Bei Sangyun arrived in her room. The furniture and settings were identical to Fei Chuan’s room, but the atmosphere was different.
Bei Sangyun tilted her head, trying to identify the elusive difference. All she knew was that coming to Fei Chuan’s place had been a wise decision. Not only had her mood improved, but her wound had also been tended to.
Fortunately, she had chosen to wait for him earlier.
Not feeling hungry anymore, Bei Sangyun decided to take a quick bath. Although it was supposed to be swift, it still took her considerable effort and time. After all, she didn’t want to remove the bandage that Fei Chuan had painstakingly applied. She followed his advice and covered it with plastic.
Just after changing into fresh clothes, the doorbell rang.
She hadn’t expected any visitors. Cautiously, she walked toward the door and checked the intercom.
Fei Chuan stood behind her door with a terrible expression on his face, holding a paper bag.
Bei Sangyun’s eyes lit up, and she didn’t notice the small smile that blossomed on her face as she quickly opened the door.
Fei Chuan handed the paper bag to her. "I bought this from the restaurant nearby. It’s payment for the rent."
Bei Sangyun had been covering his room expenses in this hotel, and he thought he could at least buy her a meal in return.
Bei Sangyun accepted it, feeling somewhat moved. So he still cared, huh?
Fei Chuan was about to leave when Bei Sangyun asked again, "Have you eaten?"
Fei Chuan paused, looked back at her, and met her gaze.
He sighed in frustration, "...Not yet."
"How about we eat together?"
Fei Chuan ran his hand over his face in irritation. This question was the same as choosing between jumping onto a sinking ship or swimming in shark-infested waters.
"....Just this once."
Bei Sangyun was so delighted that a childlike grin spread across her face. "Your place or mine?"
"...Mine."
"Good. We’ll have Grandma Pei’s pastries for dessert, right?"
Fei Chuan: "...."
He hoped he wouldn’t regret this decision.
*****
Tonight, the fourth branch was unusually quiet during their meal.
The old man’s foul mood had led to the cancellation of the family dinner, and each branch within the main family dined separately.
At the fourth branch’s table, an eerie silence hung in the air. Everyone was eating absentmindedly, except for Lin Sanju, who devoured his food as though he wanted the meal to end quickly.
Finally, Li Mei noticed her son’s distressing eating habits.
"Slow down, Sanju. You’ll give yourself indigestion."
Lin Sanju muttered quietly, "I’m going to get indigestion anyway."
"What?" Li Mei frowned.
Lin Sanju just sighed and slowed down his eating.
"Mom, do you think Grandfather will punish us?" Lin Sunji voiced her concerns.
Li Mei took her daughter’s hand reassuringly. "There might be some minor punishment, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure this won’t affect your chances in the inheritance. Focus on your French lessons. Your goal is to be chosen as the host. That way, you can earn back your grandfather’s favor."
Lin Sunji trusted her mother. "I hope Grandfather will forget about what happened today."
"He will," Li Mei assured her.
Lin Sunji then though of Bei Sangyun. She asked the lingering question she had in mind since earlier, "Mom, why do you think she accepted the blame as well? She could have shifted all the blame onto me, but she chose to make Grandfather upset. Was that a mistake?"
Li Mei was also puzzled by that. It seemed like a foolish move. Typically, no one would willingly shoulder the blame when they could avoid it or point the blade on themselves. Unless they were crazy.
But Bei Sangyun was confident throughout the whole scene. She might be young, but she exuded a certain dangerous aura. She was bold, reckless, yet remarkably intuitive.
Such a person would be hard to control. It was no wonder Lin Ginxian had been struggling to rein in his own daughter lately.
"She must have some kind of plan, but it backfired on her. Anyway, don’t dwell on it too much; focus on what you need to do. Your father and I will take care of this mess."
Lin Ruo glanced at his wife and daughter. While he was negatively affected by his daughter’s decision, he couldn’t entirely blame her, but he was still upset.
"Sunji, for now, try not to cause any more trouble and follow your mother’s plan. Since your father is angry with us, we can’t afford any more mistakes for the time being. Be cautious in your actions."
Lin Sunji nodded. "Yes, Father."
"And Sanju." Lin Ruo turned to his son, who had finished eating and was about to get up. "Your sister got into trouble at school, and where were you then? If you had stayed by her side, that brat from the third branch wouldn’t have cornered her."
"Am I supposed to be her bodyguard now?" Lin Sanju sarcastically replied.
Lin Ruo’s expression darkened. "I’m asking you to stop fooling around with your video games and grow up. Your sister is working hard for our family. As her brother, you should support her."
"I’m not her sidekick. I’m also a contender for the successor position," Lin Sunji emphasized.
"You? You want to compete? With what abilities? All you know is playing games. Do you think you’ll earn your grandfather’s approval by winning video games?" Lin Ruo raised his voice. The idea of his seemingly useless son having such ambitions only worsened his mood.
Lin Sunji’s expression darkened. "Then support whoever you want to support. Don’t bother asking me for help. Since I’m your useless son, I have nothing to offer."
Lin Sunji stood up and left the dining table, muttering under his breath. "This family truly sucks."
****
The feud between the third and fourth branches on that day had quickly spread throughout the Lin mansion.
Within the vast estate, there were numerous eyes and ears, and the recent gossip had become the hottest topic of conversation.
By the poolside, Li Fei lounged in his recliner chair while his butler recounted the events that had unfolded between the third and fourth branches within the Lin mansion.
"Wow. The brat actually said that to Grandfather? That takes some nerve! I wish I had been there to witness it," Li Fei remarked with a touch of regret. His playful eyes sparkled mischievously.
"That brat is becoming more intriguing. Perhaps it’s time I paid her a visit. It’s been a while since I played a little prank on her."
"Young Master, I would advise you to address the pressing matters first. Young Master Lin Zhe has already secured three business deals overseas, and we are currently lagging behind in our competition," the butler reminded him.
Li Fei’s good mood took a dip. "Why do you have to spoil the good news with bad news? Tsk."
He rose from his seat and adjusted his robe. "Well, I suppose I should take a flight and catch up with him. It’s a shame I won’t be able to see my third sister for some time. Perhaps I should send her a message instead."
*****
Additional scene:
Fei Chuan stared at his meal without opening its container.
Bei Sangyun’s words echoed in his head.
"...I don’t want to eat alone. Can I eat together with you?"
"Because I want to eat with you."
The nervousness and anticipation in her eyes tugged at Fei Chuan’s heart. Although he was typically stern in his decisions, what had happened earlier still bothered him.
Truth be told, he was very curious about why she had appeared at his door in such a disheveled state. It had taken a great deal of self-control to hide his concern and remain aloof. He had hoped that after she left, he wouldn’t be bothered anymore.
However, once she was gone, she continued to haunt his thoughts.
He found himself wondering if she had already ordered her food, if she could manage with her left hand, or if she would feel lonely eating alone.
All these thoughts, things he had never considered for her before, now occupied his mind constantly.
Fei Chuan sighed loudly in frustration.
He was very upset with himself. So all it took for him to forgo what happened in the past and help her was a bit of ’thank you’ and a pleading gaze?
’You are so cheap, Fei Chuan.’
Angrily, he stood up and checked if there were any food deliveries next door.
In the end, he decided to buy it himself.
****
A/n: Fourth Branch family members:
Lin Ruo (Father)
Li Mei (Mother)
Children: Twins
Lin Sunji (Daughter)
Lin Sanju (Son)
....
Other branch introduced in the Chapter:
Lin Zhe (First Brother Cousin) - contender from the First Branch
Lin Fei (Second Brother Cousin - contender from the Second Branch