Later, I sat obediently on the sofa, while Jiang Yue crossed her legs, looking completely at ease—as if she owned the place. Across from us, Zhou Yichen sat with a serene, almost angelic beauty. The gloom that once haunted his eyes was gone, replaced by a gentle, affectionate gaze fixed on my brother.
Lin Xincheng looked exhausted, which softened his usual icy aura. His strikingly handsome face now inspired a touch of sympathy.
Honestly, anyone could tell who was the top and who was the bottom.
Jiang Yue glanced at the two of them with open disdain. “Of all the times to come downstairs, you had to pick the moment when Xinyu and I were bonding. No sense of timing at all.”
My brother’s face darkened even further. After being put through the wringer all night, he was already in a foul mood. Now, seeing his precious little sister being kissed by a “scheming woman” in his own villa nearly made him explode.
With a forced smile, he said, “I don’t think there’s any need for us to work together on this project anymore. Please leave.”
Jiang Yue nonchalantly examined her nails, clearly unconcerned.
I finally understood why they were always at each other’s throats. I quickly tried to mediate—if the project fell through, it would be a loss for both sides. “Bro, Jiang Yue didn’t force me. I… I wanted to.”
Brother: “…”
Uh-oh. He looked even angrier. What should I do?
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice heavy with resignation. “Jiang Yue, I hope you’ll treat my sister well.”
He was gay himself, so he couldn’t object to me being with a woman. But of all people, why did I have to pick Jiang Yue—a woman he considered cunning and dangerous? He didn’t think I could handle her at all.
Jiang Yue smiled, playing with my fingers. “Of course. I’ll protect her for the rest of her life.”
I blushed and squeezed her hand in return.
My brother shot me a look full of exasperation.
That look… why did it seem so familiar?
Oh, right—it was exactly the same look my parents gave him the day he came out.
As the business meeting finally wrapped up, Zhou Yichen—the infamous villain himself—approached me. Without my brother Lin Xincheng nearby, I suddenly felt like a lone goldfish tossed into a shark tank.
Gone was Zhou Yichen’s usual polite smile. His face was as chilly as a freezer aisle, his aura a confusing mix of “I might buy you dinner” and “I might buy your company and fire you.” Honestly, the contradiction was impressive.
I met his pitch-black, emotionless eyes and instinctively took a step back. This was the same unpredictable villain who, in the original novel, once smiled while chopping off a traitor’s finger. If I wasn’t scared, I’d have to check my pulse.
Honestly, the fact that my brother could handle this guy? Legendary.
Suddenly, Zhou Yichen spoke, “Even though this isn’t our first meeting, I have a little gift for you. I’ve transferred a yacht to your name.”
Me: “?”
A yacht?
Do rich people just hand out yachts like party favors? One of those things costs at least a million, and if you want the fancy ones…
Jiang Yue strolled over just in time to catch this. She raised an eyebrow and grinned, “A yacht, huh? Not bad. Xinyu, how about I give you a private island? Then we can take your yacht to the island for a vacation.”
Me: “…”
You two are on a whole different level.
That evening, Jiang Yue came home from work and gave me a look of deep sympathy. Actually, it was more like she was staring through me at some invisible disaster.
“Xinyu, I have some news. Not sure if it’s good or bad,” she said.
I braced myself. “What is it?”
She leaned in, voice low. “Both your cousins just came out, just like your brother.”
I nearly dropped my phone. “Excuse me, what?!”
Let’s recap: Grandpa only has two sons—my dad and my uncle. I stared at the ceiling, speechless. Was the Lin family about to go extinct?
My brother knew about my situation, so he never pressured me about having kids to carry on the family name. Just a few days ago, he was even considering adopting one of our cousins’ future kids to keep the family line going. Both cousins were overachievers: one is a top lawyer, the other a research scientist. Surely their kids would be brilliant, right?
Well, about that…
Jiang Yue poured herself some tea and explained, “Your oldest cousin, Lin Anzhou, fell for the eldest son of the Xie family. Your second cousin, Lin Anlin, got swept off his feet by a celebrity.”
Me: “…”
Me: “Does Uncle know?”
Jiang Yue nodded, a little too gleefully. “He knows. He almost had a heart attack—just yesterday, he was making fun of your dad, saying your brother would leave the Lin family with no heirs. Today, he finds out both his sons are in the same boat.”
She winked. “They’re probably still arguing. Want to go watch the drama at your place?”
I rubbed my hands together, excited. “Absolutely!”
As soon as we walked in, there they were: my brother, and my two cousins, all present and accounted for.
Both of my cousins were as unyielding as my brother—definitely not the type of people you could boss around.
Then, Uncle erupted, “Seriously, is there no one in this family who likes women?!”
Me: “…”
Jiang Yue: “…”
I mean, I like women, but would I dare say it out loud? I turned to Jiang Yue and whispered, “What do you think would happen if we came out right now?”
Her eyes sparkled, and she looked almost eager. “Honestly, I’d love to. I’m tired of sneaking around. If your brother and Zhou Yichen can parade around in front of everyone, why can’t we?”
Me: Sweatdrop.
Three Lin heirs, all out of the running. If I dropped another bombshell, would I be kicked out of the family for good?
Second cousin Lin Anlin frowned and said, “Dad, this isn’t about liking women or not. Homosexuality is a normal sexual orientation, and it’s not something that can be changed at will…”
Big cousin Lin Anzhou added, “Dad, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses on May 17, 1990. Discrimination is not only unfair, it’s illegal…”
Uncle: “…”
“At least your cousins are explaining things nicely,” I whispered to Jiang Yue. “My brother just went full action movie villain.”
I imitated my brother’s signature look: a mix of arrogance, coldness, and “I dare you to disagree,” and said, “I like men, and I’m not here to ask your opinion. I’m here to inform you. You can’t change my mind.”
Jiang Yue gave me a big thumbs-up. “That’s spot on…”
By now, Dad had accepted Zhou Yichen. Not just because my brother is stubborn, but also because Zhou Yichen is the head of the Zhou family. Even though Dad’s retired, he’s still sharp about business and family politics. Zhou Yichen’s business skills are legendary, and his “madman” reputation is well-known. If things got ugly, it’d hurt both families. When all the doors are closed, “acceptance” is the only option left.
Uncle, however, was still clinging to hope. “No! If you really do this, don’t call me Dad anymore!”
Lin Anzhou and Lin Anlin, in perfect sync: “Uncle.”
Uncle: “…”
Mom and Dad: “…”
I couldn’t help it anymore. I burst out laughing, “Pfft—hahaha—”
Jiang Yue covered her mouth, giggling.
My brother calmly sipped his tea with one hand, flipping through documents with the other, as if family drama was just background noise.
Zhou Yichen, meanwhile, was slicing fruit into perfect cubes, sliding a piece of apple onto a fork and holding it up to my brother’s mouth. My brother took a bite without even looking up.
Mom and Dad: “…”
Whatever. You two do whatever you want.
Uncle spotted Jiang Yue and me and lit up like he’d found a lifeboat in a sea of despair. “Xinyu, you’re here! Help me talk some sense into your cousins—I remember you all got along so well as kids…”
I was genuinely touched, but I had to refuse. Sure, we played together as kids, but we’d all grown up and gone our separate ways. Besides, when it comes to love, whoever tries to meddle is asking for trouble.
And let’s be real—I’m also like them! What am I supposed to say, “Do as I say, not as I do”?
Chapter 04
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