C8 His Last Wish

Zhang Chen jumped at the sudden scare.

Su Mang quickly stepped in between them, her voice tinged with annoyance. "Fourth Sister, what are you up to now? You can't keep taking advantage of our brother!"

Lau Qingyue hastily gestured with her hands, "No, that's not it. I was just reminiscing about the good old days we had on the mountain."

"As a child, Master would always have me sample herbs. Whenever I was sent to Retrospection Cliff to reflect on my misdeeds, my brother would come and cheer me up."

"Whenever we got into mischief, it was always Little Brother who stepped up to shoulder the blame."

"I remember once, after making a grave mistake, Master punished me with a wooden plank. I was bedridden, unable to move, until my brother secretly brought me ointment and applied it to my sore backside."

Finishing her story, she gazed at Zhang Chen with deep affection, lost in her memories.

Zhang Chen, feeling awkward, responded, "I was just a kid back then."

"My little brother was always there for me, taking punishments on my behalf. And let's not forget, I was the one who tricked him into his first kiss!"

Su Mang chimed in with a hint of pride, her usual aloof demeanor nowhere in sight.

Zhang Chen felt out of place. Accustomed to being shunned, he was unprepared for the sudden adoration, especially from two stunning beauties.

But it was true, Zhang Chen was quite endearing back then; calling him the darling of the group was no overstatement.

"What exactly was Master's dying wish?" Su Mang interjected.

Scratching his head, Zhang Chen replied with a hint of embarrassment, "I'm not entirely sure myself. All I know is that Master arranged for me to marry Lin Zhiqing."

"He insisted that I do whatever it takes to stay close to Lin Zhiqing and remain with the Lin family."

"He mentioned waiting for a significant event to unfold before addressing it."

"That's it?" Su Mang asked, puzzled.

A contemplative glint flickered in Lau Qingyue's eyes.

Zhang Chen nodded, "That's everything."

Master had been cryptic, revealing neither the specifics of the event nor its timing.

And so, their conversation stretched on until the early hours of the morning.

As the night wore on, the two women were overtaken by exhaustion, yet they continued to chat. By the time Zhang Chen returned from a quick bathroom break, they were both sound asleep.

With no other choice, Zhang Chen found himself another room and settled in for a good night's rest.

The next morning, a persistent phone ring jolted Zhang Chen awake. Squinting at the caller ID, he recognized Lin Zhiqing's number and took a deep breath before answering.

Instead of the anticipated outburst, an urgent voice came through. "Zhang Chen, where are you? You need to get to the Lin's compound, now!"

Puzzled, I furrowed my brow. "What's going on?"

"No time to explain, just come back!" Lin Zhiqing insisted, then abruptly hung up.

Shaking his head in resignation, Zhang Chen dressed and headed out of his room.

In the hall, he found Su Mang lounging on the sofa, casually watching TV.

"You're up early," Su Mang remarked, surprised to see him.

"A situation at the Lin family's place," Zhang Chen explained with a hint of frustration. "I've been summoned back urgently."

"They snap their fingers and you jump? Don't sell yourself short," Su Mang said, rolling her eyes.

"It's about honoring our Master's last wish," Zhang Chen replied with a wry smile.

Su Mang pursed her lips, then tossed a business card onto the coffee table. "Fine, here's my number. Call me if you need anything."

She then slid a bank card across the table. "There's 200 million on this. Use it as you need."

Zhang Chen, reaching for the business card, nearly collapsed onto the coffee table in shock at her words.

Two hundred million!

"Third Sister, I don't need the money," he protested instinctively, only to be met with Su Mang's icy stare.

He clamped his mouth shut, offering an awkward smile, and pocketed the bank card.

"I'll look you up once I've handled things," he promised.

With that, Zhang Chen turned and left the villa. Outside, black-clad bodyguards awaited him, one of whom respectfully opened the door to a Rolls Royce for him to enter.

Zhang Chen's discomfort grew. He hastily gestured with his hands, "No need, I can just grab a taxi back."

However, before he could finish, Su Mang leaned casually against the door frame and murmured, "Get in the car. It's fast, and in this whole world, you're the only one I want riding in it. No one else even gets the chance."

With little else to say, Zhang Chen reluctantly settled into the Rolls Royce, feeling deeply moved.

Shortly after, Su Mang signaled her bodyguards to drive off.

As they approached within a few hundred meters of the Lin's compound, Zhang Chen exited the vehicle.

From a distance, he could see the compound teeming with luxury cars—there must have been at least thirty or forty!

What could have happened to the Lin family?

Zhang Chen's brow furrowed once more, a sense of foreboding growing within him.

He quickened his pace and made his way into the courtyard.

By now, the courtyard was bustling with people, each exuding wealth. They stood around, engaged in hushed conversations.

"I've heard Old Master Lin is seriously ill this time. I hope for a swift recovery."

"So do I, but what are the odds?"

"Did you know the deputy dean of Ningzhou Central Hospital is here too? Can he find a cure?"

The chatter around him only intensified Zhang Chen's concern.

Old Master Lin was sick?

Zhang Chen's frown deepened as his unease intensified.

Old Master Lin had always been in poor health, relying on medication to keep him going. But now, his condition was critical.

With a clenched jaw, Zhang Chen strode towards the central villa, the heart of the compound.

Old Master Lin was the only one in the entire Lin family who had ever treated Zhang Chen with genuine respect.

It was because of Old Master Lin that his marriage had lasted all these years. Without him, Zhang Chen would have been cast out by the Lin family long ago.

But he hadn't gotten far when a chilly voice called out from behind, "Stop!"

Zhang Chen turned to find Lin Zhiqing standing before him, her expression cool and stern.

"Where were you last night?" Lin Zhiqing's frown was slight but her tone was icy.

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Zhang Chen stammered his explanation, "I... I was working for that group from the hotel yesterday."

"Working?"

Lin Zhiqing's brow creased ever so slightly.

With a sense of resignation, Zhang Chen implored, "Can you please not ask me anymore? I can't tell you. If you really want to know, go ask Mom."

Yet inwardly, he was smirking with satisfaction.

He had successfully shifted the blame!

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Zhiqing's frown deepened as she inquired, "Has Mom gotten into another car accident?"

Zhang Chen pursed his lips, choosing to remain silent.

Feeling resigned, Lin Zhiqing spoke softly, "We should get going. Grandfather's illness is severe and it's causing a major stir. The Lin family needs to be there."

"Just keep your mouth shut today and don't utter a word."