Chapter 3: Unbearable Memories

After about an hour, Old Master Lin, who had gone to the hospital for a check-up, was brought back by his driver. Then, the nanny pushed him in his wheelchair to the dining room.

“Grandpa, it’s A-Mu.” Lin Mu squatted in front of Old Master Lin’s wheelchair, gently holding his grandfather’s hand. “I have a day off tomorrow and the day after, so I came back to see you.”

“Uh, mm, okay.”

Old Master Lin’s gaze seemed vacant. Looking at his grandson squatting in front of him, he mumbled a string of unclear words.

Seeing his grandfather like this, Lin Mu felt deeply sad.

His parents had passed away in a car accident a few years earlier. Unable to bear the shock of losing his son in old age, Old Master Lin developed dementia just a few days later.

After the family finished dinner, Lin Mu did not stay in the dining room for long because he knew what would happen next.

It had been like this every week in the past. So, he finished his meal early and quickly went upstairs to his room.

Sure enough, not long after, the sound of an argument came from the dining room.

After hearing just a few words, Lin Mu felt annoyed. He sighed and closed the door.

Taking a bottle of white liquor from the cabinet, Lin Mu walked to the balcony. He looked at the scattered neon lights in the distance of Donghai City. With a gloomy expression, he took a big gulp of the liquor.

“Cough! Cough!”

“Dad, Mom, do you know about all this?”

“Hah, you don’t know. You left too early… The Lin Family is about to fall apart.”

Wiping the corner of his mouth, his eyes slightly wet, Lin Mu suddenly punched the railing hard. He muttered quietly under his breath.

In the entire Lin Family, the only one who truly inherited Old Master Lin’s skill in appraising treasures was his third son, Lin Yiqing.

The other two sons and daughter had completely turned into money-driven businesspeople.

Antiques were merely a tool for them to make money.

They held no respect for these ancient artifacts that had lasted for hundreds or even thousands of years. Their only desire was for money, plain and simple.

Old Master Lin had initially been overjoyed, thinking the family legacy had a worthy successor. But the good times did not last. Just as Lin Yiqing was about to officially take over the family business, he and his wife died on their way home.

A dump truck loaded with gravel crashed into the side of their Mercedes-Benz.

Even the nearly one-million-yuan luxury Mercedes-Benz could not withstand the impact of the dozens-of-tons heavy dump truck.

The couple died on the spot, with no chance of being sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. They left behind their only son, Lin Mu.

When it was time to claim the bodies at the hospital, Old Master Lin insisted that Lin Mu not go and refused any company.

Lin Mu only knew that when his grandfather returned from the hospital, the once energetic old man suddenly seemed to have aged greatly. His straight back had become hunched. Looking at Lin Mu sitting blankly in the living room, he only said one sentence.

“Child, come live with Grandpa from now on.”

Later, Lin Mu accidentally heard from his uncle that his parents’ bodies had been almost crushed into pieces by the out-of-control dump truck. By the time they reached the hospital, they were already unrecognizable.

That was why his grandfather did not let him go to the hospital—he was afraid that the timid Lin Mu would not be able to handle the shock.

Old Master Lin’s consideration was right. Even he, who had weathered countless storms in his life, became demented under this heavy blow, let alone Lin Mu, who was just a child at the time.

Lin Mu had imagined that scene in his mind more than once. Even now, thinking about it, he could not hold back the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Gulp! Gulp!”

He took another big swig of liquor. Lin Mu’s eyes were already unfocused. Unable to hold his liquor well, he leaned on the railing, letting large teardrops fall.

Just as Lin Mu was lost in his own world, the door suddenly knocked. Then, his second uncle, Lin Yifu, walked in. At a glance, he spotted Lin Mu on the balcony.

His eyes flickered slightly, and Lin Yifu quietly put something back into his pocket.

“What’s wrong, A-Mu? Missing your parents again?” Seeing Lin Mu’s tear-streaked face and dazed expression, Lin Yifu appeared quite concerned.

“Second Uncle, is something the matter?” Lin Mu turned his head to glance at Lin Yifu.

Lin Yifu shook his head and gave a light laugh. “Nothing urgent. I just saw you leave in a hurry earlier and was worried about you, so I came up to check.”

“Thank you, Second Uncle. I’m fine,” Lin Mu replied calmly, turning his head away.

“A-Mu, it’s truly a shame your parents passed away so early,” Lin Yifu said, leaning against the railing, his gaze seeming distant.

“Among the four siblings, the only one who truly learned all of the old man’s skills was the third brother—your father.”

“Unfortunately, your father was too obsessed with academics. He only knew how to appreciate the cultural value of antiques and never paid attention to their economic benefits.”

“We are a family with a massive industry chain to maintain, not a museum for academic research.”

“During the years your father was in charge, the family business lost a lot of money, but the old man insisted on letting your father take over the family enterprise.”

Lin Mu held the liquor bottle, half-leaning against the railing, quietly listening to Lin Yifu, lost in thought.

Watching the distracted Lin Mu, Lin Yifu smiled slightly. He placed his right hand on Lin Mu’s shoulder and gave it a gentle pat.

“Second Uncle wants to tell you: people should never attempt things beyond their capabilities because that can lead to disaster.”

Just as Lin Mu was slightly taken aback, still pondering the meaning of those words, he felt the hand on his shoulder suddenly push hard.

Unable to handle the liquor, Lin Mu immediately lost his balance and tumbled down from the fourth-floor balcony.

“Thump!”

On the steps below, bright red blood quickly spread beneath Lin Mu’s body.