Lin Ran: "You're meddling too much. Go prepare the soup."
Honestly, if you don't enjoy life when you're young and capable, are you really going to wait until you're old to start?
Besides, who knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first?
What if you drop dead the moment you step out tomorrow, or a war suddenly breaks out and a nuke lands right in your face?
Would you regret not savoring the privileged life you had when death comes knocking?
Would you regret working so hard all these years, earning so much money, yet never spending it?
Would you regret letting love slip through your fingers because of your own cowardice?
Are you really going to wait until that moment to feel regret?
Regret my ass.
(Damn it, writing this somehow pissed me off for no reason. I don’t even know why.)Uncle Fu prepared the soup, while Luo Yao took her stance.
Outside the small inn, a G-Class pulled up with a trailer in tow and parked at the entrance.
Lin Tianba was carried inside by a few men.
The innkeeper grew nervous when he saw them hauling in a man covered in blood.
"What are you doing?"
A bodyguard stepped forward and tossed a bag along with a contract at the owner.
"I’m buying a month’s operating rights for this place. Sign it, take the money, and leave. Whatever happens here won’t concern you."
"What kind of person do you take me for? My integrity isn’t something you can just buy! Besides, how much are we even talking? This inn makes twenty to thirty grand a month."
Then the owner opened the bag—and froze.
It was stuffed with cash.
At least 200,000.
The owner swallowed hard. "It’s all yours, boss."
"No more integrity?"
"Gone, gone. That stuff’s useless anyway. With this much, you can have the place for a year. Wishing you booming business, boss."
The bodyguard remained unfazed. "Just a month. And I’m not the boss. Take the money and go."
"Got it."
After dumping Lin Tianba in a room, he remained unconscious for a long time—until the door was pushed open from the outside.
The mother and son were both afraid Lin Tianba might lash out, but they also wanted to know the outcome of his confrontation with Lin Ran, so they had no choice but to return and ask.
Had they checked the trending topics on their phones during the trip, they wouldn’t be walking in completely clueless.
The moment they entered, they saw Lin Tianba—his body purple, face battered, limbs shattered.
"Husband?"
"Dad?"
They gasped in unison.
As Lin Tianba slowly regained consciousness and saw Liu Yuemei and his son, warmth surged in his heart.
Even in this state, they hadn’t abandoned him. This proved that his rebellious son’s words were nothing but lies.
"Yuemei, Jian… It was Lin Ran, that ungrateful bastard. He broke all my limbs. Get me to a hospital—if we act fast, I might still walk again."
Lin Tianba wasn’t wrong. Immediate medical attention could restore some mobility—not enough to be fully functional, but enough for basic movement.
But would Liu Yuemei and Lin Jian grant his wish?
The two exchanged a glance, shock mirrored in each other’s eyes.
"Husband, was it really Lin Ran who did this?"
"Who else could be this ruthless? That little bastard actually dared to do this to me."
Even now, Lin Tianba couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Shouldn’t Lin Ran have fallen to his knees, crying, "Dad, I was wrong! Please let me be your son again"?
How did it turn into him getting beaten to a pulp and humiliated instead?
Lin Jian fell silent, brows furrowed.
His tone was flat, almost accusatory. "What did he say?"
Lin Tianba stiffened. For the first time, he detected something unfamiliar in Lin Jian’s voice.
"He… he said… he wouldn’t care if I lived or died."
Lin Tianba couldn’t bring himself to repeat the other part—"He said he’d watch as my wife and son abandon me."
Lin Jian’s last shred of hope died.
Now, he finally understood.
Lin Ran didn’t give a damn about paternal love.
Family, affection—none of it meant anything to him.
Only at this moment did Lin Jian confirm his suspicions.
He’d always held onto a sliver of delusion—that Lin Ran’s indifference was just an act.
That when push came to shove, he’d still care about his father. But now?
His father’s limbs were broken.
"Jian, Yuemei, hurry—take me to the hospital."
Liu Yuemei frowned. Lin Jian stayed quiet.
Hospital treatment would cost money—money they didn’t have. Even if they did, they wouldn’t waste it on Lin Tianba.
And in his current state, even if he recovered, he’d be a cripple.
Was it even worth it?
Seeing their silence, Lin Tianba’s expression darkened. "Don’t tell me you’re planning to leave me?"
Liu Yuemei: "Husband, I love you. I really, truly love you…"
Hearing this, hope flickered in Lin Tianba’s eyes, his affection for her impossible to hide.
"So… since I love you so much, let’s get a divorce." The second half of Liu Yuemei’s sentence turned his love into stunned disbelief.
What the hell?!
"What did you just say?"
Lin Tianba stared at Liu Yuemei in disbelief. He never imagined those words would come from her mouth.
Liu Yuemei did feel guilty. Over the years, Lin Tianba had treated her undeniably well.
But she had to be rational. She couldn’t tie the rest of her life to a useless cripple just because he’d been good to her.
"Husband, I’m sorry. I still have Jian. For the sake of our years together, please agree to the divorce."
Lin Jian stood silently to the side, eyes darting around as if calculating something.
Lin Tianba realized Lin Ran’s prediction had come true. He felt like a complete fool.
"You… you bitch! Is this how you love me? The moment I need you most, you want a divorce?"
Liu Yuemei remained unruffled by his insults.
"But what else can we do? And let’s not forget—your son Lin Ran did this to you, not me. Why blame me?"
She dropped the act entirely, revealing her true colors.
Lin Tianba erupted in fury, trying to lunge at her—but his shattered limbs sent agony through his body, leaving him unable to even lift an arm.
Liu Yuemei flinched at first, then relaxed when she saw how helpless he was.
"Husband, just rest. In your condition, if you agree to the divorce, I’ll take you to the hospital."
Lin Tianba closed his eyes, overwhelmed by despair.
Just as that bastard Lin Ran had said—he’d been abandoned by everyone.
Lin Ran was probably laughing his ass off if he could see this.
And here he’d been, insisting, "They’d never leave me."