Shen Huai'an finally relented. He even temporarily withdrew from the group due to health reasons. As for the position of president, the old lady's idea was to let Shen Qingyu take over first, but these were all matters of concern to Shen Huai'an.
Shen Huai'an took Lin Wanxing to the ancestral hall. Once inside, he led Xingxing in to offer incense.
Lin Wanxing stood blankly at the entrance of the ancestral hall. The interior was dimly lit, illuminated entirely by candlelight. Shen Huai'an, dressed in a smart and well-tailored suit, stood backlit in front of the memorial tablets.
A vermilion archway, classical patterns painted with gold, swaying bamboo curtains, a servant offering incense, Shen Huai'an slowly taking the incense and bowing slightly to each of the memorial tablets.
Shen Huai'an's voice was cold: "A family's prosperity cannot always rely on one person. If we want our descendants to prosper for generations to come, our ancestors should also open their eyes."
His voice was neither humble nor arrogant, and he showed no regard for the rules.
Shen Huai'an's back blocked Lin Wanxing's view. He rarely came to the ancestral hall. He stood there in a sharp suit, completely out of place in this Chinese-style ancestral hall.
Shen Huai'an doesn't believe in these things. Except for festivals, he never comes here to pay respects to his ancestors.
The family elders entrusted the ancestral worship ceremony to Shen Taimin, and they trusted him even more. They even entrusted him with the construction of the ancestral hall.
Since Shen Huai'an didn't believe in these things, he rarely got involved in them.
Shen Huai'an always believed that once a person dies, they are gone. Who else can they bless? Rather than coming here to ask for these wooden memorial tablets, it is better to pray for oneself.
He had done enough for the Shen family over the years. His parents died early, and he lost a leg but survived. He didn't want to be so heartless.
But Shim Tae-min and the old lady really cornered him.
Shen Huai'an straightened up, unconsciously tightening his grip on his cane, staring intently at the memorial tablet in front of him, and then turned to leave.
When Lin Wanxing saw his second brother come out, he went up to help him.
Shen Huai'an leaned on his cane, looked at the sky and sighed: "Second brother, now we really have nothing left, so Xingxing, you must stay by my side."
Lin Wanxing obediently helped him up, saying, "Second brother, I will always stay by your side."
"They will hold a meeting at the group tomorrow. I will withdraw automatically then so it won't look too bad. I have given Shim Tae-min what he wants. Now it's up to him to see if he can take it."
Lin Wanxing didn't understand what this meant. He asked blankly, "Second brother, does that mean you won't have to work anymore?"
Shen Huai'an smiled and said, "Yes, you don't need to work anymore. I'll stay home with you every day from now on, okay?"
Lin Wanxing took a deep breath; it seemed a lot had happened today.
Sure enough, the next day the media was full of reports about the internal changes in the Shen Group, and all the TV shows were about Shen Huai'an's departure from the group.
Furthermore, various gossip programs have directly analyzed the current situation of the Shen family, and almost everyone understands that Shen Huai'an has been completely abandoned.
The second wife's connections have dwindled, and now her only hope has been driven out of the group.
These past few days, two major hot topics have been making headlines: one is that the Chen family's little princess and the Fang family's young master will hold their highly anticipated wedding in Qingyuan Mountain County, and the other is that Shen Er, a legendary business figure from back then, has officially withdrawn from the Shen Group.
These two news items have become popular topics of conversation.
"Shen Er, who married the foolish young master, became an outcast of his family."
The housekeeper saw this headline as soon as he got the newspaper that morning. The headline was even enlarged several times, as if afraid it wouldn't be eye-catching enough.
When Butler Chen saw the newspaper, he was so angry that he threw it directly into the trash can by the door.
Such unscrupulous media outlets will eventually face retribution.
Shen Huai'an was eating breakfast when he saw Lin Wanxing staring blankly at the lean meat porridge in her bowl, her eyes fixed on her phone.
"Is the star waiting for news from someone?"
Shen Huai'an chewed on a fried egg and asked gently.
Lin Wanxing licked her lips. "Waiting for news from my friend."
He was anxiously waiting for news from Coco. Recently, he could sense that his second brother was in a bad mood, and the whole city was buzzing with gossip about him.
The TV, cell phones, and newspapers have all been filled with this kind of news these past few days; it's so annoying.
Although he was simple-minded, he understood his second brother's predicament: so many bad people were ganging up on him.
My second brother had no choice but to be forced into this situation. He had to hand over his years of hard work to someone else and act as if nothing had happened, smiling and facing everything. My second brother must have been heartbroken.
Lin Wanxing didn't want his second brother to be sad. He wanted to cheer him up, at least to stop him from forcing himself to stay like this.
Although my second brother is an adult, he is still a human being, and he also feels sad.
He could sense his second brother's sadness; so many people, yet not a single one stood by his side to support him.
My second brother has contributed so much to the group, yet he was kicked out in the end.
He wanted to make his second brother happy but didn't know how, so he could only ask Coco for help.
Coco said that men don't show their vulnerable side to outsiders; they silently endure it alone in a corner.
Lin Wanxing looked up at her second brother's eyes and couldn't help but feel heartache.
His second brother was so gentle, yet he always seemed to run into bad people.
Seeing the little fool's furrowed brows and tearful expression, Shen Huai'an's smile deepened. He knew this little fool was feeling sorry for him.
Even the mighty second brother needs to be cared for. Shen Huai'an said to Lin Wanxing, "Have some sweet and sour fried eggs, your favorite."
Seeing his smile and the thought that he was using a smile to hide his sadness made Lin Wanxing want to cry even more. He lowered his head and silently slurped the porridge in his bowl.
He felt guilty. He couldn't do anything, so he could only hide behind his second brother and enjoy the feeling of being cared for and protected by him.
He was so incompetent that tears welled up in his eyes when he saw the fried egg his second brother had put on his plate.
My second brother cares about me a lot. He remembers all my preferences, but I don't know what he likes or how to help him calm down.
He asked Coco-chan, but Coco-chan hasn't replied yet.
"Why did you start crying while you were eating?" Shen Huai'an asked with concern.
Lin Wanxing shook her head and quickly wiped away her tears. "It's nothing, just that my eyes feel uncomfortable."
"Second brother, do you think I'm useless? I can't help with anything."
Shen Huai'an shook his head: "No, I feel very safe with Xingxing by my side. Xingxing, don't worry about the rumors outside."
"Even if Second Brother has nothing left, I'm happy just knowing that you're still by my side."
“They all despise me for being a cripple, but Xingxing doesn’t. This leg is my eternal pain, so people outside always use it to hurt me repeatedly.”
“I am a cripple, I am an outcast, I am the laughing stock of the whole Jiangcheng, but I still have Xingxing, so you must never leave me.”
The more he said that, the more heartbroken Lin Wanxing felt. He felt his heart being torn apart; his second brother was truly pitiful.
God is so unfair! Why make such people suffer? Why not just take away all the bad guys?
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