Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lin Zheng froze, his expression turning incredibly unsightly.

He knew he had messed up; he shouldn’t have rushed in to point fingers without knowing the full story.

But no one had ever seized his weakness and attacked him as relentlessly as I just did.

Wen Su’s death was his taboo, a thorn in his heart.

I must have pricked him where it hurt most. His face went pale as he retreated into the study, slamming the door so hard the entire house shook.

I huffed. What a useless man-he can’t even handle an argument.

The only reason he ever held the upper hand in his relationship with Wen Su was that she loved him.

But I am not Wen Su, nor am I Wen Min. I will only send him flying, one strike after another.

That night, Lin Zheng was so furious he didn’t even come down for dinner.

Only Lin Zhilan and I were at the dining table.

Lin Zhilan was clearly nervous. Her spoon slipped into her soup with a sharp clatter.

She looked up hurriedly.

“Auntie, I didn’t mean to. I won’t do it again.”

Her thin voice was laced with fear.

I paused, only then remembering that Wen Min used to tell her she mustn’t make a sound while eating, otherwise she wouldn’t be a lady and no one would love her.

My head throbbed at the thought.

Wen Min’s mindset was toxic. Who taught a child like that?

Wen Min certainly hadn’t been idle; instead, she had been busy doing more harm than good.

I set down my chopsticks.

“Do you like those rules?”

Lin Zhilan bit her lip and remained silent. Her eyes were full of dislike, but her mouth seemed stapled shut.

I acted as if I didn’t see her silent plea for help.

I don’t like playing guessing games because there’s no reward involved.

I said, “If you don’t like it, tell me. If you don’t say anything, I’ll assume you like it.”

Lin Zhilan still didn’t speak.

I picked up a piece of bitter melon with my chopsticks and put it in her bowl.

“Do you like bitter melon? Here, have some!”

Lin Zhilan looked terrified. She sluggishly picked up the bitter melon and moved it toward her mouth in slow motion.

Ignoring her, I shoveled rice into my own mouth.

The chef in a wealthy household was truly excellent; the food was fragrant and delicious.

I needed to eat more. Who knew when Wen Min would come back? I wouldn’t be able to enjoy such good food then.

I ate with gusto and used the serving chopsticks to give Lin Zhilan another piece of bitter melon.

“You like it? Then eat some more.”

This time, I gave her quite a lot. Lin Zhilan’s eyes welled up with tears, her little mouth twitched, and the tears began to fall.

She said aggrievedly, “I don’t like bitter melon.”

I smiled and set down my chopsticks. Looking at her seriously, I gave her a sincere compliment.

“Exactly. That’s how it should be. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, people will think you love ‘eating bitterness’ and will give you an endless supply of it. Only you know what’s in your heart. If you don’t speak up for yourself, who will? No one in this world will ever love you more than you love yourself.”

I walked over, pulled Lin Zhilan into a hug, and gently patted her back.

She sobbed in my arms, her little nose turning a translucent pink.

Once she had cried her fill, she whispered a protest: “Mommy.”

It took me a moment to realize she meant: *Mommy loves me more than I love myself.*

I didn’t know what to say.

Did Wen Su love her?

Of course she did!

Wen Su would have given her life for her.

But Wen Su also loved Lin Zheng.

She loved him so much she actually lost her life.

Wen Su was a very, very good person.

Her biggest mistake was simply not loving herself enough.

After thinking it over, I agreed. “Yes, your mommy loved you very, very much. That’s why she gave you a beautiful face, a clever brain, a healthy body, and a strong will. These are all the treasures your mommy left you. You must love yourself very, very much to truly protect those treasures.”