So Jiang Chan simply nodded at Lin Qiao, faintly called out “Uncle,” and got into the car, sitting beside him. The driver in the front seat looked at Jiang Chan with a gaze of admiration, evidently impressed by her boldness.
The black business car slowly drove into the Lin family villa. Jiang Chan, carrying her schoolbag, obediently followed Lin Qiao into Lin Wan’s maternal home, which was Lin Yuanshan’s residence.
The living room was brightly lit. As soon as Jiang Chan stepped in, she saw an energetic old man seated upright on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of him was a chessboard. The old man was amusing himself, holding white pieces in one hand and black in the other.
Hearing Lin Qiao enter, the old man raised his head and glanced sharply in Jiang Chan’s direction. When his eyes fell on her face, which looked like a painter’s palette, his brows furrowed into three distinct lines.
He pointed out bluntly, “What’s going on with you? Look at your hair, look at your face. What are you even wearing? Go wash your face and change your clothes right away!”
If it were any other girl, hearing such unfiltered criticism would likely cause either a flushed face of embarrassment or a surge of anger from wounded pride.
But who was Jiang Chan? Not only was she someone currently in need of assistance, but anyone who could hang out with the kind of nonconforming girls she had just been with must be prepared for such judgments.
Listening to Lin Yuanshan’s words, Jiang Chan quietly carried her schoolbag and followed Aunt Zhang upstairs to Lin Wan’s old room.
Lin Wan’s room faced south, offering excellent lighting. Jiang Chan picked out a pair of long-sleeved shirt and pants from the wardrobe before heading into the bathroom.
Seeing her reflection in the mirror, with a face that looked like a painter’s palette, Jiang Chan twitched the corners of her mouth. No wonder the old man had been so direct just now—how disillusioned had the original owner of this body been?
Thinking about how Lin Qiao had sat beside her for so long earlier, Jiang Chan couldn’t help but marvel at his tolerance. How on earth had he recognized her beneath all those layers of makeup?
After washing her face several times, the original owner’s true face was finally revealed. Jiang Chan scrutinized the face in the mirror. The original owner was actually quite beautiful, with large almond-shaped eyes, a straight, delicate nose, and cherry-pink lips set on a petite face.
Setting aside the damp blonde hair, Jiang Chan had to admit that the original owner’s appearance scored at least an 80. And this was without makeup. With proper grooming, she would be even more…
She frowned at her wet blonde hair. If she wanted to become the model student her teachers expected, she’d have to start with this hair.
Glancing at the non-mainstream clothes discarded on the floor—covered in skulls, ripped holes, and chains—Jiang Chan couldn’t bear to look any longer.
As someone accustomed to being a diligent student, Jiang Chan couldn’t appreciate the original owner’s fashion sense. She found a bag, folded up the non-mainstream clothes, and packed them away neatly. Those could wait for the original owner to deal with them upon her return.
For the time being, Jiang Chan resolved not to touch the original owner’s wardrobe.
Dressed in Lin Wan’s old clothes, Jiang Chan dried her hair as she walked downstairs. Hearing her movement, Lin Yuanshan and Lin Qiao looked over simultaneously, both pausing in surprise when they saw her face.
Wearing long sleeves and pants that were clearly Lin Wan’s old clothes, Jiang Chan’s appearance now bore an 80% resemblance to Lin Wan. The old man cleared his throat and remarked, “Now this looks like a proper student. Come and eat dinner.”
Glancing at the old man with a hard mouth and soft heart, Jiang Chan sat down at the dining table. Dinner at home included only Lin Yuanshan, Lin Qiao, and Jiang Chan. Lin Qiao’s wife, Liang Chen, had flown to Paris a few days ago for a fashion show and was currently away.
As for Lin Qiao’s son, Lin Jinyu, he was working overtime at the company. A typical workaholic, he was already a deputy general manager despite his young age. Lin Qiao had been grooming him to take over his position someday.
Because Jiang Chan was here today, Lin Qiao had come home from work slightly earlier. Normally, this massive living room would see only the old man, Lin Yuanshan, dining alone.
The Lin family followed strict dining etiquette, including a rule of no talking while eating. Though the old man was eating, he was also assessing Jiang Chan. Setting aside her blonde hair, he found her overall impression quite favorable.
Of course, Jiang Chan’s resemblance to Lin Wan was a significant advantage.
After finishing dinner at a leisurely pace, Lin Qiao went to the study to handle paperwork while Jiang Chan and the old man sat on the sofa. Tapping his fingers on the sofa’s armrest, the old man asked, “Did Jiang Yu mistreat you?”
Jiang Chan’s face darkened. “Grandpa, I don’t want to live there anymore. My mother’s only been gone for three months, and he’s already brought that woman and her two children back into the house. They’re now all registered under his household—one is Jiang Lianyu, a 15-year-old girl, and the other is Jiang Siyu, a 13-year-old boy.”
The old man froze, his hand gripping the teacup. “Is that true? Whose children are they?”
Jiang Chan pursed her lips. “Who else could they belong to, with those names? It’s already obvious. Not to mention, Qin Miao is Jiang Yu’s ex-girlfriend.”
The old man slammed the teacup down with a “bang,” his face grim. “You’re telling me the girl is already 15?”
Older than Jiang Chan by a year—what did that imply? It meant that when Jiang Yu was pursuing Lin Wan, Qin Miao was already pregnant! The old man couldn’t sit still any longer.
He paced the living room before suddenly shouting, “Lin Qiao, get out here!”
Lin Qiao, engrossed in his paperwork, wasted no time coming out. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he asked, “Dad, what’s wrong? Why are you so angry?”
The old man was livid. His daughter’s body wasn’t even cold yet, and that ungrateful scoundrel Jiang Yu had already brought his illegitimate son and daughter back. Where did this leave the Lin family’s reputation?
“You arrange for someone immediately. I want to know exactly what Jiang Yu has been up to all these years. If it weren’t for Xiao Chan telling me, I wouldn’t have known he was keeping a woman outside and that his illegitimate children are already this old.”
Lin Qiao was stunned. “With you keeping him in check, he dared to do this?”
The old man scoffed, “Hasn’t he grown bolder over the years, seeing that I don’t acknowledge him? Look at the life Xiao Chan is leading now. She’s been out for so long, and Jiang Yu hasn’t even called once. Clearly, he doesn’t want her to return.”
Lin Qiao sighed. “Understood. I’ll handle it right away.”
He glanced at Jiang Chan. “And Xiao Chan?”
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