Chapter 53: Running into Second Uncle Lin

　　There was no doubt that the receptionist had watched the live streams.

　　In her two to three years at the company, she had heard whispers of CEO Lin’s early marriage but had never caught a glimpse of his wife. At one point, she even wondered whether “Madam Lin” even existed. It was not until recently, when the brand manager from the Planning Department, Xiang Jia, recommended a handsome young man who sold vegetables during a live stream, that she finally got to know that the CEO’s wife was, in fact, a strikingly attractive young man.

　　Every now and then, CEO Lin would appear in his wife’s live streams, which would make the receptionist’s heart leap with excitement.

　　In the presence of Madam Lin, the usually unapproachable CEO Lin seemed to have shed his icy exterior, revealing a figure of gentle warmth. Gone was the usual air of indifference; he was remarkably down-to-earth, readily rolling up his sleeves to pitch in with farm work.

　　Thus, the ladies at the company created a WeChat group, where they gushed daily about the adorable couple — the CEO and his wife — and shared sweet moments that left them all utterly smitten. But lately, Cutie has gone silent on his social media, leaving the girls in the group anxiously waiting with bated breath. Little did they know, the couple had returned to City S!

　　That morning, the sight of CEO Lin at the office had left the receptionist feeling down for hours. But now, upon seeing the CEO’s wife in person, her face flushed with excitement.

　　On the phone, the receptionist tried to focus while sneaking peeks at the dashing young man nearby, convinced her efforts at subtlety were flawless. Little did she know, Su Ling had caught every subtle glance.

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　　“… Zlp, wdelapvsse!” Mbl alnlrvksdkpv bwdt wr vbl rbsdl yde vwadle vs Fw Nkdt okvb y rszkvl pxkzl. “Gppkpvydv Dw okzz cl esod pbsavzu, rzlypl…”

　　Fbl oyp xsxldvyakzu yv y zspp qsa osaep, alxlxclakdt sdzu vbyv Uwvkl’p wpladyxl oyp Nkdtuwd yde nsxrzlvlzu qsatlvvkdt vs ypj qsa bkp alyz dyxl.

　　“Yu dyxl kp Fw Nkdt. Fbswze R nblnj kd?” Fw Nkdt sqqlale jkdezu. Gzvbswtb bl oyp Nkd Wldt’p ryavdla, kv oyp sdzu rasrla qsa bkx vs nblnj kd yv vbl qasdv elpj obld hkpkvkdt vbl nsxrydu. Gqvla yzz, awzlp olal awzlp, yde kv oyp clpv vs yhske ydu wddlnlppyau vaswczl.

　　“Gb, ulp, Ya. Fw! Kwpv y xsxldv!” Mbl alnlrvksdkpv bypvkzu vurle yv vbl jlucsyae, kdrwvvkdt vbl hkpkvsa’p elvykzp. Tla qynl qzwpble okvb lxcyaayppxldv, yde bla lyap vwadle y ellr pbyel sq ale.

　　Fbl oyp dsv wpwyzzu vbkp qzwpvlale. Ls xyvvla bso lpvllxle vbl twlpv, pbl nswze bydezl vblx okvb lypl. Jwv vseyu, qsa psxl alypsd, pbl qswde blaplzq qzwpvlale kd qasdv sq vbl UOX’p okql, bla dlahlp tlvvkdt vbl clvvla sq bla. Rv oyp wvvlazu lxcyaayppkdt!

　　Gqvla vyjkdt y ellr calyvb vs nyzx bla dlahlp, vbl alnlrvksdkpv nszzlnvle blaplzq yde nsxrzlvle vbl nblnj-kd. Ekvb y qakldezu pxkzl, pbl vwadle vs Fw Nkdt yde dsvkqkle, “Gppkpvydv Dw xyu vyjl y zkvvzl obkzl vs nsxl esod, Ya. Fw. Vzlypl qllz qall vs vyjl y plyv shla vblal.”

　　“Fwal vbkdt.” Fw Nkdt dseele yde xyel bkp oyu vs vbl oykvkdt yaly kd vbl zsccu. Tl nypwyzzu rknjle wr y xytygkdl qasx vbl pblzq, qswde yd lxrvu psqy, yde plvvzle esod nsxqsavyczu vs casopl vbaswtb kvp rytlp.

　　Xd vbl psqy ynaspp qasx bkx pyv y osxyd nzye kd y pvakjkdt czwl pwkv ealpp. Wasx vbl xsxldv Fw Nkdt ldvlale wdvkz bl pyv esod ynaspp qasx bla, bla lulp dlhla zlqv bkx.

　　Su Ling was no fool; he could easily sense the intense gaze she directed at him. But since they were complete strangers, he chose to adopt a “less trouble, less fuss” approach and ignore her probing eyes. Calmly and unbothered, he continued flipping through the magazine.

　　At last, she was unable to contain her curiosity and probed cautiously, “Excuse me, Mister. Are you here to see CEO Lin as well?”

　　Su Ling paused in the middle of flipping through the magazine and looked up at her with a warm smile. “Yes, I am,” he answered amiably.

　　The woman in blue got to her feet and sat down on the sofa beside Su Ling. Opening her briefcase, she pulled out a business card and handed it to him. “Hello, I’m Jiang Yi, a journalist for the City S Financial Magazine.”

　　Su Ling accepted the card with both hands, his eyes scanning the details printed on its surface.

　　Jiang Yi, Editor-in-chief of City S Financial Magazine

　　She was clearly not an ordinary journalist, but what was her intention of handing him her business card?

　　Su Ling responded politely, “Hello, I’m Su Ling. I don’t have a business card, so I’m afraid I can’t exchange one with you.”

　　“It’s alright,” Jiang Yi smiled. “The thing is that our magazine has been trying to interview CEO Lin, but we haven’t been able to get an appointment. I noticed you’re able to meet him without one, so I hope it’s not too much trouble to ask if you could help introduce us?”

　　Su Ling’s fingertip absently traced the edge of the business card. Under the expectant gaze of the other, he offered a gentle yet firm refusal. “I’m afraid… that might be a bit difficult. I’m not an employee of Lin Enterprises.”

　　Given that Lin Feng was unwilling to see her, it was evident he had his reasons. How could he possibly overstep and interfere with his decision?

　　Jiang Yi’s face fell with disappointment, yet she refused to give up. Determined, she implored the young man, “We’re a reputable magazine that’s dedicated to the truth. If you happen to see CEO Lin, would you mind asking him for me?”

　　Seeing her sincerity, Su Ling pondered for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

　　It would be easy enough to ask on her behalf, but whether it worked out all depended on her luck.

　　Jiang Yi heaved a sigh of relief, gazing at Su Ling with gratitude.

　　As one of the leading magazines in City S, the financial magazine was highly respected, and countless influential figures took pride in being featured. In the past, they had always been the first to secure an interview with Lin Enterprises’ new CEOs. But now, the new CEO has completely disregarded them. After three years of fruitless attempts, she was fast becoming the laughingstock of the magazine publisher.

　　Today, she had come to the Lin Enterprises Headquarters with nothing more than a tentative hope, only to face rejection once more. Frustrated, she took a seat in the lobby, waiting impatiently until the strikingly handsome young man appeared. Noticing the receptionist’s marked shift in attitude toward him, she mustered her courage and shamelessly tried to strike up a conversation.

　　Who would have thought there would be a glimmer of hope? At that moment, Jiang Yi’s heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and anxiety.

　　Sure enough, his beauty was matched only by his kind heart and graceful demeanor, as if he were an angel walking among mortals.

　　The moment Xu Yunzhuo stepped out of the lift, he spotted Su Ling seated in the waiting area and strode purposefully in his direction.

　　“Mr. Su, please come with me. I’ll take you to CEO Lin.”

　　After returning the magazine to its rightful spot, Su Ling nodded briefly to Jiang Yi before following Xu Yunzhuo.

　　Jiang Yi watched their vanishing figures, a flicker of sharp insight flashing in her eyes.

　　One of CEO Lin’s most capable assistants, Xu Yunzhuo, was actually showing such respect to this “Mr. Su”? It’s clear his identity is anything but ordinary! She took out a pen and wrote a line in her notebook, circling the two words “Su Ling.”

　　Meanwhile, Su Ling followed Xu Yunzhuo into the CEO’s private lift, and they ascended straight to the tenth floor.

　　Stepping out of the elevator and into the lavishly decorated corridor, he inquired, “I thought the CEO’s office would at least be on the thirtieth or fortieth floor?”

　　 Xu Yunzhuo explained, “CEO Lin thought the upper floors were too high, so he specifically moved to the tenth floor.”

　　Su Ling’s eyes lit up in realization. “I see.”

　　Just then, two female secretaries appeared from the other direction. When they spotted Xu Yunzhuo, they greeted him politely. “Hello, Assistant Xu.”

　　After exchanging greetings, they turned their curious gazes toward Su Ling. When they finally recognized him, their eyes grew round with surprise.

　　Su Ling followed closely behind Xu Yunzhuo, his demeanor calm and composed. Feeling their gazes on him, he flashed a warm smile, making the secretaries gasp, flush, and quickly look away.

　　With a slight twitch of his brow and a couple of sharp coughs, Xu Yunzhuo passed by them and headed straight for the CEO’s office.

　　“CEO Lin is still in a meeting. Please feel free to wait inside, Mr. Su.”

　　“Alright, thanks, Xiao Xu.”

　　As Su Ling entered the office, he took a quick glance around. When his eyes landed on a plush sofa, he plopped right onto it, sinking into the cushions with a complete lack of grace.

　　After an afternoon of exercise, he could already feel the fatigue creeping in.

　　Gradually getting used to being called “Xiao Xu,” Xu Yunzhuo prepared a cup of coffee for Su Ling and set it on the coffee table before stepping out with a respectful nod.

　　Su Ling picked up the coffee and took a couple of sips, feeling a small surge of energy return to him.

　　After finishing his coffee, he slipped off his shoes, stretched out languidly on the sofa, and pulled out his phone to scroll through it.

　　The giveaway had been shared over ten thousand times since yesterday, and the buzz was electric as the drawing drew closer to eight tonight. Fans ramped up their efforts, drawing in an ever-growing crowd of curious onlookers.

　　Ding ding!

　　A new WeChat message notification popped up. He tapped it open and saw it was from Li Dahai.

　　Dahai: Brother Su! The Chinese ricefish just went on sale today, and they were all gone in under five minutes!

　　Dahai: It’s incredible we got another ten thousand orders! If we put it up just one more time, our village’s Chinese ricefish will surely sell out!

　　Su Ling’s fingers moved across the screen as he replied happily.

　　Su Ling: That’s fantastic! Keep up the great work!

　　His sudden fever in the middle of the night, followed by Lin Feng rushing him back to City S, caught him off guard. He had not had the chance to sort out the matters back in the village. When he woke up in the hospital yesterday, he took the opportunity to call the village chief and Li Dahai. In turn, the village chief assured him that with him and the village cadres in charge, everything would be taken care of. Li Dahai would manage the online store’s orders, and all he needed to do was follow the procedures.

　　Initially, he had planned to sell the fish in batches as he expected it to take at least a week to sell out. To his surprise, when he restocked today, the fish were gone in just five minutes!

　　The impact of the giveaway reposts on Weibo was tremendous, proving to be an exceptionally effective promotional tool.

　　Dahai: We’re also running low on foam boxes, Brother Su. We need to order another batch soon.

　　Su Ling: I’ll have the factory send them over right away.

　　Su Ling closed his WeChat app and called the packing factory in Sylvan Willows Town. The representative readily agreed and assured him that the delivery would be made to the village before eight in the morning.

　　Ever since Su Ling started selling the village’s agricultural products on his live streams, he had inadvertently sparked a wave of business in the town. Courier companies saw a surge in demand, packing factories ran at full capacity, and even manufacturers of specialized ice packs for deliveries found themselves with more orders than ever.

　　After replying to Dahai’s message, Su Ling closed his WeChat app and published a new post on Weibo.

　　“Lingyun: Thanks, everyone! ❤”

　　His ever-watchful fans were quick to react, flooding in within seconds. A quick refresh revealed that the comments had already surpassed a thousand.

　　Su Ling was happily scrolling through the comments, occasionally replying to a few. Just as he was getting into it, the door to the CEO’s office flew open.

　　“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

　　Out of nowhere, a booming voice shattered the silence, making Su Ling jump in shock.

　　“Hmm?” He set his phone aside and turned to face the stern-looking elderly man whose sharp eyes bore into him.

　　He looks familiar… I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.

　　“Answer me! Who allowed you into the CEO’s office?” he demanded, his confident strides bringing him to the front of the sofa, where he glared down at Su Ling, who lay sprawled across it.

　　What a bold kid! Not only did he barge into the CEO’s office, but he also had the nerve to lunge on the sofa like it was his own home.

　　Rubbing his nose, Su Ling sat up and slipped his feet into his shoes while adjusting his suit. He replayed the elderly man’s face in his mind, and after a moment, it clicked — he finally remembered who this person was.

　　“Hello, Second Uncle,” he greeted with a smile.

　　His brow furrowed deeper as Lin Lihao barked, “Quit the nonsense! Who the hell are you calling your second uncle?”

　　This young man can’t be more than twenty, yet he dares to call a seventy-year-old his second uncle. Doesn’t he realize how inappropriate that is?

　　Su Ling introduced himself calmly. “I’m Su Ling, Lin Feng’s partner. We met at the Lin Residence two years ago.”

　　Thanks to his excellent memory, he could recall nearly all of Lin Feng’s relatives, or else he would have truly struggled to identify the elderly man today. Of course, the resemblance to Lin Feng’s father helped, particularly with those bright, slightly upturned eyes.

　　“You’re Lin Feng’s…” Lin Lihao’s eyes flicked over Su Ling’s flawless face, his lips curling into a cold sneer. As he took a seat on the sofa, he questioned sharply, “Since you’re Lin Feng’s wife, shouldn’t you be at home, where you belong? What are you doing here, in the company?”

　　Ignoring his words entirely, Su Ling rose and walked over to the doorway of the pantry. With a warm smile, he inquired, “Do you prefer tea or coffee, Second Uncle? I’ll prepare it for you.”

　　Lin Lihao’s expression darkened as he found Lin Feng’s partner utterly rude.

　　Noticing his silence, Su Ling took the initiative and brewed a pot of tea. Then, he poured a cup and placed it on the coffee table before the elderly man.

　　“You’re getting on in years, Second Uncle. Maybe just some tea would be better.”

　　Lin Lihao sneered, “Is this how the Su family teaches its descendants?”

　　Su Ling elegantly took a seat across from him, his smile warm and inviting. “Is there something important you’d like to discuss, Second Uncle? Lin Feng is in a meeting, but I’d be glad to pass along any message for you.”

　　The Lin and Su families had always been at odds, and Lin Feng’s choice to become Su Ling’s partner met with resistance from half of his relatives. However, his parents were supportive, paving the way for them to tie a knot. In the early days of their marriage, they were met with frequent ridicule and sharp comments while staying at the Lin Residence. Exasperated by the incessant taunts, Su Ling insisted on finding a place of their own.

　　Sure enough, life became much quieter after they moved out. When the holidays rolled around, and they returned to the estate, everyone maintained a polite facade and steered clear of any drama.

　　Today, he just happened to run into Second Uncle in Lin Feng’s office and was not spared from a dose of his disdain.

　　However, Su Ling took it in stride and decided it was not worth bickering with an elderly man.

　　Besides, with a ten percent stake in Lin Enterprises, wasn’t it only natural for him to occasionally drop by the office and fulfill his duties as a shareholder?

　　Lin Lihao nearly choked on his words, his face turning red as he puffed his cheeks and glared. He wanted to chastise the younger man, but thought better of it, unwilling to lose face. Instead, he picked up the teacup from the table, blew gently on the steaming liquid, and downed half of it in a single gulp. All of a sudden, his eyes sparked with an unexpected gleam.

　　Now, isn’t that something? I never would have guessed that this pampered young man could brew such a fine cup of tea.

　　By the time he emptied his cup, the anger that had been gnawing at him eased by half. His furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he exhaled a quiet breath. “Since you’re here, I might as well share it with you.”

　　“Please do tell, Second Uncle.” Su Ling sat up straight, his expression one of rapt attention.

　　“I brought up the adoption matter with Lin Feng last time,” Lin Lihao began, “but he didn’t give me a definite answer and has been dragging it out. Just the other day, Fifth Brother mentioned that he agrees to let you adopt his two-year-old child. When do you have time to go get the paperwork sorted out?”

　　Upon hearing that, Su Ling’s smile vanished in an instant.