The Transmigrated Imposter Refuses To Play The Villain

Chapter 7: Playing the Fool

Adoption papers could make people siblings on paper, but they couldn't force genuine affection.

When Ashton David had first brought Lila home, Richard had already gone abroad to study. Over the years, they had existed as strangers under the same roof, exchanging little more than polite nods when their paths crossed. Richard had never cared enough to be curious about her.

That was, until last night, when her inner voice had inexplicably begun echoing in his head.

Sitting back-to-back just two chairs apart in the bustling restaurant, Richard found himself intentionally tuning in, wondering if he could catch the inner workings of her mind once more.

A few feet away, Lila remained entirely oblivious that the eldest son of the Ashton Family was stationed directly behind her. Right now, her focus was locked entirely on her target: Jenny Bright.

She flipped open the menu and ordered without a second glance. Good food or bad food didn't matter; the primary objective was to thoroughly fleece Jenny Bright of every penny she could.

Across the table, Jenny Bright watched the server log the expensive items, her chest tightening as her heart bled. To afford this outing, she was going to have to severely skimp on her own budget for weeks.

To twist the knife further, Lila flashed a bright, half-joking smile. "Bright, it's not often you treat me to a meal, so I won't hold back!"

Jenny Bright forced her face into a strained, dark smile. "Don't be polite with me, Yanyan. Order whatever makes you happy."

"Then I'm ecstatic," Lila chirped innocently. "I just had a luxury spa treatment, picked up a new designer bag, and now I get a massive meal."

Internally, Jenny Bright was ready to scream. The spa treatment had drained 150,000 from her, the bag had cost her a 50,000 loan, and now this lavish dinner was sitting squarely on her tab. Meanwhile, Lila hadn't spent a single cent of her own money all day.

Resentment clawed at Jenny Bright, completely blind to the reality that she was merely falling victim to the exact game she usually played.

And the appetizer had only just begun.

While waiting for the food to arrive, Lila pulled a crisp sheet of A4 paper and a pen smoothly from her handbag. She let out an exaggerated, heavy sigh.

"Bright... actually, I lied to you earlier," Lila said, lowering her voice with a troubled expression. "When you asked at the C Family's store if I was facing a financial crisis, I denied it. I didn't want their staff to overhear and humiliate me."

Jenny Bright frowned, taking the bait instantly. "What do you mean, Yanyan? Did something happen?"

"My family cut me off," Lila whispered, her voice laced with manufactured distress. "Because I've been constantly at odds with Sophie Ashton, we had a massive explosion at Chloe Lee's birthday party the night before last. They froze my allowances completely."

At the next table, Richard froze, a glass of water halfway to his lips. ...What?

He had stayed overnight at home during that exact birthday party, and he had heard nothing about Lila confronting her parents so dramatically.

Before he could process it further, his phone chimed with a sharp ding.

He glanced down at the screen. It was an automated bank notification detailing a routine balance update. Even though he had reached adulthood and entered the workforce, the Ashton Family tradition of distributing uniform monthly allowances to all four children—and their adopted daughter—remained unchanged.

Almost simultaneously, a matching notification chime rang out from behind him at Lila's table.

Lila looked down at her phone screen. A deposit notification flashed across her display: 200,000 yuan deposited successfully.

The corners of her mouth twitching upward, she suppressed a triumphant grin just in time, reminding herself that the performance was only halfway through. She had to savor every second of the trap closing.

"So, Bright... I'm completely broke now," Lila whimpered, leaning in. "No job, no allowance, and no idea when my adoptive parents will forgive me. Please, you have to help me out."

Jenny Bright's face paled, her lips twitching nervously. "Uh... Yanyan, you know how little weight I pull in my own household. How could I possibly help?"

"Don't worry, we're best sisters! I'd never make things impossible for you," Lila said brightly, completely contradicting her previous misery. "It's just... I need you to finally return the money you've borrowed from me over time. I printed out the ledger right here. Let's deduct the 50,000 yuan you owe for today's bag purchase right off the top."

Lila pushed the printed paper forward. "Over the last two years, you've borrowed a cumulative total of 600,000 yuan. Minus the 50,000 for the bag, you still owe 550,000 yuan. With the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up and me trying to buy peace offerings for my parents, I really need this back right now."

Jenny Bright sat paralyzed, completely flabbergasted.

She had assumed Lila had long forgotten about those scattered loans of ten or twenty thousand here and there. She never dreamed they had quietly compounded into a staggering 600,000 yuan.

Panic setting in, Jenny whipped out her banking application to check her own accounts, desperate to find a way out. But Lila smoothly seized her hand, pressing down with a warm, sisterly smile.

"I knew you'd agree to transfer it immediately! You're truly my best sister," Lila beamed innocently. "Once I win my parents back over, I'll treat you even better. Now hurry up, I need to use your funds to buy mom's diamond bracelet!"

Trapped by her own past freeloading and social posturing, Jenny had no escape route left. With trembling fingers, she executed the transfer, feeling as though her very soul had been sucked out of her body.

"Yanyan... I need to use the restroom," Jenny choked out, forcing a ghastly smile before abruptly standing up and fleeing toward the back.

The moment Jenny was out of sight, Lila leaned back, dropped the innocent act, and let out a cold, sharp scoff. "Little leech. Thinking you can freely feed off me and walk away? You really thought I was easy to bully."

Just behind the partition, Richard nearly choked on his water, coughing quietly into his napkin.

Everyone within the Ashton Family had long known about Lila's toxic friendship. Someone had warned Lila multiple times in the past, only for Lila to throw defensive tantrums every single time, snapping, "Why are the friends Sophie Ashton makes acceptable, but mine aren't?" Eventually, those warnings had stopped, leaving people to only vent privately to Ashton David.

Richard had overheard those complaints on more than one occasion.

Yet, listening to the scene that had just unfolded, a completely different picture emerged. Lila wasn't naive or foolish at all. She had weaponized acting and playing the victim to force her manipulator into paying back every single cent, executing a masterclass in psychological payback without burning any bridges openly.

When did she become such a brilliant actress? Richard wondered.

Reflecting on it, he realized he truly didn't know her at all. Their interactions had never extended beyond stiff, obligatory household nods. This was the first time he had ever witnessed her outside the controlled environment of the Ashton villa.

A slow, unbidden smile curled at the corners of Richard's mouth.

He didn't notice the expression, but the long-haired woman sitting directly across from him caught the rare sight—and sat completely dazed in silence.