Perhaps it's because the Lin family's business isn't big enough? When the profits are tempting enough, people are easily tempted to take extreme measures.
The Yang family can be considered top-tier wealthy families, so it's no wonder that the children from their different wives are fighting so fiercely for such a large fortune.
Even siblings from the same parents would find it hard not to scheme against each other or even break ties when faced with such enormous interests.
"Sis, were you scared by what I told you?" Yang Xile asked when he saw that Lin Xiao's face had turned pale after hearing his story.
"No, no, you must take good care of yourself." Out of genuine sympathy and concern for the child, Lin Xiao reminded him again like an older sister.
"Sis, don't worry. My current bodyguard is a former special forces soldier, the kind who can take on a hundred men single-handedly. He's earned merits in the military. Originally, the old man wanted to keep him for himself, but he gave him to me after my car accident."
Lin Xiao smiled and said, "It seems your father still loves you the most."
Yang Xile said with a hint of pride, "That's right, my dad said I'm most like him, in every way."
Lin Xiao thought of his younger sister, Lin Xue. Although she was also very beautiful, she didn't resemble their father, Lin Haitao, at all, yet she was still favored. It was fate, and there was no way to force it.
As she was pondering this in her heart, Yang Xile suddenly asked her, "Sister, how many children do you have in your family? Is it complicated?"
“It’s not complicated, at least simpler than yours,” Lin Xiao said, speaking more relaxedly since they were already quite familiar with each other. “I have a half-sister, and that’s it. Of course, I don’t know if my dad has any illegitimate children outside of marriage.”
"Hmm, it's much simpler than my home, but it probably isn't too easy either, is it? You live with your stepmother and your younger sister?"
Lin Xiao nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Yang Xile realized that she didn't want to talk about this anymore, so she quickly changed the subject: "Your family is really doing well in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical stocks have been so resilient these past few years, amidst the general gloom in the A-share market."
"Do you know anything about stocks? I know absolutely nothing," Lin Xiao said, looking at him.
"I know a little bit; my dad took me out to play. But sis, the major you're studying now has absolutely nothing to do with your family's path. It's not in medicine or business management, so what use will it be for you after you graduate?"
Lin Xiao smiled helplessly: "Because the company my family will be in the future will probably have nothing to do with me. My dad said I should study what I like and do what I like."
"Your dad is pretty easygoing. My dad scratches his head every day among his bunch of sons and daughters, not knowing which he should choose as his successor," Yang Xile said with a laugh.
"My sister is more favored than me, and she's also studying business administration. These kinds of business battles won't concern me in the future; I can just watch from the sidelines. I'm just afraid I won't even understand what's going on," Lin Xiao said self-deprecatingly.
Yang Xile was surprised that Lin Xiao's experience was somewhat similar to her own, yet not quite. Their positions seemed to be opposite: the child of the legal wife being neglected and the child of the mistress being favored after taking over.
"How old is your sister? Has she graduated?" he suddenly asked.
"Don't count on her anymore, my sister is engaged to my ex-boyfriend." Although she said this with a smile, Lin Xiao's expression and eyes were heartbreaking.
This was the second time she had reopened her wounds for others to see since she had mentioned this past incident to Wei Changfeng and the others in Albertville.
This time, Yang Xile was startled. He secretly observed Lin Xiao's expression and, to break the awkward silence, joked:
"Sister, what if we joined forces in the future and our families got married? Wouldn't we be invincible?"
"Haha, how can steel companies partner with pharmaceutical companies? Then, no matter what kind of medicine it is, no matter how many pills, it'll all come in steel boxes, emphasizing a high-end image! Anyway, you have plenty of steel, and I have plenty of medicine; we can produce and sell our own, right?"
Hearing that Lin Xiao could still joke, Yang Xile felt a sense of relief. Finally, he was no longer in a situation that had left him feeling awkward and helpless.
He continued, "In terms of influence, our family dominates the northern market, while your family is well-known in the south. When we join forces, we will be unstoppable anywhere in the country."
"Then we'll join forces to take down my sister, your brother, and your sister, and the Lin Group and Xiangyu Group will be ours. Then we'll be able to walk sideways, won't we?" After saying that, the two of them burst into laughter at the same time.
The days in Paris passed by like flowing water. Winter break was still ongoing, and schools had not yet started. Yang Xile would come to visit Lin Xiao whenever she had free time. Sometimes she would invite Yu Qingning along, and sometimes Lin Xiao and Yu Qingning would go out alone.
Lin Xiao was a few years older, and it was clear that as long as Yang Xile was present, the introverted Xiao Yu would become even more introverted. However, she would always try her best to find topics to talk about, just like she had when she was 18.
To avoid appearing intimidated or naive in front of Feng Jinglin, who was already studying at a university in Beijing, she had also worked diligently in this way. Seeing Xiao Yu in front of her was like seeing herself back then.
On two separate occasions, they also went on trips with more friends, driving to explore the outskirts of Paris.
They were all Chinese students studying abroad, and the topics they discussed were varied. As they chatted, they came up with gossip about Wei Changfeng, who was topping the trending search lists on various domestic websites.
Some sarcastic students mocked Wei Changfeng for being "physically disabled but determined," saying that even though he was on crutches, he still couldn't stop chasing girls.
Some say he was in France just a few days ago, and now that he's back in China and this scandal is breaking, his French business partners must be furious.
Some people say, "Hey, the French are romantic and passionate themselves, they don't care about these private lives."
Lin Xiao simply listened to everyone's discussion from the sidelines without saying a word.
However, she has indeed broadened her horizons during her time in France, discovering that foreigners' ways of thinking and problem-solving are quite different from those of Chinese people.
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