"Why did you do this?"
Hearing Xiao Lin's question, a cold, gloomy smile curled on Liu Qiyue's lips. Her expression darkened.
"Do you remember the Liu family? The second-tier family in Jiangbei City?"
"I have a vague impression..." Xiao Lin replied after a moment of thought. Liu Qiyue occasionally talked about the relationships between the various aristocratic families in Jiangbei City. After all, in a city of over ten million people, it was not unusual for certain families to have maintained power for generations.
"Fifteen years ago, when I was fourteen," Liu Qiyue began, her voice eerily calm, "Lin Tiannan was focused on expanding the Lin Group. He set his sights on the Liu family, which was thriving at the time."
"The Liu family controlled Jiangbei City's coastal export trade, raking in immense profits. Any business in Jiangbei or the surrounding cities that wanted to export goods had to go through us."
"But with great wealth comes great enemies," she continued, her voice growing colder. "Lin Tiannan wanted everything—the thirty-year port rights, the ships, the entire business. He offered Liu Qingsheng, the family patriarch, money to buy him out."
"Liu Qingsheng refused. No matter how many times Lin Tiannan tried to negotiate, my father never wavered. So Lin Tiannan orchestrated a scheme—one that burned my entire family alive."
As she spoke, Liu Qiyue's hands trembled slightly, and crystal-clear tears welled up in her eyes.
Xiao Lin was stunned. She had never expected such a dark past to be hidden beneath the surface of Lin Tiannan's success. To think that he had killed an entire family just for business… it was ruthless beyond imagination.
"And I..." Liu Qiyue took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, "am Liu Qingsheng's youngest daughter."
"I was spared because my father had sent me abroad for my studies. I was living with my aunt at the time, far from Jiangbei. That's the only reason I survived."
After pausing to collect herself, she continued.
"After I graduated, I returned to Kyushu at the perfect time. It was an era when wealthy men loved to marry foreign-educated women. I was young, attractive, and Lin Tiannan had just lost his wife a year prior. So, I orchestrated a 'coincidental' meeting with him."
"We got married, and from that moment on, I began plotting my revenge."
"The reason Lin Fan was expelled from the Lin family? That was my doing as well."
"Lin Fan was my greatest obstacle. If he had grown up under Lin Tiannan's care, he would have inherited everything, and my revenge would have been impossible. But I couldn't bring myself to kill a child… so I arranged an 'accident' that forced Lin Tiannan's hand, leaving him no choice but to cast his son out."
Little did she know at the time that this single act of mercy would eventually unravel all her carefully laid plans.
Xiao Lin listened in silence, her mind a storm of emotions. She didn't know how to judge Liu Qiyue's actions.
On one hand, Liu Qiyue had been ruthless, manipulating Lin Tiannan for years. But on the other hand, she had spared Lin Fan—a sign that she wasn't completely heartless.
More than anything, Xiao Lin realized that Liu Qiyue was merely a product of Lin Tiannan's own cruelty. If he had negotiated fairly with the Liu family instead of resorting to murder, none of this would have happened.
"Do you think I'm a terrible woman?" Liu Qiyue asked suddenly, a self-deprecating smile on her lips.
"No, I don't think that at all," Xiao Lin said sincerely, shaking her head.
She had even stopped addressing her as "Madam" and instead called her "Mr. Liu," a subtle shift that reflected the change in her perception of Liu Qiyue. Learning the truth about Lin Tiannan had altered her feelings toward him entirely.
"Then do you think what I'm doing is right or wrong?" Liu Qiyue asked, her expression slightly dazed.
Her revenge was within reach, yet she felt no joy—only an overwhelming emptiness. The nightmares she had endured for years continued to torment her, and she could no longer bear the weight of them alone. That was why she had called Xiao Lin here tonight.
Xiao Lin hesitated. It was a difficult question.
From a moral standpoint, revenge was wrong. But from a human perspective? Liu Qiyue's actions made perfect sense.
If Liu Qiyue had sought justice through legal means fifteen years ago, Lin Tiannan would have silenced her before she even had the chance to speak. With his immense wealth and power, the truth would have been buried, and Liu Qiyue would have simply vanished like the rest of her family.
After carefully considering her words, Xiao Lin finally spoke.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with what Mr. Liu has done. You were alone and powerless—you had no other choice."
Liu Qiyue exhaled shakily, gripping the edge of the table to keep her emotions in check. A warmth spread through her chest. To be understood… it was a feeling she hadn't experienced in years.
"Thank you," she whispered, blinking back tears.
"I never expected the chairman to be such a man..." Xiao Lin muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
Lin Tiannan had always been praised as a responsible and respected entrepreneur. But now, Xiao Lin realized that those accolades were meaningless—just a façade covering the rot beneath. If anything, the people who spoke highly of him were likely just as corrupt.
"So, Mr. Liu, what are your plans from here?"
Xiao Lin asked, her curiosity piqued.
By asking this, she was making her stance clear—she was on Liu Qiyue's side.
Not just out of gratitude for everything Liu Qiyue had done for her, but because she genuinely believed in her cause.
That man had wiped out her family. That man had destroyed everything she loved. If anyone deserved justice, it was Liu Qiyue.
And Xiao Lin wanted to help her get it.
"That's exactly why I called you here today..." Liu Qiyue smiled, her eyes filled with satisfaction.
She had chosen the right person.
And now, the final phase of her plan was about to begin.