Yun Zhentian looked him up and down, trying to find a clue on his face, but he found nothing, and he was somewhat disappointed.
"Tell me, did you cause the troubles that befell the Zhou and Li families one after another?"
"Cough, cough! Father, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Yun Kang almost choked and quickly poured himself a glass of water to drink.
"Didn't you do it?" Yun Zhentian refused to believe it no matter what.
I heard that the concubine of the Yu family, who was in charge of the military, led troops to attack Xihe, but was ultimately defeated by his own nephew.
He suspected that the Yu family would not give up so easily and that they might join forces with other powerful families to take action against Xihe again.
Unexpectedly, before the Yu family could even make a move, trouble broke out in the Zhou and Li families.
"Definitely not." Although Yun Kang didn't know the specifics of the operation, he still had some idea of what was going on, and he stubbornly refused to admit it.
Yun Zhentian, however, wanted to trick him.
He feigned anger and said, "I never imagined you would be so heartless as to not even spare a six-year-old child?"
Yun Kang dropped the nod in his hand with a thud to the ground and stared wide-eyed at his father.
“Father, don’t make things up without evidence. That bastard from the Li family was worse than a pig or a dog. He only bullied and harassed respectable women. He deserved to die. We absolutely did not lay a hand on the Zhou family’s children.”
"It really is you guys. So what are you going to do next?"
"Father, are you cheating? What do you mean by 'what's next'? I don't know." Yun Kang decided that no matter what his father said, he would not say a word.
After pausing, Yun Kang continued, "I heard from Fourth Brother Yun that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Father, you'll soon be quite busy."
"What else could I be busy with?" Yun Zhentian was stunned and murmured. He was now free of official duties and felt extremely carefree.
While his father was in a daze, Yun Kang dashed out of the study.
"Hey! You brat, don't go! I still have something to ask you."
In the following days, Yun Kang either left early and returned late, or simply stayed out and didn't go home.
Yun Zhentian tried to intercept him several times, hoping to get to the bottom of things, but he couldn't reach him.
The matter was thus left unresolved.
Several more horse-drawn carriages arrived outside Longtan County that day.
The carriage curtain was lifted slightly, and the people inside kept peeking out.
"Mother, the city walls of Longtan County are really magnificent!"
"I heard that Japanese pirates used to frequently come here to plunder."
"Didn't they say that the Yun family had already wiped out the Japanese pirates? Otherwise, Father wouldn't have brought my brothers here."
"If that's the case, then that would be good." Zhu Jinhui looked at the towering city wall and said with concern.
The people who came in the carriage were Zhu Jinhui and Su Yunru. When Su Kunliang decided to stay, he wrote back to Zhu Jinhui and asked her to pack her things and come to Longtan.
Su Yunru came here with her husband to tidy up the shop and also wanted to see her parents' new home in Longtan.
Two days later, Deng Kang took Su Yunru to visit Lin Yinan.
Lin Yinan originally thought that he would never have any interaction with Su Yunru again in this life, but unexpectedly, the gears of fate turned the two together again.
After the polite greetings, Deng Kang warmly invited Lin Yinan to dine at the Longtan Hotel. Thanks to the introduction of affordable salt, the Deng family had gained an unprecedented reputation among the people of Cangwu County.
Deng Kang always held Lin Yinan in high esteem, and he did not look down on her just because she was a young woman.
"The Deng family's success today is entirely due to the strong support of Lord Lin."
"Young Master Deng, you're too kind. This is all thanks to your own hard work," Lin Yinan said calmly.
Lin Yinan's gaze fell on Su Yunru, whom she hadn't seen for a year and who looked much fuller after getting married. She readily accepted Deng Kang's invitation.
Immediately, she noticed a hint of guilt and unease on Su Yunru's face.
"Lord Lin is busy with official business, so we won't disturb you any longer. We will wait for your arrival at the Longtan Hotel."
Besides Deng Kang and his wife, Su Kang and his son were also present at the meeting.
When Lin Yinan, Lin Yiheng, Pan Qingfeng, and others finished their official business and arrived at Longtan Hotel, the three members of the Su family—father-in-law and son-in-law—were having a pleasant conversation in the private room.
After exchanging pleasantries, Su Yunru gave her brother a wink.
Su Yunzhi said gently, "Lord Lin, my younger sister has some private thoughts she wants to share with you. I wonder if it would be convenient for you?"
Lin Yinan looked at Su Yunru with a puzzled expression, only to see Su Yunru looking at her somewhat shyly, with expectation in her eyes.
“My lady, may I accompany you?” Deng Kang asked Su Yunru.
Su Yunru shook her head, "No need, I'll just chat with City Lord Lin for a bit and then come back. I want my brother to stay with me."
Lin Yinan nodded slightly to Lin Yiheng and Pan Qingfu, then stood up and walked out.
After pausing outside the door for a moment, Su Yunru came out accompanied by Su Yunzhi.
Lin Yinan had a vague idea of what Su Yunru was going to say, so she turned and walked towards the backyard.
"Come with me, the backyard is quieter."
Standing under the tall osmanthus tree in the backyard, Lin Yinan said in a cool voice, "Just say what you have to say."
Su Yunru turned to look at her brother, Su Yunzhi, who nodded to her. She clenched her fists, hiding her hands in her sleeves, and mustered her courage to walk up to Lin Yinan.
She looked up at the woman who was always aloof and cold, but now she exuded an air of authority that inspired awe.
Su Yunru opened her mouth and said, "Anan, it was all my fault before. Please forgive my ignorance when I was young."
Lin Yinan's clear, light eyes were fixed on her.
"impossible."
"Why?" Unexpectedly, she refused. Su Yunru took a step forward, her hands clasped together unconsciously.
She only swallowed her pride and begged for peace because the Deng family had business dealings with them and the Deng family had benefited so much from it.
Lin Yinan stood there quietly with a blank expression, and even Su Yunzhi, who was standing next to her, looked puzzled when she heard her answer.
After a moment, she said, "It's impossible to cover up what you've done just because you said you were young and ignorant. The fact that you attacked An'er and me back then showed your inherent evil. If I hadn't been strong enough, my brother and I would probably be dead by now."
Thinking of the lovely and adorable Yun Shijiu, Lin Yinan's voice grew even colder.
"Have you ever considered that those are three lives?"
The brother and sister were stunned. So much time had passed, and they never expected Lin Yinan to reopen their wounds so cruelly.
"There's no need for us to shake hands and make peace. Let's just keep to ourselves and avoid trouble in the future. The Deng family is our business partner in Longtan. We'll stick to business, and there won't be any entanglements between us outside of business."
As the saying goes, a tree is ruined by its roots, and a person is ruined by their heart.
A person's nature is ingrained in their bones; it cannot be changed simply by wanting to.
The reason Su Yunru came to apologize was simply because she was afraid that Su Yunru would have a hand in business with the Deng family.
Actually, she was overthinking it. Lin Yinan judges people, not things, and has always kept public and private matters separate.
Lin Yinan glanced at Su Yunru, whose hands were clasped together to protect her lower abdomen, and a slight smile appeared on her lips. She guessed that Deng Kang probably didn't know she was pregnant.
Just as Lin Yinan was about to turn and leave, her ears twitched slightly, and she quickly drew the sword from her waist. She lightly touched the stone steps with her feet and used the momentum to leap onto the osmanthus tree.
She growled at the bewildered brother and sister under the tree, "Get out of here! Get out of here!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
