After listening to me, Lin Hai just lowered his head and smoked in silence until the cigarette was finished. Then he slowly started to speak. This was where he had changed the most. In the past, he was always impatient when he spoke...

"It's fine if you don't want to take over and sell it. It will soon become a wasteland anyway. It's just a little reluctant, after all, I've spent most of my life's energy on it."

"You can also continue to run it yourself. Life is not long, but at your age, you can still fight for it."

"I don't have the mood or the drive I used to have. Recently, I've been feeling noticeably weak."

Before I could say anything, he added with a sad tone, "Who am I working so hard for? I'll give it to you, but you don't like it. Who am I supposed to fight for?"

Lin Hai's words suddenly conjured up a picture in my mind: a once high-spirited man, spending his remaining years in loneliness in his twilight years. The scene was indeed quite bleak. I immediately returned to reality and looked at him, saying, "People should work hard for themselves. No one can guarantee that your old age won't be happy. Maybe good days are still ahead."

"Thank you for your comfort. I know your attitude towards me is changing now, and I hope we can get along better in the future and forget the unhappy things of the past."

I smiled and replied, "I'm already doing it."

"Your grandfather is probably leaving soon too. When I went to see him yesterday, he was a little delirious."

"Do you know about Lin Yang's matter?"

"I know. That's why my health has plummeted. After he's gone, the funeral arrangements will be left to you. If nothing unexpected happens, I will experience the deaths of three people within a year. I didn't expect Lin Yang to leave first. I can't sleep every night when I think about it."

As Lin Hai spoke, his voice suddenly became a little choked up.

"Let's go, let's go inside and take a look." I immediately shifted his attention.

I walked in first. It was a three-story office building. The interior decoration was very ordinary, just a few simple offices separated. Lin Hai pushed open one of them and said, "This is Lin Yang's."

I walked inside. Lin Yang's things were still on the desk, including the phone charging cable that was still plugged in. I walked over and touched it, then unconsciously pushed it, and it immediately spun around before stopping. Lin Yang's shoes were also placed in the corner of the room. My eyes were fixed on the shoe's surface. These were casual shoes. I remembered very clearly that I was wearing these shoes when I fought with him.

Half a year ago, he was still arguing with me for Pei Shi Yu, but now the empty office was like a stranded place, only the objects were there, but the owner was nowhere to be seen, as if the things he used were still quietly waiting for his return. I closed my eyes and suddenly felt very sad, so at that moment, my inner monologue was: "Are you doing well in the other world?"

I came to the window, which faced the open space outside, where some white marble was piled up. Suddenly, there was a sound from behind. I immediately turned around. It was Lin Hai tidying up the desk. I silently watched his trembling movements. This was a heartbreaking scene.

I pulled open a drawer filled with many documents. I opened one of the pages, and there was Lin Yang's signature at the bottom. I quickly closed it, and then took a bag from another drawer and put away the shoes on the ground. I thought that the person was already gone, and there was no need to make the living constantly sad for him.

Then I asked Lin Hai, "What are you planning to do?"

"I'll talk about it after a while. I don't have any thoughts right now."

"Doesn't Lin Yang's mother need to be hospitalized anymore?"

"She's been hospitalized again. There's a caregiver watching her," Lin Hai replied, stopping his movements.

"What about Grandpa, are you planning to take him home?"

"Who will take care of him if I take him back?"

"Hire someone to take care of him, and I'll pay for it."

"It's enough for now. Keep your money for yourself. You'll have a lot of expenses when you marry Shi Yu."

Indeed, I didn't have much money on hand right now, so I didn't insist anymore. Was the change in my mentality due to Pei Xiang Long's words or was it my sincere intention? I think it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that I sincerely want to contribute and share the burden of this shattered family, after all, my surname is also Lin.

When I left the company, I had already missed the time for lunch. When I walked outside, I realized that he had come by taxi. When I saw him reaching out to stop a taxi, I immediately said, "Let me take you back."

Lin Hai didn't get into the car immediately. He looked at the time and said, "Let's have a meal together. There are restaurants nearby."

His invitation made me realize that I couldn't remember the scene of having a meal with him. I couldn't even remember it when I was a child. Perhaps this was the most ironic moment between us. This alone was hinting that he was a derelict father.

This time I didn't refuse, and I didn't bother about these things like I used to. If I let it go, I had to do it thoroughly. I took the lead and said, "Let's go, let's eat something casual."

Hearing my answer, Lin Hai immediately followed and walked side by side with me, and then said something very profound...

"Lin Yang is dead, but the grievances between you and me have been resolved. I am very happy, and it's worth it! Perhaps after gaining the affection of one son, I must lose the life of another son. Let's accept our fate."

"It may also be that Lin Yang brought me to your side. You have to thank him!" I replied half-jokingly.

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped and then pointed to the shop and asked me, "Is this one okay?"

"Whatever."

Then I looked at him and asked, "Do you remember when was the last time we ate together?"

Before Lin Hai could answer, I replied first, "Anyway, I have no impression."

He was just stunned for a moment. Obviously, without my reminder, he didn't notice this detail at all. I watched him open his mouth and then close it again, and then walked inside by himself. Looking at his back, I realized that the same back had different feelings in a short period of time. In the past, I looked at him with hateful eyes, but now I felt that this was a heavy and worn-out back.

When I went in, Lin Hai was already ordering. As if he knew my tastes, he didn't ask me what I wanted to eat, and quickly rattled off four or five dishes. This showed that he must be very familiar with this place.

After the waiter left, he turned his eyes to me and said, "I thought about your question just now, and indeed I have no impression either, but that doesn't mean anything. I have always had arrangements for you in my heart, until you left without permission."

I said in an indifferent tone, "If you can't remember, you can't remember. Let's not talk about the past today."