Chapter 45 Part 2

It was cold air. Even in the depths of winter, the chill hit Le Yiqiu like a wave, making her clench her fists.

“Ice Bowl?” Lin Xianing exclaimed in delight.

Xiang Shang smiled. “That’s right. After Master Liu retired, big sister tracked him down specially, learned the craft from him, and had it ready as a surprise for you.”

Lin Xianing scooped up a spoonful of fresh fruit and held it to Le Yiqiu’s lips. “Try it. This is Master Liu’s special recipe—nothing like what they sell outside.”

“We weren’t allowed ice drinks or ice cream as kids. This was how we beat the summer heat.”

“Once we grew up and Master Liu retired, I started missing the taste more and more.”

A genuine smile—the first since lunch—bloomed on Lin Xianing’s face. “Thank you, Xiang Shang and Xiang Meng.”

Xiang Shang and Xiang Meng shook their head. “It’s what we should do.”

The bowl brimmed with colorful fruit bits that looked utterly tempting.

The room’s heating was cranked up nicely, chasing away the chill from outdoors. Le Yiqiu opened her mouth, letting Lin Xianing feed her the fruit.

Mmm… The texture was perfect—the fruits’ sweet-tart burst, topped with nutty crumbs that crunched refreshingly. It was exactly her kind of flavor.

Le Yiqiu met Lin Xianing’s expectant gaze and nodded in approval. “Delicious.”

“I knew you’d like it.”

Lin Xianing smiled and scooped a piece for herself. “Tastes just like Master Liu’s.”

Satisfaction lit up her features, making the earlier spat with her parents seem like a distant illusion.

She only managed two bites before Xiang Meng whisked the bowl away.

Lin Xianing stared longingly after Xiang Shang’s back, as if she could stare straight through to sneak one more bite.

“It’s too cold out,” Xiang Meng promised. “Come summer, you can have as much as you want.”

But Lin Xianing wasn’t having it. She tugged at Le Yiqiu’s sleeve. “How about you learn to make Ice Bowl from Xiang Meng?”

“Hm?”

Le Yiqiu blinked in confusion, but Lin Xianing replied matter-of-factly, “If you learn it, I can have some anytime I want.”

“Xiang Meng can’t always be around our house.”

Learning to make Ice Bowl was no big deal, so Le Yiqiu happily agreed.

And the way Lin Xianing said “our house” filled her with quiet satisfaction.

Still, hadn’t Lin Xianing been awfully compliant today? This tsundere tough-talker didn’t just blurt out her wants like that.

Le Yiqiu observed her discreetly but spotted nothing amiss.

Xiang Meng checked her wristwatch. “It’s still early. Why don’t you two take a nap?”

“I’ll be in the room next door. Call if you need anything.”

Le Yiqiu watched Xiang Meng’s retreating figure, a strange feeling stirring in her chest.

“Let’s talk upstairs,” Lin Xianing said, her usual aloofness snapping back into place.

As if the person who had just wheedled her into learning Ice Bowl had been someone else entirely.

Le Yiqiu followed behind her, her mind slowly piecing together what felt off about the day.

The Lin Xianing who returned home was like a completely different person. Why was that?

Le Yiqiu was lost in thought and failed to notice the person ahead suddenly stopping. She collided straight into her, the sharp soreness in her nasal passages making her eyes brim with tears in an instant.

“Idiot, are you okay?” Lin Xianing turned around at once, cupping her face to inspect it closely.

Le Yiqiu waved her hand. “I’m fine~” Her voice came out muffled and nasal, barely intelligible.

If her eyes weren’t swimming with tears, the words might have carried more weight.

“Were you missing me?” Lin Xianing cut straight to the heart of her little preoccupation.

“Yeah, you’ve been off all day.”

“Hold on, let’s change into pajamas first.”

Lin Xianing stepped into the walk-in closet and shut the door behind her.

Le Yiqiu waited obediently outside. Once Lin Xianing had changed, she invited her in to do the same.

“Let’s lie down and talk.”

Somehow, their heart-to-hearts always seemed to happen in bed—a bit embarrassing, really.

A sudden thought made Le Yiqiu’s cheeks flush pink.

Lin Xianing settled onto the bed and closed her eyes. “Go on, what are you curious about?”

Over the next twenty-odd days, the two of them would face a host of challenges together.

Le Yiqiu couldn’t stay glued to her side forever; there would be moments when she’d be on her own. The more she understood, the better equipped she’d be to navigate the Lin Family’s tangled relationships.

“Back there just now…”

Le Yiqiu hesitated. “You were acting strange.”

Having her learn the Ice Bowl so proactively—it was blatant PDA.

Lin Xianing caught on immediately. “Xiang Meng is a good friend and an excellent subordinate. That’s all there is to our relationship.”

Sudden understanding dawned on Le Yiqiu. No wonder she’d sensed something beyond colleagues between Xiang Meng and Lin Xianing.

Xiang Meng liked Lin Xianing.

That explained why Lin Xianing had been flaunting their romance: to nip Xiang Meng’s hopes in the bud.

The sadness in Xiang Meng’s retreating figure suddenly made perfect sense.

Le Yiqiu rolled onto her side, drinking in the exquisite beauty of Lin Xianing’s face. That visage alone had enchanted countless souls.

Too many people in this world adored Lin Xianing—and with her brilliance, she deserved every bit of it.

Le Yiqiu felt no jealousy. Lin Xianing hadn’t encouraged anyone or given false impressions.

Pride swelled in her chest instead, mingled with admiration and a smug pat on the back for her own impeccable taste.

“What are you staring at?” Lin Xianing asked, sensing the gaze without opening her eyes.

Le Yiqiu reached out and prodded her arm. “You and your parents…”

She faltered, unsure how to phrase it properly. Was the question itself inappropriate, or was it her place to ask?

“You want to know about my relationship with them. It doesn’t look great, does it?”

“Yeah.”

The Lin Family was so stubbornly traditional, yet they’d supported their daughter’s acting career and backed her pursuits. Logically, things should be fine between them.

But she’d seen it with her own eyes today: clear tension in Lin Xianing’s interactions with her parents.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I was just curious.”

If the topic upset Lin Xianing, Le Yiqiu could live without answers.

Lin Xianing rolled onto her side too, her eyes fluttering open slowly. Their gazes locked.

“I didn’t get enough to eat at lunch, Le Yiqiu.”

Not nearly enough—Lin Xianing hadn’t even touched her chopsticks. Yet Mother Lin had noticed Brother Lin Xiaming barely eating, while overlooking her entirely.

Le Yiqiu’s nose tingled unexpectedly. “Neither did I.”

She’d only managed a few bites herself, her stomach still rumbling emptily. And Lin Xianing, right beside her, hadn’t lifted her chopsticks once.

Staying with the Lin Family for twenty-plus days, they’d shed a pound daily at this rate.

Le Yiqiu scooted closer until their breaths mingled, the scant inches between them charged with intimacy.

“Want to sneak out for food?” The Lin Family estate wasn’t buried in some remote wilderness. A drive to the scenic area would take about half an hour, even with the detour.

They both lived in Jianglin City, just over an hour away. The daily commute was exhausting, but far less aggravating than bunking here—and at least they’d eat their fill.

The catch was the Lin Family’s rigid schedule, starting at dawn: three meals a day, mandatory attendance for all members.

Rise at six for incense at the Ancestral Hall, breakfast at seven, lunch at noon, afternoon incense at three, dinner at five-thirty, followed by night watch.

The branches rotated duties from the eldest to the third. On balance, staying on-site was more practical, with events crammed into every hour.

Countless ancestral offerings demanded hands-on work from the descendants themselves.

No hiring help; the rituals were a tedious ordeal.

And spouses like her and Lin Xianing were barred from participating—only Lin Xianing could handle those tasks, not her.

Personally, Le Yiqiu didn’t care for the rigidity.

She respected tradition but drew the line at suffocating feudalism.

Take preparing certain offerings: descendants had to kneel to prove their sincerity.

Today was light, thankfully—incense at three, and it was only one o’clock now. If they hustled, they could grab a meal and return in time.

She regretted not packing snacks or instant eats; her stomach was growling audibly.

Lin Xianing reached over and patted her head. “The instant we walk out the Lin Family gate, trouble will find us.”

“They’ll rally the whole clan, note our absence, and then a mob will come down on us.”

Lin Xianing drew a deep breath. “It’s almost here. Just give me one more year.”

Recalling the plan Lin Xianing had outlined to Xiang Meng, plus this timeline, Le Yiqiu could infer she was launching some scheme requiring a year’s runway. Details remained a mystery for now.

She wouldn’t pry, though. Whatever Lin Xianing pursued, if she chose to confide or needed aid, Le Yiqiu would throw her full support behind it.

Silence stretched between them. Le Yiqiu was starting to think Lin Xianing had drifted off when she spoke again. “The family’s purpose shifted the moment Great-Uncle took over as head.”

The Lin Family bore no resemblance to the harmonious, united household under Grandma Lin’s watch.

Lin Xianing’s voice turned wistful. “Grandma must have foreseen it becoming like this. That’s why, before she passed, she drew up a will.”

“She divided the estate among everyone to avert bloodshed among brothers.”

“She left me far too much. Great-Uncle and the uncles resent it, as do our siblings.”

“But mine is mine. They eye my share—why shouldn’t I strike back?”

Her gaze grew distant, fixed toward Le Yiqiu yet somehow past her. “Grandma wouldn’t blame me if she knew, would she?”

“Truth be told, her reproach wouldn’t faze me… It’s all transactional anyway.”

In rambling like this, Lin Xianing was baring her inner turmoil.

Le Yiqiu figured Grandma Lin’s lavish bequests stemmed from love. Now, pitting herself against the Lin Family—Grandma’s own children—must pain her somewhat.

That would explain her distraction after greenlighting the plan today, second-guessing if it was the right call.

Yet that final remark muddied the waters on her bond with Grandma.

Still, with the plan underway, retreat was impossible.

Lin Xianing’s anxiety had prompted the outpouring, triggered by just two simple questions.

“The wealth Grandma gave you was all from her later efforts, not ancestral holdings.”

Le Yiqiu stroked Lin Xianing’s hair gently. “She earned it fair and square and could bequeath it to anyone she pleased.”

“It’s yours by right. They see a young woman and think they can seize it.”

“Sever those grasping hands, make them smart from the pain, so they never dare covet what’s not theirs again.”

“Grandma wouldn’t fault you for that. You’re only defending your own, aren’t you?”

Even inheritance was hers to keep. Their aggression didn’t justify handing it over.

Le Yiqiu had no qualms about clashing with relatives. The moment they struck first, kinship was void—they’d best brace for reprisal.

You couldn’t just absorb blows without swinging back. She had no clue on the plan’s specifics.

But today’s dining room ambush told the tale: her mere entrance had drawn universal ire.

Targeting her? No—using her to undermine Lin Xianing.

Hurt me, and I’ll hurt you back. That was Le Yiqiu’s creed.

Lin Xianing spoke softly. “Grandma isn’t the sole source of my unease.”

“Doing this will crush one person’s dream.”

Hence her hesitation. But reuniting with the Lin Family today had burned it away.

They weren’t worth it.

She’d confided in Le Yiqiu only for reassurance.

And it landed perfectly: no one merited unreciprocated punishment. Fair was fair.

Grandma’s division stood; the assets were Lin Xianing’s now.

Elders lusting after a junior’s portion? Despicable from the start.

Lin Xianing repelling them—even viciously—what of it?

Whatever came, Le Yiqiu would stand by her side, facing it together.