No Need for Tonic Soup

The temperature in the air rose steadily.

The bedroom was filled with the intimate sounds of their kisses.

Just as Lin Xuan thought he would once again transform into "Lin the Beast," Su Hua pulled away from his lips and began straightening her clothes.

Lin Xuan was left dumbfounded.

That’s it?

Su Hua’s gaze swept over Lin Xuan’s lower half, her eyes brimming with amusement as she teased, "Does A-Xuan want it?"

"Be good. Too much indulgence isn’t healthy. Hold it in, alright?"

Lin Xuan: "..."

Are you sure it’s not you who’s indulging too much, Hua Bao?

In the end, Lin Xuan could only resign himself and head to the bathroom.

Su Hua smirked.

Better let A-Xuan rest for a while longer. That way, they could spend even more time tangled up in bed, right?

But that didn’t stop her from teasing him.

Su Hua decided to follow the advice from the books—keep Lin Xuan on edge.

By the time Lin Xuan stepped out of the bathroom, Su Hua was already lying in bed.

Just when he thought he was finally free, her mischievous hands began wandering over his body again.

"Hua Bao, what are you doing?" Lin Xuan grabbed her wrist, his voice strained with restraint.

"I’m just testing A-Xuan’s willpower," Su Hua whispered by his ear.

"If you can’t hold back, I can always use my hands to help you."

In the end, Su Hua did use her hands—but she left him hanging every time.

Lin Xuan: "..."

Was Hua Bao born to torment him?

After several more trips to the bathroom and dark circles forming under his eyes, Su Hua finally took pity on him and stopped her teasing.

The next day, Lin Xuan slept until ten in the morning.

His steps were unsteady as he made his way to the dining room.

Butler Wang, as usual, had prepared a nourishing tonic soup for him. "Young Master Lin, your soup."

Lin Xuan glanced at it. "A ten-ingredient tonic soup?"

"Yes," Butler Wang replied with a knowing smile.

Lin Xuan exhaled heavily. "I don’t think I need this today."

Butler Wang looked at him in surprise.

In the past, Young Master Lin would always finish every last drop of the tonic.

This was the first time he had ever refused it.

Could it be that Young Master Lin had finally… outperformed the young miss in bed?

How rare!

But then, Lin Xuan added, "What I need is something to cool me down."

At that, Butler Wang couldn’t help but scrutinize him, his gaze lingering on the dark circles under Lin Xuan’s eyes.

Ah, so that’s why Young Master Lin seemed different today.

Before, it was exhaustion from overindulgence—now, it was frustration from being denied.

Tsk tsk tsk.

Who would’ve thought Young Master Lin would have such a day?

Butler Wang promptly removed the tonic soup.

"Young Master Lin," he suggested with a faint smile, "perhaps you should get some more rest later."

Lin Xuan gave him a weary look.

Was it just him, or did Butler Wang sound a little too pleased about this?

Still, he did need more sleep.

After Su Hua had fallen asleep last night, he had lain awake, staring at the ceiling for hours.

"I’ll go rest now, Butler Wang."

After lunch, Lin Xuan went back to bed for a nap.

Meanwhile, at DR Cosmetics…

Lin Qingwan was reviewing the company’s financial reports.

Their cosmetic sales had been growing steadily over the past few months.

A satisfied smile tugged at her lips.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," she called.

Her secretary entered, carrying the results of an investigation.

"President Lin, the matter you asked me to look into has been resolved."

She handed over a file.

Given how much time had passed, it had taken Lin Qingwan’s team over a month to complete the investigation.

Lin Qingwan paused. "You mean… about my mother and Lin Xuan?"

"Yes," the secretary confirmed. "Our usual channels couldn’t uncover anything, so I sought out a specialized investigator. The source is reliable, so the information should be accurate."

Lin Qingwan accepted the file.

"President Lin—"

The secretary started to brief her, but Lin Qingwan raised a hand to stop her. "I’ll read it myself. You may leave."

"Yes."

Alone in her office, Lin Qingwan sat frozen, staring at the unopened file on her desk.

She was terrified of what she might find.

But… she needed the truth.

She had to know if her mother really had…

Her mind flashed back to the day of Lin Li and Feng Yaya’s wedding.

Jiang Shuqin had openly admitted—she was the one who had abandoned Lin Xuan.

Was it really as she had said?

Lin Qingwan’s hands trembled.

Finally, she mustered the courage to open the file.

The moment she saw the contents, the last shred of hope she’d clung to vanished.

It was true.

Her mother had personally taken Lin Xuan to the orphanage and left him there.

Why?

Why would she do such a thing?

Lin Xuan was her own son, the child she had carried for ten months.

If Lin Xuan ever found out that his own mother had thrown him away… how much pain would that cause him?

Tears welled in Lin Qingwan’s eyes.

Overcome with emotion, she grabbed her office phone and dialed Lin Xuan’s number.

Lin Xuan was still in bed, catching up on sleep, when the call jolted him awake.

Annoyed at the interruption, he grabbed his phone without opening his eyes. "Make it quick!" he snapped.

"Xiao Xuan, it’s me." Lin Qingwan’s voice was thick with tears.

Lin Xuan frowned.

That was Lin Qingwan’s voice.

"Lin Qingwan," he said coldly. "If you’re calling to say you regret how you treated me before, you can hang up. I’m not interested in hearing it."

"Xiao Xuan, I’m sorry," Lin Qingwan sobbed. "I didn’t know Mom abandoned you. I’m sorry. Your big sister failed to protect you… I let you suffer all these years."

When Lin Xuan was abandoned, she had only been seven.

She had even asked her mother where she was taking her little brother.

Her mother had said they were going to a temple.

But her mother’s mood had seemed off that day.

If only she had followed them… maybe Lin Xuan wouldn’t have been left behind.

Maybe he wouldn’t have gone hungry in that orphanage.

Lin Xuan was taken aback by her words.

He hadn’t expected Lin Qingwan to actually investigate.

The result—that Jiang Shuqin had abandoned him—didn’t surprise him at all.

If Jiang Shuqin hadn’t done it, she wouldn’t have admitted it at the wedding.

So, he had believed her that day.

He really had been discarded by his own mother.

He didn’t feel much about it now—just a bitter sense of irony.

All those years in the orphanage, waiting for parents who never came… only to learn they were the ones who had made him an orphan in the first place.

"Alright, I understand," Lin Xuan said calmly. "If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up."