[Several million still wasn't much???]
Lin Shengyan: "..."
He really had overestimated Lin Tingyue, that little money grubber.
But if the production really did get dragged down by Mu Nanzhe, its losses would definitely exceed the money he had given Lin Tingyue.
Only after sneakily tucking the card into her pajama pocket did Lin Tingyue ask warily, "Second Brother, why are you giving me money out of the blue?"
"Don't want it? Give it back."
"I do, I do, I do."
Lin Tingyue spun around, her eyes curving into crescents. "Thank you, Second Brother."
Lin Shengyan was secretly delighted. "No big deal, no big deal."
He asked again, "Why did you open your door?"
Lin Tingyue answered honestly, "Foraging."
"Foraging???"
Lin Shengyan looked Lin Tingyue over. "You're hungry again?"
Lin Tingyue nodded firmly. "Mm."
Lin Shengyan was more than a little shocked, but he still followed Lin Tingyue downstairs. When Lin Tingyue asked him why, he said he was worried she would blow up the kitchen.
Lin Tingyue: "..."
[Is that really necessary? My cooking might be so-so, but I do have basic common sense.]
Only when they reached the first floor did Lin Tingyue realize that Lin Shengyan intended to cook for her himself.
[Wow.]
[But wouldn't Second Brother be the one to blow up the kitchen?]
Lin Shengyan was utterly speechless. Just as he opened the fridge, Lin Yuhuan came home.
"What's this?"
Lin Yuhuan glanced at his younger brother and sister. "Hungry?"
Lin Shengyan and Lin Tingyue nodded like they were pounding garlic.
Seeing that his eldest brother had returned, Lin Sheng-
yan also unhesitatingly joined the ranks of those waiting to be fed.
Lin Yuhuan took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "What do you want to eat?"
Lin Tingyue said, "Noodles."
Lin Shengyan said, "Noodles."
Lin Yuhuan: "..."
"Tingyue, go ask Xiawan if she wants some."
"Okay, Eldest Brother."
[Ooh, Eldest Brother is actually a domestically inclined domineering CEO, equally at home in the drawing room and the kitchen.]
Lin Yuhuan: "?"
What did she mean, a domestically inclined domineering CEO?
Soon, Lin Xiawan came downstairs with Lin Tingyue.
When Bai Yaxin came to get some water, she saw the four children sitting together in perfect harmony, eating noodles.
Her heart was immediately filled with immense comfort, and she declined the children's invitation to join their late-night snack.
Even after returning to the bedroom, Bai Yaxin was still smiling.
Lin Rusong asked, "Didn't you just go downstairs for water? Why are you so happy?"
Bai Yaxin walked to the bedside, and Lin Rusong lifted the covers on her side for her. Bai Yaxin lay down and told Lin Rusong about the scene she had just witnessed downstairs.
After imagining that scene, Lin Rusong smiled along with Bai Yaxin. "Their relationship getting better and better is the best thing of all."
Bai Yaxin agreed.
"All right, go to sleep. Look how happy you are. Are you going to skip sleeping altogether?" Lin Rusong teased.
Bai Yaxin lay down, only to sit up again, just missing Lin Rusong's arm as he reached over to hold her.
Lin Rusong: "?"
Bai Yaxin said brightly, "Why don't we find some time to go on a trip? Come to think of it, it's been ages since the whole family went away together."
"Sure."
"You're agreeing so readily now. Don't drop the ball at the crucial moment."
A little embarrassed by Bai Yaxin's words, Lin Rusong said, "When have I ever dropped the ball? Don't we always follow your instructions?"
Bai Yaxin scoffed, "What a lackey."
Lin Rusong: "..."
Early the next morning, Bai Yaxin announced the news, telling everyone to make sure they cleared two days so they could go away together.
Lin Shengyan and Lin Tingyue had no problem with that. It mainly depended on Lin Xiawan's, Lin Yuhuan's, and Lin Rusong's schedules.
Meeting Bai Yaxin's hopeful gaze, Lin Xiawan paused. "I won't be that busy after the art exhibition. Any time works for me."
The same went for Lin Yuhuan.
And so, two days later, the entire Lin family set out to enjoy their vacation.
Of course summer meant playing in the water.
Right beside the guesthouse Lin Yuhuan had booked was a water park.
They could have water-gun battles or go rafting.
With their old bones, Lin Rusong and Bai Yaxin naturally couldn't handle the exertion of rafting. They went to have a water-gun battle, only to find themselves surrounded by a group led by Lin Shengyan.
But Lin Shengyan's teammates weren't particularly reliable either. At the crucial moment, they actually switched sides, and everyone ganged up on him alone.
Lin Shengyan had no choice but to surrender meekly.
[I have to say, even soaked like a drowned chicken, Second Brother is still handsome. He really should charge into the entertainment industry.]
Lin Shengyan curled his lips, enthusiastically preparing to strike a series of poses to post on Weibo.
[Damn it, Second Brother's gone greasy again. I take back what I just said.]
Lin Shengyan: "..."
Meanwhile, elsewhere, this conversation was taking place.
"Yanyan, don't worry anymore. I came out with you this time because I wanted you to cheer up a little."
"But..."
"Yanyan, you've come all the way here. That creep definitely won't find you."
Liang Yan smiled bitterly. "I hope so."
"Hey, Yanyan, look over there. Isn't that your favorite celebrity? What's his name-something-yan?" Hua Qin's eyes lit up.
Liang Yan looked over, clearly delighted as well. "It really is Lin Shengyan."
"Yes, yes! Yanyan, your luck must be turning around. Go ask for an autograph."
Liang Yan hesitated. "I don't dare..."
"What's there to be afraid of? I'll take you."
Hua Qin took Liang Yan's hand, and the two walked toward Lin Shengyan together.
"Hello."
Lin Shengyan turned around to see two excited young women. Perhaps they were his fans?
He asked, "Can I help you?"
Hua Qin nudged Liang Yan's arm. Liang Yan finally worked up her courage. "I-I'm your fan, Shengyan. Could you give me an autograph?"
Lin Shengyan readily agreed. "Of course."
Neither Hua Qin nor Liang Yan had brought paper or a pen, but fortunately, Lin Shengyan had prepared his own, specially packed in a waterproof bag.
[Call Second Brother narcissistic, and yet he's so polite. Call him polite, and yet he carries paper and a pen everywhere, as though he's certain he'll run into fans.]
Of course.
What did being a top star mean, after all?
Lin Shengyan was brimming with satisfaction, but Hua Qin and Liang Yan were a little startled. What had that voice been?
"Besides an autograph, would you like anything else? A message, perhaps?"
Liang Yan was already happy enough to receive Lin Shengyan's autograph and didn't need a message. That would be too much trouble. But Hua Qin said, "Could you wish her good luck? My friend's been a little unlucky lately."
"Of course." As Lin Shengyan wrote on the paper, he comforted her. "When misfortune reaches its lowest point, good fortune is sure to come."
[Unlucky?]
Lin Tingyue scrolled through her phone.
[Yikes, this young lady's problem isn't as simple as bad luck.]
[This young lady has recently been pestered by a creep. She's told him over and over that she doesn't know him, but he keeps following her relentlessly. He even rented a place across from hers to spy on her...]
What???
Hua Qin clenched her fists. She had always thought that creep was only following Yanyan. He had been spying on her too?
Fine, fine, fine. If she didn't get that creep thrown in jail, her surname wasn't Hua!
[The creep's been getting even worse lately, constantly harassing her and demanding to know why she broke up with him. But actually, it wasn't this young lady who broke up with him. It was her boyfriend.]
Liang Yan froze. Her boyfriend had broken up with the creep who was stalking her?
[Her boyfriend used her photos to impersonate her and date the creep. Once he'd swindled just about all the creep's money, he prepared to reel in the net. This young lady was just an innocent person caught in the fallout...]
[Huh, a new turn around the mountain bend? The creep who'd been detained was released, and a demolition compensation payment landed in his account. Her boyfriend started getting restless and agreed to get back together with the creep. He even decided to join the creep in...]
[They're both at this very guesthouse right now!]
Chapter 43
[After the creep was released from detention, he couldn't accept an online-only relationship anymore. He wanted to meet in person, and her boyfriend didn't want to lose this big fish either. He knew she'd come to this guesthouse with her friend to clear her head, so he lured the creep here and came over himself, planning to drug her unconscious and hand her over to the creep, and then...]
[Oh my god, how am I supposed to warn her!]
Just then, Liang Yan's phone rang.
Liang Yan glanced at it and involuntarily tightened her grip on her phone.
It really was a message from Hao Ziming, the boyfriend she had always trusted. He said he still couldn't stop worrying, and since she and Hua Qin were both girls, he'd decided to keep them company. He had already arrived and was asking where Liang Yan was.
When Liang Yan first discovered that a creep was following her, the first people she thought of were Hao Ziming and Hua Qin.
Hua Qin worked in a different city from her. Upon hearing about it, she had specially taken leave and rushed over to keep her company, while Hao Ziming had also been busy running around helping.
After she reported it to the police, Hao Ziming had even told her to leave everything to him and go away with Hua Qin to clear her head.
She had never imagined that he was the one who had started it all. This unprovoked calamity had befallen her entirely because of Hao Ziming!
Liang Yan pressed her lips together, almost crushing her phone in her grip.
Seeing this, Hua Qin came over and took her hand, looking at her worriedly.
Liang Yan slowly shook her head to indicate she was fine. Scumbags and creeps could all go to hell!!!
Liang Yan replied to Hao Ziming and arranged to meet him at the restaurant.
After receiving Hao Ziming's answer, Liang Yan looked up and thanked Lin Shengyan again, then left with Hua Qin.
[No, I have to follow them.]