Rain drummed softly on the rooftop of the Li Manor.
Jin sat beneath the window, legs folded, gazing into the gray sky with that same disinterested stare. The kind that said, "I've already seen how this ends."
[Ichiro will smile at Father tomorrow, pretending to care. He'll pour tea. Two days later, Father will sign that fake power-of-attorney. Classic.]
[And nobody will believe me. Because why would they?]
---
Downstairs, Li Chen — the patriarch — dropped his teacup.
Not because of a tremor.
But because of the sentence echoing in his ears.
That… truth.
["Ichiro will smile at Father tomorrow, pretending to care. He'll pour tea. Two days later, Father will sign that fake power-of-attorney."]
His hands shook.
His loyal assistant did mention Ichiro asking about legal access recently.
"…No way…" he muttered. "No… way…"
---
In her room, Lianhua scrolled through an old group photo. Back when Ichiro first joined the family.
Everyone was smiling.
Even Jin.
She paused.
Zoomed in.
Jin's smile… it didn't reach his eyes.
Back then, she thought he was arrogant.
But now — with every [bracketed sentence] replaying in her mind — her hands trembled.
Her mascara-streaked reflection blinked in disbelief.
"…We all believed the wrong son."
---
Meanwhile…
In the private family group chat — now renamed "Real Young Master HQ" — the sisters exploded.
Su: "He knew Ichiro would frame me with the exam scandal — two days before it happened."
Xinyi: "He knew Lianhua's husband would cheat again before the divorce. He said it last week in brackets."
Meiyu: "He even knew about my miscarriage. Nobody else knew."
Silence.
Then…
Grandma Li: "We have wronged him. Deeply."
---
Upstairs, Jin sighed.
[They're being weird again. Is it an act? Is this guilt part of the arc? What's next, secret sibling redemption arcs? Spare me.]
[Whatever script they're playing, I'm not acting.]
---
That night, his eldest sister Meiyu quietly destroyed the fake charity Ichiro had built in her name. Quietly dismantling the funnel used to launder stolen funds.
She said nothing.
She just watched the news with a glass of wine.
---
The next morning, Jin woke up to silence. Strange silence.
He opened his door…
Boxes.
Papers.
Folders stacked neatly.
With notes.
Legal files.
Proof.
Every accusation he had ever thought — lined up, confirmed, signed.
He blinked.
[This… prank is a little detailed.]
[Wait, is this some creepy 'we believe you now' stunt? Tch.]
He rolled his eyes and shut the door.
Ergouzi chimed in:
"Want the hot tea? Ichiro's laptop will be stolen at 3PM today. Video evidence will go viral. Hashtag suggestion: #NotTheRealSon."
[Jeez. At this point, even the system's being dramatic.]
---
Meanwhile, downstairs…
"Ichiro's done," whispered Su, her fingers trembling as she closed the laptop. "The files… confirm everything Jin said."
"It was all true," said Lianhua.
"…He's been protecting us from the plot all along."
Their mother, Madam Li, nodded slowly — tears silently falling into her tea.
"…And we thought he was the villain."
---
Final thought of the chapter:
[Jin's inner monologue as he lays in bed:]
[No matter what act they put on now, I've already left this family in my heart.]
[Let them play their scenes. I'm not coming back.]
---
Next chapter title teaser: "Chapter 14 – The Cliffside Choice"