Old Master Lin didn’t give them a chance to complain and continued in a stern voice.
"Lin Sunji will be removed from the heir competition from now on. As for your father, I will remove him from the ShangLi Ra project and pass it on to Lin Ginxian."
’This will also serve as compensation for that child.’ Old Master Lin silently added.
Lin Sunji and Lin Ruo paled, both crying out in shock.
"Grandpa!"
"Father!"
Li Mei staggered with a pale face and wide eyes.
Lin Sunji cried, "Grandpa, it’s not me! I only told her to meet Richard. What happened next is Lin Xiaoni’s own doing!" Lin Sunji’s tearful face turned to Lin Xiaoni, who also seemed shocked by the announcement.
She grasped her hand and pulled it, "Tell them! It’s not me! You’re the one who drugged him!"
Lin Xiaoni’s head was muddled. It wasn’t her who drugged Richard. If it wasn’t her, then it must be Lin Sunji. However, seeing her crying madly and begging her, Lin Xiaoni didn’t know anymore.
But she was scared of being implicated by the heavy punishment and ruthlessly pried off Lin Sunji’s hands. "It’s you! You’re the one who told me to confess my feelings to Richard that night. You said it was my only chance!"
Lin Sunji stomped her feet in anger and frustration, "Why are you doing this to me?! Why are you putting the blame on me!"
Lin Xiaoni was startled. She felt wronged and overwhelmed by the situation. She backed down and suddenly cried, running back to her mother’s arms.
The fourth branch suddenly received such a harsh punishment. Stripping away Lin Sunji’s right to compete for the heir position was the same as cutting off all support from Old Master Lin. The heir lessons and privileges that only those with the right to compete had were taken away from Lin Sunji.
From now on, Lin Sunji could no longer participate in any major family decisions. The fourth branch suddenly lost many privileges, and their status in the family plummeted. If not for Lin Sanju, the only heir candidate remaining in the fourth branch, their entire family would have been told to leave the main mansion and incorporate themselves with the other side branches in other cities.
Old Master Lin coldly watched the fourth branch as they begged and pleaded for another chance. His heart felt heavy, especially since he knew the truth. But he had to pretend that he did not see it and let things flow.
This served as justice for that child. Since he couldn’t make the Simon family pay, he could only compensate Bei Sangyun in this way.
As for the fourth branch, they weren’t entirely wronged. They had involvement in this matter, and Lin Sanju’s continuous mistakes served as the driving decision to deprive her of the heir position.
After all, the fate of the Lin family could not be left in the hands of someone foolish and impulsive.
....
Maid Ye Zhai heard everything from the servants who were present during the dramatic confrontation and was equally dumbfounded, much like the other witnesses.
Taking a sharp breath, Maid Ye Zhai realized that the Young Miss had become truly formidable. In just two days since her return, she had swiftly removed a candidate without arousing any suspicion. She did it so cleanly without raising her hand.
An heir candidate losing her right to compete was a significant development. This would undoubtedly change the flow of the competition now that one candidate had been eliminated.
Maid Ye Zhai could foresee a shift in the power dynamics within the family. The competition would intensify with one less candidate in the running.
Contemplating how the Young Miss would handle the situation moving forward, Maid Ye Zhai wondered if she should actively support her in this power struggle.
However, a sudden realization struck her, and she shook her head. It seemed too risky, not worth the potential consequences. Remaining passive, as always, seemed to be the safer option.
Though she felt a momentary surge of excitement, Maid Ye Zhai quickly quelled it. Glancing at Bei Sangyun, who was calmly brushing her hair and humming a tune, Maid Ye Zhai’s feelings became more complex.
Bei Sangyun caught her glance through the mirror and asked, "So, how is it?"
Understanding the implied question, Maid Ye Zhai recounted the information she had gathered from the servants.
Bei Sangyun chuckled suddenly. "What a ruthless old man. He clearly knows the truth but chooses to hide it. He wants to be impartial and make everyone honest, but his actions are very contradictory."
Shaking her head, Bei Sangyun remarked, "Habits are difficult to die."
Despite the old man’s desire to change for the sake of the family, he struggled to alter his methods and ways. If he had let go of his greed and sought justice for Bei Sangyun instead of agreeing to marry her off to that pervert, the outcome might have been different.
Bei Sangyun had given the recording to him with a small hope of providing the Lin family with a second chance.
Among the people in the world, she was chosen to be given a second chance and went back in time.
Even though she wasn’t a good person and her heart was black, she acknowledged that there were many others in the world who deserved a second chance more than her. Yet, she had been granted this opportunity.
She felt a sense of gratitude and a genuine desire to change for the better.
This newfound perspective led her to exercise patience with Lin Sunji, providing warnings multiple times. If it was her in the past, Lin Sunji must have suffered a lot now with no hope of recovering. But she tolerated her to the extent she could bear.
Similarly, she extended her tolerance to the old man and other members of the Lin family. While attempting to tolerate Lin Ginxian, proved to be a challenging endeavor. Some individuals, Bei Sangyun believed, needed to experience a harsh lesson before they became truly open for change.