Chapter 189: The Foolish Fox's Backer

early morning.

Ding Heng stood in front of the dressing mirror. His hair was still damp from taking a shower. He was wearing a white cotton bathrobe with the collar slightly open, revealing a section of his muscular chest.

Lin Man knelt at his feet, holding a pair of dark gray suit trousers.

She was dressed simply today.

A light blue silk shirt with a simple bow at the collar, paired with a dark gray knee-length skirt, revealing legs encased in flesh-colored stockings, and high heels.

Her long hair was tied into a low bun at the back of her head, revealing her slender neck.

Wenjing stood to the side like a little follower, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.

Lin Man gestured, "Boss, lift your foot."

Ding Heng cooperated by lifting his left foot, and Lin Man gently and skillfully slipped her trouser leg on.

Then the right foot.

After pulling up her pants, Lin Man stood up, took the belt from Wen Jing, wrapped her hands around Ding Heng's thick waist, fastened the belt, and adjusted its tightness.

"Wenjing, bring the boss his shirt."

"Oh... okay!"

Wenjing snapped out of her daze, turned around, picked up the neatly folded light blue shirt from the bed, and handed it over.

Lin Man took the shirt, unfolded it, stood behind Ding Heng, and draped it over his shoulders.

Ding Heng obediently stretched out his arm, and Lin Man walked around to his front and began to button her clothes.

Wenjing watched intently from the side, her eyes never blinking.

This wasn't the first time she'd seen Lin Man serve Ding Heng... taking off his shoes, washing his feet, massaging him, and so on, almost taking care of him in every way.

That kind of submissiveness and obedience that emanates from her very being completely beyond Wenjing's worldview.

Is this all a woman has to do?

Lin Man buttoned up her shirt, then took out a dark blue tie from her suitcase, wrapped it around Ding Heng's collar, and her fingers flew across the fabric.

Ding Heng looked down at her, his gaze falling on her focused, alluring eyes.

"Lin Man".

"Um?"

"Where did you learn all this?"

Lin Man's hands didn't stop; she pushed the Windsor knot to her collar and adjusted its tightness.

"What aspect is the boss asking about?"

That's all.

Ding Heng raised his chin: "Serving people by dressing them, kneeling down to serve them, and things like that."

Lin Man smiled faintly and straightened her tie.

"Boss, have you forgotten? I work on the Brilliant Planet. Isn't it basic common sense that Princess Shang K knows these things?"

"Thump."

Ding Heng raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead.

Lin Man winced in pain, pouting aggrievedly, "Why did the boss hit me...?"

"Seriously."

"They were just being serious."

Lin Man knelt down again and continued to help Ding Heng put on his shoes.

"When I was little, I would sometimes sneak into my mom's shop to play. Back then, Brilliant Planet was very popular, and my mom would arrange for someone to train the princesses every few days. How to walk, how to talk, how to laugh, how to pour drinks for customers... even how to kneel."

"Didn't your mom stop you?"

"She's too busy to handle everything. At most, she'll have the security guards and manager kick me out."

As Lin Man spoke, she put Ding Heng's feet into her shoes.

"The training back then was much more rigorous than it is now. There were rules about how to stand, how to kneel, and even where to put your fingers when pouring wine. My mother often scolded those princesses, saying that since the boss was paying money to come and spend money, they had to make him feel that it was worth it."

Lin Man tied her shoelaces and pulled down her trouser legs: "In short, you have to learn to serve on your knees. When a customer comes in, kneel down to hand them slippers; when they eat, kneel down to pour them drinks; even when they pay the bill, kneel down to hand them the bill..."

Ding Heng raised an eyebrow: "Really?"

"Boss, if you want a real experience, I can arrange it for you."

Lin Man joked, "Luckily, there are a lot of venues in Pengcheng. I know a few managers who can arrange the top-notch service, guaranteeing the boss will experience what it means to be..."

"No need."

Ding Heng reached out and gently stroked the bridge of her nose: "Stop giving me that nonsense."

Lin Man playfully stuck out her tongue: "I know, I wouldn't want my boss to be served by someone else."

Ding Heng ignored her and turned to walk in front of Wen Jing.

The little white rabbit stood there, stunned, its expression somewhat dazed.

"What are you thinking about?"

"N-nothing..."

"Aren't you supposed to have lunch with your sister? What time?"

Around twelve o'clock.

Wenjing obediently replied, "She took half a day off, saying she would take me to a very authentic Cantonese restaurant."

"OK."

Ding Heng rubbed the little white rabbit's cheek: "Remember to be careful, even if the other person is your own sister."

"Um."

Wenjing nodded obediently, watching Ding Heng and Lin Man leave the room, her heart inexplicably conflicted.

Should I learn from Sister Man?

……

It was during the morning rush hour in Shenzhen, and traffic was heavy.

Ding Heng was driving, and Lin Man was sitting in the passenger seat.

She took a small mirror out of her bag, touched up her lipstick, and then pursed her lips.

"Boss."

"Um?"

"What are you going to do if this starts causing trouble again today?"

"Let them make a scene."

Ding Heng leisurely gripped the steering wheel: "It's not like I'm the one who's embarrassing myself."

More than forty minutes later, the car came to a stop in front of a high-end restaurant.

The garden is designed in the style of a traditional Chinese garden, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and upturned eaves.

The doorman opened the car door, Ding Heng got out, and Lin Man chased after him and took his arm.

As soon as the two reached the door, a staff member in a black suit quickly came forward and politely extended his hand.

"Hello, do you have an invitation?"

Lin Man took out a gold-embossed invitation from her bag and handed it over.

The staff member took it, glanced at it, and maintained his smile, but made no move to move it aside.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Lin, the banquet seats are all booked today. How about...?"

Lin Man frowned slightly.

"I'm Lin Zefu's niece, here to celebrate my uncle's birthday. There's not even a seat?"

No, no, no, that's not what I meant.

The staff remained polite, but their attitude was firm: "Mrs. Lin specifically instructed us that there are too many guests today, and she was afraid that we might not be able to take good care of you and cause you any distress. Why don't you go back first, and Mrs. Lin will personally host a banquet for you another day to apologize?"

Lin Man understood.

My aunt meant that she didn't want her to go in.

Yesterday's incident caused such a huge uproar, turning the lives of Lin Zhiyuan, Lin Zhihong, and Lin Wenhao's families upside down.

My aunt was afraid she would cause trouble again today, so she simply stopped her from entering the house.

During the standoff, a voice came from behind.

"Xiaoman."

Lin Man turned her head.

A woman slowly walked out of the restaurant.

Approaching sixty, she was well-maintained, wearing an elegant blue and white porcelain cheongsam, her hair styled in a delicate updo, and a pair of jade earrings adorning her earlobes.

Geng Rui.

Lin Fengnian’s current wife is 20 years younger than the 78-year-old Lin Fengnian, and even 2 years younger than his eldest son Lin Zefu!

"grandmother."

He released Ding Heng, took two steps forward, and respectfully greeted him.

Geng Rui walked up to Lin Man and looked her up and down, a smile in her eyes.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Xiaoman is beautiful again."

"Grandma is getting younger and younger."

"You child, you still have such a sweet tongue."

Geng Rui affectionately took Lin Man's hand, then turned her gaze to Ding Heng: "And this is?"

Lin Man quickly introduced, "This is my boyfriend, Ding Heng."

Ding Heng stepped forward, smiled and nodded: "Hello, Grandma."

"Okay, okay."

Geng Rui responded immediately, then turned to Lin Man: "Your grandfather wants to talk to you, why don't you go over there?"

Lin Man was stunned.

Grandpa wants to see her?

She subconsciously looked at Ding Heng, her eyes seeking his opinion.

Ding Heng nodded slightly.

Lin Man took Ding Heng's arm: "Perfect timing! My boyfriend has been saying he wanted to meet his grandfather for a while, but it was too sudden, and we didn't even prepare a gift."

"Why are you being so polite with your grandfather, child?"

Geng Rui turned and walked into the elevator, and the two followed.

As the elevator ascends, the numbers on it jump one by one.

Lin Man turned to look at Ding Heng and lowered her voice, "Boss, what if Grandpa asks about this later..."

"rest assured."

Ding Heng patted the back of her hand: "I know what I'm doing."

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor, directly opposite a mahogany door.

Geng Rui pushed open the door and stepped aside to let the two of them go in first.

It's not a large space; it's a small tea room.

By the window, an old man sat in a wheelchair, looking down and playing with the white cat in his arms.

He was seventy-eight years old, with completely white hair, but he was in very good spirits. Not only did he have few wrinkles on his face, but his eyes were also bright and piercing.

Hearing the noise, the old man turned around and smiled.

"Xiaoman is here?"

Grandpa.

Lin Man stepped forward and stopped.

Lin Fengnian asked with a smile, "You little rascal, how long has it been since you came back to see me?"

"I'm sorry, Grandpa."

Lin Man lowered her head: "I'm too busy, I can't get away."

"Busy? Busy with what?"

Lin Fengnian chuckled wryly and joked, "Busy arguing with your family?"

Lin Man didn't say anything.

Lin Fengnian sighed and turned his gaze to Ding Heng.

"Who is this?"

"Hello, Grandpa."

Ding Heng stepped forward, neither humble nor arrogant: "Ding Heng, Xiao Man's boyfriend."

"Oh?"

Lin Fengnian carefully examined Ding Heng, then pointed to the coffee table: "Sit down, everyone, let's chat... Ah Mei, make some tea!"

A gentle-looking nanny named Amei emerged from the corner. She was in her early twenties, dressed in a simple cheongsam, and knelt beside the coffee table to begin serving.

Warming the cup, adding tea leaves, rinsing the tea, and brewing—the movements are fluid and graceful.

Lin Fengnian picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"Girl, girl, if you don't come back, I'll give your uncle a big gift as soon as you do."

His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger: "There's an old saying that a person faces two major hurdles at sixty, and then seventy-three and eighty-four. I'm seventy-eight this year. If you guys keep messing with me, I wonder if I'll be able to hit the second hurdle."

"Grandpa, you will surely live to be a hundred years old."

Lin Man tried to ease the tension: "As for what happened yesterday..."

"Alright."

Lin Fengnian waved his hand, interrupting her: "I called you here today not because of that trivial family matter from yesterday."

He put down his teacup, his gaze shifting between Ding Heng and Lin Man.

"Ding Heng, right?"

"Grandpa can just call me Xiao Ding."

"Let's call you Ding Heng. You have too much influence; I can't handle that..."

As the absolute culprit, Ding Heng's displeasure with Lin Fengnian was obvious.

But before they could figure out the other party's background, they dared not offend them rashly.

"Xiaoman told me you run an investment company in Hong Kong?"

"Minor skirmishes."

"You're being modest."

Lin Fengnian picked up his teacup and took another sip: "You're quite something for your age."

"Just lucky."

"This kind of luck is something most people don't have."

Lin Fengnian looked Ding Heng up and down again: "What does your family do?"

"My dad is a photographer, and my mom passed away."

"An ordinary family?"

"right."

"An ordinary family opening an investment company in Hong Kong?"

Lin Feng snorted lightly, his tone not one of inquiry but rather of teasing.

Did Ding Heng think he was a three-year-old child?

A commotion arose downstairs; the birthday banquet had officially begun.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the tea room, you can overlook the entire banquet hall.

The banquet, with its eighty-eight tables, was packed to capacity.

Lin Zefu stood in front of the main table, exchanging pleasantries with several guests, his smile polite and his demeanor composed.

The Lin brothers, Zhiyuan and Zhihong, followed behind him, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened yesterday.

Lin Fengnian looked down at his eldest son's family and sighed with emotion.

"Xiaoman! Grandpa doesn't blame you for what happened yesterday. In the end, it was their family's own doing."

Lin Fengnian quickly changed the subject: "But as the saying goes... family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. If you have any grievances or complaints, can't you come back and talk to your grandfather? Why make such a big fuss? It won't do you any good, for me, for your uncle, or for our family."

Lin Fengnian quickly changed the subject: "But as the saying goes... family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. If you have any grievances or complaints, can't you come back and talk to your grandfather? Why make such a big fuss? It won't do you any good, for me, for your uncle, or for our family."

Just as Lin Man was about to reply, Ding Heng spoke first.

"Is Grandpa here to mediate?"

Lin Fengnian's eyes suddenly sharpened, but his tone remained calm.

"Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things."

"Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things..."

Ding Heng questioned, "When Xiaoman was bullied as a child, why didn't your grandfather advocate for harmony and prosperity in the family? When her mother was in prison and her relatives had squandered her entire fortune, why didn't your grandfather advocate for harmony and prosperity in the family then?"

The tea room fell silent for a moment.

Geng Rui paused for a moment while pouring tea, but quickly resumed her normal actions.

The nanny, Amei, lowered her head, pretending not to hear anything.

Lin Fengnian didn't speak, he just quietly looked at Ding Heng.

Ding Heng met his gaze without flinching.

A few seconds later, Lin Feng let out a light laugh.

"Girl."

He finally looked at Lin Man: "Is this also your idea? Are you resentful towards your grandfather?"

Lin Man lowered her head and did not answer, handing over the right to speak entirely to Ding Heng.

Lin Fengnian finally understood.

He's found a good backer for his granddaughter and is preparing to settle accounts with his relatives.

He chuckled again and shook his head.

"Alright."

He lifted the white cat off his lap and placed it on the ground.

"No matter how much I say, it's useless."

The white cat meowed once and strolled away.

Lin Fengnian looked at Geng Rui.

Geng Rui understood, took a file bag from the cabinet next to her, and handed it to Lin Man with both hands.

"Xiaoman, take a look."

Lin Man took it and opened it.

Inside was a thick stack of documents, densely packed with entries, along with various receipts and photocopies.

She turned the pages one by one, her pupils slightly contracting.

Asset list.

After her mother went in, all the family's properties, shops, savings, stocks... that had been divided up by relatives were listed out clearly, one by one.

Some have been recovered, while others are still in the process of being processed. The progress and the person who handled each transaction are marked.

Lin Man turned to the last page, her body trembling slightly.

She was a minor at the time, didn't understand things, and had no sense of propriety.

She only knew that her relatives had taken a lot of things from her family, but she never imagined it would be such a huge sum.

Compared to the meager favors she receives from the Lin family each month, it's practically a joke...

"Xiaoman, I understand your resentment towards your grandfather... In the first two years after your mother went to prison, I was quite ill and lay in bed for more than half a year. I almost didn't make it through. I really couldn't take care of her."

Later, as their bodies gradually recovered, they were gradually made to vomit up what they had eaten.

Lin Fengnian said calmly, "I'll give you a summary today. I hope you'll consider my age and let bygones be bygones! We're family, there's no knot that can't be untied!"

Lin Man put down the file bag: "Grandpa, these things..."

"They're all yours."

Lin Fengnian interrupted her, saying firmly, "I'm not dead yet! What's yours is yours, and no one can take it away!"

Lin Man suddenly fell silent.

A cunning old fox who's lived for almost eighty years suddenly has a change of heart?

Do not!

It happened yesterday!

Besides being humiliated, it also made Lin Fengnian sense a crisis!

How did Ding Heng find out about the fact that both he and Lin Zefu were kept in the dark? And through what channels did he find out?

Can the Lin family afford to offend this grandson-in-law?

"call……"

Finally, Lin Man let out a long sigh: "Grandpa, these things are useless to me now! I don't want them either!"

Lin Fengnian frowned slightly.

"Girl, you..."

Grandpa.

Lin Man stood up: "Since my uncle doesn't welcome me today, I won't stay any longer. I'll come to visit you more often when I have time."

She took a step back and bowed.

Lin Fengnian looked at his granddaughter, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then he swallowed it back.

"What a tragedy...what a tragedy!"

He said wearily, "This old man committed too many sins in his youth; even God won't let me rest in peace!"

Seeing that Lin Fengnian was emotionally unstable, Geng Rui quickly stepped forward: "Xiaoman, your grandfather is not feeling well, let him rest."

Lin Man didn't say anything more and turned to walk out.

Ding Heng then said to Lin Fengnian, "Grandpa, take care of yourself."

Lin Fengnian didn't respond, but instead lowered his head to tease the white cat that had jumped back onto his lap.

After leaving the restaurant, the two got back into the car.

Ding Heng asked curiously, "That asset list must be worth a lot of money, right? You're just going to throw it away like that?"

Lin Man was quite open-minded: "Now that she's working for a boss, what's there to worry about?"

"What are your plans after this?"

"We'll talk about what happens next later."

Lin Man snuggled closer to Ding Heng, resting her chin on his shoulder: "Right now, the most important thing for me is to serve the boss well~"

"What, weren't you dealt with enough last night?"

"Is the boss going to try something different tonight and continue to 'punish' them?"

"You, you..."

Ding Heng reached out and pinched Lin Man's pert nose, then gently shook it.

"Go ahead and do what you want to do. If you run into obstacles, come back to the boss and ask for a solution."

For Ding Heng now, avenging Lin Man would be a simple matter, but also too boring.

Today, Lin Man made her stance clear in front of her grandfather. From now on, let the stupid fox do it himself; she'll take responsibility for everything.

Lin Man was stunned.

The man in front of her had gentle eyes, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness.

"Boss~"

"Alright."

Ding Heng released his hand and gently tapped her nose again: "Don't be so pretentious."

Lin Man buried her face in her hands: "The boss is so nice~"

The system interface quietly appeared in Ding Heng's mind.

Crown of Thorns: Lin Man

[Current Status: A Princess Defiled by Worldly Affairs]

[Penalty Value: 48%]

Atonement Value: 3%

[Refuge Value: 14%]

Lin Man suddenly remembered something and looked up again: "By the way, boss, didn't you say you were going to prepare a big gift for my uncle? Where is it?"

Ding Heng glanced at his watch: "It's almost lunchtime, they should be here soon."

No sooner had he finished speaking than two vans screeched to a halt in front of the restaurant, their tires scraping against the road.

The car door opened, and about twenty young men wearing T-shirts of various colors swarmed out, each one looking aggressive.

Before the security guards could react, the crowd had already rushed into the restaurant.

A commotion erupted in the hall, followed by the loud crash of tables and chairs overturning, and the shattering of cups and plates.

Lin Man stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Boss, who are they?"

"The group of people who lent money to your uncle in Hong Kong."

Ding Heng said calmly, "Last time in Hong Kong, I got their boss's contact information. Today is your uncle's birthday, so it's a good opportunity for them to come and collect the debt."

Lin Man swallowed.

"Won't... escalate further, will it?"

"fine."

Ding Heng leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed.

"A bunch of social scum, fighting like dogs and getting locked up, that's a contribution to society."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud bang was heard, followed by even more intense screams and curses.

Two minutes later, Lin Zhiyuan was dragged out by two bodyguards with his mouth full of blood. One of his shoes was missing, and his trousers were covered in wine stains.

Lin Zhihong followed behind, his face was not injured, but his clothes were torn and wrinkled, and his expression was terribly gloomy.

Lin Zefu was the last to come out.

The 60-year-old man looked as if he had been punched in the left eye; his clothes were disheveled, and he looked utterly wretched.

His wife rushed over and grabbed his arm: "Old Lin! Are you alright?!"

Lin Zefu shook his head, his expression angry, his chest heaving violently.

Seeing this, Ding Heng stepped on the gas and sped over. As he passed Lin Zefu, Lin Man suddenly poked her head out.

"uncle……"

She shouted, her voice clear and loud.

"Happy birthday!"