Meanwhile, inside the cottage.
Two bald, tattooed thugs with dragons and beasts inked on their skin surrounded a girl, grinning menacingly.
"An absolute beauty!"
"Such a treat! Who would have thought this stubborn tenant would be so gorgeous? She's a real catch for the two of us!"
"No! Let me go!" Lin Yunyao pleaded desperately.
Her delicate face was flushed from repeated slaps, with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
She struggled with all her strength, but it was utterly useless!
"Stop resisting! Be good, and we'll let you go once we've had our fun."
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." The two men chuckled with sinister laughter.
Tears sparkled in Lin Yunyao's eyes, streaming down her face.
She knew that escape tonight was likely impossible.
At that moment, her entire body felt cold.
Memories of the hardships she had endured over the years flooded her mind.
She couldn't even afford new clothes, couldn't afford to go to college after being accepted.
She had to scrape by, even to eat.
During the New Year, while others gathered around lavish tables with their families, she would curl up alone on her bed in the cottage, praying for the cold night to pass quickly.
Finally, the family was supposed to be compensated for the demolition of their home!
Lin Yunyao couldn't believe it. The demolition company, taking advantage of her being alone, had set the compensation ridiculously low. When she refused, they sent these two men to assault her.
She couldn't understand—what had she done wrong? She had worked so hard, fought so desperately to live a good life, yet the heavens seemed determined to make her suffer. Perhaps, when her parents passed away eight years ago, she should have left this world with them. Then, at least, she wouldn't have had to endure so much pain.
With these thoughts, Lin Yunyao's strength and spirit finally broke, and despair overwhelmed her. She fainted.
Seeing her faint in fear, the two bald men laughed even more wickedly.
Just then—
"Bang!"
The door of the cottage was kicked open.
Lin Feng burst in like a bolt of lightning!
As his gaze fell upon the scene in front of him, his eyes turned bloodshot. It felt as if his heart had shattered, bleeding profusely with rage.
"Die!!!" Lin Feng roared, unleashing a strike from a distance.
"Boom!"
Before the two men even had a chance to understand what was happening, they were instantly obliterated, reduced to mere clouds of blood mist by Lin Feng's blow!
"Xiao Yao!"
Lin Feng held his unconscious sister tightly in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
He had never expected to return to such a scene!
Seeing the pitifully thin clothes on his sister and the bruises on her swollen face, he felt a heartache beyond words.
After a long while, his emotions finally calmed.
He found a clean set of clothes for his sister, dressed her carefully, and cleaned all traces of blood from the room. Then he sat by her side, silently watching her, as if he could never get enough.
Ten years had passed!
His sister had changed so much, growing from a little girl into a beautiful young woman.
Just then, Lin Yunyao slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing Lin Feng, she immediately scrambled up in fright, her expression wary as she asked,
"Who are you? And those two men—where did they go?"
"I chased them away!" Lin Feng replied softly.
Lin Feng chose not to mention that he had killed those two men. After all, his sister was just an ordinary person; hearing something like that might only frighten her.
At the same time, a complex mix of emotions churned within him.
From her reaction, it was clear that his sister didn't recognize him!
But that was only natural. Ten years ago, she had been just nine years old.
And over these ten years, Lin Feng himself had changed greatly, with his long hair and an aura far removed from the boy he once was.
"They ran away?"
Lin Yunyao gave Lin Feng a doubtful glance.
After a moment's hesitation, she finally whispered,
"Th-thank you…"
Though she expressed her thanks, she still looked cautious, maintaining a safe distance from Lin Feng.
Seeing his sister's guarded demeanor, Lin Feng's heart ached.
It was hard to imagine how she had managed these years without him. And what about their parents? Where had they gone?
"Xiao Yao! Don't you recognize me?"
Lin Feng tried his best to keep his voice calm.
"You are…?"
Lin Yunyao looked up at him in confusion.
This face was worn and melancholic, not conventionally handsome, but with a unique charm if one looked closely. Besides, there was something vaguely familiar about him—like she had seen him somewhere before.
"I'm your brother!" Lin Feng forced a smile onto his face.
"Brother?" Lin Yunyao froze for a moment.
Then, the face buried deep in her memory gradually merged with the one in front of her.
Her body trembled visibly, her eyes turned red, and tears sparkled at the corners, threatening to spill.
"Xiao Yao!" Lin Feng could no longer contain his emotions.
He reached out, intending to gently ruffle her hair as he used to when they were young.
But to his surprise, after a brief moment of daze, she suddenly pushed his hand away.
It was as if she'd transformed into a different person. She rubbed her reddened eyes and said,
"You've got the wrong person. I don't have a brother!"
"Xiao Yao, you…"
Lin Feng was stunned, unable to believe what he was hearing.
He had expected his sister to be overjoyed, to throw herself into his arms like she did when she was a child.
But instead, her expression was one of pure resentment.
"Don't call me Xiao Yao!!!"
"When Mom and Dad passed away, you weren't there. And now, just as the house is about to be demolished, you suddenly come back? Lin Feng, I don't want to think the worst of you, but you've truly disappointed me!"
Lin Feng felt a pang in his heart and quickly asked,
"What… what happened to Mom and Dad? Weren't they in good health?"
"When you left and never came back, they spent everything they had searching for you. In the end, they were hit by a car on the road and… just like that, they were gone."
Lin Yunyao's voice was thick with emotion, a hint of tears audible.
"W-when did it happen?"
"It's been a long, long time… just the second year after you left."
She gave Lin Feng a once-over, then let out a cold laugh.
"Hah… You've been out there, living it up for ten years, and now you come back looking like this? What happened—did Chen Yinuo dump you? Are you homeless now, so you thought of coming back?"
"Lin Feng, you're truly heartless!"
Lin Feng quickly stepped forward, grabbing Lin Yunyao's arm.
"Xiao Yao, please, let me explain. You might not believe this, but these ten years… I was cultivating, learning to become an immortal…"
"Let go of me! I don't want to hear your nonsense!"
"I won't! I'm not letting you go. You're my sister…"
"Lin Feng, don't push me! What, do you want to drive me to death too? Would that make you happy?"
Lin Yunyao's voice turned hysterical, her emotions on the verge of collapse.
"Lin Feng, I will never forgive you! Never! From the moment Mom and Dad passed, I no longer had any family in this world."
"Don't think that just because you saved me, I'll forgive you!"
Hearing these words, Lin Feng felt as if he had been struck by lightning, frozen in place.
He stood there, stunned, as his sister pushed him out the door and then, with a loud "bang," shut it firmly in his face.
...