Chapter 112

Chapter 112

The people in the conference room exchanged glances at the sound of the door opening, all turning toward the entrance.

Lin Tingyue stood there, her eyes curved into a smile. "Hello, I'm Lin Tingyue, the new arrival."

They'd known the branch office would be getting a new president today—the Lin family's second daughter—but they hadn't expected her to have such sharp instincts.

Wei Qianfeng, nearest to the door, stood up. "President Lin, please have a seat."

As Lin Tingyue sat, everyone automatically cleared a space for Wei Qianfeng.

Frowning at the PPT images, Lin Tingyue asked, "You're planning to invite them?"

With dirt about to come out, who would dare?

Wei Qianfeng backpedaled instantly: "No, absolutely not."

Lin Tingyue: "?"

"That's odd. What changed suddenly? Did they already hit trending?"

Phew. Bullet dodged. If they got exposed and dragged the company onto trending with them, it'd be public shaming.

Lin Tingyue checked her phone. "No, nothing yet."

Wei Qianfeng cleared her throat. "Here's the thing, President Lin—we haven't finished background checks. You know how risky entertainment industry partnerships can be..."

"Tell me about it!"

"Take those two—they starred in three dramas together. Their breakout romance drama? Turns out yesterday they were separately dating the supporting actors from that same show."

"No way!"

They really squeezed every drop from one production.

"Then find some better options. Show me the list when you've decided."

After Lin Tingyue left, Wei Qianfeng joked, "With President Lin's sharp eye, any list she sees must feel like playing Minesweeper."

Qiao Qingning elbowed her. "You're joking about President Lin? If headquarters hears, you'll be in big trouble."

"They'll can me, whatever... Hey, there's a new grilled squid stall on Food Street—absolutely amazing. Qingning, tried it yet?"

Qiao Qingning: "?"

Weren't we just discussing work? When did this become about food?

"Qingning? You spacing out?"

Qiao Qingning was marveling at Wei Qianfeng's bottomless pit of an appetite—how could anyone be this food-obsessed?

Back in her office, Lin Tingyue replied to Lin Yuhuan's check-in text: "Holding up."

Surveying her bare desk, she unpacked three lucky cats from a box. Employees peeking in saw the figurines waving in perfect synchronization.

Employees: "..."

Now they understood their new boss's... unique approach.

On his way home from work, Lin Yuhuan swung by to pick up Lin Tingyue.

Lin Tingyue was about to get in the car when she spotted someone in the back seat. The window slowly rolled down, and she exclaimed, "Mom, what brings you here?"

Bai Yaxin smiled. "I was free anyway, so I came to get you after work."

"Then why are you in elder brother's car?"

Lin Tingyue climbed in and sat beside Bai Yaxin, who took her hand. "Because I wanted to surprise you."

Lin Tingyue was on the verge of tears. She'd never known what it felt like to have someone waiting to take her home.

"Mom," she said, burying herself in Bai Yaxin's arms.

"Come now, you're not a child anymore."

Before the moment got too mushy, Lin Yuhuan cut in with feigned annoyance. "Mom, why don't you ever pick me up?"

"You need picking up? Who was the kid dying to walk to school by himself in first grade? Need I say more?"

Lin Yuhuan: "..."

"I just wanted to be independent early."

"So how's that whole independence thing going, Boss Lin?" Bai Yaxin teased.

Lin Yuhuan cleared his throat. "Seatbelts on. We're heading home."

Lin Tingyue played along. "Yes, Boss Lin."

Bai Yaxin deadpanned, "I didn't notice before—we've got two bosses in this car."

Lin Tingyue held up three fingers. "Three bosses! Don't forget President Bai!"

Bai Yaxin cracked up at this, and amid the laughter, Lin Yuhuan started the engine.

At dinner, Lin Chengyan dropped a chicken leg into Lin Tingyue's bowl. "How was your first day?"

"Pretty good."

Lin Chengyan snorted and added some sweet and sour pork to her plate. "The staff treating you right? No trouble?"

"Is this genuine concern, or are you fattening me up?"

Lin Chengyan looked indignant—this wasn't some spy movie. "Who's concerned about—"

Meeting her confused stare, he backpedaled. "I'm checking on my investment, not you."

Lin Tingyue blinked. "Second brother, that hard up for cash?"

Lin Chengyan: "..."

"No. But without your share, production would be dead in the water."

Lin Tingyue lit up. "So I'm that important?"

Seeing her beaming face, Lin Chengyan couldn't help but relent. He grumbled half-heartedly, "Believe what you want," though the corner of his mouth twitched.

Here's the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Lin Tingyue really holds a special place in their family.

"Second brother, don't worry, I'll definitely invest in you... Second brother, what are you doing?"

Lin Chengyan held up his phone, "Recording this to send to Ying An."

Lin Tingyue: "...?"

"Second brother, how much you and Ying An share everything really suffocates me."

Lin Chengyan paused and suddenly asked, "By the way, Lin Tingyue, did you notice the bouquet of flowers on the balcony when you came back?"

Lin Tingyue asked in confusion, "What flowers?"

Bai Yaxin pointed to the balcony, "Right there. Looks like Ying sent them to congratulate you on your first day at work."

Lin Yuhuan asked, "Why not send them to the company?"

Lin Chengyan said nonchalantly, "Probably worried it'd be too showy?"

Before anyone could blink, Lin Tingyue was gone, her excited voice coming from the balcony, "Oh my god, sunflowers! My favorite!"

Lin Chengyan: "..."

More like worried Tingyue would show off with those flowers everywhere!

After dinner, they all settled on the couch to watch TV.

Lin Rusong looked at the gala logo and asked curiously, "The Lantern Festival isn't for days, and there's already a gala?"

Lin Tingyue, chewing on dried mango, mumbled, "Dad, you have no idea how many special shows they make now, for any excuse really."

"Is that so..."

Lin Chengyan made a grab for some of Lin Tingyue's dried mango. She stared at him and said pointedly, "Second brother, didn't you just say it's bad to snack right after eating?"

"I was wrong."

"That's all it takes to get you to admit it?"

Lin Chengyan raised an eyebrow, "What, shocked?"

"Just wait till you're out later..."

"Alright," Bai Yaxin interrupted the bickering siblings, "the show's starting."

The show opened with a cutesy duet from some couple, the way they were eye-fucking each other so obvious even Lin Rusong and Bai Yaxin could tell their relationship was special.

Bai Yaxin murmured, "They're for real, right?"

Lin Rusong affirmed, "No way that's fake. They've probably been together for years."

"They were together - until this afternoon."

"Wait, what?"

"The male actor got caught going to a hotel with another male actor, and the female actor was making out with some actress under a streetlamp..." "Well damn, men kissing men, women kissing women - that's some drama."

Bai Yaxin and Lin Rusong watched the couple's performance again, thinking how professional they both were.

"If they weren't professional, they'd face astronomical compensation fees."

Yikes.

After the opening act, Lin Tingyue lost interest. She lowered her head to check the newly released list in the work group chat. Just as she finished sending a message telling everyone not to work after hours, Lin Chengyan gave her a light tap on the shoulder.

Lin Tingyue looked up and asked, "Second Brother, what is it?"

Lin Chengyan pointed outside the floor-to-ceiling window at a slender figure. "Your sunflower [nickname for Ying An] is here."

Lin Tingyue put down her phone and ran out, coming face-to-face with Ying An. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I came to congratulate CEO Lin."

"You knew?"

Lin Tingyue belatedly remembered she'd told Ying An herself. She smiled. "Oh right, you knew."

"Yes, and I brought you a gift."

"The sunflowers don’t count?"

"Not to me."

Ying An produced a velvet box, and Lin Tingyue's mind went blank.

"Is he proposing?"

Ying An froze. The Lin family inside crowded by the window. What had they missed? How had this turned into a proposal?

"Seriously, Lin Tingyue?"

Just a misunderstanding?

A misunderstanding made more sense.

Ying An stared intently at Lin Tingyue. As a top star, his striking looks left people speechless when he gazed at them like this.

To put it simply, he was so handsome it was overwhelming.

"Sooo handsome!"

Bai Yaxin: "..."

"Sweetheart, could you be any less composed?"

Ying An's ears turned pink at the sudden praise. Softly, he said, "It’s a necklace—a sunflower."

Lin Tingyue blinked as the delicate pendant dangled in front of her. Her pulse raced when she reached for it.

The necklace sparkled between her fingers as she gazed in surprise at Ying An.

"No, not a ring," he said.

Lin Tingyue turned pink. "I never said it was..."

With a playful smile, Ying An kneeled, plucked a stem of grass, and fashioned it into a ring before holding it out to her.

Lin Tingyue’s heart skipped a beat again.

“So, what’s this about?”

Ying An asked with a smile, “Can this work as a ring?”

Lin Tingyue forced herself to answer, “Well, it can, but...”

“Ying An’s ring—what does that have to do with me?”

Her mind was a jumbled mess in her panic.

“You can’t propose with a dogtail ring—we’d break up!”

“Oh, I see—this must be a drama trope... even the God of Wealth has a romance plot now... Speaking of which, would Mr. Ying pay me for acting?”

Seriously, Lin Tingyue—

The eavesdropping Lin family was exasperated—how was she still hung up on money now?

Listening to Lin Tingyue’s jumbled thoughts, Ying An knew she was nervous.

He wanted her to live freely, without worry or pressure.

Lin Tingyue should always stay her cheerful self.

And he was just a fleeting moment in her sunny world—Ying An had no clue what she really thought of him.

But now, he was done holding back.

He needed her answer.

“Lin Tingyue, will you be my girlfriend?”

“Huh? Wh-what?”

“Sure, Mr. Ying’s hot and ripped, but his girlfriend...?”

She’d honestly never considered it.

But suddenly, she asked herself—had she truly never considered it?

The moment Ying An said he was serious, they should’ve started.

“Okay, okay, I’m chicken.”

She looked at the dogtail ring in Ying An’s hand. “A coward pairs with a dogtail ring—how fitting.”

“Those abs—an eight-pack! And...”

After her mental hurricane, she reached out her hand. The sunflower necklace and dogtail ring tangled around her fingers.

Lin Tingyue blue-screened: “Wait...”

“You deserve everything.”

Not some coward with a weed ring.

But the sunflower girl, with her sunflower necklace—Lin Tingyue deserved every good thing.

"So, what's next?" Lin Tingyue, who had somehow ended up in a relationship, was still bewildered.

Ying An smiled warmly. "Your call."

Lin Tingyue suddenly hugged Ying An tightly, her heart screaming triumphantly—

"HAHA! I'm officially taken!"

Ying An: "...?"

The Lin family: "...?"

*Where’s their precious cabbage?!* (Chinese slang for a cherished family member)

...

"Lin Tingyue, why are you dressed so fancy? Where are you headed?"

The moment Lin Chengyan saw her, his jaw dropped.

"Mom said there’s a banquet."

"Not going to work?"

"It’s Saturday."

"No date?"

"Love can wait—gossip can’t!"

More gossip?

Meeting Lin Chengyan’s curious stare, Lin Tingyue confessed, "Mr. Ying will be there too."

"I see," Lin Chengyan made an *"OK"* gesture. "Sneaking in your own romance at someone else’s event."

"Why does it feel like building love like a puzzle?"

What on earth is "building love like a puzzle"?

Lin Chengyan couldn’t figure it out. He clapped his hands. "What time are we leaving?"

"Around five. Second Brother, you coming?"

"Obviously."

No way he’d miss the drama!

At 5:30 p.m., the Lin family headed out.

Both Lin Yuhuan and Lin Rusong joined, saying they wanted to expand Lin Tingyue’s network.

Just as introductions were wrapping up, a waiter got splashed with wine.

"Are you blind? Watch where you’re going!"

A middle-aged woman with flawless makeup laid into the waiter. Oddly, the waiter just gripped the tray and stayed silent.

"What, nothing to say? Don’t act like I’m *bullying you again*."

Here's the improved translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

The people around were trying to persuade the woman, "Forget it, there's no need to ruin your mood over a server."

But the woman wasn't backing down, "Today, I'm going to single her out, just to show her what happens when you mess with me."

Someone whispered, "Could it be that these two know each other?"

"The server is this woman's mother-in-law."

Mother-in-law?

But they were dressed like night and day—could they really be related as in-laws?

While everyone was puzzled, the male host of the banquet arrived.

He spotted his wife in the red gown amidst the crowd and walked over, frowning as he asked, "What are you doing now?"

The woman was still stunned by what she'd just heard—how could this be her mother-in-law? It had to be fake.

She tossed her head arrogantly, "If you can't manage your employees, I'll help you."

The man looked at the server soaked with wine. "Even if you want to make your point, you can't just pour wine on her. What are you waiting for? Go change your clothes."

"Huh... It feels like the man knows something, but the woman is completely in the dark and is just targeting this server. Could there be more to the story?"

What more could there be?

Seeing how concerned the man was about the server, the woman gave an exaggerated eye roll. "Give your mom a call and see if she's arrived yet."

"I'm standing right in front of you..."

Lin Tingyue blurted out the lyrics, and Ying An followed the voice to find her.

Lin Tingyue got flustered and mumbled, "Mr. Ying, you're here."

"See? This proves you should aim high—like shooting for a hot boyfriend!"

Lin Chengyan: "?"

He had been about to step in to ease Lin Tingyue's awkwardness, but it turned out to be this kind of awkwardness?

Ying An quirked a smile. "Yes, I got held up, so I'm late."

"It's fine, the food will still be here."

Lin Tingyue offered Ying An an egg tart she'd tried and liked. Ying An asked softly, "Do you think I came for the food?"

Lin Tingyue beamed up at him. "You definitely came for me. Since you're already here, why not enjoy some delicious food?"

Ying An chuckled. "Alright."

After eating an egg tart, the server who had gone to change returned, and the man's mother—the one the woman had mentioned—also arrived.

The four stood in a tense standoff. The woman jabbed the man's arm in annoyance. "What's wrong with you? Don't you recognize your own mother?"

"The problem is, that's not his mother either."

Huh???

"Wait—rich families get multiple moms now?"

Tu Song shot a look at the server, his expression darkening as he demanded, "You're saying you're my mom?"

The woman seemed rattled but met his gaze steadily. "Yes, it's been years, but you'd still know your own mother, wouldn't you?"

Tu Song snarled through clenched teeth. "You're definitely not my mother."

"Then where's your mom?" Li Fan asked.

Tu Song grabbed the server's hand sharply. "Mom, I told you not to work here. Now look—someone's impersonating you. Probably another one of Dad's side pieces."

"No way! A server in this family is actually—"

Everyone: "..."

"Here's your Pulitzer for tabloid journalism."

Leng Shan gasped, "A mistress???"

"Hell, I'm no mistress. I've got the marriage license right here." Li Fan pulled out a red booklet from her bag, flashing a wedding photo of her with Tu Song's father.

Tu Song felt his stomach drop. He instinctively turned to the server. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Can't you see? The real wife just got demoted to side chick!"