"Dad, I..." Fu Yin didn't know what to say looking at this Mr. Fu.
Was she truly this man's daughter? Why could he be so indifferent to her?
"I've always been curious about who is behind you. Now that you're in prison with no one coming to your rescue, I can be certain you're a castoff!"
Mr. Fu's certainty in his suspicions grew as he looked at the disbelieving Fu Yin.
"The people behind you must have significant power, otherwise, you wouldn't have dared to do these things so arrogantly."
"What people behind me? Dad, what are you talking about!" Fu Yin didn't understand why her father would say such a thing.
"It's come to this, and you're still hiding it?"
Mr. Fu couldn't comprehend what his daughter was thinking. If she had been abandoned, why was she still protecting those people?
Perhaps the people behind her were so powerful that she dared not resist, and even now, being abandoned, she dared not betray them.
"What am I hiding? I really didn't intend to harm General Meng. I just wanted Lin Yan to suffer a little. I like Meng Shuo Jing. I liked him first, so why did he choose Lin Yan?
If Lin Yan hadn't been pregnant, would he have married her so directly? So, as long as Lin Yan lost the child, Meng Shuo Jing wouldn't marry her!"
Fu Yin finally revealed her motive for targeting Lin Yan, but Mr. Fu didn't believe her. He felt his daughter had been brainwashed by the people behind her, otherwise, why would she hate Lin Yan so much?
Lin Yan wasn't responsible for their switched identities when they were babies. After Fu Yin was found, Lin Yan left the Fu family. If she hadn't been brainwashed, she and Lin Yan wouldn't be in this situation.
He considered himself to have treated them fairly; whatever Lin Yan had, she would have too.
"That's just the trigger, isn't it? Fu Yin, don't treat others like fools. You were just an infant when you and Lin Yan were switched. The Lin family loved you dearly, so why would you doubt your origins?"
"I... I..." Fu Yin didn't know how to respond. She knew her reasons were weak.
"So, someone must have told you about your true identity. Even more so, they might have swapped your and Lin Yan's lives. Then they magnanimously told you the truth and let you come back to us," Mr. Fu stated with conviction.
If Fu Yin weren't the one involved, she would have believed his account to be the truth.
"Although I don't know how they contacted you, I am very sure a group of people is involved. After all, for a girl from a small town to have excellent grades is one thing, but to be knowledgeable in investment, economics, and designer brands...
That's quite extraordinary. But you don't seem afraid of exposure, so in your mind, these people can protect you very well, which is why you've been so reckless!"
Before Mr. Fu finished speaking, sweat dripped from Fu Yin's forehead. She never knew her father had been suspicious of her all along, nor that she had so many questionable aspects.
She had always been proud of herself, feeling she had done exceptionally well. With the advantage of rebirth, she looked down on everyone, never imagining that everything she did was being watched.
There was no powerful force behind her, yet she couldn't reveal the truth of her rebirth.
"No, I really haven't. I just wanted to do better and make you all like me! Really, Dad. There's no one behind me, no one at all."
Fu Yin's desperate explanation was utterly pale because she couldn't explain how she knew she wasn't the Lin family's child, nor could she account for the knowledge she possessed that she shouldn't have in this lifetime.
"Fu Yin, think carefully! The people behind you can no longer protect you. Just tell me the truth. As my daughter, I will try my best to help you reduce your sentence."
Seeing her stubbornness, Mr. Fu could only advise her earnestly. He was somewhat reluctant to deal with his daughter, as her troubles were too significant.
"Dad, there's truly no one behind me. What do you want me to say!" Fu Yin couldn't possibly tell him the truth. Did she have to fabricate a story?
"If that's the case, then think more. I'll come back when you're ready to talk!" Mr. Fu stood up, preparing to leave.
"Dad, Dad!" Fu Yin stepped forward, trying to grab Mr. Fu.
"I just wanted to scare Lin Yan. She's fine now, isn't she? Why am I still in prison? Why was I sentenced! Dad, I don't want to stay here, please help me!"
"Fu Yin, even if you only intended to scare Lin Yan, wanting to harm her is a grave mistake. You still don't know Lin Yan's identity, do you? She's now a national-level researcher and is accompanied by guards wherever she goes.
You hired someone to follow her before, and now you've arranged for her to be harmed. Do you think you can be considered innocent? Can this be considered a minor matter? Fu Yin, you should reflect on yourself here. If you decide to talk about the people behind you, I will return.
I'll have your mother bring you some things to help you reflect. I hope that after you get out, you won't be so arrogant in your actions anymore. After all, this is a society governed by law, and any behavior that tramples on the law will be subject to legal sanctions!"
Mr. Fu pulled away Fu Yin's hand clutching his clothes and left the reception room.
He no longer cared who was behind Fu Yin. Anyone capable of raising such a brainless person probably wasn't very intelligent. Moreover, they had already clashed with the Meng family and the authorities, so they wouldn't last much longer.
It was a year later when Lin Yan finally finished her work at the research institute. With no other immediate research projects, she returned directly to her home with Meng Shuo Jing.
However, upon returning home, she didn't remain idle. Besides spending time with Meng Shuo Jing, she dedicated her time to her own research.
She didn't involve anyone else in her research, as there were certain things she couldn't explain. However, her research was nearing completion.
Soon her research would be finished, but this made Meng Shuo Jing quite jealous, as in Lin Yan's heart, work always came before him.
Furthermore, his family didn't understand him, constantly telling him to be understanding. Even now, when Lin Yan was technically on vacation, if she insisted on researching, he could only concede.
However, Meng Shuo Jing had also become busy recently. His father had told him that since he was married, he needed to take over the family business and had gradually been handing over the company to him.
Both husband and wife were busy, which meant they had less time together.