After exchanging a few more casual words, Lin Fang let Sun Siyuan and Qin Ran go about their business, as she still had matters to discuss with her parents.
Little Yuanyuan initially wanted to stay, but Lin Fang teased him, saying that if he didn’t practice his darts properly, his aunt wouldn’t give him a birthday present. That worked like a charm—Yuanyuan immediately dashed off to the backyard.
Of all the musical instruments, Yuanyuan loved drums the most. His aunt had promised him a drum set for his birthday, and she was always strict about rewards and punishments. If he lost his birthday gift just because he lingered around his pretty sister-in-law, that would be a huge loss.
Laughing as she watched Yuanyuan disappear, Lin Fang turned back to her parents. Lin Yuanmin smiled and asked, “Fang, what would you like to eat? Your mom and I will make it for you.”
“Dad, how did you know it was me?” Lin Fang knew her alternate identity wouldn’t stay hidden from her family forever, but she hadn’t expected to be recognized so quickly.
Dong Huixin chuckled. “Haha, you’re our daughter. No matter how much you pretend, your dad and I will recognize you. But this look of yours is truly beautiful—like a fairy from a painting. It doesn’t even look like makeup; it seems real.”
Lin Fang hadn’t expected this reaction from her parents. Curious, she asked, “I made myself look completely different and pretended to be someone else. Aren’t you two angry?”
Lin Yuanmin laughed. “Why would we be angry? Our Fang always has a reason for what she does. She wouldn’t act recklessly.”
“Go on, what’s the reason this time?” Dong Huixin chimed in.
“Dad, Mom, you’re way too biased. With you two like this, I almost feel bad telling you what I have to say next.” Growing up, hadn’t she caused plenty of mischief? Hearing her parents’ indulgent words, Lin Fang hesitated for a moment.
Dong Huixin smiled. “Just say it. There’s nothing you can’t tell us. Even if you said you were possessed by a ghost, your dad and I wouldn’t even blink.”
Her words shocked Lin Fang, who trembled as she replied, “Dad, Mom… have you noticed something? I really am possessed by a ghost—but I’m still your daughter. Will you let me explain?”
Lin Yuanmin and his wife exchanged glances before sighing. “Fang, just say it. Ever since you woke up from that two-week coma years ago, your mom and I felt you were different. But everything you did still proved you were our daughter. We’ve had doubts all these years, but since you didn’t bring it up, we didn’t ask. Like your mom said, even if you were possessed, you’d still be our beloved daughter.”
Lin Fang burst into tears. “Dad, Mom… I am possessed—but by my own soul, just displaced in time.”
Though they had braced themselves, Lin Yuanmin and Dong Huixin were still startled. Yet they remained composed as Lin Fang explained everything.
“Dad, Mom, the way I look now… this is how I appeared in the other world.”
After Lin Fang finished speaking, her parents fell silent for a long time. Anxiety gnawed at her. She couldn’t remember how she had died, but there was no doubt she had suffered from severe congenital heart disease before her rebirth in the other world. Now, with her parents silent, she wondered if revealing the truth had been a mistake.
Though still processing her story, Lin Yuanmin broke the silence when he saw his daughter’s distress. “So, you’re saying… over a decade from now, you died from heart disease, reincarnated in another world, grew to nearly sixteen there, and then returned to your same-aged self in this world?”
“Ah… in a way, this is good. Your body is healthy now, so your dad and I won’t have to bury you in our old age. But… leaving like that must have devastated your parents in that world.” As fellow parents, Dong Huixin could imagine their grief.
Lin Fang sighed. “They know I returned to this world. That must be some comfort.”
Lin Yuanmin frowned. “How do you know?”
“Uncle Cheng told me.”
“You mean Guicheng? How would he know?” Lin Yuanmin was surprised.
“Because he was my uncle in that world.” Lin Fang had long suspected Lin Guicheng’s true purpose for coming here, but he always deflected with the excuse that “heaven’s secrets must not be revealed.” Still, he had helped her tirelessly over the years, and she couldn’t fathom his motives.
Lin Yuanmin suddenly understood. “No wonder you and your uncle had so much to talk about—you were already family. When he returns from the provincial capital, your mom and I must thank him properly. Without his help, our family wouldn’t have improved so quickly.”
Lin Fang shook her head. “Uncle Cheng won’t be coming back. His daughter followed him here. Her mind is damaged—though she’s my age, she acts like Yuanyuan. The body she possesses belongs to someone well-known in our county. For her sake, he’s left for distant lands.”
Lin Yuanmin sighed. “Tell your uncle that if he ever misses home, he’s welcome back.”
“Mm, I will.” Lin Fang was grateful her parents didn’t press for more details.
Dong Huixin reminded her, “Your parents in that world pampered you for over a decade. Don’t forget them. This New Year, we’ll invite a Bodhisattva statue home. When you have time, talk to it—ask the Bodhisattva to relay your greetings to them.”
“Okay, I will.” Touched, Lin Fang marveled at how her mother, who had never believed in gods, had changed her views for her sake. During New Year fairs, finely carved wooden Bodhisattva statues were sold, and some families would bring one home to worship.
“Dad, Mom, there’s one more thing. Chen Dong also went to that world. Her father treated her well, and she got engaged to my fifth brother. My second grandmother decreed that Lin family daughters couldn’t marry before eighteen. Since Chen Dong turned eighteen this year, she and my brother must be married by now.”
Though her parents smiled, the mood remained somber. Lin Fang shifted the topic to Chen Dong, hoping to lift their spirits. She assumed time here synchronized with the other world, unaware the old monk had meddled with the timeline.
As expected, her parents brightened at the news. Dong Huixin said, “Though a hard life is better than a good death, that child suffered so much. If she found happiness after passing, that’s a blessing.”
“Exactly! And she’ll have me as company.”
Lin Fang shared more amusing stories from the other world before steering the conversation to Fu Hongxia’s interference in the Lin Group’s affairs. As for Guo Hongping’s betrayal, she kept it to herself—there was no need to worry her parents over something she could handle.
Dinner was a family affair with her parents and brother’s family. Afterward, Dong Huixin suggested Lin Fang stay the night. Though tempted, Lin Fang declined—until Fu Hongxia was caught, it was safer for her (a stranger sharing Lin Fang’s name) not to risk staying home, at least for now. She played with Yuanyuan a while longer instead.
The little rascal, exhausted from the day’s antics, soon dozed off.
Back at her apartment, Qin Ran was still reviewing account books. When Lin Fang asked if she’d eaten, Qin Ran said Sun Siyuan had helped and made them noodles for dinner. Lin Fang teased, “Seems Brother Sun treats you well. I’ve heard he only cooks for Uncle Cheng—no one else gets that privilege. Why not take Yuanyuan’s advice and marry him?”
Qin Ran scoffed. “That block of ice? You couldn’t get a word out of him with three strikes. Marrying him would bore me to death.”
“What’s wrong with that? You’re lively, he’s quiet—that’s called complementary personalities. Couples like that last. Besides, with his current wealth, he’s not a bad match for a young lady like you. You’re holding the transfer documents for Uncle Cheng’s assets—you know exactly how much he’s worth.” Lin Fang continued joking. Lin Guicheng still referred to legal documents as “writings,” a habit from the other world, but she adjusted her phrasing for Qin Ran.
“Oh! I almost forgot—these documents just need Sun Siyuan’s signature to take effect.”
As Qin Ran reached for her phone, Lin Fang stopped her. “Hold on. He’s followed Uncle Cheng since childhood, always deferring to him. Suddenly inheriting everything must feel strange. Give him time to adjust.”
Qin Ran was skeptical. “Seriously? Most people would jump at such a windfall. Who needs ‘adjustment time’? That’s just absurd.”
Lin Fang sighed. “You grew up privileged. You can’t understand how an orphan with no known parents would feel.”
“Pfft. You’re younger than me, yet you talk like you know.” Qin Ran returned to the accounts.
Lin Fang picked up another ledger. Soon, Qin Ran giggled softly. When asked why, she said, “These accounts are a mess—full of errors and irregular entries. They can’t even fake books properly.”
Lin Fang laughed too. “I taught Guo Hongping proper bookkeeping, but she thought it was a waste of time. As long as she understood them, that was enough. I could read them too, so I didn’t push it.”
By midnight, hunger struck. Lin Fang pulled dumplings from the fridge, boiling them as they chatted. “Hey, I’m curious—most people are intimidated by Brother Sun’s icy demeanor. Why aren’t you scared of him?”
Qin Ran rolled her eyes. “Him? Ice? My brother’s face is the real eternal iceberg. You wouldn’t believe it, but he wasn’t always like this. He used to be even more outgoing than me—carefree, handsome, charming. With our family’s money, girls flocked to him. He had the time of his life.”
(Note: “万年冰山” is translated as “eternal iceberg” to convey the metaphorical meaning of someone being perpetually cold or unemotional. The rest of the translation maintains the original tone and context.)
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