Chapter 106

Chapter 106

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Bai Yaxin and Lin Rusong took the kids to Feng Chao’s place.

The moment they stepped inside, Lin Chengyan and Lin Tingyue were the first to chime in, “Grandma, Happy New Year!”

Lin Yuhuan and Lin Xiawan followed right after, “Grandma, Happy New Year!”

Feng Chao beamed, “Wonderful, wonderful! Happy New Year! Come grab your red envelopes from Grandma!”

After Feng Chao handed them out, then came red packets from the eldest uncle and third uncle—Feng Mu had dropped by too.

Once the envelopes were distributed, Feng Mu pushed up her glasses and asked, “Why didn’t that good-looking guy from before come?”

Lin Chengyan grumbled, “Auntie, aren’t I a handsome young man?”

Feng Mu chuckled, “Of course you are.”

“Then why’re you still thinking about someone else?”

Feng Mu teased, “Can’t I admire two handsome fellows at once?”

Lin Chengyan: “...”

Touché.

“Oh, Auntie, forget that other guy—my big brother’s right here. Take your pick: domineering CEO or idol material. One’s bound to tickle your fancy.”

Lin Yuhuan: “?”

Domineering? Please—I’m totally approachable!

Bai Yaxin gave Lin Chengyan a light smack. “Lin Chengyan, mind your manners around Auntie.”

Feng Mu cackled, waving her off. “Relax, Yaxin. Your Chengyan’s always been a smooth-talker since he was tiny.”

Bai Yaxin sighed. “Smooth-talker? More like he can’t keep his mouth shut. Auntie, you’ve no idea—when he joined the entertainment industry, Rusong and I were terrified he’d put his foot in his mouth and offend everyone.”

Feng Mu brushed it aside. “Ah, he’s grown now. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

Lin Chengyan straightened up and preened.

“But I really do want to meet that one—Ying An, was it?”

Lin Chengyan stiffened. Why was Ying An being mentioned?

Feng Mu turned to Lin Tingyue, who was happily scarfing down dried mango. “Ying An didn’t come. Doesn’t Tingyue miss him?”

Lin Tingyue blinked blankly. “Huh?”

“Why would I miss Mr. Ying?”

Feng Mu cut to the chase. “He’s into you, isn’t he?”

“Into—” Lin Tingyue gestured at herself, “me?”

“Yep.”

The Lin family was floored. No one saw it coming that Feng Mu would just blurt it out like that. Gotta hand it to the older generation—they’ve got the biggest hearts.

Everyone craned their necks to see Lin Tingyue’s reaction.

But before Lin Tingyue could react, they first heard her laughter.

“PFFFT—HAHAHAHA! This is the funniest joke I’ve ever heard.”

Everyone: “?”

Since when is this funny?

Lin Tingyue dusted the powdered sugar from her hands, pulled out her phone, and filled Ying An in. No reply came—probably busy filming—so she didn’t think much of it.

After hitting send, she walked over to Feng Mu, eyes crinkled with amusement. “Auntie, quit playing Cupid.”

Feng Mu: “?”

She’d *never* been more spot-on, hello?

Oh well. Kids’ll figure it out. If Tingyue wasn’t clued in yet, so be it.

Lin Chengyan shook his head. “Next-level obliviousness.”

Not that the Lins cared. Whether Tingyue dated or not didn’t matter—they just wanted her happy.

“Let’s eat!”

At the table, Lin Xiawan got a text from Lin Qiyan, who’d been sleuthing all night, practically vetting every celeb in showbiz to ID who was “picking favorites” in fan chats. Did Xiawan have intel?

Xiawan shot a glance at Tingyue, who met her eyes. She gave a fond smile.

Tingyue had already moved on, leaving them all hanging without the tea.

Hearing from Qiyan threw her for a loop.

But most of the Lin relatives were solid folks. They never ignored her—always said hi at gatherings, made small talk.

They were helping her fit in, and Xiawan was really touched.

Too bad she actually had no clue.

After sending an “IDK” meme, she set her phone down.

Post-dinner, Feng Chao called for a mahjong game.

Tingyue, still a newbie, sat this round out. When Chengyan took a seat, she slid him some cash.

Lin Chengyan: “?”

“Lin Tingyue. What’s this?”

She grinned. “C’mon, Second Bro. You spotted me yesterday—my turn today. Fair’s fair.”

Chengyan eyed her, catching that mischievous glint.

If he bought that, he’d be an idiot. She was totally pulling a fast one on him.

“Lin Tingyue. You’re not loan-sharking your own brother, are you?”

Lin Tingyue shook her head wistfully, "People these days are just too wicked," she said.

Lin Chengyan: "?"

"So now I'm the bad guy?"

"Tingyue, come sit by Granny."

Feng Chao called Lin Tingyue, who responded and dashed over.

Lin Chengyan: "..."

Whatever, he thought. If it really was a loan shark situation, he could afford it anyway.

After pulling up a chair to sit next to Feng Chao, Lin Tingyue's eyes went wide.

"Hey, do you all remember the Zhang family drama?" Feng Chao casually asked while playing her tile.

Feng Mu, sitting across from Feng Chao, chimed in, "After how ugly things got back then, who could forget? Now their whole family avoids us insiders."

Bai Yaxin asked, "What happened with the Zhang family?"

"Oh, Yaxin, you don't know? Old Zhang's eldest daughter-in-law was hooking up with his second son."

"Tch tch, and that's not all - Old Zhang's wife later became his eldest daughter-in-law."

Lin Tingyue and Lin Xiawan exchanged glances - now that's some juicy gossip!

"The older generation's gossip is truly next-level."

Of course, compared to their era, today's young people's scandals are nothing.

Lin Tingyue then got served several more juicy stories. Both Lin Xiawan and Bai Yaxin at the mahjong table had their attention completely diverted, playing half-heartedly and losing several rounds.

Looking between her mother and aunt, Bai Yaxin sighed helplessly, "Are you two doing this on purpose?"

The sisters just chuckled. Feng Chao said, "Yaxin, if you can't handle it, don't blame us."

Feng Mu added, "Exactly! And I've got another juicy story..."

Lin Rusong massaged Bai Yaxin's shoulders and asked smilingly, "Honey, how much did you lose this afternoon?"

"Not too much."

Bai Yaxin held up that many fingers.

Lin Rusong said, "However much you lost, I'll cover it."

He then turned to Lin Xiawan sitting nearby, "Same for Xiawan."

Lin Xiawan grinned, "Thanks, Dad."

Lin Rusong looked around but didn't see Lin Tingyue. He murmured, "Where's our little gold-digger?"

The little gold-digger was currently settling up with her beloved second brother.

Lin Chengyan grumbled, "I knew it was some shady interest."

"You're the one who said yesterday we had to account for every last cent," she shot back.

Lin Chengyan snorted, crossing his arms. "Lin Tingyue, you really know how to hold a grudge."

Lin Tingyue blinked her big eyes. "Damn right I do."

"Ting Yue, come here quick! Granny's got a little bunny for you."

The grudge-holder, not getting a penny, dashed off in a flash.

Lin Chengyan: "..."

What do you call this? A grudge with an expiration date?

Ting Yue's attention span is something else entirely.

While Ting Yue went to play with the bunny, Chengyan had nothing to do, sprawled on the couch and opening his phone. Zhu Cheng just then messaged him.

Assistant Zhu: "Brother Chengyan, quick, look! Another top star is getting canceled on the hot search."

Lin Chengyan: "Big deal, another scandal?"

Despite saying that, his fingers moved on their own as he tapped into Weibo.

Wow, this was a major top star, right up there with him and Ying An—one of the first-generation idols too. Just last month, his new album won an award.

Chengyan scrolled through the details and suddenly realized it matched exactly what Ting Yue had said about the "'pure' boy" picking hookups from his fan group.

"See? The truth always comes out eventually."

"From day one, he was flirting with fans and sending them explicit photos. After he got famous, his management paid off those fans to stay quiet. Even now, his fan groups still include minors."

Isn't this illegal?

And despite the overwhelming evidence, his fans are still spamming the hashtags, screaming foul play and demanding his studio clarify.

In the end, the studio stayed silent, but a bunch of his former top fans came forward instead.

[I can confirm all this is true. He was never a good person.]

[No way, I refuse to believe it! This is just kicking someone when they're down.]

[Seriously? He was already a wreck—who needs to kick him?]

[I still have recordings of his manager contacting me back then. Are those fake too?]

Finally getting her drama fix, Lin Qiyan was completely satisfied.

Just then, her mom and dad knocked on her door.

Lin Qiyan: "Come in."

Jiang Yun and Lin Ruqiao entered. Jiang Yun sat by Qiyan's bedside while Ruqiao stood. Jiang Yun gently stroked Qiyan's hair.

Qiyan could tell something was up. "Mom, Dad, what's wrong?"

"Do you remember your Uncle Cheng's son?"

Qiyan thought for a moment. "Cheng Zifei?"

She remembered teasing Cheng Zifei about his name when they were kids, saying it sounded like "a flying orange," and that he must really hate anything related to oranges.

So much time had passed since then. Later, Cheng Zifei went overseas for studies, and the two lost touch.

"Yeah, Cheng Zifei recently returned from abroad and wants to meet you."

"Yeah, sure." Lin Qiyan didn’t understand why her parents were being so serious. "Thinking about it, it’s been a long time since I last saw him. Is he married?"

Jiang Yun glanced at Lin Ruqiao, who replied, "Not yet."

Lin Qiyan chuckled, "Did he grow out of being handsome? Not as good-looking as before?"

Jiang Yun smiled. "You and your teasing."

After a pause, she asked, "Do you want to contact him yourself, or should your father and I bring it up with Uncle Cheng?"

Lin Qiyan thought for a moment. "Just pass me his number. I’ll reach out to him."

"Alright."

As Jiang Yun and Lin Ruqiao were leaving, Lin Qiyan suddenly realized.

They were worried she still carried that old hurt, and that Cheng Zifei’s request to meet might upset her. If she wasn’t comfortable with it, they would call it off, no matter what it took.

Lin Qiyan hopped out of bed and pulled her parents into a tight hug.

"Alright," Lin Ruqiao cleared his throat awkwardly. He had always been the stern type and wasn’t used to such closeness with his daughter. "As long as you’re okay, your mother and I are at ease."

Then, he hurried out.

Jiang Yun pointed at his back as he left and whispered, "He’s shy."

Lin Qiyan laughed.

Meanwhile, the Lin family had dinner at the house before heading home. As they entered the gated community, they noticed a crowd had gathered in front of one villa, with bright lights flooding the yard. From the car, the Lin family clearly saw a middle-aged woman kneeling before a younger woman.

Bai Yaxin asked, "What’s going on?"

Lin Rusong shook his head. "No clue. Wanna check it out?"

"Sure."

Without knowing the full story, the Lin family held back from judging, but the crowd had no such restraint.

"Your mother raised you, and this is how you repay her? Such an ungrateful brat!"

The younger woman replied, "If you’re so eager to be the hero, why don’t you take her in and support her in your own home?"

"You—I’ve never seen a daughter like you, refusing to care for her own mother."

"Well, now you have."

Another person tried to help the middle-aged woman up. "Ma’am, kneeling like this won’t solve anything. Since your daughter is heartless, here’s an idea—take her to court. She’s legally required to support you."

"Required, sure. But giving her a few hundred a month is nothing. And if I’m feeling petty, I might just convert that money into things she doesn’t even need."

"How can you be so cruel? Living in a grand villa but unwilling to care for your own mother—what a cold-hearted piece of work!"

"Cold-hearted, that’s me. What are you gonna do about it?"

Here's the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Though the young woman came off harsh, her eyes shimmered with tears—she was just putting up a tough front.

"I can't stand watching this kind of drama at all."

What's going on?

Did karma finally catch up?

Then get this troublemaker out of here.

"When the daughter was in high school, her mother claimed she had renounced worldly attachments, sold the house, and donated all the money to a temple, leaving not a single cent for her daughter. As a result, the daughter often went hungry, gritted her teeth, and worked part-time to support herself through school—only then did she achieve what she has today."

"And now, the mother, who once 'renounced worldly attachments,' is old and comes back to guilt-trip her daughter into supporting her. Does her 'enlightenment' come and go as it suits her?"

The onlookers were stunned—this is messed up!

The one who'd tried to intervene quickly dropped her hand.

Those who had spoken up for the middle-aged woman earlier now felt like fools.

"Don't judge by appearances, and hearing isn't always the truth."

Everyone lowered their heads in shame.

Lin Tingyue stepped forward, took the young woman's hand, and met her gaze warmly: "You've done nothing wrong. Keep living your best life."

The young woman nodded, and as she lowered her head, a tear fell—only to be gently wiped away by Tingyue.

When she looked up again, she put her tough face back on.

She pushed the middle-aged woman away and swept a glance over the crowd. "Show's over, folks."

The onlookers, knowing they'd misjudged, quickly dispersed.

The middle-aged woman shouted, "You can't leave! You can't! You have to help me confront this unfilial daughter—"

Nobody stuck around. The daughter she had lured outside shut the door on her, ignoring her no matter how much she knocked.

In the end, she called security to have the woman removed.

Back in the car, Bai Yaxin said, "What was she thinking? Even if she 'renounced worldly attachments,' she should have made sure her daughter was taken care of first. The girl was at an age where she needed her family's support, and she just abandoned her like that."

"Exactly. Probably couldn't be bothered to raise her. There are too many people nowadays who don't deserve to be parents," Lin Rusong remarked.

"If you choose to be a parent, you must take responsibility for your child."

"Mom's right!"

Bai Yaxin smiled and took both her daughters' hands.

Once home, Bai Yaxin said, "Everyone must be tired today. Wash up and go to bed early. Certain little cash-counting fiends still need to count how many red packets they received today."

"Mom couldn't possibly be talking about me, right?"

Bai Yaxin bit back a smile.

Back in her room, Ting Yue hopped in the shower first, towel-dried her hair, flopped onto the bed, and started scrolling through her phone.

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

When there were no more videos to scroll through, she opened a shopping app. Things she used to hesitate buying were now within easy reach, but Lin Tingyue resisted the urge to place an order.

She hadn’t forgotten—there was still a branch company waiting for her. As a boss, she needed to keep her finances solid.

Holding her phone, she murmured, "This is surreal."

But she remembered that all of this stemmed from the love the Lin family had given her.

The Lins had treated her so well; she would definitely repay them in the future.

As she thought about it, she started feeling sleepy. Lin Tingyue went to blow-dry her hair and felt awake again.

"Ugh, so annoying."

As she paced around, Lin Tingyue inexplicably opened her chat with Ying An. He hadn’t replied yet, but as she stared at the message she had sent, she felt oddly unsettled.

What’s up with this? Lin Tingyue pressed a hand to her chest. Everything had been fine back at her grandmother’s house.

"Must be my emo phase hitting."

Lin Tingyue opened a music app and played some patriotic songs, instantly feeling like a paragon of virtue, a model youth, and a future leader.

When she looked back at that message, it seemed much more normal.

But!

Just as Lin Tingyue had steadied her emotions, Ying An’s reply appeared out of nowhere.

Lin Tingyue gasped, "!"

Before she could even read it, her finger slipped, and she accidentally closed the chat.

On the other end, Ying An watched as the "typing…" notification disappeared.

He felt a twinge of regret—had he replied the wrong way?

Did he scare Lin Tingyue?

In reality, Lin Tingyue hadn’t even clearly seen what he had sent.

"Overthinking again~"

Humming a tune, Lin Tingyue reopened the chat.

"What if I told you I wasn’t joking…"

Muttering to herself, Lin Tingyue froze. "Wait, seriously?"

Just then, the patriotic song she had chosen ended, and the music app auto-played a chart-topping love song.

The thumping beat mirrored her heartbeat. Suddenly, it hit her—did Ying An have feelings for her?