But after two or three days, Ning Shangyu was abroad attending a grand commercial ceremony, followed by a dinner with related parties, and an official media launch of a new project with the Rong Family.
In short, he was so busy that even finance news was full of his prominent deeds.
That busy man.
Yet he still hadn’t submitted the review.
After reading the fifth newspaper at the villa, Lin Zhishui sent another message:
[Have you finished watching the tutorial?]
[ I hope we can strictly practice according to the tutorial before marriage. You can pick the one you’re most interested in.]
Ning Shangyu seemed exceptionally busy recently, with no private life at all. His boundless energy and stamina were all devoted to his business plans.
Lin Zhishui hardly saw him and seriously suspected if he was starting to dislike studying now that he was so high up…
Her message sank like a stone into the sea.
But Ning Shangyu had obviously seen it, and called Ning Zhuoyu over to take her out to relax.
This time, Ning Zhuoyu wore a classic high-tailored suit, no wristwatch, but a chest pin set with dark purple gems engraved with the family emblem, making him look handsome and dashing.
Turning his head slightly, he raised an eyebrow at Lin Zhishui sitting in the front passenger seat: “My respected elder brother has been working at a terrifyingly intense level recently, tsk… so he sent me to keep you company.”
Ning Zhuoyu’s words were unclear.
In fact, Ning Shangyu had asked Xi Yan to arrange a somewhat useful “younger brother” to accompany her, and Ning Zhuoyu, a career maniac under the empire of power, naturally had to compete for the position.
After a fierce internal battle in the Yu generation’s family group chat, Ning Zhuoyu proudly won the spot.
He planned to take Lin Zhishui to a hundred-day banquet of a family with close ties to theirs.
Along the way, he shared many secrets of the Si Cheng territory that outsiders weren’t supposed to know.
“The banquet is held by the Ji Family, similar to the Qin Family, one of our many dependents. The head is Ji Yongzhen, just a few years younger than the patriarch, so their relationship is somewhat based on their early friendship…”
Lin Zhishui distractedly sent a message to Ning Shangyu asking when he’d be back in Si Cheng.
Then, curious, she asked Ning Zhuoyu, “Is the old master Ji holding the banquet for his grandson?”
“His grandson doesn’t have that privilege. He’s already invited half of the noble families in town,” Ning Zhuoyu smirked, “It’s for the youngest son of the golden branch and jade leaf.”
Lin Zhishui was slightly surprised: “And his wife…”
“As old as him, nearly seventy years old.
The son is officially declared theirs, pure bloodline,” Ning Zhuoyu said as he turned the steering wheel halfway, approaching the brightly lit mansion ahead.
His drawn-out tone carried his usual sarcastic edge: “This loving old couple has probably set a new world record.”
Upon arrival, Lin Zhishui followed Ning Zhuoyu the entire time.
The banquet was set in the garden behind a fountain adorned with blooming wisteria.
According to the butler guiding them, Madam Ji loved these flowers, so the old master decided to invite distinguished guests to enjoy them.
Having already heard a bit of the gossip beforehand, Lin Zhishui could only smile politely.
When Ning Shangyu finally replied with a brief message: [Tonight], she quietly finished reading the chat.
She then looked up to see Ning Zhuoyu being waved over by a striking man who looked like a figure cut from an ink painting.
Choosing a quiet spot near the cool fountain, she slowly typed: [Little Zhuo, the driver, brought me to the Ji Family banquet… Do you know the Ji Family?]
Ning Shangyu replied later with two words: [I know.]
Sure enough, in noble families, there were no secrets—the Ji Family’s issues with illegitimate children and tangled bloodlines were out in the open, already common gossip at all the family tables.
Lin Zhishui remained calm, thinking it wasn’t proper to discuss this at the host’s banquet.
She subtly changed the topic: [Busy man, rather than admiring the wisteria in the Ji Family’s garden, I’d rather appreciate the bald cypress over there… Come home as soon as your plane lands, okay?]
She was hiding something.
More than admiring the bald cypress, she wanted to check how far along this busy man was with the tutorial.
Had he taken time to truly absorb the traditional knowledge?
In any case, it was better to stick with something traditional than anything she couldn’t accept as a proper person.
While waiting, Lin Zhishui leaned against the edge of the fountain, her fingertips lazily tapping the water lilies on the surface.
A fish tail quietly swam past.
After the tail passed her fingers for the third time, her phone lit up with Ning Shangyu’s extremely aloof reply: [Mm.]
Lowering her lashes, Lin Zhishui thought, “They’re brothers, but talking to Ning Zhuoyu is like night and day compared to Ning Shangyu. His messages are getting fewer and fewer.”
From two words down to one.
But soon she didn’t mind anymore.
It didn’t matter that he was brief now—when they met and he submitted his review before the practical lessons, she hoped there would be more words then.
Smiling faintly, she was about to look for Ning Zhuoyu when Qin Wanyin, dressed in a shimmering mermaid gown, suddenly appeared in her sight.
They exchanged calm gazes.
Qin Wanyin approached gracefully, speaking familiarly as if meeting an acquaintance: “It’s been a long time since I last saw Miss Lin after leaving the Gang District. How have you been recently?”
“Quite well,” Lin Zhishui kept her smile, but her red lips enunciated carefully: “Miss Qin, how have you been? I heard your father was recently involved in a scandal over falsifying medical data. I hope you’re not having too much trouble?”
Beneath Qin Wanyin’s flawless gentle exterior, a tiny crack almost appeared.
The outside world might not know, but the Lin Family was well aware of how that falsified data that ruined the Qin Family was meticulously unearthed.
Now, the daughter of the mastermind dared to ask her that face to face.
She stopped by the fountain beside Lin Zhishui for a moment and said, “Thank you for your concern. This minor difficulty is but a small storm for the Qin Family. Miss Lin should be more concerned about your own health.”
Lin Zhishui lowered her eyes, idly fishing for the tail again with her delicate finger, then tilted her head slightly, her tone tinged with confusion: “My health? That’s an interesting topic to bring up—you’d think Ning Shangyu should be the one caring about that?”
Sometimes Qin Wanyin wanted to conduct an interview: how many people had been fooled by Lin Zhishui’s seemingly naive appearance?
Especially her mouth—it hardly looked like someone who stayed at home all day with mute nannies, knowing nothing and easy to bully.
Fortunately, Qin Wanyin had some reason left in her mind and instead smiled: “True, Ning Shangyu should care more about your health, since Miss Lin is his living medicine for suppressing his addiction.”
Suppressing?
Lin Zhishui suddenly froze—obviously this was the first time she’d heard such an unfamiliar phrase.
Qin Wanyin closely watched the subtle change in her crystal-clear eyes and immediately guessed, asking in surprise: “What? No one at home, not your mother or sister, has ever mentioned it to you?”
Lin Zhishui quickly regained her composure, still looking calmly at her.
Qin Wanyin, now standing in an advantageous position, casually stirred the water in the fountain just like Lin Zhishui had.
Unfortunately, no fish tail came to wrap around her finger.
Then she continued: “Lin Zhishui, think about it. If you hadn’t been chosen as the medicine to be used, what right would the Lin Family have to ally with the Ning Clan? And to steal away our family’s years of cooperation… It all comes down to—”
Her voice paused. Moving an inch closer, she deliberately curled her lips into a mocking smile and clearly said: “Your mother, Sheng Mingying, gave you away.”
The words hit Lin Zhishui’s ears, but she slowly smiled.
Qin Wanyin, confident of victory, asked, “Are you laughing at yourself?”
“I’m laughing at you.”
After those words echoed back to Qin Wanyin, within three seconds, she was unexpectedly shoved face-first into the fountain.
She instantly smelled faint fishiness mixed with the floral scent of water lilies flooding her nostrils, causing her to choke.
The next moment, Lin Zhishui’s slender, icy-cold fingers gripped the back of her neck and pulled her up.
Qin Wanyin’s crescent eyes widened to their limit.
Gasping wildly, she barely caught sight of Lin Zhishui before being pushed back into the water again. This time, so close that the water droplets on her lashes fell.
Lin Zhishui whispered into her ear, “No matter how beautiful this painted mask is, tonight all your grace is lost.”
She released her fingers.
Qin Wanyin barely managed to steady herself by grabbing the edge of the fountain, her nails digging in hard enough to leave marks.
Lin Zhishui stood cold and clear, then rubbed her delicate knuckles and said, “Last time you mentioned breaking off the engagement, I offered you a cup of tea, Miss Qin. But you didn’t want tea—you wanted something else…”
“Lin Zhishui!” Qin Wanyin interrupted, even wanting to raise her hand for a slap.
Had she ever been treated like this?
Lin Zhishui’s clear, emotionless eyes didn’t blink or avoid; she asked bluntly, “Do you dare?”
Qin Wanyin’s pale fingertips trembled, as if caught off guard.
Even though Lin Zhishui was the medicine the Ning Family bought at a high price through marriage, before a new drug was fully developed, no one had the right to harm a hair on her head…
Yet she was the family’s cherished eldest daughter—when had she ever suffered such humiliation?
Before Qin Wanyin could respond, her pupils trembled fiercely.
She accidentally spotted, at the corridor steps in the back garden, her older brother Qin Wance and Ning Zhuoyu standing on either side behind the tall Ning Shangyu.
The starry night sky illuminated his handsome face, and his cold expression added a sharp, soul-stirring edge.
He was looking directly at them.
Lin Zhishui stood unmoving by the flowing fountain, as if surrounded by an invisible, icy-cold transparent shield formed by the controlling gaze.
This made Qin Wanyin instinctively retreat three steps, unwilling to try anything further.