Lin Xiuyan said seriously, "One hundred thousand taels of silver is no small sum. I think it would be safer to investigate Xinzhitang one more time."
As she spoke, she turned to Jiang Xinrou. "My father never said he didn’t trust you. Why are you in such a hurry, cousin?"
Jiang Xinrou: "…"
Of course, she was in a hurry because she was guilty. She wanted nothing more than to tear Lin Xiuyan apart!
She glanced at the steward, who understood her meaning and replied arrogantly, "Miss Lin may not know this, but Xinzhitang is the City Lord’s property."
"If Miss Lin doesn’t believe it, you can go ask the City Lord yourself."
Jiang Xinrou chimed in, "Cousin, the contract has already been negotiated. If you send someone to investigate Xinzhitang, the City Lord might get angry."
In the past, whenever Zhou Chenyang was mentioned, Lin Xiuyan would obediently comply. Jiang Xinrou believed this time would be no different.
Sure enough, Lin Xiuyan frowned slightly and took out the contract to examine it carefully.
Halfway through reading it, she kicked the steward. "How dare you claim you’re not a fraud? Two hundred thousand taels of silver for only twenty percent of the shares? Is Xinzhitang made of gold?"
She then glared at Jiang Xinrou. "Brother Yang… is such an upright person. How could he possibly create such a contract to swindle my family?"
"You’ve been doing business with my father for so many years. How could you not see such an obvious scam?"
Jiang Xinrou was left speechless by her questions.
Of course, she knew the issues with that contract.
She had managed to persuade Lin Yunzhi to sign it only because Lin Xiuyan’s affection for Zhou Chenyang was a weakness she could exploit.
Now that Lin Xiuyan herself had come forward to oppose it, calling it a scam, Jiang Xinrou truly had no way to refute it.
She mumbled, "This…"
Lin Xiuyan ignored her and turned to scold Lin Yunzhi. "Father, you’re an experienced man. How could you sign such terms?"
Lin Yunzhi wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he focused on something peculiar. "Yan’er, can you understand the terms in the contract?"
Lin Xiuyan nodded.
Lin Yunzhi immediately ordered a servant nearby, "Quick, inform the kitchen! Tell them the young miss can understand contracts today. The entire household will have extra dishes, and we’ll open a jar of fine wine to celebrate!"
Lin Xiuyan: "…"
Had she been too useless before? Just because she could understand a contract, her father was this overjoyed?
Jiang Xinrou: "…"
Her heart was filled with bitterness. Lin Xiuyan was nothing but a waste. She was a thousand, ten thousand times better than Lin Xiuyan, so why did Lin Yunzhi treat her so much worse?
Was it just because Lin Xiuyan was his biological daughter?
She hated it!
Seeing the situation spiraling completely out of control, she said anxiously, "Uncle, this contract…"
Lin Yunzhi said seriously, "If Yan’er says this contract is a scam, then it’s a scam."
Jiang Xinrou: "…"
Lin Yunzhi had no principles at all!
She was going to be driven mad by this father and daughter!
She and Zhou Chenyang had laid this trap for so long, and just when they were about to succeed, Lin Xiuyan had ruined everything in one fell swoop!
She said urgently, "Uncle, Xinzhitang really belongs to the City Lord!"
Before Lin Yunzhi could speak, Lin Xiuyan sneered. "Cousin, were you deceived? Or do you think Brother Yang is the kind of man who lives off a woman’s wealth and then schemes to ruin her entire family?"
"If he wanted silver, he could just ask me. Why would he need to go to such lengths?"
Jiang Xinrou: "…"
Of course, she couldn’t admit that Zhou Chenyang was living off a woman’s wealth. Lin Xiuyan’s words were too harsh!
Lin Yunzhi chuckled from the side, "I know both of you sisters have the family's best interests at heart."
"But upon careful thought, I also find this matter suspicious. If Zhou Chenyang truly is the hidden owner of Xinzhitang, he wouldn't have remained completely silent."
"You two sisters have been close since childhood. Don't let unrelated people or matters damage your bond."
With him saying this, what else could Jiang Xinrou say? She was so infuriated she could have spat out a liter of blood!
Lin Xiuyan asked, "Father, how should we deal with this steward?"
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Lin Yunzhi's eyes as he inquired, "What do you think, Yan'er?"
Lin Xiuyan replied, "Now we have the contract as evidence, so we have both witness and material proof."
"Our Lin residence is a respected family in Yucheng. We must set an example in all matters. Of course, we should hand him over to the authorities to prevent him from deceiving others."
Lin Yunzhi nodded approvingly. "Someone, take this swindler to the magistrate."
Lin Xiuyan gave her father a thumbs-up.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Jiang Xinrou immediately sent her personal maid Hongxiu to deliver a message to Zhou Chenyang.
Lin Xiuyan caught this out of the corner of her eye, her expression turning mocking. Jiang Xinrou was being so obvious, yet in her past life, she had been completely oblivious—truly foolish to the extreme.
While the steward was being escorted out to report to the authorities, she pulled Lin An aside and whispered a few words to him. Lin An gave a slight nod and followed them out.
Lin Yunzhi noticed her small action but paid it no mind.
She was his only daughter, and everything in the Lin residence would eventually be handed over to her. She could use the people around him however she wished.
As an experienced man of the world, how could he not see the issues with that contract?
He had signed it against his conscience because he feared Lin Xiuyan would suffer if she married Zhou Chenyang, hoping to buy her happiness with money.
Whether Lin Xiuyan's open opposition was a whim or a fortunate accident, he still needed to observe further, but that didn't dampen his joy.
Lin Yunzhi had a physician summoned to treat Lin Xiuyan's injuries, only to discover several dark finger marks on her slender neck, which pained him deeply.
He asked her, "Where did you go last night? How did you end up like this?"
Jiang Xinrou pricked up her ears nearby, feeling somewhat anxious. How much did Lin Xiuyan know about last night's events?
With a concerned expression, she said, "Cousin, you really shouldn't run off like this anymore. Looking at you, it seems you've gotten into trouble again!"
"Who was so bold as to injure you like this? Uncle should teach them a lesson later!"
Lin Xiuyan's almond-shaped eyes slowly swept over Jiang Xinrou. Perhaps her gaze was too penetrating, for Jiang Xinrou felt guilty and instinctively avoided her eyes.
With a murderous expression, Lin Xiuyan said, "I didn't see clearly who it was, but if I find out who did this, I will never let them off!"
Lin Xiuyan did not explicitly mention Jiang Xinrou and Zhou Chenyang's plot against her because, at the beast-fighting arena yesterday, neither Jiang Xinrou nor Zhou Chenyang had shown themselves.
It appeared as though she had been schemed against and thrown in by someone who held a grudge against her.
She knew Lin Yunzhi not only doted on her but also treated Jiang Xinrou very well.
Without evidence, if Lin Xiuyan claimed Jiang Xinrou had tried to kill her, Lin Yunzhi might not believe it.
Having lived a second life, Lin Xiuyan had come to understand things clearly. In the past, her father had protected her; from now on, she would protect her father.
Jiang Xinrou secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had known all along that this good-for-nothing Lin Xiuyan would discover nothing.
Lin Yunzhi, however, could not swallow this grievance. How could he just let it go when his daughter had been beaten? Even if he had to dig three feet into the ground, he would find that person!
After applying the medicine, she coquettishly pestered Lin Yunzhi for a while before returning to her own room.
The moment she pushed open the door and saw the familiar layout, tears nearly welled up in her eyes.
In her previous life, the Lin residence had been burned to ashes in a fire, and she had not set foot in this room for a long time.
A low yet pleasant voice rang out: "We've only been apart for a few hours, and you're so moved to tears upon seeing me. Are you really this reluctant to part with me?"
Lin Xiuyan was startled. Turning her head, she saw Ye Junfei lying on her embroidered bed!