The living room was enveloped in silence. Bei Sangyun had departed, leaving only the mbers of the fourth branch in the room. For a long ti, no one spoke as they stared dazedly into the air, slowly digesting what had transpired monts ago.
After a considerable silence, Lin Sunji’s stifled cries resounded.
She looked at her mother, distressed, "Mom, what if Bei Sangyun makes things difficult for ? She hates ... she will surely seek revenge on ."
Li i appeared visibly exhausted but still comforted her daughter, "If Bei Sangyun truly hated you and wanted to bring our family down, she would have done so. Instead, she ca here and gave us a chance. If you can’t trust her, trust in your brother."
Lin Sunji cried even harder. She didn’t hear the reassurances she desired from her mother. She hoped her mother would say that she only needed to endure for a little while, and everything would return to normal. That their family’s future didn’t solely rely on Bei Sangyun’s hands. That everything was just a dream, and the earlier conversation didn’t happen.
However, her mother advised her to trust in her brother instead. Her mother, her father, and her brother had already accepted the fate of being Bei Sangyun’s people.
What would happen to her then?
Contemplating their earlier discussion, Lin Sunji buried her head in her knees and cried a river.....
.....
Earlier...
Lin Sunji’s parents pleaded with Bei Sangyun, discreetly studying the latter’s expression as they knelt on the floor.
Finally, Bei Sangyun grew bored and instructed them to stand up.
"I have a few conditions for your branch. First, follow my orders without question. Second, refrain from any funny business, as I won’t be kind enough to give you another chance. If you cross , I’ll ensure you pay a hundredfold for any cris committed against ."
Bei Sangyun’s words were not only directed at the three before her but also at Lin Sanju.
Lin Sanju nodded in understanding, while Li i and Lin Ruo’s expressions paled.
They seed displeased with the first and second conditions but they refrained from voicing their complaints. Bei Sangyun held the advantage in this situation, aggravating her wouldn’t do any good to them.
"And third, you will continue participating in the heir competition."
The four individuals looked at her in surprise.
Lin Sanju hadn’t been inford of this beforehand, and a bewildered expression crossed his face as he stared at Bei Sangyun.
Li i and Lin Ruo also grasped the implication of Bei Sangyun’s statent, leaving them montarily speechless.
The slowest to grasp the situation was Lin Sunji. She asked in disbelief, "How are we going to compete? My heirship has been revoked."
"I am not talking about you." Bei Sangyun rolled her eyes at her, then gave a glance to the speechless Lin Sanju. "There is still another heir in your branch. He is going to compete and represent the fourth branch."
The tense expression on Li i’s face softened a bit. Except for the first condition, the other conditions—especially this one—worked well for them.
She did not expect Bei Sangyun to genuinely provide them with an opportunity to compete.
However, she remained suspicious and asked cautiously, "If Lin Sanju competes, then we can’t vow to your branch to support you."
"I am not asking for your vow. What I want is your alliance and loyalty to . You can still maintain your pride in public and engage in a tit-for-tat with Lin Ginxian. I don’t care if you mock publicly just to save face. As long as you follow my commands in private, that’s what matters."
Li i was stunned and glanced at her husband. Both she and Lin Ruo exchanged a look, and they could see the disbelief in each other’s eyes.
They had already expected the worst when they agreed to be under Bei Sangyun.
They were prepared to endure acknowledgnt of their cris against her in public and endure humiliation from her and her branch. They were prepared to bear it as long as their children’s future wouldn’t be hindered.
But this...this was too good to be true.
"...What do you gain from this? You don’t want us to acknowledge or vow to you in public. And you’re letting us compete. What if our branch wins?" Lin Ruo asked. He feared that if his son suddenly showed potential, Bei Sangyun might change her mind and cut off his son’s future.
"If you win? Well, that’s good. Lin Sanju would beco the head of the Lin family then. I’ll have the Lin family under my command. How great is that?"
Li i and Lin Ruo: "...."
Are they doing all the work while Bei Sangyun reaps all the benefits?
Li i and Lin Ruo’s gratitude suddenly vanished. They had underestimated Bei Sangyun. She was smart but ruthless. They would beco puppets while Bei Sangyun would be the mastermind.
Their expressions changed, no longer filled with excitent.
Only Lin Sanju gave Bei Sangyun a doubtful glance. His intuition told him that she was after more than that.
Bei Sangyun looked at them, "So, how is it going to be? Are you accepting my conditions, or should I just end all of you at once?"
Li i and Lin Ruo: "...."
Lin Sunji bit her lip. She disagreed strongly, but no one was listening to her. She chose to remain silent, watching Bei Sangyun with hatred.
Lin Ruo took a deep breath. "I will put my trust in my son and in you. If you genuinely allow us to grow in the future and let us maintain our pride and dignity, then we are willing to be loyal to you. I will follow your instructions and commands, as long as they won’t ruin my family."
Li i nodded in agreent by his side.
Bei Sangyun looked at each of them and suddenly revealed a playful smile. "Alright. To begin our collaboration, you need to follow my first order."
Bei Sangyun fixed her gaze on Lin Sunji with an evil glint in her eyes. "First, Lin Sunji will be under my command from now on."
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