Her body had also become not very good, constantly catching colds, and she was very weak.
If she didn’t get enough sleep, or walked too much, she would gasp for air, lacking energy for the entire day.
The makeup on her face had also become increasingly thick and refined.
Long lashes, thick foundation, purple eyeshadow—it was a stark contrast to her formerly refreshing and delicate appearance.
In such a short period of time, she had transformed from a woman who did not apply makeup to one who favored heavy makeup.
No one could accept this change.
It was like how people couldn’t accept a well-behaved little girl suddenly rebelling to become a bad girl cloaked in heavy, gaudy makeup.
Rong’s mother absolutely couldn’t stand Lin Xinlan; she looked at her with disdain every day, and Xinlan was not one to be shameless.
She knew that Rong’s mother was hoping she would leave the family on her own.
She would, very soon...
Rong Shaoze said nothing about her change; he thought she was just in a bad mood and needed to indulge herself, so he let her be.
But he always felt that she was drifting further away from him, as if in the blink of an eye, she might disappear altogether.
Not only did he feel this way, but Xiaocong did too.
Father and son almost always stayed at home in their free time, going nowhere. It seemed they were very homely, but in reality, they were watching over Lin Xinlan, afraid she might vanish.
Xinlan was aware of their thoughts; she pretended not to care on the surface, but she actually felt very distressed inside.
Such was she; not only did they feel alienated, but even she felt like a stranger to herself.
Every time she looked in the mirror, it pained her.
Without makeup, she looked old and no longer young; with makeup, she seemed to wear a different face, and her original features were unrecognizable.
Neither appearance allowed her to face others.
However, this situation wouldn’t last much longer, as she had already planned her method of departure.
In a few more days, after she had taken a good last look at the people she loved and spent a bit more time with them, she would leave... and then she would never return...
After helping Xiaocong with his homework, Lin Xinlan held him, looking at his childlike face with a very soft gaze.
"Xiaocong, what do you plan to do when you grow up?" she gently asked him.
Xiaocong wrapped his arms around her neck, sitting on her lap, his thin legs swinging carelessly in the air.
"Of course, I’m going to run Dad’s company; it’s the Rong family’s business. Great-grandfather said it will rely on me to carry on its legacy and flourish."
Ever since he could see, Xiaocong’s learning ability had become much stronger; he almost never forgot what he learned.
Additionally, he took the initiative to flip through some books. Now, when he spoke, his vocabulary was not only much richer, but he also knew a lot more.
Lin Xinlan nodded and asked further, "Do you family now? I remember, previously you were not accustomed to it here and even wanted to go back to Grandma’s."
Xiaocong laughed shyly, "Mom, that was when Xiaocong didn’t understand things. Now I know that this is my home, and I will live here forever. Here’s Grandma, Dad, Mom, and me; we’re all family."
He was merely four years old, yet his words sounded like those of a little adult. Lin Xinlan couldn’t help but laugh.
Looking at him, she said somewhat seriously, "Yes, this is your home. Remember, your home is not Grandma’s house or any other place, but here, you got that?"