Chapter 94 (1/2)

Zhao Yuan lost the mood to enjoy the beautiful early autumn scenery in the countryside. He sped past Liu Lanhua and Cao Damiao and returned home.

Lin Wenxi’s calls had become his daily sustenance.

“Are you up?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Not bad. What about you?”

“I… slept pretty well too. Have you ate?” In reality, Zhao Yuan had been suffering from frequent bouts of insomnia ever since he came home.

“Yeah. What about you?”

“I’ve eaten too. What did you today?”

“Reading… some stuff.” In reality, Lin Wenxi was reading his new university’s brochure on admissions, rules, regulations, schedule, and so on. Lin Ziwei gave little explanation of these things and made him settle the rest.

Days later, Zhao Yuan finally reached the end of his patience.

“Is someone watching your home…?” he asked.

“My mom has been home due to the holidays and my dad also seems incredibly free these few days. Every now and then, Uncle Hong Xuan would patrol the area with a few men…” Lin Wenxi was feeling helpless. “Do you know where I live?”

How could Zhao Yuan not know? He had quite a few friends from all walks of life in Yangzi County, some from the Power Supply Bureau and the Telecommunications Office. They were able to give him the address of a head of household called Huang Xiya. It wasn’t the first, second, or even the third time Zhao Yuan had visited Lin Wenxi’s home. Each time, Huang Xiya would entertain him with courtesy. Either that, or Lin Ziwei would persuade him to leave in a powerful but gentle manner. He truly had no more reason to visit Lin Wenxi’s home anymore.

But whether or not he had an excuse, Zhao Yuan decided to try his luck this time.

“I’ll visit in the afternoon,” Zhao Yuan said.

Thus, in that bright and sunny afternoon, Lin Wenxi insisted to stay inside his room and refused to go shopping with Huang Xiya.

The moment Zhao Yuan entered the door, he swiftly found the shoe covers and sat leisurely on a chair inside the living room. Lin Wenxi poured him a cup of hot tea. Lin Ziwei, who was reading the newspaper, raised his head to look at the uninvited guest. He waited for him to speak first.

“Uncle, if I return all the donated money, will you allow Wenxi to stay?” Zhao Yuan asked.

“It has nothing to do with money. It’s true that he has helped you but he did so with an erroneous method. I don’t care if the contributions offset errors. But his departure has no direct relation to your issue,” Lin Ziwei replied.

“Our classmates don’t wish to see Wenxi leave,” Zhao Yuan said.

“You’ve made several visits as a representative of your classmates. These are all not an excuse. Similarly, no excuse will work for him,” Lin Ziwei said frankly.

“After all, Jifu University is more suitable for him. Shouldn’t a person who excels in both moral and studies like him be more suited to stay in a bigger world so he could further his studies and expand himself?” Zhao Yuan asked.

“No university is a person’s ultimate future,” Lin Ziwei said.

“But any major decision can affect a person’s entire life,” Zhao Yuan said.

Lin Ziwei looked at Zhao Yuan in surprise. He put down the newspaper and drank a mouthful of the tea. Neither indignant nor angry, he said, “So if we know this decision is the right one, all he has to do is walk in the right direction.”

“The word ‘right’ leaves a lot of room for debate. You should say that the decision is made for his sake so all he has to do is walk in the direction that is good for him,” Zhao Yuan said, smiling.

“That’s the idea.” Lin Ziwei affirmed his words.

“Then how is it good for him? He’s an adult and has the right to decide his own path. Give him the complete right to exercise his personality and leadership. This treatment should be the best for him, is it not? What you think is good for him might not necessarily be what he thinks is good for him. So, wouldn’t it better for him to make his own decision?” Zhao Yuan asked earnestly.

“Your words make sense.” Lin Ziwei gave Zhao Yuan an approving glance and smiled. “An adult has the right to do anything that he wants, provided it doesn’t go against the law and morals. But as they say, one can be a master even at a young age because he has learned the things earlier than others. And one can be a master in his field if he persists in it. When one encounters something so complicated that his young age and inexperience prevents him from making a sound decision, it’s necessary for a senior to help him make certain decisions. Do you agree?”