My death in past life must have caused my brother great pain!
After all, I had been kidnapped by my brother’s enemies. They had suffered great losses at my brother’s hands and, unable to retaliate directly, decided to take out their frustration and seek revenge on me.
In fact, the moment I was captured, I knew how it would end.
The only purpose of these villains was to vent their anger; they didn’t want money, nor did they offer any chance for negotiation.
So, I chose to make a final stand.
As I lay in a pool of blood and closed my eyes, I vaguely saw my brother’s frantic figure rushing towards me. I wanted to tell him that I didn’t blame him and that he shouldn’t blame himself.
But I didn’t get the chance.
"Don’t be sad. She won’t blame you. Trust me, no matter what you did, she would only hope that you are well."
Just like her, she never blamed her brother until her death.
"Because you are her brother."
Lin Fu extended her soft palm and gently covered Mervin’s eyes. At that moment, the man’s heart, tormented in a vortex of pain, slowly found some peace.
Mervin gently closed his eyes, and for the first time in five years, his mind relaxed.
Lin Fu maintained that gesture for what felt like an age. Her arms ached and grew numb, yet she didn’t move.
She protected Mervin just as she would have her own brother.
Carefully, afraid to disturb him.
It wasn’t until the Light Computer flashed that they were jolted awake.
"Thank you," Mervin said, gently removing her hand. His eyes, no longer bloodshot, had regained their clear, captivating look. He gazed at Lin Fu with a tenderness and affection he had never shown before.
"Uh... no, you don’t have to thank me."
Restless, Lin Fu rubbed her sore, stiff wrists under the table and said, "You... you mustn’t start thinking of me as your sister. I am me, and your sister is your sister. Don’t transfer your guilt towards your sister onto me. It’s unfair to both your sister and me."
Mervin chuckled softly. "But you shouldn’t think of me as your brother either, because that would be even more unfair to me."
Caught off guard, Lin Fu felt a little embarrassed.
"You saw right through me." In fact, from the first time she met Mervin, she felt a familiar sense. Mervin gave her an unspoken trust, making her feel safe and willing to confide in him.
"You wouldn’t want to be someone else’s substitute, so why would you make me into yours?" Mervin had also noticed long ago.
But he never said it out loud.
"Alright then! Let’s neither of us treat the other as a substitute."
Lin Fu playfully scrunched up her nose.
Mervin earnestly promised.
Lin Fu, holding her unfinished drink, walked alongside Mervin. They encountered many students, all staring at them in astonishment. Fortunately, both were used to being the focus of attention from a young age and walked freely, unbothered by the gazes.
"By the way, are many of the big families this cruel?" Lin Fu asked curiously.
"I don’t know about other families, but the Fu Family is definitely much crueler," Mervin replied, a hint of a cold smile curling the corner of his mouth. "Whether it’s Star Thieves or desperate criminals, no one dares to kidnap a member of the Fu Family. This reputation has been carved out through the iron-fisted tactics of generations of the Fu Family. The Fu Family never accepts threats. Whoever dares threaten them will die. Even significant hostages are useless; the Fu Family would kill you first and then kill everyone related to you to seek revenge for their clan member. They are willing to let blood flow like rivers, having killed so many that the criminals are simply terrified. Everyone has someone they care about. If they are human, they have weaknesses."