24 – Chapter 24
Outsmarting oneself
Although Ji Sicheng believed Second Miss Lin had feelings for him, seeing so many eligible young gentlemen casting glances her way inevitably made him feel threatened.
If they all went to the Lin family to propose marriage, wouldn’t his chances become increasingly slim?
He refused to sit idly by and immediately decided to strike first.
Quickly gathering his subordinates, he devised an excellent plan—best to cook the raw rice into a meal.
After arranging for several assistants, Ji Sicheng returned to the banquet hall.
He saw Second Miss Lin sitting alone on the sofa. Though her surroundings were lively, her uniquely serene aura seemed to carve out her own space…
While others chattered noisily, she remained quiet and at ease.
When she lifted her head again and glanced around a few times, Ji Sicheng felt the moment had come.
Second Miss Lin must be looking for him.
Just as he stepped forward to approach her, the hem of his suit jacket seemed to be tugged from behind.
Turning his head, he was startled to find it was Lin Jinyi! As if possessed by a ghost, he took a step back.
He always felt this young lady carried a faint, peculiar odor about her that was quite unpleasant, inevitably reminding him of the scene and smell he encountered when he visited the Lin family to deliver gifts that day…
Noticing her beloved retreating, Lin Jinyi’s face flashed with embarrassment: “Brother Sicheng, did I startle you?”
Ji Sicheng knew he shouldn’t have been so obvious. Seeing she offered him an excuse, he promptly took it: “Yes, you appearing behind me gave me a fright. Is there something you need?”
“Nothing much, really. I’ve been having some health issues and was in the hospital for several days. I haven’t seen you in a while, so I just wanted to chat.”
A smarter woman would have realized that if the man she liked didn’t visit her during her illness, he likely had no interest in her. But Lin Jinyi was stubborn in this regard and even reached out to grab Ji Sicheng’s arm.
Feeling as if he was developing a psychological shadow, Ji Sicheng hastily took another step back: “I have urgent matters to attend to. I’ll talk to you when I have time later.” With that, he walked away without looking back, as if fleeing from some strange creature.
Lin Jinyi stood awkwardly in place, not knowing what to do.
Several young ladies from prominent families witnessed the entire scene from behind and pointed fingers at Lin Jinyi.
“She’s not a biological daughter of the Lin family, after all. I doubt she’ll inherit much of the fortune.”
“The fortune is the least of it. Don’t you think there’s something odd about her? Her face is as gray as a wall.”
“She used to be pretty, but her double eyelids look unnatural—clearly the result of plastic surgery. They’ve probably sagged by now.”
“Hahaha, did you notice how Young Master Ji acted as if he’d seen a Ghost, fleeing for his life? Hahaha…”
Each remark struck a painful chord. Lin Jinyi turned around indignantly, intending to retort, but the others had already slipped away. Left fuming alone, she blamed all the recent misfortunes on A Tao.
A Tao declined advances from many men trying to strike up a conversation with her. Glancing around, she didn’t see the person she wished to meet and couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
Logically, the Duan family’s status was respectable, if not superior, so they should have been among the invited guests. Moreover, given Duan Yuan’s persistent nature, he would surely have come to see her.
Yet he hadn’t shown up…
A Tao usually faced matters with composure, but at this moment, she felt a stifling frustration in her heart.Just then, a passing server happened to offer her a glass of wine. Without much thought, she drank it in one gulp.
Only after finishing it did A Tao realize the wine tasted unusual. Carefully savoring the strange bitterness in her mouth, she discovered the glass seemed to have been drugged.
Glancing at the server’s retreating back and recalling Ji Sicheng’s furtive glances earlier, A Tao seemed to understand something.
Was Ji Sicheng trying to target her? Unfortunately, she felt no effects after drinking the wine.
A Tao immediately decided to play along. Though unsure what symptoms the drug would cause, feigning unsteady steps and drowsiness couldn’t go wrong.
The banquet was held at the Lin family estate, which had numerous restrooms at the back.
While slowly walking toward the restrooms, A Tao noticed someone following her. As she approached her designated room, she suddenly changed direction and entered Lin Jinyi’s room instead.
After closing the door and confirming the follower had left, A Tao began surveying Lin Jinyi’s restroom.
She found Lin Jinyi washing something in the bathroom, the loud running water mingling with her furious shouts and a maid’s suppressed sobs.
Several heavy slapping sounds echoed from inside—the distinct sound of palms striking flesh. The maid’s crying intensified immediately after.
“Young Mistress, please spare me! I didn’t mean to! I only reported your condition to the master because I was worried about you! I truly didn’t know… didn’t know Young Master Ji was there that day… Waaah…”
“It’s all your fault! Now Brother Sicheng knows about my diarrhea that day! How can I ever face him again? No wonder… no wonder he avoids me whenever he sees me! I’ll kill you!”
As Lin Jinyi’s enraged voice faded, screams erupted from inside.
A Tao paused mid-step, considering whether to intervene and save the poor maid, but Lin Jinyi had already dragged the maid out by the collar.
When Lin Jinyi spotted A Tao at the doorway, her grip loosened slightly, and she forced a fake smile. “Little sister, you’re here too? I need to rest. Get out, and take this little slut… this little maid with you.”
The young maid’s eyes reddened the moment she saw A Tao, her expression brightening with a sense of deliverance.
Noticing the bloodstains on the maid’s chest, A Tao frowned involuntarily. “Then rest well.”
A Tao left with the young maid, Xiaoyue. While tending to the girl’s wounds, she saw her chest covered in pinch marks—broken skin bleeding, fresh injuries layered over old ones, pitiful and horrifying.
According to Xiaoyue, Lin Jinyi accused her of flaunting her large chest to seduce Ji Sicheng despite her young age, claiming she needed to “cure her promiscuity.” Thus, Lin Jinyi frequently pinched and hit her, targeting the most painful spots.
A Tao comforted Xiaoyue, assuring her that Lin Jinyi would face retribution sooner or later.
Half an hour later, trouble indeed erupted in Lin Jinyi’s restroom. Old Master Lin, Lin Weiguang, and Wang Ling all appeared inside, while A Tao stood at the doorway with the trembling Xiaoyue.
Inside, a man and a woman were in disheveled clothing.
Ji Sicheng wore a white shirt with several buttons undone at the collar and cuffs. Lin Jinyi was in a strappy nightgown, her face seemingly clean but every other exposed patch of skin dotted with unsightly yellow marks that provoked disgust.”Brother Sicheng, you… why did you suddenly burst into the room and pounce on me? There’s no need to be so impatient, we… we…” Lin Jinyi’s tone was shy yet surprised, trembling slightly.
Ji Sicheng glanced at A Tao, who was clearly enjoying the show, then looked back at Lin Jinyi coiled on the bed like a stubborn snake. Suppressing his frustration, he retorted angrily, “Miss Lin, you can’t slander me like this! It was you who said you needed to see me, but the moment I entered, you grabbed me and created this scene! It’s obvious you and Wang Ling set this up!”
His words were directed at both Lin Jinyi and Wang Ling. Wang Ling tried to defend herself, but Lin Weiguang slapped her hard across the face, the sound echoing through the room. “Shut up! Look at what you’ve done, raising such a daughter!”