C84 Holding Hands

Zhang Xiufeng witnessed his wife tumble to the ground and hurriedly exited the car, his face seething with anger as he glared at Lin Yin.

"Lin Yin, what on earth are you doing? We've supported you for years, and you let another woman strike your mother-in-law!" Zhang Xiufeng exclaimed furiously.

Zhang Qimo's face was a picture of distress as she approached Lu Yahui, "Mom, are you alright?"

"Don't touch me!" Lu Yahui snapped reluctantly, "Daughter, do you see what kind of man Lin Yin is? The one you trust? He even dared to hit me!"

"Daughter, you need to take a stand today. Lin Yin must leave our house," Lu Yahui demanded vehemently, "or I refuse to get up!"

"Please get up, Mom. You shouldn't be seen like this," Zhang Qimo pleaded, her face flushed with embarrassment. She hadn't expected her mother to make such a scene. "These are separate issues; we can't conflate them."

"I don't care. I want everyone in the Zhang Family to see Lin Yin for the ungrateful person he is! I want the whole world to know he should be thrown out of our house!" Lu Yahui declared icily, "Daughter, can't you see Lin Yin's true colors?"

Zhang Qimo, visibly distressed, helped Lu Yahui to her feet, suggesting, "Mom, you're not seriously hurt. Let's head inside the old house for now."

"How can you say I'm not hurt? My arm and my waist are in pain! Lin Yin needs to slap that woman right now and make her apologize to me!" Lu Yahui insisted with a huff.

She then turned a cold stare towards Lin Yin and commanded imperiously, "Lin Yin, did you hear me? You claim to be guilt-free, so prove it. Slap that woman and make her apologize to me!"

"You expect an apology from me? If it weren't for Lin Yin's sake, I'd have already slapped you hard enough to swell your face!" Wang Hongling retorted furiously. As the eldest daughter of the Wang Family, she was unaccustomed to such public humiliation.

"Do you hear this? This is the real Lin Yin, bringing this woman here just to provoke us!" Lu Yahui cried out in despair, "We're surrounded by neighbors from the Zhang Family. Zhang Xiufeng, call them out to give this woman the lesson she deserves!"

"Alright, I'm going to call the neighbors over now!" Zhang Xiufeng exclaimed in anger.

Zhang Qimo intercepted Zhang Xiufeng, her face flushed with embarrassment. She sighed deeply and spoke with gravity, "Everyone, please stop this nonsense. You don't even know the nature of this lady's relationship with Lin Yin, and yet you berate her without any discernment. Anyone would get angry in such a situation."

She held onto the belief that Lin Yin and the girl in red were not significantly involved.

She had overheard the conversation in the car too. The words her mother had uttered were indeed harsh, particularly for a young woman.

If she were in that position, she would certainly be angry enough to push her mother away.

"They're clearly a couple!" Lu Yahui declared ruthlessly, "Daughter, are you that naive? Do you still think Lin Yin is dependable?"

"If you dare utter another word, I'll thrash you!" Wang Hongling's face turned crimson as she stamped her foot in fury.

At that moment, No.6 and No.7 also charged in, their expressions icy as they glared at Lu Yahui, fists cracking ominously.

Lu Yahui's eyes widened as the two unfamiliar men made their entrance. She was visibly shaken by the imposing presence of No.6 and No.7.

"Lin Yin, you've even gone to the lengths of hiring bodyguards. You're quite something. Once I deal with this mess, I'll have Qimo's Second Aunt take care of my grievances!" Lu Yahui said defiantly, pulling Zhang Qimo into the Zhang Family's ancestral home in a huff.

Zhang Xiufeng also gave Lin Yin a cold look, "I really misjudged you. You're an ungrateful wretch! From now on, you'd be better off living by yourself!"

Zhang Qimo and her family entered the Zhang Family's old residence.

Wang Hongling, her face still flushed, stared at Lin Yin's serene demeanor, feeling like she was about to burst with anger. How could he remain so composed?

"How can you stand them? Just watching makes me furious!" Wang Hongling fumed, "What's left for you in the Zhang Family? If I were you, I would've turned the place upside down by now!"

Lin Yin remained unflustered, "I'm not here to live with my in-laws."

"Oh my God, you must be out of your mind?" Wang Hongling said, her face a picture of disbelief.

She couldn't fathom it. Lin Yin was clearly a man of ability, not someone who couldn't fend for himself. Why on earth would he subject himself to such treatment?

"You won't understand," Lin Yin said calmly as he walked into the Zhang Family's old residence.

"You're still going to the Zhang Family's old residence after how they've treated you?" Wang Hongling watched Lin Yin's retreating figure, feeling faint. Why would Lin Yin want to visit the Zhang Family's old residence now? Could he be a masochist?

"Like I've said before, I'm not here to live with the Zhang Family."

Lin Yin's composed voice drifted back as his figure vanished through the Zhang Family's main gate.

"No.6, No.7, can you explain why Lin Yin stays with the Zhang Family despite their treatment of him?" Wang Hongling asked incredulously. "Zhang Qimo doesn't seem to care about him at all. She's indifferent to whether he's involved with other women. What do you think is Lin Yin's reason for staying?"

No.6 and No.7 exchanged glances, their expressions filled with confusion. They wanted to say, "Lin Yin doesn't pay much attention to you either, so why are you so upset?"

"How can he tolerate such treatment? How deeply must he feel for Zhang Qimo?" Wang Hongling mused, her jade finger resting on her chin as she nibbled her red lips, a hint of envy in her gaze.

Inside the Zhang Family's old residence, Lin Yin took a seat beside Zhang Qimo.

"Lin Yin, who is that woman? What's your relationship with her?" Zhang Qimo inquired softly, her expression a complex mix of concern and nervousness.

"I've told you before, she's Wang Hongling," Lin Yin responded honestly. "She and I have no relationship."

Zhang Qimo's eyes widened in surprise. "She's the Miss Wang of the Wang Family, Wang Hongling?"

"I've heard of her. Wang Hongling is notorious for her bad temper and being spoiled. No one in Qingyun City dares to cross her. How could she possibly endure being scolded like that by her mother?" Zhang Qimo questioned, struggling to believe it.

She recalled hearing about a young master from a lesser-known family in Qingyun City who had attempted to court Wang Hongling, only to have his legs broken by her bodyguards during their first encounter. Afterwards, that family didn't dare to challenge her.

Indeed, Wang Hongling had a fearsome reputation in Qingyun City. She was the object of countless girls' admiration, while the boys were absolutely petrified of her.

"I don't know," Lin Yin said.

"She still values you, doesn't she? Wants you to work at her antique company? Are you considering it?" Zhang Qimo probed.

"I'm not going," Lin Yin replied with a smile. "What's got you interested in this all of a sudden?"

Zhang Qimo nibbled on her lip, "With the way dad and mom are treating you, and the Zhang Family wanting to drive you out, do you really want to stay with the Zhang Family?"

Lin Yin looked at Zhang Qimo intently and asked earnestly, "Do you want me to stay?"

"I..." Zhang Qimo glanced at Lin Yin, a hint of embarrassment in her eyes. "For now, yes! Because you haven't done anything wrong."

"As long as you want me to, there's nothing in the way. No one can force me out."

Lin Yin's expression remained calm as he took Zhang Qimo's hand in his.

Zhang Qimo's cheeks flushed a soft pink, her lips caught between her teeth.

Though Lin Yin had been married to her for over two years, this was the first time they held hands...

For both of them, it was the first time they felt each other's heartbeat.

"Lin Yin! I heard you dared to bring another woman to the Zhang Family's ancestral home? And she had the audacity to strike your mother-in-law?" Zhang Hongyu burst in, her voice thundering with fury.

Zhang Hongyu stood imperiously, her gaze fixed on Lin Yin with a cold, haughty stare.

"You've got some nerve! Bullying the Zhang Family like this. Today, you're going to leave, and I will have that woman kneel at the gates of the Zhang Family home to apologize to us!"