Chapter 81 Fate

"Go take a shower first, I'll go to the kitchen to make some honey water," Lin Na said to Sheng Jiaoyang.

Sheng Jiaoyang nodded, and quite unceremoniously rummaged through Lin Na's wardrobe for pajamas and new underwear before going into the bathroom.

When she came out of the shower, she found that Lin Na hadn't returned yet, which she found strange, so she went out to look for her. Sheng Jiaoyang was no stranger to Lin Na's house; for a time, she almost considered it her own home.

Halfway down the stairs, Sheng Jiaoyang slowed her pace. She saw Lin Na sitting on the sofa in the living room, along with Aunt Lin and Lin Yan. However, to her surprise, she also saw Lin Yu.

Lin Yu? What was he doing here?

Sheng Jiaoyang's footsteps also attracted the attention of the people in the living room.

"Jiaojiao, come here," Lin Na beckoned to her.

"Jiaojiao?" Lin Xuejun looked at her daughter in confusion.

"Her name is Xu Jiaojiao, she's my best friend." Lin Na and Sheng Jiaoyang had already agreed not to reveal Sheng Jiaoyang's true identity to avoid unnecessary trouble.

“I’ve never met her before.”

“Because Jiaojiao is someone I met when I went to China last time, we fell in love at first sight…”

“Ahem!” Lin Xuejun coughed lightly, reminding her, “It was more like instant connection.”

Lin Na shrugged, “Isn’t that pretty much it?”

Lin Xuejun shook her head helplessly, then gave Sheng Jiaoyang a gentle and friendly smile, saying, “Welcome to our home. If you need anything, just tell Nana or me.”

“Okay, Aunt Lin.” Sheng Jiaoyang smiled back.

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Xuejun’s eyes. If it weren’t for the fact that their height and appearance were different, she would have thought that Jiaoyang had returned. She turned to look at Lin Yan and saw that he was also looking at this girl named Xu Jiaojiao. She subtly re-examined the girl sitting with Lin Na, not revealing her thoughts.

Sheng Jiaoyang looked at Lin Yu, her gaze lingering on Lin Yu and Lin Yan’s faces, her expression becoming somewhat strange.

So, they really are relatives? Could they even be brothers?

“Jiaojiao, he’s my uncle’s son,” Lin Na answered Sheng Jiaoyang’s question.

“Your uncle?” Sheng Jiaoyang couldn’t help but turn to look at Lin Xuejun. She had never heard Aunt Lin mention her family background in all these years and had always assumed she was an orphan.

“Hello! We meet again.” Lin Yu smiled at her.

“You two knew each other before?” Lin Yan asked.

“Of course they know each other, boyfriend and girlfriend…” Lin Na realized she had let something slip and quickly stopped herself.

Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at Lin Na silently, hoping she wouldn’t mess things up!

“She’s my girlfriend’s friend; we’ve met before,” Lin Yu said.

“Xiao Yu has a girlfriend?” Lin Xuejun said gently.

Lin Yu nodded, then said sadly, “It’s a pity she had an accident, otherwise I would definitely have brought her to meet my aunt.”

Lin Na and Sheng Jiaoyang exchanged a strange look.

Lin Na was thinking, this cousin actually likes Xiao Taiyang so much.

Sheng Jiaoyang thought to herself, "Luckily, she had an accident, otherwise Lin Yu would have gotten even deeper into trouble."

"An accident? Is it serious?" Lin Xuejun asked worriedly.

"I don't know, I can't contact her." Lin Yu shook his head, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up at Sheng Jiaoyang sitting opposite him and asked urgently, "You're Jiaoyang's friend, do you know where Jiaoyang is receiving treatment?"

"Jiaoyang?" "Jiaoyang?"

Two people spoke almost simultaneously.

"What's wrong?" Lin Yu was startled, looking at his aunt and cousin, whose expressions seemed strange

. Lin Yan took a deep breath, suppressing his out-of-control expression.

Lin Xuejun glanced at Lin Yan and asked Lin Yu, "Is your girlfriend named Sheng Jiaoyang?"

"Aunt, how did you know? Do you know Jiaoyang?" Lin Yu asked in surprise.

Lin Xuejun smiled, pointed at Lin Na, and said, "What a coincidence! Jiaoyang and our Nana are best friends, like sisters. Jiaoyang used to come to our house often, and I treat her like my second daughter."

"I see, no wonder Aunt and Cousin were so surprised. Do you know Jiaoyang's current situation, Cousin?" Lin Yu asked.

Of course I know! Lin Na's lips almost curled up uncontrollably. She suppressed her smile and said, "I'm looking for her too."

Lin Yu looked at Sheng Jiaoyang again. He didn't know the real person was here. Seeing her shake her head, he looked disappointed.

Lin Yan remained silent. The thought of Jiaoyang finding a boyfriend as soon as she returned to the country made him feel uneasy.

"Let's go back to our room to rest first." Lin Na pulled Sheng Jiaoyang upstairs.

Lin Xuejun said gently to Lin Yu, "Xiao Yu, don't be sad. Jiaoyang is a good girl, she'll be alright. It's getting late, you should rest early."

"Okay, Aunt, you go to sleep first!"

Lin Xuejun nodded and went upstairs to rest.

"Cousin, aren't you going to rest?" Lin Yu asked Lin Yan.

Lin Yan narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked, "When did you and Jiao Yang get together?"

"My cousin is actually interested in this?" Lin Yu wondered, but still replied, "We were only really together for a little over a month before she had that accident."

"She... she's better now, nothing's wrong. Get some rest!" Lin Yan also went back to his room.

Lin Yu watched his cousin's departing figure. He felt that his aunt's family avoided mentioning Jiao Yang, but he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

Back in her room, Lin Na chatted with Sheng Jiao Yang about the family reunion for a few minutes, and then Lin Na went to the bathroom to shower. Sheng Jiao Yang, however, wasn't sleepy. She pushed open the balcony door and went out onto the balcony.

The balcony had been transformed into a small garden, with various flowers and plants, a hanging chair, and a small round table.

Sheng Jiao Yang looked at the potted plants on the circular shelf next to the hanging chair—succulents, cacti, onions, and so on—all little trinkets. The twinkling light bulbs wrapped around the shelf gave these plants a different feel. She raised her hand, her fingers gliding over the delicate little pots, her eyes filled with nostalgia.

"Brother Lin Yan, I'm going to Germany with Grandpa for a while. I'm entrusting this little chubby thing to you. I don't trust that girl Mei Niu; I'm afraid she'll destroy the evidence if I leave it in her hands."

"Brother Lin Yan, I found an onion on the road. I feel sorry for it. Could you take care of it for me?"

"Brother Lin Yan, don't you think this ball is special? It's said to protect against radiation. You can keep it!"

"Brother Lin Yan..."

Sheng Jiaoyang closed her eyes, suddenly annoyed by her excellent memory.

She sighed, sat on the hanging chair, and gently swayed back.

"Are you and Jiaoyang friends too?" A voice suddenly came from the side.

Sheng Jiaoyang turned her head and saw Lin Yan walking over from the other side with a wine glass in his hand. Only then did she remember that this balcony was connected to Lin Yan's bedroom