The Vicious Cannon Fodder Despised by Everyone Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral - Chapter 42

Xu Cheng had been reflecting for several months.

Lin Zhiyu had never been a good child since he was young. He was rebellious and wild. He had to have whatever he wanted; otherwise, he would throw a tantrum until his demands were met.

But since he was their only child, she and Lin Zhiyang always satisfied his every whim unconditionally. As a result, he became accustomed to doing whatever he pleased, relying on his family’s indulgence.

When he gave up his studies to enter the entertainment industry, they had tried to stop him. However, they could not withstand Lin Zhiyu’s stubbornness. Later, as he became obsessed with the vanity of the industry, his actions grew increasingly reckless. She always chose to make excuses for him, saying that he was still young and that making mistakes was inevitable.

They were the ones who had shaped Lin Zhiyu into that person. They always thought they could shield him from the wind and rain, never imagining that their biological child had already grown into a towering tree in another family.

Jiang Yubai’s adoptive parents had passed away. In the beginning, they did intend to keep both children in the Lin family. After all, they had raised Lin Zhiyu for over twenty years; how could they simply let go?

However, the constant conflicts and public confrontations between Lin Zhiyu and Jiang Yubai had left the entire family in turmoil. Exhausted both physically and mentally, she and Lin Zhiyang even harbored the terrifying thought that children without a blood relation truly could not be raised to be loyal. They blamed him for tearing their happy home apart.

Even after Xu Cheng deconstructed her inner thoughts countless times afterward, she still could not prevent such ideas from surfacing.

When in a difficult situation, people involuntarily develop irrational emotional biases toward those close to them. This was especially true when contrasting Jiang Yubai’s maturity and sensibility with the “adoptive son” whose indulgence appeared even more detestable.

This torture continued until Lin Zhiyu drugged Jiang Yubai and insisted on marrying Mu Sui. The exhausted Lin couple finally let their accumulated resentment explode and chose to sever ties with Lin Zhiyu.

When anger first took hold, a heart could be as hard as a rock. As time passed, however, she could not help but regret her actions, wondering if they had been a bit too harsh.

The eccentric and unruly Lin Zhiyu was their own creation. They could not turn him into that and then simply cast him aside like a worn out shoe, saying they did not like him.

But Lin Zhiyang’s words at the time had been too forceful. Furthermore, knowing Lin Zhiyu’s personality and needing to consider Jiang Yubai’s feelings, she never dared to contact him.

It was not until she saw the trending topic of Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhiyu hugging that Xu Cheng learned, upon inquiry, that their relationship had softened significantly during the time she had not seen them.

Thus, she proposed the idea of a meeting. She never expected that Lin Zhiyu would agree so readily.

“Mom, he really has changed a lot. Do not worry,” Jiang Yubai reassured her while she was picking out clothes at home.

She originally thought this was merely a polite excuse born from Jiang Yubai’s gentle nature. She never expected the day would come when Lin Zhiyu would sit across from her so calmly.

“Zhiyu, you have lost weight,” she said, unable to hide her concern.

“It is okay, it is okay.” Lin Zhiyu lowered his head, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a casual sip. “Perhaps the boxed lunches on set were not very good. I see that Jiang Yubai has lost some weight in his face, too.”

Jiang Yubai, who was pouring water, did not expect to be mentioned. He said somewhat helplessly, “Do you not have Chen Chen prepare special meals for you every time?”

Lin Zhiyu thought, Why expose me?

And besides.

“How did you know I had special meals?” Lin Zhiyu asked in surprise.

Jiang Yubai’s hand stiffened. He realized too late that he had exposed something, and he felt so embarrassed that his neck turned red instantly.

Lin Zhiyu studied him intently, waiting for a response. After stammering for a few seconds, Jiang Yubai directly changed the subject. “Mom, have you finished ordering the food?”

Xu Cheng finally stopped looking back and forth between them. She said softly, “Not yet. I wanted to wait for you both to arrive so we could order together. What would you like to eat, Zhiyu?”

Lin Zhiyu quickly waved his hand. “Anything is fine. I can eat whatever.”

Xu Cheng clearly did not believe him. She instinctively smiled at Jiang Yubai and said, “He says anything is fine, but I remember him being quite difficult when he was a child. He would not eat fish with many bones, he would not eat meat with tendons, and he would not eat fat.”

She suddenly stopped, and her smile faltered slightly. Realizing she might have said too much, her tone slowed down and her voice grew softer. “Now, it is probably much better, right?”

Lin Zhiyu thought that eating fish with bones was indeed troublesome, so he did not like fish much either. However, eating meat without tendons was boring, though he still had to consider the fat.

Fine, his level of pickiness was not much different from that of the original owner.

Still, he pursed his lips and smiled at Xu Cheng. “It is much better.”

Seeing Xu Cheng stare at the menu in silence for a while, Jiang Yubai took the initiative to take it. He ordered some dishes that Xu Cheng liked and asked about Lin Zhiyu’s preferences before handing the menu to the waiter.

After the waiter left, Jiang Yubai stood up at the right time, making an excuse to go to the restroom to give them some private space.

The private room fell silent for a moment.

Xu Cheng put down her cup, took out an exquisite gift box from her bag, and pushed it toward Lin Zhiyu. “This is for you.”

Lin Zhiyu was stunned and took it hesitantly. “What is this?”

“A watch. You said you liked it when the new model came out, but later…” Xu Cheng’s voice trailed off, and her eyes flickered. “Later, we did not see each other again. I happened to remember it this time, so I bought it.”

Lin Zhiyu held the box, feeling a mixture of emotions.

“Thank you,” he said softly, his fingertips gently stroking the edge of the gift box. A small, polite smile appeared on his face. “I like it very much.”

Xu Cheng sighed, her face showing signs of fatigue and self reproach that she could not hide. “Zhiyu, I know you could not accept that you were not our child, and you could not accept Yubai. We were too naive and too impatient back then.” Her voice choked up as if she were blaming herself. “Plus, back then you were a bit stubborn, which made us angry, and we did not communicate with you.”

“It was my fault,” Lin Zhiyu said seriously, looking into her eyes. In the original book, after the Lin family severed ties with the original owner, Xu Cheng only appeared twice during the plot where Jiang Yubai was kidnapped. Once was when she cried hysterically at Jiang Yubai’s bedside after learning who the mastermind was. The other time was when the original owner was sentenced to prison; she said a single sentence in the gallery: “Lin Zhiyu, I truly regret raising you.”

He never expected that even after the original owner had committed so many wrongs, they still could not bear to let go of this child.

Since he had to live with this identity from now on, it was not a bad idea to resolve some historical issues and make the people who had been hurt feel better.

Lin Zhiyu said earnestly, “I was too impulsive back then and did many things that disappointed you. I am sorry.”

Xu Cheng was stunned, seemingly not expecting him to take the initiative to admit his mistake. Her eyes suddenly turned red.

“That is all in the past. It is good that you can think this way.” She suppressed her emotions, and her tone softened. “I asked you out this time because I wanted to chat and see how you have been lately. Is work tiring? I heard you just finished filming a drama with Yubai. Did he take care of you?”

Lin Zhiyu felt a warmth in his heart. He rubbed his eyes as if by accident, thinking of his mother who had passed away several years ago in his own world.

“It is quite good. I did not have many scenes, so I was not very busy. I could handle it. Yubai… Yubai was also very good to me; he has been helping me.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Cheng felt a bit relieved.

After a pause, she asked as if casually, “By the way, how are things between you and President Mu now?”

Hearing her ask about Mu Sui, Lin Zhiyu was momentarily speechless, and his expression became a bit stiff.

How should he describe his current relationship with Mu Sui?

Lin Zhiyu was somewhat unsure.

Before he could decide how to answer, there was a soft knock on the door.

The dishes were brought in one after another, and the aroma filled the private room.

When Jiang Yubai pushed the door open and entered, he carried a slight chill and a faint scent of smoke. As he passed Lin Zhiyu, the latter smelled it and guessed what he had been doing outside.

Appearances can be deceiving. Some people look like good boys on the surface, but they smoke and drink in private.

He inconspicuously pulled on Jiang Yubai’s sleeve, tapped his lips with two fingers, and coughed a few times.

Jiang Yubai understood the signal. He said, “The food is here. I will wash my hands. Mom, you two go ahead and start.”

Then he turned and went into the bathroom.

“President Mu is very good to me.” After hesitating for a long time, Lin Zhiyu decided to use a tactful explanation. “He takes good care of me. President Mu also helped me get the role in this drama.”

“Takes care of you,” Xu Cheng murmured to herself, her eyes drifting toward the food on the table, though she still seemed a bit distracted.

Jiang Yubai finished cleaning off the scent and returned to his seat. He looked at the two people in the slightly awkward atmosphere and habitually turned his gaze to Lin Zhiyu. He said softly, “Mom, let us eat first. Your favorite Squirrel Mandarin Fish is served.”

“Yes, okay.” Xu Cheng snapped out of it and smiled slightly. Her gaze swept over Jiang Yubai and then turned to Lin Zhiyu. She suddenly said, “Zhiyu, about President Mu…”

Lin Zhiyu was startled, fearing that Xu Cheng would ask for more details.

Fortunately, she did not continue to ask anything. She only said with some hesitation, “If he truly treats you well, that is good. It is also good to have support in your work.”

Jiang Yubai looked at Lin Zhiyu out of the corner of his eye, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Lin Zhiyu did not notice his gaze at all. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief. He tapped his chopsticks on the table and unceremoniously picked up a piece of pork rib for his bowl.

“This is quite delicious.” Lin Zhiyu accidentally touched Jiang Yubai’s arm. “Why do you not try some?”

“Okay, I will try it.”

Xu Cheng looked at the two people in front of her and suddenly felt as if she were in another world. She never thought she would see the day when Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhiyu sat side by side without any estrangement. There was even a long lost warmth and harmony, as if a shattered mirror were being pieced back together bit by bit.

A sense of relief suddenly rose in her heart.

After dinner, Jiang Yubai drove Xu Cheng back to the Lin house before taking a detour to drop Lin Zhiyu off at Mu Sui’s place.

The car stopped outside the entrance of the residential area. Just as Lin Zhiyu unfastened his seatbelt and looked up, he saw Jiang Yubai staring at him, seemingly wanting to say something.

His eyes, which were usually as gentle as water, seemed to hold a thousand words at this moment, which finally turned into a faint spark of light.

“What is it?” Lin Zhiyu asked, puzzled.