Standing Next To You-Chapter 406: Tranquil despite the chaos

The recent events had truly opened his eyes.

Old Master Lin had once placed his hopes in Bei Sangyun, but due to her sudden change in attitude and continuous rebellion, his impression of her sank lower and lower.

However, after this event, he realized that among his grandchildren, Bei Sangyun possessed all the qualities he desired in an heir.

Decisive, gutsy, deeply scheming, and unwavering—she executed all of these traits flawlessly. She had passed this test with flying colors.

Not only did she bring honor and significant prestige to the Lin family, but she also delivered a humiliating blow to the Fei family, a rival they had long considered formidable.

At this moment, Bei Sangyun’s image in his mind appeared as that of a formidable potential heir. As someone who might likely lead the Lin family, she couldn’t have someone like Fei Chuan as her fiancé.

After all, her future husband would be the person to lead the family alongside her. He wanted to ensure the right person stood by her side.

Bei Sangyun was oblivious to his thoughts. She shrugged, "I don’t care what other people think. It’s our life, and the only thing that matters is whether we’re happy or not."

Bei Sangyun didn’t stay to listen to more of his nonsense and left.

Old Master Lin was left in the room, stunned.

When did his opinions no longer matter?

....

The news of the Fei family’s lawsuit withdrawal against Bei Sangyun quickly spread to the other branches of the Lin family.

In the first branch’s building, Lin Baozhi and Lin Xiao were still wracking their brains on how to outwit the second and fourth branches when they received the reports from their spies.

They looked at each other in shock. They hadn’t even had the chance to sabotage Bei Sangyun’s plans, yet the fight was already over?

"Those bastards! Because of them, we didn’t get the chance to ruin the third branch for good!" Lin Baozhi cursed angrily.

"What’s wrong with them? This was the perfect time to work together against the third branch. Even if they didn’t want to raise a hand and do absolutely nothing, the third branch’s downfall would have come eventually, as long as they didn’t interfere. I don’t understand why they chose to meddle at such an opportune time..." Lin Xiao muttered.

"They’re fools, I tell you. They must have thought that since we were all focusing on the third branch, they could attack us. They didn’t realize they wouldn’t win but merely delay our plans. Because of their foolish intervention, we lost the chance to bring down the third branch. Now the third branch has gained Father’s attention. Those fools must be regretting it by now."

Lin Xiao remained silent in response to Lin Baozhi’s words, but doubts lingered in his mind.

Would the second and fourth branches really seize this opportune moment solely to attack them? Or were there deeper motives at play? To him, it seemed as though the two branches were not acting in unison to strike against them, but rather to shield the third branch.

However, he quickly dismissed this absurd thought.

There was no way the greedy second branch, which always fought tooth and nail with the first branch, would help the third branch gain an advantage in this competition. And there was certainly no way the fourth branch, which deeply hated the third branch, would act as a shield for them.

The only plausible explanation was that the two branches had been blinded by greed and inadvertently delayed their plans in sabotaging Bei Sangyun, thus helping the third branch unintentionally.

"So, what do we do now? The second and fourth branches are onto us. If the third branch joins them, we’ll be in a difficult position,"

’Especially considering that the third branch seemed to have gained Father’s attention and favor at this time’, Lin Xiao added inside.

Lin Baozhi took a deep breath. He feared the possibility of the three branches uniting to eliminate one of them. They might work together to take down the weakest in their party—the fifth branch—first. If the fifth branch fell, they could be next.

As long as his son, Lin Zhe, hadn’t secured the old man’s approval and full support, Lin Baozhi couldn’t afford to engage in a drawn-out fight that would drain their branch’s resources.

"...We have no choice. Let’s withdraw for now. At this moment, the third branch is the least of our problems. We need to regroup and face the second and fourth branches head-on," Lin Baozhi decided as he summoned his son.

He informed Lin Zhe of the news and their decision to stop focusing on the third branch. They decided to direct their efforts toward confronting the two branches that were taking advantage of the situation to attack them.

Lin Zhe pondered it for a long time. Eventually, he agreed with his father. He also believed that Lin Ginxian and the third branch wouldn’t be easily defeated anytime soon. Continuing this long fight would only waste time and resources.

His father made a valid point. If they had to concentrate on one threat, it should be the second branch, the most threatening enemy.

However, despite agreeing, there was a nagging feeling in his heart that if they missed this opportunity to bring down the third branch, they might never get another chance to pressure them like this again.

Regrettably, he didn’t listen to his instincts back then.

****

Ever since the Fei family withdrew their lawsuit, Bei Sangyun found peace again. However, the Fei family, in contrast, remained unsettled and troubled within their own household.

Fei Hua Jiang’s situation had a greater impact on the family than anything Bei Sangyun and Fei Chuan did at the banquet.

Each branch began to formulate its own plans. Just a few days after Fei Hua Jiang’s sexual orientation was exposed, the other branches called for a family meeting.

They even persuaded the First Elder to discuss the matter with Head Master Fei, pressing for a meeting to address both Fei Hua Jiang’s scandal and the issue of the heir’s position.

With their forceful request, the meeting took place. However, it ended disastrously.

Everyone questioned Fei Hua Jiang’s credibility to lead the family while simultaneously trying to promote themselves for the position. In their attempts to vie for power, they couldn’t resist tearing each other down.

Arguments erupted from all sides. The respect and politeness they once had toward each other vanished. They spoke with scorn, openly exposing their relatives’ weaknesses to everyone.

The meeting was consumed by infighting.

Head Master Fei grew increasingly angry as he tried to mediate the situation. Even the First Elder fell silent, exhausted.

After that meeting, the once harmonious atmosphere in the Fei family shattered. They discarded their masks and openly declared their ambitions. Schemes and dirty plots flew left and right, plunging the mansion into chaos.

Head Master Fei was so distracted by the constant infighting within the Fei family and so preoccupied with cleaning up the mess caused by his descendants that he had no time to investigate or devise a plan to counter Fei Chuan and Bei Sangyun.

As a result, Fei Chuan and Bei Sangyun were left to enjoy a period of tranquility despite the turmoil they caused to the Fei family.

*****

The bright sunlight streaming through the window panes created a mirage of reflections on the study desk. Two fingers traced the shifting lights and reached a slender hand holding a book.

The owner of the two fingers playfully teased the hand’s owner, scratching their fingers with mischief.

Bei Sangyun scratched Fei Chuan’s hand again. "Is the book more attractive than me? I’m batting my eyes here, but you won’t even look at me," she pouted.

Fei Chuan closed the book with a sigh. "...We only have a few days left before the review session ends. Then you have a mock exam next week. I’m trying to summarize this entire book for you."

Bei Sangyun took the book from his hands and set it aside. Then, she gently grasped his hand and began to play with it. "I don’t need to study too hard to get into Y University. I just need the right score. Don’t worry, with how well you’re teaching me, I might just ace the exam."

Fei Chuan glanced down at their hands. Bei Sangyun’s fingers, softly massaging his palm, sent waves of pleasure and a subtle itch to his heart. He turned his hand to capture hers.

"You only need to pass, and yes, you’re much more attractive than the book."

Bei Sangyun looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t expected Fei Chuan to respond to her flirting like this. With a mischievous smile, she leaned closer. "Then prove it to me."

Fei Chuan lowered his gaze to her lips. Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her.

Bei Sangyun closed her eyes and smiled, expecting a swift, sweet kiss like the ones he usually gave. But Fei Chuan surprised her by parting her lips with his tongue. Bei Sangyun opened her eyes and mouth in astonishment, just in time for Fei Chuan to deepen the kiss.

He sucked her lips hungrily, as if to tell her that his affection for her was just as strong as hers.

When his tongue probed inside her mouth and intertwined with hers, Bei Sangyun shivered.

"Mmhmm." Perhaps her tongue was too sensitive—every brush, every stroke of his tongue sent gentle waves of electricity through her body.

Fei Chuan felt her tremble, his eyes shot open. He quickly pulled away, releasing her.

Bei Sangyun was still lost in the pleasurable sensations, her eyes dazed. With parted, glistening red lips, she gazed at Fei Chuan. "Why did you stop?"

That was such an amazing kiss. It was a shame he stopped.

Fei Chuan’s face flushed crimson. "...I..."

Bei Sangyun tilted her head, her gaze fixed on his lips, now moist from the kiss. They looked so tempting. She unconsciously licked her lower lip, craving more. Fei Chuan had awakened a burning desire within her.

"...I...I forgot something in the room," he stammered, standing up abruptly and leaving the room in a hurry.

As the door closed with a bang, Bei Sangyun muttered, "...But this is your room."

Where is he going?