CH 17.2

The Sound of That Man’s Breath (2)

Since Lin Yu He offered it to her, the whole bowl of glutinous rice balls was given to Wu Xiao Han. However, she wasn’t very happy and got nagged by Wu Xin again. She was very upset and simply ate a few bites, then said, “I’m full.”

She didn’t eat much of the glutinous rice balls she insisted on wanting.

“You ate so little. There are the rice balls you wanted too, and now you don’t want them?” Wu Xin frowned.

“Don’t wanna, it’s not made for me anyway.” Wu Xiao Han threw her chopsticks on the table.

Wu Xin couldn’t understand her daughter. “What do you mean it’s not made for you?”

Wu Xiao Han gritted her teeth and pointed at Lin Yu He. “Why are there only his favorites? How about mine?”

Wu Xin was surprised. “What nonsense are you speaking?”

“Why is this kid throwing tantrums now?” she wondered.

Lin’s father quickly comforted her, “Han Han, your brother rarely comes back…”

“What brother?” Wu Xiao Han glared at Lin Yu He. “Who said he’s my brother?”

She was very angry from just looking at the outsider. Why did she have to split and share the attention and love of her parents with him?

Wu Xin frowned. “What's wrong with you today? You're nitpicking at everything.”

Both mother and daughter had bad tempers and weren’t the type to concede easily. Hence, it spiraled into another fight.

Lin’s father could only try to convince the two of them. He was also worried about Lin Yu He, afraid that his son would be affected negatively by what Wu Xiao Han just said. Thus, he cast a glance at Lin Yu He but was stunned by what he saw.

Sitting at a noisy table, Lin Yu He was quietly having his meal. He tuned out everything going on beside him, without batting a single eyelid at the ongoing heated argument.

He looked so focused on his meal. However, he didn’t eat the glutinous rice balls his father purposely cooked for him, nor did he touch other dishes like the pork ribs, or fish. He only ate from the plate in front of him; it was a plate of stir-fried celery.

Lin’s father remembered his son was very picky with food. Lin Yu He never liked the greens and must be coerced to eat them. From time to time, he had to be tricked into eating vegetables with the promise of getting sweets after a meal. However, he was eating it wholeheartedly now. It was as if that plate of celery was more delicious than the other main dishes Lin’s father had made for him.

Lin’s father later understood. Lin Yu He didn’t eat it because he liked it; it was because that plate was the closest to him.

That’s all there was to it.

Lin Yu He wasn’t enjoying his food, nor was he enjoying the time spent with family. He sat there with them, only for the purpose of accomplishing a mission.

Lin’s father watched his quiet, good-mannered son, and his hand started shaking.

He finally realized the reason the boy sitting in front of him was so calm and easy-going. It wasn’t because he had a good temper or a gentle personality, and it wasn’t because he wanted to maintain a good relationship with his family members either.

It was because of his indifference.

It was the kind of indifference that was on the extreme end of the spectrum, the kind that ignored everything else around him.

He didn’t care about Wu Xiao Han’s provocations, Wu Xin’s threats or even his father’s thoughtfully cooked feast. To him, they were all the same – unworthy of his attention.

Lin’s father was totally speechless. The son he remembered wasn’t like this.

He recalled the Lin Yu He from a few years ago. At the time, he was still a young child. Although his body was weak and he couldn’t run around like other kids, Lin Yu He wasn’t an introvert. On the contrary, he was very friendly and would even smile at strangers. His smile would melt even a frozen heart, no one disliked the child.

The young Lin Yu He ate a lot of medicines but had never complained once. He knew the struggles of being ill, so he became all the more understanding and caring for another person. If he spotted someone getting a bruise, he would always frown and insist on helping them blow on the wound and ease the pain for them.

Since his illness restricted a lot of his activities and required him to pay attention to little things that he should avoid, Lin Yu He grew up to be very meticulous and could pick up little changes. For example, he would come over and massage his father’s sore shoulders when the man was tired after work.

Now, everything had changed.

Lin’s father stared at his son sitting in front of him. They were so close within an arm’s reach, but he felt his son had already pushed him far away a long time ago.

There was no longer anyone or any matter that could stir the child’s heart.

Lin’s father suddenly felt a surge of anger. The argument was still going on at the table and he felt even more annoyed.

He slammed his palm on the table. “Enough!”

Both Wu Xin and Wu Xiao Han were stunned silent and looked at him in surprise. Lin’s father had always had a good temper, and never once did they see him get angry. However, the one he was staring at wasn’t them, it was Lin Yu He.

Whether it was the argument or Lin’s father’s outburst, Lin Yu He didn’t budge. He was still silently eating his food, and finally looked up when the surrounding fell silent.

Lin’s father caught the look in Lin Yu He’s eyes. Those eyes were as still as a pond’s water; no anger, no awkwardness. There wasn’t a single ripple of emotion.

Lin Yu He was there physically, but he seemed to have been separated from everything else. He looked at everything with apathetic eyes. Not even love or hatred could move him in the slightest.

Going home wasn’t something warm, like solace or comfort to him anymore; it was merely an annoying task. Watching his supposed family members argue with each other was as though he was watching a poorly made drama. He was only a third party that didn’t own any role on the stage. A passerby who couldn’t immerse himself and feel what the others are feeling.

Lin’s father continued to stare at him and finally, even the last strand of energy was sapped. He had always stood straight, but his form collapsed in that instant and seemed older by a few years.

“What went wrong? Why did things turn out this way?” He wondered.