CHAPTER 99: I’M BETTER AT TORTURING PEOPLE

Ever since her rebirth, Jing Shu had always been curious about what deep-seated grudge had caused Su Meimei to detest them so much. The issue was, Mrs. Jing had treated Su Meimei with utmost kindness. It turned out they weren’t biological sisters. Su Meimei had known since childhood that she was adopted, leading her to harbor a deep-seated hatred for the family.

When Jing Shu finished speaking, Su Meimei looked at Su Guosheng with equal hatred. "Yes, no matter what, I’m the one who was abandoned! You have a wife and children over there, so you had me pretend to be part of their family just so you could discard me more easily, heh heh..."

"Meimei, Meimei, don’t listen to her nonsense. I risked everything to come see you this time. Well, perhaps this is for the best. You’ve been separated from us for so many years; it’s time to come home. Bring Zhang Hanhan with you, and let’s go back to our hometown. We have resources there—no shortage of electricity or water, and certainly no shortage of food," Su Guosheng said, gently patting Su Meimei. Zhang Hanhan clung to her mother’s side, her eyes brightening at the mention of water and electricity.

Su Meimei scoffed, "Go back? No. Why should I go back? To let Zhang Zhongyong stay with that woman? Will there be a place for me if I return? I don’t want to live at the mercy of others ever again!"

Zhang Hanhan looked disappointed. Su Guosheng, meanwhile, quietly sighed in relief. His risky move had succeeded; otherwise, if she really had gone back with him, how would he handle the ’tigress’ back home?

Seeing her attempts to sow discord effortlessly neutralized by the old man, Jing Shu’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

Originally, Jing Shu thought Su Meimei was her mother’s biological sister. Killing her might have secured Su Meimei a permanent place in her mother’s heart, as the dead are often remembered more fondly and contemplated more deeply than the living. The mere thought of someone like Su Meimei occupying such a place in her mother’s heart disgusted Jing Shu.

Another factor was Su Meimei’s lack of powerful connections. Killing her would be as simple as crushing an ant—someone she could control. For an enemy like this, Jing Shu would typically let her fully experience the horrors of the apocalypse, and then make her suffering even more acute.

But now, in this life, Su Meimei suddenly had a biological father who appeared to wield considerable influence, casually mentioning using connections for promotions and salary increases. Jing Shu felt Su Meimei was slipping from her grasp. It was best to eliminate such unpredictable factors in their infancy to prevent future trouble.

A life-and-death grudge—it must be avenged! The first step was to draw clear boundaries!

"Mom, Uncle, did you hear that? That’s how she has always thought of us. And this Su Guosheng, this supposed ’Second Maternal Grandfather’ figure, isn’t a good person either. He’d abandon his own child for his career. Now that she’s grown, he shows up to claim her. As for Su Meimei, she’s resented you all from the start. We can’t consider people like that family."

Mrs. Jing struggled to calm her emotions. "Ever since they conspired to deceive me, I stopped recognizing her as my sister. Now that the truth is out, she has never considered me family, not even acknowledging the parents who raised her. Our Su Family won’t acknowledge such an ingrate!"

"Right, it’s like we raised an ingrate! Mom and Dad were truly blind! Back when they were so ill, they’d rather forgo their own treatment just to pay your tuition fees, Meimei!" Uncle, trembling, pointed at Su Meimei and wiped away a tear. "Sigh, let’s not dwell on it. Let’s go. From now on, let’s go our separate ways. We’ll have nothing more to do with each other!"

Su Meimei sat on the ground, crying nonstop. "All of you are so insincere! I hate you all!"

Aunt was still in a daze. Su Long, meanwhile, was practically drooling over the garlic shoots on the balcony. Only when they heard it was time to leave did the two of them finally start to head out.

Jing Shu snatched up one of the braised eggs and, holding the jar of pickled vegetables, scoffed, "Giving these to you was a complete waste, no better than feeding them to dogs."

Su Meimei, filled with hatred, pointed at Jing Shu, "This is all your fault! You’re the one who caused all this!"

Watching Jing Shu take back the food she’d brought, Aunt seemed to have a sudden realization. After a moment’s hesitation, she also hurried back. "Since we’re not relatives anymore, I’m taking back this piece of meat you clearly disdain." With that, she dashed off, clutching the pork, already anticipating the wonderful meat dinner she’d have.

Once in the car, Su Long stared longingly at the braised eggs. This time, his wish was granted. Everyone had a few of the braised eggs to tide them over, and Su Long wolfed down four in one go.

"Come over to my place for a bit," Uncle said, trying to comfort Mrs. Jing. It was a shock that would take anyone time to process. Originally, after their parents’ death, she had considered herself to have two sisters. Now, effectively, only one remained.

"Okay."

The car headed towards Uncle’s house in West Mountain. Aunt clutched the pork, internally conflicted. Should she use it to treat them tonight? But oh, how she hated to part with it.

However, Aunt’s dilemma became moot. Halfway to their destination, an unexpected situation arose. Jing Shu’s family abandoned them in the scorching 52-degree Celsius heat. This forced Aunt’s family to walk several kilometers. They nearly collapsed from exhaustion by the time they reached their home, as there were no unlicensed taxis or buses available at that time.

"The meat’s safe for now, but I’m afraid it’ll spoil in this heat," Aunt sighed. It was so much better in the car, with its air conditioning and swiftness.

"Enough, Mom! Didn’t you see the look on Sister Jing Shu’s face? I swear the temperature in the car dropped a few degrees. Sister Jing Shu is terrifying! I wonder what happened," Su Long exclaimed.

"That girl, Jing Shu... she’s becoming harder and harder to figure out," Uncle remarked.

...

"I heard a small villa wiped out over a hundred members of Biri. You really don’t know why, hmm? Yet, the information I have suggests you’re related to the villa’s owners."

"Your residential complex has 129 registered households. Jing Shu’s family occupies the villa. Among the registered homeowners, there’s one named Jing Shanhe. Who is he to you? Let me guess: your mother is Jinglai, and this homeowner is Jing Shanhe. That would make them father and daughter, correct? And him your maternal grandfather?"

"So, what’s your relationship with the villa owner, Jing Shu? How many other people are in the villa? Are there special forces? Men from Biri reported hearing several gunshots. Biri’s leader had a gun; does the villa owner have one as well? But a gun alone couldn’t kill over a hundred people. The only explanation is powerful traps, isn’t it? You really don’t know anything?"

"It’s strange, isn’t it? After such an incident, the other few people in your complex couldn’t provide any meaningful clues. Is it really that mysterious?"

The man blew a stream of air, making his bangs dance. His sharply defined profile conveyed a look of mock helplessness as he produced a red candle. "I hear women value their appearance. What about you?"

Wu You’ai lifted her face, smiling. "Me? I don’t care in the slightest."

"Oh? Then you must be afraid of pain? Perfect. I don’t particularly enjoy disfiguring people anyway. I’m rather skilled at torture, you see—I enjoy watching people writhe in agony. We at Zhetian specialize in this. Are you familiar with Yang Yang from the Armed Police Battalion? He prefers to torture without leaving visible marks. I, however, am quite the opposite."