Soul Returns to Hong Kong: From Tailor Shop to Richest Woman

December 26th, Grand Ballroom, The Peninsula Hotel.

Su Zhe's wedding was a grand affair, with two rows of expensive imported flower arches at the entrance and a long queue at the registration table. The guests were all wealthy and influential, and the venue was packed to capacity, demonstrating the extensive network of connections Su Zhiming had cultivated in Central over the years.

Lin Ying wore a fitted evening gown without too many complicated decorations. Her hair was neatly styled in a bun, and she wore only a pair of lustrous small pearl earrings. Her whole demeanor exuded the composure of someone in a superior position.

Lin Lanying wore a dark blue cheongsam that she had personally tailored, and she looked dignified; He Dazhu rarely changed into a formal suit, although he was still a little uncomfortable... Lin Qian followed at the very back.

The four of them had just passed the registration table and hadn't even taken a few steps into the banquet hall when they heard someone shout from behind.

"Lin Ying?"

Lin Ying turned around and saw a woman in a light blue suit skirt walking briskly through the crowd; the woman's shoulder-length short hair was very neatly styled, and she looked like a decisive and efficient career woman.

Lin Ying stood there, stunned for two seconds.

If she didn't look closely, she would have a hard time recognizing this face; deep in her memory, it was a girl who always hunched her shoulders, lowered her head, and spoke in a soft voice.

That image was completely different from the poised and confident person walking towards them.

"Tang Shiya?" Lin Ying called out the name.

"It's me!" Tang Shiya walked up to her, smiling brightly and generously. "Long time no see, Lin."

Lin Ying looked her up and down and said, "You've changed so much, I almost didn't recognize you."

Tang Shiya smiled and waved her hand, she was very relaxed.

Lin Ying asked curiously, "How come you dared to call out to me so loudly the moment you saw me? We haven't seen each other since we graduated from elementary school, which is more than ten years. Do you still remember what I look like?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Shiya laughed immediately: "Lin, do you think I don't read the newspapers? Hong Kong newspapers are full of you every day."

She stood in front of Lin Ying and confidently counted on her fingers: "Back in Form 5, you were one of the top ten students, and you were on the front page. I recognized you then; later, when you went to Cambridge to study, the news of your exceptional admission was on the front page again; and then, at the Yingchuang Technology press conference, the TV was everywhere, and it was the headline again!"

She looked at Lin Ying and sighed, "It's difficult enough for me not to want to know you."

Lin Ying was surprised by this answer: "So, I've been featured in newspapers that frequently over the years?"

Tang Shiya nodded: "That's ridiculously high! Later, when I was dating Su Cheng, he mentioned your name once. I thought to myself, 'Could it be such a coincidence?' But the more I listened, the more your experiences seemed to match!"

Lin Lanying, who had listened to the whole thing from the side, sorted out the relationship: "Shiya, right? Aying used to mention you a lot at home, saying that you two sat together in elementary school in St. Paul's."

Tang Shiya immediately greeted Lin Lanying: "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle."

Looking at her current demeanor, Lin Ying thought of the girl from back then who had established herself in Hong Kong on her own, radiating confidence from the inside out.

The two had barely exchanged a few words when the emcee at the front of the banquet hall picked up the microphone and began testing the sound.

"Distinguished guests, please be seated. The wedding ceremony is about to begin..."

Tang Shiya quickly said, "I have to go sit at Suzhou's table, I'll head over now; by the way, Yingying, are you free tomorrow? Shall we go out for dinner?"

"You can choose the location when you have time."

"Okay! I'll call you later."

After saying goodbye to Tang Shiya, Lin Ying and her family found their table and sat down.

The wedding was grand. When the bride and groom entered, all the lights went out. Su Zhe was wearing a black suit with the bright smile that a groom should have on his face. The bride, Xu Huilin, was wearing a white trailing wedding dress and had a gentle and elegant appearance.

The exchange of rings, the officiant's speech, and the newlyweds serving tea were all carried out smoothly and efficiently.

Lin Ying sat in the audience, quietly watching Su Zhe's back under the spotlight, but her mind was filled with the complaints Chen Meishan had made at the villa a few days ago.

The company is losing money, he's had seven or eight girlfriends, and he's borrowed money to cover his losses... Hopefully, today's grand ceremony will finally make him settle down.

After about half an hour, it was time for the toasting ceremony to be held at their table. Su Zhe, supporting his bride and holding a wine glass, walked over with a beaming smile.

"Ah Ying!" Su Zhe walked up to her. "Thank you for coming today."

Lin Ying stood up, holding her wine glass; she looked at the once-admired prodigy before her: "Congratulations, Brother Zhe."

She gently touched Su Zhe's glass and smiled at the bride Xu Huilin beside her: "Cherish your beautiful bride."

These words sounded like a perfectly normal blessing, but Su Zhe knew very well how much trouble he had caused, and Chen Meishan must have complained to Lin Ying about it.

Lin Ying is no longer the little girl who made a living writing scripts in Yufa Building; she is the boss of Yingchuang Technology, a company with hundreds of millions in assets, and even her father, Su Zhiming, treats her with respect. Lin Ying's words were a warning to him, telling him to stop messing around.

"I will prove myself with my actions." Su Zhe raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Lin Ying also picked up her cup and took a sip, without saying anything more.

Su Zhe led the bride to the next table. As Xu Huilin turned around, she glanced back at Lin Ying and nodded.

It was almost 8 p.m. when the wedding banquet ended.

Lin Ying and her family walked to the underground parking lot and happened to run into Tang Shiya and Su Cheng waiting for their driver. Tang Shiya took out her phone from her bag and quickly wrote down Lin Ying's current private number.

"How about Tai Cheong in Central tomorrow at noon? I know you used to love egg tarts."

Lin Ying was somewhat surprised: "You still remember that?"

"Of course I remember." Tang Shiya put her phone back in her bag. "You always bought an egg tart for dessert with lunch every day in elementary school, without fail."

After saying that, she waved to Lin Ying and said, "See you tomorrow."

Su Cheng stood by the side the whole time, carrying Tang Shiya's coat, watching the two women have dinner together, without saying a word. He only gave Lin Ying a wry smile and waved goodbye before leaving.

On the way home, Lin Qian drove, He Dazhu sat in the passenger seat, and Lin Ying and Lin Lanying sat in the back.

The car drove smoothly to the entrance of the Kadoorie Hill villa and parked in the garage. The four people pushed open the door and went inside.

Lin Ying changed her shoes and was about to walk towards the stairs when Lin Lanying suddenly called out to her from the living room.

"Ah Ying, wait a moment, come and sit down for a bit."

Lin Ying turned to look at her mother, Lin Lanying, whose expression was serious and showed no signs of drunkenness: "What's wrong?"

"Let's have a family meeting."

Lin Lanying turned to Lin Qian, who was about to slip into the guest room: "Lin Qian, come and sit down."

Lin Qian looked reluctant: "Mommy, it's almost ten o'clock, what kind of meeting is this?"

"I'm asking you to sit down."

Lin Qian obediently sat down on the single sofa, and He Dazhu, seeing this, quickly followed suit and sat down on the chair next to him.

Lin Lanying looked at Lin Qian: "I thought a lot today at the Su family's wedding."

Lin Qian looked at her, somewhat puzzled: "What are you thinking about?"

"Su Zhe, and Su Zhi! You've seen those two brothers yourself. How smart was Su Zhe back then? One of the top students in all of Hong Kong! And look what he's become! His love life is a mess, he lost millions in business and has to ask his family for money to cover the losses!"

Lin Qian realized what was going on: "Mommy, why are you telling me all this? You don't think I'll turn out like that someday, do you?"

"I don't think, I'm afraid! You're almost twenty-four, just graduated from HKU, and have been working at a law firm for two years. Lately, more people are praising you, right? More people are inviting you to dinner, right?"

Lin Qian opened his mouth, stiffened his neck, and wanted to refute.

"Ahem." He Dazhu coughed lightly from the side, his eyes giving a warning look.

Lin Qian swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Lin Lanying continued, "Su Zhe was the most promising member of the family back then, always number one from childhood. But what happened? Freed from family control, he acted entirely on instinct, thinking he was the most capable person in the world; when the company lost money, instead of reflecting on his actions, he tried to put on a brave face."

"Su Zhi is the same. He thought he had a good eye for talent, signed a bunch of artists, burned through all the money, and didn't learn a single lesson! You're working at a law firm now, is your income high? Not at all!"

Lin Qian lowered his head, his fingers digging into the edge of the sofa, and remained silent.

Seeing her son's expression, Lin Lanying softened her tone slightly: "Last time in Shenzhen, your grandfather scolded us, and I've been reflecting on it every day lately; I saw with my own eyes how Su Zhe and the others fell from the top, and I don't want you to follow that path of self-importance and ruin."

"You are still young, and your career is just starting out. You need to know how well you are handling cases at the law firm and what your mentor thinks of you in private."

Lin Qian said sullenly, "Mommy, I understand."

"Good to know." Lin Lanying said, glancing at Lin Ying.

Lin Ying sat quietly on the sofa next to her the whole time, without saying a word. She understood all too well the look in Lin Lanying's eyes. Her mother wanted her, as the older sister, to take advantage of her earlier arrogance and give Lin Qian a little more of a warning.

But Lin Ying didn't say anything. She stood up and said, "Mommy, I believe you can handle this; I'm a little tired, I'm going upstairs first."

After saying that, she turned and headed straight for the stairs.

Lin Lanying stood there, stunned.

Sitting on the sofa, Lin Qian watched Lin Ying's retreating figure as she went upstairs. In an instant, he understood why his sister hadn't said anything to him.

In the past, when he did something wrong, his older sister would give him the cold shoulder, scold him, and even hit him on the head. But today, his older sister didn't say a word; she was drawing a line between them.

She probably felt that he was already an adult, that she had given him the money he was entitled to, and that she had given him the confidence he needed. She wouldn't try to interfere with or suppress him like she was educating a child anymore; he didn't deserve to have someone who made millions every minute waste her time disciplining him.

Whether he falls to his death or rises to great heights is Lin Qian's own business.

This subtle sense of detachment made him feel even more worried and clear-headed than when Lin Lanying had just scolded him.

The second floor.

Lin Ying went back to her room. Her parents were there, so Lin Qian's affairs should be left to them to handle. She had already taken care of what she needed to do and given him enough. His future was up to him.

She was filled with anticipation for the lunch gathering in Taichang the next day; life is truly unpredictable, no one can guess the real outcome until the very last moment.