Shout out to all the readers who celebrated my 20 chapter sprint on . Thanks to you lovely people, here's another chapter of LMStB way ahead of schedule. (*^∀^*)/

Rhavaniel σ(≧ε≦ｏ)

con ♡♡+.ﾟ(￫ε￩*)ﾟ+.ﾟ

Xinue123 ✧˖°*॰ॱ(♡ˊ͈ ॢ꒳ˋ͈)ु(ूˊ͈꒳ ॢˋ͈♡)ʓ৸ʓ৸♪

Translated by: Syeki

Edited by: Vanilla Muse

Chapter 41

"I know, you've told me several times."

The smile in Lin Feng's eyes dissipated, but his tone was still gentle. Raising his hand, he gently caressed the youth's soft hair: “Jinchu, you and Xiao Jing are equally important to me. I would not want to see either of you in trouble. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Su s.h.i.+ did not want to understand at all. In vain, his head shrank back into the quilt, his voice faintly sullen: “Brother, it was me who crashed the car, really. Why won't you believe me…?”

Listening to his muted tone, Lin Feng's chest felt tight. He couldn't bear to press the issue any further. He bent over and gathered Su s.h.i.+ into his arms, patting him through the quilt between them: "It's okay, it's okay, I believe you. I'll believe everything you say."

Liar, the misunderstanding values have already dropped to near failure levels!

Su s.h.i.+'s grievances were fierce. He clutched at his quilt, too upset to speak.

Watching him suddenly slump in abject misery, sadness seeped into Lin Feng's eyes.

The scene that had long faded from memory suddenly rose up in his mind's eye.

The skinny and stubborn teen stood barefoot on the ground, body full of mud and bruises. He kept scrubbing at his face to wipe away the tears, the voice that had not broken yet was bitter and angry.

"Why is it that just because Lin Jing said I did it, he must be telling the truth? Why must everything I say be lies?"

"It really wasn't me, why won't any of you believe me!"

"Because I'm not related to you, so everything's my fault!"

Before, he had viewed it as nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum. Now he felt as if there was a blunt knife sawing at his heart, he couldn't breathe from the pain.

After all, Jinchu was a child taken in by their family, it was only right to have shown him some care.

Not only that. The child had a sensitive nature, and tended to keep to himself. He had never been good with words, unlike Xiao Jing, whose glib tongue could cleverly charm their parents.

Xiao Jing never did own up to that incident in the end. Their father had waved it off with a helpless smile and told them to go to bed, lightheartedly letting the matter settle.

Leaning against the sofa, he had glanced over at the noise in the living room, and then lowered his head to continue working on his paper. Their mother had ushered Xiao Jing back into the house while laughing lightly. Half scolding, half affectionately rubbing his head: "This child, can't you be nicer to Jinchu?"

In the eyes of the adults, this was nothing more than one of the many common fights between children. There had never been any serious effort made to examine the facts to determine the truth, nor any need to distinguish who was right or wrong.

But in this moment, he suddenly understood the embarra.s.sment, pain and despair that the teen standing in the corner must have felt, with n.o.body to confide in.

I had the chance to be a good brother.

But now, the child who once stood alone in the corner has closed off his heart.

He still worried over whether or not Lin Feng was tired, still thought of the reputation of the company, but he had also determined that as long as Lin Jing pushed the blame on him, he would never be given the chance to explain himself.

He didn't believe that anyone would protect him— but unlike back when he was small, he no longer had the strength nor will to defend himself. All his thorns have been carefully turned inward, piercing himself b.l.o.o.d.y, never to harm anyone else.

Lin Feng stood in silence for a while. He no longer spoke, just ruffled Su s.h.i.+'s hair before turning off the wall and ceiling lights for him.

Su s.h.i.+ held his breath, his eyes dull as his gaze subconsciously followed the back of the retreating figure.

Until the last faint ray of light was slowly eclipsed by the closing door, plunging the room into darkness.

Beneath the stairs, the a.s.sistant was still doing his best to complete the task a.s.signed by his Chairman Lin.

When Chairman Lin came out from the bedroom, the young master would most certainly be killed. Before that happens, he must find out as many clues as he could.

The a.s.sistant was full of confidence, but before he even managed to start laying on the intimidation tactics, Lin Jing's eyes had turned an angry red and he seized the a.s.sistant by the collar.

"So you're one of them as well… what more do you want! I've already done what you asked for— I put the drugs into his wine, and he drank it. Are you saying the car accident was my fault as well?!"

"No, Second Young Master, you've misunderstood."

A chill ran up the a.s.sistant's spine as he was shoved back against the wall. He broke out in a cold sweat as his entire body stiffened.

“I just wanted to ask— who was at the party that day. If you tell me, I will put in a good word for you with Chairman Lin…”

"What?"

Lin Jing was dumbfounded. He turned pale as he realized he had overreacted and inadvertently let slip some things that ought not have been said. His grip loosened and he took two unsteady steps back: "Brother Li, you, you just treat what I said as nonsense, don't tell elder brother! Please, you have to help me!"

The a.s.sistant staggered before straightening himself, stiffly supporting the other. As he looked up, he was greeted with the roiling rage swirling like ink in the dark eyes of his chairman, who was standing close by.

"Second Young Master… Do you still want to live?"

The author has something to say:

Su s.h.i.+: I think there is hope!! You see, the protagonist is angry with me!! ヾ (≧▽≦ ≧▽≦)ノ