When Lin Hai arrived downstairs, he saw Tang Nahai, the steward of the estate with an air of aloofness. According to Li An, this was the chief steward of the Lin family estate—and also the financial officer of the Wayne Group. Though only around thirty years old, he was a powerful figure both in the estate and the company. All five stewards responsible for different areas of the manor, including Li An, answered directly to him.
Lin Hai had seen Tang Nahai when he first arrived. His initial impression was of a calm and distant man in a flawlessly pressed suit without a wrinkle. It was said that he reported directly to the head of the Lin family, and perhaps due to his duties at the company, he was not often seen at the estate. But whenever he was there, he could always be found at Lin Wei's or Lin Hao's side.
As for Lin Hai, their only interaction had been a polite nod during a chance encounter in the villa—nothing more.
Parked outside the manor was his black luxury business car—clearly, he had rushed over upon learning of Lin Wei's return.
As the elevator doors slid open, Lin Hai caught part of Tang Nahai's conversation with Lin Wei, who had changed into an elegant evening dress.
"Juren Corp's invitation letter to Yuhang arrived again today—it's the third time this month. Perhaps it's time we arranged something..."
"Maybe tonight's charity gala? Someone from the Wayne Group needs to attend if we want to build up our influence."
Clearly, Lin Wei had barely returned before Tang Nahai started briefing her on company business. This woman was undoubtedly capable and decisive.
It seemed that today's so-called "date" was likely to be canceled.
Lin Hai felt a slight pang of regret—after all, he had been somewhat looking forward to dining alone with her.
Just as he was about to turn back, Lin Wei's sharp eyes spotted him near the elevator. He had changed into his cleanest outfit—the best and most cherished clothing he owned, brought with him from the garbage planet. It was a vintage Napoleonic-style coat, left behind by his late mother, said to have once belonged to Lord Lin Wei himself. Though outdated, it was well maintained. Aside from being slightly tight in the chest, it surprisingly fit well and lent him an air of elegance.
Lin Wei's eyes lit up slightly at the sight.
"Ready? Come with me."
Tang Nahai's voice halted mid-sentence. He looked toward Lin Hai and frowned slightly. He was puzzled—countless people were waiting to entertain Lin Wei upon her return to Riverbank Star, yet she had time to dine with this illegitimate child?
"Then... I'll cancel your appointments for the gala."
Despite Lin Hai's unexpected presence disrupting his carefully arranged schedule for Lin Wei, Tang Nahai betrayed no sign of displeasure. He went along with it smoothly. To hold his dual positions as the estate's steward and the Group's finance officer at such a young age spoke volumes about his restraint and depth.
"That's fine," Lin Wei replied with a faint smile. "You can attend in my place. You have full authority."
Then she looked at Lin Hai.
"I'm heading out with him."
Tang Nahai's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Lin Hai, but his eyes grew sharper, more focused.
In the world of business, there were too many smiling faces masking brutal competition. This was doubly true in the ruthless circles of the aristocracy. Tang Nahai had survived in this world for years—someone like him concealed his thoughts well. Ordinary people could never hope to read his true intentions.
But Lin Hai had grown up on a garbage planet—a place steeped in every kind of vice. His instincts and intuition had been honed in an environment of constant danger, and now those instincts picked up something odd.
Maybe it was nothing more than Lin Wei casually looping her arm around his, but Lin Hai could distinctly feel the wave of hostility emanating from Tang Nahai. It was subtle, but present—in the depth of his gaze, in the stiffness of his posture.
It was the aura of a man who believed Lin Wei belonged to him.
Tang Nahai had dutifully served the Lin family as steward for years, always reliable, always loyal. But that didn't mean he was without ambition. Now, a nobody—a street rat from a garbage star—had disrupted everything. Lin Wei had canceled an important appointment just to go out with him. Tang Nahai didn't know this was just Lin Wei's way of observing Lin Hai. To him, it was an insult.
A bastard child with the tiniest trace of noble blood suddenly became one of the few people in the manor ranked above him? It was a slap in the face to a man who had climbed his way up through relentless effort.
Even if Lin Hai's noble lineage was little more than a scandal and a joke.
Noting the faint condescension in Tang Nahai's gaze, Lin Hai squinted slightly and walked out of the estate alongside Lin Wei, graceful and aloof.
Behind them, Tang Nahai stood watching their retreating backs, his face growing cold and hard.
Lin Wei's vehicle was a bright red luxury car. Her decision to take Lin Hai out caused a small stir within the manor. She hadn't even taken a car when she landed on Riverbank Star, opting instead to pilot her red mecha "Red Waltz" directly from the Wayne Group lab to the estate. After only a quick shower and change of clothes, she went straight to meet Lin Hai. Gossip ran wild.
Everyone assumed she had come to settle accounts.
Her exploits within the Wayne Group were legendary—half myth, half fact. People both respected and feared her. Now seeing Lin Hai get into her car, many felt only pity for him.
Even Li Wei, a steward organizing inventory, sighed when he saw Lin Hai.
"Looks like that boy Lin Hai is in for it."
In the Great Eagle Empire, bastards had always been at the bottom of the social hierarchy. What mattered wasn't bloodline, but legitimacy. History was full of noble families making their illegitimate half-siblings into servants. Even in rare cases where true brotherhood existed, the bastard was always the lesser.
Though people in the estate politely called him "young master," behind his back, they used his name directly.
"Miss Lin Wei must be confronting him about slapping Lin Hao earlier. She flew back just this morning and immediately brought over that 'Red Waltz'—obviously furious. She's not going to make a scene in front of Lord Lin Wei, of course. So she's taking him out to 'talk'—probably to give him a proper beating."
"The young lady has made her move. Just wait—Lin Hai will come back completely crushed. Ask anyone in the company who's been fired—Miss Lin Wei's methods are terrifying!"
Hearing all the gossip, Li An couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
He was a graduate of Riverbank Star's prestigious university, majoring in tourism management. Under normal circumstances, he should be working in a hotel as a concierge. If he was lucky, perhaps working his way into a luxury hotel's management team before the age of thirty.
But there was a highly coveted shortcut—becoming a steward or secretary in a noble household. It was a discreet yet powerful career path. Everyone knew it was one of the top ten hidden professions with the best future potential.
In the Lin family estate, if one served loyally and the family had the means, it wasn't uncommon for a steward to be placed as a regional director or even a general manager in one of their companies—a backdoor to success.
Li An, as a member of the Group's secretary department, naturally had such ambitions. But fate had a cruel sense of humor—his first assignment was to serve Lord Lin Wei's bastard son.
And this son, right upon arrival, had slapped Lin Hao and offended the Lady Ning Qing. Now he'd stirred up a hornet's nest by attracting the attention of Lin Wei herself.
It was clear this illegitimate child would suffer in the days to come. Reality would beat him down until he became meek and obedient—a harmless, invisible presence in the estate.
As for Li An, who had been assigned to him? He'd backed the wrong horse from the start. When the master is diminished, the servant falls. That's how the world works.
Watching Lin Hai step into Lin Wei's luxury car, Li An felt his own future—
shrouded in darkness.