After Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, Lin Yanqin fell into a long silence.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox did not disturb her, but sat quietly beside her, waiting for Lin Yanqin to make her own decision. They would then act according to her wishes.
However, something that none of the three people in the room expected happened.
As Lin Yanqin sat there without a word, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox accompanying her, also silent and barely moving, suddenly heard a knock on Lin Yanqin's door.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were initially stunned.
Who would come knocking on Lin Yanqin's door at this place?
Lin Yanqin's home was not here. Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had brought her here, so no one else should know Lin Yanqin. Apart from Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, no one else should be knocking on Lin Yanqin's door.
However, very quickly, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox came to a realization.
There was only one possibility.
They had anticipated that Lin Yanqin's brother, Lin Yanshu, would not have much trouble finding Lin Yanqin if he put in the effort.
But to their surprise, he came so quickly.
None of them had considered the possibility that it was simply the inn's staff or owner looking for Lin Yanqin about something.
Because even if there was something, they should have gone to Ye Tiancheng and the little fox. Even if they saw them absent, they would likely wait for them to return before speaking to them, rather than bypassing them to find Lin Yanqin.
This was because Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had booked the room, and Lin Yanqin was merely staying with them, with Ye Tiancheng footing the bill.
Unless it was something extremely urgent, they had no reason to directly approach Lin Yanqin.
Lin Yanqin was also startled by the knock.
She paused for a moment, then quickly reacted, realizing the situation was not good.
Lin Yanqin immediately stood up and nudged Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, "You, you two, hurry and leave!"
Lin Yanqin thought that although she trusted Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, which was why she let them into her room.
However, if the person who had come to the door was indeed her brother, and if her brother saw Ye Tiancheng and the little fox in her room, it would not be good for them.
The little fox heard Lin Yanqin and instinctively stood up, then realized the situation.
He said to Lin Yanqin in a low voice, with some difficulty, "Someone is at the door, my brother and I can't just leave."
Lin Yanqin was stunned.
Immediately, she also realized that they could not do that. Could they really expect Ye Tiancheng and the little fox to jump out the window?
Although Lin Yanqin did not know if Ye Tiancheng and the little fox could actually jump out the window, it was broad daylight, and jumping out the window would be in full view of everyone.
If they had to jump, they would definitely need some preparation.
At the very least, the little fox's talismans for stealth would have to be used, but Ye Tiancheng had some reservations about this. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Ye Tiancheng did not want to use these things in front of any of the people present.
He preferred to maintain an ordinary appearance.
He wanted to keep the things they had in hand as trump cards, to be used later.
This was due to his strong sense of caution.
Ye Tiancheng walked past Lin Yanqin and the little fox to the window to take a look. He did not open the window, but through the gap, he saw that many people were already lined up outside.
Perhaps Lin Yanqin's brother, Lin Yanshu, was worried that his sister might panic and try to escape by jumping out the window under his nose.
After taking a look, Ye Tiancheng turned around and silently shook his head at the little fox.
Given the situation, it was even less possible for them to jump out the window.
Lin Yanqin was also a little anxious. She thought for a moment, feeling helpless and not knowing what to do.
She said anxiously, "Then what should we do? Otherwise, you two find a place to hide in the room, just don't be seen."
"What if, what if it really is my brother..."
It was at this moment that Lin Yanqin finally revealed a hint, admitting Ye Tiancheng and the little fox's guess. Lin Yanshu was indeed her brother, and this was absolutely true.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Tiancheng shook his head slightly.
He said to Lin Yanqin, "Miss Lin, you don't need to be anxious. My brother and I don't necessarily have to hide. I imagine your brother must already know some things about what we have been doing with you here during this time."
"We haven't deliberately concealed some of our actions, so simply hiding would be of no use. He probably already knows."
"If my brother and I hide at this moment, and are discovered, it would be even more likely to cause misunderstandings. Therefore, it would be better to appear openly. We have a legitimate reason, which is to say we are here to deliver breakfast to Miss Lin. That would be better."
Lin Yanqin, who was at a loss, calmed down a little.
She hesitated for a moment.
However, in the end, Lin Yanqin nodded. She couldn't think of a better solution.
The people outside, perhaps not receiving a response for a long time, had started to inquire loudly.
Hearing the voices from outside, Ye Tiancheng and the others recognized them as the inn's staff. However, this made it even stranger. It was likely that they were leading Lin Yanshu here.
The inn's staff had no real reason to directly disturb Lin Yanqin.
Even when Lin Yanqin needed water for bathing or washing, or to wash her face and brush her teeth in the morning, Ye Tiancheng and the others had helped by informing the inn's staff first, and then the staff would deliver it. Otherwise, Lin Yanqin herself would not have interacted with them.
If Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, and Lin Yanqin herself, had not spoken, the inn's staff would not have privately sought out Lin Yanqin.
Lin Yanqin calmed herself down a bit, "Then let's do that..."
After thinking about it, she added, "I'll still arrange the breakfast to be more conspicuous."
Ye Tiancheng did not say that doing so was a bit too deliberate.
However, there would be no negative consequences from doing so. If it could make Lin Yanqin feel more at ease, then Ye Tiancheng felt that it was fine for Lin Yanqin to do so.
After Lin Yanqin had arranged the breakfast, Ye Tiancheng had already walked to the door and opened it.
He looked up and saw that quite a few people had gathered at the door.
At the front were the inn's staff and a stranger.
Ye Tiancheng had never seen this man before, so he was a stranger. However, Ye Tiancheng was not entirely unfamiliar with the man's appearance.
Of course, this was not because Ye Tiancheng had seen the man's photo before meeting him. It was actually because this man bore a five or six-tenths resemblance to Lin Yanqin. Anyone with discerning eyes could tell that this man had a blood relationship with Lin Yanqin, which was why they looked so alike.
When the door opened, the inn's staff saw Ye Tiancheng and their expressions were slightly stunned, and perhaps a little guilty.
He stammered, "Th-this... Mr. Ye? What are you doing here? And the young lady who checked in with you and your brother... the one staying in this room, where is she?"
This was not a grand occasion, and Ye Tiancheng could handle it completely.
Ye Tiancheng said calmly, "My brother and I are here to deliver breakfast to the young lady, which is why we are here. What is going on with so many people gathered here so early in the morning?"
Ye Tiancheng looked around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
The large circle of people surrounding them, at first glance, could clearly tell that they were brought by Lin Yanshu, and were tightly guarding the area. Perhaps they were afraid that their young lady, Miss Lin, would run away for some reason.
This was very obvious.
The people Ye Tiancheng had seen earlier through the window gap, guarding the building outside the window, were uniformly dressed and had a clear defensive posture. Clearly, they were not ordinary people gathered to watch the excitement.
Lin Yanshu would not allow ordinary people to watch his family's commotion so openly and clearly.
The inn's staff opened their mouths slightly, but unfortunately, they did not get a chance to speak.
It was at this moment that Lin Yanshu suddenly interjected, answering Ye Tiancheng's question, "I've come to find my sister. Her name is Lin Yanqin. I believe you've heard of her. She hasn't been home for a long time, and I've come to pick her up."
Ye Tiancheng stared intently at the man, observed him, and then moved aside slightly.
He allowed him to see Lin Yanqin.
Ye Tiancheng could tell that this man had no ill intentions towards Lin Yanqin. Furthermore, compared to the man who had escaped from Lin Yanqin's window at the previously burned inn that day, even just his physique did not match Lin Yanshu.
In short, it was not Lin Yanshu who had harmed her.
Moreover, Ye Tiancheng could also see that this Lin Yanshu cared quite a bit about his sister.
Ye Tiancheng said to Lin Yanshu, "I see. Your sister is indeed staying here. I observe that you and Miss Lin do bear some resemblance, so what you say should be true. Since that is the case, please come in."
Lin Yanshu did not ask Ye Tiancheng why, when the inn's staff knocked on the door, Ye Tiancheng and Lin Yanqin were in the room for so long without anyone responding or opening the door.
However, after entering the room, Lin Yanshu discovered that there was also a little fox in the room.
Although Ye Tiancheng had mentioned earlier that he and his brother had come to deliver breakfast to Lin Yanqin, in that situation, Ye Tiancheng had only mentioned it in passing. Everyone had only seen Ye Tiancheng, so it was easy to overlook the other person.
As Lin Yanshu entered the room, Lin Yanqin sat nervously on a stool, twisting the handkerchief in her hands.
Every time Lin Yanqin became overly anxious, she would do this.
Lin Yanshu also walked to the table and sat down casually. No one else followed him into the room. It was clear that Lin Yanshu had indicated his wishes beforehand, and those people, obeying Lin Yanshu's orders, did not follow him in.
After sitting down, Lin Yanshu looked at his sister twice and frowned slightly.
He suddenly spoke, saying, "Do you regret it yet?"
Lin Yanqin's body stiffened, and she lowered her head, but did not answer Lin Yanshu's question.
Without receiving an answer, Lin Yanshu did not press further.
Lin Yanshu then looked at Ye Tiancheng and the little fox. These two, at least from their appearances, did not seem like bad people. However, judging people was not just about their faces. He was also concerned about his sister's situation, and he had to ask.