Volume One, Chapter 26: In Disarray

Jiali Ji was draped in fur, dressed in sumptuous elegance. Separated from them by an ornate iron gate, she stood within the courtyard, a step higher than Jiang Wan and the others, easily looking down on the three before her.

Jiali Ji lifted her chin with arrogant pride, arms crossed over her chest—she might as well have pasted the word “smug” across her forehead.

Jiang Wan saw through her intentions at a glance, and the mother and son beside her were equally clear on what was happening.

“My dear in-law,” Yan Yan forced a stiff smile, each word tinged with barely concealed resentment.

Jiali Ji still showed no intention of opening the gate. Her lovely almond-shaped eyes blinked twice as she asked with feigned innocence, “Is there something you need, my dear in-law? Aren’t you usually busy with work? What brings you here as a guest today?”

“Oh, wait, you’re not here as guests, are you?” Her eyes drifted to their empty hands, and she blinked again, all innocence. “So what business brings you here?”

Yan Yan caught on immediately. “Look at me, how forgetful I am! I nearly forgot the most important thing.” She shot a look at Huai Xu Gu, “Huai Xu, go fetch the gifts from the car’s trunk.”

Huai Xu froze for a couple of seconds. They had left in a hurry and brought nothing with them. Still, he obeyed, and in the trunk of his mother’s car found several shopping bags—leftovers from gifts he and Jiang Wan had previously given.

The moment Huai Xu returned carrying branded shopping bags, Jiali Ji’s expression softened at once. Smiling, she opened the door to receive them.

“My dear in-law, you’re too kind! You shouldn’t have, such extravagance,” she exclaimed, all the while feigning modesty.

“It’s only right,” Yan Yan replied, keeping up the pretense, trading courtesies with Jiali Ji.

Walking behind them, Jiang Wan glanced at the bags in Huai Xu’s hands and guessed that Yan Yan had planned to return those items at the mall, only to have them put to another use before she had the chance.

Her mother, blissfully unaware, accepted the gifts and couldn’t help but peek into the bags. All the items inside were favorite clothing and accessories of hers, their brands and styles well chosen.

Jiali Ji’s pleasure was plain on her face. With Lin Hongguang and Lin Zhi both absent, she was the undisputed mistress of the house.

She invited her guests to sit and ordered the servants to bring tea and snacks, displaying her hostess’s bearing to the fullest—so different from the last time Jiang Wan had come, when she had been little more than a doormat.

Yan Yan wasted no time and bluntly asked after Lin Zhi. Upon learning that Lin Zhi hadn’t returned home, disappointment flashed across Yan Yan’s face, but she had no choice but to wait patiently.

As dusk settled and dinner approached, Jiali Ji instructed the kitchen to prepare a generous meal, making a point of boasting to Yan Yan about the origins of each ingredient, all the little details emphasizing just how much Lin Hongguang doted on her.

Yet, even after dinner, there was no sign of Lin Hongguang or his daughter. Yan Yan’s phone kept buzzing with messages since evening, and her patience was finally spent.

She announced her intention to leave, and Jiali Ji promptly showed them out. Jiang Wan followed behind her mother, watching Jiali Ji’s gloating smile, barely concealed, as she relished Yan Yan’s disappointment.

“That woman is too much!” As soon as the three of them got into the car, Yan Yan vented her frustration. “What’s she so proud of? You’d think Lin Zhi was her daughter, the way she throws her weight around! If it weren’t for the risk of alarming the Lin Corporation, who would bother coming to see her? She really thinks she’s important! Lin Hongguang’s ‘kindness’ to her? All that imported food is just because his daughter’s back and can’t get used to local dishes!”

Yan Yan unleashed all her grievances, not caring that Jiang Wan was listening.

“Mom…” Huai Xu tried to warn her with a look, but Yan Yan kept on complaining about Jiali Ji.

“Enough. With all this time wasted, we’d be better off contacting your uncle and seeing if he knows what’s going on, and sending someone to find out where Lin Zhi is.”

The reminder brought Yan Yan back to her senses. Though still fuming, she knew what was important.

Yet, both Wen Zhou Lu and Lin Zhi seemed to have vanished into thin air, suddenly uncontactable and leaving no trace.

Three days later, the official results of the “King of Land” bid were announced. The Lin Corporation had successfully acquired the coveted plot. Almost simultaneously, the Lin Group’s official website posted an update and a personnel notice: Lin Zhi had officially joined the Lin Corporation as deputy manager of the Project Department.

These two bombshells sent shockwaves through Rong City. Lin’s stock prices hit the ceiling within minutes. News outlets scrambled to report on the Lin family’s heiress—her upbringing, her studies abroad, speculations on her future—all agreeing she was destined for greatness.

At the very moment rumor became fact, Yan Yan could no longer bear the blow and fainted, landing herself in the hospital.

Jiang Wan went to visit her. In the hospital room, Yan Yan lay pale on the bed, an IV in her hand, looking years older in her exhaustion.

Sensing Jiang Wan’s presence, she opened her eyes slightly and turned her head away.

Jiang Wan understood her pride—how high she had soared before, how far she had fallen now. The Gu and Lin families had once been equals, both in the construction business, rivals balancing each other out. Now, the Lin family had soared overnight. The Gu family would face ridicule, maybe even suppression… Just the thought made Jiang Wan uneasy. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter—the plan she had relied on had been to use the Gu family as her shield to turn the tide. The Gu family’s current predicament left her equally stranded.

“Mom, Huai Xu has been busy with social events these past two days and hasn’t had time to visit you,” Jiang Wan offered an excuse for Huai Xu.

Yan Yan, knowing her son’s ways, was in no mood to argue. She gave Jiang Wan a sidelong glance. After a moment’s hesitation, she forced herself to speak, awkwardly.

“I heard the Lin family is hosting a welcome banquet for Lin Zhi. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you to get a few invitations, right?” Her tone was stiff, still clinging to her pride.

With only the two of them in the room, her mixture of yielding and pride made the atmosphere awkward—fainting from anger, yet still probing for information.

While Jiang Wan admired her mother’s persistence, she also understood her intent. Yan Yan was looking for an opportunity to discuss possible cooperation. After her experience at the Lin home, she couldn’t bear another rebuff and wanted Jiang Wan to approach Jiali Ji for the invitations, so they could present it as an invitation from family, not as them shamelessly seeking a favor.

Jiang Wan weighed the pros and cons. Before she could reply, Jiali Ji’s sharp voice rang out at the door.

“Isn’t it just a few invitations to a banquet? What’s so difficult about that?” Dressed in splendid attire and carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers, she appeared radiant. “It all depends, of course, on the attitude of our dear in-law.”