6 – Influencing My Shot
Lin Yaojia spoke with conviction, her eyes clearly tinged with regret.
The police officer fell silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Huo Songjin. “And you? Why did you hit them?”
“They were fighting and seriously interfering with my shooting.” The boy crossed his arms, resting them on his knees.
“…What did you say?” The officer’s expression went blank, clearly struggling to understand the gaming spirit of modern youth.
Huo Songjin frowned and glanced at him.
Lin Yaojia felt that the big shot’s expression seemed to say, “Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”
Huo Songjin patiently repeated himself.
Lin Yaojia chimed in to help explain, “He was playing a game.”
“Oh, oh, oh.” The officer nodded, and after a moment, nodded again.
Since neither side was seriously injured, they could leave after signing a mediation agreement.
The midday sun was at its fiercest. After leaving the police station, Lin Yaojia fanned her clothes to cool off and asked Huo Songjin, “Hey, handsome, where are you headed?”
Huo Songjin was looking down, sending a message. Hearing her, he raised his head in confusion. “What does that have to do with you?”
“It definitely has something to do with me!” Lin Yaojia clicked her tongue. “If you hadn’t pulled me aside, I might’ve ended up with a concussion in the hospital by now.”
“Want to thank me?”
The boy’s voice was cool and crisp, like shards of ice clinking in a glass bowl on a summer day.
“Yeah, yeah.” Lin Yaojia widened her eyes, hoping he could see the sincerity in them.
But he just looked down and swiped his phone again, saying, “If you really want to thank me, stay away from me.”
Lin Yaojia: “…”
She stared at the boy’s retreating figure and sighed.
Grabbing 998, she began rubbing it vigorously.
[998, tell me, why does he have such a dog-like temper?]
998 was on the verge of tears—this time, it wasn’t just its rear end that was under attack.
998 struggled to reply, [He wasn’t like this before.]
Lin Yaojia paused. [What was he like before?]
998 thought for a moment. [Very lively and cheerful.]
Lin Yaojia lowered her head, lost in thought. [That’s really… hard to imagine.]
Lin Yaojia was a bit hungry, so she walked along the roadside and found a noodle shop to go into.
Sitting under a fan, she slurped her noodles and asked, [Guess what Xiang Qin is doing right now?]
998 was taken aback. [Probably looking for you.]
Lin Yaojia grinned mischievously, pulling out a tissue to slowly wipe the corner of her mouth.
[She’s probably going crazy with worry by now.]
Lin Yaojia was right—Xiang Qin was indeed going crazy with worry.
Although she was harsh on Lin Yaojia, never looked at her properly, and even felt that Lin Yaojia had squandered the good fortune life had given her, that didn’t mean Lin Yaojia could just disappear.
If she were to go missing…
Xiang Qin broke out in a cold sweat. She had a deep impression of the two young masters of the Lin family.
Especially the eldest, Lin Jingbei. That man, always dressed in a suit, usually wore a gentle smile, but in reality, he was vengeful and hid a knife behind his smile.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead and saw from the surveillance footage that Lin Yaojia had gone out.
Where she went after leaving was not visible on the cameras.
She could only guess that Lin Yaojia might have gone home.
Holding onto this hope, she rushed home with anticipation.
But when she returned to the alley, Grandmother Lin’s door was already locked—she had probably gone out to dance with her friends.
Standing hopelessly at the door, Xiang Qin had no choice but to take out her phone and call her father. “Dad, Lin Yaojia ran away!”
Xiang Tianhao stood up abruptly. “What did you say?”
Xiang Qin cried out in fear, “She said she needed to use the bathroom, and then she disappeared. It has nothing to do with me!”
Xiang Tianhao remained silent. Xiang Qin called out in confusion, “Dad?”
Instead, a low, seductive voice responded, “When did Yao Yao disappear?”
It was Lin Jingbei.
Following the map provided by 998, Lin Yaojia returned to the alley.
As soon as she turned the corner, she ran into Xiang Qin.
Xiang Qin’s dress was disheveled, her face covered in sweat, and her eyes were red and swollen.
“Where did you run off to?”
She grabbed Lin Yaojia’s wrist tightly.
Lin Yaojia paused, “What’s it to you?”
The girl’s expression was cold, her gaze indifferent, and a hint of arrogance in her personality slipped through, unconcealed.
As if she were a normal person.
Xiang Qin felt inexplicably panicked. She tightened her grip on Lin Yaojia’s wrist and spoke harshly.
“Do you know you’re an idiot? Idiots should stay put and not run around. Do you realize how much trouble you cause others by wandering off like this?”
“Sorry,” Lin Yaojia shook off her hand, her tone sharpening, “I didn’t know.”
Xiang Qin stared blankly at her own hand, which had been pushed away. A troubling suspicion began to surface in her mind: “You’re not an idiot anymore?”
Lin Yaojia raised an eyebrow, “Is it that obvious?”
Before Xiang Qin could respond, a black sedan drove into the alley, spotlessly clean.
When Xiang Qin saw the license plate, her face turned pale as if she had seen a ghost.
Curious about her reaction, Lin Yaojia turned around.
The driver in the front seat, wearing white gloves, bent over and opened the rear door.
A pair of polished pointed leather shoes came into view first, followed by long legs clad in well-tailored black suit pants. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up twice. The man appeared to be in his early twenties, with a strikingly handsome face, sharp and delicate features, and a red mole at the corner of his left eye.
His gaze swept over them indifferently, sending shivers down Xiang Qin’s spine.
With such an impressive entrance and overwhelming presence…
Lin Yaojia clicked her tongue. This domineering CEO was likely the original owner’s older brother—Lin Jingbei.
Lin Jingbei walked toward Lin Yaojia and stopped in front of her.
Before Lin Yaojia could say anything, he suddenly pulled a lollipop from his pocket, his eyes crinkling as he offered a gentle smile.
“Big brother brought candy for Yao Yao.”
The atmosphere shifted abruptly.
Lin Yaojia took the candy, her expression turning quite interesting.
She glanced down.
Wow, it was strawberry-flavored.
A hand gently rested on her head, ruffling her hair softly. Then, Lin Jingbei’s voice lowered, as if afraid of startling her, “Did Yao Yao get hurt while she was out today?”
Lin Yaojia looked up and met his gaze, suddenly realizing that Lin Jingbei might be a doting older brother.
Seizing the opportunity for revenge, Lin Yaojia deliberately tugged pitifully at the white shirt around Lin Jingbei’s waist.
The fabric was thin, and as she gently tugged, she tilted her head to reveal the red, swollen spot on her forehead, pouting in grievance. “Yao Yao’s head hurts.”
998 was stunned: […] This little troublemaker is actually quite the actress.
Lin Jingbei’s expression instantly darkened. He examined the injury on the girl’s forehead closely—it was clearly caused by a hard object.
“Xiang Qin.”
He spoke abruptly, his tone heavy, sending a chill through the air despite the blazing sun.
Xiang Qin grimaced, “Yes?”
“What happened here?” Lin Jingbei’s gaze seemed casual as he glanced over.
Xiang Qin seemed nailed to the spot. She licked her dry lips and said, “I… I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Lin Jingbei repeated calmly. “How could you not know?”
He didn’t say anything particularly harsh—just a simple question.
Yet his imposing presence left Xiang Qin speechless. Panicking, she stole a glance forward. Lin Yaojia stood in front of Lin Jingbei, blinking her eyes as she looked at Xiang Qin, appearing innocent and pitiful.