7 – He’s quite expensive
Xiang Qin felt a surge of blood choking in her throat.
For some reason, she was convinced that Lin Yaojia must be gloating over her misfortune.
Lin Jingbei couldn’t be bothered to say more to her and simply issued an order: “From now on, you don’t need to worry about Yaoyao anymore.”
Upon hearing this, Xiang Qin’s vision went dark.
Although she deeply disliked Lin Yaojia, there was no doubt that Lin Yaojia was the financial pillar of the Xiang family.
Everything Xiang Qin wore, used, and even the money for her piano lessons came from the Lin family.
Before she could try to plead her case, the two had already entered the house, both equally aloof, as if they couldn’t tolerate anyone else in their sight.
Xiang Qin gritted her teeth in secret, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
Grandmother Lin hadn’t returned yet, and the small courtyard was quiet and still. Lin Yaojia poured a glass of water for Lin Jingbei. “It’s quite hot today. Have a drink.”
The words flowed smoothly. The previous Lin Yaojia had always kept her head down and ignored others, but this time, she knew to pour water for her brother.
Lin Jingbei suddenly looked down at her, holding the teacup in his hand. His expression carried a hint of anticipation and joy, yet he seemed afraid of disturbing something, asking cautiously, “Yaoyao, you…”
He paused, as if unsure how to continue.
Lin Yaojia sat across from him, hugging her knees, and smiled brightly. “I suddenly came to my senses after being hit today.”
“Brother, I remember you.”
With just a few words, the person opposite her reddened his eyes.
Lin Yaojia had some impression of Lin Jingbei from the book.
In the latter half of Palm of the Hand Affection, the story had already moved beyond the school setting, and the author devoted much of the narrative to describing the male lead, Huo Chengyu, in business negotiations.
Lin Jingbei had once collaborated with Huo Chengyu.
The book described him like this: This man had a devilishly charming and rakish appearance, always wearing a smile, yet in reality, he was ruthless and decisive. Under his leadership, the Lin Group’s annual revenue continued to rise.
The capital city was never short of talented young people, and Lin Jingbei was among the most outstanding.
When Lin Jingbei first appeared in the book, he piqued the interest of many readers.
He was dressed in a black suit.
His expression was serious and cold, without a trace of a smile.
His secretary, Wanwan, quietly reminded Huo Chengyu that someone in the other party’s family had passed away.
Lin Yaojia hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now it occurred to her that the deceased family member was the body she now inhabited.
Lin Jingbei’s hands trembled as he reached out, disbelief in his eyes, and gently patted Lin Yaojia’s head. “Are you telling the truth?”
The man’s palm was warm. Lin Yaojia nodded, smiling at him. “Of course, it’s true.”
Lin Yaojia had always been someone with weak familial bonds and had rarely experienced the warmth of family affection.
Yet, Lin Jingbei’s current state—a mix of excitement and unease—allowed Lin Yaojia to briefly taste what family felt like.
Seeing the sweet smile on the girl’s face, Lin Jingbei let out a deep sigh of relief. Still, he couldn’t shake his worry. “Brother will take you to the hospital for a check-up, okay?”
Lin Yaojia suddenly froze.
[998, what should I do?!]
998 reassured her: [Don’t worry, the hospital won’t find anything. You’re healthy now.]
That was a relief.
Lin Yaojia relaxed and allowed Lin Jingbei to take her to the nearest hospital.
On the way.
Lin Jingbei made a call to Lin Mu.
He put it on speakerphone so Lin Yaojia could hear as well.
“Xiaobei, did you find your sister?”
The woman’s voice was gentle, tinged with worry.
“I found her.” Lin Jingbei thought for a moment and decided to wait until after the hospital check-up to tell Lin Mu the details.
Lin Mu’s health wasn’t great, and she couldn’t handle too much stress.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Lin Yaojia was taken by a nurse to undergo a full physical examination.
After a short wait, the results came out.
The doctor smiled and said, “Congratulations, Young Master Lin. Miss Lin has fully recovered.”
Lin Jingbei tightly gripped the medical report, doing his best to suppress his overwhelming emotions.
Looking at the bulging veins on the back of his hand, Lin Yaojia sighed.
998: 【What’s wrong?】
【I suddenly feel a bit sad.】
998: 【…That is quite sudden.】
Lin Yaojia couldn’t quite put her feelings into words.
Even though she was now considered normal in the eyes of the Lin family, and it would be easier for her to complete her tasks in the future…
But…
She gazed at the tall figure standing by the window. Lin Jingbei was on the phone with the Lin family, sharing the good news.
He looked very happy.
Yet, in the book, the original owner had remained foolish her entire life.
Thinking of this, Lin Yaojia felt inexplicably disheartened.
After returning to the alley, Lin Yaojia was embraced by a tearful Grandmother Lin, who held her tightly for a long time.
Lin Jingbei sat across from them and said, “Yaoyao, come back to the capital with me tomorrow. Mom and Dad miss you very much.”
Lin Yaojia was taken aback. She looked at Grandmother Lin and asked, “What about Grandma?”
“If Yaoyao goes back to the capital, Grandma will go with her. But Grandma has a dance competition and will have to return a month later,” Grandmother Lin said with a smile.
“Okay.”
Lin Yaojia nodded obediently.
The three of them chatted for a while longer. After dinner, Lin Yaojia returned to her bedroom with her newly purchased laptop and phone, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
Hmph!
Huo Songjin, big sister is coming for you!
Based on Lin Yaojia’s recollection of the book, after Huo Chengyu returned to the Huo family, Huo Songjin left home on his own accord before his parents could say anything.
He took nothing with him except his school uniform and books.
Overnight, he went from being the pride of heaven to an ordinary person. In Lin Yaojia’s view, such a drastic change would be difficult for anyone to accept.
As the old saying goes, it’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality.
Fortunately, Huo Songjin could still work as a game companion, earning a decent amount of money.
Lin Yaojia opened her laptop and downloaded the “Win the chicken” game. While waiting for the download, she began searching for someone.
She planned to slowly get closer to the big shot, like gentle rain moistening everything without a sound.
She browsed through various game companion apps but couldn’t find him.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and searched through well-known game companion groups on forums.
Two hours later, Lin Yaojia finally spotted Huo Songjin’s ID and let out a sigh of relief.
Finally…
The group manager: 【Hello, do you have any specific requirements?】
Why did that sound a bit strange?
Lin Yaojia didn’t dwell on it and replied based on Huo Songjin’s description: 【A male high school student, with a pleasant voice and good looks.】
Manager: 【Got it. We have quite a few people who meet those criteria.】
Lin Yaojia: “…”
She typed impatiently: 【Just find the second person on the list!】
The manager replied tactfully: 【He’s quite expensive.】
Lin Yaojia touched the bank card in her pocket—fortunately, Lin Jingbei had just given her one.
【I’m not short on money.】
After a moment’s thought, she added: 【A hundred per hour?】
The manager didn’t reply for a long time, and it was unclear what he was doing.
Lin Yaojia waited for a while but grew impatient.
She picked up her new phone and began downloading some basic daily apps.
The phone was still brand new, so she had to set up her WeChat account and phone number from scratch.
Little did they know, the person in charge had already excitedly run off to privately message Huo Songjin.
【Bro, bro, there’s a big spender who wants to book you.】
A few seconds later, the reply came quickly: 【Male or female?】