Inside the Lin family mansion.
Lin Yuan, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen carrying a large plate of garlic vermicelli shrimp.
"Aunt Liu, bring out the other dishes as well. Master will be back soon!"
"Mengmeng, go wash your hands quickly and come sit down... Xiaoya, bring over the decanted wine from the bar, and those wine glasses too..."
Aunt Liu hadn't seen Madam so happy in a long time.
He joked, "Madam, what joyous occasion is there at home today that you've personally cooked for us!"
Lin Yuan took off her apron and took the elegant decanter from Xiao Ya's hand.
"Aunt Liu, look at her, doesn't she look just like Mengmeng?"
When Lin Yuan returned, Aunt Liu noticed Lin Xiaoya.
But after she entered the room, she sat on the sofa in the corner, head down, without saying a word, and Liu Ma didn't notice her appearance.
Under the restaurant lights, at first glance, one might mistake it for a hostess.
"Oh my, if she weren't a little taller, I would have thought it was Miss standing here. Madam, how can there be two people in the world who look so alike!"
Aunt Liu deliberately echoed Lin Yuan's words, saying that it was indeed a bit of an exaggeration.
But upon closer inspection, Lin Xiaoya's eyebrows and eyes do resemble those of the lady.
Aunt Liu's eyes darted around a few times, and she thought to herself, "Could this be the illegitimate daughter of the madam and another man?"
Master Lin Hongtao was intolerant of any wrongdoing.
Bringing his illegitimate daughter home so openly, isn't his wife afraid of his wrath?
"Here I am, this is my goddaughter, Xiaoya!"
Lin Yuan set out her chopsticks and glanced at the blank-faced Lin Xiaoya.
"Xiaoya, this is Aunt Liu. She's been cooking with us ever since I came to the Lin family. She knows our family's tastes best."
"You must try this garlic vermicelli shrimp dish later, it's your favorite."
When Liu Ma heard her say that Lin Xiaoya was her "god-daughter", she couldn't help but swallow.
Goddaughter?
This looks wetter than a biological daughter!
You're kidding me!
"Thank you, godmother, I will!"
Lin Xiaoya gently helped straighten the bowls and chopsticks, then went back to the sofa to play on her phone.
Lin Yuan scoffed disdainfully, "See, those who haven't been taught the rules just don't know how to behave."
"I took pity on her and saw her at a charity event, so I took her in. I've been teaching her for so long, but she's still completely unresponsive. I think she's hopeless!"
How was Liu Ma supposed to respond to that?
If we praise Lin Xiaoya, and she really is as Lin Yuan said, a worthless wretch no one wants, wouldn't that make the legitimate daughter of the Lin family look bad?
But what if I join in mocking her and upset Lin Yuan?
Aunt Liu exclaimed "Oh dear!" and changed the subject, "There's still soup simmering on the pot, I have to go check on it... By the way, Madam, would you like to make another vegetarian soup?"
Lin Yuan rolled her eyes. "No need!"
What a cunning old fox!
Lin Xiaoya never imagined that Lin Yuan would bring her to see Lin Hongtao at this time.
She thought she would never see her biological father again in her life.
Although she was fiddling with her phone, all she could think about was Lin Hongtao.
Is he fierce?
Will they doubt their own identity?
If asked about one's mother, how should one answer to please both parties?
Or should we take this opportunity to call him "Dad" and expose Lin Yuan's "scheme"?
"Xiaoya, Xiaoya... Lin Xiaoya, are you deaf?"
Lin Mengmeng called Lin Xiaoya several times, but when she didn't respond, she grabbed a cushion and threw it at her.
"Huh, what?"
Lin Xiaoya picked up the cushion and timidly raised her head.
Lin Mengmeng sat down next to her and threatened in a low voice, "Have you remembered everything my mother said?"
Lin Xiaoya nodded.
"I'm warning you in advance: if you dare to act on your own and say anything you shouldn't, she'll make you disappear from Jiangzhou immediately!"
"Also, mention Lu Han more often at the dinner table, especially about how you took money from me and lent it to Lu Han. Make sure my dad knows about it no matter what."
"Lin Xiaoya, don't think that just because my mother raised you for so long and you share the same surname as Lin, you can act like a young lady of the Lin family. Let me tell you, not a chance!"
After Lin Mengmeng finished her stern lecture, she heard voices outside the door, lowered her eyes, and quickly put on the face of a well-behaved girl.
"Dad, you're finally back! Are you tired today?"
She took the briefcase from Lin Hongtao, hung it on the rack for him, and then took out slippers and squatted down in front of him.
"Dad isn't tired, he's used to it... What a big day it is today, that he made such a big feast!"
Lin Hongtao loosened his tie and glanced at Lin Yuan, who was busy at work.
Lin Yuan walked over and naturally took it, her eyes full of charm as she said, "Honey, you're really something, so busy with work that you've lost your mind."
"I told you this morning that I would be bringing Xiaoya to introduce you today, but you didn't take it to heart!"
As she spoke, she glanced at Lin Xiaoya.
Lin Xiaoya turned off her phone and stood up with her hands at her sides.
Meeting Lin Hongtao's curious gaze, his scalp began to tingle.
Is he the father?
He was so kind...
Lin Hongtao stared wide-eyed; if Lin Yuan hadn't coughed to remind him, he would have thought he was seeing things.
He glanced at Mengmeng beside him, then rolled up his sleeves and walked toward the dining table, saying, "Does she also have the surname Lin?"
This question was clearly directed at Madam Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan guessed he would react this way, so she pulled out a chair for him and playfully punched his shoulder.
"Her surname is Lin, and her name is Lin Xiaoya. I've told you this many times."
"You're not asking this because you suspect she's a child I had with another man, and you're raising her as my goddaughter, are you?"
Just then, Aunt Liu came out carrying hot soup. When she heard the lady say such a thing as if she were joking, she froze on the spot.
"Look at what you're saying, there are plenty of people like that in this world!"
Despite saying that, Lin Hongtao couldn't help but turn to Lin Xiaoya and scrutinize her face and body.
"Honey, you must be shocked too, right? I only noticed it because she looked so much like Mengmeng..."
Lin Yuan's smile faded slightly when she saw Lin Xiaoya's restrained expression.
"No, no, no, she doesn't resemble Mengmeng, she resembles you, especially her figure, face shape, eyebrows and eyes... she looks exactly like you!"
Lin Hongtao's gaze followed Lin Xiaoya until she sat down opposite him.
Lin Yuan's fingers clenched tighter and tighter. Where Lin Hongtao couldn't see, the hatred in her eyes poured out and fell on Lin Xiaoya.
It's all your fault, you damned, despicable mother...
"Alright, alright, it's fate that you came to our house. Mengmeng, come sit here with Daddy!"
Lin Hongtao didn't press the matter further, which relieved Lin Yuan a little.
"Dad, you don't know this, do you? There are rumors that I'm dating that imposter from the Lu family, but that's a misunderstanding. The one who's really dating Lu Han is her."
Lin Mengmeng picked up a chicken wing, put it in Lin Hongtao's bowl, and started talking nonsense with a straight face...
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