Chapter 36: Delin Family
Watching the hovercraft that Lin Yao was riding in drive away, Butler Zhan turned and walked towards the main courtyard.
The evening breeze carried the scent of tuberoses from the courtyard across the corridor, and the hem of his well-ironed tuxedo swayed gently. The rudeness and offensiveness he had shown when facing Ye Heng just now faded away, leaving only the composure that had always accompanied the high-ranking members of the family.
When you push open the door of the main courtyard hall, the warm yellow light of the glass lights immediately fills out.
De Linfeng and his wife Su Wan were sitting in the middle of a rosewood sofa. Su Wan was holding a gold-painted bone china cup between her fingers, with the rim of the cup stained with light brown tea stains. De Linfeng was resting with his eyes closed.
On the floating sofa opposite them, Delinxing was talking with saliva flying, but Delinwei suddenly threw the pillow on the sofa, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and puffed up her cheeks.
Gu Yun kept winking at her son, while De Lincheng rubbed his hands, trying to smooth things over.
"Wei girl, don't be angry!" De Lincheng stuffed a piece of candied fruit into his mouth and said vaguely, "Just now, the Cang family's housekeeper sent a message, saying that we should go to the registration office at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Although there is no news about their young master, the Cang family has already taken care of the marriage registration, so it still counts if his parents do it on his behalf."
Gu Yun immediately responded in a shrill voice, "That's right! What kind of family is the Cang family? They took the initiative to register, which is a huge honor for our Delin family! Besides, as long as you register, you will be the legitimate young lady of the Cang family. From now on, we will be on Central Star..."
"What's the point of registering your marriage without the groom being there? I won't go!" De Linwei interrupted her abruptly, her voice filled with tears.
"Mom!" De Linxing came over and tried to persuade Gu Yun without waiting for her to speak. "Sister, are you stupid? The young master of the Cang family is a famous young talent in the interstellar space. How many people want to marry him but can't! Besides, I heard that the Cang family's technology mall will release a new mecha model next month. Then you..."
"Shut up!" Delinwei glared at him. "I'm marrying the young master of the Cang family, not his mecha model!"
"What's the rush?" Gu Yun patted the back of her son's hand, then pulled De Linwei's arm and coaxed her softly, "Weiwei, Mom knows you're feeling wronged, but this marriage was set a long time ago. The Cang family gave us the date, so how can we just not go? After we finish registering, we can slowly wait for the young master to come back. Then, can't we ask him to apologize to you?"
De Lincheng also nodded: "That's right, your mother is right, get married first, and register it properly."
De Linwei suddenly shook off Gu Yun's hand and stood up suddenly, her chest heaving violently, as if she had suffered a great injustice:
"I don't care! I won't register if the groom is not here!..." She suddenly raised her voice.
"You dare!"
Before De Linwei could continue to lose her temper or say anything harsh, she was interrupted by a scolding!
Su Wan picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea had already gone cold, and the astringent taste spread across her tongue.
She glanced at the noisy people opposite her, and said in a cold and warning tone:
"De Linwei, you chose this marriage yourself. You risked your life to get it from Lin Yao, and now you're saying you don't want to get married? Do you think you can just throw away the reputation of the De Lin family?"
De Linwei shuddered at the scolding, stiffening her neck and wanting to retort: "Grandma, but he Cangye..."
"What happened to Cangye?" Su Wan placed the teacup heavily on the coffee table, and the lid of the cup made a crisp "clang" sound when it collided with the other cup.
"What shameful things did you do to snatch this engagement? Now the wedding date is set, and the Cang family has given us a date for registration, and you're thinking of throwing a tantrum? I'm telling you, tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, you must be at the registry office. Who are you showing off this lifeless look to?!"
Su Wan's eyes were like ice, making De Linwei feel uncomfortable. The arrogance she had just shown instantly wilted, leaving only a feeling of grievance and unwillingness. However, she didn't dare to talk back, so she could only bite her lips, tears welling up in her eyes.
Gu Yun wanted to say something for her daughter, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Su Wan stopped her with a look and she could only lower her head in embarrassment.
De Lincheng also shrank his neck, pretending not to see his daughter's grievance.
"You have to understand clearly that this is a marriage between the Delin and Cang families. There can be no mistakes." Su Wan's voice softened a little, but still carried an unquestionable majesty. "Once you enter the Cang family, you must put away your bad temper, behave yourself and be a good young lady. Don't cause any trouble for me. Do you understand?"
Delinwei gritted her teeth and squeezed out a word after a long time: "...I heard it."
Su Wan nodded with satisfaction, picked up the teacup again, and drank slowly, as if the stern warning just now had never been given.
The atmosphere on the floating sofa became completely gloomy. Delinwei sat back on the sofa, lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, but she didn't dare to make a sound.
De Linfeng kept his eyes closed, but the frequency of his fingers tapping his knees seemed to be a little faster.
The air fell silent, everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and the huge living room was so quiet that only the sound of Su Wan sipping tea could be heard.
Just then, Butler Zhan tiptoed in. His steps were so light, as if he was afraid of disturbing the silence.
He walked straight to Mr. Delin and bowed slightly: "Master, it's getting late, it's time to rest."
De Linfeng then slowly opened his eyes, his eyes were clear, as if he had just closed his eyes to rest just to think about something.
He nodded and slowly stood up with the help of Butler Zhan.
Su Wan looked up at them, said nothing, and continued drinking the tea in the cup.
De Lincheng and his family also stood up quickly and watched them go upstairs.
Butler Zhan carefully helped old man De Lin walk towards the stairs. The two of them gradually disappeared around the corner of the stairs, blocking the sight of everyone downstairs.
As soon as he reached the second floor and was out of sight from downstairs, Mr. Delin stopped and asked Butler Zhan in a low voice, "How did Patriarch Ye behave just now?"
Butler Zhan lowered his voice and replied respectfully, "Master, Marshal Ye thinks highly of Young Master Lin Yao. It's obvious that he truly cares about the eldest young master."
After listening to this, Mr. Delin was silent for a moment, sighed softly, and said in a complicated tone: "Hmm!"
He paused, then ordered, "Tell Lin Yao to come to my study at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir." Butler Zhan responded.
The two of them didn't say anything more. Butler Zhan supported Old Man De Lin and continued to walk towards the bedroom. Only their light footsteps were left in the corridor.
This incident only caused a little ripple between the two of them, and then everything returned to calm, and no third person knew about it.
-
The next morning, Lin Yao, who was still having breakfast, received a notice from Butler Zhan. Although he was confused, he still set off to the main courtyard to find his grandfather De Linfeng.
As soon as I walked into the corridor of the main courtyard, I ran into De Linwei, who was dressed up.
She was wearing a brand new white dress with delicate silver lily patterns embroidered on the hem. Her hair was carefully tied up with a pearl hairpin. Her face was delicately made up, but it couldn't hide the haggardness and forced pride in her eyes.
"Hey, isn't this Lin Yao?" De Linwei stopped deliberately when she saw Lin Yao, and said with a hint of boasting, "What brings you to the main courtyard so early?"
Lin Yao glanced at her calmly, his tone calm: "Grandpa is looking for me."
"Oh—" Delinwei dragged out the words and deliberately twisted her waist, as if to show off her outfit. "Yes, Grandpa should pay more attention to you recently. Unlike me, I have a big happy event today."
She paused deliberately, looking at Lin Yao's reaction. Seeing that he had no expression, she continued, "I'm going to the registration office today! From now on, I will be the young lady of the Cang family."
Lin Yao looked at her deliberately showing off, and a hint of sarcasm appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Congratulations."
De Linwei didn't see the emotion she wanted to see, and continued, "Of course. The Cang family is a big family on our Central Star. Being able to marry into the Cang family is a blessing that many people would beg for."
Lin Yao seemed not to hear the sting in her words. He just looked at her calmly and said slowly: "It is indeed a blessing. But -"
Lin Yao also imitated De Linwei and stretched out the tone.
"But what?" Delinwei asked subconsciously.
"Have you found your groom?" Lin Yao's tone was surprised and playful, but like a sharp knife, it instantly pierced De Linwei's sore spot. "Registering for marriage is such an important matter. Cangye, oh no! It's my cousin's husband. He'll be here, right?"
De Linwei's face turned ugly in an instant, as if she had been slapped in public, and the arrogance she had just shown disappeared without a trace.
She feigned composure, stiffening her neck as she spoke, "Cangye... he's got something to do and can't leave! For things like marriage registration, his parents can be there, why does he need to be there in person?"
"And he definitely knows about such a big thing as registration!" Then, fearing that Lin Yao would ask, "Does he know?" like last time, De Linwei immediately added.
"Really?" Lin Yao raised an eyebrow, his tone becoming even more sarcastic. "So the groom doesn't have to be absent for the marriage registration, and his parents can do it instead. I've learned a lot. Thanks to my cousin for sharing this practical information!"
"You!" De Linwei was speechless and trembling with anger. She pointed at Lin Yao's nose and said, "Lin Yao, stop being so sarcastic! I tell you, even if Cangye is not here, I am still the legitimate young lady of the Cang family! What about you?"
"Oh? Really? So the Ye family's Patriarch is no match for the Cang family's Young Master!" Lin Yao took a step forward, leaning slightly closer to De Linwei. His voice was lowered, yet full of joking. "Do the Cang and Ye families know about this? Or do Grandpa and the others know about it?"
"You!" De Linwei screamed, her eyes instantly red, not knowing whether it was out of anger or anxiety.
She shouted at Lin Yao in a high voice, as if this could hide the panic in her heart, as if to make a statement and to comfort herself: "Cang Ye just has something to do, he will be back for the wedding!"
"I hope so." Lin Yao stood up, no longer looking at her, walked around her and went straight to De Linfeng's study, leaving only a light and floating word, "I wish you... a happy wedding."
De Linwei stood there, watching Lin Yao's receding back, shaking with anger.
She couldn't help but shed tears, but she wiped them away immediately. She had gotten up at five o'clock to put on this makeup today, and it couldn't be ruined by tears.
Delinwei clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. She felt angry and resentful, but helpless.
Originally, after she was humiliated by Lin Yao last time, she knew that Lin Yao was no longer the person who allowed her to bully him.
De Linwei is a person who knows the current situation very well. After seeking benefits and avoiding harm as usual, she will not easily cause trouble for Lin Yao again.
But there was no guarantee that Lin Yao not only won the recognition of the Ye family, but also got along well with Ye Heng. That man even sent him home personally, especially yesterday, when she was most embarrassed and helpless, Ye Heng sent Lin Yao back for the second time.
This was simply a slap in De Linwei's face and irritated her nerves. Before they were engaged, Ye Heng had never come to De Lin's house for her.
Everything made her seem like a clown as she tried desperately to get married.
When De Linwei saw Lin Yao today, she couldn't help but want to cause trouble for Lin Yao, but she regretted it as soon as she said it. However, the words were already said and it was too late.
Being humiliated by Lin Yao, she felt wronged but it was also as she expected.
But Delinwei gritted her teeth, forced herself to cheer up, and walked towards the hovercraft waiting outside the gate. No matter what, she had to get married today, otherwise it would be a waste of time.
_
As he turned the corner of the corridor, Lin Yao frowned unconsciously.
What does this old man want from me?
He felt doubtful. Ever since he had argued with his second uncle's family about compensation and met the old man at that time, Lin Yao had not met the head of the De Lin family alone for the past two months.
It is rare for Butler Zhan to come and notify us specifically like this.
Could it be because Ye Heng sent me back last night?
Lin Yao paused slightly. Butler Zhan's condition at that time was indeed suspicious. Could it be... that it was Grandpa's idea?
But even so, there is no need to talk to me specifically.
Or... is it still related to Delinwei's marriage?
As soon as this thought came up, it was suppressed by Lin Yao. Forget it, let's meet the person first.
He walked along the corridor, his fingertips unconsciously stroking his cuffs. The murderous vines moved gently on his wrists, as if to soothe his emotions.
Lin Yao walked into the hall, went up to the second floor and looked at Mr. De Lin’s study not far away. The door was closed tightly, like a box hiding a secret, waiting to be opened.
There was a knock on the wooden door carved with intricate vine patterns, and a deep, slow "come in" came from inside.
The door was opened from the inside by Butler Zhan, who nodded respectfully: "Young Master."
Butler Zhan stepped aside to make way, and after Lin Yao walked in, he gently closed the door and walked out. The footsteps gradually faded away at the end of the corridor.
Lin Yao originally thought that he would have to face another eye contact with the old man, but unexpectedly, he heard a clear sound. De Linfeng took out an ebony box from the drawer and gently placed it on the rosewood table.
"This is what your grandma left for you." The old man looked up at him.
Lin Yao raised his eyebrows slightly and stood there without moving.
Su Wan? Would the person who had always been so cold and distant to him leave something for him? Suspicion was clearly written on his face.
"Your dear grandmother, Lin Wanzhao." De Linfeng understood the confusion on his face, and his voice was deeper than before, with a bit of roughness from the years.
The three words "Lin Wanzhao" were like a key, unlocking the original owner Lin's memories of her.
This name lived on in the few words of my parents, but after my parents had an accident, this name never appeared again.
The original owner's only impression of her was in the family's archives.
A thin file with a yellowed photo attached to it showed a woman in a moon-white cheongsam standing under a crabapple tree. Her eyes and eyebrows were clear and moist, completely different from the sharpness of Su Wan.
Lin Yao walked forward and picked up the wooden box, which was cold to the touch.
The lid of the box was not locked and opened with a slight lift. Inside was a dark red velvet cloth and a broken mutton-fat jade pendant. From the shape, one could vaguely make out that it was a powerful Chinese character "林".
"She is the last direct descendant of the Lin family." De Linfeng's eyes fell on the jade pendant, as if he saw an old friend through the jade light.
"When she married me, she made a condition: her first child and the first child of every generation of her descendants must have the surname Lin."
Lin Yao stroked the surface of the jade pendant, and his fingertips touched the warm arc that had been polished over the years.
So that's how it is. Now all the descendants of the De Lin family take the old man's surname, except his father and him. The servants in the family occasionally gossip about them, and the original owner and he just thought it was because the old man didn't care and didn't regard them as members of the De Lin family. Unexpectedly, there was such a reason behind it.
"This jade pendant belongs to you exclusively!" De Linfeng's words rang out again.
"She only gave birth to your father in her lifetime." The old man's voice became softer. "Your father also has only one child, and you are getting married soon, so you must abide by this rule as well."
"She always said that the roots of the Lin family cannot be severed." De Linfeng watched him put the jade pendant back into the box, his tone carrying a subtle sense of melancholy. "Although it is a broken jade, she hopes that you can..."
"I will abide by grandma's wishes!" Lin Yao interrupted De Linfeng presumptuously, and the old man nodded with satisfaction.
Lin Yao closed the wooden box, and the aroma of ebony spread. Suddenly, she felt the box in her hand was a little heavy. This was the last thought that a woman had kept for her bloodline amid the ups and downs of her family.
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