Chapter 24 Part 1

The room fell silent.

In the spacious living room, at least a dozen people sat on the sofas—old and young, men and women—yet not a single one made a sound. He Tianhe, who had just been laughing, looked at his granddaughter, and the smile gradually faded from his wrinkled face.

Even the family head acted this way; the others were even more silent, afraid to get involved in the dispute.

Jin Yizhu, as Jin Shenghua’s only daughter, usually did not live in the Mid-Levels Villa, which was surprising enough.

He Wanruo had always told the relatives that Yizhu worked in Central and it was more convenient for her to live there. But now that Jin Shenghua held the group’s power, shouldn’t his daughter be groomed as the heir? Why would she work in Central? Even if it was one of the family companies, it still raised questions.

He Wanruo’s explanation had always been that Yizhu was still young and needed more training before she could join headquarters.

But deep down, she knew Jin Shenghua was still wary of her and her daughter.

Under Jin Yuancheng’s poison-laced mocking gaze, Jin Yizhu curled her lips into a scornful smile.

Some rat that had popped up out of nowhere got a position out of courtesy, and now he was getting too cocky, putting on a full show.

He Wanruo didn’t even dare to breathe, holding her breath as she watched her daughter.

Jin Yizhu wore a knee-length dress and carried several paper bags, likely gifts prepared for her grandfather.

The smile on her daughter’s exquisite, perfect face was no longer as gentle as when she had first entered.

He Wanruo’s heart pounded wildly. Her husband was always busy with work and unaware of their daughter’s temperament, but she knew it all too well!

She had given her daughter the elegant name Yizhu, but her personality was like a ball of fire, intolerant of any grievance. Normally, she shielded her as a mother, maintaining her image as a poised and ladylike young woman. But today…

To have her keeping a young mistress exposed in front of so many people—what a disaster!

“Jin Yuancheng,” as He Wanruo panicked, Jin Yizhu suddenly spoke, addressing her cousin by full name, “who is your little sister?”

Her voice was naturally clear and crisp; now chilled, it sounded even icier than snow.

“My parents only have me as their daughter…”

Jin Yizhu lifted her chin and walked in from the doorway, sitting calmly beside her grandfather in the seat reserved especially for her.

“If you want to be my big brother, you’ll have to see if Grandpa agrees.”

“Yizhu, you sure know how to joke,” her aunt reacted quickly, forcing a dry laugh. “Cousins are still siblings. We’re all family—why make such clear distinctions…”

“Exactly, little sister, you can’t forget your roots. We’re all Jin family members,” Jin Yuancheng hadn’t caught on yet, still wearing a smug expression. “Where’d you find that little Canary of yours? That’s the real outsider.”

“My affairs are none of your business.”

He kept bringing up Wei Shuyu again and again, with such flippant wording, instantly crossing Jin Yizhu’s bottom line.

“Show some respect to my friend. Who do you think you are?”

It was practically cursing him out. Now, not only He Wanruo but even Jin Shenghua’s expression changed.

“Yizhu! How do you speak like that?” Jin Shenghua had wanted her to apologize, but catching sight of He Tianhe’s expression from the corner of his eye, his tone softened. “You need to be polite.”

“I’m being very polite,” Jin Yizhu laughed. “Dad, is Jin Yuancheng your son?”

Jin Shenghua’s face grew even uglier.

In his impression, his daughter had always been sensible and never caused them worry. Why was she talking like this now?

The question was too sharp; he couldn’t answer it.

He had arranged for Jin Yuancheng and his siblings to work in the group.

After decades of marriage to He Wanruo, he had finally waited for He Tianhe to step back. If he didn’t insert some of his own people now, when would he?

Jin Shenghua had his own plans, but he hadn’t expected his daughter to be so merciless.

After successfully putting everyone in an awkward spot, Jin Yizhu calmly turned her head and smiled at He Tianhe. “Grandpa, these are specialties I brought back from Tokyo for you. See if you like them.”

He Tianhe had always doted on her and immediately chuckled. “Let me see. Our Yizhu is so thoughtful. Every time she goes out to play, she brings back something fresh. Us old folks get to share in Yizhu’s good fortune.”

As dinnertime approached, He Tianhe only opened the wagashi, taking a small piece from the exquisite wooden box, tasting a tiny bite before setting it down.

At his age, too much sweets upset his stomach. Besides, the wagashi was just so-so in taste; tasting it fulfilled the younger generation’s filial piety.

“How is it? My friend said this shop’s are delicious,” Jin Yizhu said, while shooting Jin Yuancheng a fierce glare. “Does it suit your taste, Grandpa?”

“Mm, your friend has good taste,” He Tianhe nodded. “Next time, invite her to Hong Kong to play.”

The wagashi had indeed been chosen by Wei Shuyu. After leaving Tokyo Tower, she had accompanied Jin Yizhu through the alleys to Roppongi to buy from a famous old shop that required reservations.

At the time, Jin Yizhu had felt enveloped in Wei Shuyu’s thoughtfulness and gentleness, her heart melting bit by bit like it was soaked in honey-lemon water.

And yet Jin Yuancheng dared to talk about her in that tone…

“Sure, she’s a really nice person—studies art,” Jin Yizhu said with a beaming smile. “I wanted to invite her to tomorrow’s banquet, but she has to meet her professor and doesn’t have time.”

“Oh, that’s good—a studious child,” He Tianhe was always lenient with young people. “Your cousin’s words were too harsh. A proper girl like that—how could she take being talked about that way.”

“Exactly,” Jin Yizhu suddenly lifted her face, glancing toward Jin Yuancheng with a smile that turned icy cold. “He’s so rude. Won’t he embarrass the family at tomorrow’s banquet?”

He Tianhe chuckled as he looked at her. After years of scheming, how could he not see through his granddaughter’s little intentions? Still, at least she carried his daughter’s blood. That wild boy Jin Shenghua had brought from outside was spouting off at his family banquet—if he didn’t give him a dressing-down, others would think he was ready for the grave and couldn’t even protect his daughter and granddaughter.

“Then don’t go,” He Tianhe patted his granddaughter’s hand, his smile growing even kinder. “Yizhu, prepare well tomorrow. Grandpa will take you to meet a few people.”

Jin Yizhu agreed and flashed Jin Yuancheng a triumphant smile.

The message was clear: you can scram.

Jin Yuancheng’s face turned ashen, even his lips trembling.

He truly hadn’t expected that after finally prying out what Jin Yizhu had been doing in Tokyo, and trying to give her a dressing-down before she returned to the company, she would turn the tables on him so viciously.

What was going on? Hadn’t they said Uncle Jin already held all the power, and it would be the Jin family’s world from now on?

From the looks of it now, the group was still surnamed He…

Jin Yizhu only glanced at him once before ignoring him completely.

She only spoke to her grandfather and mother, even during the meal.

By the end of dinner, it was all superficial compliance—obviously a family meal, yet it felt like so many outsiders were there, saying flattering things about her dad.

Jin Yizhu nearly sneered.

She knew exactly what kind of character her dad had.

Not quite a live-in son-in-law, but worse—his ambitions reached the heavens. He never truly saw her and her mother as family; his Jin relatives were his real family.

With Grandpa still healthy and only semi-retired, this was his attitude. What would it be like later…

Dark clouds passed through Jin Yizhu’s mind. Looking at her frail, helpless mother, her heart grew heavy, almost suffocating.

Next time… next time…

She didn’t want to keep acting spoiled and relying on Grandpa’s lingering authority to make them bow their heads. She wanted to grasp something solid.

Would announcing her intent to join headquarters now only make them guard against her more fiercely?

“Mom, try this honey spare ribs. Aunt Liu said she made them specially to your taste.”

In the end, Jin Yizhu steadied herself, dropping the company topic and instead serving food to He Wanruo.

“It’s rare for our family to gather, so why invite so many people…”

Her complaint was soft but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Her tone was coquettish, like an innocent Eldest Miss unaware of the world, purely grumbling that too many relatives were disrupting their small family reunion.

If not for her earlier masterful maneuver of borrowing strength to strike, even Jin Shenghua might have believed it.

He felt a pang—when had his daughter become like this? She was so hard to handle, nothing like her mother, without a trace of girlish demeanor.

“Yizhu, if you really care about us, move back to the Mid-Levels. Living alone in Central—what does that look like?”

Jin Shenghua frowned, lecturing his daughter.

“Your brothers are all going to the banquet tomorrow. It’s lively today so they won’t panic tomorrow.”

“If they panic just from going to someone else’s dinner, they shouldn’t go,” Jin Yizhu said calmly. “Why not invite my sisters too? We could look at dresses together.”

Jin Shenghua’s frown deepened. After one trip to Tokyo, his daughter had returned covered in thorns—her words were truly grating.

“Fine, don’t come back if you don’t want to. I can’t win against you—others will laugh at me, Jin Shenghua, for not even being able to control my own daughter.”

Jin Yizhu nearly rolled her eyes.

You’ve said all the good and bad words already—what am I supposed to say? Sometimes, she really didn’t understand what her mom had seen in this man, or why Grandpa hadn’t stopped the marriage.

The tension at the table thickened. He Tianhe slammed down his chopsticks. “Why talk about this during dinner? Do you think I’m living too long and should go down early to join your mom?”

Jin Yizhu’s expression didn’t change as she served him some squirrel mandarin fish, sweetening her voice. “Grandpa, try this fish. It’s delicious—not inferior to Suzhou’s. Aunt Liu’s skills have improved again.”

He Tianhe gave his granddaughter face and switched to a smiling expression. “Alright, alright. I’ll try it. Our Yizhu is so filial.”

Jin Yizhu raised her orange juice. “Grandpa, here’s to you—a toast. May your fortune be like the East Sea and your life as long as the Southern Mountains.”

She took a sip of orange juice, the sweet, cloying taste filling her mouth.