Chapter 58: Only I Am Worthy to Wear It

“Give it back! That doesn’t belong to you!”
Lin Shuyu, realizing what was happening, lunged to snatch it back, but Lin Shufeng easily dodged, stepping in front of the old man with a cold sneer.
“Oh? You still dare to snatch it?” she mocked. “The old man is right here—do you really have no shame? Tsk tsk, looks like kicking you out of the Lin family was the right choice after all.”
Zhao Minghui, standing to the side, added with a sorrowful tone, “Lin Shuyu, I never thought you could be so shameless. Thank goodness I wasn’t blind back then, or I’d be the one wearing the green hat now.”
Second Aunt quickly chimed in with a laugh, “Minghui, you’re overthinking it. A wretch like her could never be good enough for you.”
The old man was so angry he broke into coughing fits before finally catching his breath, his gaze sharp as he turned to Lin Shuyu.
“Shuyu, is what they’re saying true?” he demanded angrily. “What have you done to our Lin family’s reputation? You’ve shamed all our ancestors!”
Lin Shuyu’s eyes reddened instantly. “Grandfather, it’s really not me—”
“Shuyu, you don’t need to explain yourself to these people!”
Suddenly, a man’s voice echoed through the Lin family’s main hall. Hong Yu strode in, face clouded with rage.
“You bastard! Hong Yu, you have the nerve to show your face here?!”
Lin Shuqing, spotting Hong Yu, erupted in fury. Only yesterday had she managed to stand up from her wheelchair, after being forced by Hong Yu’s nurse to have several tubes of blood drawn. She had been so weak recently she could barely eat, surviving on glucose drips for days.
Her father, Lin Jiarong, doted on her more than anyone. He immediately rushed at Hong Yu, as if ready to lay hands on him.
Second Aunt did nothing to stop him, instead shouting, “Go on, teach that dog a lesson! How dare he take so much blood from my daughter!”
“Just thinking about it pisses me off! He even lied and said he had some nerve disorder—what a load of crap!”
Lin Shuyu, anxious, cried out, “Second Uncle, don’t! Let’s talk this through, please!”
Lin Jiarong, seething, spat, “Lin Shuyu! Are you still my niece? Don’t you know how much of my daughter’s blood you took?”
Chastened, Lin Shuyu was left speechless. Hong Yu, seeing Lin Jiarong closing in, responded coldly, “I respect you for your age, but if you lay a hand on me, don’t blame me for what happens next.”
Lin Jiarong laughed bitterly. “Well, aren’t you bold now! When I wasn’t here, you bullied my women to your heart’s content. Today, I’ll—”
But before he could finish, Hong Yu, fed up, kicked Lin Jiarong squarely in the stomach, sending him staggering back a couple of meters.

Clutching his stomach, Lin Jiarong stared in disbelief. “You... you dared strike first?”
Second Aunt rushed to his side. “Are you all right? That brat is finished—how dare he lay a hand on you?”
Lin Shuqing, even more agitated, grabbed a nearby vase and charged at Hong Yu.
“I’ll fight you myself!”
Enough!
Hong Yu narrowed his eyes, ready to meet her head-on. Lin Shuqing, with little strength left, swung the vase at him. Hong Yu simply snatched it from her and looked as if he’d smash it over her own head.
“That’s enough!”
At last, Lin Jiahao, who had remained silent, spoke up.
As the head of the Lin family, his words carried weight. Lin Shuqing, cowed by his shout, put the vase down and didn’t dare approach Hong Yu again.
Lin Jiahao hurried over to the old man, patting him on the back until his breathing steadied. Then he looked up, voice booming, “Are you all trying to kill Grandfather with anger? Hong Yu, you’ve already been expelled from the Lin family. Do you realize you’re trespassing now?”
Trespassing?
Hong Yu paused, surprised that Lin Jiahao would try to pin such a charge on him.
But he quickly recovered, sneering, “You think I wanted to come to this dump? I’m just here for my wife. Once I have Shuyu, I’ll leave.”
“A dump? You dare call the Lin family estate a dump?” Lin Jiahao’s voice trembled with rage.
Lin Shufeng, seeing her father’s anger, snapped, “Hong Yu, you spineless loser! Who do you think you are? This mansion—you couldn’t earn it in ten lifetimes, let alone one!”
Hong Yu laughed coldly. “I wouldn’t want to live in this wretched place anyway. Shuyu, if we’re so unwelcome, let’s just go.”
Lin Shuyu knew staying would only cause more trouble. She was about to nod when Lin Shuqing grabbed her arm.
“Go? Not so fast!” Lin Shuqing barked. “After hitting my father, neither of you are leaving. I refuse to let you get away with this!”
Lin Shufeng sneered. “You think you can just hit someone and walk out like nothing happened? What do you take the Lin family for?”
Second Aunt’s eyes flashed coldly. “Hong Yu, I’ll give you a chance. Kneel down right now and kowtow a hundred times, and I’ll let you off. Otherwise you’ll be spending a year or two in prison for trespassing and assault.”
Hong Yu almost laughed. “Are you idiots, or do you take me for a three-year-old? Your threats wouldn’t scare a middle schooler—do you really think they’ll work on me?”

“Fine! You don’t believe me? Shuqing, call the police!”
Lin Shuqing, phone in hand, was about to dial when Lin Jiahao stopped her.
He sighed, “Enough. Haven’t we embarrassed the Lin family enough lately? Right now, all that matters is the Zhang family’s banquet. Don’t make things worse.”
Lin Jiahao might not be capable, but at least he understood priorities. He didn’t care about Hong Yu, but he recalled that Hong Yu and Chen Dayong had been seen together.
Who knew what Hong Yu and Chen Dayong were plotting? Perhaps Hong Yu was here today on Chen Dayong’s orders.
At the thought, a cold sweat broke out on Lin Jiahao’s forehead.
So close!
This traitor, Hong Yu, would have to be eliminated eventually, but for now, it was best to avoid further trouble and just get him out.
He stepped toward Hong Yu. “You hit Jiarong today—I’ll remember that. But since you want to take Shuyu and leave, do it now. I never want to see you in the Lin estate again.”
“What? You’re just going to let him get away with hitting me?” Jiarong, stunned, scrambled to his feet, dropping the act.
Lin Shuqing was incredulous. “Uncle, how can you side with them? They were the ones who attacked my father first!”
Lin Jiahao sighed in exasperation. “Don’t talk nonsense. Why would I favor them? Hong Yu has no respect for elders—I’d like nothing better than to see him dead!”
Lin Shufeng, naturally siding with her father, could sense there was more to his decision, though she wasn’t sure what.
She spoke up. “Enough. My father must have his reasons. You two had better get out and never come back!”
Hong Yu, ignoring them, turned to Lin Shuyu. “Shuyu, we’re not welcome here. Let’s go.”
Lin Shuyu nodded and started to leave, but then stopped.
Lin Shufeng, seeing her turn, sneered. “What, still not leaving? Waiting for the police to escort you out?”
Lin Shuyu bit her lip. “Sister, give me back the diamond necklace.”
“Oh, so you can’t bear to part with it?” Lin Shufeng laughed. “Look at yourself—do you really think someone like you deserves such a fine necklace? Only someone like me, Lin Shufeng, is worthy of wearing it.”
“Enough of this!”
Seeing Lin Shufeng about to put the diamond necklace around her own neck, Hong Yu could no longer restrain himself and charged forward.