Too Suffocating

Lin Qingwan stood still, frozen in place.

Living in such a small room, she had never noticed before... He was the young master of the Lin Family, after all.

Lin Qingwan went through Lin Xuan's belongings and found that he had left very little behind in the Lin Family's home. There were only two pairs of sneakers, both worn out and full of holes, clearly having been used for years. His summer clothes consisted of just two sets, and his wardrobe for other seasons was equally sparse, all of it visibly old and well-worn. Apart from the bare necessities, the room was empty.

In contrast, Lin Li's room was filled with his favorite carvings, he bought twenty to thirty pairs of shoes a year, and his walk-in closet was packed with clothes. There was even a whole wall of expensive wines.

She remembered that when Lin Xuan left, he took nothing with him.

"Madam Wang, has Lin Xuan always had only these clothes and shoes?" Lin Qingwan's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes, Miss. It's always been like this. The young master's monthly allowance was only four hundred yuan. While the rest of you had drivers, he had to take the bus to school every day. He couldn't afford to buy new clothes or shoes, and Madam and Sir never bought him any either."

"In the past, the young master only had a few school uniforms that he rotated. It wasn't until he graduated from high school and started working part-time that he managed to get a few more sets of clothes."

Madam Wang's heart ached for Lin Xuan.

"You're saying Lin Xuan worked part-time to earn money? And his allowance was only four hundred yuan a month?" Lin Qingwan was stunned.

Four hundred yuan... The other children in the Lin Family received tens of thousands of yuan each month. After starting university, their allowances were raised to two hundred thousand yuan a month.

"That's right. After starting university, the young master took on two part-time jobs while studying," Madam Wang explained.

Hearing all this from Madam Wang, Lin Qingwan couldn't help but wonder, what had Lin Xuan gained from the Lin Family? Care? Love? A comfortable life?

Nothing at all!

It was suffocating, utterly suffocating.

Before today, she hadn't thought much of it. But after seeing Lin Xuan's living conditions with her own eyes and hearing Madam Wang's account, she realized how much the Lin Family had failed him.

Lin Qingwan walked downstairs.

"Big sister, what's wrong? Your eyes are red—have you been crying?" Lin Qingyan asked curiously.

"Have any of you ever been to Lin Xuan's room?" Lin Qingwan asked, her voice choked with emotion.

"Big sister, why would we go to Lin Xuan's room?" Lin Qingyan sneered, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She wouldn't set foot in that filthy place.

"Dad, Mom, second sister, I went there today. I saw how Lin Xuan lives. Do you know what his room is like?" Lin Qingwan's voice broke, and tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled Madam Wang's words.

The Lin Family frowned in unison.

"Lin Xuan's room is tiny, just a few square meters. It can barely fit a desk, a bed, and a small wardrobe. His clothes and shoes are all old and worn out. Dad, Mom, he's your own son, the eldest son of the Lin Family, and this is the life he's been living."

"Compare that to the other siblings, each living in spacious rooms over a hundred square meters, with attached studies and walk-in closets filled with endless clothes and shoes. Lin Xuan has none of that. His allowance was four hundred yuan a month, which wasn't enough, so he had to work part-time to make ends meet." Tears finally streamed down Lin Qingwan's face.

Lin Chang frowned and turned to Jiang Shuqin. "You're in charge of household matters. Why did you assign Lin Xuan such a room? And why didn't you buy him clothes or give him a proper allowance? Four hundred yuan a month?"

Jiang Shuqin felt even more disdain for Lin Xuan.

He had already cut ties with the Lin Family, yet he was still causing trouble for her!

"I was trying to teach him resilience and perseverance. He spent so many years in an orphanage. Did he suddenly forget how to endure hardship after returning to the Lin Family? Besides, life here is a thousand times better than in an orphanage!"

Jiang Shuqin spoke with conviction. "Even with this, he developed a habit of petty theft. If we gave him more money, who knows what he would do!"

"Look at how he's always chasing after Qin Ruoyao. No matter how much money we gave him, he would just spend it all on her. Even without a comfortable life, he's still managing just fine!"

Lin Chang frowned. What she said made sense.

"Enough. He's no longer part of the Lin Family. Qingwan, let's eat. From now on, we won't discuss Lin Xuan's matters. He cut ties with us for Qin Ruoyao's sake. There's no need to concern ourselves with him anymore," Lin Chang declared.

Lin Qingwan wanted to say more but hesitated.

Didn't Lin Xuan marry into the Qin Family because he was deeply hurt by the Lin Family?

But seeing Lin Chang's stern expression, Lin Qingwan ultimately remained silent.

Her parents and younger sisters held deep prejudices against Lin Xuan.

She didn't want to see her own brother cast aside. She would find a time to talk to him properly and try to mend things.

"Dad, Mom, there's something I've been keeping from you," Lin Li said nervously.

"What is it?" Lin Chang frowned.

"Actually, Lin Xuan didn't marry Qin Ruoyao," Lin Li revealed.

"What?" Lin Chang was stunned. "Why didn't they get married?"

"A friend of mine attended their wedding. He said a wealthy woman showed up with over a dozen bodyguards and took Lin Xuan away from the ceremony. I didn't want to worry you, so I kept it to myself," Lin Li explained.