Chapter 4 I'll also give you a chance

Lin Yuan could no longer contain his rage and slapped Lin Yu across the face.

The slap was so forceful that it sent Lin You spinning on the spot. He staggered, disoriented, his ears ringing, and blood trickling from his nostrils and the corners of his mouth.

Yet, even this brutal slap did little to quell Lin Yuan's fury.

"You ungrateful brat!" Lin Yuan roared.

"I might as well beat you to death today, to save you from staying in this world and causing more harm."

Without hesitation, he followed up with a vicious kick to Lin Yu's chest.

At sixteen, Lin Yu was less than 1.7 meters tall and severely malnourished, leaving him both short and underweight.

The kick sent him flying, crashing directly into Lin Xiaotong, who was standing nearby.

Seeing Lin You hurtling toward her, Lin Xiaotong's face twisted in disgust, and she quickly sidestepped, causing Lin You to slam heavily into the marble wall behind her.

The impact knocked the breath out of him, and he coughed up a some blood.

Lin Yu's eyes were icy as he wiped the blood from his mouth with an expressionless face. He stared at Lin Yuan with a gaze sharp as a knife and said,

"Mr. Lin, are you done hitting me?"

"You!" Lin Yuan, who had initially felt a flicker of guilt after seeing Lin Yu spit blood, now felt his anger reignite at Lin Yu's indifferent, almost taunting expression. He unbuckled his belt, shouting,

"If I don't teach you a lesson today, the Lin family might truly raise a monster!"

With that, he raised the belt and brought it down on Lin You, who was still on the ground.

Lan Lin, who had just recovered from the grief of losing her beloved dog, saw Lin Yuan wielding the belt and screamed hysterically,

"This is outrageous! He must be disciplined properly today."

"At such a young age, his mind is so twisted. What will he become when he grows up?"

She rushed to the balcony, pulled a wooden clothes hanger from the drying rack, weighed it in her hand, and decided it was too light. Switching to an iron one, she hurried back to Lin Yuan's side and joined in the beating, turning it into a brutal mixed doubles assault.

Lin Tianyang, still on the sofa, couldn't suppress the smile creeping across his face as he watched Lin You being beaten. He weakly called out

"Dad, Mom, please stop hitting him. I believe there's a reason why Brother did these things. If it's because of me, I can leave. Please don't hurt him because of me."

Lin Xiaotong, who had initially felt a twinge of pity, immediately hardened her heart upon hearing Lin Tianyang's words. She snapped

"Tianyang, lie down and rest. This has nothing to do with you. If we don't correct the bad habits he picked up in the countryside today, they'll only get worse in the future."

Lin Yu curled into a ball, protecting his head with his arms as the belt and hanger rained down on him. His heart, however, remained eerily calm.

This pain was nothing compared to the cold, relentless harm he had endured over the years.

Lin Shiyan, who had been watching the scene with a mix of fascination and unease, grew worried that the beating might go too far. She stepped forward and said,

"Dad, Mom, teach him a lesson, but don't beat him to death. It'll be a scandal if word gets out."

As the legal counsel for the Lin Group, Lin Shiyan's words carried weight, and Lin Yuan listened to her. Exhausted and having vented most of his anger, he stopped, panting heavily, and leaned against the entrance cabinet.

"This rebellious son is going to be the death of me," he muttered.

Lan Lin also stopped, clutching the hanger, and spat hatefully,

"Lin You, I've told you more than once, don't bring those filthy habits you got when you went missing into our Lin family."

"Since you're our son, you must follow our rules. Is this how you follow them?"

"Why can't you learn from Tianyang?, how can you be so cruel? That was such a good dog, and you…!"

Lan Lin was so enraged that she clutched her chest, nearly collapsing.

Lin Tianyang, ever quick to react, scrambled up from the sofa and rushed to Lan Lin's side like a gust of wind. He supported her, his voice filled with concern,

"Mom, don't be angry, maybe brother didn't do it on purpose."

Lin You slowly sat up, lowering his arms to reveal the countless welts and bruises. He spat out another mouthful of blood and looked at Lin Yuan.

"Are you done hitting me?" he asked calmly.

Lin Yuan stared at the battered boy before him, feeling a flicker of guilt but quickly suppressing it.

"I'll give you one more chance," he said.

"Apologize to Tianyang, apologize to your mother, and apologize to your sisters. If you do that, this matter is over, and you can still stay in the Lin family."

"As long as you change those bad habits, you're still my son."

Lin Yu spat out some blood, then reached into his mouth with his right hand, wiggling a loose tooth. It had been knocked loose when his Lin Yuan had struck him with that kick.

Lan Lin, still holding the hanger, felt a pang of remorse at the sight but quickly echoed Lin Yuan's words.

"Yes, your father is right. As long as you turn over a new leaf, we'll give you another chance."

Lin Yu struggled to his feet, his expression cold as he looked at Lin Tianyang.

"I'll also give you a chance," he said.

"Send him away, and I'll still consider you my family."

"Between him and me, you can only choose one."

Lin Tianyang shrank back, frightened by Lin Yu's icy gaze. "B-b-brother" he stammered

"would you only be happy if I left?"

"If that's the case, then… I'll leave. You mustn't embarrass Dad, Mom, and our sisters."

Lin Yuan, who had just begun to calm down, was incensed once more. He raised the belt and roared,

"This is truly outrageous! You can leave for all that I car, If you don't want to stay, pack your things and get out see if it makes a difference to me. I, Lin Yuan can't afford to lose face."

Lin Yu wiped the blood from his mouth and limped over to his schoolbag. He opened it and addressed everyone

"Take a good look. I haven't taken a single needle or thread from your Lin family. Over the past four years, I've calculated that the cost of my food, lodging, and expenses in this house amounts to less than 50,000. Let's round it up to 50,000. I'll return this money to you once I leave."

"I can write an IOU."

He then turned to Lin Shiyan.

"Since you're in the legal profession, I'd like you to draft a statement, a severance of the father-son relationship… no, a severance of all relationships."

"It would be best to have it notarized, so no one regrets it later."

Lin Xiaotong's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lin You, what are you saying?"

"Don't forget, if we hadn't found you back then, you'd still be starving in that broken temple."

"We sent you to school, provided you with food and clothing. Is this how you repay us?"

Lin Shiyan, though surprised, remained rational. The Lin Yu before her didn't seem impulsive or desperate for attention. He genuinely seemed ready to leave the Lin family.

But why?

Wasn't the Lin family good to him? Everyone had treated him well, even if he had caused trouble from time to time.

Lin Shiyan bit her lip and said coldly, "Fine. Don't regret it."