A group of people arrived at the pickup point.
Lin Yue pulled Gao Min straight toward a brand-new Porsche. "Sister Min, ride in this car. Big Brother just got it, and now it's mine to drive. We can chat along the way, and I'll tell you about all the fun places in the Imperial Capital!"
Gao Min instinctively glanced back at Liu Yutong.
Liu Yutong gave a slight nod, signaling her to go ahead without worry.
So, Gao Min was pulled into the Porsche by Lin Yue, while Liu Yutong was naturally arranged into the family minivan behind.
In the van, besides the driver Lin Feng, there were Lin Shen, Lin Feng, and Lin Mian—three male members of the Lin family.
Lin Feng and Lin Mian sat in the back row, while Lin Shen and Liu Yutong occupied the two seats in the middle row.
Once the van started moving, Lin Feng couldn't hold back. He leaned over the seatback, grinning at Liu Yutong.
"Miss Liu, first time in the Imperial Capital?"
Liu Yutong gave a faint "mm-hmm," clearly not wanting to engage with him.
Lin Feng, thick-skinned as ever, pressed on enthusiastically: "Then you've got to look around properly! The Imperial Capital is huge, with tons of great places to visit. The Four-Nine City has countless historical sites. How about I act as your guide these next few days? I promise you'll have a blast!"
Liu Yutong finally turned her head and looked at him.
"Do you know what you look like right now?"
Lin Feng was startled. "What do I look like?"
Liu Yutong: "A dog."
Lin Feng's face darkened instantly. "You—"
But before he could finish, Liu Yutong leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.
Lin Feng's curse got stuck in his throat, his face flushed red.
Lin Shen adjusted his glasses, the corner of his mouth twitching as if stifling a laugh. He cleared his throat to smooth things over. "Miss Liu, don't mind him. My younger brother is just a bit overenthusiastic, no harm meant. By the way, Miss Liu, what kind of work do you do in Pearl City?"
"Just a small business," Liu Yutong reopened her eyes.
"Oh, running a business—that's good. How's the economic development over in Pearl City?"
"It's alright."
Lin Feng, perhaps trying to save face after hearing her tepid reply, leaned in again with a sense of superiority. "'Alright'—what kind of standard is that? Can it compare to our Imperial Capital? The GDP of any single district here beats an entire city like yours, right?"
Liu Yutong didn't turn her head. "It can't compare."
Lin Feng smirked smugly. "Of course. A small place like yours is far off from our Imperial Capital. But that's normal—this is the Four-Nine City, after all."
Lin Mian, sitting in the back row, couldn't help muttering quietly, "Second Brother, don't say that..."
Lin Feng spun around and glared at him. "Did I say anything wrong? It's the truth; what's wrong with saying it?"
He turned back to Liu Yutong. "But, to be fair, small cities have their perks—slower pace of life, fresher air, less stress. When I have time, I'll drop by Pearl City for a visit. Miss Liu, you'll have to be my tour guide then!"
Liu Yutong: "You'd better not come. I'm afraid you won't get used to it."
Lin Feng scoffed. "How could that be? Sure, small cities have poorer infrastructure than the Imperial Capital, but I'm not that delicate—I can handle a bit of hardship. Don't worry!"
Liu Yutong nodded. "Well then, when you do come, I'll make sure to have someone take good care of you."
Lin Feng didn't catch the hidden meaning in her words and instead nodded eagerly. "Great, great, it's settled! I'll definitely come another day. Don't get annoyed with me then!"
Liu Yutong said nothing more, only cursing inwardly: "You idiot! Just don't come crying and begging me to let you go."
About half an hour later,
the van passed through several bustling streets and finally pulled into a quiet old neighborhood, stopping in front of a three-courtyard mansion.
Liu Yutong got out, her gaze sweeping over the property with subtle assessment.
Grey bricks and black tiles, upturned eaves and carved ridges, a pair of stone lions flanking the gate, and gleaming brass studs on the vermilion door.
For the Lin family to own a three-courtyard estate here in the Western Hills of the Imperial Capital—their background was indeed deep.
This estate, put on the market, would be worth at least a hundred million, and even then, it might not be up for sale.
The main hall was a typical Ming and Qing style building: a seven-purlin, hard-peaked roof, with a front veranda and a rear extension. Six large red lanterns hung under the eaves, casting a festive glow over the entire courtyard.
The lacquer on the corridor pillars was deep and shiny, clearly well-maintained.
Inside the hall, rosewood furniture was neatly arranged—purple sandalwood tables and armchairs. Famous calligraphy and paintings adorned the walls, and a curio cabinet displayed a variety of antique ceramics: blue-and-white, famille rose, and several pieces that looked like fine Ming and Qing imperial ware.
Around the central table, several people were seated.
"Young Master Lin, the young ladies and gentlemen are back."
With the steward Uncle Liu's announcement, Lin Feng led Liu Yutong, Gao Min, Lin Shen, and the others into the main hall.
Everyone inside turned their gazes toward them.
At the head of the table sat a woman in her fifties, well-preserved, wearing a dark red embroidered cheongsam and a high-quality jadeite bangle on her wrist. This was Lin Dong’s second sister-in-law, Zhang Yu.
Beside her sat a man in his forties, with gold-rimmed glasses and a dark grey shirt, looking refined—this was Lin Zheng.
On the other armchair sat a heavily made-up woman with big permed curls in a bright yellow dress, holding a cup of black tea, her fingernails painted a vivid red. This was Lin Zheng’s wife, Wang Jiangyao.
As they entered, everyone’s eyes fell on them.
In those gazes, there was curiosity, scrutiny, and superiority—but very little goodwill.
Lin Feng stepped forward to introduce Gao Min. "Second Aunt, Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, this is Aunt Jiang's daughter, Gao Min."
He paused, then gestured to Liu Yutong. "And this is Sister Min's... good friend, Miss Liu, who came with her to tour the Imperial Capital."
Zhang Yu set down her blue-and-white teacup, lifted her eyelids, and sized up Gao Min, her face breaking into a warm smile.
"Oh my, so this is LuLu’s daughter? Come closer and let Second Aunt have a look."
Gao Min stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Second Aunt."
Zhang Yu took her hand, inspecting her from all angles, muttering, "Mm, pretty features, and there’s indeed a bit of LuLu in her brow and eyes. But as for temperament—well, growing up in a small place does leave its mark. There's a certain... wildness, not quite like our girls from the Imperial Capital."
The words sounded like praise, but anyone could sense the condescending superiority dripping from them.
Wang Jiangyao picked up the thread, smiling kindly, but her tone was like that of a mentor instructing a junior. "Second Sister-in-law, don’t say that. It’s her first time in the Imperial Capital—it’s normal not to know the rules. She can learn gradually."
"Minmin, since you're now part of the Lin family, you'll have to follow the Lin family's rules. Later, ask Uncle Liu to explain the family's dos and don'ts: what to wear on what occasion, what to say to whom, how to walk, how to eat, how to serve tea—every little thing has its own proper way. You must study hard and not embarrass Third Sister-in-law. After all, your mother back then... well, let's not go there. Anyway, the more you learn, the better off you'll be."
Gao Min said, "I understand. Thank you for your advice, Fourth Aunt."
Then Wang Jiangyao turned to Liu Yutong and asked, "And what does your friend here do for a living?"
Gao Min replied, "My little... um, my best friend runs a small business in Mingzhu City."
"Running a business, is it?"
"Someone in business coming to the Imperial Capital—looking for opportunities to grow, I suppose? You should make the most of it. The Imperial Capital isn't like your small-town backwater. There are plenty of opportunities here, but the competition is fierce. Not everyone can find their footing..."
Wang Jiangyao had already decided in her mind that this girl was just someone who knew Gao Min had latched onto the Lin family and was trying to ride on her coattails. She felt even more contempt. She had seen plenty of these little gold diggers trying to climb the social ladder—the kind that weren't even fit to polish the Lin family's shoes.
As the conversation strayed further and further off-topic, with more and more barbs being thrown, Lin Feng, who was listening on the sidelines, felt his face turn red.
Small business?
The money that woman had could buy up the entire Lin manor and the land it sat on, several times over!
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and interrupted their chat. "Alright, alright. Sister Min and her friend just got off the plane—they must be exhausted from the trip. Let them rest for now. We can talk more later."
Wang Jiangyao said, "Xiaofeng is right. Minmin and Miss Liu, please go upstairs and rest. Oh, Uncle Liu, have the rooms for them been prepared?"
The butler, Uncle Liu, stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Yes, Fourth Mistress. The rooms are ready, in the guest rooms at the back courtyard."
"This way, please, young ladies."
Uncle Liu gestured and led the two of them through a long corridor. On both sides of the corridor were a few side rooms. They passed a decorative gate and finally arrived at a row of single-story houses in the back courtyard.
This area was clearly much more remote and shabby than the main courtyard.
Then Uncle Liu pushed open a door. The room inside was clean and tidy, with a double bed, a simple sofa set, a wardrobe, and a small bathroom. Compared to what ordinary people had, the conditions were actually quite decent.
But in a grand household like the Lin family's, it was very humble.
The butler offered no explanation, just said with a smile, "Young ladies, please get some rest. Dinner will start at half past six. Someone will come to fetch you then."
With that, he left.
After Liu Yutong looked around the room and its furnishings, she suddenly laughed.
She could tell at a glance that this wasn't a guest room at all—it was clearly a servant's quarters, and a double-occupancy one at that.
"Sister, the Lin family really does treat us like a couple of country bumpkins. They've put us in the maid's room, and a shared one at that."
Gao Min's expression didn't look too good either. She didn't care about material comforts, but this obvious insult made her uncomfortable. "This is bullying. Maybe I should talk to Uncle Lin..."
Liu Yutong waved her hand. "No need. This is fine. They look down on you because they think you're from the countryside—naive and easy to push around. Just wait until they realize you're not what they imagined. That'll be interesting."
When Gao Min heard this, she could guess what her sister was up to. She couldn't help but say, "You really are a schemer. Speaking of which, are you really going to keep using the identity of my best friend? You're not going to tell them who you really are?"
Liu Yutong said, "I told you, I'm here to keep you company. You came back to the Lin family to reconnect with your relatives, and I'm just tagging along. That's all."
"Besides, if I gave away my identity, it would be boring."
"I want to see what kind of tricks these young masters and ladies of the Imperial Capital are capable of."
Gao Min looked at her sister, who wore that effortless, carefree expression, and suddenly felt a bit sorry for the Lin family.
Who could have known that her own little sister had such an odd habit of playing the fool to catch the wise!
