Chapter 307: All of This Will Be Mine From Now On
The air was bone-chillingly cold.
The night was silent.
After a long moment.
Lin Chuyue finally found her voice. "Fine..."
Only then did Lin Chuxing release her grip. "That's more like it. If you had refused to choose either, I have my ways of dealing with you."
"Once I become the Lady of the Xiao Family, I'll make the Lin Family pay for everything you've done!"
"I don't have much affection for Lin Aoshan or Lin Feng anyway. Because of you, I'll make them live out the rest of their lives in poverty and misery!"
Lin Chuxing leaned in close to her ear and lowered her voice. "This conversation is our secret. Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know. No third person can ever find out."
"Otherwise... I will absolutely do what I say! Also, you're not allowed to take anything Xiao Ye bought for you!"
"You impersonated me. All those things should have been mine in the first place. Don't be a thief!"
Only after everyone around had left did Lin Chuyue shudder.
'Lin Chuxing is terrifying!'
'How did she become like this?'
'What on earth did she go through these past twenty-plus years?'
Before Lin Chuyue could figure it out, a servant walked over. "Miss Lin, it's cold outside and you're wearing so little. It's better if you go back to your room."
"Okay, I understand."
Back in her room, Lin Chuyue started to pack her bags, only to realize she didn't really have much to pack.
She had been sent here directly with almost nothing but a few simple clothes and daily necessities.
As for everything in the walk-in closet, it had all been bought by Xiao Ye later on.
She glanced at the pink diamond ring in the drawer. Her outstretched hand retracted.
'Lin Chuxing was right. Nothing here was hers.'
「In the dead of night.」
Lin Chuyue changed into her own clothes, neatly folded the expensive dress she had been wearing, and placed it on the nearby changing sofa.
Under the cover of darkness, she trudged through the wind and snow and out the side door of the Xiao Family estate.
"Patriarch, Miss Lin suddenly left in the middle of the night, carrying luggage. It seems she's planning to leave."
"I know." Xiao Ye threw on some clothes and walked to the door.
Sure enough, he saw Lin Chuyue. She seemed to be waiting for something.
About twenty seconds later, a car slowly pulled up.
The area around the old Xiao Family residence was all Xiao Family territory; outside cars couldn't get in.
However, if someone from inside the Xiao Family called for a car, it would be allowed through.
Lin Chuyue got into the car, and it sped away.
Xiao Ye immediately got into another car to follow, pulling out his phone at the same time. "Contact four Death Warriors. Protect Lin Chuyue's safety from all angles."
"Send another four to protect her covertly. No matter what, she cannot be put in any danger!"
"If anything happens, contact me immediately. Anything related to Lin Chuyue's safety is to be handled as a Level One priority!"
Matters in the Xiao Family were divided into three levels.
A Level One matter could be reported directly to the Patriarch without going through anyone else, similar in scale to a major event like changing the chairman of the board.
Just like that, Xiao Ye sat in his car, silently escorting Lin Chuyue to the airport.
There was a flight that night, but not to Jiangcheng. It was headed to the Provincial City.
Lin Chuyue checked her ticket and boarded the plane.
She planned to arrive in the Provincial City in the early morning, stay for a night, and then return to Jiangcheng the next day.
She looked out the window at the bustling nightscape of the Imperial City.
Lin Chuyue had always thought this would be the place where she would build her life, but it turned out to be a place of heartbreak instead.
If possible, she never wanted to set foot in the Imperial City again for the rest of her life.
Lin Chuyue closed her eyes and leaned back against her seat. "Goodbye, Xiao Ye..."
The plane quickly took off and disappeared into the clouds.
Xiao Ye stood in the cold wind for a long time before finally getting back in the car and returning.
He decided he had to investigate this matter as quickly as possible and bring Lin Chuyue back to his side!
'Unless he tied Lin Chuyue to his side twenty-four hours a day, there was no way to truly protect her.'
'Sometimes, leaving was the best option.'
「The next day.」
Everyone in the Xiao Family learned of Lin Chuyue's departure.
Lin Chuxing was smug and triumphant, her chin held so high it could have touched the sky.
Upon learning that she was the future Lady of the Xiao Family, many of the younger generation began to curry favor with her.
"I knew that Lin Chuyue wasn't good enough. You could tell at a glance she was unpresentable, so petty and small-minded!"
"Exactly! Miss Lin, should we spread the word about this? Not many people in the Imperial City know about you yet."
"What? They don't know me yet?" Lin Chuxing's eyes widened. "Then what are you all standing around for!"
"Hurry up and tell everyone that I, Lin Chuxing, am back! As for Lin Chuyue, a fake is a fake. All she can do now is scram out of the Imperial City in disgrace!"
With the help of the Xiao Family's younger generation, the news quickly spread through all the great families of the Imperial City.
"So that Lin Chuyue really was a fake. She's already gone back to the countryside. The future Lady of the House for the Xiao Family is Lin Chuxing."
"Lin Chuyue's older sister, Lin Chuxing, is the one who actually has the marriage contract with Patriarch Xiao."
"The younger sister almost married in her place, but the older sister came back. I bet the sisters have had a huge falling out!"
...
All sorts of rumors swirled and grew louder.
Even Lin Feng and Jian Qiuyan heard them.
"This... How can they say that about Chuyue? She didn't even know Chuxing existed back then."
"Exactly. Should we step in and clarify things?"
Lin Chuxing, who was at the door, heard this, and her expression darkened.
'And to think these parents kept saying they would make it up to me! In the end, they still favor Lin Chuyue!'
"Dad, Mom, it's too late to clarify things now. Besides, the more we try to suppress it, the more people will believe it's true. It's better to just do nothing."
"Besides, my sister has already left the Imperial City. These words can't hurt her physically."
Jian Qiuyan was also a woman and knew how hurtful such things could be. "But..."
Lin Chuxing cut her off impatiently. "No buts. I'm not going to bother the Xiao Family over such a trivial matter."
"The Xiao Family deals in hundreds of millions a minute. They don't have time to handle this kind of thing."
"I have a banquet to attend tonight. You two just stay home."
After saying that, Lin Chuxing went directly to the small building where Lin Chuyue had lived.
Seeing the wardrobe full of haute couture, her eyes turned red with jealousy.
"Hmph. Lin Chuyue, all of this will be mine from now on!"
She changed into a pink dress and put on the pink diamond ring from the auction.
Just as she walked out, she saw Xiao Ye and immediately put on a sweet smile. "Brother Xiao, don't I look beautiful in this outfit?"
Xiao Ye was about to speak, but when he saw the ring on her hand, his gaze turned icy. He unceremoniously yanked it right off.
"You can't wear this ring."
"Why not? I know all about it. You specifically bought this at the auction to be an engagement ring."
"There is no why." Xiao Ye couldn't be bothered to deal with her. "Are you going or not?"
"I'm going!"
Although Lin Chuxing was reluctant, she knew who held all the cards and didn't dare say another word.