Chapter 60

Shu Rong didn’t understand much. She was always taken out by her mother and rarely encountered unkind people.

She simply looked around casually. The huge, luxurious house had no toys or small animals, and two fierce-looking adults stared at her.

The little white fluffball that Lin Xu held had a pink dolphin hair clip specially pinned on top of her head today to see the small animals, and her snow boots featured chubby little penguin patterns.

Her dreams shattered, and she was eyed by what seemed like terrifying creatures. Lin Xu could feel her trembling.

Lin Xu calmly stepped forward, holding the child in one arm and leading Shu Qingyou with the other hand, then took the main seat.

Shu Qingyou lowered her gaze to their intertwined hands, which Lin Xu never released from beginning to end.

So, what identity should she claim? Compared to the unknown storm of being with Lin Xu, even strolling through the aquarium with Shu Rong seemed like an unattainable dream now.

The father and son invited here today, per Old Lady Lin’s intentions, were probably feeling uneasy too, their hands unusually placed properly on their knees.

They showed none of their usual arrogant demeanor.

Lin Hai’s beer belly full of crap, paired with his greasy, pockmarked pie face, made people want to vomit.

That was bad enough, but Lin Shi’s shifty, rat-like eyes kept glancing at Shu Qingyou intentionally or not. Lin Xu ground her teeth and steadied her raging emotions.

“Little Uncle, long time no see.” Lin Xu tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Lin Shi, same for you. Last time I saw you, oh… your legs weren’t very convenient.”

The family of three openly showed affection in front of him, and hearing Lin Xu’s mocking tone, Lin Hai’s mind blanked for a moment. How was his son’s legs inconvenient?

Lin Xu gave him a huge shock. This woman with some charm was clearly a mistress, but the child in her niece’s arms had big eyes and curly, thick lashes just like Lin Xu’s as a child.

It was like a bolt from the blue.

Lin Hai turned his head and asked, “Little Shi, what happened last time?”

Lin Shi was wondering when his cousin had hooked up with such a poised woman and brought her home.

He hated her to the point his teeth itched. Last time, he had been forced to crawl on the floor in front of everyone, and later at the restaurant, those people’s ambiguous gazes lingered on him like thorns in his back.

“Thanks for cousin’s concern. I’m doing fine.”

The servant was about to pour tea at that moment, but Lin Xu blocked it with her arm, and the servant wisely retreated.

Lin Xu pretended to think, then sighed. “Cousin, I’ve actually been a bit inconvenienced with my legs lately. Bad luck—got into a car accident.”

Lin Hai and his son both gulped hard, exchanging a guilty glance that Lin Xu caught entirely.

Everyone present knew Lin Xu’s tyrannical temper, so no one dared speak. The atmosphere grew extremely tense.

Lin Xu spoke unhurriedly, showing an apologetic smile. “Little Uncle isn’t even looking at me. Are you blaming me for not pouring tea for you?”

So it was just about that. Lin Hai relaxed a bit. He took a sip of tea, though his arm muscles were tense to the point of stiffness. “What are you saying? Little Xu, focus on recovering. There’s always next time.”

The Lin family had always been traditional—juniors served tea to elders, with clear hierarchies.

“Yeah,” Lin Xu nodded, then changed the subject. “Looks like Little Shi’s cup of tea will have to wait for next time too…”

Lin Hai’s throat bobbed as he immediately scolded, “Little Shi, hurry and pour tea for your cousin! No manners—what a disgrace!”

Lin Shi, still lost in thought about the car accident, had forgotten basic etiquette. The rebuke hit him like a stick to the head.

His spine bent immediately. With shaking hands, he poured the water and offered it to Lin Xu. “Cousin, please have some tea.”

Lin Xu stared at Lin Shi without blinking, showing no intention of taking it. She let out an “ah.” “Little Shi, I suddenly remembered something. Funny coincidence—the driver who hit me looks about sixty percent like you.”

Recently, in messages from Gu Huaiyuan, there had been a photo of the perpetrator driver: sharp-faced and monkey-like, with a greedy look different in build but the same as Lin Hai’s. He had received a transfer from one of the family’s shell companies.

Coincidentally, the legal representative was a manager under Lin Hai. Who was behind it was obvious.

“No way he looks like me!” Lin Shi shouted in fright. Already guilty, the teacup tilted in his hand, spilling most of the hot tea onto Shu Qingyou’s leg.

The black wide-leg pants didn’t absorb water, and the slightly scalding tea seeped to her skin, stinging a bit. Shu Qingyou furrowed her brows.

Even without any sense, Lin Shi wouldn’t dare openly flirt with his cousin’s woman. He apologized profusely, nearly burying his head in the ground.

Lin Hai looked speechless and embarrassed. Lin Xu was clearly bluffing—the driver was in his fifties. How could he look like a twenty-something?!

He shoved his useless son aside. “Lin Shi! Look at you, so clumsy. Someone, take this lady to change clothes!”

Then he turned to Shu Qingyou with a fake smile. “Sorry about that. My son’s still young, spoiled at home. I apologize on his behalf. If she needs a check-up, I’ll cover all medical fees.”

Lin Xu felt nauseous looking at that face piled with fat, but Shu Qingyou urgently needed to change, and she wasn’t sure if the skin was scalded red. She didn’t bother wasting words on these disgusting things.

Suppressing her urge to vomit, she pulled Shu Qingyou up. “No need. It’s my own home—I know where to change.”

Lin Xu went up the rotating staircase to the second floor and pushed open the room she occasionally stayed in. She hurriedly rummaged for a medicine kit and clothes.

Shu Qingyou sat on the soft big bed, still stinging a little. She scanned Lin Xu’s room—it was large but lacked much sense of life.

“Your family is pretty lively.”

Shu Rong saw such a big bed for the first time—super soft. She climbed on and rolled around on the sheets.

“You call this lively? Then you’ll see plenty of it in the future.”

Lin Xu replied helplessly, her tone weary. She prepared new pants and the medicine kit, then knelt on one knee in front of Shu Qingyou.

The spilled area was near the inner thigh. Lin Xu was all too familiar with Shu Qingyou’s body. She unzipped the pants and pressed ten fingers on the waistband.

Her fingertips touched Shu Qingyou’s soft little belly, tempting her to explore further. Lin Xu kept reminding herself in her mind not to mess around.

Shu Qingyou’s abdomen rose and fell uncontrollably. Embarrassed, she gasped and pressed down on Lin Xu’s hand—which seemed helpful but felt like taking advantage.

“I’ll do it myself…”

Lin Xu’s gaze gradually lost its clarity. She looked up, posture unchanged, and continued changing the pants. “What relationship do we have? You’re still shy.”

Though tempted, when she saw a small red patch on Shu Qingyou’s porcelain-white, tender inner thigh, her heart tightened. Her fingers quickly withdrew to avoid hurting her.

Lin Xu’s eyes darkened. She needed to deal with those two disgusting relatives fast.

Did they really not take her seriously?

After applying various ointments, Lin Xu stayed in the room with Shu Qingyou for a good while until the medicine dried. A servant knocked to say Old Lady Lin was waiting.

Lin Xu helped Shu Qingyou into new pants and held her soft hand. Lowering her gaze, her lips brushed the back of Shu Qingyou’s hand in a gentle kiss.

“Time to meet the parent.”

Shu Qingyou found it odd, her beautiful phoenix eyes smiling ambiguously. “Before, you were so timid you wanted to hide me away. Fixed that quickly?”

Lin Xu grinned openly, carefree. “Better to rip off the band-aid early.”

Though Lin Xu kept hyping herself up, seeing the old lady’s stern, unpredictable expression made her lighten her breathing.

Old Lady Lin’s gaze quickly swept over the three of them for less than a second before settling on the child with interest. She beckoned.

The butler in his suit and leather shoes respectfully offered Shu Rong a lollipop on a tray—rainbow-colored, bright and big and round.

Held by Shu Qingyou, Shu Rong instinctively compared it to her own hand. Wow, bigger than her hand!

Her eyes lit up as she reached for it, but Lin Xu played the bad guy, blocking with her arm and stopping Shu Rong’s longing.

Ignoring Shu Rong’s pouting, near-tears face, Lin Xu smirked defiantly. Her laughter sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet room as her gaze locked challengingly with Old Lady Lin’s.

“Grandma, what do you mean by this?”

Old Lady Lin huffed heavily from her nose. Earlier, when she found out Lin Xu was sneaking around with a strange woman, that was fine—Gu Huaiyuan only needed a business marriage with Lin Xu; she didn’t care about the others.

She hadn’t expected the child to be this big already. Fortunately, the great-granddaughter seemed well-raised: chubby cheeks, red lips and white teeth, clear eyes—extremely clever-looking.

“What do I mean? Do I need to spell it out?” Old Lady Lin was helpless with her granddaughter. After two consecutive car accidents, even a strong elder’s heart couldn’t take the shock.

Old Lady Lin had two daughters: the eldest had passed, the youngest was unreliable, running around domestically and abroad, rarely seen all year.

Lin Xu was basically the family’s only heir. If she couldn’t even protect her own granddaughter, she’d have no face before the ancestors.

“Grandma doesn’t say, how would I know?”

Shu Qingyou stood protected behind and to the side of Lin Xu. She knew Lin Xu wanted to shield her but observed quietly too. The old lady seemed kinder this time, though still imposing, her body frail as she half-reclined on the bed.

Her voice was strong mid-speech, suggesting advanced age.

Old Lady Lin pursed her dry lips and looked past Lin Xu at the great-granddaughter and the Omega holding her.

The Omega was the same as always—last meeting too. She didn’t flaunt or care about anything, but not cold; more like breezy indifference.

“Miss Shu, tell me, how did you fall for my useless granddaughter?”

Too belittling. Lin Xu wanted to argue, but Shu Qingyou, out of the old lady’s sight, lifted her tiptoe and nudged Lin Xu’s pant leg.

The subtle sensation from below upward made Lin Xu swallow her words in frustration. Shu Rong seized the moment, grabbed out, and pocketed the candy from the tray.

She proudly raised the lollipop, head held high, baring her teeth in a milky, unintelligible coo.

The move made Old Lady Lin chuckle despite herself, her expression softening considerably.

Shu Qingyou bowed slightly, handling the elder appropriately. Seeing the old lady liked Shu Rong, she stroked her daughter’s head to keep her still.

“It’s love at first sight with her.”

Her voice was clear and steady, showing no fear before Old Lady Lin.

Old Lady Lin appreciated that. She nodded and raised her withered, aged arm. Shu Qingyou read the intent in her eyes, set the candy aside, and let her daughter approach the elder.

Lin Xu’s heart pounded hard, her mind buzzing. Love at first sight—real, or just to fool the old lady?

Shu Rong’s eyes widened. The unfamiliar grandma ruffled her hair several times, held her hand—looked a bit fierce but felt wonderfully familiar.

Old Lady Lin said kindly, “Three years old, can’t speak yet, but seems smart enough.”

Overlooked for a while, Lin Xu stepped forward to complain, inserting herself between Shu Qingyou and grandma. She wasn’t keen on letting Shu Qingyou chat with the elder. “Don’t worry, Grandma. Rongrong’s brain works just fine.”

Seeing her troublesome granddaughter sparked nameless anger in Old Lady Lin. She huffed, “How many years of rice have you eaten to grow such hard wings? What, do you think I’d harm my own great-granddaughter?”

“You—I don’t even know what to say. Idling all day, no president demeanor at all. What were you doing downstairs earlier?”

Lin Xu had only become president with grandma’s support, but that didn’t mean she lacked ability. Mentioning that father-son pair, she held back her anger, neck stiffening.

“Grandma, those dog-like Lin Hai and son harmed me—can’t I give them a warning?”

Old Lady Lin, battle-hardened in business, understood the dynamics. She glared at Lin Xu and smiled at Shu Qingyou.

“Miss Shu, I need to talk privately with my granddaughter…”

Shu Qingyou remained polite. “I’m a bit thirsty by chance. I’ll go downstairs for tea.”

As she passed Lin Xu, her fingertip nimbly scratched Lin Xu’s palm. Lin Xu’s hand curled reflexively from the stimulation.

The itch in her palm sent a tingling electric current through Lin Xu’s lower abdomen.

Stunned, Lin Xu savored the meaning of Shu Qingyou’s gesture when the elder slowly spoke under the dim light. The words hit like lightning, pinning her in place.

Motionless.

“Xu’er, what her mother did has nothing to do with you. It’s fate between us ancestors and descendants.”

“But neither I nor your mother ever taught you to poison the innocent.”

Lin Xu felt as if plunged into an ice cellar, her whole body chilling, her eyes dimming word by word from the elder’s speech.

Old Lady Lin shook her head, furious at her granddaughter’s dirty tactics. “Does your lover know you bankrupted her company? Her grandmother suffered double blows and passed early. Do you think you’re free of blame?”