C27 Your Surname Is Su Not Lin

Su Kexin felt her blood turn to ice.

Lin Xiaoru knew about her history with Gu Yihan?

"You..." She began, only to be cut off by Lin Xiaoru.

"Want to know how I found out?" Lin Xiaoru's smile grew more flirtatious. "Han told me himself."

A wave of discomfort washed over Su Kexin.

Had Gu Yihan really shared their past with Lin Xiaoru as if it were some casual joke?

"Really?" Despite the sting of discomfort, Su Kexin wasn't about to let Lin Xiaoru see her ruffled.

"Aw, sis, you seem a bit upset?" Lin Xiaoru teased, edging closer with her bottle.

Su Kexin's patience snapped, her expression chilling. "Lin Xiaoru, what's your point?"

Dropping her façade, Lin Xiaoru's eyes turned steely. "Su Kexin, you know exactly what I'm saying. I'm aware you and Han are still at the same company, but consider this a warning—don't covet what isn't yours!"

Su Kexin couldn't help but laugh at Lin Xiaoru's menacing look.

"Rest assured," she said, lifting her hand to reveal her wedding ring, her face a mask of indifference. "I'm married now and have zero interest in your fiancé."

Lin Xiaoru's eyes flicked to the ring, surprise registering briefly before she burst into laughter.

"Sister, you're married? Why keep it a secret?" She scrutinized the ring and her laughter grew. "Looks like your husband is a real straight arrow, he must treat you well, huh?"

To Lin Xiaoru, "straight arrow" was just a euphemism for poor.

Unfazed, Su Kexin replied coolly, "Are you satisfied now?"

"I've always been at ease," Lin Xiaoru said, feigning innocence as she batted her eyelashes. "Given what happened two years ago... even if you wanted to get back with Han, he wouldn't have it, would he?"

Su Kexin shuddered, glaring at Lin Xiaoru.

Lin Xiaoru's grin widened as she leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper, "After all, who could stand being with a woman who's been sullied by an old man?"

Lin Xiaoru's words were like daggers, piercing Su Kexin's heart with merciless precision. She shuddered uncontrollably. "Enough, please... no more..."

But Lin Xiaoru was relentless, leaning in closer to whisper with a hint of mockery, "Sister, does your husband know about the disgusting old man who took your innocence two years ago? And... all for a mere ten thousand yuan..."

"Enough!" Overwhelmed, Su Kexin let out a roar and shoved Lin Xiaoru away.

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, Lin Xiaoru stumbled and fell, the wine bottle slipping from her grasp and smashing at Su Kexin's feet.

*Crash!*

The bottle broke, spilling crimson wine all over Su Kexin, the red liquid resembling blood.

"Xiaoru!"

Before Su Kexin could even process what had happened, a shocked cry rang out. She looked up to see Chiang Ling rushing toward her, panic-stricken, with Lin Haisheng and Gu Yihan following close behind, their faces etched with anger.

Chiang Ling hurried to Lin Xiaoru's side, helping her up. Gone was the earlier sarcasm and arrogance; now, with red-rimmed eyes and her mother's support, Lin Xiaoru stood up, looking every bit the victim.

Gu Yihan stepped forward to steady Lin Xiaoru, his gaze shifting from her disheveled state to her reddened eyes. A flicker of irritation passed through his eyes as he turned to Su Kexin. "Su Kexin, what have you done?!"

Despite being soaked in wine, Su Kexin's face was a mask of defiance. "She provoked me with her words, and I pushed her by accident. I apologize."

"Accident?" Chiang Ling's voice rose sharply, her eyes burning with animosity as she stared at Su Kexin. "Accident? I think it was intentional! You're just jealous that Xiaoru is marrying into a good family, and you wanted to sabotage her before the wedding! How can you be so heartless, to your own sister no less?!"

Chiang Ling's tirade left no room for defense, and Su Kexin was swiftly branded with the blame.

Trembling with rage, she retorted, "Auntie Jiang, aren't you overthinking this? Why would I be jealous of Lin Xiaoru?"

"You've always been envious of Xiaoru, don't pretend I'm oblivious!" Chiang Ling's voice grew even more piercing. "You make mistakes and refuse to admit them. Like mother, like daughter. You and your shameless mother are cut from the same cloth!"

Su Kexin's patience snapped.

"Chiang Ling!" Her voice was icy, "I'm warning you, criticize me if you must, and I'll let it slide out of respect for you as my elder, but if you dare insult my mother, I won't be so forgiving!"

Su Kexin's eyes blazed red, leaving Chiang Ling speechless and desperately seeking help from Lin Haisheng.

Lin Haisheng, looking equally displeased, berated her, "Su Kexin! What kind of language is that? Apologize at once!"

As Su Kexin shook with fury, about to retort, Gu Yihan interjected with a frosty tone.

"Mr. Gu, perhaps it's time you took your family affairs in hand. An illegitimate daughter raising her voice to the legitimate wife—where's the decorum in that?"

Su Kexin shuddered, staring at Gu Yihan in disbelief.

Gu Yihan returned her gaze, his eyes brimming with scorn.

Su Kexin, the Lin family's illegitimate daughter, was a fact Gu Yihan had been aware of since their romantic involvement. At the time, it had troubled him slightly, as it implied that Su Kexin's mother was a homewrecker. Yet, Gu Yihan had convinced himself that Su Kexin was different from her disreputable mother.

However, he eventually realized that Su Kexin and her mother were indeed two of a kind.

His disdain for Su Kexin's status as an illegitimate daughter grew, and his biting remarks now were less about defending Lin Xiaoru and more about expressing his frustration with his own past naivety and foolishness.

But it was clear that no one could discern his thoughts.

Upon hearing Gu Yihan defend her so fiercely, Lin Xiaoru was initially taken aback, but quickly her face lit up with a mix of gratitude and pride. "Han..."

Lin Haisheng, despite being a senior family member, turned pale under Gu Yihan's stern rebuke. In a subdued tone, he apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Gu. It was embarrassing for you to witness that."

Su Kexin, who had been momentarily dumbfounded, snapped back to reality and fixed Lin Haisheng with an angry stare. "Dad! What are you implying? Everyone else might be in the dark, but surely you understand what's really happening here! Mom clearly—"

She was cut off abruptly as Lin Haisheng glared at her with fury and bellowed, "Su Kexin! Be silent! Remember, you bear the Su name, not Lin! So stop acting so high and mighty in the Lin household!"

Your surname is Su, not Lin.

Those words from Lin Haisheng cut through Su Kexin like a razor-sharp blade.

In that moment, her attempted defense crumbled into helplessness.

She was suddenly overcome with a sense of futility, a realization that none of it mattered at all.