Chapter Twenty-Four: The Best Way to Overcome Fear

As for the other half of the beatings, that story begins with her so-called good mother.

There’s an old saying: men fear choosing the wrong profession, women fear marrying the wrong man.

When Lin Fenfang realized she had married the wrong person, she didn’t immediately seek to change her fate. She remained steadfastly by Bai Zhengyi’s side. In Lin Fenfang’s own words, when Bai Zhengyi beat her, she was truly angry and wanted to leave. Yet, the moment she saw Bai Zhengyi’s face, her resolve would melt away.

The original Bai Ling summed up her mother in one phrase: a typical glutton for punishment.

Lin Fenfang would also redirect her frustrations—by beating Bai Ling and her younger brother Bai Zihao. The two children grew up in a living hell, often facing violence from both parents at once. Their lives were nothing short of miserable.

Many villagers came to persuade the parents to change; leaders from the village committee had practically worn out their shoes coming by. But in the end, nothing changed.

Under such circumstances, thinking about the future was pointless. After finishing high school, Bai Ling, with no support from her family and no means to attend university, could only set out for the city to make her own way. She worked hard, and by a twist of fate, was discovered by a talent scout and joined Starshine Entertainment.

What happened afterward needs little elaboration.

Even so, the original Bai Ling was happy. At least she had left that home behind and no longer had to endure those days of unending darkness. Because of this, Bai Ling even changed all her contact information, severing ties completely.

But now, unexpectedly, Lin Fenfang had managed to call her.

Bai Ling’s eyes flashed. “It’s either my brother who gave her the number, or the management company.”

So Bai Ling sent a message to Ge Fenfen to ask what had happened.

The reply was that Bai Ling’s parents had come to the company, proved they were indeed her biological parents, and the staff had given them her private number.

In response, Ge Fenfen called directly.

“Bai Ling, I’m sorry. This was a mistake by someone on my team. As your parents didn’t have your contact information, I figured there must be a reason. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have given it out…”

With Ge Fenfen’s intelligence, even without asking, she could probably guess the truth.

Bai Ling interrupted her. “Sister Ge, say no more. I just wanted to know what happened. I won’t dwell on it.”

After hanging up, Bai Ling began to think.

Judging from Lin Fenfang’s reaction, she had only recently discovered that Bai Ling had changed her number.

“So, in the past two to three years, this mother never once tried to contact me?”

Bai Ling searched her memories and found, just as she suspected, that it was true.

“How touching—a loving, devoted mother. She never contacted me for years, but now, of all times, she suddenly appears. She must have heard about my recent success.”

Elderly folks in rural areas seldom care about trends. Even when the TV is on, they mostly just listen to the background noise. Bai Ling’s song, “Under the Sea,” had gone viral online, but only in internet circles. Her parents shouldn’t have known about it.

“So what’s really going on? Or maybe I’m wrong?”

As Bai Ling pondered this, Lin Fenfang called again.

Staring at the number, Bai Ling’s eyes gleamed.

If it were the original Bai Ling, she would be feeling fear, disgust, resistance—perhaps she would flee. What must a child have gone through, what words must she have heard from her own parents, to be so repulsed and terrified?

Bai Ling tried to recall, but just the memory made her feel physically ill.

“Too bad. I am not who I once was.”

She answered the phone.

A true warrior once said, the best way to banish fear is to confront it. Onward…

“Bai Ling, you little wretch—what’s your problem? Why did you hang up on me just now? Think you’ve grown wings and can fly? Without me around, you’re getting bold, aren’t you!”

A torrent of abuse crashed down, not even giving Bai Ling a chance to breathe. Lin Fenfang was seething with rage.

But Bai Ling remained composed. Though her body trembled with instinctive fear, she kept her composure.

Just as she’d said—she was no longer the same.

“You have no right to scold me! If you keep this up, I’ll hang up again. Try me and see if I ever answer your calls again!”

Lin Fenfang was shocked into silence.

She hadn’t expected her daughter to speak to her like this.

“You—” She nearly cursed again but held back, remembering there was business to attend to.

“Fine, I won’t scold you. I’ve heard about you. Apparently, you’re famous now, making money. Send me two million!”

Bai Ling was stunned. “Two million?”

She did have that amount in her account, but she’d sooner throw it into the street than give it to her mother.

Two million, just like that? And with this attitude? Did she think of Bai Ling as nothing but a walking ATM?

Bai Ling fell silent, then sneered. “Money? No reason, just two million out of the blue? You’ve worked before—you know what two million means. Let me be clear: I don’t have it!”

Lin Fenfang erupted again, barely able to control her tone.

“How are you talking to me? Don’t you know how hard it is to earn money? Who raised you? You owe me! If you don’t have two million, then one million. That you can manage, right? Stop wasting time!”

Bai Ling’s eyes grew cold. She had no patience left.

“Wait and see.”

She hung up, opened her computer, and began calculating.

After entering the numbers, she made a call to Ge Fenfen.

“Sister Ge, transfer sixty thousand to my parents. That’s the total cost of raising me. From now on, no matter what they ask, refuse them. And help me change my phone number—I don’t want them to contact me again.”

Her body, her hair, all came from her parents. Aside from that and the scraps of food she was given, those were Bai Zhengyi and Lin Fenfang’s only acts of kindness toward her.

Why only sixty thousand? For that, she could thank the state’s compulsory education, which spared her school fees, and the neighbors who, when her parents were busy gambling, would often bring food so she and her brother wouldn’t starve.

So, sixty thousand was more than enough.