Chapter 1361: The Old Fox’s Scheme
Ling’er’s mother walked in on this scene. She saw Lu Ning’s frozen form staring wide-eyed at Ling’er and Pingan. She had been in that exact position, once upon a time, and could relate in some small way as to the kinds of feeling Lu Ning was probably going through.
“Ah Ning, your parents were so angry with your second brother that they left without you. If it’s alright, I shall send you back home tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope you’ll accompany Ling’er.” Yin Shuiling said with a knowing smile.
Lu Ning looked away, shaking herself free from her momentary daze. “Auntie Yin, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay. I still have homework I haven’t finished. I need to go home.”
Seeing her unwavering determination, Yin Shuiling relented. She was unwilling to force the young girl to stay when she clearly felt uncomfortable remaining. “Alright, I’ll get the driver to send you home.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Lu Ning bowed and excused herself. Zhou Dayuan and his family also took the opportunity to bid their farewells. Peace was restored to the Yin household.
In the study…
Yin Muchen sat on his leather-backed chair and reviewed several doc.u.ments requiring his attention. Yin Shuiling entered the study after a polite knock on the door. In her hands was a steaming cup of freshly ground coffee. She laid the cup of coffee on her husband’s desk, watching as his slender fingers fired away on his laptop; a thin notebook filled with numbers nestled beneath one of his arms. Yin Shuiling felt dizzy just looking at it.
“Husband dearest,” She sat on the arm of the leather-backed chair, looping her arms around Muchen’s broad shoulders.
“Hmm?” Yin Muchen grunted questioningly.
Yin Shuiling studied her husband’s looks. Time had treated him well. Although ten years had pa.s.sed since they married, Yin Muchen did not look a day older than he did back then. His features were still sharp and sculpted as they had been ten years ago, although his sideburns seemed to have grown more distinct. He was a fine specimen of the opposite s.e.x.
It is often said that a man flowered in his forties. It was not an exaggeration.
“Husband, Ling’er turns ten today. Why is not Zhihan back? I miss my son so much.”
“Zhihan couldn’t take leave. Besides, didn’t Zhihan prepare a birthday present for Ling’er?” Yin Muchen answered succinctly as he continued typing on his laptop.
“Husband, while I am speaking to you, I would appreciate it if you stopped doing whatever you were doing and looked at me!” Yin Shuiling rested her head on his shoulders, pouting indignantly.
Yin Muchen snapped his laptop shut and pulled his wife onto his lap. He picked up the cup of coffee she had prepared for him and sipped the bitter brew with his free hand. “Speak plainly, my dear. Did you encounter something that you couldn’t resolve yourself?”
“Who said there was something I couldn’t solve?” Yin Shuiling retorted.
Yin Muchen pinched his wife’s soft cheeks, his brow arched. “You only ever cling onto me like this when you run into something you can’t solve alone.”
“Okay, okay, you’ve got me there. I’m so glad my husband knows me so well.” Yin Shuiling admitted with a teasing lilt. Yin Muchen always had a solution for whatever she needed help with. She had come to rely on him in their years together.
He gave her a sense of security which she dearly appreciated.
“I suppose you are aware that Ling’er likes Pingan, then?”
Yin Muchen nodded. “What of it?”
“I realized today that Ah Ning seems to be interested in Pingan as well…”
Yin Muchen immediately understood the words left unsaid. “Is it something you are against?”
“Why do you sound so relaxed? Ling’er and Ah Ning both like Pingan. I’m afraid a rift will form between them if nothing is done.”
“Then what is it you desire? Do you want Pingan to return Ling’er or Ah Ning affections?” Yin Muchen arrived at the heart of the matter without beating about the bush.
Yin Shuiling blinked. “How should I put this…? I think of Ah Ning as a daughter of mine, but Pingan and Ling’er were the ones to meet first. From what I can tell, it seems they both share some feelings for each other. I don’t want a love triangle forming – it’ll only hurt everyone involved.”
“Then let’s cut the Gordian Knot,” Yin Muchen said.
“What do you mean?” Yin Shuiling asked curiously.
The conversation between the two adults was interrupted by a loud, piercing wail emanating from outside the study. The door burst open, and Yin Ling’er dashed into the room. “Daddy, Mommy, Wu Wu…”
Yin Shuiling leapt out of her husband’s lap; afraid her daughter would see them wrapped up in an inappropriate position. Quickly, she made her way to her daughter’s side and asked with a concerned voice, “Ling’er, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did something happen?”
“Mommy, Pingan Ge is skipping grades! I heard he’s going to jump straight to the first year of high school. I’m going to be separated from Pingan Ge again… Daddy, Mommy, I don’t want to be separated from Pingan Ge. Please help me think of some way to be with him…” Yin Ling’er sobbed.
“Ling’er, not only has your Pingan Ge got excellent grades, but he also inherited Uncle Zhou’s talent for medicine. He has already made quite a name for himself in the medical world. It was only a matter of time before he skipped grades. If you want to be together with him, you’ll need more than just hard work. You’ll need to be a prodigy.”
Yin Shuiling patted Ling’er gently as she tried explaining the situation to her. However, Shuiling’s words provided little comfort to her distraught daughter, merely eliciting a greater torrent of tears. “But… but I’m not good at math. I’ve never managed to achieve so much as a 99 on my test scores. H-how will I catch up to Pingan Ge…?”
Yin Shuiling wiped her daughter’s tear-streaked face, unsure what to say. “Ling’er, don’t cry…”
Just as Yin Shuiling was at her wit’s end, Yin Muchen patted shoulder rea.s.suringly. “Let me speak to Ling’er.”
Yin Shuiling offered her saviour a half-smile, quickly stepping aside.
Yin Muchen knelt on one knee and addressed his daughter. “Ling’er, Pingan is going to skip grade whether you want him to or not. Mommy and Daddy can’t stop him. If you want to be with him, you have to think of a way yourself.”
Yin Ling’er stopped crying, but her red nose continued twitching. She made for quite a pitiful sight. “I-I can’t think of a way…”
“It’s simple, really. If you want Pingan Ge to stay with you, then tell him how much you like him and ask him to remain.”
“B-but, I’m scared…”
“Why should you be scared? Since you like Pingan, then treat him as you would someone you like. Cry, smile, act coquettishly – do anything necessary to persuade him to stay. If you listen to your father’s words, I can promise you that your Pingan Ge won’t leave you behind.”
“What if he doesn’t like me?”
“Nonsense! How can that be? Pingan Ge will love you all the more if you treat him in the way I have described.”
“Okay. Then I’ll tell Pingan Gege tomorrow.”
“No. Don’t tell him tomorrow. Tell him now. Ling’er, I’ll have our butler send you over to the Zhou residence now. You can stay there overnight. Make sure you don’t return before sinking your claws in him!”
Yin Ling’er nodded. “Okay, I understand. Daddy is the best.”
Yin Ling’er kissed her father on the cheek and ran out happily.
…
Once Yin Ling’er was out of earshot, Yin Shuiling stepped to her husband’s side, glaring at him with dark eyes. “What is this you’re trying to teach our daughter, husband of mine?”
Yin Muchen got up from his half-kneeling position on the floor and said, “I taught her how to flirt.”
Yin Shuiling was struck dumb by her husband’s candid admission.
“I know Zhou Dayuan very well. A son of his won’t go too far wrong. I’m sure he’ll surpa.s.s his old man in time to come. Pingan has shown himself to be quite a young gentleman, and people like him easily fall prey to innocent girls and their sweet tears. Your daughter takes after you in that regard. She knows how best to exploit a situation like this. You need not worry about any love triangles forming. Your daughter will eat Pingan alive.”
Yin Shuiling’s eyes lit up. Once more, Muchen had come up with a way to solve her problem. It seemed like no problem could confound him.
“What about Ah Ning…?”
“I know Lu Shaoming as well as I do Zhou Dayuan. Ah Ning will grow up to be quite a cold beauty. She’s the type to bury her true feelings deep in her heart. In all likelihood, she and Pingan will remain friends at best. Don’t concern yourself over something so trivial. Ah Ning will figure it out on her own. There’s no need for us to intervene.”
Yin Shuiling pounced on Yin Muchen, smothering him in a warm hug. “Husband dearest, you really are a sly old fox. No one can defeat you.”
Yin Muchen preened smugly at his wife’s praise. “Hah! Then don’t you think you ought to reward this intelligent husband of yours?”