Chapter 22: Lin Keqing's Emotions Are Complicated, Su Wanqing's Thoughts!
[Location: Modu – Lin Family Residence]
The city lights of Magic City flickered like distant stars, indifferent to the weariness of the souls below.
After working overtime for a day and a night, Lin Keqing returned home, dragging her exhausted body through the front door. The silence of the late hour was heavy, amplifying the sound of her own ragged breathing.
At the entrance, she didn't even have the energy to turn on the lights. She leaned against the wall, lowered her head, and kicked off her high heels. She rubbed her beautiful feet, clad in sheer black stockings, trying to relieve the soreness that radiated up her calves.
"Another day..." she whispered to the empty hallway.
Lin Keqing sighed softly, her watery peach blossom eyes filled with complex emotions.
Five years ago, the Magic City Ye Family, who had a marriage alliance with her, went bankrupt and collapsed under the wrath of the Yanxia Shen Family. It was a calamity that shook the city.
The Ye Family Patriarch, in desperation, set everything ablaze, burning the family estate to the ground.
Even the Lin Family was affected to some extent. The business suffered, connections were severed, and the family's status plummeted.
She gained many bad reputations: a widow by association, a jinx, a harbinger of bad luck...
Not only outsiders whispered this behind their fans, but even her own family members did. Her aunts, her cousins—they all looked at her with eyes full of blame, as if she had personally lit the match.
Lin Keqing didn't want to endure the gossip of her so-called family at home. She couldn't breathe in that suffocating atmosphere of resentment.
Later, she used her personal savings to start a fashion design company. Her exceptional artistic talent and keen sense of style allowed her company to develop quite well, gaining some renown in the industry. It was her sanctuary, her proof of worth.
She usually slept at the company, treating it as her home. A cold office was better than a warm home filled with cold hearts.
However, sometimes she would return home. Duty, or perhaps a foolish hope for connection, drew her back.
But she would often be subjected to the ridicule of her family. "Here comes the jinx," they would whisper. "Still unmarried? Who would want a widow?"
Tonight, she expected the same. She braced herself for the snide comments about coming home late, about her "useless" business.
However, just at this moment, the living room lights blazed on. A group of people rushed out of the room, their footsteps thundering on the floor.
Lin Keqing's parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, granduncles, grandaunts, and various other relatives surged out like a tide.
Lin Keqing's vibrant and charming face instantly paled. She took a step back, her hand gripping the doorframe.
She thought to herself, With so many people... are they going to hold a family meeting to criticize me again? Is the company failing? Did I do something wrong? It's so uncomfortable… I just want to sleep.
However, it was different from what she had imagined. The faces rushing towards her weren't twisted in scowls; they were beaming with smiles so bright they looked almost manic.
Lin Keqing's mother took her hand, her grip warm and strangely desperate.
"Keqing, you must be tired, right? Oh, my poor girl! Come on, come in! I've prepared your favorite dishes—Sweet and Sour Ribs, Steamed Fish—made by your mother herself! They're still hot!"
Lin Keqing's father also walked up, patting her shoulder with a gentleness she hadn't felt in years.
"Keqing, don't work too hard. The company isn't as important as you. It's important to take good care of your health."
The other relatives were also extremely attentive and enthusiastic, completely surrounding Lin Keqing as they ushered her into the room.
"Cousin, let me take your bag!"
"Keqing, sit here, this is the most comfortable spot!"
"Auntie, get her some tea! The good tea!"
Lin Keqing was completely bewildered. She sat on the sofa, blinking rapidly. What on earth was happening? Had she walked into a parallel universe?
Was she dreaming? Or had they all gone mad?
Her cousin, a girl who usually made fun of Lin Keqing's "old-fashioned" designs, sat next to her with a face full of envy and jealousy.
"Sister Keqing... you've met Young Master Shen, right? Is he as handsome and powerful as the rumors say?"
Lin Keqing froze. The name struck her like a physical blow. Young Master Shen.
So that was it.
She looked surprised, but didn't think much of it, and said honestly:
"Yes. Handsome... very handsome! Like a god carved from jade."
"Powerful… also very powerful! Terrifyingly so."
As if remembering something—a dominant hand on her waist, a whisper in her ear, the feeling of absolute surrender—Lin Keqing slightly twisted her waist on the sofa, her charming face blushing slightly.
The room fell silent, everyone hanging on her every word.
Immediately, Lin Keqing took a deep breath and asked the crowd, her voice steady:
"I know what you are concerned about. You're worried about the Shen Family's retaliation, about the past."
"Young Master Shen promised me that he would protect the Lin Family. He said the past is the past. Don't worry, the previous storm has passed! We are safe."
She expected relief. She expected gratitude.
However, upon hearing this, the Lin Family members seemed unsurprised, as if they had already known. Their smiles didn't waver; they just grew wider, greedier.
Lin Keqing's mother held Lin Keqing's hand tighter, leaning in with an earnest, almost frantic expression.
"Keqing, Young Master Shen is such a good man. You must make him happy. You must seize this opportunity!"
"Men, you know, can't control their mouths; they're prone to cheating. Especially powerful men. Not to mention a top-tier man like Young Master Shen, who knows how many young women and girls will throw themselves at him? You have competition!"
"Even if he philanders outside, you must be mentally prepared! Don't be jealous, don't make a scene. Instead, be more considerate! Be the safe harbor he returns to!"
"Preferably... get pregnant early and have a child; only then can you truly tie down a man. A child is the golden ticket!"
Listening to these words, Lin Keqing was utterly bewildered and confused. Her mother, who usually told her to be independent, was now coaching her on how to be a concubine?
Seeing this, her cousin recounted all the online rumors, the matter between Young Master Shen and Magic City Renxin Hall Pharmaceutical Company, the "Hundred Billion Female President" Qin Ningbing.
"Sister Keqing, look at this! Qin Ningbing is now worth hundreds of billions because of him!"
"I think you are much more beautiful and feminine than that so-called beautiful CEO Qin Ningbing. She's too cold. Men like softness! Go for it, capture Young Master Shen's heart, and our Lin Family will prosper! We could be the next Renxin Hall!"
Everyone around them also offered Lin Keqing advice on how to win over a man, treating her like a prize horse they were betting on.
Lin Keqing couldn't help but laugh and cry upon hearing these words. The hypocrisy was suffocating.
She shook her head and said calmly with her beautiful eyes, a hint of sadness in her voice:
"Young Master Shen and I... we merely had a transaction. It was business. It's already over."
"From now on, there will be no more dealings! Don't get your hopes up."
Although her family looked at her differently because of Shen Anyu, which made her happy and emotional in a twisted way, she wasn't delusional. She didn't think a man like Shen Anyu—a dragon among men—would focus his attention on just one woman.
That one day and two nights had already come to a perfect conclusion. It was a beautiful dream, but she had woken up.
She wasn't surprised that Shen Anyu and Qin Ningbing were together. It made sense. Power attracted power.
However, as soon as she thought of this, a hint of wistfulness and resentment appeared in Lin Keqing's beautiful eyes. Why does it still hurt?
However, upon hearing this, Lin Keqing's cousin said sourly:
"Sister Keqing, stop joking! Transaction? Who gives gifts like this for a 'transaction'?"
"Look at these things!"
Saying this, she opened more than a dozen boxes piled in the corner of the room.
Click. Snap. Flash.
Inside were top-grade jade bracelets that glowed with inner light, rubies the size of pigeon eggs, emerald necklaces, fashionable luxury goods from Paris and Milan, and various other gifts.
They were all glittering with jewels, worth at least several hundred million Yuan!
Lin Keqing widened her beautiful eyes and exclaimed in surprise:
"Did... did Young Master Shen send these?"
Lin Keqing's cousin nodded, full of envy and jealousy. "They arrived an hour ago. The delivery men were wearing Shen Family uniforms!"
And that wasn't all!
Lin Keqing's father stood up, clearing his throat. He spoke with a beaming smile, looking at his daughter with new respect.
"Also, I hereby announce that you, Keqing, will take charge as the Lin Family Patriarch! From today onwards, you are the head of this house."
"The control of the Lin Family Group will be completely transferred into your hands. The board has already agreed."
"This is also Young Master Shen's instruction! He said the Lin Family needs 'new blood'."
"However, all of us in the Lin Family wholeheartedly agree! We believe that under your leadership, Keqing, the Lin Family Group will soar!"
"Keqing, Young Master Shen is truly too good to you. You must go and thank him in person later! Don't let this connection fade!"
With the precedent of Renxin Hall Pharmaceutical Company soaring to the heavens, how could the Lin Family not be envious? They saw a golden ladder, and Lin Keqing was the first rung.
Lin Keqing bit her lip, her emotions complex. Gratitude, shame, vindication, and a deep, throbbing ache in her heart.
He hadn't forgotten her. He had protected her, elevated her, and silenced her critics.
Her beautiful eyes welled up with tears.
[Ding! Detected Destiny Value +6 from destined heroine Lin Keqing! Plundering +18,000 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Detected total Destiny Value of 82 from destined heroine Lin Keqing! Plundering +30,000 Destiny Points!]
[Location: Jinxiuming Tea – Chairwoman's Office]
The scent of high-quality tea leaves filled the elegant office.
The Chairwoman, Su Wanqing, sat behind her mahogany desk. She listened to her female secretary's excited chatter about the latest gossip, smiled, and shook her head gracefully.
"The Yanxia Shen Family, a millennium-old aristocratic family, top-tier nobility, unparalleled handsomeness—he truly deserves to be called the nation's idol!"
"No wonder you young girls are so fond and admiring. It's a modern-day fairy tale."
"However, I'm older now and I've learned to be open-minded. I know the reality behind the glitter. Around a man like that, who knows how many women there are? He might be a dream, but he might not be a good match for a peaceful life."
The female secretary flattered with a smile:
"Chairwoman, you are too humble! Which young girl can compare to you?"
She looked at Su Wanqing with genuine admiration. Su Wanqing's mature and beautiful delicate face was devoid of wrinkles, her skin as smooth and tender as a peeled boiled egg. Her figure was fuller, more womanly than the younger girls, exuding a ripe charm that was intoxicating.
"If you stood next to him, people would think you were his sister!"
Ding-a-ling!
Just then, Su Wanqing's private phone rang. Seeing the caller ID was her daughter, Su Hongmian, she smiled and answered the call.
The female secretary discreetly exited the Chairwoman's office and closed the door, leaving Su Wanqing alone.
"Mianmian, are you also calling to tell me about that Young Master Shen?" Su Wanqing teased gently. "The whole city is talking about him."
"An'yu is a good child; don't let him down just because there's a new idol in town."
Su Wanqing said teasingly. As for "Shen An," the boy her daughter brought home, she hadn't associated him with the name "Young Master Shen."
Why would she? The rumored Young Master Shen was extremely strong, domineering, and ruthless—a tyrant who crushed companies for fun.
However, Shen An was gentle, graceful, approachable, and cooked like a Michelin chef. He was a perfect gentleman. They were polar opposites.
"Hmph! Mom, stop it! I don't care about any Young Master Shen!"
On the other end of the phone, Su Hongmian's proud, tsundere voice came through. "He's just a rich show-off. Shen Anyu is better!"
Then, Su Hongmian recounted the day's events—how Shen Anyu had picked her up, taken her shopping, and most importantly, how he had taught her Yanxia martial arts in the private dojo.
"Mom, it was amazing! I could feel the heat inside me! It's real Internal Energy!"
Su Wanqing's expression changed instantly. The teasing smile vanished.
"Internal Energy?"
After a long while, prompted by Su Hongmian's concerned questions on the other end of the phone ("Mom? Are you there?"), she recovered and said, her voice serious:
"An'yu is truly sincere towards you, Mianmian. This true martial arts technique... it is very precious. It is a secret that families kill to protect. You should also treat him well and not be spoiled. Do not take this for granted."
"Alright, I have something else to do, so I'll hang up now."
After hanging up the phone, Su Wanqing's expression was somewhat heavy. She walked to the window, looking out at the Magic City skyline.
"True martial arts? Is Shen Anyu also from that world? The world of the Hidden Sects?"
"I wonder if Mianmian being with him is good or bad..."
As if remembering something from her own past, a hint of fear appeared in Su Wanqing's usually calm and elegant beautiful eyes.
[Location: Magic City Detention Center]
The commotion caused by Young Master Shen made the entire internet boil, and even the isolated world of the detention center was stirred up.
"Did you hear? The Young Master of the Shen Family is in town!"
"Who cares? We're stuck in here."
"You don't understand! He just bought Renxin Hall! The female CEO is his girlfriend now!"
The whispers traveled through the bars, eventually reaching the ears of a man huddled in the corner of his cell, trembling in the shadow of a giant.
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]