Chapter 7: Intimate Apparel
“Nonsense! Miss Xu Qingcheng is an extraordinary woman with countless admirers. Even if you were worthy of her, how come I’ve never heard she was engaged? You must be making this up,” Su Xuanhao retorted loudly.
Lin Yu shot him a cold look. “Believe it or not, that’s up to you.”
“Mind your manners!” Su Tianteng scolded, his eyes full of displeasure toward Su Xuanhao. He turned to the other members of the Su family. “There’s no need for you all to crowd around. Leave us. I’d like to have a word with our distinguished son-in-law alone.”
Once the Su family had filed out, Su Tianteng spoke again. “If it were anyone else, it would be simple. But Miss Xu Qingcheng is a complicated matter.”
“I came to Jinling for two reasons. One is to treat your illness. The other is to marry Miss Xu,” Lin Yu answered straightforwardly.
Su Tianteng let out a long sigh. “What a pity. The Su family is not fortunate enough.”
He truly was regretful. Su Tianteng had spent years navigating the world of business, and his empire would have been impossible to build without sharp judgment. The reason he had wanted Su Ruoxi to marry Lin Yu was because he recognized Lin Yu’s exceptional qualities.
He believed Lin Yu could bring about a transformation in the Su family—and perhaps even help them rise higher.
“In that case, I won’t force the issue. Ruoxi tells me you’re new to Jinling and have yet to find a place to stay. Ruoxi’s apartment is close to the city center and she lives there alone. You may as well stay there—it will be more convenient for both of you.”
Secretly, Su Tianteng sighed. If he couldn’t secure the marriage now, keeping Lin Yu nearby was the next best thing. After all, feelings could grow over time. Who knew what might happen between a man and a woman living under the same roof? And if something did happen, it would be all the more natural.
“Thank you, Uncle Su. I’ll take the opportunity to give you another acupuncture session to reinforce your recovery,” Lin Yu said, seeing no reason to decline.
“Good!”
…
As soon as Su Xuanhao left the room, he quickly pulled out his phone.
The first thing he did was call Wang Wan.
For all his earlier bravado in dealing with Ding Chunqiu, when it came to the true mastermind, Wang Wan, Su Xuanhao was still deferential.
“Calling Wang Wan again?” Su Ruoxi remarked, seeing Su Xuanhao’s flustered state.
“No, I’m not!” Su Xuanhao protested.
“You should know exactly what kind of person Wang Wan is. Today he sent a fake doctor. Tomorrow, who knows? He might send a killer,” Su Ruoxi said.
“It was just a misunderstanding. Young Master Wang was deceived as well,” Su Xuanhao argued, siding with the outsider.
Su Ruoxi had little more to say about her half-brother. He never listened to her anyway.
…
“Uncle Su, your illness is primarily due to a virus. The source is likely that jade plaque you keep in your room,” Lin Yu said after reinforcing Su Tianteng’s health, pointing to the exquisite artifact in Su Tianteng’s hand.
Lin Yu had noticed it as soon as he entered the room.
Su Tianteng’s illness was caused by viral infection—what laymen might call corpse poison, a toxin usually contracted by those who deal with graves or tombs.
The jade plaque was part of the problem, but not nearly enough to cause such a severe illness on its own.
Someone in the Su family had deliberately poisoned him.
Su Tianteng now understood the cause of his poisoning from Lin Yu’s words.
“I’ll investigate this thoroughly myself. I want to know exactly which traitors we’ve been harboring in the Su family,” Su Tianteng said, his brow furrowed as he stared at the jade plaque. He added, “Please keep this between us for now. Don’t let anyone else know.”
Lin Yu nodded.
He understood that Su Tianteng wanted to avoid alerting the culprit.
After dinner at the Su family residence, Su Tianteng instructed Su Ruoxi to take Lin Yu to her apartment to stay temporarily.
As they were leaving, Su Tianteng smiled and told Lin Yu to make himself at home—whatever he wanted to do, he should do, and if he needed anything, just ask Ruoxi. No request would be too much.
Yet once Lin Yu and Su Ruoxi had left, the smile faded from Su Tianteng’s face.
A middle-aged man in a traditional tunic entered the room, holding the jade plaque. “This jade plaque was a birthday gift from Wang Jianshu, the head of the Wang family, some years ago.”
Staring at the man, Su Tianteng’s brow furrowed deeper. “Wang Jianshu… Investigate thoroughly who in this house is responsible for the poisoning.”
“Do you want them dealt with once we find out?” the man asked.
Su Tianteng shook his head. “Do nothing for now. Just report to me directly.”
“Yes, sir.”
The man left and was soon gone without a trace.
Gazing at the empty space in his display cabinet, Su Tianteng murmured, “I hope it’s not who I suspect. If it is, that would be truly regrettable.”
…
Su Ruoxi’s home was not as grand as the Su estate, but it was a well-appointed apartment in an upscale city complex.
As soon as Lin Yu entered, he was greeted by a delicate fragrance—the very same that lingered around Su Ruoxi herself.
The furnishings were simple but immaculate, everything in perfect order and spotlessly clean.
Su Ruoxi fetched a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet for Lin Yu. They were pink with little bunny ears, and once Lin Yu put them on, he looked so comical that a smile crept onto Su Ruoxi’s lips.
“It’s just me living here, so everything’s my own. I hope you don’t mind,” Su Ruoxi explained.
“Not at all, not at all,” Lin Yu replied, staring helplessly at his feet in the pink slippers.
Compared to where he’d stayed before, this was already a considerable improvement.
He placed his few belongings in the guest room while Su Ruoxi poured some water and sat down on the sofa in the living room.
Perhaps it was the awkwardness of a man and woman alone together, but as they sat on the sofa, neither knew how to begin a conversation. Su Ruoxi, feeling ill at ease, fidgeted with her hands.
“It’s been a long day. It’s getting late. Divine Doctor Lin, why don’t you go freshen up and get some rest?” she suggested, perhaps to ease the tension.
“All right,” Lin Yu replied, bowing his head as he walked toward the bathroom.
The bathroom carried the same delicate scent as Su Ruoxi herself.
As he undressed, he suddenly noticed a few articles of clothing hanging on the rack—women’s intimate apparel, exuding that same familiar fragrance.
White lace trim…
That size…
Lin Yu couldn’t help imagining…
Su Ruoxi’s image flashed unbidden through his mind…
His hand, almost of its own accord, reached toward the delicate garments…
Meanwhile, out in the living room, Su Ruoxi’s expression changed dramatically, panic filling her eyes.
She was used to living alone and would leave her clothes in the bathroom until she had enough to wash together. It had never been a problem before, but now there was a man in the house!