At that moment, a woman dressed in luxurious clothing entered from outside.

She was beautiful—delicate and charming—but showed signs of aging.

“Lin Sister!”

“Siqin, what brings you here?”

Zhao Hanya’s eyes flickered when she saw Wang Siqin arrive.

Her expression softened slightly, and she asked gently.

Earlier today, she had sent someone to follow Lin Qianqian’s maid, who later reported that Lin Qianqian had entered the Wang family estate.

The Wang family was related to Lin Xiongan’s mother’s side.

To be precise, Wang Siqin was Lin Xiongan’s cousin.

Over the years, she had frequently visited the mansion to keep her company, so Zhao Hanya initially assumed there had been some misunderstanding.

But now…

“Lin Sister, I haven’t visited for a few days, so I came to keep you company. By the way, I noticed that there seem to be fewer servants around?”

Wang Siqin walked forward and sat beside Madam Lin, asking casually.

【Oh! Could this old woman be that scumbag father’s mistress? Lin Qianqian looks just like her! That fake innocent expression is exactly the same as Lin Qianqian’s!】

Zhao Hanya’s eyes flashed upon hearing this.

She lifted her gaze to take a good look at Wang Siqin.

If Xin Xin hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t have noticed—Lin Qianqian and Wang Siqin looked incredibly alike!

Thinking back on Wang Siqin’s visits to the Lin residence over the years, things started making sense.

Every time Wang Siqin came, she would stay overnight.

Although she resided in Xiangyu Pavilion, that place happened to be the closest to Lin Xiongan’s study.

Moreover, Wang Siqin was particularly kind to Lin Qianqian.

At first, Zhao Hanya thought it was just because Wang Siqin liked children. But now…!

A hint of mockery flashed through Madam Lin’s eyes before her expression returned to calm.

“Oh, those servants made some mistakes and were sold off.” Zhao Hanya replied indifferently.

“What kind of mistakes did they make?”

Wang Siqin’s expression tensed slightly as she asked again.

Zhao Hanya glanced at her, the corners of her lips curving upward as she spoke softly:

“Oh, I found out they were disloyal, betraying their master. Do you think they should have been sold off?”

“T-That… I suppose it’s necessary to discipline bold servants like that.”

Wang Siqin’s face changed slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm, smiling awkwardly.

【Look at her guilty expression! I bet those servants Mother dealt with today were the ones she bribed. Her reach is quite extensive!】

【But Mother is so powerful—not only did she punish the servants, but she also gave this mistress a hard time. So satisfying! But this woman didn’t come all this way just to ask about the servants, did she?】

Lin Yuxin watched Wang Siqin thoughtfully, sensing that she had another motive.

Sure enough, Wang Siqin spoke up.

“Lin Sister, I heard that Qianqian got hurt yesterday, and you didn’t pay much attention to her. She was really upset. I just saw her, and she looked so miserable that it broke my heart.”

“Lin Sister, Qianqian grew up under your care. Even if she’s not your biological daughter, you still raised her. You shouldn’t favor one child over another!”

Wang Siqin spoke earnestly, as if she were advising for Madam Lin’s own good.

【So she’s here to plead for her daughter, huh?】

Lin Yuxin lowered her head and rolled her eyes.

The fake kindness was practically dripping from Wang Siqin.

“Siqin, you seem awfully concerned about Qianqian. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was your daughter. You even came all this way to stand up for her.”

Zhao Hanya’s gentle demeanor suddenly turned cold as she stared at Wang Siqin with an emotionless gaze.

Wang Siqin stiffened at those words.

She quickly forced a smile and replied,

“Lin… Lin Sister, what are you saying? Qianqian could never be my daughter! I was just worried that now that your biological daughter has returned, you might neglect Qianqian, so I thought I’d remind you.”

“Hmm, look how nervous you are. I was just joking.”

Zhao Hanya chuckled calmly as she observed Wang Siqin’s reaction.

Hearing this, Wang Siqin immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she turned to look at Lin Yuxin, her eyes flashing with disdain before she forced a smile.

“So this is your biological daughter? She’s very pretty, but she lacks manners. I’ve been here for so long, and she hasn’t even greeted me.”

【This old snake! She couldn’t win against Mother, so now she’s picking on me? Let’s see how I deal with her!】

“Mother, who is this old lady? She’s dressed like a peacock—so gaudy and ugly!”

Lin Yuxin asked Zhao Hanya with an innocent expression, but a glint of mischief flickered in her eyes.

Zhao Hanya immediately understood and decided to let her daughter handle it while offering occasional support.

“She’s your father’s cousin, so she’s technically your aunt. You may call her Aunt Qin.”

Zhao Hanya introduced her briefly.

“Oh, so she’s Aunt Qin! Ah, my mistake. I’m new here, so I don’t recognize everyone. I feel so bad! But Aunt Qin, since you’re my father’s cousin, you’re still a guest, right? Shouldn’t you bring a gift when meeting your niece for the first time?”

Lin Yuxin spoke as if it were only natural, even looking slightly wronged.

“Mother, does Aunt Qin not like me? She’s been here for so long and didn’t even acknowledge me. And now that she sees me, she’s scolding me. She didn’t even bring me a gift! Waaaaah! I’m so miserable! I shouldn’t have come back at all!”

Lin Yuxin pinched her thigh discreetly, forcing tears to fall as she cried pitifully.

【Ouch! That hurt! Next time, I’ll bring an onion with me—works just as well.】

Lin Shaoyang, who had been watching from the side, shuddered.

What… what was his little sister up to?

“Alright, Yuxin, don’t cry. Your Aunt Qin doesn’t dislike you. She brought you a gift, didn’t she? If you don’t believe me, ask her.”

Zhao Hanya, though fully aware of her daughter’s act, still felt sorry for her.

She pulled Lin Yuxin close and comforted her gently, passing the burden to the now speechless Wang Siqin.

“I… I did! Yuxin, don’t cry. I’ll give it to you right now.”

Wang Siqin knew she had no choice.

Today, she was going to suffer a financial loss.

Reluctantly, she took a hairpin from her head and handed it over, forcing a smile.

“Yuxin, this is my gift for you. Do you like it?”

Lin Yuxin dramatically wiped her tears, took the golden hairpin, and exclaimed happily,

“Yes, yes! I love it! But, you know, I think everything on Aunt Qin looks nice. Can you give me all of them?”

“This…!”

Wang Siqin was stunned. She hesitated—these accessories were all gifts from An-ge, and she cherished them dearly. She was already heartbroken over the hairpin she just gave away.

“Oh, so Aunt Qin doesn’t like me after all! Mother, even though I’m the daughter of the Lin family and the granddaughter of a general, someone still dislikes me! I’m going to complain to Grandpa!”

Lin Yuxin played her cards ruthlessly.

“No, no, Yuxin! Aunt Qin adores you! If you want something, just ask. Whatever I have, I’ll give to you!”

Wang Siqin gritted her teeth and forced a smile.

She had to endure it. Once An-ge divorced this wretched woman and married her, she would make sure this brat suffered a miserable fate!