"Take a week off from school to reflect. Do you hear me?" Jian Yuncheng continued, his authoritative tone more commanding than their father's.
Jian Yiling nodded in agreement, determined. A few days of rest at home would be beneficial for her.
In the original story, Jian Yuncheng had treated Jian Yiling with the same severity during this incident.
He wasn't disowning his sister; on the contrary, it was precisely because she was his sister that he put in the effort to be strict. He hoped she would correct her mistakes and improve.
As an older brother, Jian Yuncheng truly cherished his little sister.
His high expectations for her were what made him so harsh.
However, Jian Yiling failed to perceive her brother's good intentions. Instead, his attitude pushed them further apart, creating a rift in their relationship.
Both siblings were unwilling to openly express their true feelings; one was reserved, and the other rebellious.
Neither would back down, leading to misunderstandings and mutual resentment.
Ultimately, Jian Yuncheng inadvertently lost his sister, transferring his feelings for her onto the more mature and understanding female lead, Mo Shiyun, whom he later helped significantly.
Upon returning home, Jian Shuxing and Jian Yuncheng had matters to attend to, so they each retreated to their rooms.
Jian Yiling didn't head straight to her room; instead, she went to her second brother's study to find a microscope.
Each child in the Jian family had their own study, and the second brother was currently studying biology outside.
When he was home, he had set up a small lab for convenient research, which included several microscopes.
Among them was a medical optical microscope, a valuable piece of equipment that an ordinary family wouldn't typically possess.
Though it was still somewhat different from the instruments used for formal surgery, it was more than sufficient for Jian Yiling to practice with.
Since moving the microscope was cumbersome, she opted to stay in her second brother's lab for her practice sessions.
Her first experimental tool was an egg from the kitchen, on which she practiced suturing the thin membrane on the egg's surface.
After ruining a few eggs, she snuck into the kitchen again to grab a pig's trotter for further experimentation.
In addition to spending time in her brother's study, Jian Yiling also began to spend more time online, typing furiously at the keyboard, appearing busy and engrossed.
While Jian Yiling was focused on her tasks, a special visitor arrived at the Jian family home: seventeen-year-old Qin Chuan.
He was the male lead from the original story.
In the book, the male lead's mother was the first love of a prominent family's current head. She discovered she was pregnant only after breaking up with his father.
She later gave birth to the male lead and raised him alone, facing numerous hardships. However, he was determined and managed to carve out a path for himself.
At this point, Qin Chuan was unaware that he was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family, nor did he know he would eventually become the head of the most powerful family in the capital.
His presence in the Jian home was due to a lucrative job he had secured through Jian Yuncheng, which would help him with his tuition fees.
This job involved being Jian Yiling's private tutor, supplementing her studies while also teaching her to "reform and return to the right path."
In the original story, Qin Chuan became Jian Yiling's tutor.
With his outstanding appearance and patient demeanor, he was a ray of light in Jian Yiling's life, especially during a time when she felt distrust from her family and betrayal from the world around her.
As she glanced at the doorway, Jian Yiling felt a mix of apprehension and hope. Could this be the beginning of a change in her life?
Would she be able to learn from him, not only academically but also emotionally?
She took a deep breath, preparing herself for this new chapter with a tutor who might just be the catalyst she needed to navigate her complicated family dynamics.