Chapter 38: It Seems I Have Figured It Out...-Filho biológico não é tão bom quanto o filho adotado? Se você se arrepender, não me procure!(O sonho solitário do garoto de rua)

At 6:00 PM, the winter sun had already set. The fading glow on the horizon diminished, leaving the world dimmed and drained of color. Inside his small cabin, Lin Tian was busy cooking a hodgepodge of ingredients in a pot over a high flame. Before long, he tore open a packet of specialized hotpot seasoning and tossed it in. Soon, a rich, savory aroma began to drift from the pot.

Once the meal was ready, Lin Tian carried the pot to the table and served himself a large bowl of rice. Having finished his preparations, he took out his phone and snapped a beautiful photo. Though the camera was not particularly sharp, at this moment, the image held a special significance for him.

"I wonder how Bai Yun and the others are doing..." A few bites into his meal, Lin Tian couldn't help but let his thoughts wander. Yet, he suppressed the urge to return. After all, he was no longer part of the orphanage; he couldn't just drop by whenever he felt like it. Besides, Director Zhou likely wouldn't welcome him anyway.

As he was deep in thought, a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door. Confused, Lin Tian stood up and peeked through the peephole, but due to the angle, he could only see a vague, upright shape.

A crisp voice rang out: "Xiao Tian, open up. It’s your Second Sister, here to see you."

Lin Tian opened the door, his gaze darting behind her, half-consciously searching for someone else.

As soon as Xiao Ruoli entered, she noticed the steaming food on the table and pointed a finger at it. "Did you make all of this yourself?"

Seeing Lin Tian nod, she couldn't help but add, "If only Little Brother could be more like you."

Mentioning Xiao Chusheng always gave Xiao Ruoli a headache. She had recently realized that even though her younger brother was already sixteen, he still required others to dress him. The real issue was that whenever she tried to bring it up, their mother would shield him, and their eldest sister was always too busy and indifferent to care about such trivialities. Consequently, she felt helpless regarding him. Seeing Lin Tian, who was already capable of cooking for himself, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the stark contrast between her two brothers.

"Second Sister, why are you here?" Lin Tian asked in a cool, detached tone. This was the most cordial he could bring himself to be with her.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to see you before the year ended." Xiao Ruoli didn't mention her upcoming trip out of town.

Lin Tian reached into a nearby cupboard and pulled out a bowl and chopsticks. "Do you want to eat?"

"Sure, I am a little hungry," Xiao Ruoli said with a soft smile.

Lin Tian served her rice, and the two sat opposite each other. Sensing the atmosphere turning somber again, Xiao Ruoli broke the silence. "This hotpot is a bit spicy. Do you have anything to drink?"

Lin Tian didn't speak; he simply leaned down and pulled a small bottle of cola from under the table.

"Only this? No alcohol?" Xiao Ruoli teased.

"No..." Lin Tian's expression shifted slightly, and he replied coldly, "I never drink."

"Oh... then back then..." Her voice trailed off until it vanished completely.

A suspicious thought flashed through her mind: *That's right, Xiao Tian never drinks. During that family banquet, Father had strictly forbidden him from attending because he had done something wrong. I had returned to my room dead drunk that night. Logically, he shouldn't have known. I vaguely remembered someone fumbling with my clothes, and I felt a chill on my skin. I hadn't opened my eyes yet and couldn't move, but the scent I smelled was overwhelming alcohol. It was only when I woke up a while later that I saw Xiao Tian...*

Upon reflection, there were many holes in the story. First, it was impossible for Xiao Tian to have timed her return to the attic perfectly. Second, Xiao Tian had no scent of alcohol on him. Third, although he was fumbling with her clothes at the time, he had been stammering and seemed desperate to explain himself, but she had been too dazed to listen. Since then, he had never tried to explain again, and she had firmly associated the incident with him.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt she might have truly wronged him. But she couldn't let herself go down that train of thought! If her suspicion were true, then who had been the person that night? Terrified, she stopped herself from thinking any further.

*I'm sorry, Xiao Tian. You were framed, but I can't tell you the truth...* No one knew the internal struggle Xiao Ruoli was enduring; even her hand holding the chopsticks was trembling uncontrollably.

"What's wrong?" Lin Tian asked.

"No, nothing." Xiao Ruoli looked up, pointed to a piece of fish fillet, and forced a smile. "I never realized this was so good."

"Oh." Lin Tian fell silent.

They finished the meal in silence. Finally, Xiao Ruoli couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Tian, won't you come back to the Xiao residence for a visit?"

"Forget it," Lin Tian said with a faint smile. "This is my home."

Xiao Ruoli pursed her lips and said nothing more. When she left, her heart felt heavy. All the way back, she wrestled with whether or not to investigate who that person really was that night.

At the vast Xiao villa, servants were bustling about in circles, preparing the special fireworks and firecrackers for later.

"My son, slow down, wait for Mom!" Mother Xiao panted as she tried to keep up with Xiao Chusheng, who was already some distance ahead.

Xiao Chusheng was currently brandishing a flamethrower, chasing after a pretty maid.

"Young Master, please... spare me!" The maid’s face was pale with terror as she fled from the flames licking closer to her.

"Don't run! I forbid you to run!"

After chasing her for a while without success, Xiao Chusheng gritted his teeth in frustration and threatened, "If you run again, I'll have Mom and Dad fire you. I'll make sure you can never find another job in City B and end up sleeping on the streets!"

The maid froze as if struck by lightning. Terrified, she stopped running. Xiao Chusheng caught up, grabbed her by the throat, and held the cold nozzle of the flamethrower against her.

"See? It would have been better if you'd just been obedient. Running around is so annoying, don't you think?"

Facing her master's question, the maid had no choice but to reply, "Yes, you're right."

No sooner had she spoken than a resounding slap landed on her face.

*Slap! Slap! Slap!*

The sound of a relentless, storm-like barrage of slaps echoed through the air.