Lin Cheng's Apology Act

Zhang Yang might not look like he earned any money, but that didn't mean he had to announce every cent he made in private. He hadn't stolen or robbed anyone, and it wasn't money he'd hidden from his wife, much less money belonging to the Cheng Family.

What Yang Su really suspected was that Zhang Yang had used Cheng Dongxue's money.

"Mom, it's Zhang Yang's own money!" Cheng Dongxue had had enough of her mother tearing him down. Whatever else anyone said, Zhang Yang had brought a generous gift today.

"Where would he get money? It's yours, isn't it?" Yang Su argued, refusing to back down.

Cheng Dongxue sighed. She had lost all desire to argue. Sometimes her mother was like a stone in a latrine: foul and stubborn.

"You've just seen what I can do. I agreed to go stroll down Antique Street with Second Brother-in-Law when I had time because I know antique appraisal. I earned my money dealing in antiques."

Zhang Yang went along with the explanation.

Cheng Dongxue immediately shot him a look. He had clearly earned the money doing business with the Lin Family. Since when had it come from dealing in antiques?

Don't worry. Antiques are a small part of the business with the Lin Family. It was close enough to the truth, Zhang Yang decided, and kept lying.

Zhang Yang usually kept a modest profile, but today he had finally slapped down the family members who loved to make a spectacle of themselves.

Even so, he could not change how some people saw him. Not even Chu Yaotian and Ling Junsheng's testimony that Zhang Yang had bought the White Jade Hairpin through his own keen eye made a difference.

Seeing the disdain still in their eyes, Zhang Yang sneered.

Yet his performance today had truly stunned Yang Su and her husband. Zhang Yang was a jobless good-for-nothing, a disgrace to the Cheng Family. How had he suddenly changed?

Zhang Yang ignored the chatter around the table. It was all meaningless prattle; none of it could change the facts.

As for his marriage to Cheng Dongxue, as long as she did not abandon him, he would stand by her until death.

The birthday banquet had been underway for a while when an important guest suddenly arrived.

Zhang Yang turned toward the entrance and saw two people come in. Lin Cheng led the way, with Lin Dongqiang close behind.

Almost everyone at Yang Su's birthday banquet knew of the Gong City Lin Family. Even some of the servers knew the name.

Cheng Hai and Yang Su were the most puzzled. Cheng Hai had met Lin Cheng before, but they had never even shaken hands. The Lin Family looked down on the Cheng Family.

So why had Lin Cheng come to Yang Su's birthday banquet?

"President Lin, you're here too!"

"Hello, President Lin!"

"President Lin, come join us!"

Lin Cheng walked toward the birthday celebrant's table. But under everyone's gaze, he did not go straight to Yang Su and Cheng Hai. Instead, he stopped beside Zhang Yang.

"President Lin, what an honor to have you here." Yang Su rose at once to greet him, then snapped at Zhang Yang, "Zhang Yang, get up. Give President Lin your seat."

"Mom—"

Cheng Dongxue was already wondering why Lin Cheng had appeared. Could he really be Zhang Yang's business partner? Her mother's rude treatment of Zhang Yang infuriated her.

To her surprise, Lin Cheng ignored Yang Su's warm welcome and glared at her instead.

Yang Su was greedy, snobbish, and obsessed with status. That was no secret to anyone who knew her. Lin Cheng had not known before, but after meeting Zhang Yang, he had privately looked into him and the people close to him. Yang Su was among them.

Lin Cheng turned to Zhang Yang instead. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Mr. Zhang, I'm truly sorry about what happened at Elegant Residence that night. The service was lacking, and my nephew handled it poorly."

Lin Cheng bent and scraped as he spoke to Zhang Yang, who remained seated and continued eating as though no one else were there. His deference was almost unbelievable. No one here had likely ever seen him like this.

"Mr. Zhang, my uncle brought me here specifically to apologize to you. I'm sorry. What happened at Elegant Residence should never have happened. I failed to do my job and let certain people take advantage of it. I'm sorry."

Lin Dongqiang bowed even lower. He feared Zhang Yang, but he feared his uncle Lin Cheng more. Lin Cheng would slap him hard.

Lin Cheng was more frightened still. He feared that what had happened at Elegant Residence would anger Zhang Yang into revealing his secret. If that happened, Lin Cheng would lose everything and become a nobody in the Lin Family.

After confirming that what Zhang Yang had told him was true, Lin Cheng had grown extremely cautious. He could not afford to upset Zhang Yang or give him cause to pursue the matter. He needed to cling to him.

So when Lin Cheng heard what had happened while Zhang Yang and his wife were eating at Elegant Residence, he skipped lunch and rushed over to apologize.

The banquet guests were stunned by what they had witnessed. All eyes fixed on Zhang Yang, waiting to hear his reply.

"I didn't invite you. Leave your gift and go."

Zhang Yang's voice was cold.

"All right." Lin Cheng had arrived with a gift, yet Zhang Yang was sending him away before he had even had a sip of water.

If it had been anyone else, Lin Cheng would at least have tried to assert himself, even if he lacked the power to back it up.

But today, Lin Cheng could only keep his head down. Before Zhang Yang, he was as meek as a kitten.

Lin Cheng knew Zhang Yang did not get along with Yang Su, so he had bought the gift at the last minute. It was not especially valuable, and there was no need to hand it to her personally.

He turned to leave, placing it among the other gifts on his way out.

Once he had put it down, Lin Cheng fled Yang Su's birthday banquet, his face tight with humiliation. Lin Dongqiang felt the disgrace keenly too.

No one from the Lin Family should be treated like that, anywhere.

"Uncle..."

"Shut up!"

Lin Dongqiang could not imagine what secret Zhang Yang held that made Lin Cheng so fearful. He wanted to find out, but Lin Cheng cut him off the moment he opened his mouth.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't provoked him, would I be in this position? Would I have to grovel like some damn servant?"

Lin Cheng was nearly beside himself. If Lin Dongqiang had not provoked Lin Xiaofei, they would never have made an enemy of Zhang Yang.

Lin Dongqiang fell silent and lowered his head. He really had brought this trouble on them.

Back at Yang Su's birthday banquet.

"That was convincing. It had to be an act. We should've stopped that extra just now and ripped off his mask."

Just as many guests were reeling from the sight of someone as powerful as Lin Cheng bowing to Zhang Yang, a voice rang out, jarringly at odds with the mood.

The speaker was no outsider. It had to be another Cheng Family relative. Only they knew Zhang Yang well enough to expose his shortcomings and smear him in front of so many guests.

Yang Tai.

Zhang Yang silently repeated the name. Yang Tai was Yang Su's nephew and Cheng Dongxue's younger cousin. He should have called Zhang Yang "Cousin-in-Law," but he never had. Instead, he opposed and belittled Zhang Yang at every turn.