Qin Nancheng took his team outside to smoke, and the old master quickly dealt with his wayward son and “cheap” grandson:
“You bunch of bastards, none of you ever make anyone’s life easy. Go to the ancestral hall and kneel before your ancestors—reflect properly!”
Lin Chengyou, being the fool he was, still wanted to rush forward and argue with his father. Lin Haojie, however, was unusually calm, showing a patience that most people couldn’t manage:
“Grandfather is right, Dad. Let’s go kneel at the ancestral hall as punishment.”
Lin Xiwei’s eyelid twitched. Something about Lin Haojie didn’t feel right…
Recalling her past life carefully, she realized that Lin Haojie had always been like this, barely changing at his core.
Normally, a person who lived a long life would naturally have some growth in personality and behavior.
But Lin Haojie had none. He had always been this way; his style of conduct remained unchanged.
Could he be an old soul?
If it were the Lin Xiwei of her previous life, she wouldn’t have considered it—but now, having been reborn herself…
Could it be… that he’s a transmigrator?
Before she could ponder further, Qin Nancheng returned with his team, and dinner resumed.
The old master, having been thoroughly angered earlier, was careful not to raise his blood pressure again and switched from liquor to soft drinks.
He casually toasted a few times with Qin Nancheng and got down to business:
“Lin Xiwei, your work is decided. You’ll go south to join the Foreign Affairs Department. This pleases me greatly, and I’m sure Ahua’s spirit would be glad to see this outcome.”
“Good.” Qin Nancheng’s gaze landed steadily on her.
Lin Xiwei met his look calmly and raised her glass: “Thank you, Nancheng-ge, for the job opportunity you brought from over two thousand miles away.”
Her playful little tease lightened the atmosphere at the table considerably.
Qin Nancheng gave a faint smile, and his usually sharp features softened:
“Since you’ve agreed to go south, I’ll notify Qin-jie. She’s been wanting you for years; she hasn’t been able to rest.”
Qin-jie, Qin Nancheng’s mother, was also a close friend of Lin Xiwei’s late mother.
Qin Wangshu was a legendary and independent general in Huaguo.
“Of course Qin Mama wants me!” Lin Xiwei said. She had admired Qin Wangshu since childhood, having such a female general in her life:
“She doesn’t like you—she just wants to ‘steal’ me as her little daughter-in-law, ha ha ha!”
Lin Xiwei’s smile carried a touch of pride. As a child, she had been soft and adorable, calling Qin Wangshu “Qin Mama” repeatedly, which had completely charmed the general.
Qin Wangshu had three sons and had hoped for a daughter, but fate hadn’t granted her wish. When Lin Xiwei was born as a third child, Qin Wangshu often daydreamed about “stealing” her.
…
Qin Nancheng took out an olive-green velvet gift box and pushed it toward Lin Xiwei.
“This is a meeting gift from Qin-jie for her future daughter-in-law.”
As he said this, his deep black eyes fixed on Lin Xiwei’s misty peach-blossom eyes, like a hunter waiting for a little rabbit to step into his trap.
Lin Xiwei, sharp as ever, immediately called him out:
“Qin Mama must have also said, ‘If Xiwei doesn’t like you, then let her be my daughter—don’t force her.’”
She knew Qin Wangshu all too well! Sons weren’t worth fussing over.
Qin Nancheng unconsciously pursed his lips, his tone slightly urgent: “You grabbed me during the ‘Zhua Zhou’ ceremony back then… planning to not take responsibility?”
Lin Xiwei was still stunned.
Qin Nancheng abruptly added, “I’m 28 this year. If we wait any longer… I’ll be old and past my prime.”
“Pfft!—” The brothers couldn’t hold it in and all spit out their drinks.
And it wasn’t just one—they all did it, three at a time!
The Qin “Yama of the training grounds,” who could kill on the training field, was… acting all cute in front of a little girl? Ridiculous!
Qin Nancheng slowly turned his head, his gaze sharp and predatory like a wolf or an eagle.
The brothers quickly scrambled to their feet and scattered like birds.
Qin Nancheng looked back and said with a smile, “Open the box—see if you like the token of affection.”
Even the Big Bad Wolf wouldn’t laugh like he did.
Lin Xiwei, looking equally shocked, muttered in a small voice, “You… do you even know how to date?”
Still, she opened the gift box—
Inside was a candy-like pink bead, set on a rose-gold phoenix, wings spread in mid-flight, exuding majesty and vitality.
“This is… a conch pearl?” Lin Xiwei focused and examined it closely. The pink bead, about the size of a pigeon’s egg, turned out to be an incredibly rare treasure:
“A rare Conch Pearl nurtured by the Queen Phoenix Conch, each one unique. Wow! Look at those flame-like patterns, the flawless quality—so beautiful!”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a ding sounded in her mind, and a serene rural scene appeared before her: green fields and curling smoke from cooking fires.
What… what’s happening?
Immediately after, a mechanical voice rang out:
“Congratulations, Master! Spirit Spring Space activated. Can be used for planting, breeding, livestock, fisheries, storage, exchanges, and more.”
Lin Xiwei’s heart leapt with joy!
But she didn’t dare to show it on her face at all—Qin Nancheng still had no idea that this Conch Pearl held a secret world within it.
He was happily chatting with the old master, not sparing her a single glance.
Perfect. This secret space belonged solely to her—Lin Xiwei.
Her scumbag father and stepmother better watch out; she was going to empty every single asset they had!
The antique treasures in the Lin family basement—Lin Xiwei was coming for them!
…
Lin Family Ancestral Hall.
Lin Chengyou neither sat properly nor knelt properly, sprawled haphazardly on the black-and-gold marble floor:
“Damn it, Fuxinghan’s dead, Lin Xiwei’s all cozy with Qin Nancheng, Yulan’s plan failed… Haojie, tell me, what’s next?”
He was a bum; the real decision-maker behind the scenes was Lin Haojie.
“What’s to panic about?” Lin Haojie, young in appearance but with a cold, steady core, said with calm calculation:
“As long as Qin Nancheng hasn’t married Lin Xiwei, my sister still has a chance. We just need to use a few tricks.”
“Tricks?” Lin Chengyou scrambled upright. “Do you mean… let Yulan sleep with Qin Nancheng?”
“Why are you always thinking about low things?” Lin Haojie sneered at him, full of disdain:
“I said it before—just poison Lin Xiwei, kill her, problem solved. Then send my sister to marry him. But you had to make it so complicated, involving Fuxinghan and catching her in the act to make Qin Nancheng give up… And now? It’s all wasted.”
Lin Chengyou’s face darkened, mumbling, “Xiwei is my daughter after all… and she’s still your sister, no matter what.”
Lin Haojie closed his eyes, hiding the disdain in his gaze. Who says she’s your sister? Hah, pfft!
“They chased us away from the dining table. They’re definitely talking about Qin Nancheng and Lin Xiwei’s marriage. We still need to find a way to get rid of Lin Xiwei.”
“Get rid of her?” Lin Chengyou couldn’t understand why his son was so vicious. “You hate your sister that much?”
“She’s not my sister.” Lin Haojie realized he had misspoken and quickly rephrased:
“What I mean is, she’s arrogant about her noble background, doesn’t treat us as family, even hates us—and hates you even more!”
“If Lin Xiwei marries Qin Nancheng, she won’t bring us any benefit. She doesn’t see us as her own family.”
“Only if Sister Yulan marries Qin Nancheng will she truly support our family.”
“Look at General Wei Qing—if his sister hadn’t married Emperor Wu of Han, could he have gotten anywhere?”
“You, your precious son, if you want to rise to greatness in the future, you still need both your sisters to marry well.”
Lin Chengyou wholeheartedly agreed and praised his son:
“You little devil, you really are my seed—smart, cunning, worldly. Whether I can enjoy my old age depends on you, hahahaha!”
Lin Haojie laughed along with him, but it didn’t reach his eyes. In his mind he thought: Who the hell is your seed? And your ‘old age’? Dream on!