Chapter 24

“Lin Jinshen!”
Madam Qin called him by his full name, completely exasperated. “What’s wrong with you? If I’d known this was your attitude, I never would’ve let you drag Xiao Yi into this mess.”
“Mom, I know what I’m doing.” Lin Jinshen massaged his brow.
“Oh, you know what you’re doing? So much that you treat hotels as your second home? It was one thing when you were single, but you’re married now, how can you still act like this?” Madam Qin frowned. “How am I supposed to explain this to Xiao Yi’s parents? They raised their daughter like a treasure only for you to treat her this way.”
“…”
Madam Qin had prepared a whole arsenal of arguments in the car, worried Lin Jinshen would shut her down with a few words.
Her son had always been the easy one, self-disciplined, principled, meticulous in everything he did. He never made trouble, the polar opposite of her youngest daughter.
On the flip side, neither she nor his father had ever really been able to control him, either.
“Mom, have some water.”
Lin Jinshen took a break to pour her some water for her throat.
“Don’t think you’re buttering me up. I’m not finished yet.”
“Please, go on.”
“…”
Lin Jinshen said, “I understand your concerns. I’m staying here because of work. Once everything’s finalized tomorrow, I’ll move back.”
“What about you and Xiao Yi?”
“We’re not fighting.”
“But you just said you can’t promise not to make her cry again.”
“The future is unpredictable. I can’t guarantee I’ll never hurt her, so I can’t make you a promise I’m not sure I can keep,” Lin Jinshen said.
Fair enough.
Other men swept up in their feelings might swear they’d love someone forever, but her son wasn’t wired that way, he stuck to the truth, always.
Madam Qin was half convinced, half uncertain. “Xiao Yi really is a good girl. You marrying her is the best luck you’ll ever have. Since you’re already husband and wife, treasure your marriage.”
“I understand.”
Lin Jinshen escorted Madam Qin out.
Even as she was leaving, Madam Qin kept emphasizing, “Move back home soon. Couples living apart is never a good sign.”
“Yes, I know.”
A lot had happened this week. The KS acquisition was finalized, the contract now bore his signature, and with the law in effect, Lin Jinshen shook hands with the KS president. All the rumors and doubts faded, at least for now. From this moment, KS was officially tied to Huayu.
The latest plans for KS were rolling out exactly as scheduled.
This was the biggest decision Lin Jinshen had made since taking over Huayu Group.
Everything was done openly; after the signing, Huayu hosted a banquet for the American delegation, followed by an afterparty at Tang Palace Club.
Lin Jinshen gave the whole team an extended holiday, with year-end bonuses multiplied several times over. After this month of brutal battle, they’d earned it.
Applause thundered. Nothing felt better than victory.
Lin Jinshen raised his glass to celebrate with the team. Light swept over his face, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Now, at nearly thirty, he’d spent his teens shadowing his father, absorbing everything. After all these years, numbers barely registered anymore. The massive profits from this deal were just one measure of the value of all he’d done.
Before heading to Tang Palace, Lin Jinshen called Jiang Xun, told him what needed handling, then got in his car and left.
Jiang Xun's eyes lit up, he immediately reported to Lu Yi.
“Madam, President Lin said he’ll be staying home tonight. He told me to pack up his things at the hotel and bring them back tomorrow.”
Lu Yi choked. “?”
Lin Jinshen was coming home, why did Jiang Xun sound this hyped? She hadn’t put him on a bonus plan for this.
It had to happen sooner or later anyway.
Lu Yi saw the news, the KS deal all over the headlines, splashed everywhere. Lin Jinshen had kept a low profile; the photos only showed a handshake, his face barely there.
But she could spot his hand in a second, strong, elegant, unmistakable.
Still, she wasn’t ready.
Lu Yi hesitated, then replied, just a little regretful: “Tonight? Oh, bad timing. I already promised a friend I’d stay at her place tonight.”
Jiang Xun didn’t really get the boss lady. Weren’t these things easy to reschedule? What could possibly be more important than a husband and wife reunion?
“But boss has been away from home for days now.”
“I haven’t seen my friends in ages either. Girl talk, you know?”
“All right, I’ll let President Lin know.”
Thank you.”
“Just doing my job.”
“…”
After she hung up, Lu Yi set her phone down on the vanity. It wasn’t exactly a lie, she really did have a gathering tonight. After it ended, she’d just get a hotel room nearby for the night.
Makeup on point, she grabbed her bag and headed out.
The party was in Tang Palace, one of Jing City’s top clubs, a dream of Tang Dynasty opulence inside and out. At night, the place was lit up, like something out of a moonlit painting. Only the rich and connected could get in, even the entry pass was exclusive.
That’s showbiz for you, built on pure money, but you had to pretend it was all about taste and status. If it was too obviously bought, it just looked tacky.
By the time Lu Yi arrived, half the friend group was already there.
Wu Sidong was ordering drinks. He was footing the bill tonight, after some drama with his family before returning to China, his card had been frozen. Now it was unblocked, and he was back to showing off his big spender ways.
“Finally! You all know how I survived while my card was frozen? Had to sell off all the bags I’d bought for my ex just to get by.”
“And why is she your ex again?”
“The bags were gone, and I couldn’t just keep dragging her on for nothing. It’d be unfair, right?”
Wu Sidong wasn’t your usual scumbag, he didn’t sneak around, and he only dated one girl at a time, no cheating.
He’d been home a few days now, but everyone had run out of insults for him. Someone just shot him an impatient look, telling him to keep a low profile now that he was back.
Lu Yi was always the quietest one, just sipping her drink, listening as they bantered and clowned around, sometimes letting out a soft laugh.
“I swear I’ve reformed for real this time,” Wu Sidong raised his hand in surrender. “No sooner did I come back than my family started hounding me about marriage. I’ve already seen a pile of photos; in a few days I’m supposed to meet some Miss Bai or Miss Song.”
Arranged marriages, too common in their circle. For half of them, that’s just how things end up. If you’re lucky, you land someone you like; if not, you get tied down anyway. Worst case, you just do your own thing in private.
“If only our campus queen hadn’t gotten married so fast, the rest of us might still have a shot.”
Yu Yin grabbed whatever was at hand and hurled it at him, her tone full of disdain. “Please. Save us the embarrassment.”
“What? I’m not as good as Lin Jinshen? I’m gentle, considerate, always on call!”
“That’s literally your only advantage. Haven’t you read the news? This KS acquisition thing is all anyone’s talking about, the rumors are everywhere; I could recite them in my sleep.” Her friend suddenly switched gears and looked at Lu Yi. “That night… You and him, you’re sure you’re okay?”
Everyone had heard the stories about Lin Jinshen, rigid, cold, ruthless in business, totally uninterested in any romantic distractions.
They’d only just gotten married, no real feelings yet. She hoped that wouldn’t turn into a wall between them.
Now that incident got mentioned again. Lu Yi’s discomfort was obvious; she said it was nothing.
“Hold up, isn’t that President Lin?” someone squinted up, trying hard to make out the figure.
They were all on the first floor. The higher you went, second, third floor, the stricter the guest list, the bigger the names. Even to be on the first floor like them, you had to come from a good family.
Lin Jinshen was striding along the second-floor corridor, heading up even higher, all the way to the top floor.
A pack of people trailed behind him, fawning. Dressed in a sleek Chinese-style suit, he looked both polished and understated, moving with an effortless poise, especially next to the crowd of blond, blue-eyed foreigners.
Lu Yi instinctively glanced that way, following her friends’ gaze.
All she caught was Lin Jinshen’s profile. They hadn’t seen each other in days, but that night was still so vivid, as if it were yesterday. No one was better than him at putting on that chaste, ascetic face while doing the most sinful things.
Sanctimonious to the core.
Lu Yi crossed her legs, a bit flustered. Thin high-heeled straps wrapped her pale, flawless ankles. Uneasy, she remembered how the hand from the tabloid photo had once circled her ankle, pressing it forward, moving harder each time.
She cleared her throat, trying to mask it, dropped her left leg and crossed her right, her calves smooth and slender.
Upstairs and down might as well have been two separate worlds.
To catch a glimpse of him, Lu Yi had to tilt her head back. He probably had no idea she was even down here.
Lost in that thought, she heard a friend whisper theatrically, pinching her voice, “He’s looking down here!”
Lu Yi didn’t dare look up. Caught off guard, she quickly dropped her gaze and grabbed Yu Yin’s purse, feigning calm. “Cute bag, when’d you get this?”
Yu Yin smiled coldly, all shade and no warmth. “Recognize it?”
“Looks familiar, yeah.”
“You’re the one who bought it.”
“...Should’ve known.”
Yu Yin clicked her tongue in frustration. “You know he saw you just now, right? Didn’t even say hi, acted like you were a stranger.”
Meanwhile her friend was desperately trying to disappear into her seat. Yu Yin had clearly been holding this in; now she couldn’t help herself.
This marriage, what a mess. Even she was mad for her! What was the point, when she might as well be invisible to her own husband?
“You don’t even dare to look at him.”
“I have no idea what potion he fed you back then!”
“You just threw yourself into his arms without even blinking!”
“...”
Wu Sidong gave a soft cough, trying to warn Yu Yin that she’d gone a bit too far.
Lu Yi knew Yu Yin just wanted to stick up for her. She wanted to explain, but what was there to say? It was complicated. From the very start, this had all been about interests. You can’t have it both ways.
Not that she wanted to, anyway.
The friends sighed, giving up on convincing her, it’s not like they didn’t see Yu Yin’s point. Lin Jinshen might not be the best pick.
“Lu Yi.”
A familiar male voice called from behind.
The conversation stopped cold. They all turned toward the sound.
It was Lin Jinshen. Not just him, his whole entourage was there. He walked over first, sliding an arm around her waist. His palm burned hot through the thin fabric, heat seeping into her skin. He leaned in, voice low: “Sorry, I had no idea you were here.”
He was so close, speaking like a lover confiding in her ear.
He actually apologized, for the oversight.
Lin Jinshen continued, “Let me introduce you to the KS team.”
He lifted his head, then introduced Lu Yi, perfect English: “My wife.”