Snap!!!
When Lin Xuan finished delivering a mighty slap...
...a system notification suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Host and Lin Hao "slap bonded," earning 1 point.]
Huh???
This works too?!
Lin Xuan raised his right hand, staring at his palm with disbelief.
Equally shocked was Lin Hao across from him.
He hadn't expected that merely mentioning Su Qingge would provoke such an intense reaction from Lin Xuan.
But hadn't the two of them had no prior interactions?
Why did Lin Xuan suddenly bring up a fiancée? Could marrying someone in a vegetative state make him that happy?!
It doesn't make sense!!!
Yet, the burning pain on his reddened cheek reminded Lin Hao of the reality—he had indeed been slapped.
This enraged him.
After all, in the past two and a half years, he had never suffered at Lin Xuan's hands, let alone been hit.
The so-called "beatings" were just scenes he orchestrated to fool Lin Jianjun.
But today…
He truly got slapped hard?!
What a humiliating disgrace!!!
Still, thinking it over, perhaps this made his act more believable.
So, Lin Hao took a deep breath. To make this slap worth it, he laid down on the floor expertly and glared venomously at Lin Xuan.
You're dead this time!
Just as he opened his mouth, intending to wail loudly to attract Lin Jianjun downstairs…
...he was interrupted by another hard slap.
Snap!!!
Lin Xuan withdrew his hand, his expression peculiar as he listened to the prompt in his head.
[Ding! Host and Lin Hao "slap bonded," earning 2 points.]
The reward increased?
Could it be that the harder the slap, the more points gained?!
Lin Xuan's eyes sparkled as he grasped the key to the issue.
Then, under Lin Hao's terrified gaze, he raised both hands with malice, unleashing a flurry of slaps.
At that moment...
The "smack" sounds were relentless.
Alongside them, the system prompts kept chiming in Lin Xuan's head:
[Ding! Host and Lin Hao "slap bonded," earning 2 points.]
[Ding! Host and Lin Hao "slap bonded," earning 3 points.]
[Ding! Host and Lin Hao "slap bonded," earning 1 point.]
...
After over a dozen slaps...
Lin Hao's cheeks were bloodied, and he had fallen unconscious.
The gold-rimmed glasses that had rested on his face were nowhere to be found.
"Thirty points in total—not bad!"
Lin Xuan wiped the blood off his hand, nodding with satisfaction.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder again and strode downstairs, leaving the unconscious Lin Hao in misery.
…..
In the villa's living room.
Lin Xuan had just descended the stairs in a few strides when he heard Lin Jianjun's angry roar from the sofa.
"Unfilial son, kneel immediately!"
"???"
Lin Xuan's expression turned odd as he stared at Lin Jianjun like he was a fool.
"You brat, what's with that look in your eyes?"
"Are you deaf? Kneel now! Do you still see me as your father?!"
Seeing Lin Xuan remain indifferent, Lin Jianjun suddenly leapt up from the sofa as though his paternal authority had been challenged.
In the past, whenever Lin Jianjun got angry, Lin Xuan would shrink back like a mouse before a cat, trembling and submissive.
But just as Lin Jianjun thought things would go as usual, Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and spoke sharply:
"Father? I don't have one. A stepfather, though—that I do."
"What did you say???"
Lin Jianjun's face froze as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"I said... from the moment you brought that mistress into this house, my 'father' turned into a stepfather."
Hearing this, Lin Jianjun's anger erupted completely.
On the side, Bai Yuelan started weeping silently, her face filled with sorrow.
"Xiao Xuan, I'm your mother! How can you say this about me? Wuwuwu..."
"Heh... you, my mom? A mistress like you deserves that title? My mom's long dead."
Bai Yuelan's face turned pale. She staggered backward, as if that sharp remark had thoroughly crushed her spirit.
Seeing this, Lin Jianjun quickly comforted her, his heart aching.
Then he turned his furious gaze toward Lin Xuan, his eyes brimming with rage and disappointment.
"Enough!!!"
"You ungrateful beast, have you no conscience? Are you even human?"
"Do you know... your mother just now was pleading for you, asking me not to hold you accountable for pushing Hao'er down the stairs."
"But you said such hurtful things. Kneel and apologize to your mother immediately!"
"......."
Facing Lin Jianjun's disgusted glare, Lin Xuan felt an inexplicable surge of sadness and anger in his heart.
It was the grievance and resentment left behind by his past self.
Affected by these emotions, Lin Xuan couldn't help but become agitated. He lifted his shirt suddenly, revealing a large red scar on his chest caused by scalding water.
The scarred area contrasted sharply with the surrounding pale skin, looking grotesque and unsettling.
"See this scar? And you still have the nerve to ask me not to hold a grudge? And listen up clearly!"
"I didn't push Lin Hao down the stairs—it was that brat pretending to fall! How else could he come out completely unscathed? Use your brain!"
Lin Jianjun's heart skipped a beat as he glanced at the horrifying scar on Lin Xuan's chest. A flicker of guilt and concern flashed in his eyes.
But as soon as he heard Lin Xuan accuse his illegitimate son, his immediate reaction was to refute with anger.
"You're saying Hao'er framed you? Nonsense!"
"Xiao Hao is so innocent and kind. How could such a pure-hearted boy possibly do something so despicable and shameless?!"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!!!"
"......"
Looking at Lin Jianjun, who was hopelessly stubborn, Lin Xuan only felt exhausted.
Forget it, I'm tired.
The Lin family might as well collapse.
It's completely rotten and beyond saving.
At that moment, a wailing sound came from the staircase.
"Daddy, Mommy! Look at my face—it's ruined! Wuwuwu..."
Next, Lin Hao, whose swollen cheeks resembled a pig's head, rushed down the stairs and threw himself into Lin Jianjun's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Hao'er, what… what happened? Who did this to you?"
Seeing his younger son in such a miserable state, Lin Jianjun was shocked.
He quickly connected the dots and raised his head, glaring fiercely at Lin Xuan.
"It was you!!!"
"Yes, it was me. Who told him to have a filthy mouth?"
"You beast! How dare you harm your own brother, your own flesh and blood?! I won't let you off today!"
Even now, Lin Xuan remained calm, his demeanor unrepentant, like a pig unbothered by boiling water.
This only fueled Lin Jianjun's rage further, and his temper exploded to the limit.
He reached for his belt, ready to lash out at Lin Xuan.
But Lin Xuan wasn't one to sit idly by and let himself be beaten.
Just as he raised his hand, preparing to block or retaliate...
...a tearful woman suddenly rushed forward and spread her arms wide, standing in front of him.
"Husband, please don't! Xiao Xuan must have acted on impulse. Please forgive him!"
"A child's misconduct is the mother's fault!"
"As his mother, it's my failure to educate him properly. If you want to punish someone, punish me!"
"........"
Bai Yuelan's face was streaked with tears, and she wailed hoarsely, portraying the image of a self-sacrificing mother willing to shield her child.
"Yuelan, why do this? This ungrateful son isn't worth it..."
Lin Jianjun's expression grew complicated. He was deeply moved by her display of maternal love.
Next to him, Lin Hao, with his swollen face, suddenly grabbed Lin Jianjun's hand holding the belt.
With a tearful voice, he begged, "Daddy, don't hit Brother! This injury wasn't caused by him—it's my fault… all my fault..."
"Brother! Daddy's health isn't good. Please stop making him angry. I'm begging you..."
Then, with a thud, Lin Hao dropped to his knees before Lin Xuan, clutching his pant leg tightly.
"Brother Lin Xuan, I know you hate me. You think I stole Daddy's love. But I never meant to compete with you!"
"I'm sorry. I never considered your feelings. But none of this is Daddy's fault. Please don't upset him anymore!"
"I can leave. I'll leave the Lin family right now if you want. As long as you and Daddy can reconcile, I'll disappear forever..."
"It's all my fault! I'm selfish and greedy for Daddy's love. If only I'd never come to this house... if only I'd never been born..."
Seeing Lin Hao and Bai Yuelan reduced to tears, Lin Jianjun felt as though his heart were being ripped apart.
His wife and son were just too understanding!
Even after suffering such immense grievances, they still prioritized others.
In stark contrast, Lin Xuan stood to the side with a playful smirk, completely unmoved, looking utterly despicable.
Lin Jianjun could no longer contain the raging fury in his heart. He roared in outrage:
"Lin Xuan, you beast, are you even human?!"
"Can't you feel even the slightest urge to kneel after witnessing this?!"
"Do you truly not feel a shred of compassion for your mother's and brother's heartfelt pleas? Has your conscience been completely devoured by dogs?!"
"You… you've become so disappointing… so utterly disappointing!"
By the end of his rant, Lin Jianjun was choking back tears, his voice trembling.
The way he looked at his eldest son was filled with resentment and heartbreak.
He couldn't comprehend it…
There was a time when Lin Xuan had been his pride.
What had happened to turn him into such an unreasonable person?