Lin Xingye did not dare think too deeply about what lay behind all this.
Just how many people had Qin Ke quietly gotten to during this time, and how had he gained leverage over them, enough to make them do his bidding without even contacting them?
If they could still have dragged him down with them before, now he only needed to play the mastermind behind the scenes. Even if the investigation was about to reach him, he could simply pull someone in to take the fall.
He could rest easy.
The two returned to the venue, both looking rather grim.
The others all noticed, but the auction was about to begin, so they tacitly refrained from asking.
Once the auction ended, the host began giving special thanks to those who had donated the most that day.
"Our thanks to Mr. Lin Xingmo of the Lin Corporation! And to Mr. Bo, Mr. An..."
Lin Xingmo: Don't look at me. My brother told me to spend more.
Guest speeches followed. Many people came up to express their thanks, and Lin Xingmo and the others were also invited onstage to speak.
"Aren't you going? Weren't you the one who wanted to donate?" Lin Xingmo turned back to ask him as he stood.
He waved a hand in refusal.
He loved seeing Momo shine onstage. It filled him with genuine pride.
The little boy who had once toddled eagerly after him was now someone who could stand on his own.
When the banquet ended, they walked out together, chatting and laughing, tacitly avoiding any mention of what had happened earlier.
Lin Xingye was walking rather quickly. Just as he hurried outside, something drifted gently onto his eyelashes, white and faintly cold.
"Is it snowing?"
Lin Xingmo held out his hand and watched the