Chapter 209
"Are you planning to make soup for me again?" Old Master Xia looked at Xia Lin sideways and asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Do you want love?" Xia Lin rolled his eyes at him and answered bluntly.
Faced with his son's impolite attitude, Grandpa Xia was not angry. He just said calmly: "When are you going to send the turtle back? Don't let it starve while you're raising it."
After saying that, he looked at Xia Lin with a slightly reproachful look.
After hearing these words, Xia Lin's mouth twitched involuntarily, and a nameless fire instantly rose in his heart.
He was about to open his mouth to retort, but suddenly he felt a soft hand tightly grasping his arm.
When he turned around, he saw Zhong Yanyan looking at him with concern and shaking her head gently.
This made Xia Lin, who was already furious, feel even more angry and helpless, but he finally suppressed his anger, picked up the turtle, turned around and walked quickly towards the pool outside the door.
Old Master Xia looked at Xia Lin's departing back and couldn't help but chuckle.
Although the laughter was light, it contained a hint of relief and joy.
Then, he slowly stood up and followed Xia Lin at a leisurely pace. Zhong Yanyan stood where she was, quietly watching the father and son walk away.
After a while, she seemed to realize that it was not appropriate for her to continue following them, so she stopped and decided to leave them some space alone. After all, there were some knots in their hearts that needed to be untied by the father and son themselves.
At this time, the housekeeper came over with a smile on his face and said to Zhong Yanyan enthusiastically: "Madam, please have lunch here before going back."
The reason why the butler was so happy was that when he saw the young master coming back with the turtle, he knew in his heart that the young master had truly let go of his past grudges.
In this way, the atmosphere of the whole family will become much more relaxed. Now, Master Mu is helping to take care of the old master's illness, and the things that happened in the past have been handed over to Master Lin to deal with. The old master can finally rest in peace.
Faced with the housekeeper's cordial invitation, Zhong Yanyan did not hesitate at all and replied with a smile: "Okay, then I'll trouble the housekeeper to take the trouble to arrange it."
After receiving a positive answer, the butler nodded happily, then turned to the kitchen and told the chef to prepare a sumptuous lunch.
On the other side, Xia Lin came to the pool and carefully placed the turtle in his hand into the water.
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Grandpa Xia's voice came from behind him: "Lin'er, Dad is sorry for keeping it from you for so many years..." Grandpa Xia's tone was full of guilt and self-blame.
He knew very well that no matter what his original difficulties were, the fact that his son's feelings were hurt was an unchangeable fact.
So, today he decided to admit his mistake to his son honestly, hoping to get his forgiveness.
"Can a simple 'I'm sorry' wipe out everything?"
"Have you already planned that after all this is settled, you will go directly to my mother and use your death to force me to forgive the mistakes you have made?" Xia Lin stared at the man in front of him, his voice trembling slightly with anger as he questioned him.
Mr. Xia obviously did not expect to be questioned in this way. He was stunned at first, with a look of surprise on his face, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded slowly to show his agreement.
"That's right, Lin'er, that's exactly what I thought at that time. I love you, there is no doubt about that, but my deep affection for your mother is even more unforgettable. I love you more because of your mother." When he said this, Grandpa Xia's eyes became a little dim, as if he was immersed in distant memories.
"Do you know? When I first heard the sad news of your mother's death, my world collapsed in an instant. I felt like a body without a soul, wandering in this world like a zombie."
"At that moment, I really wanted to follow her and leave this world together. However, every time I saw you looking helpless and pitiful, I thought of those old guys with ulterior motives who took the opportunity to come to my house."
"So, I had to suppress the huge grief in my heart and chose to continue living. After all, I know very well that I have the responsibility to protect you!" As Grandpa Xia spoke, he stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to pat Xia Lin's shoulder, but finally stopped in mid-air. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly retracted his hand.
"That's why I deliberately made you hate me, hoping that you could stay away from this place of trouble, the farther the better."
"As long as you live in peace, that's all that matters. As for me, I can only work hard to try to numb my broken heart."
"At the same time, I have to quietly wait for those old guys to retire and step down, and watch them walk towards the end of their lives. I keep telling myself that I must live strong no matter what, and I must live longer than them."
"Only in this way can I have the opportunity to submit those crucial evidences and let that abominable Xia Jiye receive the punishment he deserves!"
At this point, Old Master Xia slowly raised his head, looked at the person in front of him with a kind and firm gaze, and said solemnly: "Regarding the matter of Xia Jiye changing his name, the illegitimate child, that is not the truth."
"In fact, his original surname was Xia, but because his father was imprisoned, he had no choice but to change it to his mother's surname. Later, because of some reasons in our family, he changed back to his original surname."
"And you are the only flesh and blood I have in my life from beginning to end."
Then, Mr. Xia's eyes dimmed, as if he was recalling the distant and bitter past: "Do you know? You were actually a premature baby. Back then, when I was young and energetic, I had a huge fight with your grandfather and insisted on marrying your mother."
"So I took your mother away from the Xia family. At that time, the company I founded had just started to make a name for itself and was in a difficult start-up phase. I was extremely busy every day, so naturally I neglected your pregnant mother."
"When she was only seven months pregnant with you, she unfortunately fell to the ground in an accident."
"Can you imagine? The doctor later told us that if you had been brought in a little later, not only you, but even your mother's life would have been in danger! Every time I think back to that moment, I can't help but feel a little scared."
"When the doctor carefully carried you out of the delivery room, your tiny body weighed only four pounds, just like a fragile kitten."
“Looking at your petite and pitiful appearance, I don’t even dare to touch you easily, for fear of hurting you.
Then, you were quickly sent to the incubator for special care, but the doctor said to me solemnly: "This child is too young and too weak. It is still unknown whether he can survive."
"I really couldn't bear to tell your mother this cruel news. So, I could only silently bear this worry and fear alone. While taking good care of your mother who has not yet recovered, I kept an eye on your condition at all times, fearing that there would be any accidents."
"Really, during that period, every day was like walking on a tightrope for me."
"Your mother is looking forward to your birth with great joy. She cares about you so much that even I, as a father, can't help but feel a little jealous. Because of this, I dare not reveal a single word about your true situation to her."
"Besides, because of you, your mother could no longer have other children. If anything had really happened to you, I think she would have left me without hesitation. But fortunately, you grew up healthy and strong with your tenacious vitality!"
"Really? Your grandfather doesn't like the Ou family, so he repeatedly opposed me being with your mother. If anything happens to you, she will definitely feel that she doesn't have your grandfather's approval, and if I don't have children in the future, she will leave without hesitation. Your mother loves me very much, the kind of love that is willing to give up herself, so how can I bear to let her down?"
"How could I possibly have a mistress outside? You said Zhou Min was my mistress, so I hit you. It was because you insulted me and your mother, not because I was angry."
"Of course, I shouldn't have hit you. I'm sorry!" said Mr. Xia with a guilty look on his face.
When Xia Lin heard this apology, he couldn't help feeling a little surprised.
From childhood to adulthood, he had never heard his father apologize so humbly. However, the love his father gave him when he was a child was still vivid in his mind and deeply imprinted in his heart.
What impressed him most was that his father always taught him to be obedient and sensible, and to make his mother happy.
As long as he can make his mother smile, his father will satisfy him without hesitation no matter what he wants.
And on this point, the father whom he always called old man had never broken his promise.
"Actually, I initially thought that there was some kind of connection between you, Zhou Min, and Xia Jiye, so I didn't dare tell you what my mother said to me before she died. I felt that you didn't deserve it."
"At that time, my mother was lying on the ground with her last breath. She used up her last bit of strength to say to me, 'I will never regret marrying you.'"
"Moreover, my mother also told me that you had made a promise to her. Only after you have completed what you promised her will you be qualified to meet her. Otherwise, she will never be willing to see you."
When Xia Lin said this, his eyes had already turned red and tears were welling up in his eyes.
When Old Master Xia heard this, he laughed and his face became moist.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
