Marrying the Short-Lived, Maniacal Eldest Miss for Good Fortune 61

Chapter 61

From the outside, the Lin family’s old residence looked very simple and ancient, with gray walls and green tiles, and antique decorations that were just right. Unlike the flamboyant and high-profile nouveau riche Wang family, it exuded the low-key elegance of an old, established family.

The main door was pushed open, and a red carpet snaked all the way to the magnificent hall.

Just as the servants had welcomed Lin Xinyou in, they secretly whispered to each other about the young lady’s biological mother.

The story of the true and false young ladies being swapped at birth had always been a popular topic of conversation. Although Lin Lan had strictly forbidden everyone from discussing it, outside the banquet hall of the residence, they couldn’t suppress their gossipy hearts.

When Lin Lan had instructed them to invite Lin Xinyou to the family banquet, even the butler had been a little surprised.

If it were in the past, Lin Lan would never have agreed to such a thing. The butler still remembered that when she had first sent people to find the whereabouts of her biological daughter, Lin Lan had called the other couple “human traffickers.”

The child had been swapped, and her wife’s illness had been delayed because she couldn’t get a cell transplant from a blood relative. Each of these was a mortal enmity.

According to Lin Lan’s style, He Zhuang and Lin Xinyou should have been happy to have kept their lives.

But for so many years, they had been able to remain at peace, and she had even invited the other party to a family banquet. The butler had secretly guessed that this “Ms. Lin” must be a formidable character.

—Although she looked gentle and easy to bully, she had a resilience in her bones and would do anything for her child.

In this way, Lin Xinyou and Wen Qianxue were also quite similar in some ways.

After the second young lady, Lin Qingwan, had returned, she had still called Lin Xinyou “Mom,” and Lin Lan had not stopped her.

The butler did not try to guess what the head of the house meant, but she could not control what the servants thought.

Although Lin Shuxing had a very bad temper, she was a real beauty. She had been exquisite since she was a child, and even when she was seriously ill in bed, she had a kind of broken beauty. Many people were curious about how beautiful her biological mother must be to make a person with a heart of stone like Lin Lan give in.

But Lin Xinyou—

Everyone’s opinion was similar to Fang Yi’s first impression of Lin Xinyou.

If it hadn’t been specifically stated, it was completely impossible to tell that she was the young lady’s biological mother.

Today, she was wearing a beige long dress and a simple pair of pearl earrings, as ordinary as a daisy growing freely in the market.

When she stepped out of the Maybach, she was obviously a little nervous and uneasy.

It was only when Lin Qingwan took Lin Xinyou’s hand that her timid feelings found a place to rest, but they were soon replaced by a faint sense of inferiority.

If it weren’t for the fact that Lin Qingwan and Wen Qianxue looked so much alike, everyone would almost suspect that the so-called “swapped at birth” was just an excuse for Lin Lan to bring back a new lover and an illegitimate daughter.

Feelings were the most fickle in a prestigious family. For someone of Lin Lan’s level, even if she wanted to keep a mistress without a title, countless people would rush to her.

But Wen Qianxue seemed to have taken all of Lin Lan’s few emotions with her to the grave.

In the past, it wasn’t that no one had found someone who looked like Wen Qianxue and sent them to Lin Lan’s bed. It was a carefully planned honey trap.

On the anniversary of Wen Qianxue’s death, Lin Lan had had a few more drinks. When she returned to her room, she had seen the naked woman.

The next day, the mastermind, Lin Sui, was found to have committed suicide by drowning in a lake.

From then on, any branch of the Lin family who wanted to return to the old residence had to go through layers of approval. They were not even allowed to come back to pay their respects during the New Year without permission.

The smart ones, however, had figured out that something was wrong from the gossip and had quietly warned that one should never judge a person by their appearance.

The butler appeared from the shadows and scolded coldly, “Are the matters of the main family for you to discuss?”

The gathered servants were startled and quickly begged for mercy, but the few who had been talking the most were still taken away to rest, and another group of tight-lipped and clever ones were brought up.

The main door opened again. The servants looked up respectfully and saw—two cartoon teddy bears.

Fang Yi’s attire was always out of place with the Lin family, and today was no exception.

But the young lady by her side was holding her arm, and their shirts together formed two little bears spinning in a circle, which was strangely cute.

Lin Shuxing’s curly hair fell down casually, with a red hair tie braided in. It swayed slightly with her movements, and she even wore the little bear shirt with a noble air, making one wonder if some brand had done a new collaboration.

Seeing Lin Qingwan’s carefully dressed figure from a distance, Fang Yi leaned close to Lin Shuxing’s ear and asked doubtfully, “Why is she dressed like that? Isn’t it a family banquet?”

Fang Yi had never experienced such a scene before. Lin Shuxing was afraid that she would turn into a teacher on a home visit again, so she had decided on this little bear couple’s outfit the night before and had coaxed her, “A family banquet, a family banquet, it’s just a simple meal with the family. Why dress so seriously and formally?”

“Maybe no one told her,” the young lady said with a secret smile.

The butler personally led them in and guided them to their seats.

Lin Lan was still at the head of the table, with the two young ladies sitting on either side. Lin Xinyou sat next to Lin Shuxing, and Fang Yi was arranged next to Lin Qingwan.

Today, there were only the five of them. The dishes were also placed very close. Under the light of the crystal chandelier, it showed a rare warmth.

“Sister!”

Lin Qingwan hadn’t seen Lin Shuxing for many days, and her eyes lit up as soon as she entered.

Lin Shuxing raised her eyelids and glanced at her faintly.

Of the three pranksters in the wine cellar, only Lin Qingwan had gotten away clean.

“Sister.”

Lin Qingwan’s eyes drooped, looking pitiful. As Lin Shuxing’s gaze shifted, she seemed to have just noticed Fang Yi and called out shyly, “Sister Fang Yi.”

Fang Yi got goosebumps from her call and rubbed her arms.

“Star, Xiao Wan.” Lin Xinyou saw that the atmosphere between the children was not right and also stood up, looking at them with some worry.

She didn’t know about Lin Shuxing’s illness before the exam and was still worried that some rift would form between Lin Shuxing and Lin Qingwan.

In the past, Lin Xinyou had been allowed to see Lin Qingwan regularly, but she was not allowed to see Lin Shuxing.

Lin Xinyou had learned a lot about Lin Shuxing’s recent situation from Lin Qingwan. The considerate child would even take many photos of Lin Shuxing for her to see.

For both children, Lin Xinyou felt very guilty.

She was guilty of the lack of a mother’s love for Lin Shuxing, and also guilty of delaying Lin Qingwan’s childhood.

If there was anything that truly made Lin Xinyou feel gratified in the first half of her chaotic life, it was probably that the sisters’ relationship was not bad.

Last time at the school gate, she had clearly seen that in the face of the crazy He Zhuang, Lin Shuxing had protected Lin Qingwan behind her.

Every time she thought of this scene, she wanted to cry.

Sensing the woman’s unease, Lin Shuxing finally raised her eyelids and hummed softly, nodding at Lin Qingwan, her attitude softening.

“Mom, can I switch seats with you? I want to sit with my sister.”

Of course, Lin Xinyou would not refuse this kind of sisterly love, but she also knew that the seating arrangement in a place like the Lin family must have a deep meaning, so she looked at Lin Lan for permission.

Lin Lan nodded slightly.

“Yay! Thank you, Mom.” Lin Qingwan acted coquettishly with the two elders.

She turned to Lin Shuxing and carefully pulled at the corner of her clothes. “Sister, I’m sorry about last time. I’ve prepared a gift for you.”

Lin Qingwan took out a pure white box and pulled it lightly. The lid slowly opened.

On the red velvet lay a priceless sapphire bracelet. The largest one in the middle was carved into the shape of a star, shining brightly under the lights.

Fang Yi noticed that Lin Qingwan was also wearing an almost identical one on her own left wrist, but the one in the middle was not a star, but a moon.

She displayed it so arrogantly, with an undisguised pride and arrogance, or rather, a provocation.

Fang Yi frowned slightly and looked away.

The System, which had just finished reading many books and hadn’t digested them yet, was furious and screamed, [Hey, you treacherous minister! It’s actually a couple’s item. The world is really going downhill. It’s too incestuous!]

Fang Yi: … Can you not misuse new words you’ve just learned?

“Sister Fang Yi, I only prepared a gift for my sister. You won’t be angry, right?”

Lin Shuxing blinked her big eyes, and with a light sentence, she pulled the attention of the entire room to Fang Yi’s face.

“Because I didn’t expect you to come too. This pair is a unique design. When I find something suitable for you in the future, I’ll give it to you.”

“Mainly because I considered that you work very hard and don’t wear these accessories much. I was also worried that you wouldn’t like it if I gave it to you. After all, sapphires don’t seem to suit you very well, so…”

Before Fang Yi could answer, she had already given a bunch of explanations, holding the corner of her dress with one hand, looking very worried.

Fang Yi’s tall and slender figure stood in front of her like a silent white wall.

Her clear black and white eyes quietly watched the young lady’s act. After feeling the lowered gazes of the two mothers, she raised an eyebrow and smiled indifferently.

“Fang Yi.”

A warm touch gently climbed onto her fingertips. Lin Shuxing took Fang Yi’s hanging hand and squeezed it. “It’s fine. Which designer made it? I’ll just have them replicate another one.”

She could not care, but she could not not care about her.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

The young lady was stunned for a moment, her face showing panic. “Did I make Sister Fang Yi unhappy? It is indeed a couple’s item, but I only liked its design at the time. It’s very suitable for my sister. Otherwise, I’ll just give this one to Sister Fang Yi…”

She pursed her lips sadly, while carefully stealing a glance at Fang Yi’s reaction out of the corner of her eye, and untied the chain on her hand, as helpless as a little white rabbit being chased by a fierce beast, trembling in the cold wind.

Lin Lan’s brow furrowed slightly, but before she could speak, Lin Xinyou had already walked over quickly, pressed down on Lin Qingwan’s trembling hand, and coaxed her gently:

“Xiao Wan, it’s fine. Fang Yi hasn’t said anything yet. This kind of design is very common. It can also be a sister’s item.”

The woman’s gaze turned to Fang Yi, with a hint of a roundabout plea. “Little Yi, you are a good child. I know you won’t mind such a small matter, right?”

“It’s just a bracelet.”

Lin Lan, at the head of the table, finally spoke. Her fingers on the tabletop tapped nonchalantly. The butler understood and placed an unlimited black card in front of Fang Yi.

The butler said respectfully, “A small token of our appreciation. You can buy whatever small accessories you like.”

Since Fang Yi would accept the key to the Cullinan, it meant that she was not really so desireless.

To make a concession, a black card. A smart person would know how to choose.

“…”

Fang Yi felt that the crystal chandelier in the Lin family’s house was a bit too glaring.

She really wouldn’t mind such a small matter. It was too childish.

But the feeling of the two mothers being so on guard and so solemn still made her feel a little uncomfortable for no reason.

It was as if this scene had happened many times before.

Other people’s parents would always protect their children behind them, unconditionally shielding them. Even for a trivial matter, a large group of people would stand on her opposite side, speculating with all kinds of looks.

The adults might not know the truth, but they just wanted to express an attitude.

—This is my child.

And you have no one behind you.

Whether it was a fight, or being framed for stealing, or the simplest verbal dispute… anyway, it would always be resolved, and she would never be at a disadvantage.

Lin Xinyou gently placed her hand on Lin Qingwan’s shoulder. Fang Yi had seen this kind of look too many times.

When she was in boarding school as a child, she had won the top scholarship. Those who were not as good as her had called her an orphan, her mother a fool, and her grandmother a shaman.

The parents, who had originally been aggressively vowing to stand up for their children, had become ashamed and had stammered after learning the cause and effect of the matter from the teacher.

They had received a good education and could distinguish between right and wrong. They were not unreasonable people.

So in the end, Fang Yi had gotten two boxes of milk and a large basket of fruit. The aunt on the other side had also looked at her with the same look as Lin Xinyou.

But the request to have the other party publicly apologize on the podium was rejected.

The reason was to protect the child’s self-esteem.

They were not bad people, just a common human favoritism.

The person who had been beaten and was wailing had hidden behind his mother and had given Fang Yi a wicked smile.

That family was the first ten-thousand-yuan household in the town. They had started by speculating. After the reform and opening up, they were called successful businessmen. They had several houses in the town and were not short of that little bit of scholarship money.

Later, that aunt had asked the head teacher for the parent’s contact information, wanting to sponsor Fang Yi’s food expenses.

The call was made, and the small mobile phone hidden in Fang Yi’s own pocket rang.

At that time, Fang Yi was in a language class. With the face of a model student, the teacher had wanted to scold her but couldn’t bear to. She had only confiscated it after she had finished the call.

So strange, and she had earned money again.

Fang Yi reached out and picked up the black card on the dining table, even wanting to laugh a little.

Seeing that she had accepted the “reconciliation,” Lin Xinyou was visibly relieved.

“Fang Yi, raise your hand.” The young lady’s clear voice suddenly sounded.

Lin Shuxing took the bracelet out of the box and, ignoring everyone’s reaction, fastened it on Fang Yi’s wrist.

The cold touch fell, and Fang Yi’s pupils shrank.

The young lady took her hand. The sapphire shone brightly under the lights, making her long, slender knuckles exceptionally white.

Under Lin Shuxing’s proud gaze, the small scars left on the back of her hand after they had healed did not look like flaws. The faint pink, a little lighter than the surrounding flesh, was just like the natural texture of jade.

The bright and beautiful young lady’s eyes curved. She looked at Fang Yi’s hand again and again, very satisfied.

“It’s beautiful. You should wear it more in the future. Do you like this style? I’ll order a few more in other colors for you to match your clothes.”

She held Fang Yi’s chin with one hand and turned to Lin Qingwan. “Since you gave it to me, I can do whatever I want with it, right? Or should I transfer the money to your account?”

The young lady’s hand was very soft, but when it was on her chin, it had an indescribable possessiveness and protectiveness.

Fang Yi vaguely smelled a very fragrant scent from her palm, like a rose nourished by milk. It enveloped her in the softest heart of the flower, and swayed those sharp and magnificent thorns towards the outside world.

A blatant favoritism.

Lin Qingwan’s smile instantly became very stiff, but she quickly covered up the strong hatred in her eyes and said softly, “Of course not, sister. We are a family.”

The emotion that had just been stuck in her throat turned into an irrepressible sound. Fang Yi looked up and smiled faintly at Lin Qingwan.

I have one too.