Chapter 0165

Seeing their young mistress now able to wear the smile of a happy woman, the feeling was as sweet as if they themselves had drunk honeyed water.

"The young mistress is wonderful too. I've lost count of how much she's done for Young Master Lin. Just take the incident when he burned down the garden—those were all rare and expensive flowers and trees. Yet the mistress just said lightly, 'If Ah Ran doesn’t like them, then replant different ones.' How absurd is that?"

"I remember that incident too, but I think the most outrageous was when Young Master Lin fed the crocodiles pesticide. The mistress had their skins turned into a whole room of custom-made shoes for him."

"Look at the way the mistress gazes at Young Master Lin—it’s full of love."

"Yes, it’s hard to imagine such a look ever appearing on the mistress before."

Just then, Lin Ran's phone rang. Seeing a familiar number, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Granny Wang? Why are you calling me?"

On the other end of the line was the former housekeeper of the Lin family.

After Lin Tianba sold the house and moved into the company, she had lost her job.

The Lin family was picky, but they had been satisfied with Granny Wang’s work and promised to rehire her in the future.

But that wait had dragged on until now, and Granny Wang had been unemployed for a long time.

After some thought, she reached out to the former young master.

"Young Master, how... how have you been lately?"

"Granny Wang, I’m doing well. If you have something to say, just say it."

Granny Wang knew Lin Ran’s temperament well. Aside from his complicated feelings about family, he had always been likable in other ways.

"Young Master, I’ve been out of work for a while. At my age, finding a job is difficult. My grandson is frail and sickly, and the medical expenses every month are steep. I’ve run out of options, so I had to trouble you. Do you think you could help me find a job? I’m hardworking—you know that."

Granny Wang was kind-hearted and hated burdening others. That she had turned to Lin Ran meant she was truly desperate.

"Granny Wang, I’ve already cut ties with Lin Tianba. Don’t call me 'Young Master' anymore. If you don’t mind, just call me Xiao Lin."

"That wouldn’t do! How about 'Young Master Lin'?" Granny Wang quickly amended over the phone.

Lin Ran: "Fine. About what you mentioned—I’ll help you."

"Thank you, Young Master Lin. By the way, has Madam... Liu Yuemei or Lin Tianba been giving you trouble lately?" Now that her own worries were eased, Granny Wang turned her concern to Lin Ran.

"They tried, but I ended up bullying them instead."

Granny Wang was momentarily stunned. Young Master Lin had bullied Liu Yuemei?

Well, he had done it before.

The last time, he had beaten the entire Lin family until they were wailing for mercy.

Even Lin Tianba had been forced to cry out "Daddy!" in surrender.

Granny Wang thought Lin Ran had done the right thing. After all these years, he had finally grown a spine and learned to defend himself.

The Lin family had never been good people anyway.

If not for her need to keep her job, Granny Wang would have long since "taken care of" them.

"That’s good, Young Master Lin. You’re a good boy—don’t let anyone bully you."

"Don’t worry, Granny Wang. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now. I’ll contact you once I’ve arranged a job for you."

"Alright, Young Master Lin."

After hanging up, Lin Ran turned to Luo Yao.

"Granny Wang helped me before, and she’s diligent and reliable. If there’s space in the estate, let’s give her a place. If not, I’ll ask Wu Zhishang to arrange a cleaning job for her."

Lin Ran knew Granny Wang well and trusted her completely.

If he simply gave her money, she would refuse—she was too proud for that. The only way to help her was to give her work.

Luo Yao nodded. "Fine, let her come."

Luo Yao was also familiar with Granny Wang. She knew everyone connected to Lin Ran.

Back when Lin Ran was the unwanted outcast of the Lin family, Granny Wang had been the only one who treated him kindly.

When Lin Ran was beaten, it was Granny Wang who secretly brought him medicine.

When he was punished without food, it was Granny Wang who fed him.

Without her, Lin Ran might have starved to death in the Lin household long ago.

This world had its share of bad people, but also good ones—like Wu Zhishang, Uncle Fu, and Granny Wang.

As for Luo Yao herself, she didn’t consider herself a good person.

And Lin Ran? He didn’t think he was one either.

A useless, freeloading, scheming, vengeful, borderline psychotic man—how could he be called good?

But Lin Ran had one defining trait: he remembered those who were kind to him and would pull them up when he had the chance.

Of course, he also remembered those who wronged him—and would destroy them given the opportunity.

Lin Ran was slightly surprised by Luo Yao’s response.

After all, Granny Wang wasn’t one of the long-serving staff Luo Yao had personally trained, nor was she accustomed to the estate’s routines and the mistress’s preferences. That Luo Yao agreed to take her in was purely out of respect for him.

"Yao Yao, thank you."

"Shh—if you dare say 'thank you' to me one more time, I’ll cut out your tongue so you can never speak again."

Lin Ran shuddered and immediately admitted his mistake.

"My bad. With my wife, there’s no need for thanks."

Luo Yao nodded. That was the correct answer.

Lin Ran thought for a moment, then added a precautionary warning.

"Granny Wang might take some time to adjust. If she makes mistakes, I hope my wife will be merciful and spare her life."

Luo Yao: "Don’t worry. Uncle Fu will teach her how things are done here."

Lin Ran: "Uncle Fu really knows a lot—and seems skilled in everything. Now he’s even training servants? That old man’s full of surprises."

Luo Yao glanced at him and said coolly, "Don’t underestimate him."

Even she wasn’t entirely confident of beating him one-on-one.

Her odds were only about ninety percent.

"I’ve never underestimated that old man, okay?"

Lin Ran had learned firsthand just how formidable Uncle Fu was in his past life.

Back then, all he had wanted was to escape, but he could never slip past Uncle Fu’s watchful eyes.

And Uncle Fu’s talents went far beyond that—he was the real deal.

Firearms, combat, management, training, surveillance—his expertise was vast, and he excelled in every field.

Back then, they had been on opposing sides. Though Lin Ran respected the old man, hatred had overshadowed that.

Half the reason he had struggled to escape the estate was Uncle Fu.

Now, things were different. Lin Ran saw him as a friend, even a father figure. It was Uncle Fu who had repeatedly urged him to treat Luo Yao better.

Looking back, he wondered—just how full of himself had he been?

Just then, Uncle Fu appeared.