Chapter 29 Went Too Far

Chapter 29: Took It Too Far

Shen Qingci sat on the sofa, feeling defeated for the first time.

It felt strange, uncomfortable.

All his life, he had never truly felt defeated in anything.

But today...

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar man behind the desk, Shen Qingci felt a powerless, strange, and unsettling emotion for the first time.

Defeat.

A single sentence from Lu Lin had rendered him speechless.

And what made him feel most powerless was that every word Lu Lin used to shut him down had come from his own mouth.

Now, Lu Lin seemed to be genuinely learning how to be independent.

But Shen Qingci couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

Zhou Jin brought over a cup of black coffee and set it down gently on the coffee table in front of Shen Qingci.

"Mr. Shen, your coffee."

Shen Qingci murmured his thanks and took a sip from the cup.

Shen Qingci held the coffee, but his gaze remained fixed on Lu Lin.

Lu Lin was still working, head bowed, his profile standing out sharply in the afternoon sunlight.

Lu Lin had grown into a handsome man; even with a split lip, it only added a touch of tragic beauty to his face.

Shen Qingci stared at his split lip for a long time before suddenly realizing that Lu Lin had truly grown up.

As Lu Lin had said, he was twenty-six now.

He was no longer the sixteen-year-old boy in his memory.

The current Lu Lin was the man in charge of the Lu Group, with broad shoulders and long legs, standing half a head taller than him, exuding an oppressive presence just by sitting there.

He had his own career, his own circle, his own life.

Then...

Shen Qingci wondered, was he meddling too much?

A twenty-six-year-old adult—who he dated, where he spent the night, why his lip was split.

Were these really things he should be prying into?

But Lu Lin's psychological state had never been particularly stable.

He needed professional treatment and someone to keep an eye on him.

Shen Qingci's fingers tightened around the coffee cup.

So he was responsible, after all, Lu Lin's psychological trauma stemmed from him.

But how was he supposed to do that?

Like before, using his guardian status, in a commanding tone, telling him what to do and what not to do?

That may have worked on the sixteen-year-old Lu Lin, but this was the twenty-six-year-old Lu Lin.

Shen Qingci's fingers tapped lightly on his cane.

His gaze fell on Lu Lin's lips again.

That wound...

Shen Qingci's brow furrowed unconsciously.

Who was Lu Lin with yesterday?

Did they kiss?

Was that person respectable?

What did he see in them?

Was it because of what he said about independence? So he just found someone on a whim to prove he had grown up, become independent?

Ridiculous.

Shen Qingci cursed inwardly.

Then he sighed.

This was the first time he had felt powerless regarding matters concerning Lu Lin.

"Lu Lin."

Shen Qingci spoke, his voice softer than before.

Lu Lin's typing faltered, but he didn't look up.

"Come home today," Shen Qingci said.

He said, his tone more conciliatory.

The screen of Lu Lin's phone on the desk lit up.

He glanced at it; it was a message from Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin: You can agree to go back, but watch your tone. Don't be too submissive, but don't be too resistant either.

Lu Lin looked at the message, remained silent for two seconds, then let out an "Mm."

His voice was faint, devoid of emotion.

Shen Qingci watched him, inexplicably irritated by Lu Lin's perfunctory attitude.

---

The atmosphere in the car on the way back was silent.

Shen Qingci and Lu Lin sat in the back seat, separated by the space of one person.

Both looked out the window, neither speaking.

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and held his breath.

Usually, whenever Shen was in the car, Lu's eyes never left him.

But now, Lu didn't even look at Shen, his entire being giving off a serious 'back off' vibe.

As for Shen...

The driver took another look at Shen Qingci.

Shen still had his usual calm look on his face, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the cane were white.

The car entered the gated community.

Uncle Fu was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing the car return, he hurried over.

"Mr. Shen, Mr. Lu, you're back." Uncle Fu's face was filled with barely concealed joy.

Shen Qingci nodded and got out, leaning on his cane.

Lu Lin followed behind him, still silent.

Dinner was ready.

In the dining room, the long table was piled with dishes, all of their favorite foods.

Uncle Fu had clearly gone to a lot of trouble to ease the tension between them.

But it didn't seem to help.

The whole meal, the two barely spoke.

Lu Lin just kept his head down and ate.

Shen Qingci ate slowly, occasionally glancing up at Lu Lin, but Lu Lin never looked up.

The two were like strangers who happened to be eating at the same table.

After dinner, Shen Qingci made his way upstairs with his cane. He paused on the stairs and glanced back.

Lu Lin was still sitting in the dining room, head bowed, lost in thought.

Shen Qingci pressed his lips together and went upstairs. He went into the study, leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the desk.

He was thinking about how to handle the situation with Lu Lin.

Someone knocked gently on the study door.

Shen Qingci looked up. "Come in."

The door opened.

Lu Lin stood in the doorway, holding a glass of milk.

He still avoided looking at Shen Qingci, just placed the milk on the table and murmured,

"Brother, milk."

Then he turned to leave.

"Wait." Shen Qingci stopped him.

Lu Lin stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around.

Shen Qingci watched his retreating back, silent for a few seconds, then said, "We... need to talk."

Lu Lin's shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly. He turned and went to sit on the sofa.

Shen Qingci walked over with his cane and sat on the sofa opposite him.

They faced each other, but their gazes didn't meet.

"Lu Lin," Shen Qingci began in a very soft voice, "I might have been wrong."

Lu Lin's head snapped up, looking at him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

But just as quickly, his expression returned to neutral.

"Brother wasn't wrong," Lu Lin said. "Everything Brother said was right."

Shen Qingci shook his head.

"No," he said, "I shouldn't have treated you like a child."

He paused, looking at Lu Lin:

"You're twenty-six now, an adult. You have the right to decide your own life, to choose the path you want to take."

Lu Lin looked at him, silent.

Shen Qingci seemed to come to a realization. He continued, "I hope you can take good care of yourself, both physically and emotionally."

He looked at the wound on Lu Lin's lip:

"Don't hurt yourself, and don't just let people hurt you."

Lu Lin's lips moved, but he said nothing, just lowered his head and whispered,

"I know."

Shen Qingci nodded, stood up, and walked over to Lu Lin with his cane. He reached out and gently patted Lu Lin's shoulder.

"Follow your own thoughts. I won't interfere too much."

Lu Lin's eyes widened as he watched Shen Qingci's retreating back.

His face was full of confusion.

What did that mean?

Was Brother not going to manage him anymore?

This seemed a bit different from the plan.

For a moment, Lu Lin panicked, but the door was already closed. Staring at the shut door, he felt completely at a loss.