Purposeful Concession

His apology was reluctant, the words squeezed out from between his teeth, but Lin Mo did not force him to do it again.

He sat back down and waved his hand casually.

“Fine. Since you’ve apologized, I’ll be the bigger man and let it go.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Lin Jiahao nearly sprang to his feet again.

Lin Yucheng was quick to react, pressing down on his son’s shoulder.

The pressure was anything but gentle.

Lin Jiahao winced and turned to glare at his father, his stomach full of anger with nowhere to vent it.

But he was even more afraid of his father. One glare from Lin Yucheng, and he wilted.

They hadn’t come here to argue today.

Their entire family had come to ask Lin Mo for a favor.

For now, they had to placate the boy. Once the atmosphere at the dinner table had warmed up, they could steer the conversation toward the real matter.

Lin Mo was young. If they gave him enough respect, there was a chance things would go smoothly.

Lin Mo could see through his uncle’s plans perfectly.

From the moment Lin Yucheng entered the house, his target had always been Lin Mo.

First, he had tried to use his son to put him in his place. When that failed, he had made his son apologize, then started pretending they were all one big family.

The same old tricks.

Lin Mo could have stood up and left.

The New Year’s Eve dinner at Second Auntie’s place smelled wonderful. Even sitting there and drinking a bowl of her slow-simmered soup would be better than watching Lin Yucheng put on a show.

But he stayed.

He wanted to see just how far Lin Yucheng was willing to go to save face today.

He had nothing better to do, anyway.

With Lin Mo’s current abilities, if he really wanted to make Lin Yucheng trip on perfectly flat ground, wake up the next day, and find himself reduced to a fool capable only of reciting the nine-times table, it would take no more than a raised eyebrow.

But that would be too boring.

Dealing with someone like this by force would be letting him off too easily.

It was far more entertaining to make him say the words himself, then make him suffer the consequences himself.

Just then, his aunt came out of the kitchen carrying a dish.

“Oh my, look at all these people! Is it time to eat already?”

She had heard that something was wrong outside while she was in the kitchen, but she had not come out to interfere.

Family matters were troublesome enough. The moment you got involved, you risked ending up on neither side’s good list.

She carried the dish to the table, letting her eyes sweep over everyone’s faces as she pretended nothing had happened.

Lin Yucheng immediately stood up.

“Starting dinner already? Is there anything else that needs to be done?”

He looked toward his wife’s sister-in-law.

“Go check on the kitchen. Don’t let my younger brother’s wife handle everything by herself.”

His wife lowered her eyes and answered obediently before heading straight into the kitchen.

She did not want to say anything.

She did not approve of what her husband was doing, but she simply could not argue with him.

Lin Yucheng pulled Lin Jiahao over to sit on the other side.

The moment Lin Jiahao’s butt touched the chair, he started muttering again. One glance from his father, however, made him swallow the rest of his words.

Lin Gongcheng could also tell that the atmosphere was off. Carrying Doudou, he sat down in the middle, separating the two sides.

Doudou had no idea what was going on between the adults. He was still clutching his new toy and gazing eagerly at Lin Mo.

“Big Brother, how does this car transform?”

Lin Mo looked down at him and twisted a few of the joints.

The little car immediately transformed into a robot.

Doudou’s eyes lit up.

“Wow!”

Lin Mo handed the toy back to him.

“You can play with it, but don’t put any of these pieces in your mouth.”

“Okay, I know.”

Doudou happily played with his new toy.

The atmosphere eased a little.

Lin Mo said nothing more and took out his phone, tapping the screen a few times.

Lin Yucheng picked up his teacup, then put it down again.

He wanted to start a conversation but was afraid of coming on too strong, so he eventually began with his younger brother.

“Business must be keeping you busy lately, huh? It’s the end of the year. How are the numbers looking...?”

“Not bad. Same as usual.”

“Are the wages being paid on time over at your place? I heard some factories have been delaying them.”

“We’re fine.”

“That’s good. Stability is the most important thing.”

Lin Yucheng made small talk with the air of an elder.

Lin Gongcheng was no fool.

His elder brother rarely invited him anywhere, much less used him as a way to arrange a meeting with Lin Mo. Today, he had brought his entire family to their door, and he had even tolerated Lin Mo talking back to him.

There had to be something he wanted.

But with New Year’s Eve dinner right in front of them, Lin Gongcheng could not bring himself to expose the matter outright.

That was how relatives were sometimes.

You could clearly see the other person holding an abacus, yet you still had to begin by asking whether they wanted another dish.

Lin Mo listened to them chat, his finger pausing on his phone screen.

He remembered that Lin Yucheng used to visit their home often.

Back when his father was still alive, Lin Yucheng would bring badminton rackets and go play at the sports center with him. Afterward, he would return drenched in sweat, sit at the dining table, and drink tea.

Back then, Lin Mo had not disliked this uncle of his.

Lin Yucheng had smiled, praised his grades, and slipped him a red envelope during the holidays.

After his father’s funeral, however, many things had disappeared along with him.

The man was still the same man, but all the flattering illusions had shattered.

Looking at him now, Lin Mo no longer felt any need to make excuses for him.

In Lin Mo’s eyes, Lin Yucheng had been stripped down to his bare essence.

Before long, his aunt and his uncle’s wife came out one after another, carrying dishes.

“Old Gong, you handle the last dish. I can’t get it right.”

“No problem. You go chat with Big Brother and Sister-in-law.”

Lin Gongcheng washed his hands and went into the kitchen.

Doudou took the opportunity to scoot over beside Lin Mo. He placed the car on Lin Mo’s lap, then pulled out a pile of small pieces.

“Big Brother, can this turn into a robot?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“These are parts for the big robot. You have to attach them up there.”

Doudou did not understand, but he nodded anyway.

Lin Mo snapped the two pieces into place for him and straightened the wheels.

Before long, he had assembled several little robots into one large robot.

“Yay! Big Brother, you’re amazing!”

Watching this, Lin Jiahao grew even more irritated.

His aunt dried her hands and picked up the teapot to pour everyone some tea.

“Have some tea, have some tea. Once Old Gong finishes cooking the last dish, we can eat right away.”

“Good, good.”

Lin Yucheng nodded politely.

She poured Lin Mo a cup as well.

Lin Mo put down his phone and took a box from the bag beside him.

“Auntie, this is for you. See if you like it.”

She accepted it, but her hand paused when she saw the words on the box.

Sulwhasoo.

And it was a ginseng skincare set.

She knew the brand, of course. She usually kept up with skincare products.

It was expensive—far too expensive for her to buy for herself.

This was a major Korean brand, after all.

“Oh, this is too extravagant. You’re still a child. Why did you buy me something like this?”

“No, I specifically bought it for you. I also gave Third Uncle a carton of cigarettes. I can’t show favoritism, or the two of you will have a family meeting tonight.”

His aunt could not help laughing.

“You really know how to flatter people.”

Her lips protested, but she still did not want to put the box down.

When it came to whether a woman liked a gift, sometimes you only had to watch the way she held it.

Lin Mo did not know anything about skincare products himself.

He had only been responsible for paying.

Jiang Yunlu had recommended it, saying it was a safe choice for an older female relative and that the brand was recognized even at department-store counters.

The gift box Lin Yucheng’s family had brought sat beside it on the coffee table.

It had bright red packaging, the sort commonly found in supermarkets. Inside, it was probably the usual assortment of biscuits and candy.

On its own, there was nothing wrong with it.

But sitting next to Lin Mo’s gift, it looked rather awkward.