Chapter 37: The Deputy Director’s Note Emerges; Reclaiming the Ancestral Home!

Shen Zhiyao’s face was flushed a deep, rosy red, like a perfectly ripened apple. Even her delicate earlobes were tinged with pink. She stood there, looking completely at a loss, her hands fumbling awkwardly. Where had the usual arrogance and pride of the eldest daughter of the Shen family gone? If any outsider were to see this stark contrast, their jaws would surely hit the floor.

After a brief moment of dizziness and shyness, Shen Zhiyao seemed to remember something suddenly. She hurried to reach for her slender neck and unclasped a limited-edition Cartier diamond-encrusted necklace from her swan-like throat.

"Si-sister, hello!" Shen Zhiyao’s voice carried a hint of imperceptible trembling. "Sis-sister-in-law didn't know you were coming today, so I didn't prepare a greeting gift in advance... Please, take this for now; please don’t turn your nose up at it! I’ll make it up to you with something much better another day!"

Xiang Wan stared at the dazzling necklace sparkling with brilliant light, completely stunned. "Car-Cartier? And it's covered in diamonds, for heaven's sake!"

In an instant, Xiang Wan felt a pang of sisterly greed. A necklace like this cost at least seven figures! Just what kind of god-tier, wealthy beauty had her brother managed to hook? After the shock subsided, a powerful sense of "my status rises with my brother's" mission surged within her! Since her sister-in-law was so generous, she, as the sister, had to reciprocate!

"Sister-in-law! You are too kind!" Xiang Wan regained her composure, her face blooming with an even brighter, twelve-part enthusiastic smile. "Wait right here! I have a gift for you too! It’s perfect for you and my brother!"

With that, she turned and dashed back into the kitchen like a small whirlwind.

Lin Ran, lying on a lounge chair, felt his eyelid twitch. A deeply ominous premonition instantly gripped him. Sure enough, less than ten seconds later, Xiang Wan emerged, carefully cradling a bowl. The bowl contained a thick, steaming soup that emitted a complex and pungent odor. She presented it to Shen Zhiyao like a treasure, her eyes sparkling with pride and an indescribable expectation.

"Sister-in-law! This is my freshly brewed 'Ten-Ingredient Vitality Soup'! My exclusive secret recipe! I guarantee it will make you two tonight..."

"Get out!!!"

Lin Ran finally reached his breaking point. He sprang up from the chair, pointing toward the courtyard gate, his face as dark as a soot-covered pot. "You two! Now! Immediately! Get the hell out of here!!!"

Xiang Wan was stunned by the roar, but then her willow-leaf brows shot up. She stood with her hands on her hips and glared at her brother. "Brother! Did you swallow gunpowder? How can you talk to your sister-in-law like that?! Why are you being so fierce?!"

Shen Zhiyao, on the other hand, seemed scorched by Lin Ran’s anger and immediately retracted all her little temperaments. She pulled on the indignant Xiang Wan, her voice softening into something almost ingratiating, sounding even a bit pitiful.

"Don't... don't speak to your brother like that... Sister-in-law... is used to it..."

"Huh?"

Xiang Wan’s mouth dropped into an O-shape, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. She looked from the "pitiful" Shen Zhiyao to her furious brother; the CPU in her brain completely fried. This impossibly beautiful, wealthy sister-in-law who handed out million-dollar necklaces just like that... was actually...

The next second, the look in Xiang Wan’s eyes toward Lin Ran shifted completely, filled with mountain-high admiration. She secretly and swiftly gave Lin Ran a thumbs-up.

*Eating soft rice with a hard attitude! Brother, you are truly legendary!*

Lin Ran felt a wave of darkness pass before his eyes. "Get out, get out, get out! Go away and stop being an eyesore!"

Shen Zhiyao pouted her pink lips. "Hmph, as if I wanted to stay anyway." She grabbed Xiang Wan’s hand. "Let's go! Come shopping with me! I’ll buy you new clothes! And bags!"

Xiang Wan felt a flicker of joy, but she said, "Oh, sister-in-law, there's no need to spend so much! Look at my clothes, I bought them last year, and these shoes are from the year before—they aren't broken yet, they're still wearable!"

Lin Ran felt like he was on the verge of a brain hemorrhage. Xiang Wan’s outfit was clearly brand new, bought with the one million he had transferred to her. But Shen Zhiyao didn't know that. Hearing that her brother’s sister was still wearing clothes from years ago, how could she let that stand?

"No! We must buy new ones! Listen to sister-in-law! Let’s go!"

Subsequently, the yandere led the lunatic away in a flurry of activity. Before leaving, Xiang Wan didn't forget to turn back and make a face at Lin Ran, as if to say: *Brother, my Chanel for the rest of my life depends on you!*

Lin Ran watched their rapidly disappearing backs and irritably raked his hair. The world was finally quiet!

His gaze swept over the bowl of "Ten-Ingredient Vitality Soup" on the small stone table, still giving off a strange, hazy steam, the air filled with an indescribable mixture of medicinal herbs and the fishy scent of seafood. He walked over, stirred it disdainfully with a spoon, lifted a small amount, and blew on it.

"Tsk..." He took a small sip. "What on earth did this girl brew?"

The taste was bizarre—neither salty nor bland, with an earthy, muddy undertone from improperly cleaned oysters. Nevertheless, Lin Ran picked up the large bowl and downed it in one go. There was no special reason; he was simply hungry. Besides, the ingredients were quite expensive; one shouldn't waste them, right?

...

After drinking two large bowls of the vitality soup, Lin Ran arrived at a neighborhood administrative office. Old Zhang, the office director, was sipping tea. When he looked up and saw it was him, a clear look of impatience crossed his face.

"Oh, Little Lin? Why are you here again?" Seeing Lin Ran made Old Zhang’s head start to ache. "Haven't I told you eight hundred times? Forget about that residence! Who can prove it’s your family’s ancestral home? Besides, didn't the organization already coordinate a courtyard for your family? A standalone courtyard house! What a great deal. People should learn to be content, eh?"

"Be a good lad and go back. Don't come here to make a scene." Old Zhang waved his hand as if shooing away an annoying fly.

Lin Ran’s face showed no sign of impatience; instead, he curled his lips into a smile. "Who said no one can prove it?"

He slowly and methodically pulled a neatly folded slip of paper from his pocket, walked over to the desk, and gently smoothed it out. "Director Zhang, please... take a good look at this. Can this person prove it?"

Old Zhang leaned in suspiciously, squinting his reading glasses to peer at the note. "This certifies that... it is indeed the legal ancestral property of Mr. Lin Jingxuan... this document serves as proof... Political Department of the Eighth Route Army..."

*Boom!*

In an instant, Old Zhang felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his head! He jerked upright, his face turning deathly pale in a flash. "Little Lin, where... where did you get this? This... this is no laughing matter! This could cost heads!"

Lin Ran smiled. "It was passed down by my ancestors; I only just found it recently."

"If you want to know if it's fake or real, why don't you take a photo and have the superiors authenticate it? Won't it be perfectly clear then?"

Old Zhang felt a chill run through him under Lin Ran’s gaze; how could he dare to be negligent? This matter was too big. He couldn't hide it, and he didn't dare to. It was better to leave the headache to his superiors.

After the director took several photos from different angles, Lin Ran took back the note. "I’ll wait for your news. As soon as possible."

With those words, he vanished out the door. In the office, only Old Zhang remained standing there, his face flickering with uncertainty.