C8 Celebration Dinner

Lin Guoqing stood by the hospital bed with his two daughters, Lin Qingsha and Lin Lingyu.

His wife, Wang Qi, clutched Old Mrs. Lin's hand, tears streaming down her face. Lin Qingsha and Lin Lingyu also gazed at their recently recovered grandmother with tear-filled eyes.

Lin Guoqing, the third son in the Lin family, was like a character out of a drama.

The wedding of Lin Mengyao and Tang Hao was so abrupt that the family couldn't make it back from their trip abroad in time.

Lin Mengyao had just briefed Tang Hao on the current state of the Lin family.

Old Mrs. Lin had three sons, and Lin Mengyao's father, Lin Quansheng, was the eldest. He managed all the Lin family's businesses until an incident occurred, after which he was ousted from the family's power circle, and his daughter was thrust into prominence.

However, Lin Mengyao lacked the clout to contend with the savvy individuals at the Lin family company. Lin Xinguo had gradually won over the company's top executives, and Lin Qing had steadily usurped Lin Mengyao's role within the company.

Lin Guoqing had always stayed out of company affairs, a fair-weather friend, content with living off the company's dividends and spending his money on travel. He had previously ingratiated himself with Lin Quansheng and was now cozying up to Lin Xinguo.

Lin Mengyao had recently lost all her influence in the company to Lin Qing, leaving her with only a struggling cosmetics company.

All the profitable real estate and entertainment companies of the Lin family had now fallen into Lin Xinguo's hands.

Upon entering, Tang Hao and Lin Mengyao were immediately scrutinized by the Lin family's piercing stares.

Lin Qingsha and Lin Lingyu couldn't hide their curiosity. Was this their supposedly eccentric brother-in-law?

He seemed perfectly normal.

And rather handsome, too.

Old Mrs. Lin, upon seeing her granddaughter Lin Mengyao and her new grandson-in-law, coughed and scrutinized them with a stern face.

"You've really outdone yourself, finding such a person after I raised you."

"Crazy? Don't go around saying you're my granddaughter anymore."

Old Mrs. Lin's face was stern as she launched into a tirade at Lin Mengyao.

"Your father has become useless, and you've married a useless man as well. Quickly return the Lin family's shares that you hold. Hand them over to your cousin, Lin Qing."

Lin Qing stood to the side, laughing boisterously, casting a gloating look at Tang Hao and Lin Mengyao.

Wang Qi wanted to step forward and intercede on Lin Mengyao's behalf, but Lin Guoqing held him back.

"Our elder brother is already disabled, and Lin Mengyao has married a man with a mental illness. Lin Quansheng's lineage is effectively ruined. We shouldn't offend Lin Qing, who is currently in favor, over a cripple. It's not worth it. After all, we will have to make our way under Lin Xinguo's rule in the future."

Hearing this, Wang Qi's sympathy for Lin Mengyao faded, and he silently observed Old Mrs. Lin berating Lin Mengyao and Lin Quansheng.

Lin Mengyao had forgotten the help that Lin Quansheng had previously provided to her family and the closeness she once shared with Mengyao.

As soon as Lin Mengyao heard her grandmother's first rebuke, her eyes welled up with tears. She wanted to argue back, but Tang Hao held her back.

People who have a problem with you will always find a reason to criticize you.

"Grandmother, this is the husband your granddaughter chose for herself, a lunatic. But the moment Lin Mengyao sees his face, she's rooted to the spot, desperate to marry him," Lin Qing said, feigning innocence and twisting the truth.

"She lacks the poise and upbringing befitting the Lin family heiress."

Lin Qing, clutching Old Mrs. Lin's hand, played the part of the doting grandson.

"Taking the company away from Lin Mengyao was a brilliant move. With her in charge, she might have handed over our Lin family's assets to someone else."

Lin Yue overheard this and cast an even more disdainful glance at Lin Mengyao.

After enduring the tirade, Lin Mengyao took Tang Hao's hand and left the hospital.

The marginalization of Lin Mengyao's family from the power nucleus of the Lin family had been foreshadowed. Following Lin Quansheng's incident, the Lin family members had been unconsciously distancing themselves from them, and Old Mrs. Lin's attitude towards Lin Mengyao had grown increasingly hostile.

Upon her discharge from the hospital, Old Mrs. Lin was to host a soirée, inviting many guests. As a leading family in the city, it was only natural for the Lin family to throw a lavish banquet.

Outside the Lin family's villa, a collection of luxury cars were lined up. Tang Hao, along with Lin Mengyao and her family, had arrived in their relatively new Mercedes-Benz.

In the backseat, Lee Wanqing and Lin Quansheng were seated. Throughout the journey, Lee Wanqing was incessantly complaining. "It's all your fault for not being successful, making me and our daughter suffer with you. Just look at the cars around us! And then look at this car I'm sitting in. I'm too embarrassed to even step out!"

Upon reaching their destination, Lee Wanqing was still in the midst of her tantrum, feeling that their car was a disgrace among the sea of opulent vehicles.

Lin Mengyao and Tang Hao, seated in the front, turned to console their mother. "Mother, please stop making a scene. If we don't get out now, with our car blocking the entrance, we'll only be more embarrassed."

Lee Wanqing finally exited the car, her dark green evening gown accentuating her elegant figure. Despite her age, she was remarkably well-preserved, exuding the freshness of a woman in her twenties, yet with the allure of maturity. As she stepped out, she casually brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, capturing the attention of numerous men.

Tang Hao couldn't help but feel concerned for his father-in-law, casting a glance at Lin Quansheng's head. It wasn't green yet, but who knows about the future?

After Lin Mengyao stepped out, Tang Hao moved to the backseat to lift Lin Quansheng into his wheelchair. Pushing him gently, Lin Mengyao contentedly linked her arm with Tang Hao's. She was dressed in a pink bubble dress that made her complexion appear even more delicate and fair, and the form-fitting garment showcased her slender, pale legs, drawing the gazes of many men present.

The guests murmured among themselves at the sight of this unusual group. "Isn't that the former head of the Lin family? And who's the man beside him?"

"You don't know? Lin Mengyao, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, recently married an idiot. That's the 'mental patient.'"

"Ah! Is he the one who knocked out Lin Qing's front teeth?"

"Hmm, I heard he just got out of the mental hospital and is known for being violent."

"What does Lin Mengyao see in him? I've heard she's hell-bent on marrying him, completely ignoring her gravely ill grandmother."

"Who knows? Maybe she's just drawn to his looks."

Lin Mengyao, overhearing the crowd's murmurs, was filled with anger and wanted to confront them.

Tang Hao held her back, shaking his head. There would be time enough to handle these gossipmongers later. Arguing now would only give them a spectacle.

Lee Wanqing, catching bits of the conversation, hastened her steps, keeping her distance from Lin Quansheng and Tang Hao. She didn't want to be lumped in with someone considered disabled and insane.

Lee Wanqing paused at the entrance, waiting for Lin Mengyao to present the invitation to the doorman; without it, she couldn't get in.

Her mother-in-law yanked Tang Hao aside and scolded, "You're dressed so poorly! Just look at everyone else here, all decked out in suits. How did my daughter end up with someone as unsuccessful as you?"

Indeed, Tang Hao's attire was far from formal that day; he had opted for a more relaxed look.