Lin Feng's Bedroom — September 16, 8:55 AM
Lin Feng stood before his mirror, adjusting his collar for the third time.
It was useless.
The kiss marks covered his neck like a constellation of crimes — scattered across his jaw, trailing down his collarbone, clustered in the hollow of his throat. Some had already darkened to purple while others remained an angry red, and no amount of collar adjustment could hide them all.
Behind him, his bedroom door hung from a single hinge. The wood around the lock had splintered completely, and it swung gently whenever a breeze passed through, creaking like an accusation — evidence of the early morning's chaos that no one had bothered to repair.
The bathroom door clicked open.
Lin Weiwei emerged in a cloud of steam and floral-scented shampoo. She'd changed into a cream sweater and simple jeans, her long black hair hanging damp past her shoulders. Her skin glowed pink from the hot water, and she moved with the languid satisfaction of a cat who had gotten exactly what she wanted.
"Big Brother." She padded over to him, bare feet silent on the floor. Her eyes landed on his neck, and her lips twitched — not with guilt, but with something closer to pride.
"Let me help." She reached up to fix his collar, her slender fingers brushing against his jaw as she tugged the fabric higher. She tilted her head, considered the result, then let out a small sigh.
"It's hopeless."
"I noticed."
"There's too many." She didn't sound sorry at all — if anything, her voice carried a note of satisfaction. "You should wear a turtleneck."
"It's September."
"Then suffer."
Lin Feng caught her wrist before she could pull away, and her pulse jumped beneath his thumb.
"You're not sorry at all, are you?"
Lin Weiwei's lips curved into that small, satisfied smile she'd been wearing since she woke up. The smile of a woman who had claimed her territory and marked it thoroughly.
"Should I be?"
This girl.
He released her wrist and checked his phone. 8:57 AM.
"We need to go down. Big Sis called everyone for breakfast at nine sharp."
Lin Weiwei nodded, but her smile faded slightly as something flickered behind her eyes — a flash of wariness, a hint of calculation. She knew as well as he did that Lin Qingwan never called full family breakfasts without reason.
What are you planning, Big Sis?
Lin Feng offered his arm, and Lin Weiwei took it without hesitation, pressing close to his side as they walked toward the dining room.
Behind them, his ruined door swung gently on its single hinge.
---------------------------
9:00 AM — The Dining Room
The Lin family dining room was built for intimidation.
Thirty feet of polished mahogany stretched before him, with a crystal chandelier worth six figures hanging overhead and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking manicured gardens.
The scent of fresh congee and steamed buns drifted through the air, but it did nothing to soften the chill of the room. Servants stood at attention along the walls like soldiers awaiting orders, their faces carefully blank.
Every detail screamed the same thing — wealth, status, cold formality.
Today, the family had gathered.
Lin Feng paused at the threshold, his eyes sweeping across the scene.
At the head of the table sat Lin Zhentian, the patriarch of the Lin family. Silver hair swept back from a face carved from granite, and cold eyes assessed everything while approving of nothing.
He wore a charcoal suit even at breakfast — always the businessman, never the father. His newspaper lay folded beside his plate, untouched, as if he'd been waiting.
To his right sat Jiang Mei, a mature beauty in her late thirties who had aged like fine wine. Soft curves filled out her designer dress, and her face retained the delicate features that had once caught a patriarch's eye. But her perfectly manicured fingers drummed against the tablecloth in an anxious rhythm, and her eyes kept darting toward her daughter's empty chair.
Beside Jiang Mei sat Lin Hao, twelve years old and dressed in his middle school uniform. He sat ramrod straight with his shoulders pulled back, trying to look mature, his eyes darting around the room as he cataloged positions and calculated dynamics.
And at the far end of the table, directly opposite their father, sat Lin Qingwan.
The eldest daughter. President of Lin Group. Twenty-three years old and already commanding more power than most businessmen twice her age.
She wore a burgundy blouse and pearls, her silver hair pinned up in an elegant twist. A tablet sat before her, and she was scrolling through something with practiced efficiency, one manicured nail tapping against the screen.
She looked up when Lin Feng entered, and her eyes immediately found his neck.
Her lips pressed together, fighting something back, and then a smile broke through — the kind that crinkled the corners of her eyes and made her shoulders shake with barely suppressed laughter.
Little Sister-in-law works fast.
Lin Feng kept his expression neutral and walked toward the table. Naturally, without thinking, he moved toward the empty seat beside Lin Qingwan.
She was someone he cared about.
It was that simple.
"Lin Feng."
His father's voice cut through the room, cold and commanding.
"Your seat is over here."
Lin Zhentian gestured to the empty chair on his left side — the side where Jiang Mei and Lin Hao sat, the side opposite Lin Qingwan.
Lin Feng stopped mid-step. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at his father, then at the indicated seat, then back at his father.
"Is there a problem with where I sit?"
There were no hints of challenge in his tone, no defiance — just genuine confusion.
But Lin Zhentian's nostrils flared, and his grip on his teacup tightened until his knuckles went white.
This little bastard. Is he taunting me?
"Running to your sister for money now?" The words came out clipped, dripping with contempt. "Su Qingxue finally drained you dry?"
The room went still.
A servant froze mid-pour, tea splashing against the rim of a cup. Jiang Mei's drumming fingers stopped dead. Lin Hao ducked his head, but not before Lin Feng caught the flash of teeth — a grin quickly hidden.
Lin Feng said nothing.
He didn't take the bait, nor did he defend himself or argue.
He simply walked to the seat beside Lin Qingwan, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
Sides of the table. Power struggle. My father versus my Big Sister.
He'd accidentally made a political statement.
Heh. Whatever.
Lin Qingwan's fingers paused on her tablet. She glanced at him sidelong, one eyebrow lifting a fraction — he'd chosen her side without being asked — before her lips curved into quiet satisfaction.
Interesting. When did you start picking sides, Little Brother?
Lin Feng didn't answer her silent question. He didn't even fully understand it himself.
He'd sat beside her because she mattered to him, because somewhere in his inherited memories of the original novel, he knew she would die taking a bullet meant for his heart.
He owed her a better future.
That was enough.
Lin Weiwei followed without hesitation. Big Brother sat there, so she sat there — automatic, like a magnet finding north. She didn't spare a glance for the other side of the table.
"Weiwei." Jiang Mei leaned forward, her voice soft and pleading, one hand reaching across the tablecloth. "Come sit beside Mother."
Lin Weiwei's jaw tightened. She pulled out the chair beside Lin Feng and sat down without a word, her shoulder nearly brushing his.
Jiang Mei's outstretched hand hung in the air for a long moment before it slowly withdrew. Her lower lip trembled, and she pressed it flat, swallowing hard.
"Hao-er." Lin Zhentian's voice sliced through the silence. "Come. Sit beside Father from now on."
The words were pointed and public — a declaration of a new favored son.
Lin Hao's chair scraped against the floor as he rose, his movements crisp and eager. He walked around the table with his chin lifted, and as he passed Lin Feng's chair, their eyes met.
A smirk tugged at the corner of the younger boy's mouth — small, satisfied, knowing.
He didn't say anything. He didn't need to.
My turn now, Brother.
"Yes, Father." Lin Hao settled into his new seat beside Lin Zhentian, his voice ringing with pride.
His back straightened even further, and he folded his hands on the table like a little executive — not just obedient, but triumphant.
---------------------------
[9:01 AM]
Silence settled over the table as servants began placing dishes — congee, steamed buns, pickled vegetables, century eggs.
Then Lin Zhentian's gaze landed on Lin Feng's neck.
His jaw tightened, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop another few degrees.
"...At least have some decorum at my table."
Lin Qingwan pressed her lips together, her shoulders shaking slightly as she fought to keep her composure.
Jiang Mei's eyes widened as she finally registered the marks, and her chopsticks froze halfway to her mouth.
My daughter did that? My precious Weiwei left those marks on him?
Lin Hao wrinkled his nose, staring at the purple bruises scattered across his brother's neck with unconcealed revulsion.
"Shameless." The word was muttered, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Lin Zhentian glanced at his youngest son and gave a small nod of approval.
At least this one has standards.
Lin Hao sat straighter, his chin lifting at the validation.
---------------------------
[9:02 AM]
Lin Qingwan set down her tablet and cleared her throat.
"Now that everyone's here," she said, her voice carrying the easy authority of someone used to commanding boardrooms, "I have two announcements."
Lin Zhentian's eyes narrowed. "Announcements?"
"Family matters first. Then business."
She didn't wait for his permission.
"I'm officially recognizing and reinstating Lin Weiwei's status as Lin Feng's childbride."
The words landed like stones in still water.
Jiang Mei's chopsticks clattered against her bowl. Lin Hao's smirk vanished. Even Lin Zhentian's composure cracked — a flash of irritation crossing his granite features.
Lin Qingwan paused, tilting her head as if considering her words.
"No. That's not quite right."
She looked at Lin Weiwei, then at Lin Feng, and a small smile curved her lips.
"I'm upgrading her status. From childbride to fiancée."
The word landed like a bomb.
"The wedding can be arranged after they both graduate. But the engagement is effective immediately."
"Absolutely not."
Lin Zhentian's voice cut through the stunned silence — cold and controlled, but with an edge that hadn't been there before.
"You don't have the authority to arrange marriages, Qingwan."
"The arrangement already existed. I'm simply—"
"Her mother hasn't agreed." He glanced at Jiang Mei. "I haven't agreed. This is not your decision to make."
Jiang Mei seized on the opening. "Exactly! Weiwei is MY daughter. She's only eighteen. This is too sudden—"
"Precisely."
Lin Weiwei's voice cut through her mother's protest, clear and cold and final.
"I'm eighteen. An adult. I can make my own decisions."
She looked at her mother directly for the first time.
"And I've decided."
The table went still.
Lin Weiwei had talked back to her mother.
This was the girl who had spent eighteen years as the perfect obedient daughter. The one everyone knew was submissive to Jiang Mei. The one who asked how high when her mother said jump.
That girl had just said no — in public.
The servants froze in place, and even the ones who had been trained to show no reaction couldn't hide their shock.
This was simply unprecedented. Unthinkable.
Jiang Mei's face went slack, her mouth hanging open for a moment before she caught herself.
Lin Qingwan's eyes flickered to Lin Weiwei, and she gave a small nod.
There's steel in this girl after all. No — not steel. Something fiercer. She's fighting for him.
When it came to Lin Feng, Lin Weiwei was willing to fight tooth and nail. The submissive daughter who never spoke up was gone, and in her place stood a woman ready to go to war for her man.
Nothing and no one would stand between her and Lin Feng. Not even her own mother.
Jiang Mei faltered, her voice wavering. "She — Weiwei needs time to consider her options. There are other eligible young masters from good families—"
"Other eligible young masters?"
Lin Weiwei's tone turned cold, almost mocking.
"Isn't Lin Feng an eligible young master?"
She tilted her head, and her eyes held something sharp and dangerous.
"The Young Master of the Lin family. One of the four great families of Jiangcheng. What exactly is lacking?"
Jiang Mei's mouth opened, then closed. No response came.
Checkmate.
Lin Qingwan nodded again.
Twice now, Weiwei has shut her mother down. Not just steel — claws too.
Lin Qingwan's eyes drifted to Lin Feng.
What did you do to her, Little Brother? Did you make her eat or swallow something last night?
Lin Feng caught her staring and met her gaze.
I definitely did not do whatever you're thinking, Big Sis.
"Well said! Well said Weiwei. Well said." Lin Qingwan's voice was smooth as silk. "But let me add one more point."
She looked at Lin Feng, then at Lin Weiwei, then back at her father and stepmother.
"They shared a bed last night."
The room went dead silent.
Lin Qingwan let the words hang there — carefully worded, technically true, and absolutely devastating.
"What exactly is left for them to do... but get married?"
Lin Zhentian's face darkened as the assumption settled over the table — his son had defiled his stepdaughter.
Jiang Mei's mouth worked soundlessly, her knuckles white around her chopsticks.
My daughter. Ruined. By him.
Lin Hao's lip curled with disgust as he glanced at Lin Weiwei.
So my sister is that kind of woman.
Lin Weiwei's face was on fire, but she only pressed closer, refusing to contradict him.
If this gets me married to Big Brother faster... let them think what they want.
Lin Feng caught Lin Qingwan's careful wording. "Shared a bed." Not "slept together." Not "consummated." Just... shared a bed.
Damn Big Sis… You're playing dirty.
Lin Qingwan continued, her voice still smooth as silk. "Unless, of course, Father would prefer the alternative."
"Lin Feng takes her virtue and then... what? We pretend nothing happened?"
"Let her become damaged goods while he moves on to the next woman?"
Her eyes sharpened. "Is THAT the Lin family way?"
Lin Zhentian's jaw tightened until a muscle twitched in his cheek.
He'd been outmaneuvered — publicly and completely.
If he refused the engagement now, he was condoning his son ruining a girl's reputation. If he agreed, Lin Qingwan won.
Either way, Lin Qingwan won.
"...Fine." The word was forced through clenched teeth. "The engagement stands."
Lin Qingwan's smile was small and victorious.
"Thank you, Father. I knew you'd see reason."
She picked up her tablet again. "Now, onto business."
"Lin Group has successfully acquired Zhonghe Technologies. We're expanding our R&D division significantly."
Lin Zhentian's expression soured further. He knew what was coming.
"At our current growth rate, in less than a year, the Lin family will surpass the Chen family." Lin Qingwan's voice was steady and professional, but her eyes held triumph. "We will become the third richest family in Jiangcheng."
The words hung in the air — a power statement and a complete victory rolled into one.
I'm the one growing this family. Not you, Father.
Lin Zhentian said nothing. The growth was her doing, all of it, and he couldn't take credit.
He'd lost twice in the span of five minutes.
---------------------------
Lin Hao watched the exchange with growing unease.
Father is losing. To Qingwan. Again.
His fingers curled against his thighs under the table.
My chance.
He cleared his throat. "Father."
Lin Zhentian turned to him, the bitterness from Lin Qingwan's victories still fresh on his face.
"I received my exam results yesterday." Lin Hao kept his voice steady and confident. "I have perfect scores in all subjects — top of my class in mathematics, science, and literature."
Lin Zhentian's expression shifted, and the bitterness faded slightly.
He looked at Lin Hao. Really looked at him.
"Perfect scores?"
"Yes, Father." Lin Hao met his gaze without flinching. "The teachers said I could skip a grade if I wanted."
A heavy pause stretched between them.
"Good." Lin Zhentian's voice held actual warmth — not just dismissive acknowledgment, but genuine approval. "Very good."
Lin Hao's chest tightened, and he had to fight to keep his expression composed.
Finally. FINALLY.
"THIS is what a Lin should be." Lin Zhentian's eyes flicked to Lin Feng, the contrast deliberate. "Disciplined. Focused. Achieving through merit."
His gaze lingered on Lin Feng's marked neck.
"Not chasing women. Not making spectacles. Not... whatever THIS is."
Lin Hao couldn't help it. He glanced at his brother without even trying to hide the smugness tugging at his lips.
I'm smarter than you. Father knows it now. Everyone knows it.
Jiang Mei seized the moment, her voice warm and proud. "Hao-er has always been exceptional. He studies four hours every night. Never complains. Never causes trouble."
She shot a pointed look at Lin Feng.
Unlike SOME people.
---------------------------
[9:04 AM]
JiangMei, emboldened by Lin Hao's success, turned back to her daughter.
"Weiwei, darling..." Her voice had gone soft and conciliatory. "Even if this engagement is... settled... we need to discuss it properly. As your mother—"
Lin Weiwei picked up a steamed bun with her chopsticks and turned to Lin Feng.
"Big Brother, open your mouth."
Jiang Mei's words died in her throat.
Lin Feng blinked, caught off guard, but opened his mouth. Lin Weiwei placed the bun between his lips with a small, satisfied smile.
"Good." She brushed a crumb from the corner of his mouth with her thumb, her touch lingering. "You need to eat more. You used up a lot of energy last night, and I need you to be energetic later."
Lin Zhentian's chopsticks froze mid-air.
Lin Qingwan choked on her tea.
Lin Hao's face twisted with disgust.
Jiang Mei looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
Lin Feng kept his expression neutral.
Weiwei, what the fuck are you doing?
Lin Weiwei never looked at her mother, never acknowledged a single word. She simply continued eating, her attention fixed entirely on Lin Feng as if no one else at the table existed.
Jiang Mei sat frozen, her outstretched plea hanging in the air, utterly invisible to her own daughter.
---------------------------
The silence stretched.
One second. Two. Three.
Then her hands began to tremble against the tablecloth. Her jaw tightened. Her breath came faster, shallow and ragged, as something built behind her eyes.
"ENOUGH!"
She shot to her feet, her chair scraping against the floor with a screech that made the servants wince.
"You—" She jabbed a finger at Lin Qingwan. "You make decisions for MY daughter without asking me?!"
Then she whirled on Lin Zhentian.
"And you just agree?! She's not even a TRUE Lin! She's MY daughter, from before I ever came to this family!"
Her finger swung toward Lin Feng, trembling with fury, while her eyes locked on Lin Weiwei.
"That boy is EVIL! He'll destroy you! He'll use you and throw you away!"
The words erupted from somewhere deep inside her, somewhere she couldn't name or understand. Her stomach churned just looking at him. Her skin crawled. Every instinct in her body screamed that this boy was wrong — she could feel it in her bones, in her blood, in the bile rising at the back of her throat.
She didn't know why she hated him this much. She just did.
Lin Hao nodded along with his mother. "Mother is right. Sister shouldn't be forced into this."
He tried to sound mature and reasonable — the good son taking the moral high ground. But his eyes betrayed him, and satisfaction lurked there. He was enjoying watching Lin Feng's side crumble.
Lin Zhentian straightened in his chair. "She has a point. This is her daughter. She should have been consulted."
He was siding with Jiang Mei now. Couldn't beat Lin Qingwan on business, so he attacked on this front instead.
Lin Qingwan watched with knowing eyes.
He's falling deeper under that snake's spell.
---------------------------
[9:07 AM]
"Stop."
Lin Weiwei's voice cut through the chaos, ice cold.
She rose from her chair, turned, and sat directly on Lin Feng's lap — right there, in front of everyone.
Her arms wrapped around his neck as she buried her face against his chest. When she spoke again, her voice had transformed completely — soft and coquettish, nothing like the ice queen of moments before.
"Big Brother... you'll protect me, right?"
What the fuck.
Lin Feng's mind blanked for a moment.
What kind of morning chaos IS this?
But then something clicked into place — old instincts, cold and calculating. The room had already decided he was the villain. Jiang Mei had called him evil.
I'm evil, right? I'm the villain, right?
Fine. Let's give them what they expect.
His arms wrapped around Lin Weiwei's waist, pulling her closer. Then he looked up at Jiang Mei over her shoulder.
And smiled.
"Evil? Me?" He pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I'm Lin Feng. I'm rich. Handsome. I'm a very good man. Irresistible even."
He stroked Lin Weiwei's hair, slow and deliberate.
"And your daughter can't seem to keep her hands off me." He tilted his head. "Sounds less like evil and more like... winning."
His fingers brushed the collar of his shirt, exposing more of the purple marks scattered across his neck.
"And for the record, Auntie — she's the one who climbed into my bed last night." His smile turned innocent, almost angelic. "She's the one who made all of these marks on me. From eleven... until eight this morning."
He let the silence stretch.
"Nine hours." He looked down at Lin Weiwei with exaggerated tenderness. "My little Weiwei is very... enthusiastic."
Lin Weiwei's face burned red, but she buried it deeper into his chest, refusing to deny a single word.
Jiang Mei looked like she was about to have a stroke.
Lin Qingwan choked on her tea.
She tried to hold it in — really tried — but the liquid sprayed across the table as laughter erupted from her chest.
"Pfft— hahaha!"
She grabbed a napkin, dabbing at her mouth while her shoulders shook uncontrollably.
What the hell, Little Brother? Since when are you this unhinged?
Lin Qingwan expected him to stay quiet. To let the women fight over him while he played the passive prince.
Not... THIS.
Not a full villain monologue complete with receipts.
Nine hours. He actually said nine hours. In front of Father. At the breakfast table.
She had to look away, pressing the napkin to her face to muffle another burst of laughter.
Lin Feng's gaze shifted to Lin Zhentian, and his smile cooled.
"Of course I'll protect her."
His voice came out steady and certain.
"I'll protect her for as long as I live."
The words hung in the air — a public vow, witnessed by every person in the room.
Lin Zhentian's face flushed a deep red, and a vein pulsed at his temple.
"This is a dining table, not a BROTHEL!"
The patriarch shot to his feet, his composure finally cracking after years of cold control.
"Have you no shame?! BOTH of you!"
I tolerated YEARS of your Su Qingxue nonsense. I funded your pathetic chase. I let you embarrass this family. And THIS is how you repay me? By defecting to HER and making a mockery of my table?
He didn't say those words, but they burned in his eyes.
He moved toward the door, then paused beside Lin Hao's chair.
His hand descended onto his youngest son's shoulder — heavy and deliberate. The gesture of acknowledgment that Lin Feng had never received.
Lin Hao looked up at his father, eyes bright with pride.
"At least ONE of my sons still has a good head."
"I won't disappoint you, Father."
Lin Zhentian nodded and squeezed his shoulder once.
Then he turned to Lin Feng, his eyes cold and his voice colder.
"You've chosen your side, Lin Feng. Don't come crawling back when it crumbles."
He stormed out, and the door slammed behind him.
---------------------------
Jiang Mei gathered the shattered remains of her composure, and tears glistened in her eyes — real or calculated, impossible to tell.
"Hao-er. We're leaving."
Lin Hao stood and straightened his middle school uniform with careful precision.
He took one last look at the scene — Lin Feng in his chair, Lin Weiwei on his lap, the chaos and ruin scattered across the breakfast table.
He gave a small, pitying shake of his head.
"Good luck, Brother." His voice dripped with condescension. "You'll need it."
Lin Feng met his eyes and said nothing.
He just looked at him with quiet pity — the kind reserved for someone who didn't realize how small they really were.
You're twelve, kid. You don't know anything yet.
Stay out of my way, and I'll let you live your little life in peace.
Lin Hao's smirk faltered. Something in that gaze made his stomach twist, though he couldn't say why.
He turned and followed his mother out, his head held high — but his steps were quicker than before.
The door closed behind them.
Silence settled over the dining room, and only three remained — Lin Qingwan, Lin Feng, and Lin Weiwei still curled on his lap.
Lin Qingwan set down her tablet and looked at Lin Weiwei, her expression softening.
"Welcome to the family. Officially."
Lin Weiwei lifted her head from Lin Feng's chest, her cheeks still flushed.
"Tomorrow," Lin Qingwan continued, "I want to meet this Xiao Yue. Arrange it."
Lin Weiwei's expression flickered.
Xiao Yue. The other one.
"And don't forget what I told you."
The words carried weight and meaning.
Conquer him.
Lin Weiwei nodded slowly. She understood.
---------------------------
[9:12 AM]
Lin Weiwei finally slid off Lin Feng's lap, murmuring something about freshening up. She disappeared toward the nearest bathroom, leaving brother and sister alone.
Lin Feng approached Lin Qingwan.
She looked up from her tablet, her eyes still holding traces of amusement from the morning's chaos, but curiosity flickered there too.
"Big Sis."
"Mm?"
"I need to borrow a few men."
Her eyebrow rose. "Oh? For what?"
"For an operation."
The word hung in the air.
That was military language — not something her pampered brother would ever say, not the Lin Feng who had spent five years groveling at Su Qingxue's feet.
Lin Qingwan studied him.
Something was different about him lately. The way he talked, the way he carried himself, the cold precision in his movements and the calculation behind his eyes.
When did you change, Little Brother? What happened to you?
She didn't ask — not yet.
Instead, she scoffed lightly. "Fine. Just don't overdo it."
"Thank you, Big Sis."
He turned to leave.
"Lin Feng."
He paused.
Lin Qingwan's voice was softer now, almost gentle.
"Whatever you're planning... be careful."
He looked back at her — the woman who would die for him in another timeline, the sister who had been fighting a cold war against their father for five years, all to protect him.
He didn't know the full extent of what she'd done, what she was still doing.
But he knew enough.
"I will."
He left the dining room.
Behind him, Lin Qingwan watched her brother walk away.
Something has changed — something fundamental.
She didn't know what or how, but the brother who had just sat beside her — who had made a public vow to protect Lin Weiwei, who had spoken of "operations" like a soldier planning a campaign — that was not the same Lin Feng who had wasted five years chasing Su Qingxue.
Interesting.
She smiled.
Very interesting indeed.
---------------------------
END OF CHAPTER 22R