Chapter 25 Heartache

Chapter 25: Aching Heart

In the living room, Zhou Yu eagerly opened the photo album.

Chen Hongming emerged with tea, solicitously offering it to Zhou Yu: "Boss Zhou, looking at photos?"

Zhou Yu took the cup, set it aside, and nodded politely.

Noticing his tea went untouched, Chen Hongming’s smile faltered for a moment before he quickly recovered. "Shall I join you? I can tell you all about them."

Zhou Yu paused, mid-flip, somewhat swayed.

What was the point of just looking at pictures? He yearned for the stories behind them, to glimpse a vibrant Lin Yunshu.

If he could piece together Lin Yunshu’s entire childhood from mere fragments, how profoundly happy that would make him.

He had always regretted their late acquaintance, having missed Lin Yunshu’s entire youth.

"Alright," Zhou Yu conceded, gesturing to the seat beside him. "Sit."

"Ah, yes, of course!" Chen Hongming beamed, immediately taking a seat.

He picked up the album, narrating each page: "Look at this one—this was taken when our Shuyang was a month old. We had a master fortune-teller, who said this boy was blessed from birth!"

Zhou Yu’s mind conjured Chen Shuyang’s disdainful face, wondering how difficult it must be for fortune-tellers to earn a living these days.

For a face so uniquely world-weary, uncommon in any ethnicity, to be declared "blessed" by a master, Chen Hongming must have paid a hefty sum.

"And this one, I took this on my first trip abroad. Oh, that was my first time on a plane. I couldn’t get used to the foreign food…"

"Then this one, this is our family of three…"

Zhou Yu rubbed his temples, his patience steadily wearing thin.

He considered himself a benevolent boss at work, rarely interrupting employees during reports, even if they rambled. He’d let them finish, then extract the useful bits himself.

But Chen Hongming had been lost in fond reminiscence for quite some time, yielding zero crucial information.

"Stop," Zhou Yu finally interjected, tapping the table. "What’s your point?"

Chen Hongming froze.

Zhou Yu’s tone was sharp: "I’m not interested in where your family traveled, what you ate, or how many times you consulted a fortune-teller."

He looked down at Chen Hongming. "Don’t you have any photos of Lin Yunshu?"

Chen Hongming was dumbfounded.

Zhou Yu’s authoritative presence was overwhelming. Even without harsh words, it instantly made Chen Hongming feel the trepidation of facing a superior.

"Y-Yes, I do."

He completely forgot his seniority, fawning cautiously: "Let me find them for you, I have some, I do."

The thick album was frantically flipped through. After a long moment, Chen Hongming finally stopped, pointing to a photo: "Look, Yun Shu is right here."

From the moment Chen Hongming began searching for Lin Yunshu’s photos like a needle in a haystack, Zhou Yu had grown increasingly displeased.

So many photos—hundreds, at least—yet finding one of Lin Yunshu proved so difficult. It clearly indicated they had no intention of preserving his image.

Lin Yunshu’s precious childhood.

A childhood Zhou Yu yearned for, forced to piece together through imagination, was carelessly overlooked by others, who wouldn’t even spare him a paper fragment.

Zhou Yu unconsciously clenched his fist.

"You see," Chen Hongming said, "this is them when they were little. We took them to the park. The brothers have been close since childhood!"

The photo was indeed taken in front of artificial rocks in the park, one child embracing another.

Chen Shuyang appeared to be about one year old, while Lin Yunshu was no more than four or five.

He was thin and frail, struggling to hold the other child, his face largely obscured.

Zhou Yu merely glanced at it, nearly losing his breath: "A solo shot, with his full face visible—don’t you have one?!"

He was genuinely angry.

Chen Hongming jumped, shakily holding up the album.

"Yes, there is… there should be…"

He frantically searched, sweat beading on his forehead, finally unearthing one at the very end, sighing in relief as if narrowly escaping disaster.

"Here, here it is, a solo shot!"

He removed the photo and presented it to Zhou Yu: "Look, this was taken on Yun Shu’s tenth birthday. Our whole family celebrated for him!"

Zhou Yu closed his eyes, slowly exhaling, and took the photo from his hand.

"Yun Shu is a sensible child," Chen Hongming explained. "He never liked taking photos since he was little. Every time we called him over, he’d shy away, insisting on carrying bags or fetching water for us. We couldn’t help it, so there aren't many photos of him…"

As he spoke, he eyed Zhou Yu’s expression, subtly shifting the blame onto Lin Yunshu and absolving himself.

"Ha."

Zhou Yu let out a derisive laugh at the remark: "So, being sensible is his fault?"

"No, no, no," Chen Hongming stammered in panic. "I didn’t mean it that way, Boss Zhou, please don’t misunderstand me!"

Zhou Yu had lost all patience for him, meticulously examining the only individual photo from Lin Yunshu’s entire childhood.

At ten years old, Lin Yunshu’s facial features already closely resembled his adult self—a beautifully proportional growth.

But he was so thin.

Painfully thin.

His birthday was in winter. He wore a thick cotton coat, his cheeks flushed red from the cold, his chin sharp and gaunt.

Zhou Yu’s heart ached as he noticed a layer of gauze wrapped around Lin Yunshu’s right hand in the photo.

"What happened here?" he demanded, his expression hardening.

Chen Hongming hurriedly leaned in to look, then waved it off dismissively. "It’s nothing, just got scalded by hot oil while cooking."

"A tiny injury. It would’ve been fine with some cold water and toothpaste, but his younger brother threw a tantrum, insisting we take him to the hospital."

Chen Hongming clicked his tongue, still smarting over the medical bill: "The doctor overreacted—such a fuss, and wrapping it in such thick gauze, it even ruins the photo."

Zhou Yu stared in disbelief.

So this was the origin of the scar on Lin Yunshu’s palm.

A scar from his tenth birthday, still etched into his palm at twenty-five—this was what they called "just a minor injury."

Zhou Yu didn’t even know where to begin.

"You made him cook? He was only ten years old, with fire and knives in the kitchen—you were okay with him doing that?"

"What's the issue?" Chen Hongming seemed genuinely puzzled. "That’s just how it is. We were busy with work and came home late. Since he got home from school early, it was normal for him to start cooking. We were even standing in line to get him a birthday cake."

"So it was his birthday," Zhou Yu’s voice went hoarse, "and you made a ten-year-old child cook a meal for the whole family on his birthday?!"

Chen Hongming’s eyes widened. "Why does it sound like I mistreated him?"

He acted as if he had no defense: "Boss Zhou, you’re a big boss. You grew up with household help, so you don’t understand. In regular families like ours, children learn to do household chores early."

"Besides, you’ve tasted his cooking too," Chen Hongming declared self-righteously. "If we hadn’t raised him so well and trained him to cook skillfully, how would he have had the chance to catch your eye?"

Zhou Yu was utterly stunned by these words.

He opened his mouth, but no sound emerged, feeling as though his heart was bleeding.

So this was how Lin Yunshu had honed his culinary skills.

Every bite Zhou Yu recalled, every cherished flavor, now seemed tainted with tears and blood, turning bitter and metallic.

His heart throbbed with sharp, intermittent pain.

Chen Shuyang, who had been eavesdropping behind the door, could no longer bear it and burst out.

"Dad, just stop talking," he said, his face flushed with shame, unable to meet anyone’s gaze. "You may not care about shame, but I do!"

"What did I do?" Chen Hongming protested innocently. "Which part of what I said wasn’t true?"

"Want to speak louder? So my brother can hear and confront you face to face?"

Chen Hongming stammered, unsure if it was due to Zhou Yu's presence or a genuine sense of guilt, but he reluctantly fell silent.

The master bedroom door opened, and Lin Yunshu calmly emerged.

He looked somewhat tired, his gaze sweeping over the people in the living room, noting their varied expressions.

Zhou Yu immediately stood up and walked over to him, taking his shoulder with a grip slightly firmer than usual.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Yunshu asked softly.

Zhou Yu’s brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes faintly red. "Yun Shu…"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Lin Fang, who followed closely behind.

Lin Fang’s face was flushed, veins bulging on her forehead as if she were greatly distressed. She clutched the back of her head and went to the living room to look for her blood pressure medication.

Zhou Yu: "…"

His words of concern caught in his throat. "What’s wrong now?"

"Perhaps she’s not feeling well," Lin Yunshu said with a gentle smile. "It’s alright, let’s eat first."

·

The dinner table was eerily silent.

Chen Shuyang was engrossed in his phone game, headphones on, ignoring everyone.

Lin Fang sat rigidly, her lips pressed thin, her face sallow and quiet.

Only Lin Yunshu maintained his usual calm demeanor, inviting everyone to begin eating.

"Eating like this is pretty boring," Zhou Yu finally spoke up.

Lin Yunshu set down his chopsticks. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Nothing, you go ahead and eat," Zhou Yu said with a smile, patting his back. "I wasn’t referring to you."

He stood up and retrieved the fine liquor he had brought. "Getting married is a joyous occasion. Today calls for celebration. How about I have a couple drinks with Uncle?"

Chen Hongming, unsure why Zhou Yu’s mood had shifted again, paused for a moment before quickly putting on a smile. "Of course, of course! Such a happy day calls for a drink. This is really good stuff."

Chen Hongming enthusiastically clinked glasses. "Ah, you’re too kind."

He knocked it back in one go.

Zhou Yu laughed heartily. "Uncle, you can really hold your liquor."

He promptly refilled Chen Hongming’s glass.

Just like that, Chen Hongming downed several glasses in a row, gradually starting to struggle.

"No more, no more, I need a break," he said, bracing himself on the table.

Zhou Yu acted as though he hadn’t heard, continuing to refill his glass, and Lin Fang’s as well.

"This glass is for both of you," he said with a smile. "Thank you, Aunt and Uncle, for raising Yun Shu so well. Without him by my side all these years, it would have been hard for me to persevere. I’ll finish this glass."

With words like these, the two across from him couldn’t refuse.

Lin Fang raised her glass, managing a smile. "Not at all, Boss Zhou, you flatter us. Taking care of Yun Shu was our duty!"

"Indeed," Zhou Yu nodded. "I know exactly how you've treated him all these years. No need to say more. I’ll be sure to repay you doubly in the future."

Lin Fang’s expression stiffened. She glanced sideways at Chen Hongming, trying to signal him, but Chen Hongming was already too drunk, his gaze unfocused.

Zhou Yu smiled at them and continued pouring wine relentlessly.

Aside from the first few glasses, Zhou Yu drank only occasionally—sometimes sipping, sometimes not—but he insisted that Lin Fang and Chen Hongming finish every drop.

The liquor was indeed excellent.

But even the finest liquor becomes unbearable when consumed without restraint.

After several hours, even a blind person could tell Zhou Yu was doing it on purpose.

The elderly couple was miserable but dared not refuse, forcing themselves to gulp down glass after glass.

As the sun gradually set in the west and evening approached, Chen Hongming finally couldn't hold on any longer. He threw down his cup and staggered into the bathroom.

A few seconds later, violent retching sounds came from inside.

Zhou Yu tossed aside the empty bottle and opened a new one, continuing to pour.

The feigned smile he had worn earlier had completely vanished from his face, replaced by a blank expression that was downright chilling.

"I can't do it anymore, Boss Zhou, really I can't…" Lin Fang begged through tears.

Her blood pressure had always been high, and after drinking so much, her head was pounding like it was about to split open, and she felt like her veins were gonna burst.

"I was wrong, I really was wrong!"

"Is that so?" Zhou Yu swirled the glass in his hand. "Auntie could never be wrong. I should be thanking you."

"I, I…"

Lin Fang felt her words were slurring badly and covered her face, weeping bitterly.

Lin Yunshu gently tugged at Zhou Yu's sleeve.

He had remained silent the entire time, almost silently condoning Zhou Yu’s behavior, which gave Zhou Yu carte blanche to torment them.

What did this gesture mean now?

Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Yunshu.

"That's enough," Lin Yunshu leaned close to his ear, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Her blood pressure is high. If she has a cerebral hemorrhage, it’ll be a real problem."

The retching from the bathroom gradually stopped, but Chen Hongming never came out, nor did he make any further sound.

It was unclear whether he had passed out in there.

The only sound at the table was Lin Fang's broken sobbing.

Chen Shuyang had taken off his headphones. He had stopped playing games a while ago and had been sitting with his head bowed.

Zhou Yu noticed he seemed to have something to say and tilted his chin up. "What, feeling sorry for them?"

After all, they were his own parents.

Though Lin Fang and Chen Hongming had treated Lin Yunshu poorly, they had doted on their own son.

"My son, my son, please say something for me," Lin Fang clung to Chen Shuyang's arm. "Mom can't take anymore, I can’t… sob…"

Chen Shuyang’s face was tight with distress. He seemed both deeply ashamed and somewhat conflicted.

After a moment, he snatched the glass in front of Lin Fang.

Zhou Yu chuckled. "You’re going to drink for them?"

Chen Shuyang didn't answer yes or no. He gripped the glass and took a deep breath.

"I'm part of this family too," his voice trembled slightly. "There are many things from childhood till now that I haven't been blind to. I’ve seen it all, but I… I…"

His voice caught in his throat, keeping his gaze downcast, never meeting Zhou Yu's eyes. His lips parted and closed, but in the end, he swallowed down everything he wanted to say.

"Anyway, I've failed… I deserve to drink this."

With that, he knocked it back in one go.

Immediately after, he began pouring a second glass, then a third…

Lin Yunshu’s brow furrowed slightly.

Zhou Yu said nothing, quietly watching the young man before him, his gaze intense and unreadable.

After what felt like a long time, "That's enough."

He waved his hand to stop him and took out his phone to make a call.

A few minutes later, Li Xun appeared in the living room, looking taken aback at the scene of chaos.

Lin Fang was barely conscious at the table.

"There’s another one in the bathroom," Zhou Yu told Li Xun. "Get them both to the hospital."

He took Lin Yunshu's wrist, stood up, and pulled him out through that worn-out old door, never looking back.