Chapter 23: Shixuan Pays a Visit

"Thank you, Uncle Lin. I hope it’s not too much trouble for you during this time," Ling Shixuan said gratefully to Lin Chuanzi. No matter how Lin Feng acted, at least the old man seemed to like her; his willingness to let her stay proved there was still hope, and that the Lin family was willing to step in. Poor girl, she had no idea that all of this was actually Lin Feng’s idea.

"Ah, so Shixuan will be staying with us for a while?" Liu Runli asked Lin Chuanzi in surprise.

"Yes, that’s right! So after you finish eating, have someone tidy up the guest room," Lin Chuanzi said with a meaningful glance at Liu Runli.

"Oh, I see. I’ll have someone take care of it. Shixuan, treat this as your own home. If you need anything, just let me know and I’ll handle it for you," Liu Runli said warmly to Ling Shixuan.

"Thank you, Aunt Liu. I won’t stand on ceremony—if I need anything, I’ll let you know," Ling Shixuan replied, her eyes reddening. In this moment, she was genuinely moved. Her own parents had tried again and again to marry her off to someone she didn’t like, and in Zhanhai City, no one else was willing to help her. The Lin family’s willingness to take her in and spare her from ending up destitute on the streets made her feel both grateful and on the verge of tears. She envied Lin Feng for having such open-minded parents, and for just a moment, she had the wild thought of marrying into the Lin family herself—but when she glanced over and saw Lin Feng still devouring his food, the idea vanished instantly.

After dinner, Lin Feng went back to his room early to deal with company business, while Ling Shixuan had her luggage delivered from the hotel to the Lin family villa, and was now arranging her new room. In the living room, Liu Runli, seeing that Ling Shixuan had gone upstairs, immediately turned to Lin Chuanzi and asked, "Chuanzi, why have you suddenly let Shixuan stay here? If word gets out, how will she ever get married? Or do you have your eye on her, hoping to cement this engagement?"

"Cement it? Honestly, I would have considered it before, but with Feng’er’s current situation, do you think it’s still necessary? Our Feng’er alone is worth more than a hundred Ling Shixuans. Back then, I entertained the thought because Feng’er was unambitious, and I’d eventually need an heir for my company, so I thought of her. But now, my company is nothing compared to Lin Feng’s Future Tech; he wouldn’t even look at it," Lin Chuanzi said with a self-deprecating smile.

"Sigh, don’t say that—your company is already excellent. But Feng’er is a rare talent! Yes, that’s exactly what people are saying out there. Who could have thought he’d create such an impressive company just like that? I still can’t quite believe how exceptional our Feng’er is! But if you’re no longer interested in Shixuan as a daughter-in-law, why keep her here?" Liu Runli asked curiously.

"Let’s just say, it’s a bit of gossip. Recently, the third generation of the Wang family from Yanjing has been in Zhanhai City and has set his sights on Shixuan. The Wang family has pressured the Ling family, and Ling Weihua couldn’t resist, agreeing to marry Shixuan into their family. But that third-generation son from the Wang family is no good!" Lin Chuanzi explained simply. Although he’d long left Yanjing, he’d come from a prominent family and still paid close attention to news from there, especially about the third generation of major families.

"Sigh, it’s sad for women born into such powerful families. They can never escape being sacrificed for political marriages. If they’re lucky, they marry good men, but if not, their lives are ruined," Liu Runli sighed.

"Exactly. That girl from the Ling family doesn’t want this, so she’s been fighting with her family. Now she’s out of money and has nowhere to go, so I took her in. It wouldn’t feel right to make a young girl beg us for shelter," Lin Chuanzi said again. The real reason, of course, was that Lin Feng wanted to use Ling Shixuan as a way to test the Wang family, but he couldn’t tell Liu Runli that. He didn’t want her to know about Lin Feng’s involvement in dangerous schemes and power struggles; in her eyes, Lin Feng should always remain a positive figure, so Lin Chuanzi would bear the brunt of being the "bad guy" himself, a testament to his careful thought.

"You did the right thing, Chuanzi, but by taking her in, aren’t we setting ourselves against the Wang family?" Liu Runli asked, worried.

"Heh, so what if we are? The Wang family never had good intentions anyway. Do you think their third generation came to Zhanhai for nothing? They’ve also set their sights on Feng’er’s company, though they haven’t acted yet. According to Feng’er, offending the Lin family is one thing, offending the Wang family is another. If we’re not afraid of such a powerful family as the Lin family, why should we fear a second-tier Wang family?" Lin Chuanzi replied, uncharacteristically bold.

"Yes, that’s true. But as a mother, I can’t help but worry. Sometimes I really envy ordinary people—they don’t have so many twists and turns, or so many troubles," Liu Runli sighed once more.

"Every way of life has its own rhythm. Whether it’s ordinary or not, this is what life is. Besides, do you really think our Feng’er can ever be an ordinary person? You need to have faith in your son—he’s grown up now," Lin Chuanzi said, gently reassuring her.

...

During this period, with Ling Shixuan staying at the Lin family villa, Lin Feng hadn’t been to the office, working from home instead and spending all his spare time diligently practicing the Emperor’s Art. He had already instructed Zhao Ze to tighten control over the Longteng Gang, making sure they didn’t get into any trouble, and ordered Zhao Ze to select one hundred members around twenty years old with some skill, preparing to form a new special team. He also told Suzaku to intensify intelligence gathering around Zhanhai City, ensuring that any unfamiliar or suspicious people entering the city would be closely monitored.

Meanwhile, Future Tech was steadily hitting its stride, with sales long surpassing one million units. With Xia Ruoxi overseeing things, Lin Feng felt much more at ease. That day, after finishing his work in the bedroom, Lin Feng gazed out at the peaceful scene outside the window and couldn’t help but muse to Mo Tian, "Is this the calm before the storm?"

"You could say that. When the storm passes, if you make it through, you’ll really be famous," Mo Tian replied cheerfully at his side.

"Easy for you to say. Who knows if I’ll even make it through," Lin Feng said with some worry.

"Don’t worry! Worst case, we just release the source code and head abroad, find some chaotic country and become kings of the mountain," Mo Tian joked.

"Seriously? Kings of the mountain? Stop letting those unhealthy ideas from your world rub off on us," Lin Feng replied, speechless at Mo Tian’s words.

"Haha, I think it’s great. Different dimensions and planets have their own cultures. Learning something new is always interesting to me," Mo Tian continued, laughing.

While Lin Feng and Mo Tian chatted happily, the atmosphere inside the Ling family villa in Zhanhai City was tense.

"Master Ling, what about the matter you promised me? Where is she now? I’ve heard that Ling Shixuan has been staying at the Lin family villa for days. Why is that? You agreed to the marriage alliance with our Wang family, so why is my fiancée living in the Lin family’s house, and still staying there?" Wang Man thundered at Ling Weihua.

"Young Master Wang, there’s nothing I can do. Shixuan is just a stubborn child and ran off. I even cut off her finances, thinking she’d give in and come home, but I never expected her to get in touch with Lin Feng from the Lin family," Ling Weihua explained, playing the supplicant to the furious young man.

"What do you mean, ‘got in touch’ with Lin Feng? Didn’t they have an engagement before? That was something you promised, wasn’t it? Could it be that now she’s staying at their house, she’s already done something to disgrace the family?" Wang Man threatened, his tone disapproving.

"Oh no, never! Rest assured, Young Master Wang, our Shixuan knows what’s right. She would never do anything to bring shame to our family," Ling Weihua hurriedly explained, frightened by Wang Man’s insinuation.

"Hah! She’s already living in their house—how innocent could she still be?" Wang Man sneered. In truth, he only thought Ling Shixuan was pretty and wanted to amuse himself with her; he never really intended to marry her. Now, with her running to the Lin family, he had the perfect excuse to make a scene.

"I don’t care about any of that. Now that my fiancée is living in the Lin family villa, shouldn’t you, Master Ling, come with me to demand an explanation?" Wang Man continued, still dissatisfied.

"Ah, Young Master Wang, I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for me to go..." Ling Weihua stammered uneasily at the suggestion of visiting the Lin family.

"What do you mean, ‘not appropriate’? Or are you saying you’re unwilling to accompany me? Is my Wang family’s name not enough for you, or do I need to bring my grandfather over?" Wang Man threatened.

"No, no, Young Master Wang, please don’t misunderstand! Of course I’ll go with you," Ling Weihua replied hastily, nodding to agree.

"Good, that’s what I wanted to hear. Let’s go right now!" With that, Wang Man ordered Ling Weihua to lead the way, and the group headed straight for the Lin family villa in an aggressive procession.

At the Lin family villa, Lin Chuanzi and Liu Runli were chatting about home life. With both Lin Feng and Ling Shixuan staying at the villa, Lin Chuanzi had been spending more time at home than usual; in the past, he would have been at the office. Lin Feng’s transformation filled him with comfort—before, he’d avoided being at home because Lin Feng’s aimless existence only irritated him.

As they were enjoying their conversation, the butler suddenly announced that Ling Weihua had arrived. Lin Chuanzi immediately got up to greet him.

He ushered Ling Weihua and his entourage into the living room and, after seating everyone, asked, "Brother Weihua, it’s been a while. What brings you here today?"

"Sigh, it’s all because of my daughter’s mischief. I’m here to take her home and stop troubling you," Ling Weihua replied helplessly.

"Oh, it’s no trouble at all. She’s actually brought a lot of joy to our house. We should be thanking her! Sit down, I’ll have someone call her down. Shixuan is in her room," Lin Chuanzi said with a smile. This was no mere formality—since Ling Shixuan’s arrival, the house had been filled with laughter.

"Uncle Lin, there’s no need to send for me—I’m here!" Ling Shixuan called from upstairs, clearly having been listening to the commotion below.

"Father, you should go back. I’m doing just fine here. When you come to your senses and stop trying to marry me off, then I’ll come home," Ling Shixuan said indignantly to Ling Weihua.