Chapter 17 - Since It's a Fake Mother-in-Law, Why Be Polite?

Chapter 17: Since It’s a Fake Mother-in-Law, Why Be Polite?

Zhang Chen wasn’t particularly interested in Lin Xi.

She was pretty, sure, but she wasn’t the female lead.

But the other beauty in the private room was different.

Xia Yanbing—

Not only was she stunning,

She was the female lead!

“Even more vivid and alluring than in the comics.”

The first person Zhang Chen saw when he entered was Lin Xi, but his attention quickly shifted to Xia Yanbing.

Of course, he masked his thoughts well.

At least for now, he couldn’t be too hasty.

Who was Xia Yanbing?

The head of the entire Lin Corporation—a true powerhouse.

The Lin family had managed to maintain their standing in recent years solely because of her.

Unlike Lin Xi, who immediately started complaining the moment she saw him, Xia Yanbing just gave a warm smile.

“It’s fine, actually, Xiaoxi and I just arrived not long ago.”

Lin Xi immediately looked displeased.

She couldn’t help but interject, “Mom! We’ve been—”

“Lin Xi!”

Xia Yanbing was all warmth and friendliness toward Zhang Chen, but at this moment, her voice turned cold.

A single reprimand was enough to shut Lin Xi up.

Zhang Chen wasn’t surprised.

He simply nodded and said, “That’s good. President Xia personally inviting me to dinner must mean there’s something you want to discuss?”

Polite?

Sorry, not interested.

Zhang Chen was no longer the clueless rich kid he used to be, only good for partying and wasting money.

He knew exactly why Xia Yanbing had invited him.

Since he knew, he couldn’t be bothered with small talk.

Besides, the initiative was in his hands.

Xia Yanbing was a little surprised.

In her impression, Zhang Chen was just a simple-minded junior.

Of course, that was a polite way of putting it.

If you asked Lin Xi, Zhang Chen was nothing but a complete and utter playboy!

So for him to cut straight to the point like this, it genuinely caught Xia Yanbing off guard.

She put away her earlier smile and hesitated before saying, “Let’s eat first.”

Zhang Chen, however, just smiled.

Looking at the table full of gourmet dishes, he didn’t pick up his chopsticks.

Instead, he observed Xia Yanbing with a subtle gaze.

Only when she started looking visibly uneasy did he finally speak.

“President Xia, you can just say what you want to say directly.”

His tone made his stance clear—he had no interest in beating around the bush.

His reaction made Xia Yanbing’s heart skip a beat.

Lin Xi, on the other hand, was openly annoyed.

She couldn’t help but say, “Zhang Chen, if you have any complaints, direct them at me!”

It was obvious that Lin Xi held a deep-seated grudge against Zhang Chen.

But he didn’t care.

He had no intention of fixing or salvaging their relationship.

Lin Xi wasn’t the female lead, so why should he waste his effort on her?

If he was going to put in the effort, wasn’t it much more worthwhile to focus on Xia Yanbing?

Zhang Chen smiled and said nothing.

He simply got up, ready to leave.

That did it!

Lin Xi panicked, and even Xia Yanbing quickly spoke up, “Xiao Chen, wait!”

Zhang Chen was merely playing hard to get.

After all, tonight’s meeting was a crucial step in his plan to take down Ye Fan.

He was never actually going to leave.

He was just asserting his stance.

So he didn’t act overly dramatic and simply stated, “If President Xia wants to discuss something, we should talk alone.”

With that, he directly excluded Lin Xi from the conversation.

Lin Xi might have been naive, but she wasn’t stupid.

Her face turned a mix of shock and anger.

Unfortunately, Zhang Chen didn’t care.

Xia Yanbing hesitated, but in the end, she said, “Xiao Xi, step outside for a bit.”

“Mom!”

“Be good. Just wait outside.”

As the current head of Lin Corporation, Xia Yanbing might look like she was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, but her authority in the Lin family was undeniable.

The company had been entirely dependent on her for the past few years.

Lin Xi could defy anyone, but she wouldn’t dare defy Xia Yanbing.

In the end, she could only bite her lip resentfully and leave the private room.

Now, only Xia Yanbing and Zhang Chen remained.

Finally, the powerful businesswoman spoke again, “Xiao Chen, tonight—”

“President Xia, just call me by my name.”

Zhang Chen interrupted.

His stance was clear.

No need for familiarity.

No emotional tactics.

Xia Yanbing frowned slightly but still nodded, “Zhang Chen, about your engagement with Xiao Xi—”

“Does this engagement really need to continue? I don’t think so.”

Zhang Chen was blunt.

He truly wasn’t interested in Lin Xi.

So what if she was beautiful?

Plenty of women were.

Even the one sitting across from him, Xia Yanbing, was no less attractive!

Though she was technically Lin Xi’s mother, Zhang Chen knew the truth— they weren’t actually related at all.

In fact, this was one of the Lin family’s deepest secrets.

The number of people who knew about it could be counted on one hand.

Even Lin Xi herself was unaware.

The woman she had called ‘Mother’ for so many years wasn’t her real mother at all!

That’s right!

Xia Yanbing wasn’t Lin Xi’s mother.

Or rather—

The woman in front of him wasn’t actually Xia Yanbing at all!

As Zhang Chen scrutinized this highly capable woman, he knew her true identity.

She was actually Lin Xi’s aunt!

The real Xia Yanbing—Lin Xi’s biological mother— had died a long time ago.

She died in an accident.

And the woman currently sitting before him, the one masquerading as Xia Yanbing, was actually named Xia Yanshuang!

She and Lin Xi’s mother were biological sisters!

They looked identical, and with Xia Yanshuang deliberately hiding the truth, no one had ever discovered this secret.

As for why Xia Yanshuang had chosen to impersonate her own sister and take on the role of Lin Xi’s mother…

That involved another, even deeper secret.

Of course, those secrets had little to do with Zhang Chen.

At this moment, inside the private room, Xia Yanbing—or rather, Xia Yanshuang— had no idea her biggest secret had been uncovered.

When she heard Zhang Chen’s words about calling off the engagement, a hint of worry flashed through her eyes.

“Zhang Chen, I know Xiaoxi has hurt you before,  but marriage isn’t a game. This matter—”

Zhang Chen interrupted again, “President Xia, let’s be direct.”

“The Lin family wants to marry Xiao Xi into the Zhang family, not just because of family ties and social status, but for another reason.”

With a half-smile, he continued, “Am I wrong?”

Xia Yanshuang’s expression subtly shifted.

“Zhang Chen, have you heard some kind of rumor?”

Zhang Chen smirked, “No need to test me, President Xia. The Lin family won’t last much longer, will it?”

One sentence.

That was all it took.

Zhang Chen saw it—the fleeting look of shock in Xia Yanshuang’s eyes.

For a formidable woman like her to reveal such a reaction…

It was clear.

The Lin family was in deep trouble.

And worse—an outsider had found out.

Xia Yanshuang forced herself to remain composed, smiling as she said, “The company has run into some difficulties, but they’re manageable.”

Zhang Chen chuckled, “President Xia, no need to hide it from me. If I dare to say it, it means I know the truth.”

“And I’m not guessing. I have proof.”

“The Lin family’s biggest asset is Lin Pharmaceuticals, right?”

Xia Yanshuang remained silent.

Zhang Chen continued, “For years, the Lin family has been investing heavily in new drug development.”

“And with your family’s wealth, even massive investments wouldn’t be a problem.”

That was true.

The Lin family’s assets were worth hundreds of billions.

Raising capital and securing bank loans wasn’t an issue at all.

Then Zhang Chen abruptly changed his tone—

“But what if the new drug, which you’ve poured hundreds of billions into, suddenly had a major problem?”

“If word got out, what would happen to the Lin family?”

“You know better than I do, don’t you, President Xia?”

At this moment, the previously composed Xia Yanshuang finally cracked.

She hadn’t expected Zhang Chen to know so much.

And then—

Zhang Chen added, “For now, I’m the only one who knows.”