"Find some time to visit your stepmother in the hospital."
As soon as the old Master Lin finished speaking, Zhou Si's expression remained unchanged. The hand that had just lifted the chopsticks slowly dropped back down.
His tone was flat, without a hint of emotion. "My stepmother might not want to see me."
The legitimate wife of the old Master Lin, Ming Qiao, had a car accident many years ago. Her spine was fractured, and her vocal cords were damaged. She had been bedridden ever since.
The old Master Lin was well aware of what had happened back then. All he had to do was conduct a simple investigation, and he would know everything.
Although Ming Qiao was the one who had killed Zhou Si's mother, she had at least saved Zhou Si's life and taken care of him for a while.
At that time, Ming Qiao had repeatedly told the old Master Lin that she genuinely liked Zhou Si. It was just unfortunate that the child had gone missing.
For this reason, the old Master Lin was quite satisfied with Ming Qiao.
"A Si, you're overthinking it."
The old Master Lin cleared his throat and spoke slowly. "It was your stepmother who saved your life and took care of you for a while. She spent time and energy on you. How could she not want to see you?"
After saying that, his expression showed a hint of displeasure.
"Your stepmother took care of you when you were helpless. Don't you have any feelings for her at all?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere at the dinner table changed.
A few seconds later, Zhou Si slowly raised his head. His expression was calm and natural. "I do."
How could he not have any feelings?
How could he not have any feelings for the woman who had first killed his mother, then made him live like a dog, and finally almost beaten him to death after he had lost his value?
Hatred, of course, was also a kind of feeling.
Zhou Si hated Ming Qiao with all his heart. He wished she was dead!
The hatred welled up in his heart, but he didn't show it at all.
His expression remained docile and obedient. "Dad, I understand. I'll visit my stepmother later."
His obedience made the old Master Lin very satisfied.
At this moment, Lin Chuluo tightened his grip and suddenly spoke up. "Dad, I don't think it's appropriate for him to go to the hospital."
"What's inappropriate about it?" The old Master Lin's face darkened instantly.
Lin Chuluo took a deep breath and said straightforwardly. "Mother is his mother's murderer. It's not suitable for them to meet."
The old Master Lin raised his eyebrows and raised his voice. "A Si, is that really what you think?"
It seemed like he was testing him.
Zhou Si sat up straight, wiped the corner of his mouth with a tissue, and then slowly raised his head. His demeanor was calm. "Those were all things from my childhood. I don't remember them anymore."
"I don't even remember what my mother looked like. How could I hold a grudge against my stepmother?"
The old Master Lin's eyes were deep.
Since Zhou Si had been recognized as a member of the Lin family, he had never done anything to go against the old Master Lin.
This illegitimate son, whom he had not seen for many years, was not only intelligent but also obedient. He was so well - behaved that he really pleased the old Master Lin.
This was the kind of heir he wanted, not Lin Chuluo.
Although Lin Chuluo was the son he had raised with his own hands, he was very calculating. Sometimes, even the old Master Lin himself couldn't figure him out.
This made the old Master Lin wary.
That was why he had been so eager to find this long - lost illegitimate son and let him return to the family.
He had thought that Zhou Si would be wild and needed to be tamed. However, he was so obedient that it was heartbreaking. He didn't fight for anything, which surprised the old Master Lin.
As the saying goes, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." The old Master Lin was no exception.
He felt sorry for this son who had been drifting alone for many years. Coupled with his fear of Lin Chuluo, the balance in his heart tilted more towards Zhou Si.
"Alright, that's settled then." The old Master Lin's voice was authoritative. "We're all family from now on. There's no need to be so cautious."
Lin Chuluo paused for a moment and still wanted to try to persuade him. "Dad, I think..."
"Enough!" The old Master Lin's face tightened, and his voice became even colder. "What exactly do you want? Lin Chuluo, the Lin family is not up to you alone. Do you understand!"
The old Master Lin's voice was deep and powerful, like a slap on Lin Chuluo's face.
His face instantly turned ugly.
Facing the cold war between the father and son, Zhou Si remained unmoved. He just glanced at Lin Chuluo.
Although there was no emotion in his eyes, Lin Chuluo still felt mocked.
He had been the young master of the Lin family for more than twenty years. However, an illegitimate son who had only been back for a short time had easily taken his place in his father's heart. This was really ironic.
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. Finally, he chose to swallow his anger.
"Sorry, Dad. I'll be more careful in the future."
He knew very well that he had to be patient now.
His intuition told Lin Chuluo that Zhou Si was a man who was good at hiding. Before he showed his true nature, he must not lose his composure.
---
After dinner, Lin Chuluo and the old Master Lin went into the study as usual.
Lin Chuluo stood in front of the desk and reported the recent work of the Lin Corporation and Yan Yun to the old Master Lin.
Although the old Master Lin intended to hand over the Lin Corporation to Zhou Si, he was new to the company, and there were still many obstacles to be cleared.
As a father, he intended to help Zhou Si.
Lin Chuluo was well aware of this but didn't expose it.
Halfway through the report, the old Master Lin suddenly said, "Let A Si handle the main affairs of the Lin Corporation for the next quarter."
His words implied that he wanted Lin Chuluo to hand over his power.
The old Master Lin continued, "The affairs at Yan Yun are very busy. You should take care of them first. The Lin Group is relatively mature. It's completely okay to let A Si manage it..."
"Dad, I need to tell you something first." Lin Chuluo interrupted him in a deep voice. "The other day, Xixi and I went to the hospital for a check - up. It's a boy."
Hearing this, the old Master Lin slightly squinted his eyes.
...
In the living room.
Zhou Si was leaning on the sofa, completely different from his submissive appearance just now.
There was a hint of arrogance and even a touch of mockery in his eyes.
He was not a good boy.
But at certain times, he could be.
Thinking about what he had done, Zhou Si couldn't help but sneer. He thought he was quite hypocritical.
While thinking about these things, his eyes fell on Jiang Xixi, who had been silent all the time.
She had a very low sense of presence.
However, this didn't prevent her from being beautiful. She just looked soulless, like a beautiful doll.
The quarrel at the dinner table just now didn't even startle this woman.
It seemed that everything had nothing to do with her.
Zhou Si's cold eyes slowly shifted away. For some reason, seeing Jiang Xixi's dull face made him inexplicably irritable.
He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a puff, and then slowly exhaled the smoke until the living room was filled with a faint smell of tobacco.