The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign

Shen Ying wasn’t surprised by the call. She replied, "How did you find out?"

Pei Ying’s head spun. "Why did you rush through that iron gate?"

Shen Ying answered, "Because bad people were chasing me."

Pei Ying’s voice trembled. "Why were they chasing you?"

Shen Ying said, "They were kidnappers. I rescued their hostage, so of course they wouldn’t let me go easily."

Pei Ying heard his own voice, detached from his emotions. "Your sister told me the same story. She also claimed she saved someone, got injured while escaping—every detail matched. Are you saying she lied?"

Shen Ying shrugged casually. "Didn’t she cut her own wound?"

Pei Ying’s breath hitched. "She said the same about you."

Shen Ying chuckled. "Really? I remember that. She insisted on protecting me, so we agreed to swap our stories about how we got hurt."

"But I never thought she’d still stick to it after all these years. What’s the point now?"

"You know, when I got back that day, my sister kept asking me about the details over and over. She even made me switch dresses with her, saying she was afraid the kidnappers would find and hurt me."

"I was so moved. Even though I didn’t want her to take the risk, she snatched my dress anyway. She even went as far as faking a similar wound on her own leg."

"Turned out her worries were pointless—the kidnappers never came, and the kid I saved didn’t show up either."

Shen Ying sighed. "Ungrateful brat. Could’ve at least said thanks."

Pei Ying felt like he was suffocating. The photo he’d just seen flashed in his mind—the girl in the blue dress, injured, less than two hours after he’d last seen her. The one in pink was unharmed.

Blue dress—Shen Ying. Pink dress—Shi Shi. Unless they’d swapped clothes right before he was kidnapped…

But what were the odds?

Pei Ying clung to the last shred of his shattered understanding. "This is just your word against hers."

"Your sister knows just as much as you do. How can you prove you’re the one who went through it?"

Shen Ying shrugged again. "True. She grilled me so many times, she probably remembers it better than I do."

That must be her trump card, huh?

The sisters looked so alike, and after over a decade, everyone’s memories had faded. Shi Shi could easily claim the story as her own—just deny everything, and no one could prove she was lying.

But then Shen Ying’s tone shifted. "Except for one thing. It was too embarrassing, so I never told her."

Neither in the original story nor in her own memories had she ever mentioned it.

She said, "When I changed clothes with that kid, I saw everything."

"Even the two little red moles on his butt. I never told my sister that."

Pei Ying’s pupils dilated. His expression went blank as something inside him collapsed.

The puzzle piece that never fit had flipped over, mocking him.

By the time Pei Ying snapped out of it, Shen Ying had already hung up.

He didn’t have the courage to call back. He couldn’t even face her—the thought of her made him burn with shame.

Pei Ying boarded the helicopter and returned to the city. Instead of going home or to the office, he headed straight to Jiang Liuxu’s hospital.

He stormed from the rooftop helipad down to Jiang Liuxu’s office, slamming his hands on the desk, his eyes bloodshot.

"You knew all along, didn’t you?"

Jiang Liuxu looked baffled. "Knew what?"

Pei Ying gritted his teeth. "Shi Shi wasn’t the one who saved me."

He grabbed Jiang Liuxu’s collar. "When did you figure it out? The moment you saw Shen Ying?"

"Otherwise, why would you downplay her background? Your investigation made her sound average."

"But she—she—"

Pei Ying took a sharp breath, barely restraining himself from throttling the man. "She’s brilliant."

Jiang Liuxu remained unruffled.

He studied Pei Ying’s agony, his regret, before finally saying, "You actually realized? Why now? There shouldn’t have been any reason for Shi Shi to slip up recently—"

Then it dawned on him. "Ah, her recent blunders, right?"

He stood, pried Pei Ying’s hand off, and straightened his tie.

"I’ve always found your dynamic with Shi Shi fascinating. And you, Pei Ying—you were the most complicated of them all."

"Shi Shi’s easy to understand. She’s not the sharpest, but her instincts are strong—that’s why she kept hammering in the ‘I saved you’ narrative."

She’d reminisced about it so often that the three of them knew the details by heart.

Pei Ying was seething. "When did you start suspecting?"

Jiang Liuxu smiled. "From the beginning."

Pei Ying froze. "What?"

Jiang Liuxu continued, "Shi Shi said her wound was from squeezing through the iron gate, right? And then she crawled through a sewer with it."

"That kind of injury would’ve required debridement—removing contaminated tissue. But Shi Shi’s scar showed no signs of that."

"Meanwhile, Shen Ying’s wound?" Jiang Liuxu smirked. "It matched Shi Shi’s description perfectly."

Pei Ying tasted blood in his throat. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Jiang Liuxu feigned innocence. "How could I? When? What reason would I have given?"

"Before meeting Shen Ying, the wound discrepancy was just a minor doubt. I’d never have guessed Shi Shi had a twin."

"After meeting Shen Ying, she stopped me from revealing the truth by our third encounter. Told me to stay silent."

"So I only had a few days of freedom, and even then, I couldn’t figure out how to break it to you gently."

Pei Ying didn’t buy a word of it. "Is that why you altered her records?"

Jiang Liuxu scoffed. "Altered? I didn’t change a thing. I just omitted details. Compared to a world-renowned genius like me, her academic history is unremarkable."

Pei Ying wanted to punch him, but the urge drained him.

This was all his fault. His voice was rough. "She knew all along?"

Jiang Liuxu knew he meant Shen Ying. "She’d have to be an idiot not to."

Pei Ying shut his eyes in anguish.

Someone sharp enough to unravel everything after one or two meetings—how could she have been fooled by her sister’s act?

Even if she’d been deceived as a child, meeting them would’ve cleared things up.

Yet she never said a word to him.

Not even just now.

She had always taken a laissez-faire attitude toward the truth. Unless she uncovered major discrepancies and dug deeper, she might never voluntarily reveal it.

Pei Ying sat on the sofa, his hands clasped as he rested his forehead against them.

What did she think of him? A heartless scoundrel? Or a ridiculous fool? Would she regret saving him?

Pei Ying didn’t dare entertain the last possibility.

He stood up and looked at Jiang Liuxu. "What are you pretending for? You just want to monopolize her."

Jiang Liuxu didn’t deny it. "The moment I saw her, I knew we’d get along."

Never before had Pei Ying felt such intense jealousy toward Jiang Liuxu.

His face darkened as he stood and left Jiang Liuxu’s office.

When he returned home, Pei Ying handed his coat to the butler, who said, "Miss Shi Shi is here."

A flash of crimson flickered in Pei Ying’s eyes. He went upstairs, heading straight for the sky terrace with the best view.

Yu Shishi had been waiting for a while. Tea and snacks were laid out before her, barely touched, her face etched with worry.

Seeing Pei Ying return, she quickly stood. "A-Ying, where have you been? I’ve been waiting so long."

Pei Ying walked straight to the sofa opposite her and sat down, his deep gaze fixed on Yu Shishi. "What do you want?"

Yu Shishi hesitated. "I... I wanted to apologize."

She moved closer, sitting beside him and wrapping her arms around his. "Are you angry with me?"

"It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have quarreled with my sister and caused such trouble. I’ve already apologized to Mom and Dad, just like you said."

"Please forgive me this time, A-Ying!"

This was the first time Pei Ying had openly expressed dissatisfaction with her. Yu Shishi had no experience handling it—no reference point, because in their past life, Pei Ying had never once spoken coldly to her sister.

It left her feeling both alienated and panicked.

Yet Pei Ying only watched her in silence, his gaze so intense it made her skin crawl.

Then he let out a self-deprecating laugh. "How could I have been fooled by an idiot like you for over a decade?"

Yu Shishi’s heart lurched violently, like a balloon popping.

She stiffened. "A-Ying, what... what are you talking about?"

Pei Ying said, "Go pack your things. I’ll arrange a flight for you tomorrow morning. Anywhere is fine—just never show your face in front of me again."

"As for your adoptive relationship with Professor Yu, I’ll convince them to dissolve it."

Yu Shishi’s face turned deathly pale. "A-Ying, what are you saying? You can’t do this to me!"

Pei Ying smirked. "Why not? At least you still have a prestigious education and several marketable skills—none of which you ever deserved."

Even Yu Shishi, dense as she was, understood his meaning. She hadn’t expected her sister to expose the truth so abruptly.

But what shocked her more was that Pei Ying believed it outright. How could he?

On one side was over a decade of shared history; on the other, someone he’d only known for a few months. Why would he trust Shen Ying?

Suppressing her panic, Yu Shishi said, "Did my sister tell you something bad about me?"

"She’s lying to you. She’s always resented me—hated me for betraying her as a child, and now she despises me for the resources I got after being adopted."

"Haven’t you seen through her yet? She’s capable of anything."

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‍moment she finished speaking, Pei Ying tossed a photo onto the table. "Take a look."

With trembling hands, Yu Shishi picked it up. The image and timestamp on it drained the color from her face.

Pei Ying scoffed. "You left with us before this photo was developed, and you never went back. You’d never have imagined such a slip-up."

He pointed at the girl in the blue dress. "Tell me, is this you?"

Yu Shishi swallowed but insisted, "It’s me."

She guessed Pei Ying must have visited the orphanage and spoken to the director about their habits.

But she wouldn’t waver over something so flimsy. "It’s me."

"That day, I made a mistake and was afraid of being punished, so I swapped clothes with my sister and hid near the factory, where I found you by accident."

Pei Ying stared at her. "When we exchanged clothes, what distinguishing marks did I have on my body?"

Yu Shishi’s mind went blank. Was this why Pei Ying believed her sister?

Her lips parted, her expression one of stunned confusion.

She had meticulously studied every detail of the kidnapping incident, but she’d been reborn just after her sister successfully rescued Pei Ying.

Had she been earlier, she would’ve claimed the credit herself. Still, she hadn’t overlooked a single detail.

With memories from two lifetimes, she could’ve spun a flawless lie—one even her sister couldn’t refute.

So why? Why had she omitted the one detail that could destroy her?

Pei Ying watched her reaction, his eyes icy. "So it was you, wearing your sister’s dress, who told the director she refused to be adopted?"

Yu Shishi stayed silent.

Then—BANG!

The heavy coffee table was kicked over with a deafening crash.

Pei Ying radiated violence, his presence terrifying.

Yu Shishi shrieked in fear.

Years of discipline were the only thing stopping him from laying hands on her.

But his eyes burned red. "How dare you? How could you?"

"You stole the gratitude meant for your sister—you couldn’t even bear to let her share a fraction of what she rightfully earned."

"What kind of vile, shameless monster are you? And I was fooled by someone like you for over a decade."

Yu Shishi panicked. She tried to grab him, but he shoved her away roughly.

Tears streamed down her face. "A-Ying, A-Ying, don’t blame me!"

"I didn’t mean to deceive you. I did hurt my sister, but our bond these past years wasn’t fake! I’m the one who stayed by your side all this time, not her. Can’t you see that? Is only her kindness real, and all my years with you meaningless?"

Pei Ying laughed—a cold, humorless sound. When the absurdity of her words had fully settled, his expression turned frigid.

"You think I needed companionship? That I was some lonely, pitiable soul? Did you pat yourself on the back, believing you were the only light in my desolate life?"

His hand slowly closed around her throat. "I wanted to grow up with the girl who gave me hope. Even without her, I’d never settle for anyone else."

"There are countless people like you, clinging to me with ulterior motives. Every single one could’ve done better—none of them hurt anyone to do it. What makes your ‘companionship’ so special?"

His grip tightened. Yu Shishi gasped for air, her eyes wide with terror as she struggled.

But Pei Ying’s gaze remained merciless.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally released her, barely restraining his fury.

"Get out! Don’t let me see you again, or I’ll make you pay back everything you owe."

Yu Shishi didn’t dare to bargain with Pei Ying at this moment. Like a frightened rabbit, she scrambled out of the Pei residence in panic.

She didn’t even dare to ask the butler to escort her. Instead, she ran far beyond the gates in her high heels before tremblingly pulling out her phone to call Chang Ming.

"Hello! Chang Ming, come pick me up right now, I—I—"

With that, Yu Shishi broke down into loud sobs—her fear of Pei Ying, the near-suffocating torment she had just endured, and the agony of seeing over a decade of effort crumble to nothing.

She couldn’t hold back her wails over the phone.

Chang Ming immediately grew frantic. "Where are you? Shishi, don’t scare me like this. What happened? Who hurt you?"

Yu Shishi choked out between sobs, "Don’t ask—just come take me away. I can’t stand another second here."

Chang Ming pressed, "Where are you?"

"Outside the Pei residence."

His voice darkened. "Pei Ying hurt you? How dare he? Don’t be rash—go back inside and wait for me. I’ll be there soon."

Yu Shishi shrieked, "How could I possibly go back in there?"

"He told me to get out himself! He believed my sister’s lies—he thinks I deceived him, that she was the one who saved him all those years ago!"

Instinctively, Yu Shishi twisted the truth in her favor. But to Chang Ming, who knew nothing of the real story, her words painted a very different picture.

His eyes turned cold. "Your sister’s behind this?"