"Are you not clear about the shameful things you’ve done yourself? Must you force me to spell them out in front of everyone?"
Lin Rude looked at this biological son, who had been lost since childhood and only found a few years ago, with an expression of deep disappointment. Though it appeared as though he were concerned for Lin Ge, his words were nothing short of heart-piercing.
"Shameful things? I’d actually like to hear you explain exactly what shameful things I’ve done to make you all mobilize such a grand display."
Lin Ge turned his head to survey his surroundings; it was clear that everyone had already finished breakfast. Nobody had come to call him when they ate. They had finished, yet they were all waiting here, even having his second sister come specifically to drag him downstairs. It was obvious they intended to make a fool of him. At this moment, Lin Ge was quite curious to see what kind of scheme this family was trying to pull.
Lin Rude and his wife were further infuriated by Lin Ge’s calm, ripple-free expression, to the point where they were too angry to speak. In their eyes, Lin Ge’s nonchalant demeanor was a direct provocation to their parental authority.
The sisters found it even more inconceivable. Was this really the same Lin Ge who used to fawn over them at every turn?
"Lin Ge, you are truly out of line! To have such an attitude after doing something wrong—you are an absolute disgrace to the Lin Family!" Even the mature and composed eldest sister could no longer contain her emotions.
"How can someone of such poor character deserve to be part of our Lin Family? Mother and Father, it would be best to send him back to the orphanage; otherwise, keeping him will only be a curse to the Lin Family in the end! Besides, I don't want a morally bankrupt brother like him!" Lin Qingyi said indignantly.
Because there was not much of an age gap between her and Lin Qingyang, the fifth sister, Lin Qingyi, had a very close relationship with her. Consequently, she harbored a deep resentment toward Lin Ge, who had returned halfway through their lives to compete for Lin Qingyang’s favor, and she found him disagreeable in every way. Even though Lin Ge frequently provided her with inspiration whenever she hit a writer's block, she viewed everything he did merely as a tactic to curry favor with her, and she felt no gratitude whatsoever.On the contrary, she was often inexplicably annoyed when one of Lin Ge's ideas suddenly gave her a breakthrough.
In her heart, how perfect it would be if this idea had been provided by her younger brother Qingyang.
At this moment, Lin Qingyi found Lin Ge even more unbearable.
The fourth sister, Lin Zhenyi, had a hidden profession as a top assassin and rarely stayed at home.
This time, on Lin Qingyang's birthday, she happened to be on leave, so she came back along the way to celebrate her brother's birthday.
Right now, the calm composure essential for an assassin allowed her to quietly watch the drama unfold from the side.
Regarding the fact that her parents had branded Lin Ge a thief without any investigation, she remained noncommittal.
Although Lin Ge was her biological brother, they had been separated for too long, and by the time he was found, they had all grown up.
More than a decade of separation had turned the siblings into the most familiar strangers to one another.
Being naturally indifferent by nature, all her familial affection was reserved for her parents, the sisters she grew up with, and her younger brother Qingyang.
Now that Lin Ge was back, she genuinely had no extra familial affection to spare for him for the time being.
Whether there would be any in the future, of course, would depend on his actions and whether he proved worthy of her investment.
However, judging from the past three years, Lin Ge's submissive and obsequious attempts to please them made it truly impossible for her to treat him as a real member of the Lin Family.
Therefore, even though there were doubts surrounding this matter, Lin Zhenyi did not step forward to speak up for Lin Ge.
Meanwhile, the second sister, Lin Jiayi, had some lingering doubts in her heart after just hearing Lin Ge's inner thoughts, and she also remained silent, merely observing Lin Ge's reactions.
Furthermore, she wanted to see if she could hear Lin Ge's inner thoughts again.
After all, people might lie with their mouths, but inner thoughts were undeniably true.Right beside her, the third sister, Lin Xinyi, was trying her best to suppress the anger raging within her heart.Although today’s events had angered her, Lin Xinyi had been plagued by a strange feeling ever since she accidentally overheard Lin Ge’s inner thoughts yesterday.
Lin Ge had been caught in a downpour after school the day before yesterday, and it was highly likely he had actually come down with a fever yesterday. Yet, not a single person in the Lin Family had shown any concern for his health; they had only relentlessly pressured him to attend Lin Qingyang’s birthday banquet. Lin Xinyi reflected quietly, wondering if they had perhaps gone too far.
"Lin Ge, if you truly acted on impulse and made a mistake, as long as you actively admit your wrongdoing and correct it, you are still our good brother!"
Although her temper was usually volatile, she had held back as much as she could, though she couldn't help but speak up in the end. Still, compared to her previous words, she sounded significantly less aggressive.
"Brother, you stole Mom’s jade necklace. Just apologize to Mom and return it, and Mom and Dad will forgive you!"
Seeing his chance, Lin Qingyang stepped forward to "kindly" persuade Lin Ge, his face wearing an expression that suggested he was doing this for Lin Ge’s own good.
A jade necklace?
"Didn't Lin Qingyang steal that jade necklace himself to give to his biological mother? Coming to interrogate me—did he get his investigation wrong?"
Faint memories from his past life surfaced in Lin Ge’s mind. This incident had indeed occurred in his previous life, roughly a month after Lin Qingyang’s seventeenth birthday, when their mother’s jade necklace had inexplicably vanished. After searching for days without success, Lin Qingyang’s deliberate misdirection led everyone to conclude that Lin Ge had stolen it.
Lin Ge, of course, refused to admit to it, but he had no evidence to prove his innocence. No matter how he argued, the Lin Family refused to listen, insisting he was a common thief. They even claimed that even a rabbit wouldn't feed on the grass by its own burrow, yet Lin Ge would stoop to stealing from his own mother. Father Lin had even invoked the "family law" to severely punish him—an archaic practice where Lin Ge was forced onto a bench and whipped with a leather lash.
That time, Lin Ge had been beaten so badly he couldn't get out of bed for days, taking over half a month to recover. That incident only made the Lin Family more disappointed and contemptuous, viewing him as a failure. It was also why, when life-and-death moments arrived, they had collectively chosen to abandon him.
It wasn't until Lin Ge had become a wandering spirit that he accidentally discovered the necklace had been stolen by Lin Qingyang and given to his biological mother—their aunt. By then, the destitute Lin Rude and his wife, along with his sisters, finally realized they had wronged Lin Ge. But by that point, the Lin Family was already firmly in Lin Qingyang’s grasp, and even if they knew the truth, there was nothing they could do. They were left only with endless regret.
Lin Ge was slightly puzzled. Why had an event that should have happened a month later shifted to the present? Could it be a butterfly effect caused by his rebirth? That made sense; in his past life, he had attended Lin Qingyang’s birthday party, where he had been intentionally snubbed by their aunt and uncle. This time, because of his rebirth, Lin Ge had refused to play the pathetic sycophant and had not appeared at the party. Consequently, some things had subtly changed.
However, the essence of the matter remained the same. Because he was still a thorn in the side of Lin Qingyang and the aunt’s family, they would inevitably find ways to alienate and suppress him until he completely lost the trust of his family. Just like this time, Lin Ge was certain that the disappearance of the jade necklace was still tied to Lin Qingyang. The timing had merely shifted; everything else remained identical to his previous life, even down to the exact words they were using.