It was a pity that the Lin Family had never truly cared for Lin Ge; had they bothered to look into him, they would have realized just how outstanding he actually was—he was, in every sense, the ideal son they had always dreamed of.
They simply operated under the subconscious assumption that Lin Ge must be inferior to Lin Qingyang, who had been by their side for so many years, raised and nurtured by them personally.
After letting his mind wander for a while, the lingering effects of his cold caught up with him, and Lin Ge drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, Lin Ge was jolted awake by a frantic pounding on his door.
"Sigh, why is it so hard to have a peaceful sleep?"
In truth, Lin Ge had not had the habit of sleeping in. It was a habit ingrained in him by his time in the orphanage, reinforced by the demands of the Lin Family. As a wealthy household, Lin Rude required his children to maintain good habits, the first being no sleeping in.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Lin Ge, hurry up and get out here! Mother needs to talk to you!"
It was his second sister, Lin Jiayi, at the door. Her voice was laced with profound dissatisfaction and fury.
Lin Ge frowned. *I’ve been staying at home behaving myself. What could possibly have made my usually composed second sister lose control like this?*
Lin Ge got up, dressed, and opened the door. Before he could speak, Lin Jiayi grabbed his arm and began dragging him out.
"Hurry up and come downstairs to apologize to Mother!"
*This is completely absurd! I don't even know what happened, yet you want me to apologize? What exactly am I supposed to be apologizing for?*
Lin Ge shook off her hand and stood his ground. "Explain yourself. I haven't done anything wrong, so why should I apologize?"
*Is this all because I didn't attend Lin Qingyang's birthday party yesterday? Is that really such a big deal that I need to be dragged down for an apology at this hour?*
"You don't know what you've done?" Lin Jiayi looked at him with indignation. How had she failed to notice such a wicked streak in her brother before? "You stole Mother's jade necklace—don't tell me you’ve forgotten? Of course, you’d never admit it!"
"What? Don't go around slandering me. Which eye saw me stealing Mother's necklace?" Lin Ge’s eyes widened in surprise. *Does this family have a screw loose? If you want to frame me, couldn't you come up with a more convincing excuse? Why would I take Mother’s necklace?*
*Truly, when you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext,* Lin Ge muttered to himself.
Lin Jiayi flashed a triumphant smile, as if her suspicions had been confirmed. *See? I knew you wouldn't admit it!*
However, her expression suddenly froze. She heard a voice—a voice claiming that they were trying to frame him.
*Frame him? Are you kidding? Who has nothing better to do than frame a brat like you?*
She and Lin Ge were standing face-to-face, and she could clearly see that his lips hadn't moved. Yet, the voice was unmistakably his.
"What did you say?" Lin Jiayi asked, suspicious.
"What did I say? I said don't go around slandering me!"
"The sentence before that!"
"Which sentence? That’s all I said!" Lin Ge replied, annoyed.
Lin Jiayi scrutinized his expression. As an artist, she was highly observant of micro-expressions. Based on his demeanor, she judged that he wasn't lying. If that was the case, who had just spoken?
Lin Jiayi shook her head—perhaps she had simply misheard. Pushing the matter aside, she remembered why she was there. "Let’s go. Downstairs. Everyone is waiting. You can say whatever you have to say down there!"
She turned and motioned for him to lead the way. Lin Ge sighed and began walking downstairs, grumbling in his thoughts, "You tell me to apologize the moment you get here—doesn't that mean you've already judged me guilty? What is there left to say?"
Lin Jiayi stopped in her tracks, turning to look at Lin Ge, who was walking beside her. *This is no illusion. I didn't mishear him. Is this... Lin Ge’s inner voice? And I can actually hear it?*
Lin Jiayi gave him a complex look and followed him downstairs.
In the living room, the entire family was gathered. As the two descended, every eye turned toward them.
"Lin Ge, get over here!" Huang Huijuan’s voice was filled with anger.
Earlier that morning, when Huang Huijuan began dressing, she discovered that her favorite, priceless jade necklace was missing from its box. She had intended to wear it to the party yesterday, but because it didn't match her gown, she had chosen a different piece. Today, she had picked out an outfit specifically to match the necklace, only to find it gone.
There had been almost no one in the house last night besides Mother Lin and Lin Ge. Mother Lin had been with the family for over a decade, was known for her integrity, and had never once been accused of petty theft. That left only Lin Ge.
In truth, Lin Rude and his wife had only been slightly suspicious at first. But they couldn't withstand the constant instigation from little "green tea" Lin Qingyang. Lin Qingyang had a talent for it; on the surface, he sounded like he was defending Lin Ge, but in reality, he only made the others more convinced that Lin Ge was the culprit.
By the end, almost everyone in the house believed that Lin Ge had stolen the necklace, which led them to send Lin Jiayi to fetch him.
Looking at this usually silent, withdrawn son, Huang Huijuan felt only disappointment. Her father, Lin Rude, looked at him with eyes as cold as ice. *How could he? How could our son do something like this? If this continues, the reputation of the Lin Family will be destroyed by his hands. Today, he needs a good lesson!*
Lin Ge walked listlessly over and sat down not far from Huang Huijuan.
"Who told you to sit? Stand up when you speak!" Lin Rude barked.
*He doesn't even have the awareness of having done something wrong. I called him here to discipline him, and he acts like he's here for a chat! He wants to sit? What nerve!*
It must be said, preconceived notions are truly terrifying. They hadn't even questioned Lin Ge yet, and they had already convicted him of the theft.
Lin Ge frowned almost imperceptibly, but he remained seated.
"What? My words mean nothing to you now?" Lin Rude shouted in anger.
"May I ask why I am not allowed to sit?" Lin Ge looked around at everyone. They all stared at him in a daze, as if he were a stranger.
Indeed, Lin Ge’s behavior was far too abnormal. It was completely wrong. Over the past three years, everyone had grown accustomed to his blind obedience. This was the first time they had seen him question a family member—or perhaps the second, since yesterday had been the first time he failed to attend Lin Qingyang’s birthday party.
However, his absence yesterday hadn't bothered them much; when Lin Ge did attend Qingyang’s parties, he would always hide in a corner like a ghost. Whether he went or not didn't matter, as long as Qingyang didn't mind.
Yet, this abnormal display only served to make the Lin Family even more furious.