Chapter 4
After Xu Ke and Zhang Zhicheng finished the paperwork, the sky had already darkened, and the phone that had been silent all day started ringing continuously.
Zhang Zhicheng glanced at the outdated phone of Xu Ke that buzzed non-stop and couldn’t help but say, “You already have the Xu Family; there’s really no need to stay cooped up in this small place. The sky outside is more suitable for you.”
Xu Ke shook his head and said, “No! I’ll stay here for the time being.”
“This…” Zhang Zhicheng frowned.
“If I go back now, a lot of problems will be covered up. Let’s expose some problems first, and then when I go back, these problems… can be solved altogether.” Xu Ke’s tone was somewhat cold.
Zhang Zhicheng stared at Xu Ke, then nodded heavily, “Alright! Mr. Xu, if there’s anything you need from me, I’ll do my best!” This was essentially an expression of his loyalty to Xu Ke.
“I have things to do, so I won’t see you off. Safe travels.” Xu Ke didn’t plan to explain to Zhang Zhicheng. He waved his hand casually and turned to walk towards the electric bicycle, answering the call as he walked.
It’s after work hours now; the Lin Family should already be home. Xu Ke knew clearly what this call was about.
Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, a familiar voice came through the receiver, “What do you mean, you useless trash? Didn’t I just say a few words to you yesterday? So what? Today you’re acting up, not even making dinner? What do you want? If you don’t want to live this life, then just divorce Mengyao early and leave the Lin Family with your junk.”
Every time Xu Ke came back in the past, he had dinner ready, so as soon as they got home, they could eat hot food. But today, when they came back, there was nothing ready, and Li Lihua, who had bottled up her anger all day, exploded and couldn’t hold it back any longer.
Vicious words kept spewing out of the phone. During a pause from Li Lihua, Xu Ke managed to interject, “I had something to do today; I’ll go home and cook right away.” Xu Ke’s attitude towards the Lin Family remained as always, not as sharp as with Zhang Zhicheng.
He already owned the Xu Family, so there was really no need to stay at the Lin Family and endure this, but he had his reasons that he must stay. There are two years left in the five-year promise; he couldn’t break his word, and there was also someone he loved at the Lin Family. Even if he had to leave in two years, he would take that person with him.
However, Xu Ke’s good attitude didn’t make Li Lihua hold back; instead, it made her worse, and her insults grew more severe until she hung up the phone when Xu Ke was almost at the community gate.
“Why did you come back just now? Are you holding a grudge because I yelled at you yesterday, and deliberately trying to starve us?” Li Lihua shouted loudly.
Because of Xu Ke, today when she went out shopping with a few ladies, she received a lot of snide remarks, and all the smiling faces she had to put on accumulated a bellyful of anger. Seeing Xu Ke was an eyesore, and venomous words spilled out one after another, judging Xu Ke with the worst intention. In Li Lihua’s eyes, Xu Ke was almost like a male version of Pan Jinlian.
“Mom, aren’t you hungry? Let Xu Ke cook for you; it’s not good for your health if you’re starving.” Lin Mengyao pressed her temples and said wearily.
Because of Xu Ke, grandma Lin now had less and less regard for her. Today, she even forced Lin Mengyao to make a military pledge in front of the board of directors, insisting she sign a cooperation deal with Jiahe Group for the development zone within three days, or else resign automatically and leave the Lin Corporation.
But this matter was not that easy to complete. The Lu Family also had their eyes on the development zone. Compared to the transitioning Lin Corporation, the experienced and well-established Lu Family would be Jiahe’s choice. Grandma Lin was clearly forcing her out of the Lin Corporation. Thinking of this, Lin Mengyao couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
Her grandfather’s dying wish seemed unachievable. If her grandfather knew in the afterlife, he would probably be very disappointed.
Lin Mengyao felt bitterness in her mouth, and her heart was exceptionally chaotic. She didn’t want to hear Li Lihua’s sharp insults; she only wanted to send Xu Ke away to shut Li Lihua up and get a moment of peace.
As soon as food was mentioned, Li Lihua’s stomach grumbled at an inopportune moment. The Lin Family’s meal times were very fixed, and now it was already an hour past dinner time.
Having barely eaten during the day due to her anger, Li Lihua was already starving, though she had forgotten her hunger in her earlier tirade. But when Lin Mengyao reminded her, the feeling of hunger closed in from all sides.
“What are you still doing standing at the door? Go cook! Or do you want me to serve you?” Li Lihua shrieked.
Faced with Li Lihua’s reproach, Xu Ke said nothing but looked at Lin Mengyao a few times with worry before heading to the kitchen.
An hour passed by the time Xu Ke came out of the kitchen with the dishes ready; the Lin Family were long past being hungry, their stomachs practically sticking to their backs.
Looking at the five dishes and a soup on the table, Lin Mengchen’s face turned green, her mouth turning downward, unsatisfied and showing it plainly.
“What’s wrong with you? Haven’t I told you I don’t like cilantro? Now you’ve put it in every dish to show your discontent to whom? If you don’t want to stay in this house, then get out! Stop playing these petty games, pulling a face like a mule. Do you think the people in this family owe you?” Although Lin Mengchen was scolding Xu Ke, she was actually targeting Lin Mengyao.
She had never liked this sister since childhood, who was prettier, studied better, and from young till now, she had always been in Lin Mengyao’s shadow, living under it. Why, when she herself wasn’t bad at all!
The dining table was momentarily filled only with Lin Mengchen’s sharp voice, giving Lin Mengyao a splitting headache.
She knew Lin Mengchen didn’t like her, so she never tried to get close to Lin Mengchen. Their sisterly relationship could be said to be as cold as ice, but since she fell out of favor, even when she didn’t provoke the other, their relationship changed from icy coexistence to raging conflict.
“If you don’t want to eat, just pick out the cilantro.” Lin Mengyao rubbed her temples, her clear, cold voice carrying a tiny hint of weariness.
“He chopped the cilantro so finely; by the time I finish picking it all out, when will that be? Ha, I know, today’s incident is your doing, isn’t it? You can’t bear to see me happy when your career isn’t going well, right? Why didn’t I see before how disgusting you really are.” Lin Mengchen threw her chopsticks onto the table, leaned back against the chair, with a mocking expression.
“Lin Mengchen, watch your words. I am your sister; how can you speak to me like that?” Lin Mengyao slapped her chopsticks onto the table, her usually cold face bearing a hint of anger.
“Don’t use the ‘I’m your sister’ card. If I could, I’d wish we weren’t sisters. Having a sister like you, I’ve truly had bad luck across eight lifetimes, ugh!” Lin Mengchen spat viciously on the ground, got up, and walked away, but the powder keg atmosphere at the dining table remained thick.
Lin Mengyao looked cold-heartedly at her parents, who sat in the main seats and hadn’t said a word the whole time, and suddenly lost her appetite.
“I’m full, heading up first.” Lin Mengyao put down her bowl and chopsticks, and got up to leave.
Before leaving, she gave Xu Ke a complicated look. Today’s dishes were all ones she liked, almost all adorned with her favorite cilantro. Her heart felt warm, but thinking of the just-ended battle all because of these dishes, she felt immensely fatigued.