As expected, the moment she said that, Shi Rong erupted with an angry roar.
“Lin Yanxi, what are you saying?!”
Her voice was so loud that it immediately drew attention from nearby people, who began pointing and whispering among themselves.
Startled by the shout, Lin Yanxi instantly hid behind Lin Hongyuan.
“Father, she scared me to death!”
Then she pitifully poked her head out and weakly asked:
“Father… did I say something wrong just now?”
Her aggrieved appearance made Lin Hongyuan’s heart ache. He patted her hand comfortingly.
“Xi’er, you didn’t say anything wrong.”
“Father, Mother looked so scary just now. Does Mother dislike me?”
Playing weak and acting pitiful was something she could do too.
Though she rarely left her sect in her previous life, she had still read plenty of storybooks. Tricks like this were easy for her to imitate.
The moment she raised her eyes, she happened to meet Concubine Liu’s deeply approving gaze.
Where no one else could see, Lin Yanxi secretly flashed her a smug grin.
“Your mother doesn’t dislike you. And Father won’t allow you to suffer even the slightest grievance,” Lin Hongyuan comforted her before turning toward Shi Rong. “Enough. Whatever needs to be discussed can wait until we’re inside. Don’t you see everyone is watching us?”
Shi Rong inhaled deeply, glanced coldly at the bystanders watching the drama behind the carriages, and forcibly suppressed her dissatisfaction.
“Then let’s go inside first.”
The moment she finished speaking, however, her expression completely changed when she looked at Lin Wanxin.
Her face bloomed into a smile so wide that wrinkles nearly appeared.
“Wanxin has traveled for so long. Her body must be feeling uncomfortable. Mother will have a physician examine your pulse first.”
Lin Wanxin said nothing and merely nodded slightly.
Shi Rong immediately instructed Concubine Liu to send for a physician.
Only after making those arrangements did she finally feel reassured enough to hold Lin Wanxin’s hand and leisurely walk into the Lin Residence.
As the little fellow Lin Yichen passed by Lin Yanxi, he suddenly made an exaggerated face at her and angrily declared:
“If you dare bully Sister Wanxin, then I’ll bully you!”
The domineering tone in his voice made him sound like a tiny tyrant.
Lin Yanxi raised an eyebrow.
These people had only just returned and were already making her uncomfortable.
And now even a little brat was giving her attitude?
A little tyrant, huh?
Sorry, but your grandaunt here is the ancestor of little tyrants.
Lin Yanxi rolled up her sleeves.
“Stop right there. What did you just say?”
Seeing Lin Yanxi’s aggressive posture, Lin Yichen not only failed to feel afraid, he made another silly face before sprinting straight into the residence.
Lin Yanxi was so irritated by his actions that she laughed instead.
“Good, very good. You want to bully me, right? Then I’ll show you exactly who bullies who. If I don’t beat you until even your mother can’t recognize you, then my surname isn’t Lin!”
She had barely taken a step when a powerful shove from behind made her stagger forward two steps.
She turned around unhappily.
“Why are you pushing me?”
Concubine Liu calmly replied:
“You think I pushed you? I wanted to hit you. Didn’t you see Madam’s reaction just now? If you really go beat up the young master, Madam will become even angrier, and you definitely won’t have a good outcome.”
“You think I’d be afraid of her?” Lin Yanxi’s rebellious streak surfaced again. “Concubine Liu, let’s discuss something.”
As Concubine Liu walked into the residence, she casually asked:
“What?”
Lin Yanxi hurried after her and whispered into her ear:
“How about the two of us move out and live separately from the main household?”
Concubine Liu had just stepped over the threshold when her foot stumbled from shock, nearly making her fall.
She stared at Lin Yanxi in disbelief.
“What did you just say?”
Lin Yanxi wasn’t speaking impulsively.
Since Lin Wanxin truly was the female spy from the novel, her arrival in Beili could only mean trouble. Besides, according to the book’s original plot, Lin Yanxi herself—the disposable side character—was ultimately killed by Lin Wanxin.
If she wanted to live longer, naturally she needed to stay far away from Lin Wanxin.
“You silly girl, are you stupid or simply missing a brain? She’s only an adopted daughter, yet you’re already scared?”
Lin Yanxi: It wasn’t fear. She simply wanted to stay alive.
Concubine Liu responded domineeringly:
“Have all the things I taught you these years gone into a dog’s stomach? Stop thinking about leaving and stay properly in the Lin Residence!”
Lin Yanxi barely paid attention to Concubine Liu’s advice because her mind was already racing with thoughts about what to do next.
From the front gate to the main hall alone, she had already considered countless possibilities.
Based on the current situation, Lin Wanxin moving into the Lin family was unavoidable.
Which meant there would inevitably be entanglements between them.
Although the novel ended with Lin Wanxin killing her, now that this “tool character” had awakened…
What if she killed Lin Wanxin instead?
What would happen then?
She simply didn’t know whether the death of the novel’s heroine would cause the entire story to collapse.
Faced with such uncertainty, Lin Yanxi wasn’t willing to gamble her life recklessly.
But if Lin Wanxin ever truly developed murderous intentions toward her, she certainly wouldn’t sit around waiting to die.
If that day really came, she absolutely would not wait passively for Lin Wanxin to kill her.
After sorting through these thoughts, Lin Yanxi silently let out a long breath.
The best option was still to stay as far away from Lin Wanxin as possible.
Because even if Lin Yanxi herself survived in the end, Lin Wanxin’s identity as a spy would still bring catastrophic disaster upon the Lin family.
Meanwhile, Lin Hongyuan and Shi Rong sat at the head seats in the main hall.
Lin Wanxin sat below Shi Rong on the right side while whispering and laughing together with Lin Yichen. The two appeared extremely close and affectionate.
The moment Concubine Liu and Lin Yanxi stepped into the hall, the smile on Shi Rong’s face instantly vanished.
Still dissatisfied with Lin Yanxi’s earlier behavior, she immediately spoke again:
“Wanxin suffered severe injuries while saving me before and was left with many lingering illnesses. Her health has never fully recovered. At the time, I swore I would treat Wanxin exactly like my own daughter and never allow her to suffer any grievance. So I’ll repeat myself seriously once more—do not disturb Wanxin while she recuperates. If I discover that you’ve bullied Wanxin, I will—”
Before she could finish, Lin Hongyuan impatiently interrupted her, his expression darkening with displeasure.
“That’s enough. We’re all family. Is there really any need to say such harsh things? Wanxin may be your daughter, but isn’t Xi’er your daughter too? If outsiders heard what you’re saying, they’d think Xi’er was your enemy instead of your child.”
With Lin Hongyuan supporting her, Shi Rong could only swallow her many grievances and refrain from continuing the argument.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
No one spoke for a while.
In the end, Lin Hongyuan broke the silence. Taking a sip of tea, he suddenly smiled.
“Xi’er, Father brought you many wonderful gifts. Shall Father take you to see them?”
After taking Lin Yanxi away with him, Concubine Liu also followed and left the hall.
Only Shi Rong, Lin Wanxin, and Lin Yichen remained behind.
The moment everyone else was gone, Shi Rong finally vented her lingering resentment again, speaking directly to Lin Yichen.
“From now on, you must properly protect Sister Wanxin, understand? You absolutely cannot allow that person to bully her.”
Lin Yichen nodded heavily and swore confidently:
“Mother, don’t worry! I definitely won’t let that person bully Sister Wanxin!”
From beginning to end, Lin Wanxin remained quiet and gentle, acting every bit the delicate and fragile beauty.
With lowered eyes and silent demeanor, she looked so pitiful that anyone who saw her would instinctively feel sympathy for her.