Chapter 67: Discovering Secrets

  Second watch seeking pink!

  Lin Zhaoyan went straight to the study, and as expected, he pushed open the door and saw Lin Chen hunched over in front of the bookcase, rummaging through it. On the floor was a messy pile of scrolls, and many books were scattered all over the place.

  "Father, what are you looking for?" Lin Zhaoyan stood at the door for a while before finding an empty space to step into.

  Don't think that Lin Chen can just throw these books and paintings around, if she dares to step on one, there will be good consequences.

  "A painting of the Three Friends of Winter by Mr. Cheng Xi." Lin Chen replied, turning his head to invite Lin Zhao to sit down at will, and then continued to work diligently with his head down.

  Cheng Xi old master was a famous calligrapher and painter of the previous dynasty, his treasures were hard to come by. This "Years Cold Three Friends Picture" was obtained by Lin Chen with great effort and wealth, it has been carefully collected all along, how could it be gone?

  Lin Zhaoyan hastily placed the painting on the desk, then squatted down to carefully pick up the books and paintings and put them away properly. Only then did he walk forward and say: "I'll help you look! Two people can find it faster."

  Lin Chen nodded and pointed to the bookshelf on the east side, "You go there to find it, Father has almost flipped through this side."

  "Have you searched everywhere in the painting tube?" Lin Zhaoyan asked.

  Lin Chen's books and paintings were placed extremely irregularly, with paintings in the bookcase and books in the painting tube. Basically, he would think of something, flip to it, and then casually throw it away. If no one came to clean up for him, he wouldn't do it himself.

  Throughout the entire mansion, there was no one else who dared to touch his paintings and calligraphy except for Lin Zhao Yan.

  Lin Chen was busy unfolding the dozen or so scrolls he had just gathered, and replied absent-mindedly: "I don't know, whatever. You can look for it casually, if not, Father will have to clear out all these paintings anyway."

  Lin Zhaoyan was speechless, and in this way, he feared that many of the young servants and maids who served him would burst out laughing again.

  Who doesn't know that every time Lin San Ye cleans his study, he throws away a large batch of things. Those things are sold out and can be compared to their annual silver example.

  "Never mind, just take your time to look for it." Lin Zhaoyan said: "Some things may seem worthless to you now, but they were bought at a high price back then. If you throw them away casually, mother will be angry with you again."

  Lin Chen's refusal to indulge in worldly pleasures is a far cry from Liu's pragmatic approach, which also explains why the couple never had any major conflicts but their relationship remained lukewarm.

  "Then I'll give them all to you and Ruo'er." Lin Chen replied casually.

  Alright...

  Lin Zhaoyan silently lowered his head. He casually flipped through the few scrolls of paintings placed inside the bookcase and asked, "This aimless search isn't a solution either. Do you still remember when we last saw that painting?"

  Lin Chen's study has collected at least a few hundred paintings. He would often take them out to appreciate when he had nothing to do.

  Lin Chen furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, "I remember putting it in this bookcase, but I just can't find it. If I weren't thinking of helping you evaluate paintings with Yan Ge today, I wouldn't have thought of taking out that painting as a reference."

  "Perhaps you sometimes imitate that painting, and accidentally confuse it with your own." Lin Zhaoyan said, glancing around at the several paint tubes placed beside his desk, his gaze suddenly falling on a particular celadon-colored tube that he never let anyone easily touch.

  She remembered that Lin Chen had put a painting he drew himself in it last time.

  This should be a special picture tube for placing one's own proud works.

  "Father, perhaps it's inside," Lin Zhaoyan said, walking a few steps forward and casually picking out one of the paintings to unroll...

  "Don't touch those paintings!" Lin Chen shouted loudly. He rushed forward quickly and snatched the painting out of Lin Zhao Yan's hands.

  Lin Zhaoyan was startled by his sudden roar and movement, hastily retreating a few steps back, almost falling over.

  "Father......" She stared blankly at Lin Chen, unable to react.

  That painting. That painting is actually...

  A woman!

  Although she hadn't had a chance to see clearly, from her hair and clothing, it was undoubtedly a woman, and this woman she had no impression of.

  Not Liu's wife, nor Wan Niang, and even less Old Lady Lin...

  How could Lin Chen paint a strange woman? Isn't he always courteous and never flirtatious outside?

  She had always thought that Lin Chen was a rare good man in the old society, who respected his wife and treated his concubine properly, without any fault.

  He was a man she thought was almost perfect, yet he secretly painted portraits of other women in private, and that feeling seemed to be extremely deep.

  Lin Zhaoyan had a taste that she couldn't express in words. Although she didn't have much of a mother-daughter relationship with Liu, she also didn't want another woman living in her father's heart...

  This concept is completely different from doting on a young girl.

  Once a woman occupies a man's heart, it is easy to tempt him into doing something irrational. She was afraid that one day Lin Chen would "favor the concubine and abandon the wife".

  "Zhaor, yes, sorry." Lin Chen's hand holding the painting scroll trembled slightly as he looked at Lin Zhaoyan's shocked eyes, knowing she had misunderstood, but not knowing how to explain.

  "I'm fine." Lin Zhaoyan had calmed down, she reached out to brush aside the bangs in front of her forehead and took a deep breath before asking: "Does mother know?"

  Lin Chen was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "She knows."

  Lin Zhaoyan's eyes widened in surprise, how did Liu know? It turned out she had worried for nothing. But what was going on? If they knew, why was the manor still so calm? She hadn't even heard a single rumor.

  Or did this thing already exist before she was born?

  It's been over a decade since I last saw that woman, it's really far-fetched to still remember her. She must have gotten married long ago!

  Lin Zhaoyan wanted to ask, but as an unmarried girl at home, it was not suitable for her to ask about such things. She also felt that since Liu knew, she must have known how to handle it, and it wasn't up to her, a daughter, to worry about it here. So she nodded and said: "Continue looking for the painting, I just accidentally moved Father's things, sorry."

  Lin Chen saw Lin Zhao's sudden calmness and was somewhat at a loss, "Zhao'er, are you angry with your father?"

  "No." Lin Zhaoyan shook his head, pursed his lips and said: "Father is not a child, he has his own measure of doing things. Moreover, you also said that Mother knows this woman, so you must have coordinated with each other earlier. I won't make any rash judgments."

  Lin Chen suddenly felt an unbearable heartache, and his eyes couldn't help but redden.

  He really wanted to tell Zhao Er, "This woman" is your biological mother, who has suffered all the hardships and difficulties. But now, due to a series of mistakes, Yan Ran has become "this woman" in Zhao Er's mouth, with even a hint of hostility in her tone.

  Yes! No matter what, Liu would still be her mother in Zhao's heart, so how could she be friendly to a woman who might steal her father away?

  Xiao Er is kind but not without principles.