C147 I Want to Pay for It

Zhang Qimo and Lin Yin enjoyed a delightful candlelit dinner together. After a leisurely stroll by the river, they drove back to their villa at Snow Dragon Villa. Once Lin Yin returned to his third-floor bedroom and saw the scattered garbage bags, he made calls to Jiang Qi and Shen San to delegate some tasks.

The next morning, the dining table on the first floor was bustling with family members having breakfast, each with a distinct expression on their face. Lin Yin and Zhang Qimo descended the stairs and took their seats, where Lee Pu promptly served them the exquisite pastries and porridge he had prepared.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's the meaning of this? We're having soy milk and doughnuts, and you're eating gourmet food? Are you trying to make us look bad?" Lu Xiyuan complained, clearly feeling slighted by the superior quality of Zhang Qimo and Lin Yin's meal compared to his own family's.

"Why don't you make something for yourself if you want to eat something specific?" Lin Yin replied indifferently, scooping up some red beans.

"Auntie, Sister Qimo, aren't you going to put Lin Yin in his place? He's so brazen, eating all the good stuff and leaving us with the leftovers. That's not right," Lu Xiaojian remarked nonchalantly.

"Lin Yin, how did you manage to find such a compliant butler who caters exclusively to you?" Lu Yahui said icily, her gaze fixed on Lee Pu with an air of authority. "Go on, prepare a serving for each of us!"

The thought was infuriating. While they were eating a simple breakfast bought from a street vendor, Lin Yin was indulging in luxury. Why did he have a personal butler to prepare his breakfast?

"Exactly! You old man, are you taking money for nothing? Get to it, make us each a portion," Lu Xiyuan ordered, as if speaking to a servant.

"I apologize, but my salary is paid by Director Lin, and I am here to cook only for Director Lin and Mrs. Lin," Lee Pu responded calmly.

"You think you can be so bold as a butler? I'll have you thrown out if you don't watch it," Lu Xiaojian threatened brazenly.

Zhang Qimo, clearly displeased, interjected, "You should be grateful for the hospitality. Do you really expect to eat and drink for free? If you want something, why don't you go out and buy it?"

"Oh wow, impressive. You live here?" Lu Xiyuan said sarcastically. "I wonder how long you'll be able to stay. And you're bringing up the villa?"

"If you don't want to live here, then leave. Nobody's forcing you to stay," Lin Yin responded calmly.

"Yahui, Zhang Xiufeng, can you believe this? What kind of man is your son-in-law?" Lu Xiyuan complained.

Lu Yahui and Zhang Xiufeng frowned at Lin Yin, ready to reprimand him.

Beep, beep, beep.

Lin Yin's phone rang, and he answered it.

"Master Lin, I've taken care of the matter you assigned last night. I'm waiting outside Snow Dragon Villa," came the respectful voice of Shen San.

"Good," Lin Yin said before hanging up. He turned to Zhang Qimo, "Qimo, I need to handle something. Call the number I gave you later; my friend will assist with the financing."

"Understood," Zhang Qimo replied with a nod.

Without further ado, Lin Yin stood up and left the villa, exiting Snow Dragon Villa.

Shen San's Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked at the entrance. Lin Yin settled into the back seat, and Shen San, from the driver's seat, headed toward the Qingyun River.

"Master Lin, as per your instructions, we've purchased the Artificial Island. It's ready for you to review and decide on the renovations," Shen San reported respectfully while driving.

"Excellent work," Lin Yin acknowledged with a slight nod.

He had instructed Shen San the previous night to acquire the Artificial Island by the Qingyun River, which also served as his helicopter landing site.

The atmosphere at Snow Dragon Villa had been soured by Qimo's parents, making it an uncomfortable place to live. Once the manor on the Artificial Island was ready, he would consult Qimo on her preferred setting before moving there.

Meanwhile, back at the villa, Lu Yahui and Lu Xiyuan were brimming with contempt.

"This loser knows he's incompetent. Every time there's trouble, he pretends to have business to attend to and scurries away," Lu Yahui criticized. "Qimo, you're still blind to Lin Yin's true colors. As soon as he hears the villa might be taken, he ducks out at the first sign of trouble. Is that what a man does?"

"No, Mom, the villa won't be taken away. Lin Yin has already figured out a solution. He introduced a financier to me," Zhang Qimo stated earnestly.

"Oh? That loser is offering financial help? Sister Qimo, you can't seriously believe such a joke. It's laughable," Lu Xiaojian chuckled.

"Exactly, that good-for-nothing is all talk and no action," Lu Xiyuan chimed in, seizing the opportunity to vent, "Xiufeng and Yahui, do you know why Lu Wei didn't come home last night? It's because Lin Yin, that worthless guy, was stirring up trouble, leading to Lu Wei breaking up with her boyfriend! Lu Wei was so distraught she nearly fell into a depression. She's still in the hospital! What should we do about this?"

"What? That happened?" Lu Yahui questioned in disbelief.

Lu Xiyuan, seething with resentment, continued angrily, "Lin Yin somehow groveled to get to know Lu Wei's boyfriend's cousin, then badmouthed her and tarnished her reputation. Now my daughter has lost her chance to marry into a wealthy family. How do you propose your family settles this debt?"

"It's not at all as Lu Wei described. Lu Wei's boyfriend was already married. What does that have to do with Lin Yin?" Zhang Qimo retorted, visibly upset. If it weren't for wanting to maintain a semblance of respect for her mother and uncle, she would have exposed the truth about Lu Wei and her boyfriend's affair last night.

"Yahui, you hear this? Even Qimo has been duped by Lin Yin. He's a master at slinging mud. Clearly, he concocted this scheme out of jealousy because he couldn't measure up to my daughter's boyfriend," Lu Xiyuan raged. "Yahui, I'm telling you, don't think you can just walk away from ruining my daughter's prospects. You owe my family compensation for medical bills and emotional distress! We're talking at least a million!"

"What? A million? Have you lost your minds over money? How is any of this our family's responsibility? Even if there were any truth to your claims, you should be taking it up with Lin Yin, not us," Lu Yahui exclaimed, her voice laced with panic at the mention of such a hefty sum.

"Uncle, what are you saying? Is this some kind of extortion?" Zhang Qimo was shocked; she couldn't believe Lu Xiyuan would utter such words.

Lu Xiyuan retorted, "Why would I bother with Lin Yin? He's nothing but a cowardly and contemptible man. He's your family's son-in-law, and he's the reason my daughter's mental health deteriorated, leading to her hospitalization. Not to mention, he's why she didn't marry into a wealthy family! Your family owes us compensation! And if you don't pay up, don't expect me to play nice!"

"Xiyuan, you're demanding a million just like that? What's the meaning of this?" Zhang Xiufeng was incensed. How was this any different from robbery?

"You think you can bully my daughter and not pay for it? Don't assume we have no influence in Qingyun City!" Lu Xiyuan declared vehemently. "Ever heard of Jiang Qi, the tycoon from the Eastern Sea? My son Xiaojian is joining Jiang Qi's Ocean Group this afternoon as a manager. He's set for a promising future!"

Lu Xiaojian boasted with a smug look on his face, "Exactly. I'm reporting to the Ocean Group this afternoon. My godfather is a board member there! If you don't compensate my sister, well, let's just say things might get unpleasant. Hehe, don't think I won't pull strings just because I'm your nephew. If it comes to it, I'll have people take care of you!"