The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign

When Pei Ying stepped in, it meant the matter would end here.

Uncle Shen’s background was instantly exposed. Generally, compared to rumors, debunking them always seems feeble.

But for capitalists who control public opinion, it’s a different story.

Countless credible accounts reposted the refutations—Uncle Shen’s life records, his criminal history, his movements over the years, testimonies from neighbors in his hometown and current residence.

All of it revealed what a farce the show’s narrative of "poverty-stricken uncle searching for his family for 21 years" was. The man had even embezzled the compensation money meant for his nephew’s parents.

The internet erupted in outrage, and soon the backlash turned toward the show itself.

The program’s audience primarily consisted of conservative, even backward middle-aged and elderly viewers, whose values were severely out of touch with modern ethics.

In previous episodes, there had been countless instances where the hosts and guest panelists used moral coercion to force victims into reconciliation.

Like pressuring children abandoned at birth to support their aging parents.

Like urging wives enduring domestic violence to reunite for the sake of their children.

Like convincing trafficked women to accept the children born from their assault.

Each of these "triumphant family reunions" the show had proudly showcased was now met with widespread disgust.

Riding the wave of public anger, many media outlets followed up with those who had been forcibly "reconciled" on the show.

Finally given a voice, these individuals expressed their hatred for how the program had trampled over their lives.

But the fatal blow came when the host’s scandal broke—he had stolen his cousin’s college admission spot.

As a nationally recognized public figure, this revelation sent shockwaves across the country.

By then, the public discourse had long shifted away from Yu Shishi.

Within just a few days, she emerged unscathed.

Relieved, Yu Shishi felt an unprecedented sense of security.

Her admiration for Pei Ying grew even stronger, but he said, "Your feud with your sister ends here."

"This time, you acted disgracefully and lost even more disgracefully." Pei Ying continued, "You even dragged your parents into public scrutiny. Instead of fighting petty battles, what you owe them now is an apology."

Yu Shishi was nearly in tears. "But I knew you’d help me, so I let myself be reckless."

Pei Ying’s frown deepened. "So you acted recklessly from the start, counting on someone to clean up your mess?"

Yu Shishi’s heart sank.

Sure enough, Pei Ying said, "While I’m happy to let you rely on me, when did you become someone who acts on impulse without considering consequences?"

The girl he had fallen for was someone who never pinned her hopes on others’ help—someone bold and resilient.

Though Yu Shishi had appeared that way over the years, something always felt off, like a puzzle piece that never quite fit.

Had the qualities he cherished in her quietly faded, leaving only an empty shell?

Was this why he found himself drawn to Shen Ying?

Pei Ying couldn’t forget their first meeting—how she had calmly outmaneuvered Chang Ming, despite his far greater influence.

She had even known about the trio’s backgrounds back then and understood they’d gladly help her mess with Chang Ming if she asked.

But she never did. She never treated their power or friendship as leverage.

The trip to the neighboring city wasn’t troublesome. Pei Ying took the family helicopter and arrived near the orphanage in a few hours.

This was also where he had been held during his kidnapping—an abandoned factory near the orphanage.

Back then, it was Shi Shi, who often played around the factory, who sneaked in through a hidden gap only she knew. She then created a diversion to draw the kidnappers’ attention and rescued him when they briefly left.

Pei Ying, already weakened after days in captivity, had barely escaped before collapsing from exhaustion.

Shi Shi swapped clothes with him, hid him in a trash pile, and lured the kidnappers away herself.

Miraculously, her familiarity with the terrain and small stature allowed her to slip through locked gates and crawl through sewers until she finally shook them off and called the police from a nearby town.

In every sense, Shi Shi had saved him single-handedly.

Pei Ying’s arrival was anything but low-key. As the orphanage’s biggest donor over the years, he was greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Uninterested in formalities, he let his assistant—who arrived later—distribute gifts to the children while he met privately with the director.

Thanks to Pei Ying’s donations, the orphanage now boasted excellent facilities.

The director’s office was spacious and bright, its back wall lined with archives and commemorative albums documenting the institution’s history.

Pei Ying got straight to the point, and the director promptly retrieved the sisters’ complete records.

"I remember the sisters well," the director said. "Twins as identical as them are rare, and Shen Ying only left not long ago—hard to forget."

"Oh, and she sent money back just last month."

The director didn’t mention the other reason: the entire orphanage owed its sustained funding to Yu Shishi’s connection to the Pei family. How could they forget?

Pei Ying flipped through the album. As the director said, the two had been nearly indistinguishable since childhood.

So in photos, they always wore identical outfits in different colors—though back then, the orphanage’s limited resources meant their wardrobes were sparse.

They cycled through the same few items: one mostly in blue, the other in pink, likely to help others tell them apart.

As Pei Ying idly browsed the album, he noticed the girl in blue always had a small red flower pinned to her chest. Her academic and athletic achievements filled the pages—though the "awards" here were humble, often just a flower or a certificate.

Pei Ying couldn’t help smiling. "Shi Shi was always a top student."

The director glanced at the photo. "Ah, you’ve mistaken her. The one winning awards was Ying Ying."

Pei Ying’s expression froze. He grabbed a magnifying glass from the desk and, under its lens, the faded photo’s blurred certificate finally revealed a name: Shen Ying.

Pei Ying was stunned. "But—no, Shi Shi was clearly the studious one."

"I heard Shen Ying only graduated from an average university."

The moment he said it, he realized how absurd it sounded.

Yu Shishi had attended a top-ten university in the country. After their adoption, the sisters’ educational resources had been worlds apart.

Yet the director replied, "Not at all. Ying Ying was a top student at a key municipal high school. She missed an entire exam subject due to an accident during her college entrance exams—that’s why she ended up at an average school. Otherwise, she could’ve gone anywhere."

Pei Ying suddenly felt his earlier skepticism was laughable. Given Shen Ying’s sharp wit and cunning, was there even any doubt which sister was the smarter one?

But the real issue lay elsewhere—because the girl who had saved him all those years ago was unmistakably the one in the blue dress.

Pei Ying took a deep breath, his tone turning unusually cautious as he asked the headmaster, "Have the sisters always been distinguished by color? Twins like them must have often swapped clothes to play pranks, right?"

The old headmaster had only vague memories of such matters and replied ambiguously, "Perhaps. When they left, Shi Shi was wearing Ying Ying’s clothes—said it was for remembrance."

"They must have done this often."

Yet, the more Pei Ying heard, the heavier his heart grew.

He changed the subject. "When Professor Yu and I came, you never mentioned Shen Ying. Why did she refuse to be adopted back then?"

"We never insisted on adopting only one, did we?"

The headmaster quickly explained, "It was Ying Ying’s own decision. Her sister tried to persuade her, but that child has always been stubborn. She said she’d never acknowledge anyone else as her parents."

"If we revealed they were twins, she threatened to reject the adoption altogether and take her sister with her."

The headmaster’s reasoning was understandable. Yu Shishi had saved the young master of the Pei family, and in gratitude, the Peis adopted her. The orphanage, as her "hometown," naturally benefited as well.

Since the elder twin had firmly refused, they saw no reason to risk Shen Ying causing a scene and ruining the arrangement.

The headmaster’s explanation matched Yu Shishi’s account. But Pei Ying pressed further, "How can you be sure it was Shen Ying who refused the adoption?"

The headmaster replied, "It had to be her. On the day you came to pick her up, I remember she hid in town. When she returned, she didn’t cry or make a fuss. Doesn’t that prove the sisters had already agreed on it?"

Pei ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‍Ying fell silent. Though his questions had been answered, his unease only deepened.

Flipping further through the photo album, he found only pictures of Shen Ying—from childhood to adolescence, and finally to the familiar face he knew now. It was as if he could trace her arduous, impoverished life over the past decade.

A pang of sorrow struck him. If not for her stubbornness, she could have enjoyed the same dignified life and quality education as Shi Shi.

Pei Ying couldn’t comprehend Shen Ying’s resolve. Their birth parents had passed away before the twins could even form memories—what attachment could she possibly have?

And the Shen Ying he knew now was pragmatic, shameless even. What reason could such a person have had to reject adoption by a wealthy family?

The album wasn’t thick. When Pei Ying reached the last page and found only blank space, a wave of helpless disappointment washed over him.

He closed the album and handed it back to the headmaster. "Thank you. I’ve taken enough of your time today."

The headmaster smiled. "No need for thanks. The children were thrilled to see you."

In truth, Pei Ying felt no real connection to this place. For years, he’d believed the one he cared about had already left. His donations and aid over the years were merely repayment on Shi Shi’s behalf.

Yet, swayed by the headmaster’s enthusiasm and an inexplicable impulse, he agreed to meet the children.

In that short time, the orphanage staff had prepared a welcome under the headmaster’s instructions.

The children sat in a circle in the large classroom, while the blackboard displayed photos of significant moments in the orphanage’s history—with Yu Shishi’s pictures prominently placed at the center.

Perhaps prepped by the teachers, Pei Ying was greeted by a chorus of welcomes the moment he entered.

Frankly, he found it a little embarrassing, but the awkward formalities didn’t last long. Soon, he joined the children in games and crafts.

Before he knew it, half the day had passed. When lunchtime arrived, the headmaster invited him to stay for a meal.

Pei Ying didn’t refuse and followed the headmaster out of the classroom.

But as he passed the blackboard, his gaze inadvertently caught on a photo.

At first glance, it didn’t register. Yet his instincts made him stop and turn back for a closer look.

The photo wasn’t prominently placed—no wonder he hadn’t noticed it in the two hours he’d been there.

Shen Ying and Yu Shishi weren’t the focus; they’d merely been captured in the background. But the distance was just right—close enough to see them clearly, yet not too close.

In the picture, only one of them had a bleeding ankle, while the other’s was unscathed.

A timestamp in the top-right corner showed it was taken less than two hours after the rescue—and after he’d parted ways with Shi Shi.

Yet the person who had been injured and wearing a blue dress when he last saw her was now in a pink dress, while the blue dress—stained and dirty—was on the one with the uninjured ankle.

A ringing filled Pei Ying’s ears.

Noticing his fixation on the photo, the headmaster chuckled. "You’re quite observant, Mr. Pei. Not many notice those two in this picture."

"I took this one myself—just got a new camera back then and snapped a lot of candid shots of the kids."

Pei Ying couldn’t process another word. The tangled web of truths and lies was driving him to the brink.

Without hesitation, he dialed Shen Ying’s number.

The moment she answered, he cut straight to the point. "You said the scar on your ankle was from an accident."

"Was that accident from climbing through a wrought-iron gate?"