Chapter 273 | Chapter 274 | Chapter 275
Chapter 273: Little Punk
No matter how fiercely the internet buzzed with discussion, the authorities released no detailed public information regarding Wei Yan’s arrest.
By Sunday evening, clickbait news accounts reported that Wei Yan had temporarily returned to the Wei residence, though his subsequent fate remained entirely up in the air.
Ever since Wei Yan was taken away on Friday night, Wei Xiao had been riding a wave of manic excitement. Now that Wei Yan was back, that high had long since passed, leaving his mental state incredibly drained and sluggish.
However, in Wei Yan’s eyes, this haggard appearance was misinterpreted as the boy deeply worrying for his father, causing him to soften his expression toward Wei Xiao for once.
“Dad, what’s the situation right now?” Wei Xiao asked, his voice raspy.
Because of his heavy binging on Saturday, he had slept like the dead at home all day. He had barely forced himself to snap out of it on Sunday to call the servants back to clean up, and he still felt physically miserable.
“The situation is very bad,” Wei Yan said evasively. He couldn’t tell Wei Xiao the actual facts; if anything, he couldn’t even guarantee whether he was currently under surveillance.
There were very few arrangements he could deploy right now, and he could be thrown back inside at any moment.
He hadn’t committed any legal offenses since returning to the country, so his current corporate entities wouldn’t be affected; he could simply sign an agreement to appoint acting personnel to run things.
However, if his assets were to be confiscated, the wealth he had painstakingly built up over his lifetime would go up in smoke.
At that thought, Wei Yan’s chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
He hadn’t been able to contact Zhu Yuanyuan and had no idea why she had suddenly turned on him. However, the evidence leaked by the police proved to be incredibly problematic.
He had thoroughly underestimated Zhu Yuanyuan. This woman, who had slept beside him for nearly twenty years, was far more calculating than he had ever imagined.
At times, Wei Yan even felt a chill of unfamiliarity. The current Zhu Yuanyuan and the “Xu Zhishu” he thought he knew were worlds apart.
If she had been putting on an act for all these years, then what did that make him—the fool who had been completely kept in the dark?
Furthermore, he had clearly bypassed Zhu Yuanyuan when processing his various illicit corporate “tasks,” keeping the specific details completely hidden from her. How on earth had she gotten her hands on that evidence?
Just the thought that Zhu Yuanyuan might hold even more leverage made a shiver run down Wei Yan’s spine.
He felt entirely exhausted, particularly because he had begun to doubt himself.
A person he had always looked down upon had become the lethal weapon plunged straight into his vitals. This forced Wei Yan to wonder whether there was something fundamentally flawed with his judgment and the decisions he had made throughout his life.
However, he had no intention of exposing these vulnerable emotions to Wei Xiao.
Steading his mind, he looked at Wei Xiao and said, “I’ve tracked down my daughter’s identity. She’s right here at Mingde.”
Wei Xiao’s breath hitched. To be honest, he desperately wanted to avoid dealing with this matter, but upon second thought, a wave of schadenfreude washed over him.
Given the disastrous state the Wei family was in, even if she returned, what could she possibly gain?
With this thought, Wei Xiao’s emotions stabilized. Hiding the triumph and mockery in his heart, he lowered his head slightly to avoid Wei Yan’s gaze. “Who is she?”
“She’s in the class right next to yours—Lin Zhulu of Class Three.” Just thinking about the vast amount of time and effort he had spent to uncover Lin Zhulu’s whereabouts filled Wei Yan with a sense of humiliation.
He never anticipated that after running in circles, Lin Zhulu was actually right here in this city, attending the exact same school as Wei Xiao, and was even in the very next classroom!
He had truly underestimated the Lin sisters. No doubt they had anticipated his investigation all along, and who knew how many times they had mocked him behind his back.
By contrast, Wei Xiao’s expression didn’t change much. He didn’t know many people in Class Three; aside from Gu Qinghuan, Jiang Chuchu, Yu Xin, and Qin Yue, he hadn’t paid attention to anyone else, so he naturally had no idea Lin Zhulu existed.
Hearing the name, the corner of his mouth twitched. “A girl? With that kind of name?”
Wei Yan didn’t mention that he had thought the exact same thing initially. He simply instructed Wei Xiao, “When you go to school tomorrow, invite her to come over to the house.”
“Just invite her directly like that?” Wei Xiao was somewhat surprised.
“I’m being watched right now, so there’s no way I can proceed according to my original plan,” Wei Yan said cryptically. “This is primarily to provide you with a reason to get acquainted with her. You can take your time interacting with her in the future.”
Given his current predicament, he had no way of scouting for a more suitable son-in-law; he could only count on Wei Xiao. Even if Lin Zhulu looked down on Wei Xiao, he could at least use the boy to keep tabs on her situation.
Wei Xiao’s lips moved subtly. Take my time interacting with her? Now that the Wei family was in ruins, he had absolutely no intention of acting as a tool for breeding.
As for the specific arrangements, he would wait until Wei Yan was locked up before deciding. For now, he would just play along.
Come Monday, the students of Class Three spotted Wei Xiao arriving at school. Just as they were buzzing with chatter about his motives, they saw him approach the entrance of their classroom.
Without needing Gu Qinghuan to shout, the entire class instantly went on high alert.
Bao Qingsong, who sat right by the door, was the first to stand up and block Wei Xiao’s path, asking warily, “What are you doing here?”
The hostile attitude of Class Three was entirely within Wei Xiao’s expectations. He was well aware that his current reputation at Mingde was utterly tarnished.
But since everything was going to end soon anyway, he didn’t care about the opinions of these people in the slightest.
He simply stood firmly at the entrance, raising his voice to bellow, “I’m just here to see my little sister!”
“Lin Zhulu! You’re in there, aren’t you!”
It was no exaggeration to say that the marmots broke out in a collective layer of goosebumps at the word “sister.”
Lin Zhulu nearly gagged. Who on earth wanted to be called a sister by a cockroach?
Since things had reached this point, there was no longer any need for her to hide. She stood up abruptly and declared loudly, “You were born because Wei Yan cheated after my mom was already pregnant! You’re the younger one here!”
“Who are you calling sister! You little punk!”
The surrounding students shifted their gazes in awe. Lin Zhulu, your verbal attack power is something else!
Although everyone already knew that Wei Xiao wasn’t actually Wei Yan’s biological son, if Zhu Yuanyuan had given birth to him before approaching Wei Yan, then Wei Xiao’s chronological age should be older than Lin Zhulu’s.
But so what? That truth hadn’t been made public yet. Under the pretense of “ignorance,” Wei Xiao had to be younger than Lin Zhulu!
Wei Xiao choked. Getting a clear look at Lin Zhulu’s features, his first reaction was—she didn’t look like Wei Yan at all.
Immediately following that, he realized from her lightning-fast response that she had likely known for a long time that her biological father was Wei Yan.
If so, what kind of expression had she been wearing when looking at him all this time?
Or rather, did the hostile attitude directed at him by Gu Qinghuan and the rest of Class Three have something to do with Lin Zhulu as well?
Gu Qinghuan had initially intended to step forward, but seeing Lin Zhulu’s composed stance, she paused after a moment’s thought, allowing Lin Zhulu to take the lead first.
Wei Xiao spoke up again, “Dad wants to see you.”
“I don’t have a dad,” Lin Zhulu said very calmly. “I only have a mom.”
Wei Xiao suppressed his rising temper. “You must have seen the news online. The Wei family isn’t doing well right now, and Dad is in a very dangerous position. Before anything happens, he just wants to acknowledge you as his daughter…”
“What does the Wei family’s poor situation have to do with me? I didn’t cause it. Isn’t it the result of his own criminal actions?” Lin Zhulu’s logic was flawless.
“He merely moved abroad, he didn’t die. If he truly harbored a shred of parental affection, he had plenty of ways to contact me over all these years.”
“Though I’m not entirely sure what scheme he’s cooking up, it’s blatantly obvious that he isn’t looking for a daughter out of any paternal instinct.”
Lin Zhulu crossed her arms, her sheer presence completely dominating Wei Xiao. “Spit it out. What exactly did he send you here to get from me?”
Chapter 274: Letting Go
The sheer composure in Lin Zhulu’s attitude caused the irritability and anxiety Wei Xiao had managed to keep under control for the past two days to subtly flare up again.
However, facing this pack of fiercely protective students from Class Three, the possibility of him flying into a rage and throwing things like he did in Class Two was absolutely zero.
At the very least, he could already see Song Yi slowly walking from the back row toward the front. With just one stride, Song Yi could rush over and pin him against the wall.
Just thinking about how his arm had nearly been snapped when he was pinned to the floor last time made Wei Xiao’s joints ache with phantom pain, forcing him to keep his emotions bottlenecked inside.
He said, “Dad didn’t tell me what he wants to do. He just told me to invite you back to the house today.”
“Your Wei residence is not my home,” Lin Zhulu countered instantly.
“A fox paying a New Year’s visit to a chicken—nothing good will come of it,” Ai Ning “muttered” in a voice that was just loud enough for the entire class to hear.
“How could that be?” Wei Xiao defended himself immediately. “There are still people keeping tabs on our family right now. How could we possibly try anything at a time like this?”
“Or are you just scared and don’t dare to face Dad?” Wei Xiao resorted to reverse psychology.
Yet, absolutely no one fell for his cheap provocation. Lin Zhulu simply said, “If he wants to see me, tell him to come find me himself. It’s not like I’m begging him for anything.”
With that, she turned around, preparing to head back to her seat.
Wei Xiao naturally couldn’t accept this outcome. He wanted to grab Lin Zhulu, but the moment he took a step forward, several boys from the first and second rows stood up abruptly.
Song Yi darted forward like an arrow, blocking Wei Xiao’s path and completely cutting off his line of sight. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Wei Xiao had no choice but to step back, raising his voice to threaten: “If you don’t come, I’ll expose your identity to the whole school!”
Bao Qingsong dug his ear. Spreading rumors on campus? Did he bother checking with the admin first?
Lin Zhulu sat back down in her seat, completely unruffled. “Go ahead and expose it. Then I’ll expose the fact that Wei Yan cheated while my mom was pregnant, and we’ll see whose side everyone takes!”
Wei Xiao was instantly choked up. While a fair number of people in their social circle knew about that past scandal, the level of awareness within the school grounds was a completely different story.
He truly didn’t care about his own reputation at school, but if this matter leaked out into broader society, it would highly likely inflict a severe blow on the corporate image of the Wei family business.
He could ignore Wei Yan’s lectures, but the problem was that the Wei family business… a share of it belonged to him too. Nothing could be allowed to happen to it!
Wei Xiao hesitated and took two steps back, thinking he would just come back to persuade her during the lunch break. Unexpectedly, Lin Zhulu spoke up again.
“If you really want me to go, it’s not entirely out of the question,” Lin Zhulu said.
The marmots: Huh?
Jiang Chuchu, who sat in the same row as Lin Zhulu, observed her expression and decided to wait for her explanation later.
Once Wei Xiao finalized a time with Lin Zhulu to pick her up after school and left Class Three, everyone immediately swarmed around her.
“What are you thinking? Why would you agree to go over there? Isn’t it dangerous?” Sitting right in front of Lin Zhulu, Xu Xinghe spun around and fired off questions like a machine gun.
“There shouldn’t be any actual danger,” Jiang Chuchu pondered. “Just as the cockroach said, Wei Yan is currently being watched. He wouldn’t dare commit a crime right in the teeth of the storm.”
“Could he be planning to play the emotional card?” Tao Shenxing analyzed. “But he could be thrown into a cell at any moment. How could he possibly forge an emotional bond in time?”
“I think we shouldn’t overestimate a cockroach’s legal awareness and moral compass,” Qin Yue said with a grim face. “There’s nothing to talk about with garbage like him. You shouldn’t have agreed.”
Gu Qinghuan stroked her chin. “Zhulu, what’s your angle?”
Lin Zhulu cleared her throat. “First of all, Class Monitor for Academics, can you lend me your voice recorder?”
Yu Xin immediately fished the voice recorder out of her backpack and handed it to Lin Zhulu.
Lin Zhulu weighed it in her hand a couple of times, then looked at Song Yi. “Class Monitor for Physical Education, can you accompany me later? Although he most likely won’t want anyone else present during the conversation, you should be able to keep watch right outside the door.”
Song Yi patted his chest. “Leave it to me.”
Jiang Chuchu added immediately, “Then I’ll quietly arrange for my family’s car to tail the Wei family’s vehicle so we know exactly where you are.”
Gu Qinghuan looked thoughtful. “You want to find out what scheme Wei Yan is cooking up right now?”
Lin Zhulu nodded. “Although we’ve deduced his motives before, and I also believe he hasn’t abandoned that sickening plan, given the current circumstances, he might have developed a different contingency layout.”
With authorities watching Wei Yan from the shadows, the probability of Lin Zhulu encountering any physical danger had dropped to the absolute minimum.
Lin Zhulu decided that under the premise of being fully prepared, she would go unearth Wei Yan’s thoughts and use the encounter to steel her own resolve.
She had shot Wei Xiao down effortlessly just now, but what about Wei Yan? Given the scale of the Wei family’s resources, they could easily fabricate any kind of slander online to throw mud at Lin Yueji and Lin Aiji.
Her mothers had protected her up until this point; she wanted to help out within the scope of her capabilities as well.
Having explained her reasoning, Lin Zhulu said a bit anxiously, “Class Monitor, do you think this is too reckless of me?”
Gu Qinghuan pondered for a moment, then shook her head. “Not at all. I think you’ve already considered everything very thoroughly.”
Wanting to do what lay within one’s power was never a bad thing. If a person always chose caution and avoidance, they would miss the window of opportunity to strike back.
“However, let me add one thing: you must inform your mothers about this as well. Explain it to them earnestly, and listen to their advice.”
Lin Zhulu nodded vigorously. “I’ll call them during the lunch break!”
The system chimed in Gu Qinghuan’s mind: [Lin Zhulu’s mission progress is extremely close to hitting 75%!]
Gu Qinghuan covertly pumped her fist, looking back into Lin Zhulu’s eyes as she said earnestly, “Go right ahead. Face Wei Yan, and come back after fighting a beautiful battle!”
Lin Zhulu flashed a radiant smile. “Will do!”
With the class monitor giving the green light, everyone’s tension and anxiety gradually dissolved into a wave of support and encouragement.
Since there was still plenty of time before school let out, everyone racked their brains to provide Lin Zhulu with various coping strategies, helping her brainstorm and role-playing potential conversation scenarios.
When Lin Yueji and Lin Aiji learned of Lin Zhulu’s plan, they repeatedly verified her resolve. Ultimately, they stated that they would support her decision.
“A scumbag like Wei Yan will indeed use any unscrupulous means necessary to achieve his goals, but we have to ensure your personal safety first,” Lin Aiji said.
“As far as I know, Wei Yan is currently under official surveillance, so he won’t make any reckless moves. Of course, I’ll bring along bodyguards and track you down via your GPS location when the time comes.”
Lin Yueji, on the other hand, laid down a strict time constraint: “Twenty minutes—if it exceeds twenty minutes, regardless of what is being discussed, you must step out of the Wei residence. Otherwise, Aiji, you will break in and drag Zhulu out yourself.”
“Understood!” Lin Aiji complied instantly.
Lin Yueji let out a slow, heavy sigh and said, “In truth, I really wanted to tell you not to go. Facing a person like that alone is a bit too much to ask at your age.”
“However, when a caterpillar is transforming into a butterfly inside its cocoon, cutting it open to help—that kind of consideration will only ruin the butterfly.”
“So, let go and do what you must.”
They would make every preparation seamless, waiting for her safe return.
Chapter 275: Suspicion
By the time Lin Zhulu arrived at the Wei residence, dusk had not yet fully settled. She adjusted her clothes, utilizing the movement to discreetly switch on the voice recorder Yu Xin had lent her.
Wei Xiao had spent the entire drive sitting in the passenger seat, not bothering to pay her any attention. Now, however, he noticed her excessive micro-movements in the rearview mirror.
Seeing Lin Zhulu “sprucing herself up,” he let out a mental scoff.
No matter how composed she acts on the surface, isn’t she still nervous underneath? He is her biological father, after all; she probably wants to leave a good impression, right?
He got out of the car on his own accord and walked ahead to lead the way.
Lin Zhulu followed closely behind, using the opportunity to size up the layout of the Wei residence.
In Yao Shali’s words: upon entering an unfamiliar and potentially hazardous location, one must pay close attention to the environment, confirm the escape routes, and remain ready to bolt at any given moment.
Lin Zhulu marveled internally once more—Class Three truly was an incubator of talent.
No, in reality, the fact that everyone could get into Mingde and gather in the exact same classroom proved that everyone possessed at least one, if not multiple, outstanding traits. It was just that it was incredibly rare and beautiful for a group like Class Three to so transparently project goodwill and trust toward their peers, putting their heads together to confront difficulties.
Lin Zhulu covertly clenched her fist. She would put every ounce of effort into this impending challenge. Everyone had already helped her so much; there was no way she was losing to a cockroach.
Wei Xiao led Lin Zhulu to the door of the study. He knocked twice, and Wei Yan’s voice drifted out from inside: “Come in.”
This was the first time Lin Zhulu had heard Wei Yan’s voice. To be fair, it sounded far more steady and refined than she had anticipated. In other words, just listening to his voice, one would never guess he was an absolute scumbag.
Wei Xiao opened the door and walked in first, with Lin Zhulu following immediately in his wake.
She caught sight of Wei Yan’s face. When Wei Yan was escorted away by the police previously, she had seen his photos online. Seeing the actual man in person now, Lin Zhulu’s immediate perception was—he looked significantly more haggard than he did two days ago.
The bags under his eyes were deeper, cast in a faint purplish-black shadow, and his complexion was far duller. He must have been under immense pressure over the last two days.
Watching someone she detested fall on hard times instantly made Lin Zhulu feel thoroughly delighted. However, she knew better than to wear her emotions on her sleeve, keeping her expression strictly locked down.
Wei Yan, meanwhile, was carefully examining Lin Zhulu’s face.
Although he had reviewed photos of Lin Zhulu in her file previously, seeing her in the flesh delivered a completely different impression. On paper, she had seemed thoroughly ordinary; if one were to pick through their social circle, there was a surplus of girls far more exceptional than her.
Yet, the Lin Zhulu standing before his eyes carried herself with far greater composure.
Wei Yan couldn’t detect a shred of nervousness or dread in her demeanor; if anything, it felt as though he was the one being observed by her.
What on earth gave her such unshakeable confidence? Wei Yan buried the question deep in his mind, assuming a look of profound yearning as he sighed, “So, you are my daughter.”
Lin Zhulu’s brows knit in a reflex reaction. This man truly is Wei Xiao’s father—they think exactly the exact same way.
“I am not your daughter,” Lin Zhulu said, her tone completely flat. “Don’t say that. It’s disgusting.”
The sheer simplicity of her delivery actually magnified the damage it dealt to Wei Yan.
He barked sharply, “Is this how your mother raised you? Is this any way to address an elder?”
This exact reaction fell well within Class Three’s predictions. Thinking cheerfully of her classmates, Lin Zhulu delivered the response everyone agreed would be the ultimate slap in the face.
She turned her head toward Wei Xiao, sizing him up from head to toe before rolling her eyes.
The implication was crystal clear—compared to the Wei Xiao you raised, the me raised by my mom is infinitely superior.
This time, it wasn’t just Wei Yan; even Wei Xiao flared with rage.
But seeing Wei Yan clutch his chest from the sheer irritation, Wei Xiao bottlenecked his anger. He couldn’t afford to get dragged into this, otherwise Wei Yan would simply pivot the spearhead to target him, the non-biological child.
Sitting in his executive chair, Wei Yan realized that dwelling on this topic was entirely meaningless. He decided to cut straight to the chase. “I want to make it up to you.”
“I am deeply sorry for failing to fulfill my duties as a father over all these years. I hope you can give me a chance to make amends.”
“I know that to you, this request might seem incredibly abrupt, but…”
At this point, he paused, turning his gaze toward Wei Xiao. “You leave us.”
Wei Xiao could roughly guess what Wei Yan intended to say, so he said nothing, merely stepping out of the study and pulling the door shut behind him.
Wei Yan shifted his gaze back to Lin Zhulu. But before he could voice a certain “truth,” Lin Zhulu cut him off. “I know what you want to say.”
Being left entirely alone in the study with Wei Yan felt a bit hazardous. As she spoke, she slowly took two steps backward.
“Wei Xiao is not your son. To carry on your bloodline, you’ve turned your designs onto me.”
This was the exact content everyone had agreed could be laid out on the table after their discussion. At this stage, there was absolutely no need to play nice or beat around the bush with Wei Yan.
If their strengths were relatively equal, feigning ignorance could indeed cause an opponent to lower their guard, allowing one to extract advantages from their carelessness. However, the playing field between Lin Zhulu and Wei Yan was fundamentally uneven; if anything, she would be the one falling into his trap.
Her personal safety took absolute priority—this was what her mother, her aunt, and everyone in Class Three had drilled into her. She didn’t need to sacrifice her safety for anything; that would only bring grief to the people who loved her.
Therefore, exposing the truth from the get-go was the optimal move. She wouldn’t leave a single vulnerability, letting Wei Yan know exactly what kind of iron wall he had run into.
The expression on Wei Yan’s face froze solid. For the first time in her life, Lin Zhulu witnessed someone’s countenance shift from gentle to sinister with such terrifying speed.
“How did you find out?” Wei Yan’s tone was ice-cold.
“I have no reason to tell you,” Lin Zhulu countered.
She was actually a bit tense and a little afraid; her heart rate had spiked, thumping loudly against her ribs. However, she was fully capable of facing this.
Wei Yan didn’t speak further, nor did he look at her again. A dead silence blanketed the study.
“You are an exceptional daughter,” Wei Yan said out of nowhere.
“I don’t need your validation,” Lin Zhulu fired back.
The phrasing made it sound as though he was trying to swoop in and claim credit for a harvest he hadn’t sowed. Lin Zhulu found it utterly repulsive.
Wei Yan suddenly burst into laughter. The sound escalated from a low chuckle to a booming roar, laced with the bitter resentment of someone who had completely broken down.
From start to finish, he had thoroughly underestimated these women!
Whether it was Lin Yueji, who had resolutely chosen divorce; Zhu Yuanyuan, who had suppressed her true nature to fool him for nearly two decades; Lin Aiji, who had stalled for time to conceal Lin Zhulu; or the Lin Zhulu standing right in front of him at this very moment.
His entire life had been completely ruined at the hands of these people!
Since Lin Zhulu already knew his objective, the Lin family had undoubtedly raised their guard to the absolute maximum. Heck, even right now, there was highly likely someone waiting right outside.
With Lin Zhulu fully aware of his schemes, he had lost the element of surprise. Trying to claw his way out of this corner was simply too difficult.
Wei Yan’s laughter died down. As if all the strength had been violently siphoned out of his body, his head slumped dejectedly. He felt an unprecedented wave of exhaustion wash over him.
To build a corporate empire to this scale, Wei Yan was by no means a simple man. If, in the beginning, he had been blinded by the shackles of his conventional beliefs, refusing to admit he had misjudged everything, then now, under the weight of successive, brutal blows, he was acutely aware of the dead end he faced.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t fight it out to a bitter end, but even if he went down swinging and pushed down a dark path until the very end, it held absolutely no meaning.
The severity of these setbacks shook Wei Yan to his very core, forcing him to question his actions and the ideology he had upheld his entire life. Did his obsession with a male heir truly hold any meaning?
