Volume One, Chapter Four: She Is a True Heiress of the Elite Aristocracy

“Are you Miss Lin Qiao? This is a gift prepared for you by Miss Bai Xin.”

The man holding the flowers approached Lin Qiao as soon as he saw her.

Lin Qiao recalled the phone call she had just received. Bai Xin had said she prepared a gift for her and reminded her to sign for it. It must be this bouquet.

She took the flowers and saw a handwritten card attached: “Congratulations on entering a new chapter of life. The world lies before you; from now on, may your days be as splendid as blooming flowers, and the future full of promise.”

Warmth blossomed in her heart.

Clutching the bouquet, Lin Qiao looked up at the bright, clear sky and breathed in the air of freedom, feeling a sudden relief.

Holding the flowers, she returned to the temporary apartment complex she had rented, just reaching the alley entrance.

A deep, powerful engine roar approached from afar.

A sleek, black Mercedes led the way as a security car, followed closely by two Rolls-Royces.

Among the crowd, someone exclaimed, “Is that the Rolls-Royce Phantom Series!”

That person was an aficionado of luxury cars and immediately recognized the two vehicles as the Phantom Series—only two exist worldwide and they come with a hefty price tag. To see them here was astonishing.

The three cars slowly stopped in front of Lin Qiao.

Four bodyguards in black suits stepped out of the lead car.

“What kind of VIP has arrived here?” murmurs rose among the onlookers.

“Mom, these uncles look so cool!” a child tugged at his mother’s hand in admiration.

His mother hurried him away, “Don’t gawk, let’s go home.”

Before the bodyguards could open the door, someone eagerly pushed open the door of a Rolls-Royce.

A noblewoman rushed over and embraced Lin Qiao tightly.

“Qiao Qiao! I finally found you!”

Following closely was a middle-aged man, tall and imposing, with a stern face and the commanding aura of a leader. Yet his eyes were filled with nothing but tenderness.

Those with sharp eyes would instantly recognize him as Lin Shao, the renowned head of the Lin Group in Haishi City—an influential figure whose mere footsteps could shake the business world.

Lin Qiao, held firmly by the noblewoman, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

The woman’s face bore an uncanny resemblance to her own.

Her heart thundered and her mind went blank.

At that moment, two tall gentlemen descended from the second Rolls-Royce, exuding an air of nobility.

The noblewoman’s delicate makeup was now streaked with tears, and with trembling hands, she gently touched Lin Qiao’s face.

“Qiao Qiao, I am your mother.”

Lin Qiao stared unblinkingly at the weeping woman before her.

This scene—the moment of reunion with family—was a dream she had never dared to dream since childhood.

She never allowed herself to hope that one day her family would truly find her.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down Ye Shulan’s cheeks, Lin Qiao’s mother, while Lin Shao’s eyes also glistened with red.

“Lin Qiao, you are our daughter.”

Surrounded by too many people, Ye Shulan took Lin Qiao’s hand.

“My dear child, get in the car first. I will take you home.”

Seeing Ye Shulan’s face so much like her own, Lin Qiao believed it more than half. She followed the Lin family members into the car.

The car moved steadily forward. Ye Shulan wiped her tears and was the first to break the silence.

“It’s all my fault for being too emotional and not explaining things clearly. Qiao Qiao, have you ever heard of the Lin family?”

The Lin family of Haishi City was a supreme aristocratic household, known far and wide.

Seeing Lin Qiao nod, Ye Shulan introduced the others in the car and continued.

“Your father is Lin Shao, the CEO of the Lin Group. You are the true heiress of the Lin family.”

“We received a mysterious letter containing your identity information and photo. The moment I saw that photo, I knew you were my daughter.”

After confirming Lin Qiao’s whereabouts, the Lin family immediately came to find her.

Lin Qiao bit her lip slightly, disbelief etched in her eyes.

There are so many people who look alike in this world.

Nothing good had ever happened to her since childhood.

Over time, she had grown used to expecting the worst.

Only by anticipating the worst could she avoid disappointment.

She dared not believe it, nor accept it.

Lin Qiao lowered her head, unwilling to meet the Lin family’s gaze.

“Whether I am really your daughter or not, we should wait for the DNA test to confirm.”

Seeing Lin Qiao repress her emotions and her unwillingness to trust, everyone felt a pang of sorrow.

Ye Shulan’s heart ached deeply.

How much suffering had her child endured to become who she was today?

Lin Qiao dared not look at the Lin family again. She turned to gaze out the window, silently feeling the warmth of her mother’s hand holding hers.

Even if it was just a fleeting moment of comfort, in that second, she allowed herself to truly believe she had a family.

She prayed to the heavens, hoping this was all real, willing even to trade her life for it.

The car soon arrived at the Lin estate. Lin Qiao watched through the window.

She had never imagined that in the densely populated Haishi City, so close to downtown, an entire mountain would belong to the Lin family’s estate.

The family crest on the gate was prominent and solemn—two eagles poised for flight, vivid and lifelike.

The tall iron gates slowly swung open.

Rare and exotic flowers lined both sides of the road.

Dozens of servants, dressed uniformly, stood in two neat rows.

Seeing the car, they bowed in unison and called out in clear, resonant voices:

“Welcome home, young lady.”

Several helicopters hovered above, scattering flower petals that drifted down like a floral rain.

Lin Qiao could not help but widen her eyes in awe.

Inside the car, Lin Guifan clicked his tongue, “Are you getting dramatic again?”

Lin Zhounian protested, “What? I can’t throw a grand welcome party for my sister?”

Lin Shao shook his head disapprovingly, but added, “That’s not a mere grand party. My daughter deserves the very best the world can offer.”

Lin Qiao was stunned by the luxury here. She had thought marrying into the Qin family was already being exposed to the big world.

Now she realized how little she had truly seen.

...

At the Lin estate, Lin Shao arranged for a DNA test with Lin Qiao, while Ye Shulan stayed with her in the living room.

Worried that Lin Qiao might feel uncomfortable with too many people around, Ye Shulan sent Lin Shao and the brothers away.

The three of them reluctantly left the room.

The DNA results came quickly. When Lin Shao returned, he held an envelope in his hand.

As the head of the Lin Group, Lin Shao was a man of immense authority, rarely showing his emotions.

Yet at this moment, his grip on the envelope was so tight it threatened to tear it, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Lin Qiao stood up, trembling uncontrollably.

Lin Shao handed her the DNA report.

The paper boldly declared: “Test results confirm that Lin Shao is the biological father of Lin Qiao.”

The scene felt like a dream, yet so real.

This time, she truly had a family.

Upon receiving the news, the Lin brothers hurried over. Surrounded by her family, Lin Qiao’s eyes gradually filled with tears.

“Mom already heard about how the Qin family mistreated you.”

Ye Shulan squeezed Lin Qiao’s hand, recalling what she had learned on the way to find her daughter, tears unbidden rolling down her cheeks.

Since leaving the Qin family, Lin Qiao had not shed a single tear.

She didn’t cry or cause a scene, not because she had no grievances.

But because no one cared to comfort her.

Seeing her mother’s tears, Lin Qiao suddenly realized something.

She could have someone who cared for her.

The overwhelming joy of finding her family, coupled with years of pent-up sorrow—

In that moment, tears streamed freely down her face.

Unable to hold back any longer, Lin Qiao finally let go of all her pain.

Mother and daughter cried together for a long time before Lin Qiao gradually calmed down.

Her father gently wiped away her tears.

He pinched her nose playfully, “You’re crying like a little kitten.”

Hearing her father’s tender words, warmth flooded her heart, and she almost wanted to cry again.

Lin Shao, thinking of his daughter’s past hardships, said, “Qin Yi is your flesh and blood after all. If you want to reclaim custody, it won’t be difficult for the Lin family.”

Lin Qiao shook her head firmly.

“I don’t want him anymore.”

Raising Qin Yi had been an increasingly cold and painful process.

Her love had long since been worn thin by day after day of companionship.

The last bit of affection she had for the child was extinguished in the hospital.

This child—she truly wanted to let go.