Paternity Test

The hotel manager was sweating profusely.

"Have you still not found the cause of the power outage?" he snapped.

"Sorry, Manager. It might take us a while longer to troubleshoot," the worker replied nervously.

The wiring was too complex—he had no idea where the problem lay. How were they supposed to fix it in just a few minutes?

"What about the generator? Is the generator working?" the manager pressed.

The worker answered, "Manager, it's not an issue with the power supply. We need to identify which line is broken."

"Then hurry up! We can’t afford any more delays," the hotel manager said anxiously.

In the pitch-black hotel lobby, the noise grew louder.

Butler Wang rubbed his hands together impatiently and asked, "Young Master Lin, when will things officially begin?"

He was eager for the drama to unfold.

After waiting so long, he could hardly contain his excitement.

Lin Xuan checked the time and nodded. "Yes, it's been long enough. It's time to turn on the big screen."

"Got it!"

Butler Wang eagerly turned his attention back to the screen.

Lin Xuan took out his phone and began tapping away.

Click—

A moment later, the sound of a switch flipping echoed through the room, and the big screen flickered to life.

The crowd erupted in excitement.

"It's happening! The screen is finally on! Better late than never—now we get to see the show!"

"I knew it wasn’t just a simple power outage. There had to be more to it."

The attendees of the Jiang Family banquet were all socialites, business tycoons, wealthy ladies, or young masters. Most of them had impeccable manners, but gossip was in every Chinese person’s blood—they were no exception.

Now, every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on the screen.

Lin Li’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor, his face ashen.

Everything was over.

As the screen lit up, two documents appeared.

Gasps filled the room.

"It's paternity test results! One for Jiang Shuqin and Lin Li, and another for Jiang Shuqin and Lin Xuan!"

"So Jiang Shuqin really is the Jiang Family’s daughter, and Lin Xuan is her biological son. That means Lin Xuan is the true grandson the Jiangs are recognizing—Lin Li is just an impostor!"

"Tsk tsk, I thought Lin Li’s mother was the one related to the Jiang Family. Turns out it really was Jiang Shuqin."

"How bold of Lin Li to deceive the Jiang Family like this!"

Lin Li stared at the expressions on the Jiang Family’s faces, his mind buzzing.

Only one thought consumed him: I’m finished.

All his efforts over the past few months had been for nothing.

A complete waste!

This must have been Lin Xuan’s doing.

Jiang Yutong scoffed. "No wonder I never felt any connection to Lin Li. On the other hand, I always had this strong urge to treat Lin Xuan like a younger brother."

So Lin Li wasn’t her cousin—Lin Xuan was.

Still, she was relieved Lin Li was a fraud. She had disliked him from the start, but out of courtesy as family, she had tolerated him. Now, she wouldn’t have to pretend anymore.

"Eldest Sister, I told you Lin Li was up to no good, but you didn’t believe me," Jiang Yutong said coldly.

Jiang Manting’s expression was complicated. "I was wrong about this."

Normally, she would have thoroughly investigated Lin Li’s background. But because he knew so much about Jiang Shuqin’s past, she had taken him at his word.

Their entire family had been fooled by Lin Li.

"What exactly is going on here?" Grandpa Jiang demanded, his face dark.

A man in the crowd spoke up. "Grandpa Jiang, you might not know this, but Lin Xuan went missing from the Lin Family when he was very young. By the time he was brought back, he was already around ten years old—and by then, the Lin Family already had Lin Li."

"After his return, Lin Xuan was neglected. The Lin Family even forced him to cut ties with them. Meanwhile, Lin Li, an adopted son, was treated like their own flesh and blood."

"Lin Li isn’t just guilty of impersonating a Jiang descendant. He’s also cheated on his partners and committed marriage fraud. If you look into it, you’ll find proof."

"Someone with such poor character would never tolerate Lin Xuan returning to the Lin Family and stealing the affection he enjoyed. I strongly suspect Lin Li is the reason the Lin Family treated Lin Xuan so poorly!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

"Lin Xuan leaving the Lin Family was probably all Lin Li’s doing. Lin Xuan had it rough—constantly schemed against by someone like Lin Li. Thank goodness he’s resilient, or he’d have been crushed by the Lin Family long ago."

"The Lin Family really is foolish, favoring an adopted son over their own flesh and blood."

"What a spectacle."

Jiang Shuqin’s mind flashed with memories of the past.

Could Li’er really have framed Lin Xuan?

She immediately dismissed the thought.

No, impossible. If Li’er had wanted Lin Xuan gone, he wouldn’t have pleaded for leniency on his behalf so many times.

But then… why had Lin Li betrayed her and gone to the Jiang Family behind her back?

Was it really just for the Jiang Family’s status and wealth?

Jiang Yutong and Jiang Manting exchanged glances, their eyes filled with sympathy for Lin Xuan.

They had no idea he had endured so much…

The man in the crowd smirked.

Back when Starlight Group was still thriving, his family had needed to maintain good relations with them.

Lin Li had bullied him relentlessly.

He had been waiting for revenge.

Now that Starlight Group had collapsed, he wasn’t about to let Lin Li cozy up to the Jiang Family and gain their protection.

When he learned the Jiang Family’s recognition banquet was for Lin Li, he had a hunch—

What if Jiang Shuqin is actually the Jiang Family’s daughter, and Lin Li is impersonating Lin Xuan? What if Lin Xuan is the real grandson?

He wasn’t sure, but he decided to gamble on it.

And he had been right.

Lin Li was a fraud!

Now that he had exposed everything, all that was left was to watch the fallout.

The Jiang Family wouldn’t let Lin Li off easy after this deception.

"Lin Li, can you honestly say everything I’ve said is a lie?" the man sneered.

"No! I didn’t do any of that!" Lin Li shouted, his voice frantic. "You’re lying! Lin Xuan was the one with terrible behavior—that’s why Mom, Dad, and my sisters disliked him! What does that have to do with me?"