Chapter 46

Just as Lin Shu was about to scold Xu Shijia, the bright expression he had just moments ago suddenly vanished. It was as if he had remembered something, and his face fell long again. He looked at Lin Shu with a sarcastic tone—

“So, about that first-night partner you were so satisfied with, do you even remember what he looked like? Why haven’t you mentioned his face? You only talked about his body. Oh, you didn’t forget what he looked like, did you?”

Well, he had finally found a point to attack.

Lin Shu could understand this much, right? He was attacking the fact that the guy had a good physique and great hardware but was otherwise just average-looking, which was why Lin Shu couldn’t recall what he looked like and thus couldn’t describe his appearance.

Lin Shu didn’t bother to explain.

She propped herself up against a nearby tree and stood up. “Let’s go.” She glanced at Xu Shijia. “Carry me.”

Xu Shijia was indeed unhappy. “What do you think I am? A horse?”

Lin Shu decided to play the rogue. “Aren’t you strong? Besides, the tour guide praised your stamina. You almost cursed her out for not letting it go. So I’m complimenting you too. Carry me; I’m still your boss. When the boss is in trouble, the subordinate steps up. I’ll send you a red envelope as a reward later.”

“You spent over a hundred thousand on jade bracelets for your first love. Even if you can file a complaint to get a refund later, it takes time, and you’ll have to be poor for a few days. So just do your best. At this rate of impulsive spending, I see you getting tricked again sooner or later. I’ve already said it; I don’t want to wake up one day and find a nude photo from you on my phone.”

Xu Shijia: “……”

**

Xu Shijia stared at Lin Shu, probably because she spoke the truth. He had no way to refute her, left speechless. In the end, he could only carry Lin Shu on his back.

Fortunately, they had already covered more than half of the C route, and the remaining itinerary was not as challenging as the first part. Lin Shu lay lazily on Xu Shijia’s back, feeling a bit wilted as she gazed at the scenery around her. Leaving the serene environment behind, with voices surrounding her again, Lin Shu felt as if she had returned to the normal world—like a train that had briefly derailed, now safely running back on its established track. Both of them tacitly avoided bringing up the previous topic again.

They had already visited the shopping spots and checked off the sightseeing locations. Luckily, Xu Shijia had only signed up for a one-day tour. After the tour guide took the group to explore a lesser-known attraction in Rong City, they finally drove into the central disbandment point of Rong City.

Xu Shijia was eagerly thinking about the sack of potatoes he had, and as soon as he got out of the car, he nimbly retrieved that sack, as if it contained a treasure of gold.

The two of them shared a taxi, dropping Lin Shu off first. When they parted ways, Xu Shijia insisted on giving her a small bag of potatoes.

Lin Shu didn’t decline; her mood was overall quite good.

Although she had wasted a day on a tour, there were still several days left of the May Day holiday, which she could spend resting and rejuvenating at home.

During this holiday, Lin Shu didn’t go anywhere. She lay at home for several days without even stepping outside, making do with the leftover ingredients in her fridge and finishing the potatoes Xu Shijia had given her. By the time the fridge was completely empty, the holiday was nearly over, and she had to return to work the next day.

It was only then that Lin Shu opened her computer to check her emails and organize her work for the next day.

At that moment, she remembered that Xu Shijia had carried her all the way, yet she had merely talked about it and hadn’t sent him the promised red envelope.

Thinking this, Lin Shu opened her WeChat and transferred some money to Xu Shijia as a red envelope.

After that, she casually replied to a few work emails.

However, after working the entire morning, Xu Shijia still hadn’t accepted her red envelope.

Lin Shu happened to have some content and data in an email that needed Xu Shijia’s confirmation, so she called him. Unfortunately, the call didn’t go through.

It was already afternoon—was Xu Shijia still sleeping?

The clients were urging her for the information she needed, so Lin Shu had no choice but to wait a little while before calling him again.

Fortunately, this time Xu Shijia finally picked up.

However, his voice sounded weak, and he sounded listless.

He did provide Lin Shu with the information after checking his files, but Lin Shu couldn’t help but notice, “Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine,” Xu Shijia replied, trying to sound relaxed as if he were forcing himself to be cheerful. “My stomach is just a bit uncomfortable; I’ll be okay after lying down.”

Yet, despite his attempts to sound casual, the effort it took to speak was quite evident.

“Are you at home?”

“Yeah…”

As the call went on a bit longer, Xu Shijia’s facade crumbled. Lin Shu heard him gasp for air on the other end of the line, which sounded like he was in pain.

“Should I contact your family? Have them come to check on you.”

Xu Shijia stopped pretending. He groaned and replied despondently, “My dad went abroad to pick up my mom and is taking the opportunity to travel with her. My brother is on vacation too. They not only didn’t give me any money but also unilaterally removed me from family activities…”

After hearing this, Lin Shu couldn’t just stand by. “Then wait for me at home; I’ll be there right away.”

Perhaps because he was feeling unwell, Xu Shijia rarely complied so obediently, his voice almost cute as he said, “Okay.”

He sounded pitiful. “Please hurry.”

Lin Shu heard Xu Shijia’s weak, whiny voice continue, “It hurts so much, Lin Shu.”

It was evident that Xu Shijia was in considerable pain, which made him show such weakness.

Lin Shu felt like she was the kindest and most wonderful boss in the world and an empathetic citizen. She wasted no time and quickly got into her car, even driving faster than usual because she was worried about Xu Shijia’s safety. While waiting for red lights, she called several doctors she knew to find out which hospital had shorter emergency wait times.

With no parental care or a brother to help, he was quite pitiful. As his boss, she felt she should show concern for such an empty-nest employee lacking family warmth.

Moreover, Xu Shijia had been weak and sickly since childhood and suffered from clotting disorders. If he happened to cut himself at home, it could lead to excessive blood loss. She had just contacted him to discuss work, and with his health at risk, it could be considered a workplace injury. Therefore, Lin Shu felt she had to take responsibility for ensuring Xu Shijia’s safety and health.

However, Xu Shijia’s tone of helplessness was quite inappropriate.

As his boss, Lin Shu thought it necessary to remind him not to speak to women like that in the future to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Fortunately, today the person he was whining to was her, who was quite a decent person.

**

Lin Shu hurried to Xu Shijia’s door and had just pressed the doorbell when the door swung open.

Xu Shijia looked worse than she had imagined. Although still handsome, his complexion was pale, and he clearly bore signs of illness. He seemed to have been waiting at the door for a while, which was why he opened it so quickly, but it appeared that the effort had drained him completely.

After opening the door, Lin Shu saw him leaning against the wall with one hand pressed to his abdomen, slowly and painfully making his way to the sofa. As soon as he touched the sofa, he collapsed onto it with a look of relief, as if he had been saved.

This was not good.

He seemed to be in pretty serious condition.

Lin Shu made a decisive decision: “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Unfortunately, Xu Shijia probably had too many hospital visits as a child, and he was very resistant to the idea of going. He almost immediately refused, “No!”

“But you look like this; we can’t determine the cause without an examination. It seems like you might have eaten something bad. The weather has been getting warmer, and some restaurants may not have fresh ingredients. It’s better to see a doctor just to be safe. Or do you have a family doctor? I can contact them.”

“No!”

Xu Shijia’s physical pain made it impossible for him to control his stubbornness. Lin Shu felt he was acting almost like a child, being unreasonable.

Although he looked weak, Xu Shijia insisted with a plaintive tone, “I don’t have any money, so I haven’t gone out to play or eaten out these days. I’ve been cooking for myself and haven’t eaten anything unhealthy. The ingredients were all fresh, bought early that day from the market. It’s impossible for there to be a problem…”

“If your stomach hurts and it’s not from eating bad food, then it might be something else, perhaps even more dangerous than a stomach issue. You still need to go to the hospital.”

Unfortunately, no matter what Lin Shu said, Xu Shijia was adamant about not going to the hospital.

“I think if I drink some hot water and lie down for a bit, I’ll be fine.” He struggled to stand up, gritting his teeth, “I’m still young and healthy. I’m not some weak man who gets sick and has to go to the hospital all the time.”

Lin Shu was getting a bit angry. “Why did you call me over in a hurry if you’re not going to the hospital? I’m not a doctor! If I come and you don’t cooperate or listen to me, what’s the point? My time is precious too, you know?”

Lin Shu had rushed over, worried that Xu Shijia wouldn’t be able to go to the hospital alone and needed someone to accompany him. But if Xu Shijia had no intention of going, then asking her to come was just a waste of her emotions, wasn’t it?

This was too absurd.

Because of a few of Xu Shijia’s words, she had set aside her work and her remaining vacation days to come here, only to find Xu Shijia completely uncooperative. In comparison, Lin Shu felt like she had overreacted and taken Xu Shijia too seriously, while undervaluing herself.

After all, she was Xu Shijia’s boss.

What kind of good citizen was she trying to be? She should just ignore Xu Shijia, this disobedient little employee.

Lin Shu wanted to leave in frustration, but her sense of responsibility kept her there. She glared at Xu Shijia in anger, “If you won’t go to the hospital, I should just leave. The only reason I’m staying now is that I’m already here. It’s like a responsibility after a drunken night; since I know you’re sick, I have a duty to care for you. If your condition worsens and something bad happens, your family’s lawyers might even sue me for neglect…”

“I didn’t call you over to mess with you.”

Xu Shijia’s voice was muffled. He looked up at Lin Shu from the sofa, his face pale and expression innocent and pitiful. After a moment, he looked away and said awkwardly, “I just thought that if you came, I wouldn’t hurt so much. If you’re here with me, maybe I’d feel a bit better.”

Lin Shu was taken aback. Her heart began to race oddly, as if she had suddenly lost her balance, but it didn’t feel like she was going to fall—more like she was floating, not quite touching the ground. She felt nervous and somewhat at a loss.

Xu Shijia cleared his throat and turned his head away, “So maybe I’ll feel better soon.”

He glanced at Lin Shu and then added, somewhat incoherently, “What I mean is, you’re here, and you’re my boss. You know, you seem reliable and handle things decisively, so having you around makes me feel safe. You understand, right? A person’s health is affected by their emotions. Seeing someone dependable in front of me makes me feel more at ease, so maybe that’s why I’d get better.”

“I’ll go make you some hot water.”

Lin Shu didn’t know why she felt nervous and fidgety. She made an excuse to get up and headed toward the kitchen.

Xu Shijia wasn’t lying; he had indeed cooked for himself. Although the kitchen hadn’t been tidied up, there were freshly chopped green vegetables on the cutting board, half-eaten potato shreds in one bowl, and a bowl of sautéed leafy greens made from unknown vegetable shoots on the counter.

Lin Shu boiled some water and helped Xu Shijia tidy up the kitchen a bit.

While cleaning the floor, Lin Shu bent down and spotted the bag of potatoes that Wei Xue had sent, noticing that there were still quite a few left inside.

Not finished yet?

Lin Shu thought about going back to the living room to find Xu Shijia, but at some point, he had made his way to the kitchen door, leaning against the wall and quietly watching her. She didn’t know how long he had been standing there.

“Xu Shijia, with such a big bag of potatoes, if you can’t finish them all at once, you should store them in the fridge at a low temperature. Otherwise, with the temperatures we’ve been having lately, the potatoes could start to sprout.”

Even though he had resorted to cooking for himself, he still lacked basic life knowledge.

“Oh,” Xu Shijia seemed to have improved a little. Although still a bit wilted, he looked somewhat better than before, leaning against the wall, “I see, no wonder they sprouted so quickly.”

Perhaps sensing Lin Shu’s silent criticism, Xu Shijia tried to show off his newfound skills: “But even if they’ve sprouted, that doesn’t mean the potatoes are bad. After all, they’re still starch, and the potato shreds still taste the same, no problem at all. In fact, the sprouts are pretty tender. Some of the sprouts have grown quite well; if I wash and stir-fry them, they’d taste even better than pea shoots.”

He cleared his throat, “See? One potato, two uses. We’re not wasting anything, with starch and vitamins from the leafy greens. The nutritional balance is quite good.”

Xu Shijia glanced at Lin Shu, looking proud, “I’ve changed a lot; I’ve really learned how to take care of myself.”

Xu Shijia sounded relaxed, but Lin Shu was utterly shocked.

“Xu Shijia, you just said you ate sprouted potatoes?! And you even specifically stir-fried the potato sprouts?!”

Xu Shijia was oblivious to her concern, his pale face showing pride, “Yes.”

Lin Shu opened the bag of potatoes Wei Xue had given him, and sure enough, nearly eighty percent of them had sprouted!

Lin Shu couldn’t think of anything else; she immediately grabbed Xu Shijia and said, “To the hospital, right now!”

Relying on him to take care of himself was truly a dream.

Looking at the still confused and resistant Xu Shijia, Lin Shu felt her head was about to split from frustration. “Do you know that sprouted potatoes are toxic?! Eating sprouted potatoes means you’ve ingested solanine! The reason your stomach hurts like this is because you’re poisoned!”

Xu Shijia: “…”

Xu Mingmei took a short-term culinary course at Le Cordon Bleu in France so that she could cook better meals and desserts for her son when she returned home.

On graduation day, Wang Yannian specifically traveled to France to attend her graduation ceremony, and they took a short vacation together in Europe. Unfortunately, after spending a few months in France, Xu Mingmei was now eager to return home.

“Ever since that tigress of a female partner came on board, Xiaobao hardly has time to come home for meals. Now that I’ve taken a professional cooking course, I want to make a good meal for him when I get back.”

Just thinking about her youngest son made Xu Mingmei unable to hold back her complaints: “Wang Yannian, can’t you get Xiaobao a position at Xinheng, just give him an easy job? What’s with being a lawyer? We’re not short on money. Because of this, Xiaobao is either working overtime or on his way to work overtime. A few times I tried to reach him, and he took half a day to reply.”

“But now that I’m finally back in the country, you’d better not make Xiaobao suffer anymore.”

Xu Mingmei was eager to see her youngest son. However, upon returning home, instead of being greeted by him at the airport, she received news that he had been hospitalized for poisoning after eating sprouted potatoes.

It was also at this moment that Xu Mingmei finally learned that while she had been abroad, Wang Yannian had stopped Xiaobao’s card and cut off his financial support, a decision suggested by that tigress partner of his.

After visiting her youngest son, who was weak in bed but still thinking about how to request leave and go through the proper channels at work, Xu Mingmei was so angry she felt like divorcing Wang Yannian on the spot.

Once they left the hospital, she started arguing with Wang Yannian: “Is this how you treat our son? Look at what you’ve forced him into! With no money, he has to endure that tigress’s moods every day; working overtime has made him physically exhausted. And despite being a capitalist, that tigress pays him hardly anything for all his hard work! He’s been reduced to such poverty that he can only eat sprouted potatoes!”

“Is it really acceptable for you to help someone else while hurting our own child? What kind of heart does that woman have to come up with such a terrible idea? Isn’t it just to manipulate Xiaobao because he has no money, torturing him?”

As Xu Mingmei spoke, her eyes turned red, and she was about to cry: “How hungry does Xiaobao have to be to resort to eating sprouted potatoes?”

Xu Shijia was lying in bed, poisoned and pale, and how could Wang Yannian, as a father, not feel heartbroken?

But compared to Xu Mingmei’s blind defense of their son, he maintained his rationality and couldn’t help but remind her: “Xiaobao has indeed been working hard since his card was stopped, but the reason he ate sprouted potatoes shouldn’t be just because of lack of money. It’s simply that he lacks common sense; he probably didn’t even know that sprouted potatoes are toxic. This society is already very friendly; to let someone who doesn’t know that sprouted potatoes are toxic live to this point in life is a blessing. You shouldn’t keep calling that lawyer ‘tigress.’ If it weren’t for that lawyer asking Xiaobao for some document data, no one would have discovered that your son was poisoned by sprouted potatoes. He could have died just because he didn’t know!”

Unfortunately, Xu Mingmei, who was protective of her son, was not willing to listen to such words.

She glared at Wang Yannian, her eyes wide with anger: “I don’t care! This is all your fault! Who told you to stop Xiaobao’s card? You need to reinstate his trust fund immediately!”

Although it was pitiable that her youngest son had been poisoned by sprouted potatoes and was now on an IV, Wang Yannian was determined to discipline Xu Shijia. After all, he finally saw his youngest son showing some initiative and seriousness at work, and he refused to back down on this matter.

“I can agree to everything else, but I will absolutely stick to this. Mingmei, just look at Xiaobao. He used to be so aimless, now that lawyer, who doesn’t care about his identity, dares to manage him and is capable of doing so. It’s not easy for anyone to meet such a boss in their lifetime.”

“Xiaobao was like this; as parents, we have indeed been negligent. Now that there’s someone like Lawyer Lin willing to guide Xiaobao, we, as parents, should not only cooperate but also be grateful!”

Xu Mingmei raised her voice: “Negligent parents? What do you mean, Wang Yannian?! Are you saying I failed in raising our son?! What’s wrong with Xiaobao?! Why are you targeting him at every turn?!”

Wang Yannian faced his wife’s furious outburst but stood his ground: “I’m busy with work and don’t have time to accompany the kids; that’s my problem. But overindulgent mothers spoil their children; you’ve spoiled Xiaobao too much, allowing him to become so free and irresponsible. You’re also to blame.”

“I?!” Xu Mingmei was furious, “We’re not short on money, and Yi Zhou can take over. All I want is for Xiaobao to be able to live happily, get married, and have children without a care in the world!”

“Married and living without a care? With your younger son’s current behavior, I’m too embarrassed to let him enter the dating market! Do you want grandchildren? Wait until Lawyer Lin gets your son sorted out! Otherwise, who would want him?!”

When Wang Yannian found it impossible to communicate with Xu Mingmei, he grew a bit angry: “Right now, Lawyer Lin is not charging us anything to take care of your son, and he even pays him a salary. He’s training your future daughter-in-law to have a responsible husband and preparing your future grandchildren to have a stable father. We should just enjoy this good fortune!”

At this critical moment, as a father, Wang Yannian was very firm: “In short, you are not allowed to secretly provide him with financial support. He’s old enough to learn to take care of himself, and you shouldn’t interfere with his matters.”

Xu Mingmei faced a wall with Wang Yannian and unexpectedly found no support from her eldest son, Wang Yizhou, when she complained to him.

Wang Yizhou responded casually: “Mom, it’s true that my brother has had it too easy; I support Dad’s decision. It’s better for him to be able to stand on his own.”

Wang Yizhou’s tone was calm: “After all, I also want to live a carefree life of marriage and children; if he can take over, that’s fine too.”

Xu Mingmei: “…”

Having received no support from anyone, Xu Mingmei had always been one to maintain appearances. Wang Yannian’s warning wouldn’t stop her from secretly preparing to help Xu Shijia. After all, she had her own private savings; if Xu Shijia ran out of money, she would still be there for him.

Previously, when she was abroad, she was unaware of these matters, and Xiaobao probably didn’t tell her out of pride!

Now that she was back, she was Xu Shijia’s support, allowing him to no longer endure the unreasonable demands of Lin Shu, that female boss, and he could walk away with ease!

When Xu Mingmei arrived at Xu Shijia’s bedside and expressed her support for him with great enthusiasm, Xu Shijia did not show the ecstatic expression of being saved.

“Mom, don’t give me money. I can earn it myself.”

Although he was still very weak, Xu Shijia’s voice was firm: “I won’t resign. I want to work; working makes me happy.”

The son who used to avoid standing when he could sit and lying down when he could sit now had a hint of joy in his eyes: “I just asked the nurse. These IV fluids will finish tonight. I’m young and healthy; I can go back to work normally tomorrow without any leave process. It won’t affect my job.”

Xu Mingmei felt a wave of sadness.

Her poor son!

What kind of life had he endured to be manipulated like this? He was even happy about going to work while ill! He had brainwashed himself into believing that working made him happy! No normal person would feel happy about going to work!

Xu Mingmei was heartbroken: “Xiao Bao, I can’t bear to see this! You’ve been deceived by Lin Shu! She’s putting you in a terrible situation! My son, our family doesn’t need you to work! There’s no need for you to live such a hard life!”

However, despite Xu Mingmei’s desperate cries, she didn’t awaken her son’s rationality. Xu Shijia even frowned, turning his gaze away, his voice firm and unyielding: “Mom, don’t say that about Lin Shu. She’s a good person and treats me well. If she hadn’t sent me to the hospital, you might not even see me now.”

“I’m not working hard; I recently discovered that I might actually have some talent for being a lawyer. I’m now the backbone of our team. Although Lin Shu scolds me daily, it’s mainly because she sees potential in me, so she pays attention to me. She doesn’t do that with others.”

My silly son! That’s not called focusing on you; that’s called targeting you!

Who is Lin Shu really?

What kind of potion has she poured into my husband and son?

Not only Xu Shijia, but even Wang Yannian, who has seen many people, praises her endlessly!

Xu Mingmei was unhappy.

But her son was caught in this trap, completely enjoying it, and he firmly refused her financial assistance.

What upset her more was that after just a few minutes in Xu Shijia’s hospital room, her youngest son urged her to leave—

“Mom, just go and don’t come back.”

Xu Mingmei frowned immediately: “How can this be?”

“Anyway, you all shouldn’t come.” Xu Shijia kept craning his neck to look at the hospital door.

“Xiao Bao, if our family doesn’t come, who else will care about you?”

To which Xu Shijia replied emphatically: “If you don’t come, someone else will.”

“Who are you waiting for to see you?”

Unfortunately, Xu Shijia didn’t answer his mother’s question; he just insisted that she leave: “Please go! Don’t let anyone see you! I’m fine! There are too many viruses and bacteria in the hospital; you should leave quickly!”

In the end, Xu Mingmei was chased out of the hospital room by her son.

She was very sad.

What was she to do?

Her son was determined to work for that fascist Lin Shu now, and not letting her visit was surely because he was worried she would be upset to see him unwell. Who knows, maybe once she left, he would pull out his laptop and start working.

It was all Lin Shu’s fault.

The debts were owed to her; wasn’t it all just to work to death for that woman to earn a few bucks?

Xu Mingmei had always favored her youngest son, and thinking about him living the hard life of a regular office worker, recalling his weak state when he was poisoned by sprouted potatoes, made her anxious and restless. A mother’s instinct urged her to do everything she could to ease her son’s burdens. However, if her son wouldn’t accept her help, what other methods could she find to break through?

Xu Mingmei was a woman who never gave up until she achieved her goal.

Though she had married and focused on being a good wife and mother, soon living a life of luxury alongside Wang Yannian’s entrepreneurial success, Xu Mingmei actually had a decent education. In fact, she was her son’s direct senior at school—she had also graduated from Rongda Law School, although she had never worked a day.

Because of this connection, when Wang Yannian insisted that Xu Shijia find a job, Xu Mingmei thought of her university friend, who was originally Xu Shijia’s female partner. She could place her son in her good friend’s team, which would allow her to stay updated on his situation, and her friend would likely take better care of him.

However, now that her friend had retired and Lin Shu had taken over Xu Shijia’s team, everything had gone awry.

With no allies in the office, things were indeed difficult.

But that wouldn’t stump Xu Mingmei.

Although her friend had retired, she still had some old connections in Tianhao that could facilitate things.

After a moment’s thought, she wasted no time and called her friend—

“Can you place someone in Lin Shu’s team?”

“Who to place? Place me.”

“But you must keep my identity a secret. It would be best to create a safer false family background and resume. The educational background is all that matters. After all, only the HR department can see employee resumes at Tianhao, and the boss can only check academic and work experience information. No one asks for private details like home address or family relations in employment records, right?”

“Is it difficult to place someone now? You need to plead a little to make me seem pitiful? Fine, you can fully decide how to fabricate my identity.”

…

Rather than placing a stranger next to her son, why not take matters into her own hands?

A resolute determination flashed across Xu Mingmei’s face as a mother who would never back down.

Her son—she, Xu Mingmei, would protect him!

Thinking about the days ahead, Xu Mingmei snorted coldly.

She would go meet this Lin Shu.

Since Lin Shu was tormenting her son, Xu Mingmei would personally deal with her!