"You'll have to take over the Lin family business sooner or later. I'll start by teaching you how to deal with businesspeople."
"Get some rest first. I'll pick you up tonight." Murong Qingcheng finished speaking, then turned and left with the other two women.
Lin Chen rubbed his nose thoughtfully. He couldn't shake the feeling that these three weren't here for love—it felt more like they were ticking off tasks on a checklist.
He spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with his grandfather. Before he knew it, evening had arrived. Seeing it was time, Old Master Lin walked Lin Chen to the manor gate, where Murong Qingcheng was already waiting.
"Grandfather, stay home and take care. I'll be back soon."
With that, Lin Chen got into the car. The engine roared as Murong Qingcheng accelerated away.
Inside the car, Murong Qingcheng kept her eyes on the road, though her gaze occasionally drifted toward Lin Chen. From now on, this man is my husband. Is this really who I'll spend my life with?
He was undeniably handsome, but he was still a spoiled heir who'd drunkenly run someone over. She couldn't fathom why their master had chosen him.
But since it was their master's command, and she owed him everything—even her life—she'd obey. Fine. If it comes to it, I'll treat him like a trophy husband. Keeping the Lin bloodline alive will be my way of repaying Master.
Breaking the silence, she spoke softly but firmly: "At the banquet tonight, follow my lead. Watch and learn—don't speak unless you have to."
"If you want to rebuild the Lin family, you need to learn. The sooner, the better."
Lin Chen nodded. "Understood, Miss Murong. I'll follow your lead."
Murong Qingcheng frowned slightly, then after a pause, corrected him: "I'm your wife. No need for such formality."
A playful smile touched Lin Chen's lips. "Got it, First Wife."
Murong Qingcheng stiffened, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Hearing him call her "wife" felt… strange. She opened her mouth to respond but ultimately stayed silent.
Seizing the moment, Lin Chen grinned. "Well then… Gu Ruohan will be Second Wife, and Ye Zining, Third Wife."
Murong Qingcheng's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "You'll need to be patient with Ruohan and Zining. They're younger… still naive about certain things."
Lin Chen turned, his eyes gleaming with interest. "And what about you?"
She bit her lower lip, choosing her words carefully. "I… will do what needs to be done."
Murong Qingcheng pulled up to a palatial estate, grander and more opulent than the Lin family's own manor.
"I need to park. Wait for me here—and don'tspeak to anyone."
She drove off, leaving Lin Chen at the entrance.
He watched her car disappear, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Announcing she'd marry me publicly must've cost her. I need to find a way to repay her…
"Well, well! If it isn't the Young Master Lin!"
A sneering voice cut through his thoughts. "What brings youhere? Slumming it?"
A heavyset young man in an ill-fitting black suit swaggered over, malice gleaming in his eyes. Lin Chen recognized him instantly: Liang Zhu, third son of the Liang family.
"Liang Zhu?" Lin Chen hadn't expected to run into one of his former lackeys here.
"Five years in prison, and you still remember my name? Touching." Liang Zhu's smile was venomous. "With the Lin family nearly wiped out, I'm surprised you've got the stomach for partying. Oh wait—" He feigned realization. "Right! Liu Ruyan dumped you, and now you're leeching off Murong Qingcheng! She dragged you here, didn't she?"
The Liang family had long been overshadowed by the Lins. Liang Zhu himself had once groveled before Lin Chen, enduring insults and humiliation without complaint. Now, with the tables turned, he relished the chance to crush the fallen heir.
"If I live off my wife," Lin Chen shot back coolly, "what's it to you, fatso?"
Liang Zhu's face darkened like storm clouds. "You worthless trash! Do you really think someone like youdeserves Murong Qingcheng? What canyou even do?"
"What can I do?" Lin Chen smiled faintly. "I picked up quite a few skills in prison. Fortune-telling, for one. I'm actually pretty good at it." His Taoist master's divination arts were unparalleled—though wasting them on scum like Liang Zhu felt like sacrilege. Altering fate came at a cost.
"Oh? Learned to tell fortunes in the slammer? Go on then—tell me when I'llmarry Murong Qingcheng!" Liang Zhu jeered.
"Let's start with today." Lin Chen tapped his fingers rapidly, murmuring under his breath. Suddenly, he clicked his tongue. "Ooh… not good. Liang Zhu, you've got a blood disastercoming!" He pointed at Liang Zhu's face. "Governed by the Fire element—it'll hit you right in the nose!"
Liang Zhu snorted. "Bullsh—"
THUD!
Before he could finish, Lin Chen's fist connected squarely with his nose.
"AAAAARGH!" Liang Zhu shrieked, clutching his face as blood gushed from his nostrils. "You bastard! Guards! Get him! KILL HIM!"
Lin Chen ignored the bodyguards rushing toward him, grinning at the bleeding Liang Zhu. "See? Told you I was accurate."
Liang Zhu trembled with rage. "I said KILL HIM!"
Just as the guards closed in, a woman's voice rang out:
"Enough, Young Master Liang. Give me some face—let this go."
Liu Ruyan sauntered over, hips swaying. "I didjust break off our engagement. If I stand by and watch, people might call me heartless."
She looked down at Lin Chen, savoring the feeling of playing the magnanimous savior. Especially toward the once-untouchable Young Master Lin.
Liang Zhu, still pinching his nose, opened his mouth to protest—but Lin Chen cut him off.
"Who the hell are you?" Lin Chen's voice was icy with contempt. "My business is none of your concern!"
Liu Ruyan's face twisted. How dare this trash speak to me like that!
"Don't waste your anger on garbage, Ruyan." A smooth voice intervened. A man in a pristine white suit stepped beside her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder—Dou Qiankun, heir to the Dou family, Yan City's second-richest clan. Lin Chen recognized him instantly; their rivalry ran deep.
"Well, well," Lin Chen smirked. "Turns out the Dou family has a taste for other men's cast-offs!"
Dou Qiankun froze. His mother—a socialite passed between men before finally being "taken in" by the Dou family head—was his deepest shame.
"Lin Chen!" Dou Qiankun's voice trembled with suppressed fury. "You think you're still the heir of Yan City's top family? Five years ago, I might've swallowed that insult. But now? With your family gone? Today, I'll shatter that delusion of yours once and for all!"