Give Her a Chance to Flirt! - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

By the time Lin Jiu left the gift bag for Yu Yihan and returned home, the entire family had learned about what happened with Lin Momo.

The family gathered at the old mansion once again, but this time, Lin Momo was not allowed to participate.

The Eldest Aunt remarked with a cynical tone:

“I only heard about it from Mrs. Song after I finished shopping today. Truly, good news never leaves the house, but bad news travels a thousand miles.”

The Old Lady said solemnly, “To create such a scandalous mess… how exactly are you two parents educating her?”

“Oh, Mother, you can’t blame me for this. Look at how obedient Xiao Wu is. It just goes to show that a daughter brought back later isn’t as good as one raised from the start.”

Lin Yuan let out a heavy sigh and said, “At least it hasn’t affected our cooperation with the Yu family.”

Lin Jiu sat there cracking melon seeds while listening to them talk, even handing two handfuls to her parents.

“About the recognition banquet… maybe we should just cancel it?” Lin Yuan suggested.

“The invitations were all sent out this afternoon, you should have said so earlier,” the Eldest Aunt replied crossly. “Now we just have to bite the bullet and go through with it. It’s truly embarrassing.”

This time, the Eldest Aunt’s comment about embarrassment wasn’t just directed at Lin Momo.

Although the police intervention quickly clarified that it was a “misunderstanding,” the rumor that Lin Momo had trespassed into the Yu Group and forced Yu Yihan to call the police spread like wildfire.

Yu Yihan was a walking headline herself, and the Lin family was a prominent clan. Usually, such families save face for one another; escalating a matter to a police report was incredibly blunt and unfriendly. It was unheard of in decades, sounding almost like a fairy tale.

Many who heard it suspected it was a fabricated lie, but seeing how detailed the accounts were, they couldn’t help but ask which “Miss Lin” it was.

Upon hearing it was the illegitimate daughter and looking at the fresh, warm invitations in their hands, the credibility of the rumor shot up instantly.

One could say that before the banquet even started, Lin Momo was already famous in social circles, and the Lin family had become a laughingstock by extension.

Regarding the incident, when Lin Yuan first found out, he went to question Yu Yihan about why she did it. However, Yu Yihan’s attitude was exceptionally firm, starkly different from her usual smooth and tactful way of handling things, which made Lin Yuan feel uneasy.

The cooperation between the two families was flourishing, and the Hongran Project was bringing in massive profits. It was impossible to fall out over Lin Momo. Once Yu Yihan softened her tone slightly, Lin Yuan let the matter slide like a peacemaker.

As Lin Jiu was about to leave the mansion, a light rain began to fall.

She took a black umbrella and stood under the eaves, reaching out to catch the fine drizzle. The cool touch sliding through her fingers was indescribably pleasant.

Amidst the pitter-patter of the light rain, Lin Momo ran over from a distance.

Lin Momo’s eyes were bloodshot, and she was panting heavily:

“You can control the Lin family and Yu Yihan, but can you control everyone?”

“You and Yu Yihan ruined my reputation, but people will still like me in the future. Can you follow me and manage every single one of them? I’ll be waiting to see you become a joke.”

Across the mist as thin as smoke, Lin Jiu paused and looked down at Lin Momo’s neck.

The air was damp, and Lin Jiu’s eyelashes felt a bit heavy, as if hung with raindrops.

She raised her eyes lazily. Instead of answering the question, she offered a reminder:

“Have you noticed that your Halo has grown dimmer?”

Lin Momo instinctively took a large step back.

She touched her neck, clutching the Halo tightly with a wary expression:

“You can see it?!”

Without waiting for Lin Jiu to answer, she murmured distractedly:

“Of course… you can suppress it, so of course you can see it—but what about your ability? What do you have on you? Why can’t I see anything?”

Lin Jiu mused:

“I’m just an ordinary ‘Green Tea,’ that’s all.”

“Insulting yourself as a ‘Green Tea’ for no reason? Are you sick? Also, do you take me for a fool?”

Lin Jiu shrugged and said nothing more. She opened her black umbrella and stepped into the rain.

Lin Momo stood in place, dazed for a moment.

In the misty rain, Lin Jiu’s figure was graceful and full of charm.

She seemed perfectly in harmony with nature; even the raindrops blown under the umbrella by the wind seemed to be gently kissing her.

Under the grey sky, thunder rumbled.

Lin Momo bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if it was just the poor weather, but as she looked at her Halo again, the white light truly did seem dimmer than before.

No… it’s impossible…

Lin Momo’s mind was in disarray. A long-lost sense of helplessness and unease washed over her.

But soon, the Halo at her neck injected a surge of energy into her body. A flash of crimson crossed Lin Momo’s eyes, and a new wave of excitement and combativeness rose up.

At the recognition banquet in a week, every guest coming and going would be within her hunting range. She would make Lin Jiu understand what it means to work in vain.

Lin Momo began to laugh, unaware that her face had turned as pale as paper—so white it was somewhat terrifying.

The invitations for the recognition banquet were distributed, and the direct descendants of the Lin family began returning to Wucheng one after another. Among them, besides the family of Lin Jiu’s Second Uncle, was Lin Jiu’s biological older sister, Lin Wen.

This was the first time Lin Jiu had met this sister. In the original body’s memory, Lin Wen was only two years older than her, but she had shown qualities of being proactive, studious, hardworking, and self-reliant from a young age. She was the most diligent person in their small family.

Compared to Lin Wen, Lin Jiu and her parents were like three flat salted fish waiting to be stepped on.

Lin Wen had followed the Old Lady since childhood and went to learn tea-making as she grew older, so she had no time to cultivate a sisterly bond with the original body.

However, the original body happened to be a “sister-con”—a sister-obsessed person to a well-known degree, once making famous private statements like: “Can Yu Yihan even compare to a single strand of my sister’s hair?”

Currently, Lin Jiu sat upright on the sofa, looking at Lin Wen before her, keeping her eyes lowered and her mind focused.

She didn’t quite understand how to play a “sister-con,” so she just sat there obediently, hoping Lin Wen wouldn’t notice anything wrong.

After thinking for a bit, Lin Jiu said, “Sister, have some tea.”

In this world, if you don’t know what to say, advising someone to drink tea is never wrong.

Lin Mother said with a smile, “Xiao Wen, try it quickly. Your sister has improved lately; her tea brewing is excellent. Even the Old Lady praised her.”

Lin Wen picked up the lidded cup in front of her and took two sips.

Unlike Yu Yihan’s aggressive coldness and powerful aura, Lin Wen looked delicate, and she didn’t show much emotion. Her expression remained neutral; Lin Jiu couldn’t read anything from her face.

Lin Mother added, “Your sister has been following a project lately; she’s performing quite well.”

Lin Wen replied noncommittally, “Is that so?”

She clearly didn’t quite believe it.

Lin Jiu didn’t care much whether she believed it or not; as long as she and Lin Wen maintained their “plastic sisterhood” and stayed out of each other’s way, it was fine.

Just as she was about to find an excuse to slip away, she saw Lin Wen look at her and say:

“I heard you want to learn tea-making?”

Lin Jiu placed both hands on her knees, acting very properly: “Yes. After the matters at hand are finished, I want to go to the tea factory to learn from the master craftsmen for a while.”

The corners of Lin Wen’s mouth twitched slightly: “Fine.”

Her gaze lingered on Lin Jiu for two seconds. The sound of her setting down the tea bowl was a bit loud before she stood up and said:

“I’m going back to my room to rest.”

She looked like she didn’t really want to talk to anyone.

Lin Jiu couldn’t figure her out, but her mind was soon occupied by her unfinished plans, and she put her “cheap” sister to the back of her mind.

The week flew by, and the recognition banquet arrived.

The gates of the Lin family mansion were thrown open, and guests arrived like clouds. It was a scene of fine clothes and elegant shadows, incredibly lively.

The small garden and the living room were connected, serving as the main venue for tonight’s banquet.

As the protagonist of the night, Lin Momo appeared early at the party. She wore a smoke-pink gown with an extremely magnificent skirt. All dressed up, she looked pure and lovely with a sweet smile.

“This is Lin Momo? The Lin family truly produces beauties.”

“What’s the use of looking good? Who doesn’t know about that incident she caused? It’s embarrassing to the extreme, yet she’s still flaunting herself there.”

“If we’re talking about beauty, the sisters from the third branch are the best. Especially Lin Jiu—I’ve noticed she’s really blossomed lately, hasn’t she? She’s even surpassed her sister.”

The person speaking was bumped on the shoulder. Turning around, they saw Lin Wu standing nearby.

The fact that Lin Wu and Lin Jiu didn’t get along was something everyone had heard of. At this moment, the expressions of the group were a bit awkward, but to their surprise, Lin Wu nodded in deep agreement and enthusiastically joined the chat:

“Isn’t she? My little cousin is beautiful and kind-hearted; ordinary people can’t compare.”

“…”

What could they say? They could only agree, while inwardly wondering if Lin Wu simply hated Lin Momo so much that she flipped sides.

However, it seemed the relationship between Lin Wu and Lin Jiu had actually turned for the better? That was another novelty.

Soon, someone changed the subject, whispering:

“Speaking of which, she’s the star tonight. I wonder if President Yu will show up?”

The guests exchanged looks of anticipation. Although they didn’t say it out loud, they all felt that after the previous incident, Yu Yihan wouldn’t come.

Lin Wu looked around for Lin Jiu, feeling for some reason that Lin Jiu would know the answer to this question.

But Lin Jiu was not in the living room.

Guests in formal wear entered through the arched flower trellis and walked along the garden path. Lin Jiu was waiting by the guest registration desk beside the path.

She wore a pure white gown with a high-end cut. The fabric was smooth and form-fitting, outlining her exquisite figure. She seemed to merge with her cool, white skin—glowing and moist like moonlight, with a natural elegance.

Anyone passing by couldn’t help but steal several glances at her, their eyes filled with amazement.

Lin Jiu smiled and nodded to them, fulfilling her duties as a host. But no one was an exception; those sparkling eyes would lift slightly and quickly move on to the next person.

Many young, handsome men who wanted to strike up a conversation stopped their steps in regret.

One gentleman stood nearby for a long time, unwilling to leave. Seeing the banquet was about to start and only a few straggling guests were entering, he hesitated. After straightening his bowtie, he took a step toward the beauty not far away.

However, he saw Lin Jiu—who had maintained a faint smile and a poised stance throughout—lean her body forward as if she had finally seen the person she was most looking forward to.

Her eyes suddenly brightened significantly. That indescribable, light joy found only in a young woman’s posture was incredibly moving. The gentleman couldn’t help but follow her gaze, curiously searching for the thing that made her so happy.

From his perspective, beneath the vibrant flower trellis, from the shadows of blossoms and moonlight, a “black swan” glided forward, breaking into the mortal world.

In the daytime mall, she would hide her aura and intentions behind smooth tactics.

But here, in the night, her pure black gown was like a cloak made of the deep dark. With a faint lift of her eyes, she made her pride and brilliance clear to all.

The gentleman couldn’t help but sigh. He had once heard people joke that Yu Yihan didn’t need tactics to conquer people; her high heels were enough. He had thought it was an exaggeration—business is a battlefield, how could it be so frivolous?

Only tonight did he realize it was because he had never seen Yu Yihan when she wasn’t restraining her radiance.

But… his gaze shifted between Lin Jiu and Yu Yihan. A bitter smile appeared on his face; he knew he didn’t stand a chance.

Regardless of which one he was interested in.

“Yu Yihan.”

Lin Jiu called out, appearing before Yu Yihan at the same time.

Without waiting for Yu Yihan to reply, she waved to a waiter behind her.

The waiter stepped forward and bowed slightly, presenting the item in his hand.

“Here,” Lin Jiu signaled. “Remember what I said that day at the company? This is prepared for you.”

It was also prepared for Lin Momo.