It seemed she had never let go of that child

A faint fragrance of tea drifted through the living room.

Lin Zhengye sat in the seat of honor, holding a cup of Pre-Qingming Longjing. The cup was warm, the tea clear.

He wore dark gray loungewear, his hair neatly groomed without a strand out of place. He looked considerably younger than his actual age.

His younger sister, Lin Zhengfang, and her husband, Chen Guodong, sat across from him.

Lin Zhengfang wore a Chanel suit and a pearl necklace, each pearl round and lustrous. As she spoke, her fingers kept straying to the necklace.

Chen Guodong sat beside her, saying little, only nodding occasionally and adding a few words of agreement. His family was of modest means, so their son had taken his wife Lin Zhengfang's surname.

"You have no idea how hard Hao has been working at Yuanda these past few days!"

Lin Zhengfang leaned forward, her face wreathed in smiles.

"He leaves early and comes home late every day. He's working even harder than he did at school. The night before last, he didn't get home until after eleven. I asked him, 'Are you really pushing yourself this hard on your first day?' He said, 'Mom, my cousin gave me such an important position. I can't let her down.'"

Lin Zhengye glanced at Lin Hao, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"It's good for young people to be willing to work hard."

Lin Hao immediately inclined his body slightly.

"Uncle, I still have a long way to go. The investment department has so many projects. Only when I actually started putting what I learned at school into practice did I realize how little I knew. Manager Zhang has had me work on two projects with him. I'm doing everything I can to learn so I can handle things on my own as soon as possible."

His tone was earnest, his gaze even more so.

Lin Zhengfang picked up the conversation, her voice growing louder.

"Exactly! Hao has been like this since he was little. Once he sets his mind on something, nothing can stop him. The year he took his college entrance exams, his dad said a university in our province would be good enough. But he wouldn't hear of it. He insisted on getting into that—what was it called—"

"Qingbei University," Chen Guodong finally spoke up.

"Yes, yes, Qingbei University."

Lin Zhengfang slapped her thigh.

"And he actually got in! He never gave us a moment's worry in those four years, either."

Lin Zhengye nodded slightly and said with a smile,

"Work hard. If there's anything you don't understand, ask your cousin. She's spent years navigating the business world. Her experience will serve you better than all those books you've read."

Lin Nianwei sat beside them with a faint smile. At her father's words, she glanced at Lin Hao.

"The investment department is one of the group's core departments. There's a lot you can learn there. Director Zhang has been with the group for years, too. Learn all you can from him."

Lin Hao nodded, his expression serious. "Don't worry. I'll make sure I do."

Lin Zhengfang hurried to chime in, her voice a little louder than before as she shifted to another subject.

"Hao has always been such a sensible child. When he was little, his dad and I were busy running our business and had no time to look after him. He studied, ate, and went to bed all by himself. He wasn't like other people's children, always crying and making a fuss."

She glanced at her husband. This time, Chen Guodong obliged, nodding and murmuring in agreement, "He's never given us much trouble."

Lin Zhengfang looked at her older brother, Lin Zhengye, and said pointedly,

"All in all, Hao really is a good boy. In the future, we'll be counting on him to take good care of us."

Lin Zhengye's hand paused around his teacup. The lid tapped lightly against the rim with a faint clink.

The smile on Lin Nianwei's face faded a little, too.

Lin Zhengfang failed to notice and kept talking.

"Don't you think Hao is just like Nianwei was as a child? She was sensible and did well at school, too. Look how well she runs the group now. If Hao turns out half as well as she has, I'll be happy."

After chatting a little longer, Lin Zhengfang stood up, saying it was getting late and they should head home.

Lin Hao nodded to Lin Nianwei, then inclined his body toward Lin Zhengye.

"Uncle, Nianwei, I'll be going now. There's a project meeting tomorrow, so I need to go home and prepare."

Lin Zhengye nodded slightly. "Go on."

Lin Nianwei stood and saw them to the door.

Their car was parked right outside the villa. Lin Zhengfang got in, Chen Guodong took the driver's seat, and Lin Hao opened the rear door and climbed inside. He lowered the window and waved to Lin Nianwei.

"Head back inside, Nianwei."

Lin Nianwei nodded and watched the car slowly pull out of the courtyard.

They had barely driven away when the corners of Lin Zhengfang's mouth lifted. She leaned back in her seat and let out a long breath.

"At least today's visit wasn't wasted."

Chen Guodong drove on, glancing at her in the rearview mirror without a word.

Lin Zhengfang turned to look at Lin Hao in the back seat, satisfaction in her voice.

"Hao, you did well today. I was watching your uncle's expression the whole time. He really is pleased with you."

Lin Hao leaned back, dropping the obedient manner he had put on earlier. He crossed his legs and said unhurriedly,

"Of course he is. I haven't just been killing time in the investment department. I've seen what I needed to see, learned what I needed to learn, and made sure I showed what I could do."

Even more pleased, Lin Zhengfang patted the armrest.

"That's what I've always said. My son is as good as anyone. Surely your uncle can't hand that enormous business over to an outsider? Your cousin doesn't even have a boyfriend yet. Who will Yuanda Group depend on in the future? Us, of course."

Back in the villa, Lin Nianwei returned to the living room and sat across from Lin Zhengye.

"Dad."

Lin Zhengye leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed and gave a quiet hum.

"Auntie didn't come today just to sing Hao's praises, did she?"

"Hao has only been in the investment department for a few days. How could anyone tell whether he's working hard yet? Everything she said boiled down to one thing: she wants you to keep Hao in mind."

"And that line about counting on him to take care of us in the future—was that meant for you or for me?"

Only then did Lin Zhengye open his eyes and speak slowly.

"Your aunt does sometimes speak without thinking."

"But she wasn't entirely wrong. Hao really is a good kid. He graduated from a prestigious university, he's smart, and he's willing to learn. If you mentor him, you'll have another capable pair of hands in the future."

Lin Nianwei did not respond, and the living room fell quiet.

Suddenly, Lin Zhengye sat up straight and looked at his daughter.

"Nianwei."

"Yes?"

"I can see how well you're running Yuanda Group. But your career is one thing, and your personal life is another."

Lin Zhengye paused, then sighed.

"I worry about you being alone."

"You remember that young man from the Ye Family, don't you? Ye Mingyuan."

Lin Zhengye's tone was casual, as though he were merely making conversation.

"You met him at the last Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala. He's a few years younger than you, good-looking, and from a good family. The Ye Family is one of the most prominent families in Deep City. He's still unmarried. The last time I had dinner with his father, he asked about you. They don't mind the age difference. He said he likes capable women like you."

Lin Nianwei's expression darkened instantly.

"Dad."

"I don't need that."

Lin Zhengye frowned. "Don't need what?"

"I don't need you to find me a husband, and I certainly don't need Auntie worrying about an heir for our family."

"Nianwei, you can't spend your whole life alone."

"Why can't I?!"

Lin Zhengye was left momentarily speechless.

"Dad, I don't want to bring up what happened back then. But you need to understand that just because you've arranged everything doesn't mean it will go the way you want."

Lin Zhengye's expression changed. He looked at his daughter, his lips moving, but ultimately said nothing.

Lin Nianwei stood up. "I'm tired. I'm going upstairs to rest."

She turned and went straight up to the second floor, returning to her bedroom.

Lin Zhengye watched his daughter's figure disappear around the corner, then closed his eyes and rubbed the space between his brows.

It seemed she had never let go of that child!