Chapter 136

Jealous

After watching Cheng Sangluo drive away, Lin Jin did not return to the house to rest. It seemed that she had made an appointment to meet someone and deliberately sat in the garden under Yangshan Mountain to enjoy tea and wait.

This wait lasted for a lonely, desolate afternoon.

As evening approached, a black Land Rover pulled up outside. The woman who got out of the driver's seat subconsciously looked around.

She wore a pair of black sunglasses that covered half of her face, and a classic plaid coat that reached her ankles wrapped around her slender figure. The belt was neatly tied in a bow, and the upturned collar added a touch of aloofness and asceticism.

She took a beautifully wrapped bouquet of roses from the car, treating today's meeting as a reunion after a long separation, with a sincere romance hidden in the small details.

The woman strolled leisurely through the garden, looking from afar like swaying willow branches, slender and soft.

Seeing the villa owner idly sipping tea, she took off her sunglasses and flashed a warm smile.

In contrast, Lin Jin, slumped in her chair, looked rather disheveled.

She hadn't prepared for today's meeting; she was too lazy to put on makeup or choose a nice outfit. Her long, curly hair was also neglected and was blown into a mess by the mountain wind, which accentuated her pale and sickly face, making her look tired and haggard.

"Long time no see." The woman greeted her as she approached, placed the roses she had carefully prepared on the table, and then sat down in a chair by herself.

"Shuhuai, long time no see." Lin Jin smiled gently, turning her head to admire the blooming roses, and casually offered her freshly brewed tea. "Is this year's tour over? How long are you planning to stay in Zhouhai?"

"Yes, it's over. The period before the Spring Festival is the preparation period, so I will be staying in Zhouhai." Qin Shuhuai politely took the teacup, and looked at Lin Jin through the steam rising from the cup. Her brows furrowed involuntarily. "You don't look too well."

"A lot has happened recently." Lin Jin stopped there, took a small sip of hot tea, and then warmed the cup with both hands, as if handing over the conversation to the other person.

"I saw the news about Lin Sheng being wanted." Qin Shuhuai understood, skipping the pale pleasantries and getting straight to the point, she took the initiative to clink glasses with Lin Jin, "The plan has been more successful than we imagined, congratulations."

As she spoke, she put down her cup, took a file from her handbag, and handed it to Lin Jin. "I know he's just an appetizer in your plan. The person you really want to deal with is Ruan Jinxian, which is also our common goal. I'm sure you'll like this big gift I'm giving you."

Lin Jin smiled without saying a word, pulled out some documents from the leather file and flipped through them. Her eyebrows gradually curved into crescents as she turned the pages. "It seems you've put in a lot of effort and spent a lot of money building connections over the years to investigate Ruan Jinxian, haven't you?"

"Art is often a topic of conversation among people in high circles. I told you this last time we met. All these years of touring and building connections are bound to come in handy eventually." Qin Shuhuai only hoped to give Lin Jin a good report, so she downplayed her experiences over the years.

She pointed to the documents and explained, "Back when Old Master Lin was still alive, Ruan Jinxian had already begun to interfere with the Lin Group's business. She secretly set up a shell company, ostensibly for legitimate business dealings, but in reality, she was transferring assets overseas. The revenue flow was very complicated and mixed with Lin Sheng's gray income, which means that she was also involved in the money laundering process. It can also be said that she always knew that her son was doing illegal and criminal things."

Another thing is that Lin Sheng was able to take the Lin Group public so quickly because multiple forces participated in the financing. One of the equity purchases came from this shell company. I guess that at least 80% of the Lin Group's equity is now in the hands of this mother and son.

However, this is not necessarily bad news. The Lin family is large and powerful, and if Ruan Jinxian wants to gain controlling interest, she is very likely to be suspected of insider trading to obtain private equity funds, which would not stand up to investigation.

Now that Lin Sheng is in trouble, she, who has been directing things from behind the scenes, can naturally take over the position of acting chairman. It seems that the Lin family will soon be renamed the Ruan family.

Forgive my incompetence, but the case of the teacher falling off the cliff happened too many years ago, and with no one left to testify, it's incredibly difficult to overturn the verdict. This is the only way I can bring down Ruan Jinxian; it's still somewhat regrettable.

"Ha, change your name? It's good to have ambition, but don't mix it with greed. She's so eager to sit in the top seat of the Lin Group, but does she even consider whether she deserves it as a mistress who rose to power? Does she really think that being called Mrs. Lin can wash away her stains? A dead rat in the gutter, she'll never be presentable." Lin Jin chuckled and closed the file, confidently saying, "I'll change how you address her. In the near future, there won't be a Lin Group in Zhouhai City anymore, only the dominant Senyao. As for Mother's case, we don't need to waste our energy looking for evidence. Ruan Jinxian will confess herself. I'll give you good news then."

"I've always admired your confidence because you'll have a backup plan. I'm waiting for your good news. Cheers." Qin Shuhuai raised an eyebrow, her expression somewhat incredulous. She really couldn't imagine what method Lin Jin would use to get that woman to agree.

After finishing their business, Lin Jin picked a rose with great interest, brought it to her nose to smell it, and asked with a smile, "Why did you give me a rose all of a sudden?"

As she spoke, she fell into a moment of daze.

Roses were hidden in her eyes, and Cheng Sangluo's face appeared in her mind.

That person, so lacking in romantic understanding, seems to have never properly given roses; the only thing that could be associated with flowers is that little pot of daisies from a long time ago.

But that pot of daisies that she had carefully nurtured was something she had tricked and coaxed into giving away.

Lin Jin's eyes were gentle, yet filled with a deep sense of loss and bewilderment. She seemed to like roses, but also dislike them, probably because the person giving them to her was the wrong one.

Qin Shuhuai stared blankly at her profile. Having known her for so many years, she had only ever thought that the person in front of her was very fierce and would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. This was the first time she had ever seen such gentleness. She wondered who was in the heart of the woman who was so tenderly smelling the flowers.

To ease the tension, Qin Shuhuai smiled and plucked some flower petals, sprinkling them into her teacup.

She tilted her head to admire the petals floating on the water, creating ripples, as if making a tentative joke: "Who else can you give roses to? Of course, to the person you love."

Lin Jin was a smart woman and naturally understood the truth hidden behind that smile, but she didn't stop smiling. She simply continued the joke, "Too bad you're late~"

Qin Shuhuai shifted into a more comfortable sitting position, looked up at the dark twilight over the mountains, and heard the other person sigh softly. She asked in surprise, "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I'm already married." Lin Jin replied with a happy laugh. She wanted to show her ring finger, but then realized that neither she nor Cheng Sangluo had a wedding ring. So she simply explained, "We've been married for about half a year, but we haven't made it public yet."

"Which lucky player did you pick at first glance? You've kept it so secret, are you reluctant to bring them out for everyone to see?" Qin Shuhuai's smile stiffened slightly, but she still said generously, "It seems I have to wait for more than one good news. Now I also have to wait for an invitation. I'll give you a big red envelope then."

"He's a jerk, and an idiot too~" Lin Jinzhong commented on his beloved, his eyes filled with light, but also with a helpless sigh.

She patted her legs and stood up, inviting, "It's getting late. We don't have any maids at home. Since it's rare for us to meet, why don't we find a restaurant for dinner and a chat?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking, I was just afraid you wouldn't accept the invitation." Qin Shuhuai stood up, glanced at Lin Jin's injured foot, and kindly reached out to support her arm, "Is it inconvenient for you to walk with your foot?"

"The recovery is going quite well. I'll go for surgery after I've taken care of things right now," Lin Jin explained nonchalantly, then added with a laugh, "Thanks for being my driver today!"

"I would be more than happy to." Qin Shuhuai helped her walk slowly towards the garden gate, and suddenly sighed, "Sigh... If it weren't for someone like Ruan Jinxian, you would have inherited your teacher's skills and be a famous dancer by now. She would definitely be proud of you."

Lin Jin stared blankly at her ankle, which was supported by a brace, searching her mind for childhood memories. However, the image of her mother accompanying her to practice her skills was too distant to recall clearly. She smiled and sighed, "The truth is, you are the one who will eventually succeed, and you are also the one who is more like her. She will be proud of you."

Qin Shuhuai spoke softly and gracefully, her smile growing even softer as she listened to Lin Jin's sigh: "Life is long, and the road ahead is so long. We've only just begun. Let's look forward."

The two chatted and laughed, creating a comfortable atmosphere that dispelled the gloom that had plagued Lin Jin for days.

Qin Shuhuai carefully helped her into the passenger seat, casually placing his hand on the car window in a flirtatious manner, as if he were about to flirt on a date. "A nice kaiseki restaurant recently opened in Zhouhai. The owner is an old acquaintance of mine. If you're interested, I can make a call and cut in line, how about that?"

Lin Jin leaned against the window, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and readily agreed to the arrangement: "I have no reason to refuse delicious food, do I?"

"Let's go." Qin Shuhuai blinked her starry eyes, smiling warmly as she turned and jogged around the front of the car, afraid that the people inside would wait even a second longer.

As she got into the driver's seat and fastened her seatbelt while the car was warming up, two impatient honks suddenly came from outside the window.

Lin Jin looked in the rearview mirror at the sound and saw the familiar Bentley logo. The smile on his lips stiffened, and the relaxed atmosphere he had just created vanished.

Qin Shuhuai didn't immediately stick her head out of the car window. Instead, she turned to look at Lin Jin, whose beautiful face was covered with an uneasy expression. Without asking, she knew who was in the car behind. From their conversation, she could guess that the two of them must have had a conflict.

Before she could even start gossiping, a tall figure appeared in the rearview mirror, strode over, and stopped steadily outside her door.

Cheng Sangluo pursed her lips, hunched her back to look at the person in the driver's seat, and when she realized it wasn't Lin Jin, she turned her gaze to the passenger seat and asked succinctly, "Where to?"

"You wouldn't mind if I had dinner with your wife, would you?" Qin Shuhuai interrupted the conversation with a smile, her words carrying a sharp edge. She then casually leaned towards the steering wheel to block the other person's view of Lin Jin. "I'll take her back after dinner. It won't take too long."

Cheng Sangluo squinted at Qin Shuhuai. In her memory, Lin Jin didn't have many friends. Besides Gu Shinian and Secretary Zhou, the only other person she could think of was Shu Wan. So she didn't know who the strange woman in front of her was. However, out of politeness, she couldn't ask her identity directly. She could only step back and let her pass. "Okay, drive carefully. She has a leg problem. Please take good care of her."

"Don't worry, I will take good care of her." Qin Shuhuai was also secretly observing Cheng Sangluo's appearance. This person was quite different from what she had imagined. After all, someone of Lin Jin's status should have chosen a lover who was elegant, proper, and had a good temperament. How come she was a tall person with slightly dark skin? Apart from being a bit handsome and having long legs, she didn't think she had anything special about her.

Lin Jin never looked Cheng Sangluo in the eye. Instead, she tilted her head and pretended to admire the mountain view outside the window, urging, "Let's go, I'm hungry."

"Okay." Qin Shuhuai agreed verbally, her gaze fixed on Cheng Sangluo, even raising an eyebrow in a provocative manner, which made people feel uncomfortable.

She skillfully reversed and turned the car around, leaving Cheng Sangluo standing there with a cold shoulder, before driving away with a flourish.

After driving some distance, she glanced at the rearview mirror out of the corner of her eye and saw that the person she had left behind was stubbornly not moving away, so she couldn't help but smile.

Lin Jin lazily propped one hand on her temple and said indifferently, "What are you laughing at?"

"You two are bickering like young lovers, both of you have mouths but are mute. If you don't speak and I don't speak, we'll both ruin our relationship." Qin Shuhuai, unaware of the inside story, managed to hit the nail on the head and even made up a rhyme to ease the atmosphere.

Lin Jin took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily, as if trying to release all the negative emotions that Cheng Sangluo had brought her. Before the car turned, she still softened and looked up at the rearview mirror.

The rearview mirror acted as a medium, bringing their gazes together, yet the distance prevented them from conveying their unspoken feelings.

Cheng Sangluo turned around to look at the Land Rover that was driving away, raised her hand and touched her nose in a frustrated manner. Her face did not show much expression, and no one knew what she was thinking.

After driving her Bentley into the parking garage, she strolled aimlessly through the garden with her hands in her pockets. Seeing the somewhat messy tea set under the parasol, she decided to go over and tidy it up to take it back to the kitchen.

As Cheng Sangluo approached the tea table, her gaze fell upon the bright and blooming bouquet of roses. Her already turbulent heart was struck by another stone, creating a butterfly effect that stirred up a storm of emotions.

Even if she's a blockhead, she's not so stupid as to not understand the principle of giving different flowers to different people.

Roses? A small question arose in Cheng Sangluo's heart, followed by an inexplicable sense of unease.

What does this mean? Does it mean they had a secret rendezvous in front of the person in question, or that she was never really anyone?

She reached out and picked up the flower that Lin Jin had plucked, then looked at the petals floating in the teacup. A strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was so strange about it.

Cheng Sangluo opened her mouth, wanting to say something to the air, but her mind went completely blank as she ran out of words.

What she really wanted to say was: If someone else had appeared in Lin Jin's world, they would have only needed a little embellishment to create romance effortlessly.

She sat down in the chair, facing the chilly mountain wind as night fell. Her heart seemed to have been blown away by the wind, and a sense of loss and melancholy welled up within her.

She poured herself a cup of cold tea, took a small sip, and then frowned so deeply that her forehead and temples ached.

Tea can be sweet, bitter, or astringent, but why...?

Cheng Sangluo looked at the cold tea in the cup with suspicion, muttering to herself, "Why is it sour?"

[Author's Note]

1. My pre-order novel, "The Sinful Lover," is available for collection.