Volume One, Chapter Six: This Overbearing CEO Is Toxic...

Lin Yuxia followed Fei Xun back to the parking lot. Without waiting for an invitation, she climbed into the car and fastened her seatbelt.

“I gave you such an expensive outfit; giving me a ride isn’t too much to ask, right?”

Fei Xun quibbled, “It’s compensation, not a gift.”

Buckling his seatbelt, he smiled and added, “Taking you for a ride is fine, after all, you’re underage.”

Lin Yuxia rolled her eyes inwardly. Underage my foot—he was four years older than her, big deal!

Fei Xun started the car, casually steering it out of the parking space. “Where to? Home? Or back to Fengyasong?”

Lin Yuxia hesitated when Shen Yan’s call came through. “Xiao Yu, have you bought everything?”

Her mood instantly lifted. “Yes, I’ve got everything, don’t worry, brother.”

Shen Yan asked, “Is Fei Xun still with you? Hand the phone to him.”

Lin Yuxia passed the phone to Fei Xun.

He grinned mischievously but didn’t reach for it. “Driving, inconvenient. Hold it for me.”

This guy was toxic…

Knowing that this poison would be her creditor going forward, Lin Yuxia restrained herself but wouldn’t indulge him either. She turned on speakerphone and placed the phone on the center console.

“Brother Yan, what’s up?”

“Fei Xun, if Xiao Yu offended you today, I apologize on her behalf. How much did the clothes cost? I’ll transfer it to you via WeChat.”

Fei Xun smiled at Lin Yuxia. “Money? Xiao Yu already paid.”

“Oh? Really?” Shen Yan felt uneasy about his sister buying clothes for another man—it just seemed a little too ambiguous, even though to everyone else, Fei Xun and Lin Yuxia weren’t exactly each other’s type.

Lin Yuxia quickly changed the subject. “Brother, is your thing over?”

“The dinner is done, but I have some business to discuss with them.”

Lin Yuxia thought for a moment. “Then I won’t bother you. I’ll let Mr. Fei take me home.”

“Alright,” Shen Yan said.

Lin Yuxia couldn’t help reminding him, “Don’t work too late, remember to rest early.”

“Okay, you do the same. Message me when you get home.”

After hanging up, Lin Yuxia noticed the sly smile on Fei Xun’s lips and asked, annoyed, “What’s so funny?”

Fei Xun replied, “Kids are easy to fool.”

Having mingled with these second-generation rich kids for three or four years, Fei Xun knew the truth:

Except for Shen Yan, who worked in the family business, the others were idle playboys with no real business to discuss—just distracting the girl to arrange some shady entertainment.

Lin Yuxia could tolerate many things, but not anyone disparaging her brother. Her expression immediately fell.

“You think my brother is deceiving me? Impossible! If you say one more bad word about him…”

Fei Xun patted his chest. “Oh, I’m so scared! Alright, alright, your brother is the wisest and greatest—no more slander from me.”

Words failing to find common ground, Lin Yuxia turned her head to the window and remained silent for the rest of the ride.

*

At home, Lin Yuxia greeted the night-shift servant and asked casually, “Has my father come back?”

The servant replied, “Master won’t be home tonight. Madam said he’s on a business trip out of town.”

Lin Yuxia didn’t ask further, thinking that at his age—over fifty—he should delegate such trips to subordinates instead of handling them personally.

She went straight to her room and enjoyed a relaxing hot shower.

Just as she stepped out, she saw Lin Hanhan standing in the middle of the room, holding a business card.

Lin Yuxia recognized it immediately—it was the very card she had written an IOU on the back of. Wasn’t it supposed to be safely in her bag?

Anger flared. “You went through my bag?”

Unexpectedly, Lin Hanhan countered, “If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t even know you just returned to the country and already owe a huge debt!”

Hands on hips, she arrogantly said, “Mom supports you, provides for you, and transfers money to your account monthly—aren’t those enough for your expenses? Tell me, what was the 258,000 yuan for?”

Lin Hanhan’s raised voice soon attracted Jiang Lan.

After hearing the situation, Jiang Lan looked shocked.

“That’s so much money! Xia Xia, tell Auntie honestly—what exactly did you borrow it for?”

Watching the mother and daughter bicker, Lin Yuxia couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

258,000 yuan wasn’t even enough for Lin Hanhan to buy a platinum handbag. How had it become such a huge amount in their eyes?

Because to them, Lin Yuxia was just a burden who’d complain even if given a thousand yuan a month.

Lin Yuxia strode forward quickly, snatching the card from between Lin Hanhan’s fingers.

“What I borrow money for is none of your business.”

She gave them a cold glare. “It’s not coming out of your pockets, so why do you care?”

Lin Hanhan sneered. “Easy for you to say. When you can’t repay others, won’t it fall back on our family?”

“Besides, if you don’t care about shame, we do! You’re at least a Lin—if people find out you can’t come up with a mere 258,000, won’t that be a disgrace to our Lin family?”

Lin Yuxia scoffed. “Oh? Who was it that just said 258,000 was a huge sum?”

She looked down and smiled, flipping the card to reveal the name “Fei Xun.” A sudden idea struck her.

“It’s just that I asked Brother Fei Xun for a favor. He insisted I didn’t have to pay it back, and now he’s even returned the IOU.”

“Fei Xun?” Jiang Lan exchanged a surprised glance with her daughter. “Fei Xun, the president of Sheng Yue Group?”

Lin Yuxia tapped the card with her fingertip. “It’s all in black and white.”

Lin Hanhan bit her lip in frustration, thinking Lin Yuxia must be some sort of enchantress—both of Shanghai’s top heirs were orbiting around her!

Jiang Lan was also inwardly resentful, but since Fei Xun’s private affairs were none of her business, she could only comfort her daughter with a pat on the shoulder and leave.

Soon, Lin Hanhan’s tantrum echoed from the next room.

“Mom, why do all the good men revolve around that fox spirit? I don’t care! I liked him first…”

Jiang Lan quickly covered her daughter’s mouth to stop her from saying that name, closed the door, and gently soothed her.

Lin Yuxia scoffed disdainfully and closed her door to sleep.

For the following week, Lin Yuxia only descended for meals; otherwise, she buried herself in her room or hurried out.

No one knew what she was busy with.

About a week later, one morning, Lin Yuxia appeared in the dining room dressed in formal attire, lightly made up, her long hair tied in a low ponytail.

Lin Muheng set down his coffee and asked, “Xia Xia, what have you been busy with lately?”

Lin Yuxia smiled. “Dad, I’ve found a job.”

Jiang Lan and Lin Hanhan exchanged curious looks.

Lin Hanhan sneered, “So what? You just got a job, big deal.”

Jiang Lan nudged her daughter under the table, warning her not to speak out of turn.

“Really, why worry about finding a job? Just tell Old Lin and he’ll arrange something for you.”

Lin Muheng asked, “What kind of job?”

Lin Yuxia answered, “At Zhongcheng Law Firm.”

Jiang Lan exclaimed, “Oh, that’s a prestigious firm!”

Though Lin Muheng didn’t praise her, he nodded in approval.

Lin Yuxia smiled, “It’s nothing special.”

Not out of modesty, but truly, it wasn’t something to brag about.

Holding her Yale Law School diploma, U.S. lawyer’s license, and domestic legal qualification certificate, finding a job in Shanghai was a breeze.

“Dad, I’m almost late, so I won’t have breakfast with you.”

Grabbing her laptop bag, Lin Yuxia left excitedly.

It was her first day at work; even squeezed like a sardine on the bus, she was filled with anticipation.

If only she knew she was about to face her “arch-nemesis,” her excitement might not have lasted so long…