Chapter 94: Does Zhizhen No Longer Need Your Supply?

After leaving the Linfeng Company, Chu Lin returned to the aquaculture farm. By evening, he had hauled in some giant prawns and prepared to take them to his eldest sister’s apartment.

His younger sister had never tasted Atlantis prawns, so he wanted her to try them.

Besides, she had just passed the national English proficiency exam, and his eldest sister had cooked a celebratory meal for her. Naturally, he should bring a gift as well.

He still had nine Atlantis pearls left, but for a college student, a pearl worth one hundred thousand was far too ostentatious.

With that in mind, he drove out of the farm and went straight to a Huawei flagship store, where he bought a Mate 60 Pro.

His sister had mentioned wanting to change phones before; this was as good a time as any.

After buying the phone, he went to a florist and picked out a bouquet of ninety-nine lilies. This was the best kind of flower to give to the women in his family.

Soon, he arrived at his eldest sister’s apartment. No sooner had he pressed the doorbell than a petite, adorable, fair and lovely girl opened the door. The moment she saw him, she cried out in delight, “Ah… Brother, is this flower for me? It’s so beautiful!”

Without waiting another second, she eagerly took the bouquet from him.

“No thanks?” Chu Lin said with a smile. This was his younger sister, Chu Ling. Compared with his eldest sister, her personality was much more lively.

“Thank you, Brother!” Chu Ling immediately beamed at him sweetly.

“Then you may have to thank me once more.” As he spoke, Chu Lin took out the phone.

“Huh? A new phone?” Chu Ling’s eyes widened in delight. She set the flowers on the sofa and rushed forward as fast as she could to snatch up the phone.

“A Huawei Mate 60 Pro. My roommate just switched to one too,” Chu Ling said, then joyfully flung herself at Chu Lin. “Brother, I love you so much!”

“You love me? Planning to play that forbidden sibling romance with your own brother?” Chu Lin teased.

“Brother, even you’re flirting with me, you rotten playboy?” Chu Ling immediately stepped back, clutching her chest and pretending to be shocked.

Chu Lin laughed mockingly. “Stop pretending. It’s still as flat as ever.”

Those words seemed to hit a nerve. Chu Ling flew into a huff and pummeled him with tiny pink fists. “Brother, how can you be so bad!”

Chu Lin just smiled and let her hit him. It did not hurt anyway.

He would not dare make such jokes with his eldest sister, but with this younger shadow who had followed him around since childhood, he had far fewer scruples.

“Don’t tease her anymore. She’s been eating papaya lately, and she has actually grown a little,” Chu Yan said just then, carrying out a big bowl of corn and pork rib soup. She, too, made a joking remark.

“Sis, you’re bullying me too.” Chu Ling promptly decided to ignore both her brother and sister, happily carrying the phone over to the bouquet.

Receiving both a phone from her brother and such a huge bouquet, she naturally had to take photos and post them to her social feed.

She carefully took nine shots, enough for a nine-grid collage, and uploaded them with the caption: “Finally experiencing the benefits of having a rich brother. May my brother become even richer!”

After she posted, it was not long before she saw likes and comments from several of her roommates.

Their comments were all full of envy, and many said they wished they had a brother like this, making her grin so hard her mouth could hardly close.

After putting the giant prawns in the kitchen, Chu Lin went over to his younger sister and asked, “So? Do you like the phone?”

“I love it!” Chu Ling nodded repeatedly, then said, “Brother, you’re so good. I almost want to introduce you to my roommate and make her your girlfriend.”

“Don’t just think about it. Put it into action,” Chu Lin said, his eyes lighting up. At once he thought of the private photos his sister had shared last time.

That girl seemed to be named Lin Fei, and she was truly stunning, probably at the level of a campus belle.

But Chu Ling stared at Chu Lin and said, “Brother, I do want to take action, but every time I see that playboy look on your face, I think I shouldn’t be too cruel to my roommate.”

“Tch, I knew I couldn’t count on this sister of mine,” Chu Lin said, shaking his head.

Soon, his eldest sister finished the feast and served the boiled giant prawns as well.

“Try these prawns. Your brother raised them himself,” Chu Yan said as she sat down, placing several prawns into Chu Ling’s bowl.

“Then I have to try them!” Chu Ling said, suddenly a little impatient as she peeled one.

She had long wanted to taste them.

She had heard their father, mother, and eldest sister all praising how delicious the prawns raised by her brother were, over and over in the family chat.

The moment she took the first bite, her eyes lit up. “These prawns really are this good? I thought since they were raised by Big Brother, you were all deliberately praising them.”

Having said that, she was already peeling another giant prawn and putting it into her mouth.

They were truly delicious.

A meal with the three of them felt different. There was an indescribable warmth to it.

After dinner, though, Chu Ling suggested they play a card game and stick paper slips on the loser’s face.

The loser would have strips of paper stuck to their face.

To that suggestion, Chu Lin and Chu Yan exchanged a glance. Their younger sister was clearly hopeless at the game yet loved it anyway. So, through glances, gestures, and all manner of coordination, they once again made sure she could not escape the fate of having her face plastered with paper strips.

Then, suddenly, Chu Ling remembered something. With strips of paper all over her face, she looked at Chu Lin and said sweetly, “Brother, can you lend me ten thousand yuan to do business?”

Ten thousand yuan meant nothing to Chu Lin. Since she had asked, he simply took out his phone and transferred it to her, then asked curiously, “What kind of business can ten thousand yuan start?”

Chu Ling immediately said in a mysterious tone, “Tomorrow I’m going to an investment fair to buy some jellyfish and resell them. The purchase price is one hundred each, and they can be flipped for one hundred and fifty.”

“Hm?” Chu Lin blinked in surprise. “You’re not talking about blue-ringed jellyfish, are you?”

“Brother, you’ve heard of them too?” Chu Ling asked, delighted. “Isn’t this a promising business?”

“There’s definitely promise, but how do you know about this?” Chu Lin was puzzled by the same question. There was no reason for his sister, still at school, to know about it.

Chu Yan was clearly curious as well. She knew the blue-ringed jellyfish were connected to her brother’s company, and she had also received an invitation to the investment fair.

Chu Ling quickly explained, “My roommate’s sister works as a receptionist at that company. She got the inside scoop: selling these at a university town stall will definitely make money. So my roommates and I plan to go in together. Once my business grows big, I’ll treat you both to dinner.”

In Chu Lin’s mind, the two pretty receptionists immediately came to mind.

Then he exchanged a glance with his eldest sister, and both of them wore a knowing, amused look. Tomorrow, when this girl arrived at the site, they would give her a little surprise.

Just then, his phone rang. The number surprised him—it was actually Cai Yao.

What was this young lady calling him for in the dead of night?

Still, after their video call the night before, and after having seen far too many things he ought not to have seen, he had already come to regard this young lady as a friend, so he answered at once.

But from the other end came Liu Ling’s voice. “Hello, Mr. Chu, may I ask a favor of you?”

“This phone?” Chu Lin frowned.

Liu Ling hurried to explain, “It’s Yao Yao’s. I’m at her house now, and she’s drunk far too much and needs someone to take care of her. I have to rush to the hospital right away. Could you come over and help look after her?”

“What? You want me to take care of her?” Chu Lin asked in astonishment. “Miss Liu, surely you know I’m a man? At a time like this, shouldn’t you be calling Cai Yao’s family?”

At that, Liu Ling grew irritated. “If not for her family, she wouldn’t have ended up drowning her sorrows like this. How could I possibly call them?”

She paused, then begged, “Mr. Chu, Yao Yao only has me as her best friend. I definitely wouldn’t trust any other male friend. Only a gentleman like you puts me at ease, especially since you and she even spent a night alone together.”

“…”

Chu Lin was left with a face full of black lines.

Was she taking him for some kind of saint? Did she really think he would do nothing to this young lady?

Was she underestimating her best friend’s charm?

Still, remembering what happened last night, he agreed. He would take it as repayment for having seen things he should not have seen.

After hanging up, Chu Lin said goodbye to his eldest sister and younger sister and left, heading to Jinhua Residential District according to Liu Ling’s directions.

The property prices in that neighborhood were anything but cheap.

Soon he arrived at an apartment door and knocked.

The door opened, and Liu Ling hurriedly said, “Mr. Chu, you’re finally here. I’m leaving Yao Yao in your care. I have to get to the hospital.”

Before she had even finished speaking, she was already out the door and heading for the elevator.

“…”

Chu Lin was speechless. He could only close the door and go inside to check on the young lady’s condition.

But when he reached a room with the door open, he saw a white dress carelessly tossed at the entrance—the very one the young lady had worn during the day.

He glanced inside and his eyes widened slightly as he swallowed unconsciously.

Fortunately, the young lady was still wearing a red camisole nightdress, likely put on for her by Liu Ling.

It was just that Liu Ling had been outrageously careless. She had not even dressed her properly, yet she dared call over a grown man.

The hem of that nightdress was already short, and she had not adjusted it properly at all, leaving everything beneath exposed.

At such a sight, he could only recite to himself that one must not look at what is improper, and hastily shut the door.

Fortunately, this young lady had excellent drinking manners. Once drunk, she slept very quietly and did not go into a frenzy, so he did not have much trouble through the night.

It was just that his sleep quality was miserable again.

Not because he had to sleep on the sofa.

Needless to say, every man understands.

As dawn rose and a new day arrived, Cai Yao woke in a daze. The hangover left her head aching a little, and then she realized she was not wearing her nightdress properly at all.

That woman Liu Ling had simply thrown it on her. What difference did that make from not wearing it?

Looking around and seeing that she was at her own home, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Her best friend was still somewhat reliable, at least enough to bring her home.

That, in turn, reminded her of the embarrassing incident two days ago, when that Mr. Chu had taken her home.

At least she would not have to go through that sort of embarrassment again.

She quickly straightened her nightdress and walked into the living room, intending to pour herself a glass of water.

After drinking, her mouth was terribly dry.

But the moment she entered the living room and saw the figure asleep on the sofa, she gasped.

Why was he here?

Just when she had thought Liu Ling was reliable. What nonsense. She had never seen a less reliable best friend.

She hurriedly took out her phone, intending to call that friend, only to see that a message had already come through: “Yao Yao, sorry. My brother was in a car accident and has been sent to the hospital. I have to go take care of him, but I’ve already called Mr. Chu to look after you!”

“…”

Seeing this, Cai Yao instantly deflated.

But how was she supposed to face this Mr. Chu? The disheveled state she had just been in when she woke up had surely exposed all sorts of embarrassing sights to him again.

Just as she stood there at a loss, the door was suddenly pounded upon frantically.

The noise woke Chu Lin as well. He opened his eyes and sat up at once, only to see Cai Yao standing there in a daze.

Their eyes met.

It was… truly awkward.

The frantic knocking came again, and this time a man’s irritated voice followed: “Cai Yao, open the door. I know you’re in there.”

Chu Lin jolted and blurted, “Caught cheating?”

“Pah, what nonsense are you thinking?” Cai Yao laughed in exasperation, then her expression quickly darkened. She strode to the door and opened it, whereupon she found an aggressive young man standing outside.

“Cai Sen, it’s early in the morning. Have you caused enough of a scene?” Cai Yao said coldly, staring at him.

Cai Sen demanded, “Cai Yao, Father told you to have dinner with Young Master Ma last night. Why didn’t you go? Do you know Father was very angry?”

Cai Yao frowned. “Cai Sen, first, be polite. I’m your sister. Second, I never agreed to have dinner with that Young Master Ma. Third, I already have a boyfriend, so stop trying to meddle in my business.”

With that, she turned back into the room and directly clung to the still-dazed Chu Lin.

Only after a moment did he react. He had been used as a shield again.

Cai Sen’s face immediately darkened as he glared at Chu Lin, as if Chu Lin had cut off his source of money. “So you’re just some pretty boy trying to live off a woman. Don’t think that by clinging to Cai Yao, you can climb onto our Cai family’s branch.”

Cai Yao, hearing this, was somewhat annoyed. “Cai Sen, you’d better watch your tone. Mr. Chu is a supplier to our Zhenzhi!”

“Haha, so that’s how it is.” Cai Sen sneered. “Then he won’t be for long. Don’t think that just because he latched onto you, he can ride our Zhenzhi’s ship.”

“Cai Sen, I am the general manager of Zhenzhi. You have no right to make that decision,” Cai Yao said, truly unwilling to bother with this younger brother. What did he know?

Back then, it was he who had turned Zhenzhi into a complete mess, and that was why their father had asked her to return and set things right.

“Hahaha.” Cai Sen could not help laughing. “Cai Yao, then I’m afraid I have bad news for you. You’ve already defied Father’s wishes twice, so you are no longer the general manager of Zhenzhi. Father has appointed me as general manager again.”

“You should understand one thing: daughters are always water poured out of the house, while sons inherit the family business. And I am the son. Did you really think Father had you come back to be general manager? He only needed your ability because the competitors were pressing us from every side.”

“You should be thanking me. In such a short time, you made Zhenzhi explode in popularity and silenced our competitors. But in the end, you were merely making wedding clothes for me.”

Cai Yao was plainly stunned by these words.

So no matter how much she did, she would always be treated differently, simply because her mother died early, simply because she was a daughter?

Cai Sen, however, was looking at Chu Lin with a cold smile. “And you. Our Zhenzhi has terminated cooperation with you. If you call back now, maybe you can still tell your people not to deliver any goods to Zhenzhi, so they won’t make a wasted trip.”