When my biological parents found me, I had just crawled out of a mine shaft.

Coal dust clung to my skin, my clothes were filthy and my hair was tangled. Their expressions told me everything: disgust, disappointment and the faintest hint of regret.

My biological father barely spared me a glance before turning away in distaste. “Hire another car for her. I don’t want her dirtying our family’s car.”

My biological mother hesitated, her reluctance evident despite the forced concern in her voice. “Child, you’ve suffered all these years. Once you’re home and cleaned up, Mom will take good care of you.”

Without another word, they hurried into their car and left.

They weren’t alone. Their adopted son, Benjamin Perry, was with them.

He glanced my way, then at his sleek black Maybach, before sighing. “Take my car.”

“There’s a shower at the mine. I’ll clean up first,” I replied flatly, too drained to care.

After scrubbing off the grime and changing into cleaner clothes, I climbed into Benjamin’s Maybach.

By the time we arrived at my biological parents’ estate, they were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the first person to greet me was a girl around my age, Emily Perry, the imposter who had been living my life all these years.

Emily beamed as she rushed toward me, grabbing my hand with an almost unsettling enthusiasm. “I suppose I should call you sister now, right? Don’t worry; I won’t play any of those ‘real vs. fake heiress’ games. From now on, we’re real sisters and must get along!”

Before I could respond, she suddenly shoved a fruit knife into my hand and yanked me toward her like she was trying to make me stab her.

——

The first time we met, Emily handed me a knife and tried to make me attack her.

Was this some kind of twisted family initiation?

I wasn’t sure, but I was too lazy to entertain whatever game she was playing. I was strong enough to hold my ground, so no matter how hard she pulled, I didn’t budge. She blinked up at me, eyes wide with innocence, then tugged again.

I pointed at the phone hanging from my neck and drawled, “Recording my life.”

Emily instantly let go, her face paling.

Just then, Benjamin stepped inside after parking the car. His gaze flickered from the fruit knife in my hand to Emily’s fearful expression, his brow creasing in confusion.

I couldn’t be bothered to explain, so I simply handed the knife back to Emily.

“Brother, you’re back?” She perked up, her voice dripping with eager sweetness. “I asked Aunt Emma to prepare some oatmeal for you. I’ll go get it now.”

“Not hungry.”

Benjamin shook his head before turning to me. “Luna, are you hungry?”

“Too lazy to eat.”

I wandered over to the sofa, flopped down and dug into my backpack, fishing out some snacks. Without a word, I popped them into my mouth, chewing lazily.

That was my way of life; if I could sit, I wouldn’t stand; if I could lie down, I wouldn’t sit.

“Are you tired?” Benjamin asked with concern.

“I’m fine.”

I continued snacking, pulling out my tablet to code with one hand while scrolling through videos on my phone with the other. Occasionally, I popped a snack into my mouth, completely at ease.

Benjamin and Emily stared at me like I was some rare specimen under a microscope.

Emily, in particular, stepped forward, her voice gentle. “Sister, you’ve had a hard life. You probably haven’t learned high-society etiquette. If people see you like this, it’ll be embarrassing for the family. But don’t worry, I’ll teach you social manners.”

“Too lazy to learn.” I yawned before kindly reminding her, “The mine is busy. Are you sure you don’t want to go home and help?”

In my opinion, one should at least see their biological parents. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have returned at all. So, naturally, I assumed she would want to see hers too.

But Emily’s lips twitched and her eyes instantly reddened. “Sister, if you don’t want me in the family, I’ll leave.”

“Whatever.”

She claimed she didn’t care about the whole real and fake daughter drama, but deep down, she still wanted to compete.

But compete for what?

Money?

I had no interest in that.

I almost wanted to tell her outright, I didn’t care about money. But I knew she wouldn’t believe me. No normal person would.

So, I didn’t bother explaining.

Benjamin walked over and sat beside me. “Mom and Dad will be going abroad for a few days. When they return, they’ll make it up to you. They just hope you won’t overthink things.”

“Oh.”

I nodded, feeling like my soul was moments away from drifting out of my body.

Benjamin sighed, looking somewhat helpless, then turned to Emily. “Is the room ready?”

“It’s still being prepared, but since I cherish my sister so much, I want everything to be perfect,” she said with exaggerated sincerity.

Then, after a brief pause, she added hesitantly, “Brother, why don’t we let Sister stay in the guest room tonight?”

Benjamin frowned as if he had already seen through her little scheme. “Luna just came back. How can she stay in a guest room? She’s family, not a guest.”

“I get it, Brother. In this house, I’m the only outsider…”

As she spoke, she actually started crying.

Benjamin rolled his eyes.

I wanted to do the same, but I couldn’t be bothered.

“I can stay anywhere, as long as there’s a window for ventilation,” I said lazily.

Benjamin let out a breath as if relieved that I, the so-called real daughter, wasn’t the demanding type. “Then pick any room you like except for Mom and Dad’s. I’ll personally arrange yours tomorrow.”

Emily, looking thoroughly aggrieved, chimed in, “Brother, I can arrange a room for Sister, too.”

Benjamin completely ignored her and turned back to me. “I have a meeting at the company this afternoon. If there’s anything, we’ll talk about it when I get back tonight.”

“Oh.”

I responded without much interest, still sprawled on the couch like a lifeless corpse.

Benjamin shook his head, clearly helpless against my laziness. Soon after, he left. Judging by his rushed departure, he seemed to hold quite an important position at the company.

When he was gone, Emily turned to me with a bright, almost sickeningly sweet smile. “Sister, I’ll take you to a nice room. You’ll love it.”

“Alright.”

I dragged myself up, though every cell in my body protested the movement. If I could get away with lying here naked like a corpse, I would have happily stayed put. Moving was an absolute chore.

As for Emily’s sudden enthusiasm? That little schemer was clearly up to something.

Sure enough, she led me to a room on the second floor.

The room was spotless, carrying a faint orchid fragrance. Every item was meticulously arranged as if its owner had an obsessive need for order.

From what I had observed so far, the only person in this house who seemed to have an unhealthy fixation with cleanliness was Benjamin.

And sure enough, there it was a framed photo of him sitting right on the desk.

I shot Emily a look, barely suppressing my exasperation.

Seriously? Did she think I was that stupid? Did she really believe I wouldn’t recognize this as Benjamin’s room?

Emily, however, kept up her little act, smiling sweetly. “Sister, if you like this room, you can rest here.”

“Alright.”

I nodded.

I knew she was setting me up, but I couldn’t be bothered to argue. I just wanted a shower and a bed to collapse onto.

Emily stifled a giggle, then bolted out of the room as if afraid I’d suddenly change my mind.

I took a shower, letting the warm water wash away the exhaustion, then flopped onto the bed, ready to sink into oblivion.

But my peace didn’t last long.

In the middle of the night, I was jolted awake by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

I cracked my eyes open, only to find Benjamin standing by the bed, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his expression cold and unreadable.

He was clearly waiting for an explanation.

Emily spoke softly beside him, her voice laced with helplessness. “Brother, I tried to stop her, but Sister insisted on staying in your room. I even warned her about your obsession with cleanliness, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Benjamin was silent for a long time as if holding something back. Then, at last, he spoke.

“Is it comfortable?”

I had expected anger, especially with how hard Emily was trying to stir trouble, yet all he did was ask those three simple words.

Rubbing my eyes, I gave a serious nod. “Comfortable. The scented candle helps with sleep.”

Benjamin’s brows lifted slightly, surprise flickering across his face as if he hadn’t expected me to know about the sleep-inducing effects of the incense.

“Then you can stay here.”

Emily’s expression froze.

She quickly found her voice again, her tone carrying a hint of grievance. “Brother, you never liked it when I entered your room before. Why is Sister allowed to sleep here?”

Benjamin didn’t spare her a glance. Instead, he turned to me, his tone casual yet oddly warm.

“Are you hungry?”

I nodded. “Don’t want to get out of bed.”

“Alright, I’ll bring the food up for you.”

With that, he nodded and left without hesitation.

Emily’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her teeth clenched and she practically spat out her words.

“Why? You just got back and he’s already treating you like this. He has a cleanliness obsession, yet he lets you sleep in his bed. He even allows you to eat in it. Why?”

I couldn’t be bothered to respond. Instead, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through videos, ignoring her entirely.

Emily looked utterly ridiculous, yet she refused to leave, lingering as if determined to witness how I would eat in Benjamin’s bed.

Before long, Benjamin returned, pushing a food cart.

The cart had a small foldable table, which, once opened, transformed into a proper dining setup. All I had to do was sit up and eat, convenient.

I stretched lazily, rinsed my mouth and started eating.

Benjamin, meanwhile, sat at his desk, focused on work, his attention locked on company affairs. He didn’t spare me a glance.

Emily, however, wasn’t ready to give up. She walked over and picked up the juice from the cart.

I knew what she was up to. She was probably planning to “accidentally” spill it on the bed, then put on a show about how I had no respect for Benjamin’s obsession with cleanliness.

I didn’t know how Benjamin would react, but one thing was certain: if she succeeded, I’d be forced to move rooms.

I was lazy. I didn’t want to move.

So, I simply lifted my phone and pointed the camera at her.

Emily froze, the juice inches from tipping over. After a beat, she forced a smile and instead handed it to me.

“Sister, have some juice.”

“No.”

I glanced at Benjamin and, as if sensing my gaze, he looked up at the same moment.

In that brief exchange, I noticed his eyes, deep, as they could see through everything.

“Emily, your college entrance exams are coming up. Shouldn’t you be focusing on your studies?” Benjamin’s voice was calm, but his meaning was clear.

Emily’s lips twitched. She knew exactly what Benjamin meant; he was telling her to leave. With no other choice, she turned and walked out.

After I finished eating, the housekeeper came in to tidy up.

As usual, I spent my time typing code with one hand while scrolling through my phone with the other. Time slipped away unnoticed and before I knew it, over three hours had passed. Drowsiness crept in again.

I figured I’d take a shower before heading back to bed.

Just as I was about to get up, Benjamin finished his work and walked over, setting a bottle of medicine on the bedside table.

“It’s herbal. Good for brain nourishment.”

“Thanks, Brother.”

I eyed him suspiciously. How did he know I needed brain nutrition?

But before I could ask, he had already left the room.

I wasn’t curious enough to chase after answers. Instead, I took a shower, swallowed the medicine and soon drifted into sleep.

For the next few days, I barely left the room.

Emily kept trying to stir up trouble, but she never found the opportunity.

Benjamin, on the other hand, worked in the room every day, though we spoke little.

Then, one morning, while I was still asleep, my blanket was yanked away without warning.

I startled awake, my eyes snapping open, only to find my biological parents standing by the bed.

The one who had pulled my blanket was my father.

His voice rang out, sharp and demanding.

“How can you sleep here?”