[Outside Lin Group Headquarters — September 17, Wednesday, 3:50 PM]
The bus hissed to a stop.
Lin Feng stepped down first, then turned to offer his hand to Xiao Yue.
She took it with a smile, stepping onto the sidewalk. Her hood was down. She leaned into his arm naturally, long black hair falling like silk around her shoulders, catching the afternoon sunlight. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the golden light with those deep dark eyes looking up at him with unmistakable amusement.
"Twice."
Lin Feng froze mid-step.
Xiao Yue's smile widened. "We got lost twice before getting to your family's company."
Heat rushed to Lin Feng's face.
Hey I've been in this body for two and a half days! How am I supposed to know where anything is?!
"Well, I haven't ridden the bus before… how would I know the bus routes?" Lin Feng replied.
Xiao Yue laughed softly at his expression. The sound was warm, genuine. The kind of comfortable teasing that came from knowing someone well enough to poke at their weaknesses without malice.
"Come on," she said, still holding his hand. "We're already late enough."
They started walking toward the building entrance.
That's when Lin Feng noticed the stares.
Staff members near the building entrance had frozen mid-stride. A woman in a professional blazer stopped with her phone halfway to her ear. Two men in business suits turned to look, conversations dying mid-sentence.
Whispers started immediately.
"Is that—"
"The Second Young Master??"
"He came from a bus?"
"Wait, that's HER!"
Lin Feng's shoulders tensed slightly. The weight of recognition settling over him like a physical thing.
Here we go.
More people were looking at them. Their phones emerging from pockets and purses. The professional masks of corporate employees cracking with shock and curiosity.
"That's the mystery girlfriend!"
"From the videos!"
"They really ARE together!"
Xiao Yue's expression shifted. The playful amusement fading into something more observational. Her eyes moved across the building entrance, cataloging faces, reactions, the way people positioned themselves in the corporate hierarchy.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng straightened his posture instinctively. The shift was subtle but automatic.
Okay… time to face Lin Qingwan, my Elder Sister…
The Lin Group Headquarters loomed ahead of them.
Glass and steel stretched upward, imposing and modern. The afternoon sunlight reflected off the windows, turning the building into a monument of wealth and corporate power. The kind of architecture that announced its importance without needing words.
Money visible in every polished surface.
Power radiating from every deliberate design choice.
Staff continued to pour out of the building, heading home after their workday. Every single one turned to look as Lin Feng and Xiao Yue approached. Recognition spreading like wildfire through the crowd.
The Second Young Master taking public transportation.
With the woman from the viral videos.
The campus drama had clearly reached the company already.
A young woman in reception attire dropped her coffee cup. Plastic clattered on concrete, liquid splashing across the sidewalk.
She didn't even notice.
Her eyes were locked on Xiao Yue.
And she wasn't the only one.
Corporate employees abandoned all pretense of professionalism as they stared openly. Xiao Yue's beauty with her hood down was impossible to ignore.
Xiao Yue's long black hair like silk catching afternoon light. Pale glowing skin that seemed almost ethereal. Her deep dark eyes that held impossible depth. Petite frame, graceful and delicate, but perfectly proportioned. B cup figure visible but not emphasized under her simple, well-maintained clothes.
Natural beauty at the highest standard.
No makeup needed.
No artificial enhancement required.
Just pure, breathtaking presence.
"She's even more beautiful in person," someone whispered.
"The hooded girl from the video..."
"I can't believe the Second Young Master actually—"
Lin Feng kept walking, hand still holding Xiao Yue's. He ignored the whispers, the stares, and the phones being raised to capture this moment.
Just get to the conference room. Survive the meeting. Maybe I'll fetch Tingting later from the school and then go home.
The glass entrance doors approached.
Xiao Yue glanced at him, something soft in her expression despite the strategic assessment continuing behind her eyes.
"Ready?" she asked quietly.
Lin Feng squeezed her hand once.
"Not even slightly."
"Good thing one of us planned for this."
They passed through the entrance doors together.
The temperature dropped immediately. Air conditioning replacing afternoon heat. Street noise fading into corporate hum. Public space transforming into private domain.
The lobby spread before them.
Polished floors reflected overhead lighting. Reception desk manned by professional staff who looked up and immediately froze. Company displays showcasing Lin Group achievements lined the walls. Waiting areas with expensive furniture. Corporate branding everywhere, subtle but unmistakable.
The scent of expensive coffee mixed with printer toner and corporate professionalism.
This was Lin Family territory.
And everyone knew it.
The receptionist at the main desk—a woman in her thirties with perfect posture—dropped her pen. It clattered against the marble counter, the sound sharp in the suddenly quiet lobby.
Her eyes went wide.
"Second Young Master," she breathed.
Then her gaze shifted to Xiao Yue.
Realization dawned on her. The videos. The lecture hall announcement. The restaurant kiss that had gone viral across campus and beyond.
"And… his girlfriend..." The receptionist's voice cracked slightly.
Xiao Yue inclined her head politely. "Good afternoon."
Professional. Composed. No nervousness whatsoever.
The receptionist looked like she might faint.
Other staff members in the lobby had stopped moving entirely. A man with a briefcase stood frozen near the elevator banks. Two women by the company display turned to stare, their whispered conversation dying mid-sentence.
"They're really together..."
"She's even more beautiful than the videos showed."
"Why did he take the bus?"
"Do you think President Lin knows?"
"How would I know?"
The gossip spread like fire through dry grass. Professional masks cracking. Corporate employees who'd spent all day maintaining perfect composure now staring openly at the Second Young Master and his mysterious girlfriend.
Lin Feng felt the weight of it settling over his shoulders. Every eye in the lobby tracking their movement. Every whisper cataloging this moment for future discussion.
Elder Sister is going to hear about this arrival within five minutes if she hasn't already.
Xiao Yue's expression retained its earlier playfulness, yet behind it, her usual analytical coldness began to return.
Her eyes moved across the lobby with precision.
Reception hierarchy visible in desk positioning. Junior staff versus senior staff obvious in their clothing quality and posture. Who deferred to whom apparent in body language and spatial positioning.
She was reading the whole place like a book.
They walked across the polished marble floor together. Footsteps echoing softly. Every eye in the lobby tracking their path.
The elevator banks loomed ahead.
Multiple sets of doors. Different levels of access. Executive versus regular staff.
Here we go.
Time to navigate this corporate territory I barely understood.
Time to face Lin Qingwan.
-------------------
[Inside Lin Group Headquarters — 3:55 PM]
Multiple elevator banks stood before them.
Lin Feng looked at the options. Left side, right side. Different doors. Different access levels.
Executive versus regular staff. Obviously. But which is which?
He walked toward the nearest set of doors with complete confidence.
The regular elevator.
Because he had absolutely no idea there was a difference.
The doors opened immediately. Three people already inside—two men in mid-level business attire, one woman with a tablet. All three looked up.
Recognition hit like a physical blow.
"Second Young Master!" The woman pressed herself against the elevator wall immediately, tablet clutched to her chest.
The two men followed suit, flattening against the sides. Creating as much distance as professionally possible.
Lin Feng stepped inside. Xiao Yue followed, her expression perfectly composed.
Please let all elevators access all floors. Please let all elevators access all floors. Please don't let there be restricted executive access that I don't know about—
The doors closed.
Silence descended like a weight.
The woman stared at the floor numbers. The men studied the elevator ceiling with intense fascination. No one dared look directly at Lin Feng or the woman beside him.
But Lin Feng could feel their awareness. The way they tried not to breathe too loudly. The tension radiating off them in waves.
Discomfort filled the small space.
Xiao Yue stood perfectly still beside him. Her eyes flicked toward the elevator panel once. Just once.
The elevator hummed upward. The hum changed pitch slightly as they rose, mechanical sounds echoing in the enclosed space.
Lin Feng needed to know which floor. Asking directly wasn't an option - not with these employees ready to spread every detail through the company.
He turned slightly toward the person near the panel.
"I need to get to Conference Room A." His voice came out smooth, efficient. "I'm in a bit of a hurry—could you press the button for me?"
The woman lunged forward immediately.
"Of course, Mr. Lin!"
Her finger stabbed the executive floor button. Top section of the building. She retreated to her wall position instantly.
Lin Feng nodded his thanks.
Beside him, Xiao Yue's lips curved ever so slightly.
The elevator continued its ascent.
No one spoke.
The staff members maintained their positions against the walls. Eyes down. Phones staying in pockets despite the obvious temptation to record this moment.
They wouldn't dare.
Not with the Second Young Master right there.
The woman's breathing was carefully controlled. One of the men shifted his weight, the movement tiny but audible in the oppressive quiet.
Dying to gossip but trapped in professional silence.
The floor numbers ticked upward on the display.
Xiao Yue's eyes moved subtly. Cataloging everything without appearing to look.
Staff hierarchy visible in their positioning. The woman with the tablet was more senior—her posture less nervous despite the fear. The two men pressed themselves against the walls—junior employees, clearly, from how they vibrated with discomfort.
The elevator slowed.
When the elevator reached the eighth floor, the doors opened.
One of the men escaped gratefully, nodding quickly before he left.
The doors closed again.
Now only four people remained.
The silence somehow became heavier.
The woman stared at floor numbers like they held the secrets of the universe. The remaining man found something fascinating about the corner where wall met ceiling.
Neither dared glance at Xiao Yue.
Even from peripheral vision, her beauty was impossible to ignore. Black silky hair. Pale glowing skin. Ethereal presence that seemed to fill the small space.
But looking directly would be inappropriate.
So they didn't.
The elevator slowed again and stopped—
Then the doors opened.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Temperature first. The air conditioning more precise, cooler without being cold. Climate control calibrated to executive comfort rather than building-wide efficiency.
Then the scent. It was subtle but unmistakable. Expensive floral arrangements mixed with the faint trace of designer cologne and perfume. The smell of power and wealth. No hint of the cheaper office coffee or mass-market cleaning products from the lower floors.
The atmosphere felt quieter and more prestigious. Everything beyond the elevator doors had a different quality to it.
The flooring changed to carpet—thick, sound-dampening weave beneath their feet instead of tile. Designer fixtures provided softer lighting.
Original art decorated the walls where corporate posters would hang on lower floors. Fewer people moved through this space, but each one radiated higher authority.
This is the executive floor of the Lin Group.
Lin Feng stepped out. Xiao Yue followed.
Behind them, the remaining staff members exhaled like they'd been holding their breath.
The elevator doors closed on their relief.
The executive hallway stretched before them.
Glass-walled conference rooms lined both sides. Transparent walls revealing everything inside. The late afternoon sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, reflecting off polished surfaces and creating geometric patterns across the expensive carpet.
Professional luxury everywhere—polished wood, leather furniture, brushed metal accents. City skyline visible beyond the glass, Jiangcheng sprawling below them.
Executive assistants sat at desks positioned strategically throughout the floor. They looked up from their work as Lin Feng and Xiao Yue emerged from the elevator.
Professional curiosity mixed with recognition.
The Second Young Master.
With the girlfriend from the videos.
Their expressions stayed neutral. But eyes tracked movement with laser focus.
Lin Feng walked forward, Xiao Yue beside him. Their footsteps muffled by thick carpet.
Through the glass walls ahead, Conference Room A became visible.
And through those transparent barriers, Lin Feng saw Lin Qingwan.
Lin Qingwan sat at the head of the long mahogany table.
Her silver hair caught the afternoon light streaming through the conference room's floor-to-ceiling windows. F cup figure visible even seated, mature presence radiating presidential authority. Age twenty-three but commanding the room like she'd been born to it.
She was smiling.
Of course she was smiling.
Lin Qingwan was always smiling. That unreadable, impossible-to-decode expression that could mean anything or nothing. Amusement or interrogation or both simultaneously. The smile that had unnerved business rivals and charmed investors in equal measure.
It was dangerous playfulness wrapped in presidential bearing.
To her right sat Lin Weiwei.
Long black hair pulled into a ponytail. C cup figure, slender curves visible in simple professional attire. White jade skin seemed to glow even at this distance. Black eyes like autumn water—clear, bright, deep—locked on the hallway with laser intensity.
Locked on them approaching.
Her arms were crossed.
Cold fury barely contained beneath professional composure.
Both women watched through the glass walls as Lin Feng and Xiao Yue walked closer.
No privacy.
Everything visible.
Every expression cataloged.
Lin Qingwan's smile widened slightly as they approached. Her silver hair shifted as she tilted her head, tracking their movement with obvious interest. The presidential mask perfectly in place, but something playful dancing behind her eyes.
Lin Weiwei's posture tensed. Arms tightening across her chest. Those clear autumn-water eyes narrowing just a fraction.
Xiao Yue's hand was still in Lin Feng's. Her expression perfectly calm. Strategic observation continuing even as they became the observed.
Through the glass, Lin Qingwan raised one hand.
A small wave. Almost playful.
The conference room door loomed ahead.
Lin Feng's grip on Xiao Yue's hand tightened.
It's now or never! There's no going back after this.
Then they reached the door.
Through the glass, both sisters watched.
One smiling that eternal unreadable smile.
One radiating barely controlled fury through clear bright eyes.
-------------------
Lin Feng released Xiao Yue's hand and opened the door.
The sound changed immediately. The hallway noise cut off as the door swung inward. Conference room acoustics were different—designed to contain sound, to keep conversations private.
They stepped inside together.
The scent hit them first. Expensive leather from the executive chairs mixed with furniture polish and something floral—probably from the arrangement on the side table. It was cleaner than the hallway. More deliberate.
The mahogany table dominated the space. It was long, imposing, polished to mirror-brightness. Crystal water glasses were positioned precisely. The Persian rug lay beneath their feet, thick enough to muffle footsteps completely.
Behind Lin Qingwan, floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city skyline. Jiangcheng sprawled below them, the light from the outside turning the glass buildings into golden monuments.
Everything here cost money.
Every surface screamed deliberate wealth.
"Dear brother."
Lin Qingwan's voice carried warmth and weight in equal measure. She tilted her head slightly, that smile still in place. Still impossible to read fully, though amusement danced in her eyes.
"Big Sister," Lin Feng replied, nodding respectfully.
Her gaze shifted to Xiao Yue — evaluating and presidential.
"And you must be Miss Xiao?"
Xiao Yue met her gaze directly. No hesitation.
"Yes, I am, President Lin." Her voice stayed quiet and respectful.
She turned toward Lin Weiwei.
"Miss Lin."
"Miss Xiao."
Ice wrapped in professional courtesy. Lin Weiwei's arms stayed crossed tight over her chest. Those clear dark eyes held promises of violence beneath the polite surface.
The air practically crackled with tension.
Lin Qingwan was cataloging Xiao Yue with surgical precision.
Her movements were too controlled. And her posture was too perfect for someone of ordinary upbringing. That's specialized training—perhaps from high society.
Higher than a mere Tier 3 family from Jiangcheng, my Lin Family.
And she meets my eyes without flinching. She isn't nervous at all.
She could be from those Tier 4 families from Tier 1 cities… No, Tier 4s don't have the ability to completely wipe themselves clean from all government records.
So maybe she's a Tier 5 from the capital?
Or maybe… judging from her last name, maybe even a Tier 6 force – the aristocracy…
Sigh…
Where did my cute little brother find such a landmine?
On the other end of the table, Xiao Yue read the room just as carefully.
Lin Qingwan already suspects my real identity.
That's fine, in less than a year, I will be done with my poverty training.
For now, what matters is that I get to be with Lin Feng and not with that incest whore.
Beside Lin Qingwan, Lin Weiwei's thoughts were running just as much as everyone else at this table.
So you're finally showing off your true colors, huh, you stalker bitch.
Fine… But I'm NOT going down without a fight.
Lin Feng just focused on survival.
This is going to be a long afternoon…
Lin Feng moved toward the opposite side of the table from Lin Qingwan. He automatically positioned himself beside Xiao Yue, the one to be interviewed today by his big sister, showing his willingness to be with her.
Or rather, to show that he treasures Xiao Yue as much as Lin Weiwei. Just as much as he showed his support for Lin Weiwei yesterday morning.
Knowing the implications of doing that, Lin Feng sat beside Xiao Yue.
"Big Brother!"
Lin Weiwei's voice cracked like a whip.
She pointed at the empty seat beside Lin Qingwan with sharp precision.
"There's already a seat prepared for you. HERE."
Lin Qingwan's hand moved to cover her mouth. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
"Lin Feng can sit wherever he's comfortable, Miss Lin." Xiao Yue's tone stayed perfectly level.
"This is a FAMILY meeting about FAMILY matters!" Lin Weiwei's voice rose. "The family sits together!"
"He invited me," Xiao Yue replied calmly. "That suggests I'm not just an outsider."
"Elder Sister prepared that seat for Big Brother! That's the position of respect!"
"Weiwei." Lin Qingwan's voice cut through the escalation. Still amused underneath but pointed. "I didn't prepare that seat specifically for him. It's simply an available seat at the table."
Lin Weiwei took the correction without faltering.
"I understand, Elder Sister." Then pivoted immediately. "REGARDLESS—Big Brother should sit at the table with his FAMILY!"
"I think Lin Feng is capable of choosing where he sits." Quiet steel threaded through Xiao Yue's calm. "Unless you're saying he needs permission from his sister?"
"This is OUR family company! OUR conference room!"
"And yet he brought me here."
"As a GUEST! Guests don't dictate seating!"
"I'm not dictating anything. I'm simply sitting down."
"Then sit OVER THERE and let Big Brother sit with FAMILY!"
Lin Feng stood frozen between both sides of the table. Horror mounting as the argument escalated around him.
We haven't even started the meeting and they're already at war.
He looked desperately at Lin Qingwan for intervention.
Her hand still covered her mouth. Shoulders shaking harder now. Silver hair catching the afternoon light as she fought, lost, fought again against the laughter building in her chest.
"Big Brother, just SIT HERE!"
"Lin Feng doesn't need you to—"
"Pfft—"
Finally… Lin Qingwan broke.
"Ahahaha!"
The laughter burst out of her like champagne from a shaken bottle. Full and genuine and completely uncontainable. Her hand left her mouth, shoulders shaking freely now as the sound filled the conference room.
It echoed off the glass walls. Probably carried into the hallway beyond. The executive assistants outside definitely heard it.
Both women stopped mid-argument and stared at the current President of the Lin Group.
Lin Qingwan wiped the corner of her eye, still grinning. The presidential mask completely shattered by pure amusement.
"Please. Both of you." She gestured at the table with one hand. "We haven't even started and you're already at each other's throats."
Her eyes found Lin Feng, dancing with mischief.
"Dear brother, sit wherever you'd like."
Lin Feng looked at the seat beside Lin Qingwan. Family side. Expected. Safe.
He looked at the seat near Xiao Yue. Her side. Choosing her. Dangerous.
Both women waited. Eyes locked on him.
Nope. Not falling for this. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
But there's a third option nobody's considering.
"You know what?"
He walked toward a chair positioned far from the conference table entirely. Against the wall near the windows where afternoon light pooled on the carpet.
"I'll just sit... here."
The chair scraped slightly as he pulled it out. Leather creaked as he sat down. He crossed his arms and kept his face perfectly neutral.
"Very comfortable, thank you. I can hear everything from here just fine."
The silence that followed felt like a physical presence.
"Big Brother, what are you DOING?!" Lin Weiwei half-rose from her seat, disbelief written across her features. "This is a MEETING! You need to sit at the TABLE!"
Xiao Yue blinked once. Surprise flickering across her pale features before her expression shifted into something that looked almost like approval. She sat down smoothly on her side of the table. Perfect posture. Alone.
Lin Qingwan's shoulders started shaking again.
"Ahahaha—!"
"Oh my God! Oh my God!"
She was actually wiping tears now. The laughter came in waves, completely uncontrolled. Her silver hair shifted as she shook her head, her presidential composure obliterated by the sheer absurdity.
"No, no, let him." She waved one hand vaguely, still grinning. "If dear brother wants to sit in the corner, that's his choice."
She looked at him in his distant chair. Her smile was finally readable for once: the big sister's delight at watching chaos unfold.
"Comfortable over there?"
"Very," Lin Feng replied without inflection.
The image that settled into place was completely absurd: a presidential conference room with city skyline backdrop, expensive mahogany table reflecting afternoon light, Persian rug and leather chairs screaming corporate power.
Three women of impossible beauty positioned like chess pieces.
Lin Qingwan commanded the head of the table, silver hair catching light. Her presidential bearing had restored itself, but her smile still danced with amusement.
Lin Weiwei sat to her right—black ponytail severe, white jade skin flushed with frustration.Her arms were crossed in defeat, fury still simmering underneath.
Xiao Yue occupied the opposite side alone. Black silk hair and pale skin created an ethereal contrast. Her dark eyes were calm as deep water.
Lin Feng had removed himself from the table entirely. He sat against the wall, resigned. Like he was Switzerland incarnate.
Lin Qingwan composed herself with visible effort. Her smile shifted back toward its usual inscrutability, though traces of amusement still lingered.
"Weiwei, sit down. We're starting the meeting." A glance toward Lin Feng's corner position. "Even if dear brother has decided to... observe from a distance."
Lin Weiwei sat reluctantly. Still fuming but acknowledging the command.
Xiao Yue, on the other side, remained unruffled.
Lin Feng stayed in his corner. Safe from impossible choices.
The professional masks attempted to restore themselves over the chaos. The absurdity hung in the air like perfume that wouldn't quite dissipate.
Afternoon light slanted through the glass walls. Illuminating a battlefield that had proven its battle lines in less than a minute.
And somehow, impossibly, they were going to attempt to conduct a meeting.
-------------------
Lin Qingwan straightened in her chair.
The wall clock read 4:00 PM exactly.
The movement was subtle but unmistakable. Her silver hair caught the afternoon light as she shifted, settling into the posture that had commanded the Lin Group since she forcefully seized leadership from their father, Lin Zhentian.
The smile remained. But something changed behind it.
The playful big sister who'd been laughing moments ago faded. The President of Lin Group took her place.
"Thank you for coming, Miss Xiao." Her gaze swept briefly to Lin Feng's corner position. Amusement flickered. "And dear brother."
She placed both hands flat on the mahogany table. The gesture drew attention, centered focus.
"Now… Let's begin."
The room responded immediately. Even the quality of silence changed. No longer awkward post-laughter quiet. Now professional tension, sharp and waiting.
"I'm sure everyone understands why we're here." Lin Qingwan's voice carried measured professionalism. Each word precisely weighted. "There's been quite a bit of outside discussion today regarding my younger brother's relationships."
She paused. Let it settle.
"The entire university seems to be talking about it."
Through the glass walls, the city sprawled below them. Afternoon traffic moving like blood cells through Jiangcheng's veins. The sunlight had shifted slightly, creating new shadow patterns across the Persian rug.
"Some of that discussion has reached the company." Meaningful pause. "Our staff are... let's say… they're curious."
Lin Weiwei's fingers tightened slightly where her arms crossed. The only visible reaction.
Xiao Yue remained perfectly still. Hands folded on the table before her. Her expression steady.
Lin Feng watched from his corner, reading the subtext beneath every word.
Here it comes. The real reason for this meeting.
"I thought it appropriate to have a family discussion about recent developments." Lin Qingwan's tone stayed diplomatic and professional. "Before this becomes a larger public relations matter."
The frame settled into place.
Girlfriend evaluation wrapped in PR crisis management.
But everyone in this room knew it was more than that.
Lin Qingwan's real thoughts ran beneath the professional surface.
Surface: girlfriend evaluation, PR management.
Reality: Is she Tier 4? Tier 5? Tier 6? What does she want with my brother? Can they cooperate at all—proven answer is no. How could my dear brother benefit from this? So what now?
Regardless of which tier she came from, or whether she was either a disgraced member, or someone undergoing some sort of training…
A mere Lin family, a new tier 3 family, even at tier 4, she outranked us all by magnitudes.
Not to mention, the higher tiers like tier 5 and 6.
And god-forbid… tier 7.
Now, time to assess her risk to my little brother and me.
Time to play as the ignorant fool then.
Lin Weiwei's internal voice was simpler, sharper.
Elder Sister being soft on her.
But in reality, I believe she is trying to conduct a risk assessment on her.
So far, if I'm not wrong, she is not someone who is against any polygamousarrangements...
After all…
Lin Weiwei turned her gaze towards Xiao Yue, who happened to be deep in her own thoughts too.
"Girlfriend evaluation" frame. Convenient cover for status assessment.
Or rather… the better term is risk assessment…
She suspects I'm high-ranking. She's trying to dig anything that she can about me.
Well, I don't mind. As long as I get Lin Feng in the end, no cost is too great for me.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng watched them from his corner and like the three of them, he himself was also deep in thought.
This is not good. Qingwan—Big Sister and Weiwei, are trying to dig information about Yue.
If that happens…
Though, I think for now, that's unlikely for them to know about her real identity. If I hadn't read that damn novel many times over, I too would not easily believe that she has that rank.
But I only have a few months then to develop as Xiao Yue is about to reach 19 years old.
Not to mention, the troubles that would come her way—no—our way the moment she becomes 19.
Lin Qingwan shifted her attention fully to Xiao Yue. Her focus intensified. Her bright eyes measuring every micro-expression.
"Before we discuss family implications and how to manage public perception..."
She let the pause extend. Building weight.
"I'd like to understand your perspective on recent events."
The city noise was distant through the glass. Muffled by expensive soundproofing. Someone's phone buzzed faintly in the hallway outside—quickly silenced.
"Specifically, about what you were hoping to accomplish with such a public declaration."
The reference was unmistakable.
Lin Qingwan was referring to the video that recently went viral just hours ago.
The question beneath the question hung in the air between them.
Why make such a public scene?
What are your true intentions?
What game are you playing?
Are you threat or opportunity?
Lin Weiwei leaned forward slightly. Just a fraction. Black eyes intense, waiting for the answer.
How are you going to respond this time, stalker bitch?
Will you reveal yourself? Will you do something more conventional?
Or will you do something… outrageous.
Are you?
Xiao Yue's expression didn't change. She looked perfectly calm, her face devoid of any expressions of nervousness.
Now… it's showtime.
Lin Feng gulped, watching her response with bated breath.
Lin Qingwan waited.
Her hands remained flat on the mahogany table. Silver hair caught the shifting afternoon light. That smile stayed in place—less readable now, more of an interrogator than a big sister.
The silence stretched.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Fifteen.
The only sound was the faint hum of climate control. The distant city beyond the glass. Someone's breathing—possibly Lin Weiwei's, carefully controlled.
Xiao Yue met Lin Qingwan's eyes steadily. No looking away. No fidgeting. No nervous tells whatsoever.
Then she spoke.
"President Lin, with respect..."
Pause. Deliberate, not nervous.
"May I address a different question first?"
Lin Qingwan's eyebrow rose slightly. The first crack in her interrogation mask.
Curiosity flickered behind those sharp eyes. Genuine interest replacing some of the interrogation intensity.
"Go ahead."
Two words. Permission granted. Testing her boldness.
Xiao Yue's hands stayed folded on the table. Perfect posture. Dark eyes clear and direct.
"What are the Lin Group's current constraints in electronics manufacturing efficiency?"
The question landed like a stone dropped into still water.
She let it settle for precisely two heartbeats.
"Specifically regarding component lifespan optimization and competitive positioning against rivals in Jiangcheng City?"
Another measured pause.
"Or across Yunjiang Province?"
Final layer, expanding the scope.
"Or within the entire Northern Xia Empire?"
-------------------
[CHAPTER 42R ENDS]