Standing Next To You
Chapter 97: I Volunteer

Chapter 97: I Volunteer

"Father, my Sunji has prepared well for this day. She is very fluent in French. She and my son, Lin Sanji, can play the perfect role as the host for the two children. I have heard that they are also a pair of siblings," Lin Ruo offered.

Lin Sunji respectfully stepped forward. "Grandfather, I have scored a hundred in my French lessons. Je ferai de mon mieux dans cette tâche*."

(A/n: Said in French, meaning ’I’ll do my best in this task’.)

Lin Xiaoni, who had been quiet the whole time, was stunned by Lin Sunji’s fluent French. She could understand French but wasn’t confident speaking the language. Her accent and pronunciation were off compared to Lin Sunji’s.

She gritted her teeth in envy, realizing this task might go to Lin Sunji!

However, Old Master Lin wasn’t impressed by her French. He raised his brow at her and said, "Have you properly apologized to the person you have wronged?"

Everyone’s eyes, except those from the fourth branch, lit up. They knew what the old man was talking about. Wasn’t this the incident that almost caused the fourth branch to fall out of favor?

Lin Xiaoni’s eyes brightened. If Lin Sunji was out of the picture, she might have a chance!

Lin Sunji did not expect that the incident would be brought up. She paled and stammered, "I-I h-have spoken to him."

"I was there. You did not apologize." Bei Sangyun interrupted with a nonchalant attitude.

The fourth branch glared at her.

"You should not interrupt when grandfather is not asking you." Lin Ruo said angrily.

Lin Ginxian stepped forward,"But my daughter is involved in this matter. She has the right to speak what she witnessed."

The third branch and fourth branch glared at each other, and Old Master Lin felt a headache coming. His sons had to fight every chance they could get.

He sighed in frustration, "Since Lin Sunji hasn’t been able to properly ask for forgiveness and has not given her compensation to the student she wronged, she wouldn’t be able to participate in this task. Unless, the other party accepts her apology."

Lin Sunji panicked. She had worked hard for this event, she could not let this opportunity pass by!

"Grandpa, I have approached him many times, but Bei-Lin Sangyun has stuck close to him, so I couldn’t have a proper conversation with him. She is not letting me talk to him!"

Lin Sunji almost called Bei Sangyun by her old name.

Bei Sangyun raised her eyebrow, "I only saw you approach him once."

"I have sent him many letters and gifts, but he didn’t even read them and just threw them in the trash, because you told him to!"

"I didn’t, though," Bei Sangyun replied.

Letters? Gifts?

So it was Lin Sunji who sent a bunch of trash to his locker. No wonder he was angry.

It became clear that she had been wrongly blamed for Lin Sunji’s actions.

Bei Sangyun narrowed her eyes. Lin Sunji had been increasing her debts to her.

Lin Sunji teared up as she pleaded with Old Master Lin, "Grandpa, please give me a chance to fix this. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. But Lin Sangyun has to stop meddling, or I won’t be able to offer a proper apology and clear our family’s name."

Old Master Lin glanced at Bei Sangyun, "Let your cousin apologize to your classmate. Didn’t you say that we need to right our wrongs? Your cousin is asking for a chance to rectify her mistake."

"I have already said that I don’t have anything to do with it. Lin Sunji can try to talk to him. I won’t stop her,"

But there was a big chance that Lin Sunji’s effort would go to waste. Bei Sangyun thought as she smirked inwardly.

"Your cousin has given her word. If you properly apologize and compensate him, I’ll consider you for this job," Old Master Lin told Lin Sunji.

Lin Sunji sighed in relief and promised to apologize the following day.

Lin Xiaoni, who had been hopeful, became anxious once more. Lin Sunji might take the role of the host if she finished apologizing.

Lin Xiaoni decided that she needed to find that student and convince him to reject Lin Sunji so that the role of the host would fall into her hands.

Just as she was praising herself for having this idea, a sentence caused her smile to stiffen.

"I volunteer to be the host,"

Bei Sangyun blurted out. Under Lin Ginxian’s urging eyes, she continued, "I have also scored a hundred in my French lessons."

The room was silent for a few seconds, but then two voices sounded at the same time.

"Lies!"

"There’s no way that’s true!"

The first voice was Lin Sunji’s.

Lin Sunji was confident that she could get the role because she knew well that Bei Sangyun had insufficient practice with French. After all, she had been learning other languages since young. Lin Xiaoni, on the other hand, couldn’t even speak French with the right accent.

The other person who complained was Lin Xiaoni. She knew that Bei Sangyun had only started taking French lessons a year ago, and the information she bought from Bei Sangyun’s previous tutors showed her poor scores. Which indicated that Bei Sangyun had insufficient comprehension of French.

Bei Sangyun did not mind their objections. Instead, she coldly smiled and said, "Do you want to bet? Grandfather can test our skills right now."

Lin Ginxian glared at the two branches and supported Bei Sangyun. "Grandfather, my daughter has been mastering French and their culture just for this day. She is not behind Lin Sunji. Since Lin Sunji hasn’t finished her task, you can rest assured to leave this to my daughter."

"Third-brother-in-law, please don’t lie. They are our father’s friend’s precious grandchildren. We can’t just let someone who is unskilled with their language and has questionable abilities and character to lead them around. Our family’s name depends on this," Lin Mei interjected.

"Fourth-sister-in-law, the one with the questionable character is your daughter. Father may have forgiven the fourth branch for ruining my daughter’s reputation, but I haven’t," Lin Ginxian responded righteously.