Chapter 2 — The Day I Left Home

You scared us to death!

The only person your mother and I truly love is you!

My parents and Chen Da-wei were all crowded around River Moon, utterly oblivious to the blood still dripping from my arm.

Big Sister, your arm is bleeding! We have to get to the hospital right now!

Wen-xuan pulled my aunt along, insisting we rush to the clinic. In the back of the car, he apologized over and over again.

Big Sister, I never imagined River Moon would actually lose her mind like that and hurt you. I am so sorry.

He was the only person in this entire household who still remembered my real name. I gently told him I did not blame him. River Moon had done it on purpose; she was not crazy at all. She merely wanted to use this theatrical madness to drive me out of the house. Yet I kept the truth to myself. Speaking up was pointless when no one was ever willing to believe me. It was not until my wound was bandaged and I finally left the hospital that my phone chimed with three new text messages. The first came from my mother.

Once you get home, do not say a word. Lin-lin cannot handle any more emotional stress.

The second message was from my father.

Do not hold today against Lin-lin.

And the final one was from Chen Da-wei.

Seeing Lin-lin driven to madness because of you, are you happy now?

Not a single soul cared about my injury. I carried the small plastic bag of prescribed medication back home. Pushing open the door to the attic, I found my suitcase unzipped and discarded on the floor, my belongings tossed about in disarray. All of my personal documents and identification papers were entirely gone. Chen Da-wei spoke with an infuriating, casual indifference.

Lin-lin does not permit anything bearing your name to exist in this house.

To comfort her, I threw them all away right in front of her eyes.

Have you lost your mind?

I could no longer contain myself, screaming at Chen Da-wei at the top of my lungs. Where did you throw them?

Without those documents, I would be utterly unable to report to the research institute. If I had to wait for replacements, I would miss the strict application deadline entirely. Hearing the commotion, my parents walked to the top of the stairs, lowering their voices to scold me harshly.

Keep your voice down. Lin-lin is resting in her room and does not wish to hear you shouting.

My entire body trembled as I fought desperately to keep my emotions in check, yet hot tears still streamed down my face.

Chen Da-wei, where did you throw my things?

Da-wei had never seen me lose control like this before, and a flicker of genuine panic crossed his features.

In the large garbage bins by the front gate of the complex. Please do not cry; at worst, I will go with you tomorrow to get the paperwork reissued...

Before he could even finish his sentence, I shoved him aside and bolted out of the apartment. I ran barefoot toward the communal dumpster area near the entrance. The stifling summer heat and the sickening stench of rotting refuse made me retch violently. Twelve massive bins overflowed with waste, and I forced myself to dig through every single one of them. Halfway through, a security guard rushed over, brandishing a heavy wooden baton to drive me away.

What kind of beggar are you? Rummaging through the trash like this, who is supposed to clean up this mess?

Through my tears, I begged him with every ounce of breath I had.

My documents were mistakenly thrown away by my family. I have to find them.

The bandages on my arm tore open under the strain, and fresh blood dripped down my elbow to stain the concrete. I had no idea how long I searched, but finally, buried deep within a black plastic bag, my papers emerged. I pulled them out, gently wiping away the filth from each sheet. Covered in grime and still barefoot, I walked back toward the building. Jagged stones sliced into the soles of my feet, leaving a trail of bloody footprints on the pavement. I raised a trembling hand to punch the password into the door lock. The harsh electronic chime of incorrect password echoed ominously down the hallway. My mother’s muffled voice drifted through the thick wooden door.

Your father and I have discussed it. You should move out and stay somewhere else for a while. Once Lin-lin’s condition improves, you can come back.

A plain white envelope was shoved underneath the crack at the bottom of the door. Her voice dropped even lower.

I was afraid Lin-lin might see a bank transfer, so take this cash and use it for now.

I drew a long, ragged breath.

What about my luggage...

Before I could finish, the door swung open just enough to shove the suitcase I had packed long ago out onto the landing. The door slammed shut immediately afterward. In that fleeting second before the lock clicked, I caught her expression of utter disdain and the instinctive gesture of her hand blocking her nose. Silence settled over the corridor once more. This time, I did not shed a single tear. My tears had never once carried more weight than River Moon’s passing moods. I did not touch the envelope lying on the floor. Instead, I picked up the phone resting atop my suitcase and changed my flight from tomorrow night to tonight. I stopped at a public bathhouse to clean the grime from my skin, then dragged my suitcase straight toward the airport. Before powering down my phone, a new notification flashed in our family group chat. River Moon had posted a cheerful photograph of herself celebrating with my parents and Chen Da-wei at an upscale restaurant. In the center of the table sat an exquisitely crafted birthday cake, adorned with frosting that read: Happy birthday to Princess Lin-lin. Today was my birthday as well. Yet ever since River Moon had returned to this household, I was no longer permitted to share a birthday celebration with her. Inside the chat, my parents and Da-wei showered her with digital red envelopes filled with money. The very next second, Chen Da-wei sent a private red envelope to me as well, accompanied by a single short message.

Why don't you just change your name? After all, your name originally belonged to Lin-lin anyway.

I left the message unread. I tapped the screen to exit the family group chat, then systematically blocked every single one of them before powering off my phone. Staring at the system notification that River Spring had left the chat, my parents showed not a flicker of reaction. River Moon’s lips curled into a triumphant smile as she returned to her meal with even greater delight. Confused, Chen Da-wei sent a single question mark to River Spring, intending to demand why she was acting out and leaving the chat unprovoked, only to be greeted by an automated prompt informing him that he had been blocked.