{Chapter: 112 Qiao Siying: Brother Lin Yuan, why are you so harsh~?}
His position in his father's heart would naturally rise, bringing him closer to his brother's status.
The Tang family's heir had yet to be determined, but so far, his father had always favored his elder brother.
If it weren't for his brother, he wouldn't be here riding horses all day for leisure.
But now, Tang Bowen had seized the opportunity to befriend Lin Yuan, which suddenly made him feel like he had another shot at securing the position of heir.
Who wouldn't want to be powerful and influential?
As Tang Bowen's expression shifted, Lin Yuan smiled subtly but said nothing.
Everything he had just told Tang Bowen was true.
In the novel, the Tang Family was one of the many forces Ye Feng had to face.
With the backing of the Qingshan Gang, Ye Feng eventually orchestrated the downfall of the Tang Family's head.
By the end, Ye Feng gained the support of both the Chen and Yan families. With their help, he successfully eliminated the Tang Family's leader. Then, exploiting the enmity between the two Tang brothers, he utterly dismantled the family's power structure and subjugated them under his rule.
However, despite being one of Ye Feng's enemies, the Tang Family still fared significantly better than the Lin Family.
In the original novel, the Lin Family's fate was beyond miserable.
Both the Lin and Tang families were considered behemoths—powerful, influential families whose downfall would not happen overnight but rather through a series of well-executed maneuvers.
The Tang Family was the first to suffer Ye Feng's wrath.
The Lin Family, on the other hand, was merely one of the stepping stones Ye Feng trampled on during his rise to power. In addition to the troubles Ye Feng personally brought upon them, they also encountered numerous disasters along the way.
But Lin Yuan had no intention of allowing history to repeat itself.
He had already mapped out a series of countermeasures, ensuring that Ye Feng wouldn't be able to progress as smoothly as he had in the original storyline.
Since the Tang Family was one of the villains in the novel, Lin Yuan saw an opportunity to turn them against Ye Feng before they could become a threat to him.
He decided to give them a little push—
A classic case of "luring the tiger to devour the wolf."
Lin Yuan planned to maneuver the Tang Family into a direct confrontation with the Qingshan Gang.
Once the head of the Tang Family discovered the extent of Gu Qingshan's past actions, he would never let it slide.
And while Lin Yuan was using the Tang Family for his own ends, they would still end up benefiting from the situation—recovering their lost assets and weakening one of their adversaries.
By the time it was over, the entire Tang Family would owe him a massive debt of gratitude.
And as the direct beneficiary of this arrangement, Tang Bowen would become even more indebted to Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan never saw himself as a good person.
He would pit wolves against tigers, sit back, and then slowly extend his influence over the Tang Family.
As long as he focused on expanding his network and securing strong allies for the Lin Family, Ye Feng would never be able to stage a comeback.
After chatting for a while and exchanging contact information, Lin Yuan and Tang Bowen finally went their separate ways.
But before leaving, Tang Bowen cast Lin Yuan a deep look, his eyes filled with gratitude.
The information Lin Yuan had just shared was crucial.
If it turned out to be true, then he could use it to suppress his elder brother and seize control of the Tang Family.
Satisfied with how things had played out, Lin Yuan called Yan Ruyue and prepared to leave the Yue He Equestrian Club.
However, just as he was about to leave, Qiao Siying ran up and blocked his way.
"Why are you so good at horseback riding? Who taught you? Who was your master?" she demanded, her tone laced with frustration.
Lin Yuan's equestrian skills were nothing short of extraordinary.
She had studied abroad for years and had trained in horseback riding for five or six years, honing her skills to near perfection.
Yet, after witnessing Lin Yuan's performance today, she suddenly felt as though all her effort had been in vain.
Compared to him, her skills seemed completely inadequate.
But Lin Yuan had no interest in entertaining her curiosity.
With a casual wave of his hand, he coldly dismissed her.
"It's none of your business, Miss Qiao. Now step aside. Or do you want to cry again because you lost to me today?"
"You…!" Qiao Siying's face twisted in anger.
She was furious, but she bit her lip and forced herself to calm down.
"I am a person who keeps my word, unlike you! You have one request that I have to fulfill. Hurry up and say it!"
Lin Yuan had almost forgotten about that.
Although Qiao Siying had a strong prejudice against the wealthy, she did have a sense of honor and always kept her promises.
A mischievous smile spread across Lin Yuan's face.
"Alright, here's my request. It's very simple. I want you to ride a horse for one full lap, but… you have to do it like Lady Godiva."
For a brief moment, Qiao Siying was completely stunned.
Then, in an instant, her fair cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson.
Back when she studied abroad, she had been exposed to a lot of Western culture.
So she knew exactly what Lin Yuan meant.
Lady Godiva—an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman—was famous for riding through the streets of Coventry completely naked in order to fight for the relief of heavy taxes imposed on the citizens by her husband.
Lin Yuan was telling her to ride a horse naked!
"T-That's impossible!" Qiao Siying stammered, her voice filled with embarrassment.
Lin Yuan merely chuckled.
"You don't have to do it in public. You can do it in the middle of the night when no one's around—just as long as you show me."
As he spoke, his gaze slowly swept across her perfectly proportioned figure, deliberately taking his time.
Feeling his eyes on her, Qiao Siying's body suddenly felt hot all over.
"N-No way!" she protested again, but this time, her voice was noticeably weaker.
"Fine, then I'll think of another request later. Now stop wasting my time and get out of my way."
Without warning, Lin Yuan extended his hand and gently pushed her aside.
Caught off guard, Qiao Siying instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.
"You…! You shameless dog! You stinking scoundrel! You…you big pervert!" she sputtered angrily.
"Yes, a shameless hooligan," Yan Ruyue echoed softly from the side, her face flushed red.
Lin Yuan, however, remained unfazed.
"Thank you for the compliment," he said with a calm smile.
Hearing his response, Yan Ruyue's face turned an even deeper shade of red, realizing that he had clearly seen and heard her muttered insult.
Meanwhile, Qiao Siying, who had been glaring at Lin Yuan in frustration, suddenly had an idea.
Her eyes flickered with mischief as she stepped forward and, out of nowhere, grabbed onto Lin Yuan's arm.
With an exaggerated pout, she spoke in a coquettish tone, "Brother Lin Yuan~ Back when we went on our blind date, you were so nice to me. Why are you being so mean today~?"
Yan Ruyue, who had been watching from the side, was momentarily stunned.
Then, an unfamiliar, sour feeling welled up in her heart.
She wasn't sure why, but seeing Qiao Siying acting so close to Lin Yuan made her uncomfortable.
Lin Yuan, however, immediately saw through Qiao Siying's little trick.
She was deliberately trying to make Yan Ruyue misunderstand their relationship—trying to provoke jealousy and create a rift between them.
Too bad for her, Lin Yuan loved playing along with people's clever yet foolish little schemes.
Before Qiao Siying could react, a sudden force pulled her forward, pressing her tightly against Lin Yuan's firm chest.
Her breath hitched.
Wait… what just happened?!
She was standing just fine a second ago—so why was she suddenly in his arms?!
Before she could even begin to struggle, Lin Yuan smirked, his hands already moving with shameless confidence. His fingers traced the curve of her waist before boldly cupping her breasts, squeezing them with a firm, possessive grip.
A shiver ran through her.
"I was a little mean to you today," Lin Yuan murmured, his voice low and teasing as his fingers kneaded her softness. "I should have been more considerate of my dear little 's¡ster… but don't worry, I'll make it up to you right now."
His thumbs flicked across her sensitive peaks, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.
Qiao Siying's mind turned to mush.
She had thought she could toy with Lin Yuan…
But now, she was the one being played with.
*****
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