Chapter 161: Spares No Effort to Warm Him

It was the first time Lin Shuo and Xiaoxiao's mother sat at the same table for a home-cooked meal. Her mother kept piling food into Lin Shuo's bowl until it was overflowing. Xiaoxiao stopped her, saying, "He's not a child, he can eat by himself. Doing that is so awkward for him!"

"Yes, yes, I know," her mother replied, though she couldn't help putting another piece of food into Lin Shuo's bowl anyway. "Try the stir-fried eggs with rose petals. It's Xiaoxiao's absolute favorite."

"Mmm, it's delicious!" Lin Shuo took a bite and flashed a deeply contented smile. It seemed as though he had never experienced a harmonious and warm family reunion dinner before.

Sitting together as a family to eat, chat, and watch television was taken for granted by many, but for Lin Shuo, it was something he never dared to hope for.

Beaten frequently by his father during his childhood, he felt oppressed whenever he sat at the dining table. Later, as his mother grew busy with her business and rarely came home, he would simply toss together whatever was convenient to get through a meal. Sometimes, when he hosted dinners for others, it wasn't because he genuinely wanted to connect or give people an opportunity to flatter him; rather, he was simply terrified of always eating alone. At the very least, a large table full of people made things feel lively. Now, even though his mother wanted to grow closer to him and frequently invited him home for dinner, he always found excuses to decline. It wasn't that he didn't want to go—it was simply that the longer he longed for it, the less he dared to try it easily.

The television was broadcasting the evening news. A reporter on screen was recounting an intentional assault case with high-pitched emotion: a businessman, facing financial troubles, had been swarmed and beaten by unpaid workers, sustaining severe injuries. The police subsequently arrested the rioting workers and officially launched an investigation.

Because only her mother lived in the house for a long time, she always liked to have the TV on during meals, as the sound made the place feel more lively. Over time, it had become a habit. Seeing the injured man covered in blood on the screen, her mother couldn't help uttering a few words of sympathy. Xiaoxiao glanced at the screen twice as well. Not looking would have been better; as it was, the chopsticks stopped halfway to her mouth. She turned to peek at Lin Shuo, but he showed no reaction at all, continuing to eat on his own as if he hadn't heard a thing.

On the way back, Lin Shuo remained in high spirits, occasionally humming along to the music playing from the car speakers. Unable to hold back any longer, Xiaoxiao asked, "How on earth did Li Qingjiang end up getting mobbed and beaten like that?"

"Because he's stupid," Lin Shuo answered bluntly.

Suspicion rising again, Xiaoxiao asked, "Do you know something behind the scenes?"

With the same cheerful expression, Lin Shuo replied calmly, "He misjudged his own abilities, thinking that having ideals and ambitions is a good thing. But what can you accomplish with ambition alone and no brains? His coup to seize power failed—did you really think Li Qinghai would still tolerate him? Of course he was driven out of the company. Without Shundu backing him up, what is Li Qingjiang anyway?"

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao involuntarily shivered. The business world was truly a battlefield; that saying was not false at all. Thinking of how Lin Shuo had to match wits every day with people harboring the hearts of tigers and wolves made her heart ache profoundly. Subconsciously, she leaned closer to Lin Shuo, wanting to use all her strength to warm him.