Ten minutes earlier, the side hall where the scions of the elite families had gathered was quite lively.
As soon as Lin Yi took her seat with Gao Min, Lin Feng, and Lin Mian, many tactful people immediately surrounded them with wine glasses in hand. After all, Lin Yi was a prominent figure in the capital's social circles, holding a real power position at a C-level at such a young age. Everyone wanted to seize the chance to build a good relationship with her and get on her good side.
"Sister Yi, long time no see."
"Sister Yi, you look stunning today. Which designer is that dress from?"
"Sister Yi, and this is..."
Lin Yi graciously introduced Gao Min: "This is my sister, Gao Min. Please take good care of her in the future."
Although everyone was privately wondering how someone with the surname Gao became a member of the Lin family—having never heard of it before—since she was Lin Yi's sister, it was only proper to give her the face she deserved. They all greeted Gao Min with smiles.
Gao Min responded politely, but her eyes kept drifting toward the VIP seats on the left.
She also saw Liu Yutong sitting opposite Jiang Yuan, and saw her smiling and shaking hands with him as if nothing was wrong.
Honestly, in this regard, she couldn't compare to her sister.
If she were in her sister's place, she would have probably lost her cool long ago.
It must take incredible mental strength to smile so naturally at the murderer of one's father.
Just as she was about to secretly send a text message to ask her sister when it would be convenient to make a move, a harsh voice rang in her ears.
"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Lin! What, bringing so many people today—are you here to wish Old Madam Jiang a happy birthday or just to freeload?"
Hearing this voice, Gao Min frowned slightly and turned to look.
A young girl in a rose-red gown, followed by several young men, sauntered toward them with an air of arrogance.
The girl was about twenty-three or twenty-four, with passable features, but the arrogance and sharpness on her face dragged down her appearance significantly, making even her looks seem unpleasant. This was Zhou Yun, the daughter of the Zhou family's second branch and the younger sister of Zhou Heng.
Lin Yi furrowed her brows: "Miss Zhou, today is Old Madam Jiang's birthday banquet. You'd better not cause trouble."
Zhou Yun completely ignored Lin Yi's warning, instead turning her gaze to Gao Min: "Oh, this one looks unfamiliar. Miss Lin, when did your Lin family add such a character? I had no idea. She couldn't be some poor distant relative here to beg for handouts, could she?"
Lin Yi said flatly: "She's my sister."
Zhou Yun let out a snicker: "Lin Yi, is your Lin family really that desperate for people? You bring in any random cat or dog and drag them into this circle? Haven't you seen what kind of occasion this is? Does she deserve to sit here?"
The expression on Gao Min's face immediately darkened.
Seriously, what was wrong with this person? Biting people out of nowhere!
Lin Feng couldn't hold back anymore and jumped up: "Zhou Yun, watch your mouth! She's my sister!"
Zhou Yun shot him a sidelong glance: "Lin Feng, what are you shouting about? Who gave you the right to speak here? I really don't get it—how can you even have the nerve to show up at an occasion like this? Do you even deserve to? Does the Lin family now rank high enough to be at the same table as us?"
Lin Feng's face turned ashen with anger, but he couldn't find a good retort.
Although Zhou Yun's words were harsh, some of it was true. The Lin family indeed wasn't what it used to be, and compared to the top-tier families present, it fell far short.
Seeing him seeth but dare not speak, Zhou Yun grew even more smug and turned her focus to Lin Mian.
Lin Mian kept his head down, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
At only eighteen, he knew he was no match for Zhou Yun in a war of words, so naturally he wanted to avoid unwarranted trouble.
But Zhou Yun had no intention of letting him off: "Oh, we've got a little kid here too! Is this Lin Mian? I hear you have good grades in school. What, are you here today to recite Tang poems for Old Madam Jiang?"
"Why don't you start with 'Quack, Quack, Quack' for big sister here and let me judge how well you perform?"
"Ha ha ha..."
As she said this, the young men from the Zhou family behind her burst into laughter.
Lin Mian's head sank even lower, his face turning crimson, his ears burning.
Lin Feng: "Zhou Yun, that's enough! If you've got guts, take it out on me!"
Zhou Yun spun around to face him and pointed at Lin Mian: "He's of age now, it's not like he's that fragile! And by the way, why don't I see Lin Shen or Lin Yue? Oh, I get it. Looks like they had sense enough to know they'd embarrass themselves here, so they didn't come."
Her words were incredibly cutting, effectively trampling all the younger generation of the Lin family's dignity.
Lin Yi's face also darkened.
She had long expected the Zhou family to stir up trouble, but she hadn't anticipated Zhou Yun being so blatant.
She looked at Lin Feng and Lin Mian, feeling a pang of regret.
She should have insisted they not come in the first place. These two teammates were just dead weight, completely overpowered by Zhou Yun.
The other young elites in the area had all quietly settled in to watch the drama unfold.
Zhou Yun kept on relentlessly, delivering taunts and insults.
"Lin Yi, your Lin family has truly opened my eyes today. The old ones have nothing to show for, and the young ones can't hold themselves with any dignity. And you still dare to come wish Old Madam Jiang a happy birthday? If I were you, I'd have crawled into a mouse hole a long time ago!"
The young men from the Zhou family behind her again burst into laughter.
Amidst this chorus of ridicule, Lin Yi slowly stood up.
She didn't explode in fury or become flustered as everyone expected. Instead, she looked at Zhou Yun calmly.
"Miss Zhou, are you done?"
Zhou Yun met her gaze, a flicker of unease stirring inside her, but her mouth remained sharp: "So what if I'm done? So what if I'm not? Lin Yi, your Lin family just aren't up to scratch. Did I say anything wrong?"
"No, you didn't."
Lin Yi nodded, even admitting it: "You're right. The Lin family hasn't been what it once was these past few years."
Zhou Yun was taken aback. She hadn't expected the other woman to agree. Just as she was about to gloat with further mockery, Lin Yi's next words froze her smile in place.
"Miss Zhou, if you think this kind of insult can actually humiliate me, I'm really disappointed."
"I heard your Zhou family is said to be the top preeminent family in the capital. But no matter how closely I look, I just can't see it."
Zhou Yun's face changed: "You—"
"Hold on, I'm not finished."
Lin Yi didn't give her a chance to interrupt. She took another step forward, and Zhou Yun subconsciously stepped back.
"You say my Lin family doesn't measure up. Fine, I admit it."
"But where has your Zhou family excelled?"
"Your grandfather, Old Master Zhou, was quite a renowned figure in his day. Unfortunately, he lost face in the end—going to such lengths, at his age, to beg favors for a good-for-nothing grandson. Your eldest uncle managed to get a decent position, but not only is he incompetent, he loves showing off. Your father..."
Lin Yi gave a scathing assessment from top to bottom, and finally turned her attention to Zhou Yun herself.
"And as for your generation, not one of them is worth mentioning."
“Take you, for example.”
“Zhou Yun, you graduated from the Imperial College of Art, majoring in acting. It’s been two or three years since you graduated—what roles have you played? A third female lead in a web drama, and even that you bought your way into. I happened to watch the final cut your crew submitted, and honestly, with your acting skills, it’s a total waste of such good resources.”
“And do you know what people in the industry say about you? No talent, no integrity—useless except for having a rich father. If it weren’t for how pitiful your crew looked, I would have rejected your film outright.”
“That’s enough!”
Zhou Yun was on the verge of a breakdown, shrieking, “Lin Yi! You’re talking nonsense! You—”
“Don’t rush!”
Lin Yi cut her off again. “I’m not done yet. It’s one thing for a girl like you to be a disappointment, but your brother is the real piece of work—the one who’s truly brought shame to your family.”
Zhou Yun: “Stop it!”
“Weren’t you the one who wanted to hear me out? Let me finish!”
Lin Yi turned to the members of wealthy families gathered around, eavesdropping, and said loudly, “You all might not know this yet. Zhou Heng, Zhou Yun’s biological brother, recently made friends with two drug addicts. As luck would have it, those friends got caught by my little sister. And here’s the kicker—he, a grown man, tried to make a move on a girl because he was attracted to her. Want to guess what happened? She knocked him out cold with one punch, and he’s still lying in the hospital now.”
“I seriously have to laugh. The men in the Zhou family can’t even beat a woman, pure losers, aren’t they? Does the Zhou family even have a future?!”
At these words, the crowd burst into an uproar.
The young heirs from those wealthy families really hadn’t expected to stumble upon such juicy gossip.
So Zhou Heng tried to flirt with some girl, failed, and got beaten up instead?
No wonder he wasn’t showing his face today—he must be too ashamed to come out.
