LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 15:
Chapter 15: Awkward Dinner:
When everyone saw the saber, they froze in shock.
Lin Yuan scolded, “Tianyang is still a high school student. How could you give him a dagger?”
The moment Lin Tianyang saw the saber, disappointment flashed across his face, so obvious it nearly spilled over. Though he quickly tried to mask it, his subtle expressions didn’t escape Lin Shengnan’s sharp eyes.
Tianyang let out an exaggerated laugh and said, “Dad, I’m sure Fourth Sister has her reasons for giving me this saber. Even if she gave me a fork, I’d treasure it.”
But to Shengnan, his performance felt fake—too deliberate, too rehearsed. For the first time, she felt a faint resentment toward her younger brother.
Holding the saber, Shengnan explained, “Dad, I became a soldier at seventeen, just a year older than Tianyang. This saber has been with me for five years. It’s my most trusted comrade and holds great significance. I’ve sharpened its edge countless times, but now it’s just a keepsake.”
Hearing this, everyone realized the saber’s sentimental value.
Lin Yuan said nothing more.
Shengnan looked at Tianyang and added, “If you don’t like it, I’ll buy you another gift someday, okay?”
Tianyang quickly grabbed the saber, pretending to be ecstatic. “Who said I don’t like it? I dream of galloping on the battlefield and earning military honors. If possible, I’d love to enter the military academy and become a soldier like Fourth Sister.”
Dinner began, but what was supposed to celebrate Shengnan soon shifted focus. It became all about Tianyang.
Seated beside Tianyang, Lan Lin picked up a piece of sea ginseng, blew on it, and fed it to him, saying with a loving smile, “You’ve been so busy lately, hardly eating at home. You’re looking thinner.”
On his other side, Lin Xiaotong scooped up a spoonful of bird’s nest and offered it to him, her face full of concern. “Tianyang, senior year must be so stressful. Eat this to nourish your brain.”
Even Lin Shiyan, sitting across the table, stretched out to add food to Tianyang’s plate. Lin Yuan, seated at the head of the table, watched the scene with a contented smile, basking in the warm family atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Shengnan’s thoughts wandered to Lin You—the thin, lonely figure she’d seen walking along the road. She couldn’t reconcile this lavish dinner with the boy who survived on plain steamed buns.
White steamed buns, of all things. They were unthinkable in the Lin household, where such food was considered beneath them.
Was this the “fair treatment” everyone talked about?
Shengnan picked up her wine glass and drained it in one gulp.
Without a word, she rose from the table, her face darkened by frustration.
Lin Yuan frowned. “Shengnan, are you feeling unwell? It’s rare for the whole family to gather like this. What are you trying to prove by leaving the table?”
Lin Xiaotong chimed in, “Shengnan, this dinner is for you. Why are you acting like this? Be sensible. Sit down and eat. Don’t bring work-related emotions into the house. Dad’s already helped you secure a job—what’s with this attitude?”
Shengnan froze. All she’d done was leave the table, and suddenly, it had escalated into accusations of venting anger at her family.
Shiyan, sensing the tension, tried to defuse it. “Mom, Dad, Sister, I don’t think Shengnan meant anything by it. We were just talking about work earlier. She even said she’s fine with being assigned to the Chengdong branch. It’s closer to home and less stressful.”
Shiyan shot Shengnan a quick, pleading look, urging her to sit back down. But this only fanned Shengnan’s temper.
Standing by the table, she looked at everyone and, after a deep breath, said calmly, “If I don’t sit down and finish this meal, will you drive me out? Just like you did with Lin You?”
The room fell into stunned silence.
Lin Yuan slammed his chopsticks onto the table, his voice booming with authority. “Don’t think that just because you’ve served the country, you can act however you like. Let me remind you—I’m still the head of this family. Eat or leave. Your choice.”
Lan Lin quickly stepped in to calm things down. “Shengnan, what nonsense are you talking about? How could we compare you to Lin You? You’re our child, raised by us. Lin You grew up elsewhere. Anything we did was for his own good.”
With her mother stepping in, Shengnan knew pushing further would seem unreasonable. Reluctantly, she sat back down. She picked at the food in front of her, eating a few bites without enthusiasm.
Moments later, she stood up again, exaggeratingly patting her stomach. “I’m so full. Aunt Wang’s cooking is amazing as always. I have some things to do upstairs. You all take your time.”
Without waiting for a response, she left the table. Though the meal was abundant, Shengnan hadn’t touched a single dish, eating only a small bowl of plain white rice.
Her sudden departure left the rest of the family exchanging bewildered glances. Trying to smooth things over, Lin Yuan said, “That girl has been headstrong since childhood. I thought sending her to the army would temper her attitude, but it’s only made her worse. Let’s ignore her and enjoy the meal.”
Tianyang, chewing on a piece of ginseng his mother had fed him, felt a deep unease. Fear and resentment swirled within him. Even after pushing Lin You out, he sensed that his position wasn’t secure.
It seemed his battle was far from over.
As Shengnan carried her military bag upstairs, Lan Lin called out, “Shengnan, where are you going? Your room isn’t ready yet. You’ve been away for more than a year, and Tianyang’s toys are still in there. Let Aunt Wang clean it and prepare Lin You’s room in the basement for you.”
Shengnan stopped in her tracks, stunned.
Had she been gone so long that her room—a luxurious suite with a separate study and dressing area—had been given away? How many toys could Tianyang possibly have to need such a massive space?
Images of Lin You’s small, stark room came flooding back, along with his lonely and determined figure. Shengnan realized her temper tonight had less to do with Lin You and everything to do with her growing distaste for Tianyang.
She’d once doted on her younger brother, just like the rest of the family. But after studying micro-expressions and criminal psychology, she began to notice things about him that she hadn’t before.
Or perhaps they’d always been there, and she’d been blind to them.
Shaking her head, Shengnan replied coldly, “That’s not necessary. I’ll stay at a hotel tonight.”
Without changing out of her military uniform, she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out.
Shiyan rushed after her, calling out, “Fourth Sister! Don’t go to a hotel. Stay with me tonight. I have a guest room. We can chat like we used to.”
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan threw down his chopsticks in frustration. “She’s making such a fuss over nothing. Secretary Zheng has already been informed. Her transfer will be finalized in a day or two. Does she have to act like this? If I don’t rein her in, she’ll never learn.”