Transcription
When the kidnapper made my parents choose between me and my brother, I unlocked the memories of my spare role and knew they'd drop me without thinking twice. Right then, my dad spoke up. "Don't even think about it. We're picking our oldest son." Dad shot me a guilty, helpless look, then nodded at the kidnapper. "Yep, that's our final answer."
The kidnapper turned to Liu Ruiyan and Mu Xian. "What about you two?"
Mu Xian didn't even hesitate. "I pick my brother, Mu Ge." Liu Ruiyan paused for a moment, then looked at me with this mix of guilt and regret. "I choose Mu Chen."
The kidnapper nodded. "Three of you picked the same person, so I'm letting him go." He lowered the blade from Mu Chen's neck and shoved him forward. Mu Chen wasted no time running back to our parents. The guy then turned to me. "Any last words? Better talk fast." Then he added, almost like he felt sorry for me. "You're kind of pitiful, honestly. Same parents, same blood, and your own family gave you up that fast. Even your fiance's no good."
"Next life, man, pick a poor family over this kind of fancy on the outside, rotten on the inside rich household." That hit a nerve. My parents' faces went dark. I ran with it. "Yeah, stuck with a family like yours, of course I'm the unlucky one." My tears had long dried up. There was nothing left in my face but ice. My parents stared at me like they didn't recognize me, their always obedient youngest son. Mom looked almost disappointed. "How could you say something like that?"
"We chose your brother because he was already kidnapped once before. He barely got out alive. We just didn't want him to go through that again." I let out a cold laugh. "So I'm supposed to take the hit instead?" Mom snapped back. "We're not going to let you die." I knew exactly what she meant. There was already a lifeboat waiting at the bottom of that cliff. "Like I don't have the right to be bitter?"
"Think about the past three plus years since Mu Chen got kidnapped and came back. How did you treat me during all of that?" "You made me drop the major I actually loved, then turned me into a stand-in." I looked at Mom with nothing but contempt. "To protect your feelings, I swallowed my disgust and played the role of Mu Chen. For the sake of so-called family, I studied whatever was useful to the Mu family business. I even learned to cook and brew herbal soups for you, just hoping that when you mistook me for Mu Chen, you'd actually show me a little care. But the second you figured out it was me, it was nothing but insults. You even said, "Why wasn't it you who got kidnapped instead?" Is that something a mother says to her own son? I finally said everything the original me never could. Am I not your son, too? Why am I paying for Mu Chen's mess? I didn't kidnap him. And now, when our lives are literally on the line, you still chose him and threw me away. If Mu Chen's such a precious son, then why did you even bother having me and my sister? I don't have parents as cold-blooded as you two. The moment you chose Mu Chen, I made up my mind. I'm cutting ties with you and the entire Mu family."
At that, Mu Shin started clapping. My brother's right. People like you don't deserve to be our parents. I'm done with this family, too. You really think we care that much about the Mu name and Mu Corp? You want to hand it all to Mu Chen? Go ahead. The only reason we even stayed was for the sake of family. That cold, lifeless house? We would have been gone a long time ago.
She then turned to the kidnapper. "Let my brother go. I'll take his place. My swimming's just as strong. If I go over that cliff, my odds of surviving are actually better." The kidnapper shook his head. "No deal. Your parents already made their call. I'm not changing anything." I shook my head at Mu Shin. "Sis, you don't have to do this." Hearing us go back and forth, my