Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Beloved Doudou

Yang Family.

Yang Manli smashed a vase beside her in a fit of rage, cursing, “That wretched Yang Junqi must have used her body to climb up the ranks.”

“Mom, what are we going to do? We’ve always been the ones who bullied those two the most,” Yang Li asked anxiously.

If Yang Junqi really used this as leverage, even the old master probably wouldn’t be able to protect them.

After venting for a while, Yang Manli regained her composure and spoke calmly, “What are you panicking for? Let’s see if Yang Junqi can survive tomorrow first.”

“Mom, you mean…?” Yang Li was a little shocked.

To murder a family member was a grave crime. Even though Yang Manli was the old master’s favorite daughter, if it was discovered, she would be sentenced to death without question.

“Heh, daughter, to tell you the truth, I’ve already made two backup plans. I’d like to see just how charmed her life really is.” Yang Manli sneered.

The old master’s health was deteriorating, and after all, Yang Junqi was still his daughter—he’d certainly leave her a share of the inheritance.

Yang Manli had originally planned to let Yang Junqi die slowly from her heart condition, but now she was running out of patience.

“Things have gotten a bit out of hand, but it doesn’t matter. If you die, no one will know it was me. After all, who can predict fate?” Yang Manli thought to herself.

Then she turned to Yang Li and said, “Only the two of us can know about this.”

“Not even dad?” Yang Li asked.

“With every extra person, there’s an extra risk. If something happens to me, you won’t escape either,” Yang Manli said fiercely.

It was the first time Yang Li had ever seen her mother look so menacing; startled, she quickly promised, “Don’t worry, Mom, I’m on your side. But can’t we get rid of Yang Yujia and her boyfriend, too?”

Yang Manli lowered her head, thinking for a moment. “Don’t touch Yang Yujia for now. As for her boyfriend, let him die if it comes to that. I’ve just had someone look into him—turns out he’s just a teacher at Yang Junqi’s house.”

Hearing this, Yang Li immediately hugged her mother’s arm, pouting sweetly, “Mom, you’re the best.”

Lin Yi had injured her boyfriend, and Yang Li, always conscious of her reputation, harbored a deep grudge.

...

That afternoon, Lin Yi brought Doudou and Xiao Nan to Lu Lu’s place.

Lu Lu’s shop had just opened, so business wasn’t great yet. Most of the customers were young people, some of them Lu Lu’s own friends.

Cai Qing was there as well.

“Lin Yi, you came just in time! Our pastry chef just made a three-tier cake,” Lu Lu greeted him warmly. Seeing Doudou, she embraced her affectionately. “Doudou, how do you take care of your skin? It’s as smooth as tofu!”

Doudou flashed a sweet smile. “It’s all natural.”

“I’m so envious! If I looked like you, I’d have rich husbands lining up for me,” Lu Lu said, rubbing her cheek against Doudou’s.

Suddenly, Cai Qing pulled her back, scolding, “Don’t talk nonsense. You’ll spoil her.”

Lu Lu winked at Doudou, who giggled.

Cai Qing ignored Lu Lu’s antics, holding out a plate for Doudou. “Try this, Doudou. I made it myself. It may not look great, but it tastes good.”

“Okay!”

Doudou’s eyes curved with delight as she stabbed a fork into the cake and took a big bite.

“How is it?” Cai Qing asked expectantly.

“It’s delicious!” Doudou replied.

Lin Yi wanted to remind Cai Qing that, to an eater like Doudou, everything tasted good. But seeing the joy in Cai Qing’s eyes, he decided not to say anything.

“Doudou, is this your classmate?” Lu Lu asked curiously.

Although Li Xiaonan wasn’t as pretty as Doudou, she was still a little beauty, her large, expressive eyes particularly captivating.

“Yes, this is Li Xiaonan,” Doudou replied.

Li Xiaonan introduced herself, “Hello, sisters. My name is Li Xiaonan, from Miaojiang. I just transferred here recently.”

“Miaojiang? I heard women there all know witchcraft—is that true?” Lu Lu asked excitedly.

Cai Qing rolled her eyes. “That’s just superstition. You went to college, how can you still believe that?”

But Li Xiaonan shook her head. “Sister, you’re mistaken. Witchcraft isn’t superstition—I know a little myself.”

Cai Qing didn’t believe her, but not wanting to discourage the girl, she said perfunctorily, “Sister believes you. Wait here, I’ll go get the big cake.”

Soon, Cai Qing wheeled over a cart bearing a three-tier cake a meter in diameter.

As soon as Doudou saw the enormous cake, her eyes lit up.

At that moment, a plump, fashionably dressed middle-aged woman strode in, a diamond necklace around her neck and several agate rings on her fingers—she looked every bit the nouveau riche. At her side trotted a Tibetan mastiff.

“Bring me your most expensive cake,” the woman demanded.

“Certainly,” Lu Lu replied, delighted—this woman didn’t look short of money.

She quickly took two cakes from the display, saying, “This is our White Swan Cake and our Mille-Feuille Cake, six hundred sixty-six and eight hundred eighty-eight, respectively.”

The woman frowned. “Nothing more expensive?”

“Sorry, our bakery is small—these are our best,” Lu Lu replied with a polite smile.

The woman sneered, “Such rubbish cakes—I wouldn’t even feed them to my dog.”

A flash of displeasure crossed Lu Lu’s face; being so openly insulted was hard to bear. But as it was a customer, she forced a smile.

Woof, woof, woof!

Suddenly, the Tibetan mastiff barked fiercely at Lu Lu. It was a massive animal, its roar intimidating enough to make anyone’s heart race.

Startled, Lu Lu’s face turned pale as she instinctively backed away two steps.

Those two steps only made the mastiff more aggressive.

The woman made no attempt to restrain her dog, clearly enjoying the spectacle—she liked seeing others frightened.

Other customers in the shop turned pale, pressing themselves against the wall.

Cai Qing, usually gentle, stepped forward bravely. “Madam, please control your dog.”

The woman scoffed, “What about my dog? Did it bite you?”

“Whether it has or not, dogs aren’t allowed in the shop,” Cai Qing replied.

“Heh, I do as I please. So what if it bites you? I’m rich,” the woman retorted.

Cai Qing’s chest heaved with anger. She’d never met anyone so unreasonable. Taking a deep breath, she said coolly, “Then I’ll have to call the police.”

“You little tramp, you dare!” the woman shouted, her face twisted with fury.

Sensing its owner’s rage, the mastiff broke free of its leash and lunged at Cai Qing.

Screams erupted throughout the shop.

Lin Yi’s eyes turned cold. He rushed to Cai Qing’s side and delivered a savage kick to the Tibetan mastiff’s head.

With a thud, the once-mighty mastiff flew out the door and lay motionless on the ground.

“Big Tiger! Big Tiger!” the woman cried, rushing out.

Finding her dog unresponsive, she stormed back in, pointing her finger arrogantly at Lin Yi. “You little punk, if I don’t get a million in compensation, I’ll have someone break both your legs!”

“Get out!” Lin Yi snapped.

The woman shrieked, “You dare insult me? Do you know who I am? I’m the wife of the boss of Xintai Real Estate!”

Smack!

Lin Yi slapped her across the face. Reasoning with a shrew was pointless.

The woman was stunned. She never imagined Lin Yi would dare lay a hand on her.

“How dare you! I’ll fight you!” she screamed, flailing at Lin Yi with both hands and feet.

Without a word, Lin Yi kicked her in the stomach, sending her tumbling out the door. He hadn’t used much force, and with her bulk, she wasn’t really hurt.

Fuming with humiliation, the woman blocked the entrance and made a phone call. “Honey, I’ve been assaulted! Bring the—” But before she could finish, a flashy yellow Bumblebee sports car pulled up.

The car door opened, and out stepped a stunning, ethereal beauty.

“Wait, isn’t that the princess of the Liu family?” someone murmured.

The woman’s heart skipped a beat. The Liu family was the most powerful clan in Lancheng, true local overlords.

“What’s Liu Qianqian doing here?” she wondered in confusion.

Just then, Liu Qianqian greeted Lin Yi with a warm smile. “Mr. Lin.”

Lin Yi nodded in acknowledgment.

Far from annoying her, his aloofness seemed to please Liu Qianqian.

The woman watched in astonishment.

It was well known that, though gentle, Liu Qianqian possessed all the pride of an heiress. She remembered a time when a rich playboy, emboldened by his father’s wealth, had tried to take liberties with Liu Qianqian—only to have his leg broken by her. The tycoon father hadn’t dared utter a word of complaint.

Xintai Real Estate might be worth hundreds of millions, but most of its assets were illiquid and heavily mortgaged. If the Liu family wanted, a single word to the bank could bankrupt them overnight.

At this realization, cold sweat beaded on the woman’s forehead.

She was arrogant, not stupid—she knew when to back down.

“Hello? Honey, what’s going on—who hit you?” a harsh voice barked from the phone.

“It’s nothing—never mind,” she stammered.

Quickly, the woman hung up and slipped away in embarrassment.