Standing Next To You
Chapter 80: Drama with the Fourth Branch

Chapter 80: Drama with the Fourth Branch

A/n: It is now fixed. Thank you for waiting.

***

When Bei Sangyun entered the living room, Lin Sunji’s parents were embroiled in a heated argument with Lin Ginxian.

Prior to her arrival, Butler Lin had informed her that Lin Sunji had brought her friends as witnesses and they were likely waiting in the guest room. The presence of these witnesses had caused some concern for Butler Xin, but Bei Sangyun’s composure had managed to reassure him.

However, the situation in the living room was escalating rapidly.

"Your daughter did this to my daughter! What kind of values are you instilling in your child? My sweet daughter has always been kind to her, yet she resorts to violence! Even though you made her take up the Lin family name, her barbaric nature from that rural village won’t change! That illegitimate child is tarnishing this family!" Lin Ruo, Lin Sunji’s father, shouted in anger.

Lin Ginxian, Bei Sangyun’s father, retorted righteously, "Don’t jump to conclusions based solely on your daughter’s words. This is a one-sided accusation. If someone has besmirched our daughters, it is you, dragging our children into the affairs of adults!"

Bei Sangyun silently chose a seat in the room, and the room’s occupants finally noticed her presence.

"There she is! The brute who bullied my daughter! How dare you show your face here without any remorse! Apologize to my daughter!" Lin Ruo demanded, his voice filled with anger.

Bei Sangyun merely gave them a quick, appraising glance. She observed that Lin Sunji had a cast on her knees and ’bruises’ scattered across her body.

Bei Sangyun: "...."

She knew she had kicked Sunji’s knees and stomped on her feet, but the extent of Lin Sunji’s injuries made it appear as if she had been severely beaten.

Bei Sangyun understood what the fourth branches are trying to do. She met Lin Sunji’s eyes.

Lin Sunji glared at her. She was tough now because she had some backers.

Bei Sangyun smirked, "You did not take my warning seriously. I’m glad, you are still the same foolish person as before."

Lin Sunji’s heartbeat quickened nervously. Bei Sangyun’s dark gaze made her feel cold all over.

Beside her, Lin Mei patted her daughter’s back for reassurance and narrowed her eyes at Bei Sangyun.

"You dare threaten our daughter in our presence? Third brother-in-law, are you going to stand by and tolerate your daughter’s misdeeds? Father would be deeply disappointed in you when he learns about this."

Lin Ginxian glanced at Bei Sangyun’s calm posture. He wasn’t entirely certain of the truth, but given Bei Sangyun’s penchant for rebellion, he thought she might have indeed committed something outrageous.

He was angry at her for causing trouble and dragging him into it, but he couldn’t confess to her crimes. He needed to defend her, no matter what. Acknowledging his daughter’s guilt would be tantamount to allowing the Fourth Branch to trample over the Third Branch.

In this case, the truth was irrelevant; what mattered was that they had to emerge as winners today.

"This is a fight between children, why are you involving father in this? Aren’t you ashamed calling father for something so childish? You even dragged innocent people into this."

"Childish? Have you taken a look at my daughter? She could not even properly eat and every part of her body was aching! That bastard child you picked up somewhere should be kicked out of this mansion! She did not deserve to live here or take up the Lin’s family name!"

"Aren’t you two making a lot of noise over a child’s squabble? You two are standing right next to each other. Why the shouting?" An aged, hoarse voice echoed from the entrance.

Old Master Lin had arrived and gazed at his two sons, unimpressed. "I agreed to this meeting because it’s a family matter, but if you two insist on showing your uglier sides, I’d rather leave."

"No, Father! Please, have a seat. We were just discussing the situation because our daughters are involved. Husband, and third brother-in-law, let’s find a peaceful resolution." Lin Mei attempted to defuse the situation.

Both brothers, not wanting to create a bad impression in front of their father, reluctantly quieted down. However, they continued to glare at each other.

Old Master Lin settled into a chair. "Now, what is this all about?"

Bei Sangyun couldn’t help but let out a knowing smile. The old man remained as shrewd as ever. He wouldn’t attend this meeting without a thorough investigation of the situation. She bet that his personal butler had already filled him in.

The question now was how much he truly knew.

Bei Sangyun suspected that he was aware only of what had transpired on the surface but had come to this meeting, feigning ignorance, in order to test both sides.

Indeed, a cunning old man.

"Father, I beg your pardon for the use of profanity, but that ill-bred child physically assaulted my daughter and publicly humiliated her in front of her friends. When I requested her to apologize to my dear Sunji, she instead issued threats to her right before everyone. We cannot afford to harbor an insolent member in the Lin family!"

"Excuse me, you’re accusing my daughter unfairly! Are those bruises on her body even genuine? Father, my fourth brother is exploiting this situation to undermine us, using his own daughter as an excuse. He should keep his politics separate from the children."

"How ludicrous it is to hear such words from you. Who went to the depths of the backwater countryside to find a daughter to manipulate for political gain? Wasn’t it you? Your hypocrisy is astounding!" Lin Ruo countered.

Bei Sangyun nodded in agreement. Indeed, it was shameless for Lin Ginxian to utter such words when he had essentially done the same thing.

"Enough! You two can’t even resolve this amongst yourselves? Must you drag me into this? You should both be ashamed for squabbling like children in front of your daughters!" Old Master Lin’s exasperation finally silenced the bickering men.

"Let’s hear from the two young ladies," he continued, shifting his attention to Lin Sunji. "How did you acquire those bruises?"

Tears welled up in Lin Sunji’s eyes as she began to speak, her voice quivering. "I never wanted this situation to escalate to this point, forcing my father and uncle into conflict. I didn’t want to create a rift within the family, so I endured my cousin’s bullying for a long time. But today, she crossed a line, and I almost died."

She wiped away a tear and proceeded to remove the bandage from her knees, revealing her bruised and battered legs. "I couldn’t keep this hidden from my parents any longer, and I had to speak the truth. If I didn’t..." Lin Sunji bit down on her lip hard and cast a meaningful glance in Bei Sangyun’s direction. "Lin Sangyun might harm another innocent person. I couldn’t put my friends in danger, so I sought help from my parents. I apologize for causing this inconvenience to everyone."

Her father, Lin Ruo, shook his head and offered consoling words, "My dear daughter, there’s no need for you to apologize. You are the victim in this situation. If anyone should offer an apology, it is that uncouth child." As he spoke the last sentence, he fixed a steely glare at Bei Sangyun.

The fourth branch’s dramatic performance was impressive, Bei Sangyun almost clapped. She couldn’t help but appreciate their acting skills. Evidently, the talent for dramatics ran deep within the family.

"Father, although it was unfortunate what happened to my niece, I can’t stand by when they accused my daughter like that-" Lin Ginxian began to defend their side but Old Master Lin cut him off with a stern slap of the table and an intense glare.

"Did I ask you to speak?" he thundered, effectively silencing Lin Ginxian.

Old Master Lin then turned his attention to Lin Sunji, his expression softening. "I can only imagine how difficult this must have been for you, my dear. You’ve shown great courage by looking out for your cousin. It’s our duty as a family to help guide those who’ve lost their way."

The fourth branch breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared that the old man was leaning towards their side in this family dispute.

Old Master Lin motioned to Butler Yang, his personal butler, saying, "Butler Yang, my granddaughter needs medical attention. Find a doctor immediately."

The fourth branch family became tense once more. Li Mei interjected, "Father, we truly appreciate your concern, but my daughter is already under the care of a trusted physician. There’s no need to inconvenience you."

"I’m not inconvenienced," Old Master Lin replied firmly. "I’m concerned for my granddaughter, and she deserves the best treatment. Don’t worry; the doctor I’ll send to you is one of the best in the field. He won’t allow any scars on her body."

Since Old Master Lin had insisted, the fourth branch could only accept.

"....Thank you, Father,"

Bei Sangyun just raised her eyebrow. It seemed that the old man did not truly believe everything the fourth branch had said.

Bei Sangyun glanced at the family of three and sensed the unease between them. She wondered if they would make those ’bruises’ real just to justify their story. She was looking forward to it.

Old Master Lin shifted his attention to Bei Sangyun and asked sternly, "And what do you have to say for yourself?"

Among everyone in the room, Bei Sangyun remained the most composed. As if everything they were talking about wasn’t related to her.

All eyes were on Bei Sangyun, and Lin Ginxian, with a worried look, silently warned her to be careful about what she said.

Bei Sangyun simply smiled and replied, "What would you like to hear?"

Lin Ginxian’s temples throbbed, and he had a sinking feeling that things were about to take an unpredictable turn.

"If you expect me to admit to everything as if it’s true, then I’ll gladly do so."

Bei Sangyun continued, "But if you’re interested in the truth, a few words in my defense won’t suffice. So, how would you like to proceed, Grandfather?"

Bei Sangyun casually flipped the question back to the old man, leaving everyone stunned.