Lin Zhiyuan took Xu Lan and her daughter home in the car, his face dark with anger.
Seeing his unpleasant expression, Lin Ran and Xu Lan secretly rejoiced.
As Lin Ran felt the new handbag and jewelry she had acquired, a smug look flashed across her eyes.
They had been having a wonderful time today when her mother suddenly received a call from Aunt Zhang. Apparently, Lin Wan had gone crazy and even dared to injure her elder brother and second elder brother.
Previously, Lin Wan had always carried herself with an air of superiority. No matter what happened, she had never acted so irrationally.
Yet now, she had actually injured Lin Ze and Lin Xu!
Two years had passed. It seemed Lin Wan had finally reached her breaking point. That was exactly what Lin Ran wanted. She intended to slowly take everything away from her until she had nothing left, driving her completely insane!
Seeing how furious her father looked, Lin Ran gently tried to persuade him.
“Dad, don’t be too angry. You need to take care of your health. I’m sure Big Sister didn’t mean to do it this time.”
Hearing his daughter’s words, Lin Zhiyuan’s icy expression softened slightly.
“Ranran, you’re just too kind. She’s been bullying you ever since she came back, yet you’re still speaking up for her.”
Lin Ran shook his arm coquettishly.
“Dad, when you think about it, this is partly my fault. I shouldn’t have asked Big Sister for that apartment. After all, it was Aunt Tang who left it to her. I was being inconsiderate. Besides, it’s not far from the company if I drive there. It was all my fault, and I even caused Big Brother and Second Brother to get hurt.”
As Lin Ran spoke, her eyes gradually reddened.
Seeing this, Lin Zhiyuan felt his heart ache for her and grew even more disgusted with Lin Wan.
“Ranran, none of this is your fault. You keep thinking about her, but what about her? As the elder sister, she doesn’t even have the slightest generosity. Besides, if you look at it carefully, your father also had a share in that apartment back then. Once we get home, I’ll make her transfer it to you!”
“Besides, you’re on good terms with Shen Mochi. That apartment is right downstairs from his home. If you two live close to each other, it will be a great advantage to the Lin Group. The apartment should belong to you.”
Lin Ran stiffened slightly before delight spread through her heart.
Her father was incredibly angry this time. Lin Wan was definitely in for a hard time!
As for Shen Mochi, she wanted the apartment partly to spite Lin Wan, but also because of him.
From the very first moment she saw him, Lin Ran had been unable to think about anyone else. Everyone she had met before seemed utterly ordinary in comparison.
Yet Shen Mochi treated her with nothing but indifference. Apart from one unexpected occasion when he accompanied her to the Lin residence to discuss business with her father, she had barely seen him.
That one time, however, she had been so delighted that she bragged about it to all her friends.
But after that, she could hardly even catch a glimpse of him!
She was unwilling to accept this!
As long as she could win Shen Mochi over, she would become someone who could do whatever she pleased in the capital!
She had merely mentioned to her father that she and Shen Mochi were indeed quite familiar with each other. After that, her father began treating her and her mother even better than before, practically granting their every request!
Therefore, she absolutely could not let anyone discover the truth. In reality, she and Shen Mochi were practically strangers!
Especially Lin Wan. She could never allow that wretched woman to laugh at her!
It didn’t matter how things were now. Men were all the same. Lin Ran refused to believe that Shen Mochi wouldn’t fall for her beauty and charm. They simply hadn’t had enough opportunities to spend time together.
One day, she would become Mrs. Shen. Moving into the apartment downstairs from Shen Mochi would be her first step into the Shen family!
By then, Lin Wan would be nothing more than an ant she could crush whenever she pleased!
She indulged in her daydreams.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhiyuan recalled how the once harmonious family had turned into a complete mess ever since Lin Wan returned two years ago.
She fought with Ranran over everything, resented how warmly Lin Ze and Lin Xu treated Ranran, and was petty, scheming, and narrow-minded.
Fortunately, Ranran was kind and magnanimous. She never argued with Lin Wan over anything.
Then there was Xu Lan. No matter how sarcastic and unpleasant Lin Wan was toward her, Xu Lan never said a single bad word about her in front of him. Instead, she always defended her.
Yet Lin Wan only became increasingly unreasonable and refused to change her ways!
Looking back, he realized how much he had put them through. He would certainly have to make it up to them in the future.
He still remembered how obedient Lin Wan had been as a child. She resembled her mother. Her skin had been fair and delicate since birth, and she had been an adorable little girl.
After ten years apart, her appearance had become even more striking, yet her personality had turned into this!
It must have been Tang Wanyun’s doing. After their divorce, she had probably spent every day badmouthing him in front of Lin Wan, turning her into such a sharp-tongued and spiteful person.
And now, Lin Wan had even dared to hit her own brothers!
Would she eventually dare to hit him, her father, too?
This time, he would have to teach her a proper lesson and make sure she understood who was in charge of the Lin family!
If he hadn’t been concerned about the shares she held, he would have kicked her out long ago. He couldn’t stand the sight of her!
It seemed he needed to find a way to get his hands on her shares as soon as possible.
There really was no comparison without contrast.
Ranran had always been outstanding, and now she had even managed to get close to Shen Mochi!
What kind of person was Shen Mochi? Even a tiny bit of what slipped through his fingers would be enough to sustain the Lin family for years!
Meanwhile, Lin Wan did nothing but turn the household upside down every day. She had no other worthwhile pursuits!
By comparison, Lin Ran, who wasn’t even related to him by blood, was far more considerate and sensible.
He couldn’t help secretly wondering why Lin Ran couldn’t have been his biological daughter instead…
Lin Ran also seized this opportunity to work with Xu Lan, taking turns adding fuel to the fire and exaggerating everything along the way.
By the time they returned to the villa, Lin Zhiyuan’s anger had reached its peak.
“Zhang Ma, where’s Lin Wan? Is she still in her room?”
With a dark expression, Lin Zhiyuan headed upstairs.
“Sir, Third Miss took the car keys and left after injuring the two young masters.”
Lin Zhiyuan stopped in his tracks.
“She left? Hmph! She’s caused such a huge mess and now she thinks she can just run away?”
He sat down on the sofa with a grim expression and took out his phone to call Lin Wan.
“The number you have dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later…”
“Her phone is switched off too! Fine! She’d better never come back to this house!”
Xu Lan and Lin Ran exchanged glances, smiles flashing in their eyes.
Xu Lan then walked over and sat beside Lin Zhiyuan, putting on a worried expression.
“Zhiyuan, do you think something might have happened to Wanwan? Aze and Axu just called to say their injuries weren’t serious. You should stop being so angry with Wanwan. Still, the two brothers really did suffer.”
Lin Zhiyuan discovered that he couldn’t reach Lin Wan through WeChat either.
Hearing Xu Lan’s attempt to persuade him only made him angrier.
“Stop speaking up for her! None of us owes her anything! All she does is turn this household upside down and make everyone’s lives miserable. This time, I’m not letting the matter go so easily!”
“That’s right, Dad! Lin Wan went too far this time! I absolutely won’t let her get away with it!”
Just as he finished speaking, Lin Xu and Lin Ze walked in.
Lin Xu had gauze wrapped around the corner of his eye, while Lin Ze was limping slightly. Both looked rather miserable.
Seeing them, Lin Ran hurried forward to support Lin Ze.
“Big Brother, Second Brother, are you alright? Oh my goodness, that must hurt so much! It’s all because of me. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry…”
Seeing the tears in her eyes, Lin Ze’s heart softened.
At the same time, he felt utterly disappointed and heartbroken by Lin Wan.
Ranran wasn’t even their biological sister, yet she cried when they got hurt. Meanwhile, all Lin Wan did was envy the attention they gave Ranran, resent their kindness toward her, and fight with her over everything.
Had Lin Wan ever stopped to think about why things were this way?
“Ranran, don’t cry. Big Brother and Second Brother are fine. Lin Wan has completely lost her mind. None of this has anything to do with you. How could we possibly blame you?”
Lin Ze gently comforted her, his eyes filled with affection.
Seeing this, Lin Xu’s expression grew even more hostile.
“That’s right, Ranran. Big Brother is right. What does any of this have to do with you?”
“Dad, she must have hidden herself at Jinghua No. 1. She has nowhere else to go! I needed several stitches near my eye. The doctor said I was only a tiny bit away from losing my eyesight! She was clearly trying to seriously injure me! Lin Wan doesn’t treat me like her brother, so from now on, I won’t treat her as my sister either!”
“A monk may run away, but his temple cannot escape! Dad, I’ll go find her right now!”
Lin Ze’s leg had also been cut by broken glass, and he was in considerable pain. He agreed wholeheartedly with his younger brother.
Xu Lan stepped forward, intending to persuade them otherwise, but Lin Zhiyuan spoke coldly.
“There’s no need for that. I’ll go find her myself!”
Naturally, Lin Ran wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by. She stepped forward and said,
“Dad, I’ll go with you. I can also try to talk some sense into Big Sister.”
Seeing how considerate she was, Lin Zhiyuan felt deeply comforted. Once again, there really was no comparison without contrast.
“Alright. It’s cold outside, so go change your clothes first. I’ll wait for you.”
Lin Ran nodded and smiled sweetly.
“Okay, Dad. Wait here for a moment. I’ll change right away.”
With that, Lin Ran hurried toward the third floor.
She excitedly imagined Lin Wan’s miserable state. Her father was so furious that she absolutely had to witness what happened next!
However, a moment later, a scream suddenly rang throughout the Lin family villa.
“Ah! What’s going on?! Oh my goodness! We’ve been robbed! Dad! Mom! Brothers! Come upstairs quickly! What should we do?!”
Hearing her trembling, tearful voice, Lin Zhiyuan, his three children, and Xu Lan all became alarmed.
They rushed upstairs.
“How could this happen? Where are our things?”
Everyone stared at Lin Ran’s completely empty walk-in closet, utterly dumbfounded.
Lin Ran was heartbroken. She trembled with anger, and this time, her distress was absolutely genuine.
Everything in that walk-in closet was part of the collection she had treasured ever since joining the Lin family!
She had gone to great lengths to win over Lin Ze, Lin Xu, and her father so they would buy those things for her!
Gold, jewelry, jade, diamonds, handbags, shoes, and large amounts of cash…
Now, everything is gone!
Not a single item remained!
For someone who loved money as much as she did, this was worse than being murdered!
Lin Zhiyuan’s expression turned grave.
“When did our Lin family get robbed?! Aze, call the police immediately!”
Then, remembering something, he added,
“Everyone, go back to your own rooms and check whether anything else is missing!”
An ominous feeling settled over his heart. Lin Zhiyuan turned and strode toward his own room.
When Xu Lan saw that her walk-in closet was equally empty, her face instantly turned pale.
The last trace of hope vanished, leaving her overwhelmed with panic.
The next moment, an angry roar came from Lin Zhiyuan’s room.
“How dare someone steal from the Lin family in broad daylight?! Whoever did this must have a death wish!”
Xu Lan hurried over and saw that his study was in complete disarray. His safe was equally empty!
“Dad! The same thing happened in my room and Axu’s! Every valuable item is gone! But this is unbelievable! Everything was perfectly fine when we left for the hospital this morning. How could anyone steal all these things without anyone noticing in just a few hours?”
Lin Ze looked utterly shocked, as though he had seen a ghost.
“I just checked Lin Wan’s room too. It’s exactly the same. There’s nothing left!”
Just then, Lin Zhiyuan’s driver came rushing in, looking flustered.
“Sir! I just went out to buy something. When I came back and went to park the car, I discovered that every single vehicle in the garage was gone! They’re all missing!”
Everyone was horrified.
This was practically supernatural!
Lin Ran and Xu Lan were already devastated over the possessions they had accumulated over the years. Now that they had heard the cars were missing too, they were even more frantic.
“Dad! Big Brother! Our family really has been robbed! What are we going to do?!”
“Then there must be an inside accomplice! Otherwise, there’s no way to explain any of this! And Aunt Zhang was the only one at home this morning!”
Lin Xu’s expression darkened. He was already in a terrible mood, and now he was so furious that he could hardly contain his murderous rage.