The traffic jam caused Lin Wu to arrive at Shenggui a bit late.
She had never been to Shenggui and didn't know how to get to the Tianzi Room, so she approached the reception desk to ask.
To her surprise, the staff member turned frosty upon hearing that she was there for the Lin Family banquet. "Sorry, we can't just take people up there unless someone from the private room comes down to fetch you and prove that you're truly their guest," they said.
Lin Wu replied without much expression, "When did Shenggui implement such a policy? Is this the Lin Family's doing?"
The staff member grew impatient. "Does it matter whose idea it was? Don't you know your own status? It's already a privilege for you to step through Shenggui's doors! If you want to wait, then wait; if not, get lost!"
Saying that, they rolled their eyes and went off to attend to other matters.
In the bustling lobby, Lin Wu stood alone by the counter, drawing curious glances from many.
Lin Wu's gaze turned slightly cold as she turned and walked away.
Just then, her phone rang.
"Wuwu, it's Grandpa."
After answering, an aged and weak voice came through, interrupted by coughing before he could finish, causing Lin Wu to frown deeply.
She asked, "Has your condition worsened?"
"Not at all, not at all," the old Mr. Lin finally managed to suppress his cough and said affectionately, "Shenghai and his spouse told me that they specially prepared a seat for you at Shenggui tonight, did they not? Wuwu, you see, they still care about you. Just thinking about it makes me feel much better."
Lin Wu remained silent.
Old Mr. Lin sounded puzzled. "Wuwu, why don't I hear Shenghai and the others? Haven't you arrived at Shenggui yet at this time?"
Lin Wu pressed her temple and replied, "I have, they're outside talking."
Old Mr. Lin sounded much happier, though still coughing, "You all haven't seen each other in six years; have a good meal together. After all, you're family, and I don't believe it could really be that estranged. Wuwu, this old man won't last much longer. If I could see you all getting along well before I pass away, I would have no regrets."
Lin Wu hummed in silence, deftly changing the subject to ask about Old Mr. Lin's recent treatment regimen.
Only after hearing the fatigue in Old Mr. Lin's voice did Lin Wu hang up.
Having stood there for a long time, Lin Wu finally walked over to the rest area on the side of the lobby and dialed the Lin Family's numbers.
However, none of them went through.
She lowered her eyes to look at the time displayed on the screen, didn't try to call again, and instead contacted Zheng Qi to ask about Grandpa's condition. Then she continued to read the old archives that Zheng Qi had sent her on her tablet.
It wasn't until almost ten o'clock that Lin Wu heard familiar voices near the elevator entrance.
The Lin Family members emerged from the elevator, with Shenggui's Manager Song personally seeing them off; the whole group was chatting and laughing.
Clearly, they had finished their meal and were well-fed and happy.
Lin Wu's gaze remained unflappable as she put away her tablet and stood up, walking over to them.
In fact, the Lin Family members had long forgotten about Lin Wu's coming, and the shrewd Manager Song, seeing that they didn't mention her, didn't bring it up either.
Lin Shenghai smiled and said to Manager Song, "Thanks for your hospitality, Manager Song. Next time, we'll definitely bring you a gift."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly accept that!"
How could Manager Song dare to accept, but seeing that Lin Shenghai insisted on giving, he just looked meaningfully at Lin Qian and said, "Mr. Lin, you have a wonderful daughter."
With the Lin Family's daughter there, could the Lin Family fear a lack of soaring success in the future?
Lin Shenghai looked at Lin Qian in surprise; Fang Ruling and the others also heard and were both shocked and pleased.
Was it that Manager Song had taken a fancy to their daughter, or was it someone behind the scenes at Shenggui...
Lin Qian shyly lowered her head, but her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of someone ahead.
With just one glance, she froze.
The others, already paying attention to Lin Qian, followed her gaze out of reflex.
The moment their gazes met Lin Wu's, everyone stopped in unison.
"Who are you?"
Lin Jiangbai thought Lin Wu looked somewhat familiar and asked with a puzzled tone.
Lin Wu, with one hand holding a bag and the other tucked in her trouser pocket, said, "You invite me to Beicheng, yet you don't recognize me?"
"Lin Wu?"
Only then did the Lin Family members remember, as they had previously seen the photograph shown by the old Lin family patriarch.
But none was as deeply imprinted as the image before them at this moment.
The girl was slender and tall, her black silk blouse outlining a slight yet upright back and shoulders, while dark blue jeans set off her straight and slender legs, emanating a strong presence.
Her features were even more exquisite. Her skin was porcelain white, with slightly upturned almond-shaped eyes that tended to appear innocently sweet when she smiled but sharp and indifferent when she didn't, commanding full attention.
Where she stood, she was the sort of beautiful that others couldn't take their eyes off of.
Manager Song subconsciously glanced at the Lin Family members, feeling that Lin Wu was worlds apart from them.
The Lin Family members themselves hadn't expected that after six years, Lin Wu could turn out to be so eye-catching.
The first to recover was Lin Qian, whose eyes flashed with jealousy, but her face displayed a warm and gentle smile as she said, "So it is my sister, you've finally arrived. You must be exhausted from the journey."
The others had their attention drawn back.
Lin Jiangchuan complained discontentedly, "Why have you only just arrived? We've been waiting for you for so long, you're really something!"
Lin Wu spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Waiting for me? Who exactly has been waiting? Your ability to twist the truth sure has improved."
"What kind of way is that to talk?!"
Lin Shenghai was angered by her delinquent appearance.
How could she pass for a daughter of wealth?
No wonder he hadn't liked her from the beginning.
Lin Wu looked up at him directly, "How am I speaking? Just like this. Could it be that after six years, you've become so deaf you can't even understand what others are saying?"
"Lin Wu, is this what you've learned after a few years in the countryside?!" Lin Shenghai, who was accustomed to a smooth life, had rarely encountered anyone who dared to talk back to him like this and immediately berated her angrily.
Lin Qian got a scare and instinctively held Lin Shenghai back.
Fang Ruling stopped her and, giving Lin Wu a sideways glance, spoke much more softly and gently to Lin Qian, "Qianqian, don't bother with her. Lin Wu has always been disrespectful to her elders like this. It seems that it's no wonder she didn't inherit the manners of the Lin Family—after all, she's not really the Lin Family's daughter!"
"The Lin Family's manners?"
Lin Wu found this claim laughable, "What manners does the Lin Family have? Hypocrisy, pretense, a mind full of holes? Oh, if that's what you mean by manners, then indeed I should feel fortunate for not having inherited them."
If only Lin Shenghai had been angry before, now the others could barely contain themselves.
Lin Wu's words had just insulted them all!
Lin Jiangbai glared at Lin Wu with a gloomy look, saying, "Ever since you went to the countryside for a few years, grandpa has had to come to Beicheng for treatment. It seems you're the one who made him sick. With your current attitude, to say you bear the Lin surname is to disgrace our grandfather."
Lin Wu responded indifferently, "When I still counted as a member of the Lin Family, you had no say over me; now that I'm not, do you think bringing up grandfather will make any difference?"
"How would it not?" Lin Jiangbai looked at Lin Wu disdainfully.
Lin Wu's expression suddenly darkened.
Lin Jiangchuan didn't want to look at her and urged, "Dad, big brother, don't waste words on her!"
Lin Shenghai regarded Lin Wu from his position of authority and said, "Then let's make things clear right now!"
"Don't think just because we called you back to Beicheng, we want you to return to the Lin Family—that's impossible!"
"It was not easy for Qianqian to come back, and we must compensate her, so you can no longer hold the identity of the Lin Family's daughter. At the press conference next week for Lin Family Qianqian's ancestral acknowledgment, we will publicly announce that you have no further relation to the Lin Family, and you must be present!"