Lin Yu edged to the side of the road, his voice calm but resolute. "Madam Lin, you're mistaken. I need to be on my way, please step aside."
Lin Shengnan's eyes narrowed, her frown deepening. "Not Lin Yu? Then how do you know my surname is Lin?"
She crossed her arms, tone icy. "Ignoring your own sister like a stranger, is that what your monk father taught you?"
"You've been with the Lin family for four years, yet you cling to your crude habits. Utterly unrefined."
Anger flared in Lin Yu's chest. Once, such words would have bowed his head, spurred self-reflection, and drawn apologies. He'd have vowed to change, to fit in. But no more. He'd left that life behind, why endure the arrogance of these self-centered elites?
"Miss Lin," he said evenly, "is it refined to hurl baseless accusations?"
"Is it refined to slander those who raised me, who gave me a home until I was twelve?"
"Is it refined to block someone's path when they're just trying to go home?"
"I suggest you call Lin Yuan first. Hear his answer before deciding if you have the right to stop me."
For a moment, Lin Shengnan was speechless. In her memory, Lin Yu had been meek, his demeanor steeped in humility and compliance. This defiant, unyielding figure was a stranger.
Then, in one swift motion, she seized his arm, her grip iron-tight. "I see through you," she snapped. "You stole from the Lin family and sold it, that's why you're in this state. You're not leaving until you explain."
Though a woman, Lin Shengnan stood over 1.8 meters, her years of military training making her formidable. Lin Yu, barely 1.7 meters and under 45 kilograms, was powerless against her strength.
As she held him, she pulled out her phone and dialed Lin Yuan. The call rang unanswered, likely he was in a meeting with his phone on silent.
Frowning, she tried Lan Lin.
No answer.
Her nerves tightened, and a wild thought struck her. She turned to Xiao Zhao, voice low and urgent. "Xiao Zhao, restrain him. I have reason to believe my parents have been killed by him!"
Lin Yu was dumbfounded.
'Killed? What an absurd leap.'
He didn't know what Lin Yuan was doing, but he could guess Lan Lin's whereabouts, she was likely at the hospital with her cherished Lin Tianyang. The boy had nearly drowned, ever-doting, Lan Lin would've rushed him for a full check-up at their family's hospital.
Xiao Zhao eyed Lin Yu's scrawny frame, skepticism etched on his rugged face. "With all due respect, Captain, look at him. Does he look capable of killing your parents? Shouldn't you call your sisters before jumping to such conclusions?"
Lin Shengnan hesitated, then nodded and dialed Lin Xiaotong.
The call connected instantly.
She put it on speaker, and Lin Yu heard Lin Xiaotong's surprised voice. "Shengnan? Aren't you in intensive training? Why the sudden call?"
Lin Shengnan skipped pleasantries. "Where are Mom and Dad? Are they okay? What about Tianyang?"
A brief pause. "They're fine," Lin Xiaotong replied, puzzled. "Tianyang got pushed into the pool by Lin Yu, so Mom took him to the hospital for a check-up."
"It's not serious. Why?"
Lin Shengnan exhaled slowly, relief easing her tension. "I couldn't reach them, and I found Lin Yu on the road looking suspicious. I thought… he might've done something to them."
Lin Xiaotong laughed. "Lin Yu? He's just throwing a tantrum because Mom and Dad lectured him. He ran away from home."
"And it's not just running away, he signed an agreement to sever ties with Dad. Can you believe it?"
Lin Shengnan turned to Lin Yu, shock etched on her face. "You're cutting ties with us?"
Lin Yu wrenched his arm free and straightened. "I apologize for not informing you, but it's irrelevant. Lin Yuan is the head of the Lin family. The rest of you…" He exhaled, gaze steady. "Are secondary."
"Now, Miss Lin, will you let me go?"
Lin Yu limped away.
Lin Shengnan stood frozen, staring at his retreating figure.
She'd never formed a deep bond with this younger brother. When he was found and brought back, she'd been at military school. Over the years, she'd seen him only during brief holiday visits.
In her memory, he was timid and frail, his presence negligible. He'd greet her with an ingratiating, servile smile, a look that repulsed her. To Lin Shengnan, such a weak-willed child was unworthy of being her brother.
But now, this Lin Yu was unrecognizable, a stranger.
As he vanished down the road, Xiao Zhao broke the silence. "Shengnan, are you sure that's your brother?" His voice carried curiosity. "Could he be some orphan your family bought for good luck?"
Lin Shengnan shot him a sharp glare, then glanced at Lin Yu's fading silhouette. "I didn't expect Young Master Zhao to be so nosy," she said, annoyed. "Can't a family have a rebellious child?"
Xiao Zhao shook his head. "Sure, but have you seen a 'rebellious child' like that?"
His tone grew serious. "Tell me, has your family gone bankrupt? Are things so bad you can't afford to raise your kids?"
"If so, I could ask my third uncle for a loan. I won't brag, but I could get you a million, maybe eight hundred thousand."
Lin Shengnan rolled her eyes. "Enough. Stop with the wild guesses. Our family's nowhere near that point, and we don't need your rescue."
Xiao Zhao nodded, thoughtful. "True. Lin Pharmaceuticals was set to go public six months ago, it wouldn't collapse this fast."
"Then there's only one explanation." He gave her a knowing look. "Your brother's an illegitimate son your father raised in secret, right? That's why he's unwelcome."
Xiao Zhao's expression turned grave. "But there's a limit. Treat someone like that, and it won't end well. Did you see him?"
"Skin and bones. Clothes years old, practically rags. Covered in injuries."
"You need to know when to stop. The sins of one generation shouldn't fall on the next."
Lin Shengnan opened her mouth to respond but faltered. There was no simple way to explain.
After a pause, she said firmly, "He's my full-blooded brother. Same parents. DNA tests confirmed it, multiple times."
Xiao Zhao's eyes widened. "Then why does he look like he doesn't belong to your family?"
"His clothes are falling apart, worn for years. And those injuries…" He shook his head. "Tell me the truth. Is your mother playing Empress Dowager, scheming to oust her own son to control everything?"
Lin Shengnan sighed. "I haven't lived at home in years. I'm only back for a few days during visits. I'll get answers when I get there."
She slid into the driver's seat and started the jeep.
Xiao Zhao climbed in beside her, and in silence, they drove toward the city.