"Are you serious, Noona!?" Stephen squealed once he grasped what had just taken place.
Though Stephen was a budding designer who had gained immense popularity with the arrival of Obsidia in the city, he was not as famous as many of the veterans in the country.
His aim was to prove to his family that he could follow his dream of fashion designing and make it big without their support.
He could have joined his family's company and helped his sister take care of the same yet he had chosen a different path just like his older brother did.
The Jin family had two sons though none of them decided to venture into the land of business as the eldest daughter did.
Thus they had let their daughter take over the company even though she was married and had a family of her own.
The fact that her husband had supported her and helped her take good care of her company while working on his own was what made the Jin family utterly grateful to this virtuous son-in-law of theirs.
Stephen was now given a chance of working with one of the best jewelry designers in the city which would soon take over the country as well.
So how could he not be excited at this sudden explosion of good luck which had come his way?
Lina chuckled as she nodded her head to indicate that she was being serious about her earlier offer.
"As you know that I am close to LY." She mentioned which obtained an eager nod as this information was known to all of the major figures in the company.
'I'm still not lying. I am close to myself after all.' She defended herself for hiding the truth from her puppy.
The designs that she had seen were both poised and mesmerizing, the perfect combination of oomph and pizzazz.
Hence, she had determined that the next designs from LY would be a collaboration with Stephen Jin.
'This can be my way of thanking him for all the hard work he has done to save my name.' She agreed after witnessing his blooming face.
She knew that her secret identity as LY was exploding in the city after the auction and if she wished to increase the efficiency of this limelight then this was the best way.
'I need to strike while the iron is still hot.' She decided as this would give both her identity as LY and Stephen the exposure they needed.
"If I can show these designs to LY then they might be more than willing to work with you." She explained and then raised her brow at him.
The question hidden in her words was also a test that she had made for this puppy of hers.
'Will he trust me enough to give me the notebook?' She wondered and very soon she received the answer to her query.
Stephen did not hesitate before handing the book over to his Noona.
"Have it, Noona. I would love to work with LY!" He smiled as he gave up the hard work of his hands to this woman.
Lina was both touched and frightened by how much he trusted her.
"You cannot be so trusting of me, Steph! What if I try to sell the designs that you created!?" She chided him as one would do to a child.
This conversation made them recall their first meeting where Steph had trusted her words when she had said that she was here to meet someone which he had believed back then as well.
As though they both had the same thought, they glanced at each other then burst into peals of laughter which lasted for quite a few seconds.
Once they had completely reminisced about the good old days, Stephen looked into Lina's eyes as he had something to say to her.
"Just like I had said the last time… I do not think that you would do something like that." He asserted as he had faith that she would never do anything wrong to him and his designs.
The trust that he displayed moved Lina's heart and she decided at that moment that the Winter Collection of Obsidia would be the best that they had released.
'I will have to get to work soon!' She exclaimed as now she finally had something that she could keep herself busy with.
The pair soon separated, Stephen with his giddy feelings of having LY take a look at his designs and Lina holding the notebook tight in her arms as though it held some state secret.
'Steph has trusted me with this and I will make sure to keep it safe.' She declared while clutching the notebook close to her chest.
___
While Benji was trying to make sense out of Lina's secretive and absurd behavior which he had just witnessed, Talia was glaring down at the woman who was standing before her.
The garden remained vacant with the exception of these four women.
Mandy Rong was stunned when she heard that her cousin had dined with the most handsome and successful business tycoon, Reuben Ming.
'Why do all the good things keep happening to her?' She cursed her luck for this misfortune as well.
In her mind, they both were daughters of the Yang family yet Lina was always prioritized over her and no matter what she did nothing could change that.
This was also the reason why she had accepted the help which Jeanette had offered by proposing the idea of working with Talia to ruin Lina's image.
'At least now, Daddy will know that only I am worthy of carrying the Yang family name and have no other choice than to send Lina away to whatever place that she had come from!' She summarized her grand plan for Lina.
Now that she was hearing the news about that powerful man also being acquainted with Lina while she could only hang onto Jeanette so that she might introduce her to new people seemed unfair to her.
"Brother Reuben must have gone there for Brother Wayne and this Lina must have followed them there! She is so clingy!" Talia stood up in Reuben's defense as she usually would.
'I am sure that she had stalked him and reached that place to stick closer to him.' She assumed as this was what she wished was the truth.
Talia had conveniently forgotten that this was exactly what she had done to make it seem like a chance encounter to attempt at getting close to the love of her life.
Upon hearing her explanation, Jeanette remained silent for a few seconds.
She had noticed Reuben Ming standing at a distance with the Luo twins when she had pretended to be pushed by Lina.
As her attention was focused on Wayne, she had ignored the existence of the other two men but how could she admit to that before this woman.
Therefore, she decided to do what she was best at, twisting the facts to work in her favor.
"So the fact that Mr. Ming glared at me as he stood next to Lina as though he was protecting her was all false?" She muttered in a soft voice which was audible to everyone who was present there.
'Not only family members but even outsiders are so protective of her?' Mandy pondered about what was so special about Lina that she found people who would stand up for her at every turn.
Talia and Valerie were gritting their teeth as they glared at Jeanette.
Talia was scowling at the news of Reuben coming to Lina's rescue while Valerie was disgusted that Mrs. Huo wished this woman to be her daughter-in-law.