Chapter 195
Gu Lin's eyes flickered slightly, and the corner of his mouth curved with a hint of heaviness. "Mom, you're not even siding with my brother? Be careful he might not bring Jing Yi back to see you next time."0
Shen Tu shot him a reproachful glance. "Nonsense! Of course, I'm on your brother's side. But he needs to let go of these things to live a proper life, doesn't he? And...," she continued, but Gu Lin had stopped listening.0
Gu Jin watched his son thoughtfully, subtly diverting the conversation.0
After dinner, Gu Jin pulled Gu Lin into the study, ostensibly to inspect his son's recent progress at Huarui Group.0
Inside the study, seeing Gu Lin's pensive expression, Gu Jin cut straight to the point. "Have you seen Shen Qi An?" Gu Lin hesitated for a moment before nodding.0
Gu Jin sighed; he had known as much. Otherwise, Gu Lin wouldn't have brought up Shen Qi An out of the blue.0
Shen Qi An and Shen Huaichu were two very different people, especially after Shen Huaichu's family went through a traumatic event. Gu Jin felt this contrast even more acutely.0
He had heard from Gu Lin how cruelly Shen Qi An treated Shen Huaichu, though he had never witnessed it himself. After all, in front of elders, one had to restrain oneself. However, even as a teenager, Shen Qi An's expressions and demeanor were unmistakable.0
Shen Tu felt deeply for Shen Huaichu and couldn't bear to see him suffer under that family. Yet, Shen Huaichu was stubborn and insisted on staying. Shen Tu, feeling helpless, couldn't always be there to protect him. Thus, Gu Lin became the "little guardian," and with someone else around, Shen Qi An was less brazen.0
After Shen Huaichu regained control of Huarui Group, he had specifically thanked Shen Tu and Gu Jin. But honestly, Gu Jin knew their family didn't have that kind of power. If they did, Shen Huaichu wouldn't have had to scheme for over a decade.0
Gu Lin's remarks at the dinner table made Gu Jin recall the days when Shen Huaichu and Shen Qi An were still young.0
He had never thought Shen Huaichu would let Shen Qi An off the hook, though he didn't know the exact method. Still, Shen Qi An's situation likely wasn't as his wife imagined.0
"How's your brother doing?"0
Gu Lin's demeanor already hinted that Shen Huaichu's mood wasn't great. The boy had always been close to Shen Huaichu; he couldn't bear to see his brother upset.0
Sure enough, Gu Lin shook his head, looking disheartened. "Shen Qi An said a few things, and it... it hit a nerve with my brother." To say it affected him was an understatement.0
Hearing this, Gu Jin was somewhat surprised. After all these years, he hadn't expected a few words to still affect Shen Huaichu so deeply. He had thought his nephew had become "invincible."0
But since it was a painful memory for Shen Huaichu, Gu Jin didn't probe further. "You're close to your brother. Try to spend more time with him and talk things through."0
Gu Lin didn't respond directly but instead looked up and asked, "Dad, if Mom finds out about Shen Qi An, do you think she'll plead for him with my brother?"0
Shen Qi An's situation had been on Gu Lin's mind all day. He knew this wasn't the real source of Shen Huaichu's distress, even Shen Huaichu himself understood the answer.0
Gu Jin was momentarily stunned. "Is that what Shen Qi An told Shen Huaichu?" It didn't make sense. He knew Shen Huaichu respected Shen Tu, but he wouldn't be so devastated by a few words, would he?0
Gu Lin shook his head. If only it were that simple. That was just one of the many things affecting Shen Huaichu.0
"That's just the question I wanted to ask," he said, staring at Gu Jin, as if seeking an answer. "Shen Huaichu is our family, isn't he?"0
A sigh escaped Gu Jin's lips. "Son, human relationships aren't as simple as you're making them out to be."0
Gu Lin stubbornly looked at Gu Jin. He didn't know how else to view it. Clearly, Shen Huaichu was their family. If it were up to him, he would choose Shen Huaichu a hundred times over.0
Gu Jin patted Gu Lin's shoulder, signaling him to relax and sit beside him.0
He spoke earnestly, "You can always stand by Shen Huaichu's side because he treats you like a real brother."0
Gu Lin had practically grown up with Shen Huaichu. His son was naive and often needed Shen Huaichu's protection, so their bond was naturally strong.0
In contrast, Shen Qi An, from the prestigious North River Shen Family, with his father as the CEO of Huarui Group, wouldn't give Gu Lin a second glance. At best, he might be polite out of respect for Shen Tu.0
"But your mother... Shen Qi An genuinely considered her like an aunt."0
Back then, Shen Tu was deeply affected by the troubles of her older and younger brothers. The grief was so intense that Gu Jin, watching from the sidelines, felt pained. Now, to not let it bother her is already commendable.0
Otherwise, how could Gu Lin have completely hidden news of Shen Qi An? Gu Jin didn't want Shen Tu to go through that kind of emotional turmoil again.0
Gu Lin felt utterly powerless. He knew his father was right, his mother was right, and even Shen Huaichu was right.0
But faced with such a situation, he didn't know what to do.0
Gu Jin looked at his son and, for the first time, agreed with what Shen Huaichu had once said to him.0
Shen Huaichu was right; his son did need some life experience. How could he entrust the family business to him in this state?0
Thinking of this, Gu Jin remembered Gu Lin's lethargic day at home.0
"You spent the whole day at home because of this?" He thought, "You should have used that time to study at Huarui Group. Learn more from Shen Huaichu."0
Gu Lin still seemed unmotivated, leaning back on the sofa. "My brother said I should take today off and go back tomorrow."0
As for Shen Huaichu, his period of despondency seemed to last only one night. The next day, he was back at Huarui Group as usual.0
When Gu Lin heard this, he was a bit disoriented, almost believing the Shen Huaichu who had been drowning his sorrows in alcohol was just a figment of his dream.0
Gu Jin: "...How come the person himself went to work, but you, the bystander, need a rest?"0
His expression was complicated as he glanced at his son, still slouched on the sofa, looking dejected. He looked again, and again.0
When Gu Lin noticed his father's expression, he asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?" Gu Jin couldn't help but ask, "Your brother told you to rest, and he went to work?"0
It was like a sick person dragging their illness to work while the one caring for them stayed in bed...0
Who wouldn't be confused by that?0
Gu Lin nodded, still looking puzzled, as if he didn't see anything wrong with it.0
Gu Jin sighed. He was beginning to think that Shen Huaichu wasn't entirely blameless for Gu Lin's current state.0