Chapter Twenty-Three: Nowhere to Hide

Shen Huifang was so furious her lips trembled, but she had nothing to say in reply.

Ordering whatever they wanted was her own insistence. Reviewing the menu was something she refused, despite Shen Huizhu’s suggestion. The idea to order red wine had been hers to approve. Lin Yuxin’s company earning tens of millions each year was a detail she kept repeating. Now, such a huge pit had been dug—not her original intention, yet it was carved out shovel by shovel under her repeated approvals. If blame was to be assigned, it could only fall on herself. Her boasts were sky-high, but the real issue was that she believed them herself, losing all sense of reality.

“Xiao Ting, stop with the sarcastic comments! My mom was just being polite, treating you all like family, and you all ended up tricking her. That’s too much!” Lin Yufei, fiercely protective, glared round-eyed at Xiao Ting. Xiao Ting was unfazed, glaring back and retorting in a mocking tone, “Lin Yufei, we didn’t hold back because we consider Auntie as family too. Yuxin’s company makes tens of millions a year, you buy a bag every month, nothing under fifty thousand. Dozens of outfits every season, you don’t even look at anything under thirty thousand. Treating us to dinner just means buying a few less bags and outfits—do you really need to make it sound so unpleasant?”

Lin Yuxin was astonished, turning to Lin Yufei. Lin Yufei dared not meet her gaze, lowering her face which was red as blood, wishing desperately she could sink into the floor.

After meeting with Shen Huizhu’s family, Lin Yufei hadn’t bragged publicly like Shen Huifang, but she had privately boasted to Xiao Ting. The skirt she wore today, costing over ten thousand, was exaggerated to twenty thousand; her bag, also over ten thousand, was inflated to forty thousand—and this had become routine.

At the time, seeing Xiao Ting—who always acted superior—show a self-conscious smile and eyes brimming with envy and jealousy, Lin Yufei’s vanity was satisfied as never before. That feeling of vindication and turning the tables was exhilarating!

Yet now, her vanity shattered, reality returned. The pleasure then was equal to the embarrassment now.

“Sis, I was just talking casually,” Lin Yufei muttered, her voice barely audible. Lin Yuxin pointed at her, gritting her teeth, but finally suppressed the urge to rebuke her on the spot. She merely snorted coldly; what’s done is done, blaming anyone would not help. The main issue now was settling the bill...

She calmed herself, asked the waiter to leave, then took out two bank cards from her bag and handed them to Shen Huifang. “Mom, one debit card has over one hundred sixty thousand, one credit card can cover eighty thousand. If it’s not enough, you’ll need to discuss with Auntie.”

Shen Huifang was confused. “Discuss what? We said we’d treat.”

Lin Yuxin felt exhausted. Even now, her mother clung to pride. If their family could cover ninety-eight thousand, fine, but they were short by a large margin. Only Shen Huizhu’s family could fill the gap, whether splitting the bill or borrowing money. Shen Huifang had to be the one to ask.

In Lin Yuxin’s view, the sky-high bill was a result of Shen Huifang’s excessive boasting, which left Auntie humiliated and sparked a desire for revenge. Only if Shen Huifang admitted the truth and let Auntie regain face would they possibly lend a hand.

“Mom, that’s all I have with me.”

Shen Huifang replied, characteristically, “I don’t have that much either.”

Shen Huizhu watched coldly, a faint smile at the corner of her lips, knowingly asked, “Huifang, are you short on money to pay the bill?”

Shen Huifang nodded instinctively. Shen Huizhu looked unconcerned. “No problem, let Yuxin call her company’s finance office. A transfer takes just a few minutes.”

Shen Huifang opened her mouth in shock, then looked at Lin Yuxin. Lin Yuxin finally lost her temper, speaking coldly, “Mom, you can’t just move company funds. Besides, there’s only a few hundred thousand in the account. Auntie is your real sister, is pride really that important?”

“Let me speak,” said Lin Yuxin, seeing her mother still wavering. Lin Yuan returned, unable to watch any longer, sighed deeply and said with a bitter smile, “Huizhu, you know your sister well. She loves to keep up appearances. Yuxin’s company contract isn’t signed yet, the car is borrowed, even the cigarettes I’m smoking were bought at the liquor store on the way here. Sorry to embarrass you.”

Lin Yuan was truly forthright, revealing everything in one breath. Shen Huifang felt mortified, wishing she could just bang her head against the wall.

Shen Huizhu seemed to understand, her eyes mocking as she glanced at Shen Huifang, who now looked utterly lost. She did not add insult to injury, merely shook her head and sneered. Xiao Ting, however, was not done stirring things up. “Uncle, does Yufei really spend two or three million a year on bags, clothes, and cosmetics, or is that another exaggeration?”

Under Xiao Ting’s scrutinizing gaze, Lin Yuan’s face burned with embarrassment. He forced himself to reply, “Yufei is still in school, where would she get that kind of money? If she spends two or three thousand a year, that’s already a lot, all because of her mother’s influence—always keeping up appearances and suffering for it. Xiao Ting, don’t take it seriously.”

“Oh…” Xiao Ting deliberately dragged out the word, turning her gaze to Lin Yufei with a mischievous smile. “So it was exaggerated by a hundred times.”

Lin Yufei was equally mortified. Xiao Ting’s teasing gaze was like a blade, her mocking tone a knife, cutting Lin Yufei’s fragile self-esteem to shreds.

“Huizhu, the bill is over ninety thousand. We can scrape together about forty thousand. Can you lend us sixty thousand? We’ll pay it back soon,” said Lin Yuan. He was not foolish—such a large amount, with Shen Huifang insisting on treating, now reneging and asking Shen Huizhu’s family to pay, even splitting the bill would cause a rift. Borrowing was the wisest option.

Shen Huizhu didn’t immediately agree, instead looking at Luo Fei. Luo Fei didn’t hesitate, only pausing briefly before saying, “I have enough in my account, but I need that money for something. Can you pay it back tomorrow?”

Tomorrow.

Lin Yuxin frowned secretly, but Lin Yuan gritted his teeth. “Alright, worst case, I’ll ask my big brother.”

Luo Fei wasn’t finished. “Uncle, since you’re asking, I’ll lend it, but it’s a large sum. Even with family, accounts should be clear. My request is that you use the Bentley you drove today as collateral; repay the money tomorrow and you can drive it away.”

Lin Yuan’s expression darkened immediately. Even Xiao Chun Yong thought this was a bit much. “Luo…”

Luo Fei guessed Xiao Chun Yong was about to intercede and interrupted, “Dad, sixty thousand is no small amount. Uncle said clearly the Bentley is borrowed. Agreeing to use the car as collateral is already because we’re family. If it were someone else, I’d not only charge interest, but also require a property deed as collateral.”

Xiao Chun Yong’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing more.

“Using the car as collateral is impossible!” A faint voice sounded. Luo Fei looked at Hong Chen, not annoyed, smiling, “If that’s the case, I can’t help.”

“Lin, Huifang, since your son-in-law disagrees, let him figure it out. I have a habit of walking after meals, so excuse me.” With that, Shen Huizhu stood up. Luo Fei and Xiao Ting followed her lead, and after a brief hesitation, Xiao Chun Yong stood as well.

This whole scene had been orchestrated by Shen Huifang. If she paid smoothly, it would confirm her family’s wealth and a lavish meal would compensate for lost face. If she couldn’t pay, it would prove her boasting was false, and the lost face would be reclaimed many times over. The worst outcome was borrowing money—the bill was kept under a million precisely because Luo Fei could lend that sum, but the bottom line was using the car as collateral, otherwise repayment was uncertain.

Seeing Shen Huizhu’s family preparing to leave, Shen Huifang panicked, her eyes blazing as she glared at Hong Chen, roaring, “You useless fool, since when do you get to make decisions about our family’s affairs!”

Lin Yufei shrieked as well, “The car isn’t even yours—you’re just a driver!”

Mother and daughter, full of pent-up anger, took Hong Chen as their outlet. Their unreasonable behavior made Lin Yuxin’s face turn cold as frost; she was about to speak up when Hong Chen spoke first, “Pitiful people often have detestable traits. Don’t think you can act up in front of me just because you’re Yuxin’s mother and sister. Insult me again and Yuxin’s face won’t save you.”

With that, he stood tall, slapping the back of his chair. There was a splintering sound as the elegant seat shattered into a dozen pieces.

Everyone’s expression changed; especially Shen Huifang and Lin Yufei, who jumped up in fright, startled and terrified, not daring to utter another word.

Hong Chen pressed the service bell. A waiter entered immediately. Hong Chen pointed to the broken fragments on the floor. “I’ll pay for this chair. As for tonight’s bill, I’ll cover one-eighth. Please calculate.”

He then took out a card and handed it over. “Is this a discount card or a prepaid card?”

“This—this card…” The waiter stared at the purple-gold card for a long moment, seeming suddenly to realize something. He shivered, looked at Hong Chen in disbelief, and respectfully said, “Sir, please wait a moment. I’ll consult the manager.”

With that, he dashed out like a startled rabbit.

Everyone looked at Hong Chen, puzzled. He had no idea either and didn’t explain, lighting a cigarette. After two puffs, the private room door opened again. The waiter returned, accompanied by a manager.

“Mr. Hong, this is a purple-gold VIP card with five million yuan preloaded, which can directly offset any expense. After the five million is used, all expenses are at a ten percent rate. We also offer complimentary chauffeur service within Qing City.” The manager’s words left everyone stunned.

Hong Chen was surprised as well. “How do you know my surname?”

“The general manager confirmed it.”

Hong Chen asked no further. With the Liu family’s influence, finding his information wasn’t hard. He glanced at Lin Yuxin, “I’ll pay the bill for now. The rest can be settled later. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll leave first. If you need to go home, the hotel’s chauffeur service is available.”

Lin Yuxin nodded gently, knowing Hong Chen’s change of heart was entirely for her sake. As for the VIP card’s origin, she didn’t care at the moment. After a brief pause, she spoke softly, “Drive safely tonight, and come home early.”