Seeing everyone’s varied expressions and their intrusive, inquisitive stares, Lin Ge was so angry he laughed.
Lin Ge calmly opened his suitcase, taking out his clothes one by one and giving them a shake. Then, he took the backpack off his shoulders and dumped all his books out in one heap.
"Have you seen enough? Do you still need to search me?" Lin Ge’s voice grew colder with every word.
The others were stunned by his chilling demeanor; no one dared to speak.
"Two years ago, you brought me back and gave me a home, for which I am grateful. But since you can no longer tolerate my presence, I will leave to satisfy your wishes. Over these past two years, my total expenses at the Lin Family Villa, including tuition, living costs, and pocket money—let’s round it up to twenty thousand a year—come to forty thousand yuan. I don't have the means to pay you back right now, so consider this a debt. Once I earn the money, I will pay you back immediately. I’ll write an IOU now."
"What? Your expenses were only a little over a thousand a month? You aren't lying, are you?" Lin Xinyi looked up at Lin Ge, disbelieving.
Wasn't Lin Ge treated the same as Lin Qingyang? As young masters of the Lin family, they shared the same chauffeur to school and only ate one meal a day there. It made no sense that Lin Qingyang received twenty or thirty thousand yuan in monthly pocket money, while Lin Ge claimed his total monthly spending was only a little over a thousand.
"Exactly. This is ridiculous. You’re telling us you only spent a thousand a month? You aren't joking, are you?"
"What a ridiculous claim! If you say things like that, outsiders will think the Lin family mistreated you!"
"No one said you shouldn't have spent money over these last two years; why be so performative?"
Several of his sisters couldn't hold back their skepticism.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Uncle Chen directly."
This was the truth, and Lin Ge was not afraid to confront them publicly. Uncle Chen was the steward of the Lin family; he had handled everything since Lin Ge first arrived.
"It is true, Third Miss. Young Master Lin Ge’s expenses over the last two years have only amounted to that much." Steward Chen stepped forward respectfully to confirm.
"How could that be...?"
Even with Steward Chen’s confirmation, Lin Xinyi and the others could hardly believe it. After all, in a family like the Lin household, total expenses of only a thousand-plus yuan a month were impossible for anyone to fathom. The others were equally shocked; Lin Ge’s spending was lower than that of the household servants.
Huang Huijuan frowned. "What is going on? Why did Young Master Lin Ge only use so little money?"
"This... when he first arrived, you and the Master said that Young Master Lin Ge shouldn't be too extravagant, and since he only ate one meal at school, five hundred for living expenses and two hundred for pocket money per month would be sufficient. And then..."
And then it had remained that way for two years.
Lin Rude and his wife fell silent.
Ignoring the stunned expressions of the others, Lin Ge tore a piece of white paper from a notebook and wrote out the IOU. "Now, can I leave?"
Without waiting for their reaction, he walked straight out the front door. The moment he stepped out of the Lin Family Villa, he swore to himself: *I, Lin Ge, am finished with this family. No more ties.*
Silence. The scene was deathly silent. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Watching Lin Ge’s retreating back, the entire Lin family remained frozen, unsure how to react. It took them a while to regain their senses.
"That child... why is he so stubborn? Even if the money was tight, he could have just asked us! How could he resort to stealing? And he’s always threatening to run away, hmph!"
"Fine, let him have his tantrum. I want to see how long he lasts out there. When he comes back begging for forgiveness, I’ll teach him a lesson!"
"He leaves so haughtily, but he’ll come back in a pathetic state. Even if the monthly allowance was a bit small, he never went hungry or thirsty, did he? Does he really think leaving the Lin family is such a great idea? Let him go experience the harsh reality for himself."
"I think Lin Ge must be going through a rebellious phase. Haven't you noticed how strange he’s been acting these past two days?"
"He just knows how to make his parents angry; I think he’s unfilial. Even if the money was a bit low, it was only relative to our family’s standards. I have classmates who live at school, and their total living expenses including pocket money are less than a thousand a month!"
...
"Big brother is just acting out; he’ll definitely be back in a couple of days. Don't worry, Mom and Dad!"
The Lin family still hadn't realized that Lin Ge was serious. They assumed he was just acting out of spite, using this stunt to threaten them into getting what he wanted. They were all busy indignantly condemning Lin Ge.
Only Lin Jiayi and Lin Xinyi remained silent. They had clearly heard the final thought Lin Ge harbored as he stepped out the door: *Lin Ge and the Lin family are, from this moment on, strangers.*
Perhaps, Lin Ge wasn't just throwing a tantrum for his family’s benefit.
Lost in their own thoughts, Lin Jiayi and Lin Xinyi exchanged a glance, realizing they were the only two who hadn't spoken. Lin Jiayi, by profession, was quiet and rarely spoke up unless necessary. But Lin Xinyi, who usually had a fiery temper, should have been the first to berate him. Their mutual silence struck them both as odd.
Lin Jiayi: ...
Lin Xinyi: ...
As they stared at each other, a pained groan broke the silence.
"Ugh! My head hurts so much... ah...!"
Under the pressure of such intense emotions, Huang Huijuan’s migraine flared up violently again. The scene descended into chaos. Everyone rushed to her side in a panic, trying to alleviate her pain.
Seeing his wife in such agony, Lin Rude hurriedly called the family doctor, demanding he come immediately. Fortunately, the doctor lived nearby and arrived in less than ten minutes. But despite exhausting every method at his disposal, the doctor could not stop Madam Lin’s pain.
"I’m sorry, I’ve done all I can." The doctor spread his hands toward Lin Rude. "Your wife’s migraines haven't flared up in six months. This attack is far too severe; it would be best to take her to the hospital."
Left with no other choice, Lin Rude followed the doctor's advice and rushed Huang Huijuan to the best hospital in Haishi.
"This is all that unfilial son’s fault. If it weren't for him, your headache wouldn't have returned!"