Chapter 8

Chapter 8

This peaceful and happy life lasted for more than half a year.

The atmosphere at home improved significantly, and the relationship between the parents also warmed up. Nowadays, when they occasionally took Lin Jiaxu out with them, most people no longer found their dynamic awkward; instead, they saw them as a happy family of three.

The child was beautiful and well-behaved, the wife gentle, beautiful, and elegant, and the husband mature and steady—what a perfect family.

Another morning arrived.

The parents had matters to attend to and were preparing to go out. They sat together and finished breakfast.

Xu Yinuan changed into her going-out clothes, patted Lin Jiaxu's head, and said with a smile, "Dad and I are going out for a bit. Jia Jia, be good while we're gone."

Lin Jiaxu nodded, blinked, and said, "Okay, come back early."

These words were directed at Xu Yinuan. He didn’t care at all whether Lin Cheng would return—in fact, it would be even better if he didn’t, so he could sleep with his mother that night.

Lin Cheng clearly knew that his son wouldn’t pay him any mind, so he just stood calmly to the side, waiting for the mother and son to finish their farewells.

But there was a hint of irritation in his eyes. After all, he was also part of this family, yet he couldn’t help but feel excluded from their little bond.

Still, it was so frustrating.

So, with a stern face, he glanced down at his watch and said, "Are you done? We ought to get going."

Xu Yinuan looked up, noticed what he was thinking, and said to Lin Jiaxu with a smile, "Jia Jia, shouldn’t you say something to Dad too?"

The sparkle in Lin Jiaxu’s bright eyes dimmed. He looked at Lin Cheng and said slowly,

"Bye."

The couple: "..."

Lin Cheng was so mad he almost saw stars. Could this favoritism be any more obvious?

Xu Yinuan tried hard to bite back a laugh.

This kid really loved pushing his dad’s buttons.

Could it be that he was getting back at him for the daily studying?

"Just you wait. When I come back, I’ll teach you some manners."

Lin Jiaxu didn’t bat an eye: "Oh."

Lin Cheng: "..."

If it were his mother saying this, he definitely wouldn’t have this attitude.

Xu Yinuan held back her laughter: "Alright, alright, Mom is leaving."

Lin Cheng watched Lin Jiaxu’s face light up again. The child waved obediently and said, "Bye, Mom."

What could Lin Cheng say? How could he make a big deal out of something so small with his own child?

He could only leave in a huff, arm in arm with his wife.

After they left, Lin Jiaxu stayed home as usual.

He spent the morning in the study room with his tutor, had lunch, and then took a good nap under the warm sun and shade of the trees.

When he woke up in the afternoon, it was his free time.

He sat in his bedroom, which his mother had decorated warmly, with a large carpet on the floor covered in Lin Jiaxu's toys.

Lin Jiaxu ate the snacks Butler Grandpa had brought him while playing half-heartedly with toys he was bored with, occasionally glancing at the large clock on the wall.

He felt unusually restless today.

Lin Jiaxu rarely was separated from Xu Yinuan for such long periods, and each time he grew irritable and anxious.

But this time, he was particularly agitated.

He felt like something was about to happen, making it impossible for him to sit peacefully at home.

The light pink color of the walls eased his restlessness a little, but not much.

He tried to calm himself, waiting quietly in his room for his parents' return.

As the sun gradually set in the sky and evening approached, his restlessness surged uncontrollably. Lin Jiaxu ran downstairs, acting more impulsively than usual.

He found Chen Shi, who looked flustered while talking on the phone.

"Butler Grandpa."

"Grandpa!"

Lin Jiaxu called out to him several times, but Chen Shi seemed not to hear. He held his phone anxiously, on a call.

"...Okay, okay, I understand!"

After Chen Shi hung up, Lin Jiaxu asked, "Was that Mom? When will they be back?"

"No, it wasn't..."

Chen Shi was surprised to see Lin Jiaxu there. He was flustered and said, looking upset, "Young master, please stay home quietly. I have something I need to take care of and need to go out."

Lin Jiaxu looked at him and asked again, "Okay, but when will Mom be back?"

Chen Shi's face grew even more upset. He had intended to make up a reason, but when he met Lin Jiaxu's gaze, he froze.

Those eyes were calm and still, but the butler, who had taken care of Lin Jiaxu for years, could see a hint of urgency and tension in them.

Perhaps the child had sensed something; he didn't seem as emotionless as others claimed.

Chen Shi opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

How could he tell a child that the call was from the police?

That his parents were in an accident and were undergoing emergency treatment?

This child also had a condition that others found hard to understand. Even if he said it, would Lin Jiaxu understand?

And could he really tell a seven-year-old such a cruel thing as, "Your parents are in trouble"?

No, he couldn't make himself do it.

But he couldn't just ignore Lin Jiaxu either.

The fifty-something-year-old butler wiped his face, called the family's relatives, then scooped up Lin Jiaxu and carried him out.

Lin Jiaxu indeed sensed that something was wrong, so he let himself be picked up—unusually compliant in front of outsiders.

"Where are we going?"

"...To the hospital. Your mom and dad are at the hospital."

"Okay."

At that moment, Lin Jiaxu didn’t understand how this trip to the hospital was different from the usual ones.

Xu Yinuan often got sick and went to the hospital, so he was familiar with the concept of a hospital.

He didn’t yet know what this meant, but he felt an inexplicable and mounting anxiety. The savage beast that had been calm for years seemed about to tear everything apart and break free from his body.

Something inside him was pushing him to hurry, to go faster and faster.

At the hospital, outside the emergency room.

Lin Jiaxu’s paternal and maternal grandparents, along with other close relatives, had all arrived.

They were silent. The elderly were barely holding themselves together, and faces usually only seen at family gatherings were now watching the ER door and the elderly with concern.

When they saw Lin Jiaxu, a grandfather he didn’t know well said reluctantly, "Why did you bring him here? This is inappropriate!"

Chen Shi set Lin Jiaxu down and motioned for him to go over. Once Lin Jiaxu reached the elders, Chen Shi said bitterly, "Young master was begging me for his mother..."

The grandfather struck his cane forcefully, "That’s no reason to bring him here! The hospital is no place for him!"

Lin Jiaxu looked around. The place was packed with people, but his parents were nowhere to be seen.

He tugged at the sleeve of the grandfather he didn't know well and asked, "Where’s my mom?"

As if feeling it wasn’t right to ask just one person, he added, "What about Lin Cheng?"

The grandfather looked at Lin Jiaxu’s calm, clueless expression, went quiet for a moment, sighed, and didn’t answer.

Seeing that no one answered his questions, Lin Jiaxu’s spirits suddenly fell. The savage beast inside him raged uncontrollably, and his voice became shrill.

"Where’s my mom?! Where did she go?!"

His uncle, Lin Jian, jumped at his outburst. "Quiet down! Your parents are in there being treated!"

"What’s 'being treated'?"

"Being treated means... stop with all the questions. Sit down and wait quietly!"

"Will my mom come home today?"

"No, she can’t. Can you just be quiet? You’re being a nuisance."

"No, I want my mom!" Lin Jiaxu’s voice grew louder and louder. He was getting angry.

He couldn’t see his mom or Lin Cheng. Everyone here was a stranger he recognized.

Lin Jiaxu grew more distressed. Like a caged beast, he had no outlet for his feelings and kept shouting.

"I want my mom!"

The elders watched the exchange between Lin Jiaxu and his uncle, their faces looked utterly astonished.

They weren’t familiar with Lin Jiaxu—or rather, they had never spent time with him.

Though they were grandparents or close relatives, due to Lin Cheng and Xu Yinuan’s deliberate isolation, they only saw Lin Jiaxu during family gatherings, and even then, only in passing.

During those times, either Lin Cheng or Xu Yinuan would always be by Lin Jiaxu’s side, never let him out of their sight.

And Lin Jiaxu never spoke to others, not even to children his age or the elders. He remained silent, not like ordinary children.

The adults naturally knew Lin Jiaxu was autistic, so they never forced other children to interact with him.

Because Lin Cheng and Xu Yinuan had him when they were older, and because he was autistic, no one expected Lin Jiaxu to act like other kids.

But today, Lin Jiaxu had said so many words in front of them, making himself perfectly clear. Everyone was shocked.

Only Lin Jian, too impatient and focused entirely on the emergency room, didn’t notice.

He yelled, "Can you be quiet? All this noise is getting on my nerves!"

Lin Jiaxu fell silent, giving him a cold stare.

"Why are you yelling at the child?"

The grandmother drew Lin Jiaxu closer, stroked his head gently, and asked kindly, "Jia Jia, you can speak?"

He had always been able to speak—he just never wanted to.

The elderly woman in front of him was also familiar to him—she was his mother’s mother. His mother loved this woman dearly, but Lin Jiaxu wasn't in the mood to talk with them now.

Because he vaguely understood what Lin Jian had said: he might not be seeing his mother again.

"I want my mom."

Lin Jiaxu repeated the phrase.

The grandmother couldn’t help but hug him, tears streaming down her face. "Okay, okay, we’ll wait here for Mom. Be good, Jia Jia."

Perhaps because of the elder’s comfort, Lin Jiaxu truly quieted down.

Lin Jiaxu waited outside the operating room, enduring the restlessness and confusion all night.

In the end, the doctor came out and said the rescue had failed—they couldn’t save them.

The doctor looked exhausted and apologetic. "My condolences..."

Lin Jiaxu watched blankly as his grandmother and grandfather collapsed, unable to hold themselves up.

"Mom, Dad, what’s wrong?"

"Doctor, doctor, come quickly!"

The adults scrambled in chaos.

In that moment, no one paid attention to the child who was still hopefully watching the emergency room.

The adults moved around frantically. The place was crowded—besides doctors, there were relatives, traffic police, and regular police.

Lin Jiaxu watched the relatives he vaguely recognized—his aunts and uncles—alternately speaking with doctors and police officers.

A few officers approached him. His aunt, Yu Ruoshu, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, held him tightly in her arms as she answered their questions.

But these people didn’t stay long; they only took some notes. One older officer shook his head at the others before leading them away.

Everyone was crying.

Lin Jiaxu felt detached from his body.

It was as if he couldn’t understand anything being said, nor could he control his own movements. He seemed disconnected from everything, numb and bewildered, as he was led to the rooms of the elderly relatives.

Inside, unfamiliar people came in, addressing the awake elders with phrases like, "My condolences, please take care."

Lin Jiaxu coldly observed these well-dressed individuals sighing and looking at him with pity, spouting kind but hollow words.

"Poor child."

"What will happen to him now…"

He found himself walking toward his awake maternal grandmother. Seeing the old woman in tears, he suddenly snapped out of his daze.

He grabbed her wrinkled, aged hand and asked the question he had repeated many times:

"Where’s my mom?"

He thought they’d promised that if he waited obediently, he would see his mother—so why hadn’t she come for him yet?

The boy didn’t cry; his face showed only confusion.

Several of the elders, who had been holding back their tears, broke down once more.

They had already seen the bodies of their daughter and son-in-law—or son and daughter-in-law. Only Lin Jiaxu, because of his young age, had been shielded from the sight, out of fear it would traumatize him too deeply.

Though they didn’t know exactly what had caused Lin Cheng and his wife’s deaths, it certainly wasn’t a car accident.

The couple’s injuries were horrific—as if they had fought fiercely and then been attacked by animals. Their flesh was torn open, their bodies covered in deep wounds. The sight terrified even the adults; there was no way they could let Lin Jiaxu see it.

But by now, Lin Jiaxu no longer trusted them. He secretly pulled out his phone and looked up the meaning of "jie ai" (please accept our condolences), along with other things those people and the doctors had said.

He finally understood.

He no longer had a mother or father.

Lin Jiaxu flew into a rage. He slammed his phone to the ground with all his strength and began screaming hysterically.

"I want to see my mom! I want my mom!"