Chapter 108: No One Is Born Strong

"But you have a strong mother." She could hardly imagine how Lin Shuo's mother had managed to forget that she was a delicate woman, fighting alongside men in the business world. Just the thought of a woman of marriageable age raising a son alone seemed incredible to her.

Lin Shuo’s throat worked as he swallowed. The look he gave his father was always filled with a tangled mix of love and resentment, as though he were complaining to him: "No one is born strong. If there’s someone to wipe away your tears, why be strong?" He sighed, then continued, "They took completely different paths. Years later, when I met him again, he had turned into a mess—staggering along the street with a bottle of liquor in hand, reeking of decay like a homeless man. I almost retched; I simply couldn’t believe that man was my father. He saw me too, stared at me for a long time, and just as he was about to call my name, he suddenly turned and ran away like a madman."

Lin Shuo’s brows knit together tightly, his gaze lost in the distant void, as if he could see to the very end of time.

She was desperate to know what happened next, while Lin Shuo was wholly absorbed in his memories, recounting a story of the past: "When I was little, no matter how I ran or hid, he could always catch me. But now, his steps faltered, and I caught up to him within moments. He still tried to escape. I grabbed his shoulder, torn between pain and hatred. My mother and I lived in a villa with a garden, and he slept beneath a bridge. It was never meant to be this way. Ignoring the curious gazes of passersby, I shouted at him, demanding to know why he had ruined himself. He just cried, his tears running down his face in filthy streams. I laughed in his face, mocking him for bringing it upon himself, and by the end I found myself clinging to him, both of us sobbing uncontrollably."

She had thought such scenes existed only in films, never imagining they would happen to Lin Shuo. Now she found herself at a loss for words. Every reunion should have a happy ending. True, Lin Shuo had found a place for his father to stay. His mother refused to forgive or support his father in any way, so Lin Shuo worked part-time to provide for him. But his father couldn’t break his habits of drinking and gambling, and when the loan sharks came calling, he ran off and hid. They could only vent their anger on Lin Shuo. She had witnessed the cruelty of those debt collectors; it was far too unfair for him.

His parents' failed marriage had brought Lin Shuo far more suffering than most children ever experienced. Two years ago, his father, in the final stages of liver cancer, died right before Lin Shuo’s eyes. In his last moments, he repeatedly repented for his mistakes. Lin Shuo stood at a distance, only taking his father’s withered hand after his body had grown cold. He never spoke of forgiveness—not because he still hated him, or because he wanted his father to die uneasy, but simply because he didn’t know how to forgive. The longer such feelings brewed in his heart, the harder they became to put into words.

"There are many things I can’t choose, just as I can’t pretend he isn’t my father." Lin Shuo took a deep breath. Xiaoxiao gripped his hand tightly; this time, she wanted to give him strength, too.

"Uncle Lin, can you see this? Lin Shuo is doing well. He’s outstanding. He doesn’t blame you." Xiaoxiao pulled Lin Shuo to his feet, smiling. "I'm sure you two have things to say to each other. I’ll just not listen." She turned her back to him and covered her ears.

Lin Shuo lifted his glass, his eyes misting over as he mouthed, "Dad... drink this and rest easy." He tilted the glass, pouring the wine before the grave, where it splashed and sent up tiny motes of dust. He looked sidelong at her delicate back, and without hesitation, embraced her from behind. She didn’t turn, but simply smiled.