Lin Tingyue blinked and asked, "Did you and Mr. Ying make up?"
Lin Shengyan had been leaning against the door, striking an incredibly handsome pose. At Lin Tingyue's question, his hand slipped, and he nearly fell to the floor.
"Second Brother, you slipped off your pedestal."
Lin Shengyan: "..."
Fine, she could say that, but why did Lin Tingyue have to strike the exact same pose as him, standing perfectly steady? Was she mocking him on purpose?
"Lin Tingyue, I'm warning you..."
"I know, I know."
Lin Tingyue mimed zipping her mouth shut. "I won't say anything else."
[Second Brother is already this obnoxious around us. What's he like around Cheng Jinshuang?]
[Sigh, no wonder Second Brother can't win Cheng Jinshuang over and his love goes unrequited.]
[The sharp-tongued jerk persona really doesn't have many takers.]
Lin Shengyan glanced at Lin Tingyue as she shook her head. Lin Tingyue, when you shut your mouth, could you switch off your inner voice too?
At the banquet, Lin Tingyue walked ahead with a sweet smile, while Lin Shengyan followed behind with a sour face, holding up her skirt.
Lin Shengyan said impatiently, "Lin Tingyue, how much longer are you going to preen? This is someone else's banquet, not a red carpet!"
"Soon, soon," Lin Tingyue replied offhandedly.
Lin Shengyan: "..."
Great. They might be walking here for another half hour.
Despite his impatient words, Lin Shengyan still held Lin Tingyue's train up properly.
He had walked so many red carpets that holding up a train was second nature to him. But then some unpleasant voices came from beside them.
"Is that the Lin Family's daughter who was switched at birth?"
"They've already found their real daughter. I have no idea how she has the nerve to keep living with the Lin Family."
"Exactly. Besides, this is the Ying Family's young lady's coming-of-age banquet. Even if the Lin Family was going to send someone, shouldn't it be their real daughter? What's she doing here? Who knows if she took the real daughter's spot? Tsk, tsk, tsk. A gold digger and a hypocrite."
Lin Shengyan exploded with anger at those words. He strode fiercely toward the group spouting nonsense, folded his arms, and snapped back at them one by one.
"So what?"
"Our family wants to keep her at home, pamper her, and let her be a princess. What about it? Is that not allowed? Is she eating your food?"
"Ying An personally delivered my sister's invitation. Taking someone else's spot? Read fewer novels."
Lin Tingyue jogged over and saw this, and she actually-
[Boohoo, I'm so touched.]
Lin Shengyan tossed his hair. Try not to swoon.
[Second Brother may be a love brain, but he does treat his family pretty well.]
Lin Shengyan: "..."
That last bit was really unnecessary.
After leaving those people utterly silent, Lin Shengyan led Lin Tingyue away with his head held high.
Lin Tingyue said, "Second Brother, don't do that again."
"You're being bullied, and your big brother isn't even allowed to stand up for you?" Lin Shengyan asked with a frown.
"Of course you can. But Second Brother, you work in the entertainment industry. That industry already attracts haters. If you keep speaking without a filter, I'm worried you'll get attacked."
Lin Tingyue tilted her head up, her eyes bright and her words earnest.
She was actually worried about him getting attacked?
Lin Shengyan said unconcernedly, "Let them attack me. A celebrity can still take on a whole crowd of tongues for his sister."
[This is so nice.]
The corners of Lin Shengyan's mouth lifted, and he couldn't resist patting Lin Tingyue's head.
"Miss Lin."
Lin Shengyan and Lin Tingyue looked over at the same time. Ying An was approaching them.
"Miss Lin, you're finally here. Ningning has been waiting for you for ages."
Ying Ning was Ying An's younger sister.
Lin Tingyue said, "I'll go find her. I brought her a present too."
"All right."
Lin Tingyue lifted her skirt and left, while Ying An gazed after her.
Lin Shengyan gave a light cough. Ying An looked at him. "What's wrong? Is your throat bothering you?"
There was some concern, but not much.
Lin Shengyan huffed. "There's a whole living person standing right here. Can't you see me?"
"I see you. Want me to bow down before you?"
Lin Sheng-
-yan rolled his eyes. What a lousy friend. And he dared to have designs on his sister? When the time came, Ying An wouldn't even get past him.
Ying Ning was still upstairs.
Her skin was fair, and her exquisite, striking face looked as though it had been digitally modeled.
[Wow, how can anyone be this beautiful? Goddess Nüwa, could you sculpt me like this in my next life?]
Ying Ning burst out laughing.
An inner voice-then this had to be the Miss Lin her brother had told her about.
"Miss Lin." Ying Ning took the initiative to greet Lin Tingyue.
"Hello, Miss Ying."
"Just call me Ningning."
"Ningning, then you can call me Sister Tingyue."
"Okay."
Lin Tingyue and Ying Ning went downstairs together.
After the cake was cut, it was time to present the gifts.
"Ningning, look."
There was a huge box on the floor. The boy speaking pressed a button, and the box opened automatically.
Ying Ning said in delighted surprise, "Wasn't this plush discontinued?"
"Yes. I searched so many places before I found it."
Ying Ning threw herself into the plush's arms. "I love it. Thank you, Lingyu."
"As long as you like it."
[Guo Lingyu?]
[Aaaah, he's a peeping Tom! He likes putting pinhole cameras inside plush toys! Begone, begone, begone!!!]
The smile froze on Ying Ning's face.
Chapter 40
At the same time, Ying An also frowned at Guo Lingyu.
Guo Lingyu didn't notice the strange atmosphere. He continued, "Ningning, you liking it makes everything worthwhile. All that searching wasn't wasted. Ningning, happy eighteenth birthday."
[Aaaah, how does he have the nerve to put on an act here?]
[He's the class monitor. Whenever anyone in class has a birthday, he goes and prepares something carefully, just like this. But every gift he gives actually has a pinhole camera inside. He uses the secretly recorded videos of the boys to threaten and extort them, while he keeps the secretly recorded videos of the girls in his personal collection. Aaaah, that's disgusting.]
[Quite a few boys in class have already been extorted by him, but because he has something on them, none of them dare speak up. So even now, Guo Lingyu is still a good class monitor.]
[I can't let him secretly film Ningning! How do I tell her?]
Just as Lin Tingyue was fretting, Ying Ning said, "I heard there's a wishing star hidden inside this plush. If you find it, you'll receive the stars' blessing. Let me guess..."
Ying Ning said playfully, "Lingyu, you put so much thought into this. There must be a wishing star inside, right?"
Guo Lingyu said blankly, "A wishing star?"
[How would he know about the wishing star? He only knows Ningning likes this plush. He wouldn't know anything about its backstory... But is there really a wishing star? Now I want one.]
Ying Ning smiled. "Yes, Lingyu. I wonder where you hid the wishing star. I'll have to look carefully."
He knew nothing about a wishing star, but that didn't stop Guo Lingyu from picking up on the key word. Look?
By the time he looked over, Ying Ning had already unzipped the plush's back and reached inside. His pupils contracted, and he moved to step forward. "Ningning, don't..."
Ying An patted Guo Lingyu's shoulder. "I know you wanted to give Ningning a surprise. Don't worry. Even if you don't help, she'll find it."
Guo Lingyu was so anxious he nearly stamped his feet. That wasn't a surprise at all.
But Ying An was holding his shoulder down, leaving him unable to move forward.
"That's right, Lingyu. Have faith in me."
Ying Ning turned back and flashed Guo Lingyu a peace sign.
[Oh, while she's looking for the wishing star, might she find the pinhole camera too? But is that thing easy to find?]
It wasn't.
All Ying Ning could feel as she searched was stuffing.
But how could Ying Ning accept not finding it? Guo Lingyu had dared to secretly film her and the girls in their class. She ought to expose his true colors in front of all these people.
A sly glint flashed through Ying Ning's eyes. She feigned surprise. "Oh, I found it! There really is a wishing star!"
With that, she prepared to pull her hand out of the plush.
No one knew better than Guo Lingyu that there was no wishing star inside the plush, only the pinhole camera he had put there. So what Ying Ning had found would also be...
No. He couldn't let Ying Ning pull her hand out.
Ying An caught on to Ying Ning's intention and let go.
Guo Lingyu lunged forward and wrestled with Ying Ning over the plush.
Ying Ning asked in puzzlement, "Lingyu, what are you doing?"
"I..."
Guo Lingyu opened his mouth, but something suddenly fell to the floor. He lowered his head and felt a wave of dizziness. How-how had it fallen out? Could it be...
Ying Ning pulled her hand out and waved it in front of Guo Lingyu, mouthing, "Nothing here."
She had only been bluffing, but she hadn't expected her bluff to actually flush out the camera she couldn't find.
Ying Ning picked the object up before Guo Lingyu could. She feigned surprise. "What's this?"
Someone in the crowd said, "That's a pinhole camera."
Ying Ning looked at Guo Lingyu in disbelief. "Lingyu, why did you put a pinhole camera inside the plush you gave me? What were you planning to do?"
Ying An also demanded, "What were you planning to do to my sister?"
He instructed the butler beside him, "Uncle Cui, call the police."
Uncle Cui nodded solemnly.
At the words "call the police," Guo Lingyu finally came to his senses. He said in panic, "Don't call the police! Don't call the police! If you do, my whole life will be ruined."
[Now you know your whole life will be ruined? Why didn't you think of that when you were secretly filming girls? Don't let this scumbag off!!!]