Father Lin was extremely cautious throughout the journey, clutching tightly onto the large black bag, not daring to relax for even a moment.
His nerves were on high alert, watching every passenger near him. He was like a startled bird, unable to live in peace.
Unbeknownst to him, it was precisely this unusual behavior that attracted the attention of a gang of seasoned thieves.
Their eyes lingered on Father Lin’s bulging black bag for a moment before noticing the tension on his face, barely concealed. The thief tasked with keeping watch now had a clear idea.
This looked like a big catch.
Linan City, a small and obscure place, lacked any semblance of formality.
The bus wasn’t traveling on the highway; it made frequent stops, with people constantly getting on and off.
Without Father Lin realizing it, he was gradually surrounded by the gang of thieves.
As time passed, the bus had traveled most of the route. There were fewer passengers now, and it was no longer as crowded as it had been.
Father Lin glanced nervously at the time on the screen. Seeing that there was less than an hour left before reaching the final stop, he couldn’t help but relax a little.
Almost there, almost there. Once he transfers a few more times, he can leave this place for good.
By then, he would settle somewhere random. The country was big, and he had plenty of money—enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
As for his wife and son…
A fleeting shadow crossed Father Lin’s eyes.
There was no choice. Every man for himself, right? When disaster strikes, even a married couple will part ways. Under those circumstances, getting away alone was already fortunate, wasn’t it?
Recalling the phone card he discarded before boarding the bus, as though shedding a heavy burden, Father Lin couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief.
Before him, a bright and comfortable future was slowly coming into view.
With joy in his heart and a faint scent of flowers in the air, Father Lin fell into a sweet sleep.
…
Noticing that Father Lin had fallen into a deep sleep, the thieves exchanged a glance, a hint of joy flashing in their eyes.
They put away the sleeping incense, and their sinful hands reached for the cloth bag Father Lin had been holding tightly.
Opening the bag, they saw neatly stacked bundles of cash, causing a brilliant gleam to burst in their eyes.
This time, they’d hit the jackpot!
…
“Sir, wake up! Don’t sleep anymore!”
Father Lin was shaken awake from his sleep, instinctively pulling the bag on his lap closer to his chest.
That pull made him realize something was wrong—the bag felt empty. Instantly, his sleepiness vanished.
Where was his money? He had been robbed!
Seeing Father Lin’s pale face, the young man in front of him smiled and patted his shoulder in comfort.
“Don’t worry, sir. We’ve already caught the thieves, and the money is on the police car. Come with me to verify it.”
“Thank you, officer, thank you!”
Grabbing the young man’s hand, Father Lin felt like crying.
His legs weak, Father Lin barely managed to leave the police station when a middle-aged man in a suit stopped him.
“What do you want? Robbery? I warn you, this is right in front of a police station!” Father Lin, on edge, looked at the middle-aged man, who seemed tough to deal with, and spoke warily.
“You’re mistaken, Mr. Lin,” the man smiled calmly and replied, “I’m just here to inform you that my client has turned eighteen. The compensation you and your spouse were entrusted with must be returned in full within three days. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to represent my client and take legal action. At that point…”
The middle-aged man smiled, giving Father Lin a meaningful look.
“At that point, it would be quite the spectacle, wouldn’t it?”
Father Lin’s face turned pale in an instant.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he cursed, stubbornly muttering,
“He dares! That brat’s gotten too bold! We raised him all these years, it’s only right he gives us some money!”
Seeing Father Lin’s ugly expression, the lawyer didn’t say much, just nodded slightly before turning to leave.
Watching the lawyer’s retreating figure, Father Lin panicked.
He stood dazed at the entrance of the police station, the carefree ease from earlier long gone, replaced by nothing but fear.
---
Despite Father Lin and Mother Lin’s resistance and displeasure, everything proceeded in an orderly manner under the strong influence of Wang’s father, Wang Youqian.
The first thing to be retrieved was the compensation that Lin Wan had never even known existed, deliberately hidden by Father and Mother Lin.
Clinging to the hope that stalling might work, thinking Lin Wan was merely trying to scare them, Father Lin made no move on the third day, acting as if nothing had happened.
Thankfully, Wang Youqian had found the best lawyer for Lin Wan in this field. Seeing their inaction, the lawyer immediately filed a lawsuit against the two.
The moment they received the flyer, the two were scared out of their wits. With a top-notch lawyer stepping in, the compensation was quickly returned to Lin Wan.
The compensation that had been delayed for more than ten years, along with a necklace that was a keepsake, was handed over to Lin Wan by Wang Youqian with great care.
Due to the severity of Lin Yao’s case, despite his being a minor, he was still sentenced to twelve years in prison. This arrogant and lawless child finally paid the price for his impulsiveness and recklessness.
With the compensation returned to Lin Wan, Lin's mother had no choice but to sell the house to pay off the high-interest loans, which Lin Yao had accumulated in an attempt to save face.
Lin’s father eventually returned to Lin’an in disgrace. He had initially thought that, as before, after every argument, things would return to normal if he just lowered his head a little.
But this time, what awaited him was Lin's mother’s firm divorce agreement.
The woman who had worked diligently like an ox for the Lin family for half her life chose not to endure anymore. Ignoring Lin’s father's pleas, she resolutely chose divorce.
She would rather leave without a penny than continue living in this so-called “home.”
Carrying a somewhat worn-out suitcase, Lin’s mother took all her belongings and left the city where she had lived for half of her life.
Sitting on the bus heading to the train station, Lin's mother looked out the window as they passed by the No. 1 High School, her emotions complicated.
After scheming for half a lifetime, she ended up with a broken family, everything in vain. The one she felt most sorry for was this child.
At the moment of leaving this city, Lin's mother suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt toward Lin Wan.
The bus started again, and the scenery outside the window changed as the No. 1 High School gradually disappeared from her sight.
Lin’s mother withdrew her gaze and looked down at her rough, aging hands.
Heading to a strange city, leaving her job in middle age, with no special skills, no house, and no savings, her future life would likely be very difficult.
Suddenly, Lin Wan's cold eyes flashed before her, and Lin’s mother felt a pang in her heart.
Could this be her karma?
“The next stop is Lin’an Train Station. Passengers, please take your belongings...”
The bus’s stop announcement rang in her ears, and Lin’s mother hurriedly picked up her small suitcase and stumbled toward the door.
Carrying her small suitcase, Lin's mother boarded the train bound for a distant place, leaving the city where she had spent most of her life.
---
Meanwhile, Lin Wan, who had been taking exams for several days, was sitting in the classroom, preparing for the last subject.
With only a little over two months until the college entrance exam, the principal of No. 1 High School, intending to pressure them, had made the test papers unusually difficult.
Not only were the questions hard, but they also covered a wide range of topics.
A single question could combine several knowledge points. According to the principal, this was “a comprehensive, multi-dimensional experience to give students a taste of the college entrance exam.”
From the first exam, the school was filled with the sound of students groaning.
Class 5, a haven for underachievers.
In the back rows, amidst an atmosphere of complaint and despair, Lin Wan remained calm and composed, standing out in stark contrast.
“Hey, buddy, stop pretending. There's no one here to impress. Come over and curse with us. Damn it, I used to be able to guess some answers, but who made this exam? It’s pure evil. I can’t even understand some of the questions, so what am I supposed to write?”
The student next to Lin Wan angrily slammed the table, looking utterly frustrated.
Calmly closing the Oxford Chinese Dictionary he had flipped to the last page, Lin Wan listened to their complaints and was puzzled.
“Was it really that hard? I thought it was fine.”
“...Bro, you’re something else.”
Hearing this, the underachiever gave Lin Wan a thumbs-up, looking at him with admiration.
“At least I understood a few questions. But you? Not even one? Come on, tell me, what did you write on the test? Did you turn in a blank sheet again?”
“I didn’t submit a blank sheet. I wrote everything,” Lin Wan paused, somewhat unsure. “And I think I got a lot of it right.”
“...This is no fun. There aren’t even any fangirls around, so why are you pretending?” The underachiever rolled his eyes, speaking with a jealous tone.
Since Lin Wan's rebirth, he had tidied up his appearance, cutting off his heavy bangs and revealing his delicate, fair face, which was exceptionally eye-catching.
With the impurities in his body removed, he now exuded a sense of clarity, almost ethereal, as though he didn’t belong to this world.
In the generally greasy and dull atmosphere of senior year, Lin Wan was like a refreshing breeze that gently blew into the hearts of the junior girls.
“Look at this guy, memorizing the Oxford Chinese Dictionary before an English exam! What a unique way to show off. Why didn’t I think of that? I swear, next time, I’ll sit at the door with a dictionary, and every time a junior girl passes by, I’ll read a line. Sooner or later, I’ll get some cute love letters too!”
The underachiever was like a living embodiment of envy, his tone dripping with jealousy, his face full of blatant admiration.
“I really was studying, not showing off…”
Helpless, Lin Wan returned the Oxford Dictionary, which he had finished studying, to his desk, trying to defend his innocence.
“If you don’t believe me, feel free to ask me anything... Huh? What’s this?”
As Lin Wan placed the book back, his hand touched something thin and hard.
Frowning, he pulled out the unknown object and found that it was a pink letter.
The envelope was a soft pink, with a few cute and pretty stickers carefully attached. In the lower right corner of the envelope, a line of neat and elegant handwriting read: "To Senior Lin Wan, Personal."
"What else could it be? It's obviously a pink little love letter." The slacker said sourly.
"…"
Under the eager gazes of the crowd, Lin Wan reluctantly gave up the idea of opening the letter on the spot. He carefully tucked the meticulously prepared love letter into his backpack, intending to write a rejection letter by hand later and return it together.
Seeing that there was no more fun to be had, the group of slackers dispersed like birds and beasts, each lying on their desks to catch up on sleep.
After all, there was still an English exam in the afternoon. If they didn’t get enough rest, how would they guess their way through the test?
---
After smoothly completing the English exam, Lin Wan walked toward the bus stop in a cheerful mood.
Earlier, when Lin Wan mentioned he wanted to use his compensation of over a million yuan to buy a house, Wang Youqian enthusiastically took charge of the matter again, patting his chest in assurance.
Just a moment ago, Wang Youqian sent Lin Wan a text message, telling him that a house had been found and asking when he’d be available to go see it together.
Happily putting away his old Nokia phone, Lin Wan sat on the swaying bus, feeling that the golden sunset was especially beautiful.
He was finally going to have a home!
This cheerful mood lasted until Lin Wan entered the space.
As soon as he stepped in, an overwhelming aroma of food hit him, making him dizzy.
What was going on?
Why was there such a rich and fragrant smell of food in his space, which hadn’t been used for cooking in over 800 years?
Sniffing, Lin Wan was still in a daze when an even more shocking scene unfolded.
Creak—
The door of the small wooden cabin gently opened, and Luo Zixuan stood behind it, his face full of warmth and smiles.
Behind him, a large table was filled with an abundance of dishes, and the steam and aroma rose together, enveloping Lin Wan in a warm embrace, slowly filling his once lonely heart.
At that moment, Lin Wan felt the sense of home for the first time in his long life.
Blinking his slightly misty eyes, Lin Wan's voice was a little hoarse.
"Did you make all this?"
"Yes! ... Huh?"
Luo Zixuan happily nodded, feeling proud and ready to ask for praise. But as he lowered his head, he saw a pink envelope in Lin Wan's hand. Instantly, alarms rang in his head, and he went into high alert.
"Zezhi, what is that you're holding?"
Luo Zixuan stared at the pink envelope in Lin Wan's hand, his internal radar buzzing wildly.
All the memories he had previously been unable to recall suddenly returned with clarity.
Luo Zixuan looked at Lin Wan, his eyes full of grief and disbelief.
"You... you accepted someone else's love letter?!"
"Huh? Didn't you lose your memory? How do you know it's a love letter?"
Lin Wan's thought process veered off course, and he looked at Luo Zixuan, his gaze filled with curiosity and a hint of probing.
"Luo Zixuan, have you regained your memory?"
"Does that even matter?"
Luo Zixuan sniffed, looking at Lin Wan with the gaze of someone staring at a top-tier scumbag.
"The point is, you actually accepted someone else's love letter!" Luo Zixuan shouted in grief and indignation.
How could you betray me for another dog!
For some reason, as Luo Zixuan's bright eyes stared at him, Lin Wan's mind flashed with an odd thought.
"..."
Under Luo Zixuan's intense gaze, Lin Wan suddenly felt that the love letter in his hand was burning hot.
How strange. Clearly, he had no relationship with Luo Zixuan, and even if he were dating, it would be his own business. So why did he suddenly feel so guilty?
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