LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 4:
Chapter 4: I’ll Also Give You A Chance:
Lin Yuan couldn’t contain his fury any longer and slapped Lin You hard across the face. The force of the slap spun Lin You around twice on the spot, leaving him staggering with ringing ears and blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
Even this violent outburst didn’t quell Lin Yuan’s anger.
“You’re nothing but a disgrace!” Lin Yuan shouted, his voice trembling with rage. “Today, I’ll beat you to death so you won’t stay in this world to harm others.”
Without hesitation, he delivered a powerful kick to Lin You’s chest.
At sixteen, Lin You was frail and underweight from years of malnutrition, standing less than 1.7 meters tall. The kick sent him flying backward. As he hurtled toward Lin Xiaotong, she quickly stepped aside with a look of disgust, allowing Lin You to slam into the marble wall behind her.
The impact left Lin You struggling to breathe. Blood spurted from his mouth as he collapsed to the floor. His expression remained calm, though his eyes glinted coldly. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he stared at Lin Yuan and asked flatly, “Mr. Lin, are you done?”
“You!” Lin Yuan was momentarily stunned. He had felt a pang of guilt seeing Lin You cough up blood, but the defiance in Lin You’s gaze reignited his anger. He grabbed his belt and snapped, “If I don’t teach you a proper lesson today, our Lin family will truly be doomed!”
Lin Yuan swung the belt at Lin You, who lay defenseless on the ground.
Lan Lin, who had just recovered from her grief over her lost dog, joined in hysterically. “This is outrageous! We have to discipline him properly today. Such evil thoughts at such a young age—what will he do when he grows up?”
She stormed to the balcony, grabbed a wooden hanger, and tested its weight. Dissatisfied, she switched to a sturdier iron hanger and joined Lin Yuan in the punishment.
As blows rained down on Lin You, Lin Tianyang, seated on the sofa, struggled to suppress a smirk. With a faint smile creeping onto his face, he weakly pleaded, “Dad, Mom, please stop. I’m sure my brother has his reasons. If it’s because of me, I can leave. Don’t hurt him on my account.”
Lin Xiaotong, who had initially felt some sympathy, immediately dismissed it after hearing Tianyang’s words. “Tianyang, just rest. This has nothing to do with you. Today, we’ll make sure Lin You learns his lesson. If we let him off now, his bad habits will only worsen.”
Lin You shielded his head and vital spots with his arms, enduring the blows with surprising calm. The pain was insignificant compared to the years of neglect and suffering he had endured.
Lin Shiyan, watching from the sidelines, grew concerned. Lin You’s frail body was convulsing under the relentless beating, and she worried it might lead to his death—something that could tarnish the Lin family’s reputation. She stepped in and said firmly, “Mom, Dad, that’s enough. He’s learned his lesson. Let’s not escalate this any further.”
Lin Yuan, exhausted and out of breath, leaned against a cabinet to steady himself. “This ungrateful boy,” he muttered between gasps. “He’s nothing but trouble.”
Lan Lin, still fuming, pointed at Lin You and scolded bitterly. “How many times have I told you? Don’t bring your bad habits from the countryside into our Lin family. You’re our son, but you refuse to follow our rules. Why can’t you be more like Tianyang? All you do is hang around bad influences and act cruelly…”
Her anger overwhelmed her, and she clutched her chest, nearly collapsing. Tianyang, moving with sudden agility, rushed to her side to support her. “Mom, please don’t get angry,” he said tenderly. “Brother didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Lin You slowly sat up, lowering his arms to reveal the bruises and scars on his body. He spat out a mouthful of blood and looked up at Lin Yuan. “Are you done?” he asked coldly.
Lin Yuan hesitated, guilt flickering in his eyes before quickly justifying his actions. “You’ve forced me to do this. I’ll give you one last chance. Apologize to Tianyang, your mother, and your sister. Admit your mistakes and change your behavior, and you can stay in the Lin family. If you let go of your bad habits, you’ll still be a son of the Lin family.”
Lin You chuckled bitterly, spitting out another mouthful of blood. He reached into his mouth and wiggled a loose tooth, which had been dislodged when Lan Lin hit him with the hanger.
Lan Lin, seeing this, softened slightly. “Yes,” she said quickly. “Your father is right. As long as you change, we’ll give you another chance.”
Lin You slowly stood up, his movements deliberate as he turned to Tianyang with an icy gaze. “I’ll also give you a chance,” he said, his voice steady. “If you leave this family, I’ll accept the rest of them. Between you and me, they can only choose one.”
Tianyang’s eyes widened in shock. He trembled under Lin You’s cold stare and stammered, “Brother, would you really be happy if I left? If that’s what it takes… I’ll leave. But please, don’t make things hard for our parents and sisters.”
Lin Yuan’s anger reignited. He raised the belt again and shouted, “This is outright rebellion! If you hate this family so much, pack your things and leave! I, Lin Yuan, won’t tolerate this disgrace.”
Lin You wiped the blood from his mouth, limped to his schoolbag, and opened it. “Look carefully,” he said to everyone. “I’m not taking a single thing from your Lin family. Over the past four years, I’ve calculated that my food and accommodation cost no more than 50,000 yuan. I’ll pay it back to you. I can even issue an IOU.”
He turned to Lin Shiyan. “Lawyer Lin, since you work in legal affairs, I’d like you to draft a document—a certificate to sever all ties. Not just between father and son, but all relationships. Let’s get it notarized to make sure no one regrets it later.”
Lin Xiaotong stared at him, incredulous. “Lin You, what are you saying? Don’t forget, if we hadn’t brought you back, you’d still be starving in that broken temple. We gave you food, clothing, and education. Is this how you repay us?”
Lin Shiyan, more rational than the others, noticed something different about Lin You. He wasn’t acting out of anger or a desire for attention—he seemed resolute in his decision to leave. But why?
She gritted her teeth and said coldly, “Fine. Don’t regret it.”