Chapter 33

After hanging up, Lu Yi opened the group chat. Something came up, she typed, can’t make it Saturday.
Honestly, it had been a last-minute plan anyway. Someone pointed out Saturday was Valentine’s Day and the single people in the group all groaned at the looming wave of happy couples. To avoid the fate of being “single dogged” on Valentine’s, they decided to huddle together, nurse their wounds, and not let the paired-up masses get them down.
Lu Yi technically wasn’t part of the target audience, married and all. But considering her husband was Lin Jinshen, her single status was always semi-up-for-debate, so an invite still landed her way.
Wu Sidong was first to reply, dropping a sticker of a rabbit on high alert.
[What, you and your husband have actual Valentine’s plans now?]
You’d think she’d betrayed the cause or something.
Lu Yi: [Not really. We’re just going to a charity gala.]
And clarified: [It’s kind of important.]
Marriage came with plenty of responsibilities, public and private, no exceptions. She chose this, after all.
Wu Sidong: [Lame!]
Yu Yin: [Honestly, so on-brand for President Lin. Bet he doesn’t even know it’s Valentine’s.]
Charity galas were the definition of boring. If anything, they probably pitied Lu Yi more than felt abandoned.
The conversation veered and Yu Yin chimed in: [Wait, so we’re free to order some male models now, right?!]
Because normally, with Lu Yi and her Big Boss husband around, anything wild was off the table. But if she wasn’t coming? The singles could go as big as they wanted.
Wu Sidong: [Excuse you, is my presence not enough for you?]
Yu Yin: [Please, you’re more than enough.]
The topic instantly devolved into a heated debate over the hottest, most professional modeling agencies, getting more and more NSFW. Yu Yin updated the group name to, Shh! Adults Only.
Lu Yi laughed, covering Puff’s eyes. “Kitty, you’re too young for this kind of corruption.”
Puff: “Meow?” in absolute kitten confusion.
Meanwhile, when Lin Wenyun got Lin Jinshen’s message, she was already home. Her son, Lin Ya, was five, a little chubball with round cheeks and sparkling black eyes, peak cuteness. No matter how busy work was, she always came home to spend time with him.
Reading the message, she smiled and put her phone away.
“Something up at work?” her husband asked, catching that smile as he handed her a warmed glass of milk.
Lin Wenyun took it, replying, “You can go ahead and book Saturday night.”
“You’re not going to the auction?”
“No need. Jinshen and Xiao Yi will go.” She pinched her son’s cheek, soft, perfect, then sighed, “Some people are in way deeper than they realize.”
“Who’s stuck in the mud?” Her husband was lost.
“Me, obviously.” Wenyun looked up with a smile.
He snorted, if she put half as much effort into their marriage as her company, maybe he’d believe it. He turned to look up restaurant guides online.
…
The wedding was just around the corner.
The Lin and Lu families were officially, inextricably tangled together now.
On the side, Lu Yi occasionally chatted with Lin Yumo, mostly about study-abroad life. Lu Yi would send tips: where to get the best Chinese food, which markets had the coolest stuff, and where to hunt for hidden gems.
Last week, Lin Yumo followed one of her recommendations, shocked to find the restaurant still open.
The owner was from Jing City too, and even made her a special tofu pudding on the side. The taste brought her right back home; she nearly started crying on the spot.
Lin Yumo: [Miss home! Counting down to the wedding!]
Lu Yi: [Come back early if you can. Mom and Dad really miss you.]
The more they talked, the more Lin Yumo liked this future sister-in-law. She was also dying of curiosity, why had she picked her iceberg of a brother? She typed, honest: I genuinely thought my big bro would end up single forever.
And then, realizing Lu Yi might take it the wrong way, she scrambled to explain: [I’m not saying you have bad taste! I mean, your taste is amazing. You see right through him, he’s actually pretty decent.]
Just… way too uptight!
When he went all stone-faced and silent, he was downright scary. Of everyone, she was always most afraid of her big brother.
Lu Yi teased: [So he makes a bad first impression, huh?]
Lin Yumo replied in a panic: [NO, no, not at all!]
[But like… you ever get the vibe that my brother’s exactly the kind of stern vice-principal every school has? The one who stands in the hall with his hands behind his back, one glare is enough for your heart to leap into your throat?]
Lu Yi thought for a moment: [A little bit, yeah?]
Lin Yumou sent a giggling emoji. The chat was getting real, Lin Yumou had basically sold out every secret about Lin Jinshen. She was so caught up that she didn't even realize when she texted, "There were some family setups before, but my brother managed to dodge every single one."
Lu Yi caught the real scoop: [Wait, he had setups before?]
Lin Yumou: "…"
Wouldn't bringing up exes in front of the new girlfriend get her killed?
She sent a cat curling up in shame.
Even through the phone, Lu Yi could sense Lin Yumou panicking. She replied, [That’s totally normal. I’ve had some too. Your brother just never mentioned it, I was just curious.]
[I’m honestly not mad, promise!]
Lin Yumou: [It’s really nothing, we basically never even met. And the couple of times we did, it didn’t go anywhere.]
Lu Yi kept pressing for juice: [Oh? So, who did he meet?]
Lin Yumou: [... ]
[I’m sweating here, sis-in-law.]
[Tell me, do you think I’ll still be invited to your wedding?]
Lin Jinshen came out from his study and saw Lu Yi lounging on the bed with her phone, smiling to herself. He lifted the covers and asked casually, "What are you reading over there?"
What could make her smile like that, soft at the lips, whole face looking happy?
"Just chatting with Yumou." Lu Yi said her goodnights to Lin Yumou, then tapped her phone off and set it on the nightstand. She'd been going to bed earlier lately, falling into the groove of an 11 p.m. sleep schedule.
Lin Jinshen said, "If you ever feel bothered, you don't need to force yourself to talk to her."
He meant she didn’t have to press herself to join his family just because they were married.
"It’s not a bother, we actually get along great." After all, sharing stories about him gave them endless topics.
Lu Yi stretched out, making sure not to fold her arms across her chest, otherwise, the self-appointed sleep-police (Lin Jinshen) would come correct her posture again.
Ten minutes to eleven. Lin Jinshen, for once, pulled out his phone in bed and opened the chat labeled "Little Sister" to ask what she’d been up to recently.
When Lin Yumou got his message, her heart nearly stopped, but she was sure he didn’t know she’d just been dragging his reputation. If her brother ever tried to guilt-trip her, that’d be a first.
She replied ever-so-politely. Life was fine, thank you for asking.
Lin Jinshen replied with some standard big-bro energy.
He was playing the perfect brother so well that Lin Yumou almost wondered if his account was hacked.
Lin Jinshen: [Less time on your phone, less gossiping. Or I cut your credit card limit.]
Lin Yumou: ?
Suddenly she wasn’t sorry she’d just roasted him, obviously, she hadn’t done it enough.
The charity gala on Saturday was hosted by the Wu family of Dongcheng, real estate moguls. Mrs. Wu had long been devoted to charity, and all auction proceeds from that evening were going to fund education in rural villages.
The Wus and the Lins had been family friends since the days of their grandfathers. Even though things had drifted after the old man passed, some ties just can’t be broken, you still have to show up for the big occasions.
The event started at seven. Lu Yi had plenty of time, so she took her time picking out a dress and doing her makeup.
Her social feeds for the day were all flooded with couple posts. She barely blinked at it, it was a holiday she’d stopped celebrating years ago.
In her “Rated 18+” friend group chat, her friends were arriving at their own party (yup, they actually got male models). Someone started tagging Lu Yi, posting pics and videos. One of the male models looked especially sweet, waved at the camera, and greeted them: “Hello, big sisters!”
"…"
If that was just the opener, who knew what wild content they'd be sending once the party heated up?
Lu Yi decided to silence the group notifications for the night.
Once she was ready, she picked up her skirt and headed downstairs. Two steps down, she spotted Lin Jinshen already waiting. He’d taken off his suit jacket and hung it on the rack, left in a crisp white dress shirt and tie, legs stretched out as he lounged on the sofa. At his feet, Puff was circling, rubbing against his pant leg, obviously begging for some affection.
Lin Jinshen was not Lu Yi. The cat’s shameless cuddling did nothing for him. He tapped Puff’s head with his finger, one look was enough for Puff to zip it and behave for a while.
"…"
Cat dad in denial!
Lu Yi was getting used to it. She suspected Lin Jinshen had been sneaking cat treats to Puff, but had no hard evidence, yet.
When she came down, Lin Jinshen finished bopping Puff on the head, then looked up at her, his long lashes casting a clean, pure gaze.
There was always something contradictory about him.
Mature, composed, steeped in the world of power and privilege, but totally untouched by any hint of pettiness. If you threw out everything you knew about him and just caught a first glimpse, he looked way more like a university professor, reserved, bookish, and hands-off.
"Why’d you come down so early?" Lu Yi asked as she approached. "You didn’t text me."
"We’ve got time. No rush."
Puff, rejected by Lin Jinshen, finally gave up and padded over to Lu Yi. She wanted to pick her up, but experiences with snagged fabric had taught her better. Tonight, she’d worn a short-chained necklace just to avoid any wardrobe mishaps.
"Let’s go."
Lin Jinshen grabbed his jacket, draping it over his arm instead of putting it on.
The elevator’s mirrored walls reflected the two of them: him tall, her just below his shoulder, shoulders nearly touching. Lu Yi thought back to their second meeting, in another elevator, hotel staff present, forced to stand much closer than now. She’d felt stuck and stiff, counting down those painful fifteen seconds.
How long ago was that? Not even two months.
"Hold on." His voice, unexpectedly deep, broke the silence.
Lin Jinshen turned toward her, his tall frame cutting off her view, looming so close it felt like a sudden cloud blocking all the light, making her breath catch.
He leaned down, head lowering.
Lu Yi instinctively pressed her lips together. There were security cameras in the elevator. She took a step back, but in the next second, Lin Jinshen’s hand slipped around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Don’t move."
His gaze was fixed, almost serious. Then, from the curve of her shoulder and neck, he carefully plucked a single, fine hair, twirling it on his fingertip.
Lu Yi: "…"
She just knew, if she commented, "Oh, just a hair?" he’d shoot her a baffled look and say, "What else would it be?"
It was so fine, how did he even spot it?
The elevator glided to the ground floor, doors sliding open to each side.
A rush of fresh air swept away the awkwardness lingering in the room.
Lu Yi stepped out first, Lin Jinshen followed a couple paces behind, and then caught up so they were side by side again.
On the way to the banquet, Lin Jinshen briefed her about tonight’s hosts, the Wu family, and how Mrs. Wu had set up a charity foundation. Half the local socialites had joined, whether for the clout, the connections, or out of genuine goodwill. But as the saying goes, judge actions, not intentions, the foundation really had done a lot of good work in the city.
“Do I need to join?” Lu Yi frowned as she listened.
Lin Jinshen gave her a long look, her thoughts were always written all over her face. “No. Just do whatever you want.”
But considering she was stuck going to a party she didn’t even like, just to be his plus-one, that answer did sound a bit hypocritical. So he added, a little sheepishly, “...Just show up with me once in a while, that’s enough.”
Lu Yi smiled, gracious as ever. “Got it.”
“Once the auction’s over, we can leave whenever.”
“Okay.”
The car pulled up to the banquet venue.
Lu Yi entered on Lin Jinshen’s arm. About half the guests had arrived, so making the rounds was unavoidable. Lu Yi barely knew anyone here. Every time someone walked over, Lin Jinshen would lean in just a bit and murmur their name to her, so she wouldn’t be the idiot just standing there, all polite smiles and clueless blinking.
Wine glasses clinked everywhere. Lu Yi suddenly felt someone staring. She glanced around discreetly, and spotted it: a girl in a striking bright yellow, strapless gown, not far off.
The girl was chatting with the people beside her, but her gaze kept drifting over, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. As soon as Lu Yi looked back, she broke the eye contact, laughing on with her friends.
She was one of those girls who could only be described as dazzlingly beautiful, a princess born into wealth.
Lu Yi was sure she hadn’t met her before.
Which meant the girl knew her companion instead.
And any woman who might know Lin Jinshen, apart from business, well… there was only one other category.
Lu Yi pressed her lips together, fingers toying absentmindedly with a pearl earring. She lowered her voice: “Is that your ex?”
A woman’s sixth sense truly is uncanny, even if you've never met the other party.
“What?” Lin Jinshen bent his head, clearly having missed it.
He looked so patient, those long lashes shadowing his eyes while he waited for her to repeat herself.
Lu Yi realized she’d misspoken and dropped her voice even lower. “Sorry, let me rephrase. Is that your ex-blind-date?”
Then, under her breath, almost conspiratorial: “The one who turned you down because you two weren’t a good match?”
Lin Yumo had told her the story: Lin Jinshen once met a girl, but she wasn’t interested. The reason given was “incompatible personalities,” but privately, the girls agreed it was because Lin Jinshen was too uptight, too straight-laced.
Lu Yi didn’t know all the juicy details, but she was curious. In her experience, Lin Jinshen was exactly the type to have produced some legendary, instantly regrettable incident.
Lin Jinshen glanced up, trying to recall, but didn’t recognize the girl at all. Then he looked down, and caught the curve sneaking onto Lu Yi’s lips, subtle but irresistible, like she couldn’t help herself.
She wasn’t annoyed, in fact, her delight practically radiated.
The hand he had resting, oh-so-gentlemanly, on her back slid lower, settling around her narrow waist. Heat from his palm seeped through the fabric, making her heart skip. He didn’t say yes or no, just looked straight into her eyes and asked, “And if she is? Why does that make you so happy?”
Lu Yi blinked in perfect innocence, convinced her cover was foolproof. “Was I? Really?”