Lin Cheng's Apology Was All an Act

Zhang Yang might not have looked like he earned any money, but he made money in private. He hardly had to announce it to the world. He had neither stolen nor robbed anyone, and he wasn't hiding a secret stash, much less spending the Cheng Family's money.

Yang Su's remark, however, made it clear that she suspected Zhang Yang had used Cheng Dongxue's money.

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

"Where would he get money if not from you?" Yang Su argued stubbornly.

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

"You've already seen what I can do. I agreed to visit the Antiques market with my second brother-in-law when we have time because I know Antique Appraisal. That's how I made my money."

Zhang Yang went along with the explanation.

Cheng Dongxue shot him a look. He had clearly earned the money through his business with the Lin Family. Since when had it come from trading Antiques?

"Don't worry. Antiques are one small part of my business with the Lin Family." Technically, there was nothing wrong with that. Zhang Yang kept up the lie.

Zhang Yang had always carried himself modestly, but today he had finally slapped down the family members who loved stepping into the spotlight and making fools of themselves.

Even so, it did nothing to change how some people saw him. Chu Yaotian and Ling Junsheng had both confirmed that Zhang Yang had bought the white jade hairpin through his own keen eye, but that still wasn't enough.

Zhang Yang sneered at the pairs of eyes still looking down on him.

His performance today had genuinely astonished Yang Su and her husband. Zhang Yang was an unemployed good-for-nothing, an embarrassment to the Cheng Family. How had he suddenly changed?

Zhang Yang ignored the chatter around the table. It was all senseless droning, and none of it could change the truth about him.

As for his marriage to Cheng Dongxue, as long as she did not abandon him, he would remain devoted to her until his dying day.

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

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

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

Cheng Hai and Yang Su were the most puzzled. Cheng Hai had met Lin Cheng before, but they had never so much as shaken hands. The Lin Family had no regard for the Cheng Family.

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

"Mr. Lin, you're here too!"

"Hello, Mr. Lin!"

"Mr. Lin, come join us!"

Lin Cheng headed 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.

"Mr. Lin, what an honor to have you here." Yang Su immediately rose to welcome him, then turned on Zhang Yang. "Zhang Yang, get up and give Mr. Lin your seat."

"Mom—"

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

To her surprise, Lin Cheng ignored Yang Su's warm greeting and shot her a glare instead.

Yang Su's greed, snobbery, and habit of fawning over the rich while scorning the poor were no secret to anyone who knew her. Lin Cheng had known nothing about it at first, but after meeting Zhang Yang, he had investigated 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. Our service fell short, and my nephew handled the matter badly."

Lin Cheng spoke with his head bowed to Zhang Yang, who remained seated and continued eating as though no one else were there. His deference was almost impossible to believe. 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 properly and gave certain people an opening. I'm sorry."

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

Lin Cheng was more frightened still. He feared that what had happened at Elegant Residence had angered Zhang Yang enough to reveal 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 become exceedingly careful. He could not afford to upset Zhang Yang or risk being held accountable, so he had to cling to him.

Thus, when Lin Cheng heard what had happened to Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue while they were eating at Elegant Residence, he skipped lunch and came straight over to apologize.

The guests at the birthday banquet were stunned by what they had witnessed. They watched Zhang Yang intently, waiting for his answer.

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

Zhang Yang's voice was cold.

"Mm." Lin Cheng had brought a gift, yet Zhang Yang was sending him away before he had even had a sip of water.

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

But today, all Lin Cheng could do was keep his head down. Before Zhang Yang, he was as docile as a kitten.

Lin Cheng knew Zhang Yang and Yang Su did not get along, so he had bought a gift at the last minute. It was not particularly expensive, and there was no need to hand it to Yang Su in person.

He turned to leave, setting the gift among the others on his way out.

After putting it down, Lin Cheng fled Yang Su's birthday banquet with an ugly look on his face. Lin Dongqiang felt inexplicably humiliated.

The Lin Family should never have been treated like that, no matter where they went.

"Uncle..."

"Shut up!"

Lin Dongqiang could not imagine what secret Zhang Yang held that had Lin Cheng so terrified. 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 today? Would I have to bow and scrape like some damn servant?"

Lin Cheng was nearly beside himself. If Lin Dongqiang had not gone after 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 upon them.

Back at Yang Su's birthday banquet.

"That was quite a performance. It must've been staged. We should've stopped that actor just now and pulled off his mask."

Just as many guests were stunned that Zhang Yang held enough sway to make a man like Lin Cheng bow to him, a voice rang out, jarringly at odds with the mood.

The speaker could only be a Cheng Family relative. Only they knew Zhang Yang well enough to think they could expose his shortcomings and tarnish his image 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.