Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

The crystal chandelier in the luxurious living room emitted a cold yet dazzling light, clearly illuminating the tear tracks on Yin Mingyue's face.

She covered her mouth tightly, her slender shoulders trembling slightly, like a butterfly with wings soaked by a downpour.

The suppressed sobs in her throat were broken and fragmented, and hot tears fell in a stream, splashing onto the cold marble floor and leaving a small dark stain.

She loved this man so much.

She loved him so much that she could ignore his increasingly cold-heartedness, and she could force herself not to delve into the figures that came and went around him... This was true for Miss Qian, and also for Sisi, who had been by his side for four or five years... Xu Siqi was the same!

“Sifei Media…Sifei…” Yin Mingyue murmured, repeating the name, her heart feeling as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.

"Sisi...is that you? I should have known...did you choose to immigrate overseas to avoid me?"

She should have realized long ago that being "sent by the group headquarters to an overseas branch to be in charge of an important project" was nothing but a respectable lie.

Xu Siqi, that gentle yet resilient girl, is one of the few true confidantes of her older sister, Yin Mingzhu.

She graduated from Beijing University and was the daughter of a high-ranking official. She should have had a bright future, but for Lu Yang, she resolutely gave up her secure job and willingly became his secretary, a position she held for four or five years.

Mingyue remembered the undisguised admiration in Lu Yang's eyes when she looked at him, and she also remembered the unwavering respect and sense of propriety Lu Yang showed her.

Mingyue once naively thought that Sisi was different, and that she understood where the boundaries lay.

But now... Sifei Media!

Sisi ultimately became a hidden footnote in Lu Yang's vast empire, just like the one in the Qian family.

"Waaah..." Yin Mingyue could no longer hold back, a deeper sadness and sense of betrayal surged up, and more tears blurred her vision.

She recalled her trip to Hangzhou, on that stormy evening when her sister Mingzhu leaned against the doorframe, her face pale but with a knowing, cold smile, and called out to her, "Don't you know that this man has other women outside?"

Those words were like a thunderclap, shattering the carefully constructed facade of calm she had created.

So my sister knew all along... my sister always knew!

"It's her...it really is her..."

Sisi, the girl who used to gently call her "Sister Mingyue," the girl who would go shopping with her older sister Mingzhu, have afternoon tea, and pick out birthday gifts for her... has she now become the sharpest knife for Lu Yang to take revenge on his older sister?
"Sisi, aren't you my sister's good friend?"
You two were so close back then, why are you now at odds with each other?
Is it because...you want to help him get revenge?

She could find no other reason than this deep-seated, clearly targeted revenge.

Back then, my sister personally tore up the engagement, shattering Lu Yang's self-esteem.

As her sister's close friend, Sisi also has deep feelings for Lu Yang because she understands all too well the pain her sister has caused him.

Now that she stands by Lu Yang's side and has become part of his vast empire, she naturally becomes involved in the attacks against her sister.

Sifei Media could not possibly be unrelated to her husband who just went upstairs.

But what could she do?
"I can't cry... I can't let him see it..." Yin Mingyue forcefully wiped away the tears on her face, took a deep breath, and forced herself to straighten her back.

Family comes first. As long as this family exists, as long as Brother Lu Yang still needs her as "Mrs. Lu" to maintain appearances, and as long as he doesn't let other women destroy her family... she can tolerate anything else.

Even after the tears have dried, life goes on.

A few days later, at Shanghai International Airport.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the leaden-gray sky felt oppressive and suffocating.

Yin Mingyue walked out of the VIP passage surrounded by a group of assistants and bodyguards.

She wore a well-tailored, understatedly luxurious off-white cashmere suit, with a silk scarf around her neck symbolizing the mistress of the Century Group. Her makeup was exquisite, and her expression was gentle and calm, showing no trace of the vulnerability she had displayed just a few days earlier when she wept alone at home in Shenzhen.

This time, her identity is completely different.

She was no longer Ma Xiulan's youngest daughter, who secretly returned to visit her mother, hoping for reconciliation between sisters and between mother and daughter. Instead, she came to "visit" on behalf of Lu Yang and the Century Group, conveying some subtle signal.

The news had obviously already spread.

Outside the terminal, cameras from several financial media outlets were already pointed at her.

Yin Mingyue nodded slightly, maintaining a polite smile, and quickly walked towards the black Bentley that was already waiting outside, escorted by bodyguards.

Ma Xiulan indeed came in person.

She stood beside the car, wearing a rather plain dark coat, her face showing obvious signs of exhaustion and anxiety.

Seeing her youngest daughter surrounded by a group of elites, a complex light flashed in her eyes. She was gratified that her youngest daughter's position was secure, but she was also hurt that she had ultimately kept it a secret from her eldest daughter and needed this youngest daughter's help.

"Mom." Yin Mingyue quickly stepped forward and gently hugged her mother.

She could feel her mother's stiffness and her deliberate caution.

“Mingyue, it’s good that you’re here, it’s good that you’re here…” Ma Xiulan’s voice was a little hoarse. She straightened her back only after her gaze swept over the cameras not far away.

"Sister... how is she?" Mingyue asked in a low voice.

Ma Xiulan's expression instantly darkened, tears welled up in her eyes, and she shook her head, her voice choked with sobs: "Still the same... I don't want to talk, I don't want to see anyone... Yu Li said that she woke up in the middle of the night several times with a frighteningly empty look in her eyes..."

She paused, glancing cautiously at her youngest daughter's calm face, then quickly lowered her head, her tone almost pleading: "Mingyue, this time... Mom will listen to Yu Li and won't take you home or to the hospital to see your sister. Yu Li said that would be too much of a shock to your sister... Let's go... let's go to your sister's company first, okay?"

Yin Mingyue's heart sank suddenly.

As expected, Brother Lu Yang was right again.

He knew his sister too well; he knew her morbid pride and her deep-seated resistance to herself and Lu Yang.

My sister is in a state where she absolutely does not want to see her right now.

"Okay, I'll do as Assistant Yu says. Let's go to the company first." Mingyue nodded, her tone gentle and obedient, as if all of this was the proper thing to do.

She showed no objection and obediently followed her mother into the business vehicle sent by Mingzhu Media.

The Bentley, a symbol of status, followed discreetly behind.

Mingzhu Media.

The once vibrant and ambitious office area is now permeated with an indescribable atmosphere of depression.

Although the windows were bright and clean, and the employees seemed to be busy, an invisible sense of oppression and anxiety hung in the air. Ma Xiulan forced herself to be energetic and personally acted as a "tour guide," leading Yin Mingyue on a tour of the company.

She tried to make her voice sound steady and confident as she pointed to each department and explained the situation:

"Mingyue, look, this is the marketing department... Although things are a bit difficult right now, the core team is still here..."

"This is the artist management department... Yu Li is very capable; she's secured contracts for several key artists..."

"...This is our newly integrated digital marketing center. It represents a significant investment, and its prospects are promising..."

Yin Mingyue listened attentively, a gentle yet distant smile always on her face, her gaze calmly sweeping over the faces of the employees, some curious, some worried, and some slightly scrutinizing.

She was very clear about her role: a symbol of harmony, a "proof of reconciliation" to be shown to everyone.

As they moved, their whispers, like pebbles thrown into stagnant water, stirred up uncontrollable ripples, clearly reaching Mingyue's ears:

"Look, look! It really is President Yin's sister! They're practically identical, with such a wonderful aura..."

"Nonsense, she's the mistress of the Century Group! I heard she's worth billions..."

"Is it because of her? I heard the two sisters had a falling out, and that's why her husband, President Lu, went after our company so badly? It caused several of our projects to fail..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't want to work here anymore? But... was President Yin's recent illness also due to too much pressure from his own sister and brother-in-law?"

"I think so! Look how strong-willed our CEO Yin is..."

"Oh, this is great! My sister came in person, and Mr. Ma introduced her so ostentatiously... Does this mean that Century Group is about to give in?"

"I hope so! Otherwise, we really won't be able to make ends meet... So many projects have fallen through, and if this continues, I don't even know if we'll be able to pay salaries next month..."

"Shh! Stop talking! It's coming, it's coming..."

These discussions, whether clear or vague, direct or subtle, are like tiny needles, constantly piercing the soft heart of the bright moon.

She could clearly sense the underlying hostility and accusation in those words, and even the scrutinizing gazes with a hint of barely perceptible hostility.

She was portrayed as a representative of some kind of opposition, a source of pressure that led to the company's predicament and her sister's serious illness.

Ma Xiulan had obviously heard these comments as well. Her face turned pale instantly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She looked at Mingyue with a flustered expression, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to start. She could only force a smile and continue her introduction.

Yin Mingyue's heart felt as if it were immersed in ice water, cold and painful, yet she still had to maintain a calm demeanor.

She didn't even look at her mother; her gaze was fixed on the department information board that Ma Xiulan was pointing to, as if the noisy discussions were just background noise.

Seeing that she looked normal and seemed unaffected by the gossip, Ma Xiulan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, she winked at Yu Li, who had been silently following beside her, her eyes filled with a hint of relief and lingering fear.

Yu Li, standing to the side and slightly behind, received Ma Xiulan's signal and nodded almost imperceptibly, a faint, reassuring smile playing on her lips. She secretly gave Ma Xiulan a thumbs-up.

That look seemed to say: Yes, that's it! Just get through this! As long as this "Mrs. Lu" is willing to listen calmly and doesn't show any dissatisfaction, this PR stunt is halfway to success! If we can get through this phase, the company can gradually stabilize the situation and even rise from the ashes!

In the VIP ward of Shanghai Central Hospital, it was so quiet that you could almost hear the faint sound of the medicine flowing through the IV tube.

The gloomy weather outside the window allowed only a sliver of dim light to filter through the thick curtains.

Yin Mingzhu lay half-reclined on the hospital bed, covered with a soft blanket, her expression calm to the point of numbness.

Her thin, pale fingers were slightly bent as she held a thick English book. Her gaze seemed focused on the pages, but it was vacant. She didn't look like she was reading; she looked more like she was daydreaming or thinking about something.

On the bedside table, the phone screen suddenly vibrated and lit up, displaying the words "Yu Li".

The buzzing sound seemed somewhat jarring in the quiet hospital room.

She didn't move.

The phone vibrated for a while, then the screen went dark.

A few seconds later, it lit up again and started vibrating once more. The buzzing sound continued, breaking the almost eerie silence in the ward.

Yin Mingzhu's eyelids twitched slightly, and she lifted her gaze from the book pages to the buzzing phone.

Her gaze remained calm, so calm it was unsettling, devoid of any ripples, curiosity, or eagerness to continue.

She simply let it vibrate, as if the sound was nothing more than insignificant noise in the ward, as if the displayed name meant nothing to her.

The vibration stopped again, and the screen went dark.

Silence returned to the ward, with only the pages of the English book turning slightly in the breeze.

The bell rang for the third time, and the buzzing sound of the vibrator started again.

Yin Mingzhu finally looked away from the book in her hands and focused her gaze on her phone, staring at it calmly.

It wasn't until the phone vibrated for more than ten seconds that she slowly reached out and picked it up, her movements so calm that no emotion was visible.

She calmly held the phone to her ear, listening to Yu Li's hurried words on the other end. She calmly listened to Yu Li describe the discussions caused by Ma Xiulan and Yin Mingyue's company tour, and listened to Yu Li describe how Yin Mingyue calmly listened to Ma Xiulan's explanation and calmly nodded in response to the employees' discussions.

Yin Mingzhu listened quietly, calmly listening to Yu Li's slightly joyful voice on the other end of the phone, until Yu Li finished speaking, and waited for her response.

Yin Mingzhu's face remained expressionless as she calmly and softly said, "Okay, I understand."

Then he calmly hung up the phone.

Then he calmly put the phone back on the bedside table.

Then, calmly, she picked up the book again and began to read it.

She was faking it, but she was genuinely ill. She had depression and asthma, just not as severe as it appeared.

She has been taking medication to control it for many years.

As for acting?

Why act?

No need to act, just stop taking the medication, stop controlling your emotions, and be your true self.
In the quiet ward, only her muttering could be heard: "Yin Mingzhu, you really are a despicable woman. Once again, you used your sympathy to gain his pity. When will you finally be able to be yourself and defeat that man? Ah, ah, ah... Waaah... Lu Yang, I will never be grateful to you." (End of Chapter)