Chapter 18

Chapter 18

*

After throwing out that remark, Yin Jihong turned and walked away.

Behind him, Yin Cheng seemed genuinely furious—his chest rising and falling hard, he grabbed a folding fan from the cabinet and hurled it at him hard.

It was like Yin Jihong had eyes in the back of his head. Before the fan could even touch a single strand of his hair, he swatted it away with one hand.

The fan hit the floor with a clatter. The moment he looked up, his eyes met Jin Mo's on the stairs.

Jin Mo's chest tightened.

He didn't look right—his face was pale in a way that wasn't normal, his lips so pale they were almost invisible.

She couldn't tell if it was from the fight with Yin Cheng or if he just wasn't feeling well in the first place.

Yin Cheng spotted her too. Probably embarrassed at being caught fighting in the middle of his rage, he was at a loss for words for a second. Without greeting her, he turned and went back into his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Tsk." Yin Jihong let out a lazy scoff. "That old geezer's got a worse temper than me."

Since she'd already been spotted, Jin Mo had no choice but to steel herself and head downstairs, awkward as it was.

She walked up to him, carefully avoiding any mention of the argument he'd just had with Yin Cheng, and said softly, "Brother Ji, happy new year."

Yin Jihong pulled back the coldness that had been radiating off him, softening his voice as he answered, "Momo, happy new year."

Jin Mo asked again, "Are you feeling unwell? You don't look like you've got much color in your face."

"I'm fine." He shook his head, then teased her the way he always did. "Only Momo would care if her Brother Ji lives or dies. Don't worry—it's the new year, I'm doing great. Right as rain."

But Jin Mo could see clearly—there was still no color in his face, and the frown between his brows hadn't lifted at all.

His mood right now was probably in the gutter.

Seeing he didn't want to talk about it, Jin Mo didn't push it. They walked down the stairs side by side, where Deng Ying was busy at the dining table. She'd clearly heard the father-son fight upstairs but was smart enough to act like nothing happened, smiling as she waved them over for breakfast.

"I'm not eating." Yin Jihong stood by the table with one hand in his pocket, not moving an inch. "I'm already full—full of anger. Got no appetite."

Deng Ying shot him a glare. "Sit down."

He didn't budge an inch.

Jin Mo quietly pulled out two chairs. She sat down first, then gently patted the seat beside her. "Aunt Deng worked hard on all this. At least eat a little."

Anyone else could lay out a feast fit for a king, and even if the gods themselves begged him—if Yin Jihong said he wasn't eating, he wouldn't touch a single bite.

But this time, the one persuading him was Jin Mo.

So he stood there frowning for a few seconds, and in the end, he gave in and sat down next to her.

Deng Ying scooped out a bowl of fragrant preserved-egg and pork congee and set it in front of him, handing him a spoon. "I told you yesterday—stop riling up your father. He really hasn't been feeling well lately."

"You don't need to play the sympathy card for him." Yin Jihong didn't take the spoon, his tone icy. "I've said it before—I never intended to anger him. He's the one who keeps crossing the line, acting like everything I do is worthless, and judging me without knowing the full story."

Jin Mo quietly took the spoon from Deng Ying and gently pressed it into his hand.

Only then did his fingers move, scooping up a small bite of congee.

Deng Ying let out a soft sigh. "Then just don't talk about work with your dad."

"I didn't want to." Yin Jihong put the spoon down after just two bites. "He asked if I'd be home for dinner. I said I had to head to the office soon and might not make it back by night—and he lost it."

Basically no company with a shred of decency makes its employees work on New Year's Day. Only foreigners don't celebrate Chinese New Year. It didn't take Yin Cheng a second to figure out that the only thing that could get Yin Jihong moving on a day like this was someone from A+ showing up.

"He badmouths me—I'm used to it by now. But I'm not the only one working hard on this. In his words, they're all brainless idiots who've lost their minds right along with me."

Jin Mo had met Yin Jihong's senior management team when she'd visited his company. Like Cheng Shu, they were either handpicked by him or had come seeking him out by reputation and made it through his tough screening—every single one of them was a top-tier elite in the industry—real skills, sharp minds, and guts.

She knew how hard Yin Jihong and his team worked on the A+ project—pulling all-nighters was just part of their daily routine.

Deng Ying tried to talk sense into him gently: "Since your father entrusted Yin Corporation to you, he must believe in your abilities. The harsh words are just his way of pushing you—he's scared you'll trip up."

"If I do trip up, that's a lesson I've gotta learn in this life, and I'll clean up my own mess." He straightened up, completely out of patience. "If he won't have my back, I won't blame him—but at least don't get in my way."

"Don't save me dinner tonight. I won't be back for the next couple of days."

Watching him stride toward the door, Jin Mo exchanged a glance with Deng Ying, and without thinking, she chased after him.

Yin Jihong had just opened the door of his Rolls-Royce when Jin Mo called out, "Brother Ji."

He turned to look at her.

"Grandpa and Grandma barely get to see you these days—they're just hoping to spend more time with you during the new year." She chose her words carefully, making sure she didn't sound like she was lecturing him. "Aunt Deng and the others feel the same way."

"Saw them yesterday." His tone was light, dismissive. "Nothing much to see anyway. Familiarity breeds contempt—didn't you see how often Grandpa was swinging his cane at me last night?"

Jin Mo asked again, "Can you finish things with A+ today?"

"Hard to say." His fingertips tapped lightly on the car door handle. "But I'll try to wrap it up before we head to Xinjiang."

Jin Mo knew how important the A+ deal was to him, so she didn't try to persuade him further. She just handed him the cold medicine she'd grabbed from the cabinet. "If you start feeling unwell later, have Shu brew some medicine for you. Don't push through it."

"Okay." He didn't refuse this time. Taking the medicine, he reached out and gently ruffled her hair, then turned and got into the car.

The Rolls-Royce sped off into the distance. Jin Mo returned to the mansion, finished breakfast with Deng Ying—whose mood had also been soured—and waited for Jin Ping and Jiang Ting to arrive.

"Ji? Still sleeping?" Jiang Ting asked casually as she came in.

Deng Ying's expression flickered. "He went to the office."

"Working on New Year's Day?" Jiang Ting didn't catch on at first. "Ji works way too hard."

Jin Ping looked around the living room. "Cheng's upstairs?"

Deng Ying didn't try to hide it from them. "Had a fight with Ji. Locked himself in his room sulking."

"Fighting again?" Jiang Ting shook her head helplessly. "Sigh... sometimes I feel like Ji's still a child—saying and doing everything on a whim."

Jin Ping didn't say anything in front of Deng Ying. He gestured to Jin Mo—who'd been in an awkward cold war with him for days—to come out to the courtyard.

Jin Mo followed him out the door. They stopped under the big tree by the yard, and she heard Jin Ping speak: "About your job—I already called Uncle Wang. No transfer for now. I was out of line making arrangements for you without properly discussing it first. That was inconsiderate of me."

She froze.

Last night at dinner, being backed into a corner by Yin Jihong and Old Master Yin, Jin Ping must have been furious. She'd assumed that even if he relented, he'd drag it out for a while, dangling it over her head like a pending matter—at the very least, he wouldn't give in so easily.

But here he was, the morning after, handing her a piece of candy.

This didn't seem like Jin Ping's usual style at all.

...Maybe he wanted to give her a New Year's gift?

Regardless, the weight that had been pressing on her chest finally lifted, and she was genuinely relieved. So she said respectfully to Jin Ping, "Dad, I understand."

Jin Ping grunted in acknowledgment, then abruptly changed the subject: "That Ji, for all his flashy, free-spirited ways, is genuinely good to you, no question about it. If you wanted the stars in the sky, he'd find a way to pluck them down for you."

Jin Mo had no idea why he was suddenly bringing up Yin Jihong, so she just said, "Brother Ji is indeed very good to me."

"Then do you think his kindness toward you is like treating you as his sister, or as a woman?"

At that, Jin Mo's fingers, hanging at her sides, curled into fists.

She could clearly feel that Jin Ping's gaze at her at this moment held undisguised scrutiny and assessment.

He was probing her.

Before today, he'd never so openly probed into the exact nature of her relationship with Yin Jihong. At most, he'd just remind her not to pick up his bad habits, or ask her to get him to tone it down.

Could it be... had she accidentally let something slip recently?

Seeing her go quiet, Jin Ping spoke up again: "I know Ji is top-tier in every way—a real dragon among men. You don't find another man like him in real life. With him always around as your benchmark, your standards for men are bound to be sky-high."

"I've always treated Ji like my own son. You two grew up together like siblings from childhood, and with the connection between your Uncle Yin and Aunt Deng, they're very important friends of mine. So I don't want anything inappropriate to happen down the line."

Jin Mo's throat tightened a little: "...What do you mean by inappropriate?"

"Ji is different from you. You're innocent at heart with a clean social circle. He knows too many people, too many kinds of people. He's used to playing the game in social settings, and it's easy for him to bring that way of treating other women into how he deals with you."

Jin Ping put it euphemistically, but his real meaning wasn't hard to catch. "He certainly means no harm, but you don't have much experience with men. I'm worried you might confuse your feelings for him, blur the lines, and unconsciously cross boundaries."

"The Yin family is powerful—a top-tier clan everyone in the circle wants a piece of. Our family isn't bad either, but there's still a gap between us. Besides, given how close our two families are, and how much the elders dote on you, we need to know our place."

Jin Mo's heart sank, little by little.

Just as she'd come to realize her feelings for Yin Jihong and was lost in confusion and helplessness, her own father had dealt her a crushing blow.

Jin Ping's meaning was clear—he wanted her and Yin Jihong to remain "siblings" forever.

He couldn't control what Yin Jihong thought, but he could warn her, stop her, forbid her from falling for him, and keep her at arm's length.

Besides, Jin Mo knew in her heart that while Jin Ping talked about the family status gap, he truly looked down on Yin Jihong.

Knowing the conservative, rigid Jin Ping as she did, Yin Jihong probably didn't check a single box for his future son-in-law requirements.

This was far more complicated than the job transfer. She hadn't even sorted out her own thoughts, let alone let Jin Ping get wind of it.

So, quickly weighing things in her head, she said softly: "Dad, I get what you mean, but I think you're overthinking it. Besides, Brother Ji doesn't have any other intentions toward me. He truly only sees me as a sister."

Jin Ping looked at her for a few seconds, his tone even: "Momo, you don't understand men at all."

Before turning back toward the Yin mansion, he casually dropped one last line: "After the holiday, a friend of mine asked me to dinner. His son just got back from abroad. You'll come with me to meet them, get to know them, and make a friend."

He paused, then added in a tone that brooked no argument: "Also, you're coming home to stay tonight."

Jin Mo's heart instantly understood.

No wonder he had given in so easily on the job transfer.

He had already dug a trap for her right here.

-

Back inside the mansion, Jin Mo's mood continued to sink.

Actually, ever since her conversation with Yin Jihong about love last night, her spirits had been low. Now, with Jin Ping forcing her into an unwanted blind date, she felt even more stifled.

She had barely managed to keep her job. If she were to clash head-on with Jin Ping over matters of the heart at this critical juncture, there would definitely be consequences. It was just a meeting and a meal—not too hard to handle. She could simply find an excuse to reject the guy afterward.

First Yin Jihong and Yin Cheng had a huge fight, then Jin Ping restricted her romantic freedom. Was the first day of the new year some kind of cursed "Father's Day of Woe"?

Yin Jihong had gone completely silent since heading to the company. Jin Mo knew he needed to focus on dealing with the A+ people, so she didn't send him a single message. She only casually asked Cheng Shu if he was feeling unwell.

Cheng Shu's reply was airtight: "Mr. Yin is fine, his condition is acceptable."

With him away, the house lost most of its liveliness. Jin Mo simply stopped looking at her phone altogether and peacefully kept the elders, the old master, and Grandma Yin company chatting and playing mahjong.

However, anyone could see that Yin Cheng's expression was grim, and the atmosphere in the house was noticeably heavier than yesterday.

Jin Mo felt the New Year was becoming increasingly uncomfortable to endure. The only thing keeping her going was the ski trip to Xinjiang with Yin Jihong in two days.

Her ski suit and gear were all with Yin Jihong—he always brought them onto the plane for her. She didn't dare keep them at home, afraid Aunt Wu and Jiang Ting might stumble upon them while cleaning her room.

Though there was still time, she packed the rest of her luggage early.

But then, late on the night of the third day of the new year, just as she was about to go to sleep, Yin Jihong, who had been silent for days, suddenly sent her a message.

Baby: "Momo, I might not be able to make it to Xinjiang."

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Author's note:

Red envelopes continue to drop randomly! Please keep hitting me with collections, comments, and nutrient solution~ Love you all! Also, don't forget to collect my author page! And feel free to check out my next new book "The Crane" in my column—a Beijing circle story (might also switch to writing a Beijing circle ensemble piece). Anyway, it's all mature men and women, very exciting haha.

Ahhhh this Sang Kaka! Why does she always have to cut off at a place like this!! Give me your life! This chapter is still packed with information!! Everyone be Sherlock Holmes hahaha I love reading your section comments and speculations about the plot!! Exciting!!

Tsk, this Yin Puppy, so good to Momo, yet can't even hold his wife's hand, and on top of that, there's a formidable father-in-law who refuses to let him date, let alone the second male lead haha! The puppy is frustrated, woof woof!!!

Yin Puppy: Just you wait, I'll turn the tables!

Sigh, if the puppy really can't make it to Xinjiang, what are we going to do!!