Chapter 44: A Wager of Lives

The manager of the resort could not help looking somewhat surprised upon hearing that they wanted to go out on the reservoir in inflatable boats at this hour.

"The lighting over there is really not very good in the middle of the night."

"It's fine." Mu Bai paid directly. "Just have the inflatable boats sent over."

He would grant any wish of Wanwan's.

Let alone something as simple as wanting to play with an inflatable boat.

"But it rained just the day before yesterday, and the water by the reservoir is very deep..."

"I'll inform you in advance, the reservoir is probably seven or eight meters deep."

"The lifeguards have all gone off duty at this hour. I advise you to wait until tomorrow morning."

Mu Bai increased the price.

"Then temporarily assign lifeguards to come over."

Tempted by the substantial sum, the manager relented. "Alright then, I'll go over and keep an eye on things myself."

At that moment, someone delivered a case of bottled water.

"Are these the water bottles ordered by the Lin family?"

Mu Bai took a look. "Oh, you can leave them there. I know."

He had no idea that someone would be so thoughtful as to order drinking water ahead of time.

With the weather being extremely hot, they certainly were getting a bit thirsty.

The staff delivered the inflatable boats to the reservoir.

Carrying the case of water, Mu Bai walked over and sat down by the edge of the reservoir.

"Are you all thirsty? Have some water first, or you'll probably stay out on the boats having too much fun before coming back to shore."

The weather was stiflingly warm.

Qin Lian had no desire to go out on the water. "Oh, you young people go ahead and play. I'm not going."

"There are too many mosquitoes here, I'm heading back to my room to sleep."

As a major entrepreneur, Lin Tiancheng naturally had no interest in such childish activities.

However, he was still supportive of them having some casual fun.

"Yun鹤, I'll leave things here in your hands."

As the eldest brother, Lin Yun鹤 naturally felt it was his duty. "Rest assured, I promise to keep a close eye on them. We'll head back in two hours at most."

Lin Tiancheng and Qin Lian accompanied the staff who delivered the boats back to their lodgings.

The reservoir was not far from the resort itself.

The night road was quiet, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas and birds on both sides.

"Seeing Momo finally starting to fit into the group brings me a great deal of comfort."

Qin Lian dismissively replied, "That child Momo is just too vicious at heart."

"Not necessarily. After all, she was still quite young before, and with no one to guide her specifically, it's normal for her to be a bit selfish in nature," Lin Tiancheng said with a hearty laugh.

"If you ask me, it would still be better for Momo to marry into the Mu family, while Wanwan is destined to marry someone in the capital."

"Even though Mu Bai likes our Wanwan, City A is ultimately far too small."

Ever since learning that the CEO of YaoMing Group was going to make an appearance, Lin Tiancheng had spent the last two days calculating how to get close to him while also longing for the glorious day they could return to the capital in triumph.

By then, they would undoubtedly need to rely on political marriages to consolidate their status.

They had to pick the absolute best fiancé for Wanwan.

The couple walked along side by side.

The five brothers were all ready.

However, with two people per inflatable boat and someone needing to paddle at both the bow and the stern, there were eight of them in total.

The division was quite straightforward.

"Wanwan, you're sitting with me." Lin Jianchen stepped straight into an inflatable boat, holding a paddle in his hand. "Come on over, I guarantee you won't have to expend an ounce of energy."

"That won't do at all. Wanwan is riding with me," Lin Qinglang said, raising his chin slightly. "Right?"

Lin Juan refused to be outdone. "I'm always the busiest one. Wanwan spends all day at home with you guys, and now she's about to leave for school. How can you guys have the nerve to fight me for her?"

Lin Yun鹤 shook his head. "I think you should all stop arguing. Wanwan sharing a boat with me is the most reliable option."

Mu Bai felt a slight urge to speak up as well.

However, with all five of her brothers present, he felt too embarrassed to push himself forward.

Lin Wan was simply as hot a commodity as a freshly baked pastry, fiercely contested by everyone.

She exchanged a few playful jests and jokes with her four brothers.

Then she took a couple of sips of water.

Lin Hen walked over to Lin Momo. "Momo, I'll go with you."

Lin Momo raised her eyes to look at Lin Hen. "Are you feeling grateful to me because of what happened at the racing track earlier?"

"Not entirely for that reason." Lin Hen averted his gaze. "You're my sister too, and looking after you is only right."

"Wanwan has the four of them, so I'll pair up with you."

Lin Momo let out an "oh." "You find me all alone and pathetic."

"I never expected you to be so kind-hearted now. It doesn't seem like you at all."

Lin Hen had no idea why he was changing either.

"Get on."

Lin Momo was the first to board the inflatable boat, taking a seat at the bow with a paddle in her hands.

However, before Lin Hen could step aboard, Lin Wan moved ahead of him and climbed into the boat.

"Second brother, us girls are sitting together, so don't join in on the fun."

"Fifth brother, help me turn on the camera. I've set it to photography mode."

"It shoots very clearly even at night, to document our very first time going out to play together."

Lin Qinglang didn't think much of it. He adjusted the camera and placed it in a spot where it could capture all of them.

Lin Jianchen strongly disagreed. "How many times has Lin Momo harmed you already? You still dare to team up with her? Have you forgotten what pain feels like?"

"Don't make your brother angry, get down right now."

"Fourth brother, you shouldn't hold such prejudices. I've always believed that Momo is a good sister to me."

Smiling brightly, Lin Wan began to paddle, and the inflatable boat quickly drifted away from the shore.

The brothers behind them shouted a few words of concern.

Yet Lin Wan paid them no mind.

The gentle, rolling surface of the water reflected the hazy glow of the shore lights.

In truth, boating on the reservoir at night carried a considerable degree of danger.

And that was precisely the kind of danger Lin Wan desired.

"Momo, you know what? Actually, I'm quite envious of you."

Gazing steadily at her, Lin Momo let out a cold laugh. "Envious of what?"

"Everything I have, you have. And everything I don't have, you have as well."

Lin Wan curved the corner of her lips. "Naturally, I envy the blood flowing through your veins—the blood of the Lin family."

"As long as you exist, I will never be the legitimate daughter of the Lin family in the true sense."

Lin Wan let out a breath. "Before you came back, I was the only daughter in this family, and I had no idea I was just an impostor."

"Ever since you returned, I've constantly wondered how I could monopolize the love of my family."

Lin Momo remained silent.

The laughter of the brothers drifted over from not far away.

They were slowly rowing their boats closer as well.

"Lin Momo, let's make a bet."

Lin Wan raised an eyebrow. "What bet?"

"If both of us fall into the water at the same time, who do you guess the brothers will save?" Lin Momo's tone carried a hint of provocation. "Do you think they'll save you, whom they've doted on for eighteen years, or me, bound to them by blood?"

Lin Wan fell silent.

Ordinarily, she was utterly convinced that the brothers loved her more.

Yet in a life-or-death moment, nothing was certain.

If she truly possessed such absolute confidence that her brothers' love for her was peerless, she wouldn't constantly resort to dirty tricks to frame Lin Momo.

Deep down, because her standing was illegitimate, her heart lacked true conviction.

"Do you really think you can win?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Lin Momo raised an eyebrow. "I know what you're thinking."

"You're just planning to use the same old trick, pretending once again that I pushed you."

"Only you're underestimating me; I'm not a fool."

"This time, I'll fall in myself before you can push me. By then, the camera will have recorded everything, and there's no way you'll be able to talk your way out of it."

The smile vanished entirely from Lin Wan's face, her expression turning pitch black.

Though she was confident in her acting skills when compared to Lin Momo, this course of action was simply far too risky.

Whoever fell in first would ultimately be the winner.

The more rushed the execution, the more flaws it would inevitably reveal.

She had no desire to let her parents and brothers harbor the slightest suspicion toward her.

"What's the stake?"

A glint of amusement danced in Lin Momo's eyes. "The loser leaves the Lin family forever."

Lin Wan clenched her hands tightly. Before her lay an expanse of pitch darkness, while behind her, the lights along the reservoir bank illuminated her flying hair, making it shimmer.

Yet her eyes were filled with an abyssal gloom.

Suddenly, a smile broke across her face. "Very well, I accept your challenge."

She would make sure Lin Momo never made it back to shore.