“Wait!” Lin Haojie finally couldn’t hold back, his fangs glinting sharply:
“Earlier we promised Grandpa that once Father was laid to rest, we’d return home. But now… times have changed.”
Lin Xiwei’s lips curled ever so slightly—barely noticeable—as she thought: Finally showing his true colors. Just knew this dog wouldn’t be easy to deal with. Now he’s really starting to make trouble.
The old master, who had already begun to turn, slowly faced them again with Lin Xiwei supporting him. His gaze was sharp as he scolded:
“You wretch! Still trying to scheme against the Lin family?!”
Lin Haojie furrowed his brows and countered:
“The Lin family? Grandpa, the three of us share the surname Lin too, don’t we?”
He knew his own origins well, and he also knew that his two “step-sisters” weren’t Lin Chengyou’s children—but he could still lie with a straight face.
Lin Xiwei quickly shot back:
“Some people don’t even carry the Lin name, yet dare to claim the Lin family legacy. Ha! Shameless… a peak of audacity!”
Earlier, Fu Cuilian and her daughters had been intimidated by Lin Xiwei, and naturally didn’t dare retort—fearing a paternity test would expose everything.
Lin Haojie, however, had no idea about that particular detail. If he did, he wouldn’t care—he knew that in this era, there was no such advanced technology domestically.
“Mom, what’s going on? Are you hiding something from me?” Lin Haojie could sense something, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint it.
This entire family was selfish and scheming, hiding crucial information from one another.
Lin Haojie was a transmigrator. For half a year, he had secretly collected antiques and curios with Lin Chengyou, written letters to Lin Yulan under Qin Nancheng’s name, manipulated her jealousy against Lin Xiwei for two years, and used all that to his advantage. He kept all this tightly hidden—except from the now-deceased Lin Chengyou, he wouldn’t dare let anyone know.
On the other hand, Fu Cuilian kept secret that none of her three children were Lin Chengyou’s, fearing to admit it even if Lin Xiwei threatened a paternity test.
She loved money. Loved it obsessively.
Fu Cuilian was obsessed with the Lin family fortune. Bearing Lin Chengyou’s children was her strongest leverage to claim that fortune. After most of her life, she had finally stepped into the Lin family—she couldn’t leave empty-handed.
Fu Cuilian, along with her two daughters, had concealed Lin Xiwei’s threat of a paternity test, afraid Lin Haojie would find out.
“Ha—ojie, you’re my only son. I’m counting on you to succeed someday. Why would I hide anything from you?”
Fu Cuilian stubbornly denied any secrets, all for her own sake.
…
Hearing this, Lin Haojie finally felt a little reassured.
He shifted his gaze provocatively toward Lin Xiwei, a crooked smirk tugging at his lips:
“Hmph. She may share the Lin name, but in the end, she’ll marry out. Even if she has a son, he’ll bear another surname, not Lin.”
Before anyone could respond, Fu Cuilian jumped in to back him up:
“That’s right! Haojie is correct. That girl is ultimately someone else’s wife—only sons carry on the family legacy.”
The implication was clear: Lin Haojie alone was the future of the Lin family.
Whether or not the old master believed it, Fu Cuilian and her children were convinced, standing straighter than ever.
Even though they knew deep down that none of the three children were Lin’s blood.
Lin Xiwei couldn’t help but laugh at their absurdity. She glanced at her grandfather, who slowly blinked at her in return.
Then she spoke—cutting and precise:
“You really have no understanding of the Lin family’s values, teachings, or principles.”
Lin Xiwei stepped forward gracefully, tilting her head slightly, and delivered a sharp rebuke:
“The Lin family creed—men and women alike should aspire to serve the country; talent is recognized without restriction.”
“In other words, the Lin family doesn’t distinguish between male or female, young or old. Anyone who aspires to serve the country will be supported by the strength of the family.”
“Not to go far, let’s just talk about my aunt—Lin Chenghua.”
“She joined the Foreign Affairs Department back then, exactly as my grandfather intended, because she was outstanding, dazzling, and capable of handling great responsibilities.”
“In contrast, my father wanted that job too, but he couldn’t even pass the most basic English requirements, so of course my grandfather refused.”
“The Lin family has always promoted talent to positions of responsibility. Incompetent, mediocre, or morally corrupt people—regardless of gender—have never been supported by the family.”
Lin Xiwei’s gaze swept coldly over Lin Haojie and the others, as if trying to see through their filthy souls.
Every word rang like a warning bell, reminding them to know their place.
Fu Cuilian, though guilty at heart, couldn’t help but be stubborn. She nudged her eldest daughter forward, proudly lifting her chin:
“My daughter Yulan is a university student! Since you say the Lin family supports anyone with talent regardless of gender, then support my Yulan too!”
Lin Yulan, already holding back frustration, had wanted to marry Qin Nancheng but believed Lin Xiwei had meddled. Now finally seizing an opening, she demanded resources from the old master without hesitation:
“Yes! Grandpa, I should also be supported! Why can Lin Xiwei marry Brother Nancheng, but I can’t? Why can she take over Aunt’s position in the Foreign Affairs Department, but I can’t? I’m a university student too!”
…
Lin Xiwei glanced at her grandfather.
Lin Weixin sat squarely in the middle of the sofa, hands resting on his dragon-headed cane, exuding authority:
“And why should that be? Hmph! Because Xiwei is the eldest granddaughter I personally raised!”
His eyes sharply swept over Lin Yulan as he asked:
“What’s your English level? What was your entrance exam score? Can you do simultaneous interpretation? How many foreign classics have you translated?”
A rapid volley of questions hit Lin Yulan so hard she was stunned, tongue-tied, and nearly purple in the face—unable to utter a single word.
The old master let out a cold chuckle, then turned his gaze back to Lin Xiwei, admiration unconsciously shining in his eyes:
“From the very beginning of her speech, Xiwei was educated trilingually—Mandarin, English, and Russian, switching between them with ease.”
“When she was seven, I added French, German, and Portuguese to her studies.”
“Due to special circumstances, Xiwei couldn’t attend school normally, so I personally taught her.”
“Though she barely went to formal school, she never missed a single day of study and put in ten times the effort of regular students.”
“To this day, she has mastered eight foreign languages. She can not only do simultaneous interpretation but can effortlessly translate classic works in any of them.”
“Just on this point alone, how can any of you compare to my Xiwei? You want to compete for her position? Hah, laughable!”
The old master lavishly praised his eldest granddaughter, his imposing presence pressing Lin Yulan and the others into submission.
They had never imagined that fragile-looking Lin Xiwei, a delicate young lady, could endure such rigorous study.
Lin Yulan, who had struggled just to manage one language, felt an enormous gap hearing that Lin Xiwei had mastered eight.
But being naturally jealous, she didn’t admire Lin Xiwei—she seethed with envy.
She even darkly thought: If only I had grown up in the Lin family and been personally educated by Grandpa, I would definitely be better than Xiwei.
As for Lin Haojie, he secretly clenched his fists, thinking:
“Xiwei is that strong? Damn, a daughter of a century-old family, meticulously cultivated—truly exceptional. Even in these turbulent times, she’s naturally capable and striving upward.”
He knew Lin Xiwei’s abilities could not be underestimated and that his own chances of winning were slim.
But!
He was sharpening his knife, scheming to seize the Lin family fortune—how could he give up halfway?
“You arranged a position at the Foreign Affairs Department for Lin Xiwei, so we won’t compete with her. But we are also Lin family descendants. Grandpa, you can’t show favoritism, can you? We siblings also need the family’s support.”