Chu Nan Province, Lin Family?
Chen Yubing’s slender, willow-like brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and her red lips parted slightly: “The Lin Family of Chu Nan Province? I haven’t really heard of them. I do know the Lin Family of Yanjing; now that’s an existence that can make the entire capital city tremble just by stomping their feet.”
Her tone carried a hint of disdain, as if the Lin Family of Chu Nan Province was not worth mentioning at all.
Lu Xuan glanced at her, saying nothing; these two women, each was more arrogant than the last.
“Who doesn’t know the Lin Family of Yanjing? Do you need to tell me?” Bai Yanxi couldn’t help but interject softly from the side, her voice not loud, but just enough for Chen Yubing to hear.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize that Lu Xuan’s half-smiling gaze was fixed on her.
Her fair cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly raised her small hand to cover her mouth, her eyes showing a hint of apology and annoyance, looking somewhat like a charmingly naive young girl.
She cleared her throat, looked at Lu Xuan, and her expression became a bit more serious: “The Lin Family of Chu Nan Province… I have heard my father mention them. He said that the Lin Family in Chu Nan Province is a true local tyrant, with deeply entrenched power, and it’s no exaggeration to say they can cover the sky with one hand.”
Seeing both Lu Xuan and Chen Yubing looking at her, Bai Yanxi continued: “I remember my father said that the Lin Family’s most formidable asset is a ‘one family, two secretaries.’ The elder is Lin Shuntian, who used to be the top leader of Chu Nan Province. Although he retired many years ago, his protégés and former subordinates are everywhere, and his influence is still very significant. His eldest son is Lin Ao, who is the current Secretary of Chu Nan Province. It is said that he is the youngest Provincial Party Secretary in the history of Huaguo, and his methods and capabilities are very strong.”
At this point, her watery eyes looked at Lu Xuan with a hint of worry, and her voice softened: “Xuan… you, why are you inquiring about their family? Could it be…”
Upon hearing Bai Yanxi’s explanation, Lu Xuan’s heart also stirred slightly.
He knew that Zhang Yining’s maternal grandfather’s family had some influence, but he never expected them to be an existence of this level.
One retired provincial top leader, one current provincial top leader—this was truly stirring up a hornet’s nest, pulling out a radish and bringing out mud.
Such is the nature of so-called prominent families: they rise and fall together, and a single move affects the whole body.
He sighed softly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the armrest of the sofa, and said in a calm tone: “Well, I’ve had a small conflict with their family; it might be a bit troublesome.”
Although he spoke lightly, Chen Yubing and Bai Yanxi, being who they were, immediately understood the weight of his words.
“What?!” Chen Yubing’s captivating peach blossom eyes widened instantly. She sat bolt upright from the sofa with a “whoosh,” her tone carrying a hint of urgency and an undeniable domineering quality, “Little Xuan Xuan, don’t worry! With me here, I’d like to see who dares to bully you! So what if it’s the Lin Family of Chu Nan Province? The emperor is far away from heaven; can they really extend their hands all the way to Yanjing? I’ll call my father right now and have him make a greeting to Chu Nan Province. I want to see if their Lin Family dares not to give my Chen Family face!”
With that, she quickly pulled out her phone from her bag in a flurry, her posture as if she was about to dispatch troops in the next second.
Seeing this, Bai Yanxi was not to be outdone. She puffed out her already full chest, her fair neck slightly raised like a proud white swan, her clear and cold voice carrying a hint of rivalry with Chen Yubing: “Hmph, you don’t need to! I’ll call my father too! Xuan… Lu Xuan, don’t worry, with me here, I guarantee you’ll be safe and sound. Their Lin Family wouldn’t dare do anything to you!”
After speaking, she also pursed her lips, took out her phone, and quickly tapped a few times on the screen with her slender fingers, dialing the number.
In the living room, for a moment, there were only the sounds of the two women making their respective calls, and a strange competitive atmosphere filled the air.
Lu Xuan looked at their expressions, and a playful smile unconsciously curled at the corner of his mouth; these two women were quite interesting.
“Hello, Dad! It’s me, Bing’er!” Chen Yubing’s voice instantly became sweet and coquettish to the person on the other end of the phone, a complete contrast to her usual fiery, mature demeanor, “Oh, you have to promise me first, otherwise I won’t say anything! You love Bing’er the most, don’t you?”
Chen Yubing’s smile grew even brighter after hearing something from the other end of the phone: “Hehe, I knew Dad was the best! So, it’s like this, I… I have a boyfriend, and he accidentally offended that Lin Family in Chu Nan Province. Dad, you really have to help me with this, otherwise, if my boyfriend gets bullied, how embarrassing would that be for me?!”
“Mmm hmm, just got him! He’s super handsome, super manly! Next time, next time I’ll definitely bring him home for you and Mom to approve! Don’t worry, my taste isn’t bad! So this matter, you must, you must handle it perfectly for me! Otherwise… otherwise I won’t talk to you!”
With a combination of acting spoiled, playing dirty, and using threats and inducements, Chen Yubing hung up the phone with satisfaction, her face beaming with a triumphant smile, and even raised an eyebrow provocatively at Bai Yanxi, as if to say: Mission accomplished!
On the other side, Bai Yanxi’s phone call style was completely different.
“Hello, Dad, it’s me, Yanxi.” Her voice was still cool and clear, but if one listened carefully, a hint of undetectable softness and dependence could be heard, “Hmm, there’s something… I might need your help with.”
“It’s about… a friend of mine. He, he ran into some trouble, and he has some conflict with the Lin Family of Chu Nan Province.” She paused, seemingly organizing her words, her cheeks also flushing slightly, “He… he is very good to me, very important. So, Dad, I hope you can… can help him resolve this trouble. Consider him… consider him my boyfriend.”
That last phrase, “consider him my boyfriend,” was spoken so softly it was almost inaudible, but Bai’s father on the other end of the phone clearly heard it, and Bai Yanxi’s ears turned completely red, not knowing what he said.
“Mmm, I understand, thank you, Dad. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself.”
Hanging up the phone, Bai Yanxi let out a soft sigh, the blush on her face not yet completely faded.
She looked up, met Lu Xuan’s gaze, and her eyes became a bit more resolute. Although she didn’t directly claim credit like Chen Yubing, her expression of “I’ve got it handled too” was evident.
“Hmph, I’ve also resolved it. Lu Xuan, rest assured, everything will be fine,” she said softly, with a hint of undetectable pride in her tone.
Meanwhile, in the Lin Family of Chu Nan Province, a considerable stir was indeed being caused.
Lin Shuntian and Lin Ao, father and son, received calls from Yanjing almost simultaneously.
When they learned that Lu Xuan, whom they considered to be just a clever young man from a peasant family, had actually alarmed both the Chen Family and the Bai Family, who were far away in the Tianjin Military Region, even seasoned big figures like them couldn’t help but show surprise on their faces.
The Chen Family and the Bai Family were both families with significant influence in the military, and their strength was comparable to that of the Lin Family of Chu Nan Province.
Moreover, both families had, as if by prior agreement, expressed their strong stance to protect Lu Xuan.
Lin Shuntian and Lin Ao understood perfectly well what this meant.
“This Lu Xuan… what exactly is his background?” Lin Ao put down the phone, his brows tightly furrowed, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity and confusion.
Lin Shuntian was silent for a moment, a deep light flashing in his aged eyes, and he slowly said: “It seems we have all underestimated this young man. To be able to make both the Chen and Bai Families come forward simultaneously, he is certainly no ordinary person. Let’s drop this matter for now. It’s not worth offending these two families for a Zhang Jianguo.”
Although he was unwilling, he also knew how to assess the situation. The Lin Family could call the winds and summon the rains in Chu Nan Province, but when facing the behemoths from Yanjing, they had no choice but to be wary. This time, they had kicked an iron plate and could only swallow this bitter pill.
Lin Zhiling soon received this news.
When she learned that her father and elder brother had chosen to back down due to the intervention of the Chen and Bai Families, her beautiful face instantly became covered in frost.
The Chen Family? The Bai Family? Lu Xuan actually had such a background?
She had originally thought Lu Xuan was just a minor character with some tricks, who had luckily caught Zhang Jianguo’s weakness. Now it seemed things were far more complicated than she had imagined.
A strong sense of frustration and unwillingness surged in her heart.
Could it just end like this? Zhang Jianguo was finished, and Yining’s future was shrouded in shadow, all because of that Lu Xuan, and she was powerless?
No! Lin Zhiling was never one to give up easily!
She took a deep breath, a hint of determination and madness flashing in her eyes.
“Advance the flight! I want to go to Yanjing immediately!” She coldly instructed her assistant on the phone, “I’m going to meet this Lu Xuan myself and see what kind of extraordinary person he really is!”
For her husband and daughter, Lin Zhiling decided to take matters into her own hands. Since her father and elder brother found it inconvenient to act, she would act herself.
She refused to believe that there was anything in this world that Lin Zhiling couldn’t handle, or anyone she couldn’t deal with!
If the hard approach didn’t work, then she would try the soft one!
She refused to believe that with her beauty, her methods, and the connections she had accumulated in the entertainment industry, she couldn’t handle a mere young man!