39: Chapter 39 The Most Intense Argument Between Relatives

"With Qingyao away, this kind of gathering is truly boring." Qin Feng stretched.

"Are you Qin Feng?" Meanwhile, a man dressed in black walked over slowly. His handsome looks and steady temperament attracted the attention of many.

"Uh... I am. May I ask who you are?" Qin Feng paused and asked tentatively.

"Hello, I am Qingyao's older brother, Lin Wenzheng." The man in black spoke and politely extended his hand in greeting.

"Qingyao's... brother?" Qin Feng jolted.

He straightened his posture and shook hands with him. "Hello."

Lin Wenzheng sized him up, and after a moment of thought, he spoke.

"Qingyao is still young and immature. She's prone to getting into trouble and hasn't seen many things clearly. I hope you understand."

"What?" Qin Feng was puzzled.

"Our Lin Family's Legacy is too long, our Family is spread wide, and our circles and status are different. So, many things cannot be resolved by wishful thinking alone," Lin Wenzheng said calmly.

"I will work hard. Besides, my talent isn't bad either." Qin Feng already understood his meaning and responded quite bluntly.

"I don't mean to belittle you. You are A-Rank, a Genius. But so am I, and so is our entire Family," Lin Wenzheng said seriously.

"You don't understand Qingyao's status. She has many suitors, but we have always valued matching social status. I don't want her future life to be worse than it is now."

Lin Wenzheng looked toward the Long River Basin and said, "Everyone present just now was A-Rank, because A-Rank is merely the entry ticket for this gathering."

Qin Feng didn't argue, because the strict requirement for this gathering was indeed an A-Rank Ability. This was a gathering for A-Rank Ability Users; those of other Ranks couldn't even get in if they wanted to.

"Their identities are extraordinary. Although some are not as prominent as the Lin Family, they have deep Family backgrounds. Their parents and grandparents are still alive, and their influence is on a completely different level," Lin Wenzheng continued.

"Can you provide these things?" He didn't say anything about whether they were a match, but instead threw the most lethal question at the other party.

"I..." Qin Feng opened his mouth but hesitated.

Lin Wenzheng said solemnly, "She is young and naive, but you are a man—it's impossible for you not to understand. So, you know what I mean."

Qin Feng fell silent and said nothing.

"Goodbye. I hope you can think this through. Also, thank you for keeping Qingyao company during this time. If you run into any trouble, you can come to the Lin Family to find me; I will help you once." Having said that, Lin Wenzheng turned and left.

Qin Feng watched his retreating figure, his fists clenching until they cracked, veins faintly visible.

He gritted his teeth, wanting to speak but unable to, because he realized he had no way to refute him.

Indeed, they were all scions of great families and A-Rank Ability Users, geniuses among the best in the entire Tianhe System. How could they be inferior to him?

His immense resentment ultimately dissolved into a sigh.

Qin Feng picked up his phone and fell into deep thought as he looked at the only two pinned friends on his screen.

...

Lin Wenzheng returned to his car and, without a word, drove straight onto the highway.

Lin Qingyao was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly saw a message from Qin Feng.

"I might be holding you back. I'm sorry, let's end things here. Thank you for your company these past few days."

On the highway, there were few vehicles; only the howling wind swept past and the roar of the sports car's engine could be heard.

Inside the car, it was terrifyingly quiet.

Lin Qingyao put down her phone. Her expression was cold, but her eyes held an irrepressible rage.

"Father didn't actually have anything to talk to me about, did he?" she questioned.

Lin Wenzheng glanced at her but didn't answer, which was a silent admission.

"You went to see him? What did you say to him?" Lin Qingyao questioned again.

"Nothing. I was just thinking of your best interests," Lin Wenzheng said lukewarmly.

"Thinking of my interests? What do I need you to consider for me?" Lin Qingyao was suddenly driven to laughter by anger.

"You are still young and naive. You'll understand some things later on," Lin Wenzheng said.

"Understand what? To be like you?" The corners of Lin Qingyao's mouth curled up in a cold sneer.

"What did you say?" Lin Wenzheng's face darkened, and an invisible pressure descended.

"I am your sister, and you're using your aura against me? Am I your accessory or your subordinate? Fine, simply wonderful!" Lin Qingyao was furious.

Lin Wenzheng immediately realized he had overreacted.

"I just don't want you to live that kind of life in the future," Lin Wenzheng said.

"Life? What kind of life?" Lin Qingyao questioned.

"It's been three years. I moved out in high school to study, took out loans, and worked part-time jobs. I never asked the Family for a single cent. Tell me, what situation could possibly be worse than my current one?"

"You..." Lin Wenzheng was stunned and speechless.

"I am A-Rank now, and so is he. I can't fathom how it could be harder than those past days," Lin Qingyao said coldly.

"Are you crazy? Do you want to leave the Family?" Lin Wenzheng rebuked.

"I never said I wanted to leave, but since when do you get to decide my personal affairs? I am my own person; none of you can decide for me."

"Nonsense! You refused the marriage the Family arranged for you. Why must you insist on being so defiant?" Lin Wenzheng countered.

Lin Qingyao's eyes were full of disappointment. "In the past, you were the same. You kept saying you would arrange your own life, and didn't you also call off your engagement?"

Lin Wenzheng's heart jolted. He gritted his teeth and said, "That was... I was young and foolish..."

Lin Qingyao continued, "At that time, I completely agreed with your ideas. When you were being condemned by everyone, I always stood behind you."

These words were like a thunderbolt, striking hard into Lin Wenzheng's heart.

"Clearly, you were just a failure. You tried to run away from home like others, but in less than two months, once Mother cut off your cards, you couldn't take it and crawled back to the Family on your own."

"In these past three years, I've taken loans, worked for others, and studied hard for scholarships just to support myself. When did I ever complain to you? When did I ever go home to ask for a single cent?"

The light in Lin Qingyao's eyes gradually faded. "Aside from coming back once a year for the holidays, I basically never see that lot from the Family anymore."

Lin Wenzheng gritted his teeth. "Qingyao, I..."

"I was always on your side, but I never expected that you, a quitter who gave up halfway, would end up becoming just like them and betraying me." Lin Qingyao's eyes were icy.

"It's not like that, I..."

"Lin Wenzheng!" Lin Qingyao barked.

"The one who truly hasn't grown up is you. You didn't take responsibility for the choices you made, yet you think others are as immature as you."

"I have my own goals; I want to live for myself. And you—a fool who treated running away from home as a lifelong goal just out of spite—are in no position to lecture me!"

Lin Wenzheng was stunned, unable to speak for a long time.

Lin Qingyao didn't stop, continuing, "You claim you want to live for yourself and won't accept any arrangements from the Family, yet you complacently enjoy everything the Family provides for you. Do you actually think you're living with such clarity and maturity?"