Adoption

Just as Lin Ting was about to turn and ask Lin Nian something, she saw Lin Nian's hand forcefully push toward her shoulder. Immediately, Lin Ting understood what Lin Nian intended to do, and she swiftly dodged the reaching hand.

Seeing that Lin Ting had managed to evade her, Lin Nian was just about to retract her hand when she found her body uncontrollably lurching forward. "Ah!" Lin Nian let out a piercing scream the moment she fell into the water, and that cry immediately drew the attention of everyone nearby.

Lin Ting noticed that several people had already come over from the backyard. Naturally, Lin Nian quickly recovered and, before the crowd could arrive, put on an expression of pitiable distress. Watching how Lin Nian's expression changed faster than the turning of a page—and noting the wary glances directed at her—Lin Ting realized that nothing good would come of this.

Lin Qi was the first to help Lin Nian up, and pointing an accusing finger at Lin Ting's nose, she shouted, "Lin Ting, you're so malicious! How dare you push Nian Nian into the fountain!"

"I didn't do it," Lin Ting replied. She was too weary to offer any explanation because, no matter what she said, everyone would always take Lin Nian's side.

As if she had caught Lin Ting red-handed, Lin Qi continued aggressively, "And you still deny it? Are you saying that Nian Nian fell on her own?"

"Lin Ting, even if you were to lie, you should at least draft it beforehand. Everyone present has eyes that aren't blind!" someone added.

Inside, Lin Ting was left speechless, thinking, Aren't you all just blind, being completely duped by Nian Nian?

At that moment, Lin Guoqing and the others in the reception hall, having heard the commotion from the backyard, came out to see what was happening. When Lin Guoqing approached, he saw his daughter, Lin Nian, standing there soaked from head to toe.

"Nian Nian, what happened to you?" Lin Guoqing asked in alarm.

After casting a timid glance at Lin Ting, Lin Nian spoke plaintively to her father, "Dad, I accidentally fell into the fountain by myself."

Of course, by looking into Nian Nian's eyes, Lin Guoqing immediately suspected the truth, but he felt it unwise to reprimand Lin Ting without proper cause.

Finally, Lin Qi—who had been itching to speak up—found her opportunity and declared, "Uncle, it was Lin Ting who pushed Nian Nian into the fountain."

"When we arrived, there were only the two of them there," she added.

Hearing Lin Qi's words, Lin Guoqing became even more convinced of his suspicions. However, he thought it unseemly to directly scold Lin Ting in front of everyone, lest his own dignity be sullied. After a moment's thought, he said impatiently to Lin Ting, "Lin Ting, you should go home. Stop embarrassing yourself here."

Huang Mei, who had been drying Nian Nian's hair, initially wanted to speak up but then reconsidered—knowing that Nian Nian had been wronged—and kept silent.

Coldly glancing at the actions of Lin Guoqing and Huang Mei, Lin Ting bitterly laughed, "I didn't push her. It was she who tried to push me into the fountain—and because I dodged, this is what happened."

Hearing that Lin Ting was still arguing, Lin Guoqing's expression darkened further as he said, "How dare you continue lying! Nian Nian is the child we've raised; she wouldn't do such a thing."

Huang Mei, too, refused to believe Lin Ting's words and urged from the side, "Lin Ting, apologize to Nian Nian—we won't hold it against you. Even if something happened, you shouldn't lie about it."

Seeing that no one around believed her, Lin Ting felt a surge of deep insecurity. Just as she was about to throw in the towel completely, Gu Huachun's voice suddenly emerged.

"Big Brother and Sister-in-law, you can't be so quick to assume that Lin Ting is lying, can you?" Gu Huachun and Lin Guoze stepped over the crowd to stand in front of Lin Ting, shielding her from the onlookers' gaze.

"Huachun, what exactly do you mean? Are you implying that Nian Nian is lying?" Lin Guoqing, already incensed by Lin Ting's words, was further aggravated by others coming to her defense, his tone sharp.

Seeing his elder brother in a state of fury, Lin Guoze quickly pulled his wife behind him. "Big Brother, Huachun doesn't mean it that way. She means that we should investigate thoroughly before reprimanding a child—otherwise, it would be wrong to wrong someone," Lin Guoze said, casting a meaningful glance at Lin Guoqing.

"Guoze, how could I possibly wrong her? Everyone present saw that only Lin Ting was at the scene—no one else," Lin Guoqing replied, his anger gradually subsiding though a trace of it still lingered.

Just then, Lin Le hurried over to them and shouted, "Dad, Mom, I just posted a video from the annex on my account—it perfectly captured what happened!" As he spoke, Lin Le deliberately cast a glance at Lin Nian. Her face immediately turned pale, and the panic in her eyes was obvious to him.

Gu Huachun breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, for she believed that Lin Ting was definitely not the kind of person everyone assumed her to be—even though it was their first meeting, she felt an immediate familiarity with her.

Lin Guoze quickly urged his son to show the video to everyone. As soon as they heard that Lin Le had footage, everyone was eager to know the truth.

At that moment, Lin Ting also stepped forward toward Lin Guoqing and Lin Nian, fixing her gaze on them as she slowly spoke, "If it turns out that it was Nian Nian who pushed me, not only will I demand your apologies, but I will also sever all ties with you."

The words "sever all ties" sent a collective shiver through the crowd. Huang Mei's expression turned to one of disapproval, and though she wanted to intervene, Lin Guoqing stopped her.

Convinced that Lin Ting was only using the threat of severing ties to keep them from checking the footage, Lin Guoqing, after some thought, instructed Lin Le to play the video. Upon receiving the signal, Lin Le displayed the footage.

After watching, both Lin Guoqing and Huang Mei's eyes widened in disbelief. The video clearly showed the moment when Nian Nian attempted to push Lin Ting down—but Lin Ting dodged just in time. Although it wasn't the complete version, it was enough to prove that Lin Ting wasn't lying; it was indeed Nian Nian who deliberately tried to push her into the fountain.

After watching the video, both Lin Guoqing and Huang Mei's faces turned ashen. Their eyes filled with disappointment as they looked at Lin Nian. Only a few people had seen the video; the rest strained to catch a glimpse of its contents.

Silently closing the video, Lin Guoqing addressed the onlookers, "This was merely a misunderstanding; Nian Nian simply didn't notice and tripped, which is why she fell into the fountain." Seeing that Lin Guoqing had personally explained the matter, the crowd lost interest and gradually dispersed.

"Dad is really biased—earlier you publicly scolded me, but when it comes to Nian Nian, you say it's just a misunderstanding?" Lin Ting said with a contemptuous glare.

Lin Guoqing, feeling no guilt at all, shot Lin Ting a warning glance before replying coolly, "This is just a misunderstanding. Don't be so aggressive. Just have Nian Nian apologize to you—aren't you fine?" He dismissed Lin Ting's grievances as nothing more than a trivial matter.

Lin Ting couldn't help but laugh at his words. Crossing her arms and locking eyes with him, she declared, "What I said earlier about severing ties with you all was serious."

"You give me a sum of money so I can go live on my own—and from then on, we're done."

Her words startled even Gu Huachun, who was present. They had originally thought it was merely a childish outburst, but the seriousness in Lin Ting's expression made it clear she meant every word.

"No way! How can my daughter, Lin Ting, end up living on her own? That would be a disgrace for our family!" Lin Guoqing said, his tone agitated and his body trembling involuntarily.

Huang Mei, looking anxious, hurried forward and said, "Yes, you've only just returned; severing ties is absolutely out of the question."

"Do you want me to watch you show favoritism toward Nian Nian in this family?" Lin Ting retorted bitterly. "You all clearly know that it was Nian Nian who deliberately pushed me, yet you side with her and protect her."

"By the way, I have a video that might interest you." With that, Lin Ting pulled out her phone from her pocket and sent the video—recorded earlier in her bedroom—to Lin Guoqing and Huang Mei.

The two, not fully understanding the situation, grew somber as they watched the video. Nearby, Lin Nian also stole a glance at it, and that very glance visibly startled her. The video showed the moment from yesterday when someone was meddling in Lin Ting's bedroom—when Lin Nian suddenly went pale and nearly collapsed.

Seeing Lin Nian in that state, Huang Mei couldn't help but feel pity for her. She thought that Nian Nian must have been scared of losing them, which is why she acted that way. After some reflection, her concern for Nian Nian deepened even further.

As for Lin Guoqing, he too was shocked upon watching the video, but years of closeness had conditioned him to instinctively defend Nian Nian. Clearing his throat, he said to Lin Ting, "Delete the video, and let's pretend this never happened."

Gu Huachun, unable to stand by any longer, spoke up in Lin Ting's defense, "Big Brother, do you realize how serious this matter is? If we let this go on, Lin Ting will only continue to suffer injustice." Gu Huachun's genuine concern for Lin Ting was evident; she had witnessed the mistreatment she had endured in this family.

Lin Ting looked at how Gu Huachun—who wasn't even related to her by blood—stood up for her, while her own biological mother cradled another child in her arms. It was all so ironic.

"If that's the case, then as I said earlier, let's sever all ties." All eyes turned back to Lin Ting as she spoke. "I know I'm not yet an adult, but in two years I'll be able to stand on my own. Surely, the Lin family has the resources to resolve this matter."

Seeing Lin Ting so resolute, Gu Huachun exchanged a glance and whispered something in her husband's ear, causing Lin Guoze—who had always maintained a gentle expression—to suddenly grow stern. After confirming Gu Huachun's meaning several times, Lin Guoze, who had remained silent until then, finally broke the silence by saying, "Big Brother, let's adopt Lin Ting."

"What?" Lin Guoqing could hardly believe what he was hearing—his own brother actually wanted to adopt his daughter. But after a moment of calm reflection, Lin Guoqing too found the plan feasible. He had always looked down on Lin Ting's past, and compared to his biological daughter, he valued Lin Nian—whom he had carefully nurtured since childhood. He could never allow a daughter from the countryside to disgrace him; Lin Ting's very existence was a stain, an embarrassment that cost him his honor.

"Alright, I'll arrange for someone to handle Lin Ting's household registration," Lin Guoqing said, quickly coming to a decision and unhesitatingly agreeing with Lin Guoze's suggestion.

Lin Ting never expected that she would eventually be adopted by her uncles and aunts. In her plan, they were supposed to protect her out of kindness—she never imagined they would actually make such a choice.

Gu Huachun, noticing the still-bewildered smile on Lin Ting's face, couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth rise as she said, "Lin Ting, why don't you spend the night at Uncle and Aunt's house today, okay?"

Gu Huachun's gentle, soothing voice immediately brought Lin Ting back to her senses, and still a bit dazed, she nodded in agreement.

Thus, Lin Ting followed Lin Guoze and Gu Huachun to the villa where they resided in the Xinghai District—a villa that had only been built in recent years. The people who could live here were of extraordinary status; it was said that even the undisputed top-tier family among the elite—the Xie family—had purchased property here.

Lin Ting knew that although her uncle wasn't involved in the family business, he was highly capable, having founded his own new energy company through his own efforts. She vaguely recalled that her elder cousin from the main branch was probably gaining experience at the overseas division at this very moment.

If the Lin family were to choose one among the younger generation to shoulder significant responsibilities, it would be her elder cousin, Lin An. Calm and steady by nature, Lin An was the grandson who most resembled the old man among all the grandchildren. It was a pity, though, that the future of the Lin family would fall into the hands of his inept elder brother, Lin Zhou.