Xyrin Empire

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Instant Collapse of Character

Under the guidance of the Lin Family’s Miss, we finally entered the excessively decadent and colossal mansion.

“Don’t worry, although my old man is really angry right now, if you behave, you might be able to leave with your body intact…” Lin Xue whispered to me.

“…”

“By the way, Ah Jun, where’s our car?” Qianqian suddenly asked nervously. This girl, who had never really been conscious of her importance, was first and foremost concerned that nothing should happen to her beloved car.

“Relax, although it looks pretty wrecked, the Lin Family won’t mind providing a parking spot for a broken car…” Lin Xue said, patting her chest, then muttered under her breath, “Heh, a car worth seven hundred billion, ha…”

Typical jealousy of the wealthy…

There are downsides to a big house, and its biggest downside is… it’s too big…

After walking for a full ten minutes in this mansion, akin to a royal garden, we still hadn’t seen the “quickly arriving” main house that Lin Xue had mentioned. Considering that half of the Lin Family lives in this complex, with its densely packed buildings, it seems we’ll need a good while longer before we can meet the legendary Mr. Lin…

“I really wonder how you made sure you didn’t get lost here when you were little…”

Lin Xue immediately put her hands on her hips and arrogantly replied, “Miss here isn’t like you with a low IQ. How could I possibly get lost in my own home!”

Ding Ling shrugged her shoulders without any mercy, exposing the truth: “Don’t know who was that silly girl who often got stuck in the grove, crying anxiously— seems like your superpower was developed after one such episode of being lost, right?”

“Oh, so Miss Lin even has such a glorious past!” I immediately nodded, pretending to have an epiphany, indicating this would become my trump card against Lin Xue’s sharp tongue for a long time in the future.

“You…” Lin Xue made a clawing gesture at me, then snickered, “Heh, just wait, I’ll give you something to see!”

Okay, I admit it—I was a bit scared. Aside from anything else, her ability to cause trouble could be described as unparalleled. If she said she was going to make it tough for me, I really had to be on my highest alert— in some ways, the troubles caused by Lin Xue could be more dreadful than my sister’s twelve curses.

Therefore, for the next ten minutes, I had no choice but to desperately apologize—even though I didn’t know why I was apologizing—just to finally dissuade Miss Lin from causing unnecessary trouble.

After an indeterminable amount of time, we finally reached the main house Lin Xue had repeatedly said was “just around the corner,” a quaint two-story building, redolent of ancient charm.

Who would have thought that Lin Xue’s father was a classical aficionado?

With a touch of nervousness, we entered this classic-style building.

Rich people, they really are rich!

Look at these furnishings, these calligraphy and paintings, that purple-gold incense burner, that huge screen, and the Fuwa with Tang Bohu’s signature on it!

That Fuwa must be an illusion…

“It must be my little cousin again…” Lin Xue, caught between laughter and tears, said upon seeing the humorously styled Tang Bohu Fuwa on the screen.

Just as we were carefully assessing the Fuwa on the screen, footsteps suddenly echoed from the staircase on the second floor.

A tall, middle-aged man looking sharp in traditional Chinese attire and a middle-aged woman with a modest dress and lingering charm appeared before us—these should be Lin Xue’s parents, Lin Dingfeng and Zheng Xia.

The parents had clearly seen us by now, and when they saw me, I noticed that Lin Dingfeng’s expression changed slightly before he nodded subtly in my direction and then walked down the stairs at an unhurried pace.

There wasn’t the scene I had imagined of them getting furiously angry and coming at me full throttle upon meeting…

Ahem, I admit, that whole scenario was purely fictional. Anyway, it wouldn’t have been possible for Lin Xue’s father to have such an impulsive character, given his prominent status and respectable reputation. Mr. Lin naturally had the restraint and dignity of a gentleman, which I could tell from the aura he exuded from time to time.

Mr. and Mrs. Lin came down the stairs and then started to look at the Fuwa on the screen with us…

After a few awkward seconds, Mr. Lin suddenly burst into hearty laughter, shook his head, and said, “It must be Nana’s doing, last time we had nursery rhymes written by Li Bai, and now a Fuwa by Tang Bohu—what trouble that girl causes.”

Mrs. Lin also smiled and agreed, “Nana always brings surprises every time she comes over, but the little one is really smart, even her pranks are creative.”

Just like that, the atmosphere between us improved a lot.

I couldn’t help but admire Mr. Lin’s shrewdness. He could improve the mood with something that was initially quite awkward and could remain so calm and even cordial in front of me, a “stranger” who “eloped with his daughter.” He truly was a cunning old fox who had weathered many storms!

“So you’re Chen Jun?” Mr. Lin asked with a smile, but there was a slight pressure in his gaze toward me. Although it wasn’t hostility, it was filled with skepticism and scrutiny.

Unfortunately, such slight pressure meant nothing to me—with all the Lolis and sisters back home, who each were a handful in their own right, I was already used to it…

I smiled politely and nodded, “Hello, Uncle and Aunt.”

“Ha-ha, not bad. I knew it. That frivolous boy from the Liu Family isn’t very reliable when he speaks, and I wonder why Ding Bai also joined the farce… Come, come, sit down and let’s talk. That person over there… That is…”

Mr. Lin gestured for us to sit down and then suddenly noticed Sandora, who had gotten bored and had wandered off to study some calligraphy and paintings. The next second, he was stunned with surprise.

Sandora had already been watching us, and she turned to give a noble smile, then came over to my side.

“Hello, Mr. Lin. I believe we’ve met once before at the welcome banquet,” Sandora said, maintaining a polite smile and bending slightly in a noble gesture of greetings before saying courteously.

Such perfect noble etiquette! Such dignified princess demeanor! It would be hard to imagine that just last night, this girl had a piece of cake in her mouth, squatting on the couch fighting over the TV remote with me!

Clearly, Liu Zicai hadn’t mentioned much about me to Mr. Lin, at least not about Princess Sandora. Although Mr. Lin had heard from the media about Princess Sandora studying in China and living with an ordinary young man, and the relationship between them was rather intimate, he didn’t know much more due to Sandora’s ruthless handling of the media. Hence his surprise now.

“I should have given prior notice before arriving,” Sandora said as she gently took my arm, “but since this involves my lover, I couldn’t help but impulsively come over. Please forgive my intrusion.”

Mr. Lin was taken aback, but he was clearly not the gossipy type, and he quickly calmed down with a smile, “While this is rather unexpected, love is free. I’m delighted to see Princess Your Highness finding happiness. Also, about the rumors concerning Little Xue… I believe this misunderstanding can now be cleared up… So, this girl is…”

Mr. Lin spoke and then looked toward Qianqian.

“This…” I immediately felt somewhat awkward—some things just don’t seem quite right to say out loud. While I had no inclination to deny this relationship, it still felt a bit uncomfortable…

Qianqian, on the other hand, didn’t seem to feel awkward at all. Whether out of obtuseness or a competitive streak, she swiftly squeezed into my arms, grinned at Sandora, and then said to Mr. Lin, “My name is Xu Qianqian, and both Sandora and I are Ah Jun’s girlfriends.”

Mr. Lin’s face suddenly became rigid. Then, looking at his wife who also had a changing expression, he said to me in a stern tone, “It looks like you still need to explain the situation with Little Xue…”

Indeed, my reputation had completely crumbled…