Chapter 47: Show Mercy When Mercy Is Due

In the end, Lin Wanbai still did not accept the invitation to attend their celebration banquet.

After all, she wasn’t part of their company; her presence or absence mattered little. If she went, she would simply become another topic of conversation. Now that they were the center of attention, an additional topic like her was neither here nor there.

Kevin had shown great sincerity, calling two or three times to invite her, which was already a gesture of respect.

After much thought, for the sake of propriety, Lin Wanbai found a perfectly reasonable excuse, replied to Kevin expressing her regrets at not being able to attend, and sent her best wishes.

That evening, with nothing else to do, and Fu Juxing not busy either, the two made plans—a romantic dinner at a restaurant, followed by a leisurely stroll through the city.

Throughout the night, Fu Juxing never brought up the matter between her and Fu Miao.

They entered a bookstore, each taking a book and finding a quiet corner to sit. Lin Wanbai, however, couldn’t focus on reading; her mind was preoccupied with that unresolved issue. In the end, she couldn’t help herself—she closed her book, turned to look at Fu Juxing.

He was holding his book, reading intently.

Lin Wanbai didn’t interrupt, simply rested her chin on her hand and quietly watched him. After a while, perhaps sensing her gaze, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “What do you want to say?”

“I wanted to say you look very handsome when you’re serious.”

He reached out, pinched her cheek lightly, and said no more.

She leaned forward, her gaze never leaving him. “Aren’t you going to ask me what happened between me and Fu Miao?”

“What happened?” He didn’t seem the least bit curious.

“What do you think of her clothing designs?” she asked.

He thought for a moment. “They’re all right.”

Lin Wanbai laughed. “I can’t believe I’m asking such a dull question. In your eyes, everything is black, white, or gray—no other colors exist.”

He didn’t respond.

She continued, “I never expected her to plagiarize, and by coincidence, I was the one to discover it. The original designer isn’t well known; her style is rather different, not to everyone’s taste. Fu Miao didn’t copy everything—just took a small part and incorporated it into her own design, making her work more distinctive and eye-catching. I actually discovered that young designer a couple of years ago; she had posted many of her original patterns on her profile.”

“I liked her work, so I reached out, encouraged her, and hoped she’d continue with her unique style.”

“So you confronted Fu Miao, but she refused to admit it, didn’t she?” Fu Juxing asked.

Lin Wanbai smiled faintly. “Yes.”

“What do you plan to do?”

She looked at him, silent for a moment. “What do you think I should do?”

Fu Juxing said, “This is something that needs careful thought. I hope it can be handled smoothly—after all, this affects Fu Miao’s future career. If it’s blown out of proportion, she may never be able to hold her head up in the industry again. But letting it go is also unfair to the original artist.”

“I find it hard to believe Fu Miao would do something like this. I may dislike her, but I never doubted her character or integrity. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t believe she was capable of such a thing.”

“I still think you should sit down and talk it through—don’t be hasty. It wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

Lin Wanbai nodded. “That’s all I can do.”

He patted her head. “Stop worrying about it. Tomorrow, let’s go to Provence and see the lavender.”

“Hm? You’ve already made arrangements? I was planning to return home tomorrow.”

“We’re already here—there’s no rush. We seldom travel together. This time, I want to make it special for you.”

“It’s all right, there will be plenty of chances in the future. The company is so busy right now—I don’t want you to fall behind because of me.” She tugged at his sleeve. “So let’s skip the lavender for now. When the company is running smoothly and everything’s settled, then we can take a whole month and travel together.”

Lin Wanbai had never insisted on having him accompany her, as if seeking favor.

Fu Juxing said, “We’ll go see the lavender, then return.”

He was insistent, and Lin Wanbai relented. Truth be told, she also wanted to go with him, to wander every corner of the world at his side.

…

At the celebration banquet.

Fu Miao was in low spirits, glancing at her phone now and then, worry clouding her eyes.

When no one was around, Fu Yanchuan approached at the right moment. “What’s wrong? You’ve seemed distracted all evening. Is it about Xiaobai?”

At the mention of that name, Fu Miao’s head snapped up, eyes fixed on him. She bit her lip, looked around nervously, then pulled him aside to a quieter spot. Only after making sure they were alone did she say, “Yes, it’s about her—she’s trying to ruin me.”

“What?”

“She’s jealous of my achievements, wants to bring me down, make all my years of effort worthless.” She gripped her phone tighter, eyes reddening, her fury barely contained.

Fu Yanchuan frowned. “You must be mistaken. Xiaobai would never do such a thing.”

“Why do you trust her so much? You’d rather believe her than your own sister, is that it?”

“Miao, you need evidence before you make accusations. Tell me, how exactly is she trying to harm you? Why do you think so?”

Fu Miao pressed her lips together, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. After a long pause, she said, “She’s accusing me of plagiarism.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s going to accuse me of plagiarism! As soon as she returns home, she’ll write an exposé. I didn’t copy anyone; those were my own designs and color schemes.”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t speak, only watched her quietly—her panic told him everything.

After a while, Fu Miao realized she’d lost her composure. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“There’s no one else here. Just tell me the truth,” he said solemnly.

She bit down on her lip, held out for a long moment, then snapped, “I told you the truth. I didn’t do it.”

“Fu Miao…”

“You’re my brother, but you’d rather trust Lin Wanbai than me?!”

“This isn’t about trust anymore.”

Fu Miao glared at him. “Then stop Lin Wanbai from spreading rumors if you can!”

“You’re feeling guilty, aren’t you?” he said, frowning.

She sneered, “Of course—you always side with Lin Wanbai. Are you really my brother?”

“If you did take someone else’s work, admit it before you’re found out—otherwise, you’ll really be finished.”

“Having a brother like you is just pathetic!”

She stormed off, but Fu Yanchuan pulled her back. “If you’re afraid, I’ll help you handle it.”

She shook him off fiercely. “If you do that, I’ll never acknowledge you as my brother! You have no idea how hard I’ve worked! Do you think I gained this reputation abroad easily? All you ever do is tell me to give up! I’m telling you—if you keep this up, you’ll be finished!”

With that, she gathered her skirt and ran off. When Fu Yanchuan tried to follow, she warned him to stay away.

Zhao Yiling had seen their quarrel from afar. When both parted in anger, she came over. “What happened?”

Fu Yanchuan shook his head, forcing a wan smile. “Nothing.”

That night, back at the hotel, Fu Yanchuan considered seeking out Lin Wanbai in person, but thought better of it and sent her a message instead.

When the message arrived, Lin Wanbai was in the shower. Her phone was on the bedside table, and Fu Juxing, sitting nearby, glanced at it but didn’t react.

Fu Yanchuan waited a long time before Lin Wanbai replied, providing him with the original artist’s contact information, hoping they would handle the matter themselves.

The next day, Lin Wanbai and Fu Juxing left for Provence, so the parties never met.

The previous night, Fu Miao had gotten drunk, and Fu Yanchuan hadn’t had a chance to talk with her further.

In the morning, he knocked on her door early and waited in the dining area until she finished getting ready.

Fu Miao had returned sober the night before, but had drunk heavily alone in her room, falling into a stupor. Now, her head ached as if splitting, but her troubles remained, swirling endlessly.

If anything, they’d only grown worse, especially with someone so persistent.

She wore a sullen face, slammed her glass on the table after a sip of water. “Are you here to lecture me or to help me?”

“When all this is over, come back to the country with me.”

“And then?”

“I have the original artist’s contact details. We’ll go together and talk to her—there’s always a way to resolve things.”

Fu Miao glanced at him; this time, she didn’t protest. After a deep breath, she closed her eyes, pressed a hand to her forehead, and after a long silence, slammed her palm on the table. “Is that all there is to my design? That one pattern—how much does it matter? Now everyone wants to give credit to someone else? Am I that worthless?”

Her anger flared as she hurled her glass to the floor. “Who cares about that original artist? Without me, her work would be meaningless! If it were really valuable, she’d be famous by now. Why should she get all the credit?”

“Why? Why?”

Seeing her on the verge of collapse, Fu Yanchuan hurried over and embraced her. “Enough, no one’s saying you’re worthless. Getting angry won’t help—what matters is solving the problem. If you did use her idea, then make it right. If you didn’t, there’s nothing to fear.”

“So first, you need to be honest with yourself—did you, or didn’t you?”

Fu Miao closed her eyes, and after a long time, said, “I did—but I added my own ideas; it’s not exactly the same.”

Fu Yanchuan sighed. “Miao, I advise you to go public with this. That way, whatever you do in the future, you’ll have a clear conscience and won’t have to fear exposure. Believe in yourself—even if you fall, you can get back up.”

Fu Miao opened her eyes, stared at him, snorted coldly, pushed him away, and walked off on her own.

…

Originally, Lin Wanbai had only planned to stay a day in Provence before returning home, but ended up staying a week.

When she returned, she learned the outcome of Fu Miao’s matter: the original artist had received neither apology nor compensation, and the Fu family had chosen the most underhanded way to handle things.

The artist’s entire portfolio had been deleted from her profile; not a trace of her work could be found online.

Unbelievable—who would have thought Fu Miao would go to such lengths?

Now, as if she had vanished from the earth, Lin Wanbai couldn’t reach the artist no matter how hard she tried.

The next evening, Jiang Shuzhi came in person, accompanied by Fu Yanchuan and Granny Song.

When Aunt Rong opened the door and saw her, she was stunned. She stood frozen for a moment before hurriedly inviting them in and then went upstairs to call for Lin Wanbai.

Lin Wanbai was on the phone, but hearing Jiang Shuzhi’s name, her heart skipped a beat. She put away her phone. “I’ll be down right away,” she said.

She had just reached the top of the stairs when she saw Jiang Shuzhi coming up.

Jiang Shuzhi smiled, waved her hand. “No need to come down. I’ll come up and have a word with you alone.”

Granny Song supported her as they climbed slowly. Seeing her age and stiff movements, Lin Wanbai decided to go down and help, taking Granny Song’s place.

Jiang Shuzhi smiled, laying a hand on Lin Wanbai’s. “Such a good child—much more sensible than that Miao girl.”

Lin Wanbai knew exactly why she had come, but merely smiled, saying nothing.

She led her to the study, where they sat and Aunt Rong quickly brought tea.

Fu Yanchuan was downstairs with Fu Juxing.

After a few pleasantries, Jiang Shuzhi got straight to the point. “I hope you’ll keep what happened with Fu Miao to yourself—never mention it again. We’re all family, after all, and family should not harm its own. Don’t you agree?”

Lin Wanbai lowered her gaze to her fingers, silent for a long time before smiling faintly. “I never imagined that the grandmother who has always been so strict with rules would say something like this to me. I thought you, of all people, would uphold principle. If this had happened to Fu Juxing, I believe you would have been upright and unflinching, exposing everything without hesitation.”

“Grandmother, you spend your days in prayer and meditation, striving for goodness. How could you do something like this? I must say, I’m deeply disappointed. And for someone with your power and influence to bully a defenseless young woman—does that make you proud? If word got out, wouldn’t you be ashamed?”

Jiang Shuzhi remained composed, her tone gentle. “Wanbai, everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, it’s best to show mercy, or else you might end up hurting yourself.”

“Yes, mercy is important. But why did you never remember that when you bullied Fu Juxing?”

Jiang Shuzhi raised an eyebrow. “So, is Fu Juxing using this to take revenge?”

“How could he dare? He advised me to stay out of it. But since you’re here making such grand statements, I think it’s only fair to use this opportunity to address the injustices I’ve seen all these years.”

“So, you’re here to negotiate terms with me?” Her smile was tinged with sarcasm.

“This isn’t a negotiation. I just hope that Fu Juxing can be treated fairly in the Fu family. As you said, we are all family—there’s no reason for you to target him. I won’t list every little thing; you know them well enough yourself. Today, you’ve come in person, which shows you do care about Fu Miao’s future.”

Lin Wanbai smiled. “We all want what’s best for our future. Over the years, Fu Juxing has never held any special grudge, and often puts the family first. It’s you who always acts out of personal vendetta. If we trace the roots of this, Fu Juxing shouldn’t bear the burden. As they say, children are innocent—he’s the most innocent of all, isn’t he?”

Jiang Shuzhi looked at her, smiled, and shook her head. “Child, such a clever mind, but so willful—a pity.”

She stood, her eyes cold as she glanced at Lin Wanbai one last time before leaving.

Negotiations had failed.

No one and nothing could ever make Jiang Shuzhi let go of her control over Fu Juxing.

Of course, in her mind, this was not a negotiation, but merely a courtesy notification.

Lin Wanbai escorted her to the door, smiling as she said, “Grandmother, next time you visit, do let us know in advance so Fu Juxing and I can receive you properly. Dropping by unannounced leaves us unprepared.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t come again,” Jiang Shuzhi replied with a smile, not giving them another glance as she climbed into the car.

“Safe travels, Grandmother,” Lin Wanbai called.

After Granny Song got in, Fu Yanchuan closed the door, glanced at Lin Wanbai, but she turned away and went inside, giving him no chance to speak.

Fu Juxing said, “Big Brother, take care.”

“All right,” Fu Yanchuan nodded, his gaze lingering on Lin Wanbai before finally getting in and leaving.

When the car had gone, Fu Juxing and Aunt Rong went back inside.

Aunt Rong sighed, looking at Fu Juxing. “Life will only get better once that old lady is gone. But looking at her, she’ll probably live for years yet. Why is she so stubborn—insisting on destroying others before she’s satisfied? She claims to be pious, but how can she sleep at night after all she’s done?”

“In her eyes, we’re people who shouldn’t exist. She’ll only be at peace once we’re gone,” Fu Juxing replied.

…

The next evening, Lin Wanbai didn’t stay late at the office with Fu Juxing. Instead, she went back to Pujiang.

After confirming with Lin Jingyu that Lin Zhouye was home, she made a special trip.

After dinner with Fu Juxing, she chatted with Lin Zhaowei before going upstairs to find Lin Zhouye.

She knocked on his door and, getting no answer, pushed it open—only to catch him coming out of the bathroom stark naked.

Startled, she quickly retreated.

Two minutes later, with his pajamas on, Lin Zhouye opened the door, giving her a sidelong glance. “Next time I don’t answer, just wait outside. What’s the rush?”

“I thought you were avoiding me on purpose.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re involved with Fu Miao, of course.”

He burst out laughing, sat down, and began to towel his hair. “Who’s been feeding you gossip?”

“No one—I figured it out myself.” She stood before him. “So, what are your intentions?”

He set the towel aside, leaned back, and looked at her. “Is this all you came to ask me about?”

“No.” Their relationships were their own business. She sat down. “I need your help to find someone.”

“Who?”

She handed him Zhang Danni’s information. “You have more connections than I do. Now that Old Lady Jiang is involved, she’ll be hard to find. Fu Miao stole someone’s design and integrated it into her work, but won’t admit it. So, she must erase all traces of the original creator. I tried all previous contacts, but I can’t reach Zhang Danni—not even her family.”

He glanced through the information. “So, you plan to expose Fu Miao’s plagiarism and go head-to-head with Jiang Shuzhi?”

“Whether I expose it or not, I need to find her first. Old Lady Jiang is vicious—who knows what she might do? You can’t just let someone be bullied because they lack connections. Lin Zhouye, can’t you stay away from Fu Miao?”

He paused, looked up at her. “You’re getting more meddlesome by the day.”

“I just don’t like her, is that a crime?”

He chuckled. “I didn’t like Fu Juxing at first, but you married him anyway. Who am I to judge?”

She snorted. “Your taste is terrible.”

“Yours isn’t much better. Let’s not argue over who’s worse.”

She burst out laughing and kicked him lightly. “But Fu Juxing is much better than Fu Miao, isn’t he? At least he wouldn’t stoop to such petty theft, despite all her prestigious education.”

“And you? Are you that much better? At least she’s working hard to build a career. What about you? Are you devoting yourself to assisting Fu Juxing now? Grandfather raised you to support a man? Didn’t you know he wanted you to inherit the family business?”

“Why are you lecturing me? You’re Grandfather’s son—you’re the real heir.”

“You know I’m not.” He grew serious. “Wanbai, you worry about everyone else. Why not come work at the company?”

“I already do—I’m Fu Juxing’s secretary. Uncle, Lin Corporation is depending on you. As for marriage, you can’t treat it lightly. The company must stay in your hands. My mother, grandfather, and I all believe in you.” She patted his shoulder. “Grandfather’s getting old; you need to help him more. Keep going—you’ll always be my rock.”

That evening, Fu Juxing came to pick her up.

On the way home, Aunt Rong called to ask when they’d arrive.

Before she could finish, someone grabbed the phone.

“Juxing, where are you?” The voice was none other than his grandaunt, Feng Yajie.

“Auntie, I’m almost home.”

“All right, I’ll wait for you here. Hurry.”

Her voice was loud enough that Lin Wanbai, sitting beside him, heard everything.

“Grandaunt, at this hour?”

“Yes, something important, I suppose.”

Lin Wanbai smiled. “Judging by her tone, it’s nothing good.” Suddenly she remembered the woman at Green Court—before going to Paris, Fu Changjun had looked into it for her. She guessed it was about that.

“Is it about Xu Yunxue?”

Fu Juxing shrugged. “No idea. I’ve been busy.”

She glanced at him, nodded, and asked nothing further.

They arrived at Lanshe.

Feng Yajie and Fu Rong were sitting in the living room. Feng Yajie sat ramrod straight, looking stern and accusatory. She barely acknowledged them, only snorting in response.

The coffee table was laden with snacks of every sort.

Fu Rong, sitting beside her, was still eating. Seeing them, he greeted them cheerfully. “Hey, you’re back. Juxing, this place is really nice.”

Feng Yajie slapped his hand sharply. “Still eating? At a time like this, you have the nerve!”

Fu Rong coughed, reluctantly set down his half-eaten orange, straightened up, wiped his mouth, and looked resigned.

“A’xing, you can’t just marry a good wife and abandon your cousin, can you? Remember when you were bullied as a child? Your cousin took more than a few beatings for you.”

“And now this Xu Yunxue—just because she’s pregnant, you should let Fu Rong marry her? Is she even worthy?”

Lin Wanbai said, “At least she’s a proper college student—medical school, no less. It’s not a question of being worthy or not.”

“What’s so great about a degree? If she were respectable, she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant out of wedlock! Fu Changjun even came to argue with me, blaming me for not raising my grandson right and tarnishing Juxing’s reputation! He insists my grandson marry that woman. Juxing, you’re so capable now, but when Fu Rong needs help, is this how you repay me? I always looked out for you—how could you do this?”

She turned to Lin Wanbai, her expression changing as she teared up, coming over to take her hand. “Old Fu says you misunderstood Juxing over this, didn’t you? Don’t worry—you’re the best wife he could ever have. I know his temperament; he’d never betray you. Besides, even if my son wanted to marry that woman, Xu Yunxue wouldn’t agree now.”

“She claims she’s fallen for Juxing. So—”

Before she could finish, Fu Rong shot to his feet, snapping, “Grandma, what nonsense are you spouting?”

“What? Am I wrong?” She clutched Lin Wanbai’s hand. “The best solution is to give her some money, have her terminate the pregnancy, and leave the city. Then you’ll be at ease, and so will I.”

Fu Rong dragged Feng Yajie away. “Enough! Stop making a scene. If I say I’ll marry her, I’ll marry her. Have you forgotten what Grandpa Fu said?”

Feng Yajie, elderly and frail, was pulled too roughly; she fell heavily, unable to get up, clutching her chest and claiming a heart attack—demanding an ambulance.

In the end, they had no choice but to call 120. Only after she was taken to the hospital and wheeled into the emergency room did the commotion finally subside.