Chapter 31: Lin Qian

Shang Ying sat in her chair, bored out of her mind as she watched Lin Yuan buzzing around among the flowers like a hardworking little bee, when she suddenly thought of Huo Yunshu, the posturing male lead from the novel.

Aiya, with so many handsome guys around, why on earth did the female lead have to fall for that posturing guy? Was she nearsighted? Should she get her a pair of glasses?

No, no, no. She couldn't get too close to the male and female leads, lest she bring trouble upon herself. After all, she was so outstanding. If Lin Yuan happened to take a liking to her as well, Huo Yunshu would definitely try to destroy her later.

Also, why hadn't the Lin family arrived yet? She was waiting to watch the main event!

Unable to sit still any longer, Shang Ying trotted happily into the kitchen to pry for news. Grandma Sun had just finished chopping the side ingredients and placed the chicken into a clay pot to simmer, wafting out a delicious aroma.

Seeing her walk in, Grandma Sun let out a soft sound.

"It's not done yet. Did you smell the fragrance already?"

Shang Ying offered a shameless, unabashed affirmative nod, wandering around the kitchen twice before asking casually, "Grandma Sun, are there any other guests coming to visit Grandpa Feng today?"

The boiling soup bubbled noisily, heat and chicken aroma bursting forth like tumbling children. Fresh mushrooms and matsutake were added, opening up in the hot broth like a warm orange blanket laid down to soothe the children to sleep into a long, steady breath.

Grandma Sun replied, "Yes! Speaking of which, quite a few guests are visiting today. A friend's child is supposed to come by in a bit, they should be here soon."

"Oh~"

Shang Ying nodded. ‘It was good that they'd be here soon.’ Seeing her clever, mischievous look, Grandma Sun merely smiled and resumed her work.

Half an hour later, voices indeed echoed from the courtyard gate.

A decently dressed lady entered, leading a girl around sixteen or seventeen years old. Holding gifts in their hands, they politely set them on the table before warmly greeting Grandma Sun.

"Visiting today really is a disturbance. Have you been doing well lately? You look even more energetic than before."

"Sigh, what difference does it make? Old age is old age either way. Why be so polite and bring gifts over!"

"An old tree still blooms! You grow younger by the day! This is bird's nest I brought for Auntie Sun. It doesn't matter if you like it or eat it."

Because guests had arrived, the two kids, Shang Ying and Shang Yi, were arranged by Old Man Feng to stay in the inner hall, separated by a screen fold. Although the visual wasn't entirely clear, the audio came through crisp and clean.

Two bowls of steaming mushroom chicken soup sat on the table. It was very savory and fragrant, specifically dished out by Grandma Sun for them to taste. However, Shang Ying's entire focus was on the outside, not taking a single sip.

Seeing Shang Ying staring intently outside, Shang Yi set his spoon down as well, somewhat confused.

"What are you looking at?"

Shang Ying's eyes sparkled.

"Watching a drama."

Shang Yi glanced at the silhouette on the screen, not quite sure what drama she was referring to.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mrs. Lin placed her hand on Lin Qian's shoulder, shooting her a signaling look. Lin Qian's expression remained neutral as she offered a subtle, polite smile, displaying flawless etiquette.

"Hello, Grandpa Feng, Grandma Sun. My name is Lin Qian."

!!!

‘She's here, she's here! The fake heiress has arrived with her schemes!’

In her excitement, Shang Ying flinched from the hot soup in her bowl, accidentally spilling a bit. Shang Yi immediately pulled out a napkin to hand to her, completely baffled as to why she grew so excited upon hearing that name.

Lin Qian possessed cool, sharp facial features, a smooth jawline with slight angles that added a touch of crispness. When she spoke, her clear lip movements gave her a neat, brisk aura.

Looking at Mrs. Lin again, who was a classic gentle, soft-spoken beauty, she didn't share a single similarity with Lin Qian beside her. Having seen Lin Yuan earlier, Shang Ying couldn't help clicking her tongue.

"They look so much alike..."

Without realizing it, Shang Ying was already peering through the gaps in the screen fold, bringing the still-clueless Shang Yi along. Lowering his head, he could only see the crown of Shang Ying's head, failing to understand who she was referring to as looking alike.

The two ladies standing in the living room were mother and daughter in name, yet looked entirely unalike, belonging to two completely different types. If one had to point out a resemblance, it was actually…

Shang Yi's brows knitted together, his dark eyes half-lidded as if realizing something. As he lowered his head to look at Shang Ying, her lively, excited thoughts continuously interrupted his focus.

This caused a bold, unprovoked guess to surface in his mind.

‘Mrs. Lin and Miss Lin looked nothing alike, but instead shared a striking resemblance with that girl named Lin Yuan from earlier.’

Lin Qian hadn't wanted to come here in the first place. She had merely played a mobile Go game recently, which happened to be seen by Mrs. Lin, who then insisted on bringing her to learn Go from Old Man Feng.

She had zero interest in Go. Had she known this would be the outcome, she would have played Honor of Kings instead. Maybe her mother would have sent her to play professionally then, which had to be far more fun than sitting here staring at boring Go pieces.

Lin Qian's peripheral vision swept over Mrs. Lin, who was looking around with a glowing face, feeling nothing but helplessness.

She knew what Mrs. Lin was planning. The youngest son of the Shang family, one of the Capital's Four Great Families, was learning Go under Old Man Feng. Upon getting this news, Mrs. Lin wanted to use this opportunity to bring her along to build connections with the Shang family.

So even if she had played Honor of Kings, going professional wouldn't have been an option. She was destined to be brought here to learn Go either way.

‘How annoying.’

Sure enough, seeing no one else inside the room, Mrs. Lin probed gently, "I heard Old Man Feng's student is here as well. We aren't disturbing them, are we?"

Grandma Sun let out an "Oh" in her heart. ‘Disturbing what? You'll be leaving in a bit anyway and won't stay long, which happens to leave time for the two kids to drink their chicken soup.’

However, she couldn't say that out loud. Having navigated high society for so many years, her surface diplomacy was impeccable. She waved her hand with a smile.

"No disturbance at all, the kids are inside drinking soup to nourish themselves."

Hearing that a member of the Shang family was inside, Mrs. Lin couldn't suppress her excitement. Restraining her joy, she said softly, "I heard Old Man Feng's student won a national championship. Why not let Qian'an watch him play a game with Old Man Feng from the side to gain some experience?"

Hearing her silly younger brother get called out, Shang Ying, peeking from behind the screen, raised her head, curling her lips into a smile toward him.

"Did you hear that? She's praising you."

Shang Yi lowered his head to meet her gaze. Seeing the unreserved teasing on her face, his nerves relaxed involuntarily, and he gave a light "Mm," completely forgetting that eavesdropping was improper behavior.

Grandma Sun's smile remained unchanged as she turned to look at Old Man Feng. After pondering for a moment, Old Man Feng agreed. It wasn't a troublesome request. It’s just watching a game of Go, after all. So he called out toward the back of the screen.

Mrs. Lin was overjoyed, her eyes staring intently behind the screen fold. Immediately after, she saw a girl leading a boy as they stepped out.

‘Two people?’

Her gaze shifted back and forth between Shang Ying and Shang Yi. Seeing their similar features, she realized instantly. This was the Shang family's youngest daughter, Shang Ying.

Meeting two members of the Shang family at once made Mrs. Lin feel as though she had been struck by incredible good fortune. To think such a great opportunity would land right in her lap!

If she could build a connection with the Shang family, male or female didn't matter, they could receive more care in business. Once others knew the Lin family had ties with the Shang family, they would naturally treat them with respect.

With this thought, she hurriedly patted Lin Qian's shoulder, signaling her to sit over by the Go table, even sending her a subtle "do your best" glance.

…

With nowhere to escape, Lin Qian pressed her lips together and resignedly walked over to sit down. ‘Heh, watching someone play Go. Was there anything more boring than this under the sun?’

Noticing someone examining her, she looked over suspiciously, only to find the pretty girl who had just walked out staring at her with sparkling eyes.

That gaze held excitement, regret, and ultimately turned into an indescribable complexity.

Lin Qian was somewhat puzzled.

‘Was the fact that she sat here to watch Go really that obvious and foolish in other people's eyes?’