Chapter 78: Meeting the Lin family 1

Zhuang Meng couldn’t help indulging in a certain fantasy. Perhaps Lin Junhao was feeling down because she, Zhuang Meng, had finally accepted Rong Junpei’s proposal.

She had tried to hint at her feelings for Lin Junhao on several occasions, but he had always seemed oblivious. Could it be that he had actually been harboring feelings for her all along, only keeping them hidden?

Zhuang Meng straightened her back, her eyes brightening.

But just then, something at the edge of her vision caught her attention.

Her eyebrows lifted. Then, realizing this was a perfect opportunity to speak to Lin Junhao without arousing anyone’s suspicions, she softly called out, "Brother Junhao, I think I just saw Uncle Wei and Aunt Shuang enter one of the private rooms."

Lin Junhao’s eyes flickered as he raised his head. "Where?"

Zhuang Meng smiled, maintaining her composure as she tilted her head at just the right angle to show off her beauty.

"Over there. I also saw Brother Chengye."

In truth, Zhuang Meng wasn’t close enough to the Lin brothers to address them so familiarly, but that didn’t stop her from doing so.

Fortunately, no one noticed her little calculation.

The easygoing Rong Junpei curiously glanced toward the private rooms. "Maybe they have an appointment? But it’s strange that Lin Chengye is there too."

Lin Junhao pondered for a moment. "Perhaps they’re bringing him along to gain some experience dealing with clients."

With that, he paid the matter no further attention.

The others at the table also recalled the recent events and sighed inwardly. They liked Lin Junhao for his gentle, sincere nature. Having all been raised with good manners, none of them wanted to bring up a painful subject and rub salt into their friend’s wounds.

Instead, they changed the topic and chatted about other things. The girls mostly discussed recent entertainment news and social banquets, while the boys talked about international affairs and, in particular, the stock market, given how recent geopolitical tensions between certain countries had affected ASEAN markets.

Everyone was content with the arrangement.

Everyone, that is, except Zhuang Meng.

Perhaps because she happened to be seated facing that direction, she caught sight of another group of people—and nearly dropped her wineglass.

As someone who always kept up with the latest happenings in the capital, Zhuang Meng had naturally seen the viral posts, photographs, and videos before they were all taken down over privacy concerns.

Although the distance made it difficult to see the person’s features clearly, there was absolutely no mistaking him.

That was definitely the infamous Lin Feng!

The very person who had caused Lin Junhao to lose weight and left her best friend, Lin Xiaoxiao, deeply upset.

Zhuang Meng did harbor secret feelings for Lin Junhao, but her friendship with Lin Xiaoxiao was genuine, too. Her best friend had even made her and their other friends promise that if they ever encountered anyone from the Bai family, they would contact her so she could give them a piece of her mind.

And Lin Feng? Lin Xiaoxiao had emphasized his name in particular.

Now that Zhuang Meng had spotted the infamous boy, she hesitated for only a moment before pulling out her phone and sending her friend a message.

She then added another message:

[Lin Xiaoxiao, please don’t make too big a scene. At the very least, I hope Brother Junhao won’t be too embarrassed. Can you do that for me?]

There was no reply.

Zhuang Meng sighed, already beginning to regret her decision. Still, if she had to choose between her best friend and her unrequited crush, she would choose her best friend.

Besides, both the head of the Lin family and the patriarch of the Bai family were present. Surely, Lin Xiaoxiao would exercise at least some restraint.

Inside the private room, Lin Wei and his wife, Rong Shuang, sat with their son, Lin Chengye, as they ordered their meal.

Lin Wei himself appeared perfectly calm and relaxed. Perhaps his composure had rubbed off on his wife and son, for the tension in their shoulders gradually eased as well.

Both Lin Wei and Rong Shuang were rational people. They had been together since their college days and remained thoroughly satisfied with each other in every respect, including their private life.

When two exceptionally rational people came together, they often raised children with similarly levelheaded temperaments. At least, that was true of their family. All three of their children were sensible in their own ways.

Even Lin Mengyao, their eldest daughter, whose engagement had fallen apart because of the scandal, had done little more than make a few bitter remarks. She hadn’t gone so far as to harass the Bai family children.

Lin Xiaoxiao, however, was another matter entirely.

That was precisely why they felt comfortable bringing Lin Chengye along to this appointment. They also hoped he would learn how to handle such situations properly in the future.

Just as they finished ordering their food, someone knocked on the door.

A moment later, it opened, and a tall, upright elderly man entered. Despite his age, he still looked remarkably vigorous.

As the patriarch of the Bai family, he was an elder worthy of their respect. Lin Wei, Rong Shuang, and Lin Chengye all rose to their feet.

Contrary to what many people believed, it wasn’t the scandal that had truly severed the ties between the two families.

It was Bai Yufei’s death.

In the Bai patriarch’s eyes, he had entrusted his precious daughter to the Lin family, only for them to fail in their duty. They had betrayed his trust, allowing Bai Yufei to suffer immensely before meeting an unjust death.

The Lin family, on the other hand, believed that Bai Ruoxi, the adulterous woman, had come from the Bai family, and that the blame should therefore be shared between the two sides.

At this point, continuing to point fingers at each other served little purpose.

The reality was that the Bai family had weathered the storm, while the Lin family was teetering dangerously on the brink.

Ultimately, they were all businessmen. Reconciliation was a welcome prospect if it meant maximizing their mutual benefits.

Behind the elderly man entered Bai Tingyu, the Bai family’s heir, followed by a boy of around seventeen.

The boy wore a plain white Tang suit. His features were soft and delicate, his expression gentle. He possessed an almost ethereal beauty, with an air of fragility and elegance.

The instant he came into view, all three members of the Lin family, who prided themselves on their composure, froze.

For a brief moment, undisguised astonishment flickered across their faces.

This person was... Lin Feng?

"This is Xiao Feng?" Rong Shuang couldn’t help murmuring.

The Lin family had a secret.

All of them were face-obsessed maniacs.