smiled, then said seriously, "Dad, I was just thinking of discussing this with you. After I'm discharged, I don't want to come home for the time being. Brother said he'd take care of me. It'll be better for all of us if we spend some time apart."

"I heard," Shen Yunsheng said worriedly. "But I still want to hear it from you. Are you willing? Are you really all right with it?"

Chu Tianqing nodded firmly. "Yes, Dad. After walking to the gates of hell and back, I've figured it out. The Shen family doesn't owe me anything for all these years. On the contrary, I should thank you and Mom for raising me. I'll stay with brother for a while as a transition, and then I want to... go back to my biological mother."

In fact, she wasn't going back. It was just an excuse.

How should she put it? The fake heiress's mother was an even bigger weirdo than the fake heiress herself.