Chapter Ninety-Eight: Taking Zhao Laner Away

Again and again it was like this: for those who loved and could not have, even the faintest mention of something could summon the one lodged deepest in the heart.

“I’m tired. You go on ahead,” Kang Ya said, closing her eyes. “Your mother’s embroidery, I’ll show it to the ladies I am on good terms with.”

“Thank you, pretty sister,” Lin Sangqian said. “Then I’ll be going. You rest well.”

At the door, she turned back with lingering concern. “Think more about happy things.”

Kang Ya said nothing, only nodded.

...

There was nothing else to do at the Yu residence, so Lin Sangqian prepared to go home.

Before she even reached the gate, someone called out behind her.

“Miss Lin.”

If this were the modern age, that voice alone would be enough to make hearts swoon.

Lin Sangqian thought this to herself as she turned around, and then she was genuinely surprised.

The one who had called her was none other than Guan Yanjing.

“Mr. Guan,” Lin Sangqian said politely with a nod. “May I ask what you need?”

“Nothing much. I only wanted to thank you,” Guan Yanjing said as he walked over. “The dishes you made were very delicious.”

“I’m glad you liked them,” Lin Sangqian said with a smile. “If you have time, you can also come support my restaurant and help boost business.”

Guan Yanjing thought that he had already been supporting it for many days.

But he did not say so. He merely nodded. “I will.”

“And there’s also Fuman Restaurant. I taught them some of those dishes myself.” Lin Sangqian did not forget to bring customers to her partners.

Yet Guan Yanjing said, “What others make is different from what you make.”

“Well, the head chef at Fuman is very skilled. To me, the taste is hardly any different at all,” Lin Sangqian said.

“I think it is different,” Guan Yanjing said. “The dishes you make have a flavor all their own.”

As he spoke, he even smiled.

Lin Sangqian froze.

Was this the first time she had ever seen Guan Yanjing smile?

He was very handsome, but he seemed to possess a natural coolness, a distant elegance.

She had not expected his smile to be so beautiful.

And he said the dishes at Fuman Restaurant were not the same as hers? She could not taste any difference at all.

It took Lin Sangqian quite a while to recover. Then she said, “In that case... I’ll be opening many more shops in the future. You’re always welcome to come.”

“Very well. I will certainly come,” Guan Yanjing said with a nod.

Looking at him, Lin Sangqian suddenly found herself saying, almost as if possessed, “Actually, I saw you once before at Fuman Restaurant...”

Guan Yanjing raised his brows in surprise. “When?”

He seemed not to have gone there very often.

“A little over a month ago, perhaps. That day I saw your guard holding a child. I didn’t know what had happened.”

Guan Yanjing thought for a moment, and then he remembered.

“That child was a thief,” Guan Yanjing said. “He tried to steal my guard’s money pouch and was caught in the act, so my guard scolded him a few times.”

“I see.”

Just as she had said: before understanding the whole truth, one must not jump to conclusions.

For some reason, Lin Sangqian’s already good mood lifted even more. She smiled and said, “Then I’ll go home now. If you or Mr. Yu have anything, you can come find me at my restaurant.”

“Alright.”

Lin Sangqian hummed a tune as she made her way to the gate and saw Lin Hongda waiting there to go home with her.

Father and daughter first bought some meat and vegetables before heading back.

But once they arrived home, they found that something seemed off.

Aunt Niu and the others had already left. Liao Shuxia sat in the courtyard, still angry.

Zhao Lan’er still had tear stains on her face, while Lin Wenyan was rubbing his arm and comforting her at the same time.

“What happened?” Lin Hongda rushed to Liao Shuxia’s side in three quick steps. “Wife, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Liao Shuxia said darkly. “Those Zhao people are black-hearted scoundrels, good-for-nothing bastards!”

The Zhao family? Lin Sangqian’s expression sharpened. “The Zhao family came here?”

“Yes, sorry, Sangqian,” Zhao Lan’er said, wiping away her tears. “I don’t know how they found this place.”

“What did they come for?” Lin Hongda asked with a frown.

“They wanted to take Miss Zhao away,” Lin Wenyan said through gritted teeth. “Too much!”

Lin Sangqian frowned in confusion. “Why would they suddenly want to take Lan’er away for no reason?”

She remembered that Zhao Lan’er’s father did not care about his daughter at all.

Zhao Lan’er had already been staying in their home for so long, and he had never once come looking for her. Why would he suddenly pull something like this now?

“My father came with two men and said he was taking me home. Luckily, Brother Lin stepped in to help,” Zhao Lan’er said.

“Wenyan, did you fight them?” Lin Hongda asked.

Before Lin Wenyan could answer, Liao Shuxia said excitedly, “He did! Husband, let me tell you, our Wenyan is amazing. In just a few moves he beat those men into retreat!”

“Really?” Lin Hongda was delighted too. “It seems the training Wenyan has been doing lately has paid off!”

He had said all along that his eldest son was talented!

“It wasn’t really that exaggerated,” Lin Wenyan said bashfully, scratching his head. “It was still somewhat difficult.”

By then Aunt Niu and the others had already left. Zhao Xuwei suddenly barged in with two men and tried to take Zhao Lan’er away.

Naturally, Zhao Lan’er was unwilling. Zhao Xuwei actually ordered them to drag her out by force. How could Lin Wenyan stand by and do nothing? He immediately fought with the two men.

Those two were not that skilled, so he managed to gain the upper hand, but he still took several hits to his arms, and it hurt quite a bit.

In the end, Zhao Xuwei saw there was no way around it and could only leave cursing and swearing, taking the two men with him.

“Don’t be modest. You’re already very good!” Lin Hongda walked over, patted his shoulder, and said, “A real man! From now on, I’ll teach you even more.”

Lin Sangqian was pleased as well. She remembered that before, Lin Wenyan had not even been able to beat Tian Liu, yet now he could fight two men and suffer no serious disadvantage.

Zhao Lan’er hesitated, then said, “Sangqian, maybe I should still...”

“No,” Lin Sangqian interrupted at once. “You know better than I do what kind of person your father is. Suddenly wanting to take you back now, he certainly has no good intentions. You don’t need to worry about dragging us down. You saw it yourself: the men your father brought were no match for my brother, let alone my father.”

Even ten more like them probably would not be able to beat Lin Hongda.

After thinking it over, Zhao Lan’er felt that Lin Sangqian made sense.

“Right now, we need to figure out exactly what your father is planning.”

...

Zhao Lan’er hardly slept at all that night.

However, the next morning, when Lin Sangqian brought chicken feet to Fuman Restaurant, she did receive some good news.

The person she had asked Lu Chengren to help investigate had been found.

“The man used to be a carpenter,” Lu Chengren said. “But he was always idle and carefree, so he never had much money. Yet some time ago, he suddenly became quite well off, spending money lavishly and frequently treating others to meals. I had people look into it, and it is indeed connected in some way to one of the Zhao family’s servants.”