Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lin Tingyue and Lin Xiawan were given a ride by Uncle Zhang when they arrived. Before leaving, Uncle Zhang told them to call him when they wanted to go home so he could pick them up.

Now that Lin Yuhuan was also heading back, Lin Tingyue and Lin Xiawan could just ride with him, saving Uncle Zhang another trip.

The man in the back seat was noble and elegant, a perfect match for the jewelry in the trunk. Lin Tingyue tried to strike up a conversation with her brother who looked like a model: "Brother, why were you at the jewelry store?"

Lin Yuhuan turned to look at Lin Tingyue. He had never been particularly close to his siblings growing up and didn’t really know how to act around them. Now that he knew Lin Tingyue wasn’t his biological sister—while Lin Xiawan was—he felt even more at a loss.

After a moment’s thought, he said, sounding slightly warmer, "I was inspecting the jewelry store today. Mom called and asked me to take you two home on the way."

"Wait, but you totally looked like you were there to kill someone just now."

Lin Xiawan couldn’t help but glance at the composed, reserved man leaning against the car window.

Lin Yuhuan coughed lightly. "Then the manager messaged me saying you two were surrounded by some sketchy people."

"Sketchy people? No, no, they were more like a tough big sis and her little bro."

Lin Yuhuan fell silent.

Lin Tingyue stared at the suddenly quiet Lin Yuhuan and asked, "Brother, what’s wrong?"

Lin Yuhuan brought his fist to his mouth. "I’m just glad you two are okay."

"Not just okay—we also got to enjoy some hot gossip. This trip was so worth it."

As the car passed by a fruit shop, Lin Yuhuan’s gaze lingered on the vibrant green watermelons. On impulse, he suggested, "How about we buy some watermelon to take home?"

Lin Tingyue: "Wait, what?"

...

Lin Rusong came in right behind Lin Yuhuan and the others. Bai Yaxin instructed Zhang Ma to start serving dinner and said to Lin Tingyue, "Tingyue, go call your second brother down for dinner."

Lin Tingyue replied obediently, "Okay."

And so, she geared up to pester her second brother.

Lin Rusong slipped over to Bai Yaxin, pointed at Lin Tingyue’s disappearing back, and asked, "Is this really okay?"

Without even looking up, Bai Yaxin replied, "What’s the problem? If Tingyue wants to mess around, let her. If Xiawan wants to join in, she can too."

Lin Xiawan shook her head.

Play? With second brother?

Oblivious to their conversation, Lin Tingyue had already reached the elevator on the first floor. Yes, rich people's houses had elevators—she couldn’t understand why everyone insisted on taking the stairs.

Especially her second brother, whose back always looked so mournful and pitiful whenever he dragged himself up the stairs.

*Please analyze the function of this staircase.*

Lin Chengyan’s room was on the third floor. Lin Tingyue knocked on the door. When Lin Chengyan, his hair sticking up everywhere and looking utterly unkempt, opened the door and saw Lin Tingyue standing there, he snapped to attention, his throat going dry. "What's up?"

Should he tell this sister of his that he really couldn’t take any more surprises?

Lin Tingyue let out a dry laugh, "Second brother, that look of yours is... something else."

"It’s the kind that’d make fans drop you in a heartbeat."

Lin Chengyan immediately ruffled his hair, eyeing Lin Tingyue warily. "Cut to the chase."

"Mom asked me to call you down for dinner."

"Even if your crush won’t dine with you, you still need to eat, you know."

Lin Chengyan: "..."

No defense is enough—none at all!

As Lin Chengyan followed Lin Tingyue downstairs, he threw on a cap and cranked up his headphones, blasting the music at full volume, thinking this would block out Lin Tingyue’s inner voice. But...

Why was it suddenly stereo?!

Lin Tingyue’s voice merged with the music he was playing... Seriously? Did she get her own background score?

At that moment, some hype track shuffled on, and even her voice somehow got amped up.

Lin Chengyan: "..."

Defeated, he yanked off his headphones and kept walking, only to be stopped by Lin Tingyue.

"Hey, genius—elevator’s right here."

"It’s three floors. Since when do we need elevators?"

"Uh, lazy? Duh."

Lin Chengyan: "-_-"

Lin Tingyue, what exactly are you so proud of? This level of laziness is next-level.

In the end, Lin Tingyue took the elevator, while Lin Chengyan stubbornly chose the stairs.

"Ohhh, I get it now—Second brother is trying to tell me that his devotion to his goddess is as unwavering as his determination to take the stairs, till the end of time."

"The stairs really do serve a purpose. Walking them makes it easier to play up his tragic second-lead syndrome."

Wow. Someone revoke her clown license. Lin Chengyan gritted his teeth, really wanting to ask—how fatal would a stair tumble be, really?

Lin Tingyue arrived before Lin Chengyan. By the time he got there, everyone was already seated, eyes glued to him.

Lin Chengyan stiffened for a moment before saying, "My bad for the hold-up."

"Second brother, no one was waiting for you. We were waiting for the grand finale dish."

Lin Chengyan turned around to see Zhang Ma stepping past him, placing a seafood platter right in the center of the table.

The seafood platter looked straight-up mouthwatering—obviously the star here, not him.

Lin Chengyan: "..."

Bai Yaxin burst out laughing. She reached out to smooth down Lin Chengyan’s wild bedhead. "Lin Chengyan, since you’re rarely home, make sure to eat well later."

Lin Chengyan gave a noncommittal hum. Later, whatever Lin Tingyue liked, he’d swipe it right off her plate!

Bai Yaxin was in high spirits today, with both her sons and daughters present. During the meal, she even had a little wine. The only thing that bothered her was: "I wonder how A-Ru’s holding up."

Lin Rusong had just heard about the matter. He frowned and said, "How’d it get so bad they’re cutting ties?"

Bai Yaxin sighed. "You don’t understand... I was furious, let alone A-Ru... Ah, it’s a whole mess."

Bai Yaxin could empathize with Zhao Ru. Zhao Ru’s parents had passed away a few years ago, leaving her younger sister as her only remaining family. If her own son harbored such feelings toward his aunt...

Bai Yaxin couldn’t even imagine it—it made her skin crawl. She began to worry. "I know A-Ru’s character well. We’ve been friends since we were five. How could she have raised a son like Mingning?"

Lin Tingyue caught the key point.

"That’s right. Auntie Zhao is so kind, but Yun Mingning is nothing like her. Could it be that Yun Mingning isn’t her biological son?"

With a *clink*, the spoon in Bai Yaxin’s hand fell into her bowl.

Seeing this, Lin Rusong quickly said, "Sweetheart, if you wanted me to serve you soup, you could’ve just said so."

Lin Rusong took Bai Yaxin’s bowl and refilled it with soup. Glancing at their children, he boasted, "See what a catch I am? Back then, the reason your mother and I got together was all thanks to me..."

Once Lin Rusong started, he couldn’t stop. Bai Yaxin cut him off with a look, and only then did he quiet down.

"Mom and Dad are so loving. In contrast, Auntie Zhao’s situation isn’t so great."

Bai Yaxin’s ears practically perked up—what exactly wasn’t great?

Lin Tingyue scrolled absently on her phone while Bai Yaxin placed two abalones on her plate.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Awwww, Mom is so good to me. Auntie Zhao is also really nice—she gave me a beautiful necklace. Since Mom and Auntie Zhao are such good friends, I should tell Mom that Auntie Zhao has been raising someone else’s son."

Huh?

Bai Yaxin stared blankly—was Yun Mingning really not Zhao Ru’s biological son?

The family exchanged wide-eyed stares at the table.

Unaware of the tense atmosphere, Lin Tingyue continued scrolling through her phone while nibbling on her fork.

"So, Auntie Zhao’s husband was a phoenix man.* That explains it. Auntie Zhao married down, and with the Zhao family’s support, the Yun family gradually improved. But a phoenix man like him is inherently greedy—he’d never be satisfied."

"Auntie Zhao thought her husband truly loved her. They’ve been all polite and proper all these years. Back when Auntie Zhao had a difficult labor and was hospitalized, she had a baby girl. That bastard was worried the Zhao family wouldn’t leave their fortune to a daughter, so he sent the girl away and replaced her with a relative’s son."

"Seriously? If not to their granddaughter, would they give it to you, a gold-digging son-in-law?"

Bai Yaxin nearly bent the spoon in half. When Zhao Ru had her difficult delivery, her parents happened to be abroad on business. Bai Yaxin rushed to the hospital to accompany her.

At the time, it was just her and Zhao Ru’s husband holding down the fort. After Zhao Ru gave birth safely, Bai Yaxin slipped out for a minute to retrieve soup Zhang Ma had delivered at the hospital entrance. Who would’ve thought that bastard would pull this stunt?

How dare he bully her best friend like this? Bai Yaxin gritted her teeth, itching to skin that snake alive right then and there.

But she forced herself to stay patient and kept listening.

"After Auntie Zhao’s parents passed, the Zhao family was left with just the two daughters. The family’s assets were split equally between them. That bastard planned to stage a car accident, making it look like Auntie Zhao died unexpectedly, so he could swallow her half of the fortune as her son-in-law. Jesus Christ, isn’t this just grave-robbing a childless family?"

By this point, Lin Tingyue pushed her plate away.

*Chinese term for men who marry up economically

"I have to help Aunt Zhao!"

"Huh?"

Lin Tingyue looked up and saw Bai Yaxin push back her chair, stand up, then storm out angrily from the dining room.

She looked just like when her eldest brother had returned from the jewelry store.

Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?

Lin Tingyue thought Bai Yaxin would come back, but instead, Bai Yaxin grabbed her bag and walked right out.

Lin Tingyue asked confusedly, "What’s wrong with Mom?"

Lin Rusong gently explained for Bai Yaxin, "Your mother feels that something as important as cutting family ties is something she should be there for Aunt Zhao."

Lin Tingyue nodded, she thought.

"Is this what BFFs for life look like?"

"Mom is good, Aunt Zhao is good, that bastard is bad!"

But the next moment, Lin Rusong also stood up.

Lin Tingyue blinked. '?'

She asked, "Then what about you, Dad?"

Lin Rusong replied, "Your mother and I have always been inseparable."

I mean, Yun Yongchang would actually kill his own wife—what if he comes after Bai Yaxin?

Lin Yuhuan and Lin Xiawan were worried too.

In the end, the whole Lin family headed over to the Mings'.