[Ahhhhh, don't be fooled by how sweet and innocent this guy looks. He actually pays for sex in private.]
Lin Shengyan stared at Director Zhu's "foolproof" and fell into thought.
He replied as Lin Tingyue had suggested, and Director Zhu's reaction on the other end was huge.
Director Zhu: Impossible, absolutely impossible. He has no criminal record at all!
[Alas, paying for sex only gets you detained. Detention doesn't leave you with a criminal record. As long as nobody exposes him, he can stay in the entertainment industry and keep gaining fans with the persona his agency gave him.]
Director Zhu: Oh, right.
Detention didn't leave a criminal record. How had he not thought of that? Director Zhu sent over a crying emoji.
Just looking at those two words made Lin Shengyan imagine Director Zhu's despair. The entertainment industry was too murky; Director Zhu really couldn't handle it!
Lin Shengyan cleared his throat. "Director Zhu says he needs to think about it some more. We'll have to wait a few more days to record the variety show."
Lin Tingyue sat up straight.
[Did Director Zhu figure it out?]
[Better a short bout of pain than a long one. If the show airs, we'll have to blur this guy's face overnight. It's a live broadcast, so just thinking about it is exhausting.]
Lin Shengyan neither confirmed nor denied it.
Bai Yaxin, who had been following the gossip the whole time, watched Lin Tingyue slump back down again and said, "Why don't you go to the company with your eldest brother tomorrow?"
Chapter 22
[I'm going to Big Brother's company?]
[But I don't know how to wage corporate warfare!]
[Still, if Big Brother needs me, I can pour boiling water on the other side's money tree... Sorry, Big Brother, that's all I can do for you.]
Pour boiling water on the other side's money tree?
Bai Yaxin and Lin Xiawan exchanged a glance. Who had Lin Tingyue learned all these bizarre corporate warfare tactics from?
Just then, Bai Yaxin's phone rang. She glanced at it and saw that Lin Rusong was calling. "Hello, Rusong..."
After Bai Yaxin hung up, she saw three pairs of eyes staring fixedly at her.
Lin Tingyue asked, "Mom, why isn't Dad coming home for dinner?"
[I don't know why, but I smell gossip.]
Bai Yaxin said, "The old master's mahjong friend has just become a great-grandfather. He called your father and insisted that we all go over there with him."
[Huh? Why does he want us to go?]
[Does the old master want to nag us about getting married again?]
[Hasn't he thrown up enough already?]
Bai Yaxin thought about how the old master's face had turned green those few days. He'd been sent to the hospital for several days before he got better. He'd probably thrown up enough.
"Since your father said so, let's all go over and take a look."
It was only four in the afternoon, too early for dinner anyway. Besides, with Lin Tingyue along, they might get to enjoy some gossip.
"Is Big Brother going too?" Lin Tingyue asked.
"Yuhuan will go straight there from the company. After all, the old master emphasized that everyone had to be there."
[Everyone has to be there... It sounds like something fun is going to happen.]
Lin Tingyue rubbed her hands together excitedly. When she turned around, she saw that Second Brother was even more excited than she was.
[Huh, has Second Brother never been poisoned by the old master? Why is he so innocent?]
Lin Shengyan: "..."
"Lin Tingyue, stop being so disrespectful."
Lin Tingyue looked at Lin Shengyan with a pitiful expression. "Second Brother, what did I do to be disrespectful?"
Lin Shengyan was left speechless. After all, these days, inner thoughts couldn't be submitted as evidence in court. He felt so stifled.
Lin Xiawan said, "Maybe you forgot to mention that Second Brother's a lovesick fool?"
Fine, fine, here came another one.
What aloof little sister? She was clearly a
scheming
little sister.
One or two of them were hitting him right in the face. Didn't he deserve to save face?
[Is that so? Does Second Brother need me to help him build up immunity?]
...Build up immunity to what?
Even after everyone got into the car, they were still bickering. Uncle Zhang sighed. "The young masters and misses get along so well. Madam, you and the master can finally rest easy."
The car fell into an eerie silence.
[I feel like this has the same vibe as 'The young master hasn't smiled in ages.']
What was the deal with "The young master hasn't smiled in ages"?
Lin Shengyan quickly pulled out his phone and searched online. The screen filled up with results about lovesick fools. Lin Shengyan's expression darkened as he shut off his phone.
Damn it, had Lin Tingyue set him up?
The hospital where the granddaughter-in-law of Old Master Lin's mahjong friend was staying was in the suburbs. Bai Yaxin and the others didn't arrive until nearly five.
Lin Rusong and Lin Yuhuan, who had arrived earlier, came down to meet them.
[Look at this huge entourage. Anyone who didn't know better would think the Lin Family had just welcomed a new baby.]
After Bai Yaxin went upstairs, she found that her sister-in-law, second uncle, and younger uncle had all come too. The hospital corridor was almost packed full by this enormous family.
When he saw everyone had arrived, Old Master Lin put on airs. "Now that everyone's here, let me say a few words."
[Huh? This is a hospital corridor, not a place for you to hold a family meeting!!!]
[Are the hospital security guards really not going to kick us out?]
Where had that voice come from?
Lin Jiaxin looked at Lin Tingyue. She'd already heard about it from her eldest brother, while Lin Ruqiao and Lin Ruzhi were still searching everywhere for the source of the voice.
Old Master Lin rested both hands on his cane and said, "I'm getting on in years. Many things are becoming especially difficult for me. I don't have many wishes. My one and only hope is to hold a great-grandchild before I close my eyes."
After speaking, Old Master Lin swept his gaze over the younger generation present.
[Oh no, this one's aimed at me.]
[Does that mean he won't close his eyes if he doesn't get to hold a great-grandchild?]
"Old Lin, Old Lin." Old Master Lin's mahjong friend, Mu Haoguang, came over and tugged at Old Master Lin's sleeve.
Old Master Lin said, "Old Mu, you don't need to comfort me."
[Hmm... Maybe he wasn't trying to comfort you. Maybe he's embarrassed because we've taken up all the space. Where are his relatives supposed to stand when they get here?]
[Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?]
"Dad." Lin Rusong and Lin Jiaxin stepped forward together to support Old Master Lin. Lin Jiaxin said, "Dad, I heard the more people there are in one place, the worse the air gets. What if it affects your health? Let's find somewhere more open to talk."
Without waiting for Old Master Lin's agreement, the two of them supported him on either side and headed toward the elevator.
Seeing this, Lin Ruqiao and Lin Ruzhi congratulated Mu Haoguang and handed him a large red envelope. They were about to leave too.
Just as they approached the elevator, two frantic men hurried past them.
[Are there two women giving birth on this floor?]
Lin Yuhuan said, "This seems to be the Mu family's private hospital. We probably won't have to wait long."
[Oh, Big Brother meant the elevator! I thought our brain waves had connected.]
Lin Shengyan: "?"
Lin Tingyue, you'd rather believe in brain waves than suspect you have superpowers?
[Then why were those two men in such a hurry just now? Taking a closer look, you can't tell which one is the father at all.]
Lin Tingyue sensed that something was off, so she opened her phone.
[What???]
The elevator arrived, but Lin Rusong and Lin Jiasi, who were supporting Old Master Lin, showed no sign of moving.
Old Master Lin: "?"
He said impatiently, "The elevator's here. Aren't we leaving?"
Lin Jiasi patted Old Master Lin's chest perfunctorily. "Dad, catch your breath first."
He was breathing just fine. Why did he need to catch his breath?
Everyone, overtly or covertly, turned their gazes toward Lin Tingyue, waiting anxiously.
[Tsk, tsk, tsk. To put it simply, his wife gave birth to his younger brother.]
What?
That one sentence fried everyone's brains.
Did Lin Tingyue mean that the baby wasn't actually Mu Haoguang's great-grandchild, but his grandchild?
Yikes.
[Mu Jun spent all his time fooling around outside. Besides the wife he had at home, he also had mistresses number three, four, five, and six... There were so many you couldn't count them on both hands. One day, his son Mu Yi brought his girlfriend home, and Mu Jun discovered that his son's girlfriend was actually...]
[Neither of them said anything. Instead, they continued their relationship in secret. Not long after Mu Yi and the woman registered their marriage, she got pregnant. Mu Yi was overjoyed, but she panicked because she had no idea whose child it was.]
A dream come true???
"Xiao Yi, what's wrong?"
Mu Haoguang and Mu Jun's cries of alarm came from the corridor. The Lin Family members, who had been about to leave, all stepped out of the elevator area and looked toward the end of the hall.
Even Old Master Lin was propped up to look that way, forced to watch the spectacle.
Mu Jun and Mu Haoguang both reached out to help Mu Yi. Mu Yi silently brushed Mu Jun's hand away, then got to his feet, gripping Mu Haoguang's hand.
Mu Haoguang looked at Mu Yi with concern. "Xiao Yi, what's wrong? Is it because Minsi hasn't come out for so long, and you're worried?"
Mu Yi clenched his hand and silently glanced at Mu Jun. His gaze was icy, as if they weren't father and son, but enemies.
Mu Jun's heart jolted. Why was his son looking at him like that?
Had Mu Yi found out about what was going on between him and Minsi?
Impossible. He had clearly kept it well hidden.
Mu Jun said, "Dad, don't worry. Xiao Yi is probably just tired."
With that, Mu Jun tentatively reached for Mu Yi's shoulder, but Mu Yi dodged him in disgust. Mu Yi's already pale, gloomy face looked even more frightening now.
Mu Yi turned to Mu Haoguang. "Grandpa, I'm fine."
"That's good, that's good." Mu Haoguang kept his eyes on the operating-room doors, which had been closed for nearly four or five hours. He said repeatedly, "Minsi really has worked hard. Xiao Yi, you have to treat Minsi well from now on."
Mu Yi nodded. "I will."