Chapter One
I am the true heiress who was just found by the richest man in town.
As soon as I stepped inside, my parents offered me two rooms to choose from. One was a spacious suite, while the other was a small, unremarkable single room. The suite was decorated in a charming French country style, complete with a walk-in closet, a makeup area, a bathroom, and a large terrace. In contrast, the small room next door was not only cramped but also furnished like a maid’s quarters.
Looking at the two rooms-one lavish and the other plain-I couldn’t help but question their intentions. “Is this some kind of emotional intelligence test?”
“What do you mean?” The Tang family clearly didn’t understand my point.
“Do you really think these two rooms are comparable? It’s obvious to anyone with a brain which one is better. But this beautifully decorated room has clearly been lived in before, so it must not have been prepared specifically for me.”
I stepped into the luxurious suite, examining every detail before turning back to face them. “Based on the decor and furnishings, it’s clear that a young girl used to live here.”
My gaze shifted past Mr. and Mrs. Tang and landed squarely on Mandy. I calmly stated, “If I’m not mistaken, Mandy used to live in this room, right? So, don’t you think your actions are a bit confusing? If you genuinely wanted to give me this room, you could have redecorated it and made it comfortable for me to settle in without any awkwardness. But instead, you just moved out the previous owner’s belongings. Are you hoping I’ll see that you prefer Mandy and choose the lesser room for myself?”
After I finished speaking, the expressions on their faces varied widely. Jack, my younger brother who had just been arguing with me, looked at our parents with wide, innocent eyes and asked, “Mom, Dad, is that really what you mean?”
Mr. and Mrs. Tang exchanged uncomfortable glances and scolded him, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Mandy, who had been hiding behind them, timidly stepped forward. “It’s not Mom and Dad’s fault. I wanted to give the room to my sister.”
“Oh? Really?” I raised an eyebrow, seeking confirmation.
Mandy blinked her big eyes and bit her lip as she replied, “Really.”
“Are you sure this is your decision and entirely your own will?”
She nodded firmly. “Yes.”
I looked at her, amused. “You won’t regret giving it to me, will you?”
Her voice trembled, and her expression turned pitiful. “No, but…”
I cut her off, turning to Mr. and Mrs. Tang. “And what about you? Are you sure you agree to give me this room? You won’t later claim that I bullied Mandy and stole her things, will you?”
Mr. and Mrs. Tang could only respond with a single answer: “No, we won’t.”
“Good.” I pushed my suitcase into the room. “Then this will be my room from now on.”
The Tang family’s expressions instantly became incredibly complicated. Mandy even started to
cry.
Mrs. Tang, seeing this, looked heartbroken and said, “Lin, Mandy is used to this room…”
But I didn’t give her a chance to elaborate. I simply said, “I’m a bit tired from the trip today. If there’s nothing else, I’d like to rest for a while.”
The Tang family could only leave the room, looking as if they had just swallowed a fly. Only Jack stood there, looking dazed.
“Are you not leaving? What, do you want to help your only sister get her room back?” I crossed my arms and calmly observed his face, which bore a striking resemblance to mine.
Hearing my words, Mandy, who had just stepped out of the room, paused and turned to look at Jack expectantly. But Jack merely scratched his head, looking confused as he glanced around. “Uh, is that it?”
I realized he was simply too slow to process what had just happened. It seemed he was genuinely clueless, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
But Jack must have imagined something else, as he suddenly jumped up, shouting, “You wicked woman! I know what you’re thinking! You’re trying to sow discord between me and Mandy, saying she’s just pretending!”
“But Mandy is not the malicious schemer you think she is. She genuinely wants to give you the room! Stop projecting your dirty thoughts onto her!”
I glanced at Mandy, who was now pale from Jack’s accusations, and casually replied, “Oh yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.” Then I kicked him out of the room.
At dinner time, as I entered the dining room, I heard the eldest Tang brother, Zach, complaining about the situation.
“Mom, Dad, how could you give Mandy’s room to someone else? You know she’s always been particular about her sleeping arrangements. How can she sleep in a different place?”
Just then, he noticed me walking into the dining room and immediately frowned, his expression dripping with disdain. “Coming back just to steal a room? How low can you go?”
With their own son criticizing me, Mr. and Mrs. Tang’s faces darkened, and their gazes toward me were filled with discontent, as if blaming me for everything that was happening.
Only Jack, in his usual naive manner, was still trying to explain, “Bro, it was Mandy who wanted to give it up!”
Zach, furious, was momentarily speechless. Seeing this, Mandy hurried over and tugged at Zach’s sleeve. “Brother, don’t say that. This was always Lin’s room.”
Despite her words, her expression was filled with grievance. Zach patted her hand in comfort before turning to me with a cold expression. “Mandy’s willingness to give up her room shows her kindness, but you should understand that she’s not used to sleeping in other rooms. After dinner, you should move out and choose another room.”
I ignored him and turned to Mr. and Mrs. Tang. “What about you? Do you think the same way?”
Mr. Tang pressed his lips together, remaining silent. Mrs. Tang hesitated before speaking up, “Lin, your brother has a point. Mandy really has always been particular about her sleeping arrangements.”
“But I don’t want to move,” I replied calmly, pulling out a chair to sit down. “Moreover, I don’t think Zach’s argument holds any weight.”
I took out a voice recorder from my pocket, placed it on the dining table, and pressed play.
The conversation from earlier that afternoon, when we were choosing rooms, echoed clearly in the dining room.
After the recording finished, Zach’s earlier bravado had vanished. But I didn’t let him off the hook. I locked eyes with him and said, “I’m already sixteen years old. Since Mandy and I were switched at birth, our birthdays can’t be too far apart. At sixteen, if I have any income, I am legally considered fully capable of civil conduct. Before moving in, I confirmed with her multiple times that it was her own will. She repeatedly said ‘yes,’ and only then did I move in. So, I don’t see anything wrong with my actions.”
Zach still tried to argue, “Can’t you see that Mandy isn’t willing? She just…”
“She just wants to draw attention from the family, alleviate her guilt, or perhaps she feels pressured by her identity and wants to prove herself.” I interrupted. “But regardless of the reason,
1:18 PM Wed 20 Aug
people must take responsibility for their words.”
I turned to Mandy. “Isn’t that right, little sister?”
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“And you, my brother.” My gaze returned to Zach. “I don’t know how much you know about me, but I know about you. You’ve always excelled in your studies, and although you haven’t graduated yet, you’ve already started working on core projects for the Tang family. So, I don’t believe you lack the intelligence to understand the full picture and discern right from wrong.”
As I spoke, I instinctively glanced at Jack, who looked like his brain was about to explode.
“Regardless of whether your accusations stem from genuine concern or favoritism toward Mandy, I think you should apologize to me. Because the fact remains that you unjustly accused me of stealing Mandy’s room.”
My words made Zach’s face turn a shade darker.
“Lin, your brother just doesn’t understand the situation. You really don’t need to demand an apology,” Mrs. Tang interjected, trying to smooth things over.
But I kept my gaze fixed on Zach until Mr. Tang slammed his hand on the table in frustration. “Enough! Can’t you all just settle down? Must you turn our home into a battleground?”
The Tang family immediately fell silent, and Jack even shrank back, looking frightened. But I simply closed my eyes and sighed in disappointment.
Putting away the voice recorder, I stood up, went upstairs to grab my suitcase, and headed for the door of the Tang villa.
Mrs. Tang rushed over and grabbed my suitcase, her tone laced with reproach. “It’s so late, and you don’t have any other family. Where can you possibly go? Is this really worth it?”
