84: We refuse

Their words were like precise knives, stabbing at Lin Yao's already wavering resolve.

Yes.

Brother.

College Entrance Examination.

Parents.

Reality.

One after another, great mountains pressed down again.

Feng Rui's proposal was like a magnificent ark, docked on the bank of a raging flood, inviting her and her family to board.

And what her brother gave her was just a phrase: "I've got you."

A promise that seemed so flimsy, so impractical in the midst of a raging flood.

Seeing Lin Yao's defenses loosening, Mother Su immediately felt the timing wasn't quite right.

She turned her head and glared fiercely at her daughter.

"Qingxue! Why are you still standing there like an idiot? Hurry! Go and persuade your sister! Aren't you two the closest?"

Su Qingxue flinched, startled by her mother's reprimand.

To be honest, she was indeed very tempted... but... persuade?

How could she persuade?

Her gaze subconsciously drifted towards that corner.

The young man who, from beginning to end, seemed like an outsider.

Lin Yu.

The terrifying scene in the parking lot rushed back into her mind.

She felt.

That if she dared to say one wrong word, that seemingly calm man would not hesitate to turn her into a pile of rotten flesh as well.

Su Qingxue's lips trembled, unable to utter a single word, only shaking her head desperately.

"You..."

Mother Su was so angry she almost choked.

This unfilial daughter!

At the crucial moment, she was completely useless!

She hated her for not living up to expectations, yet she didn't dare to truly scold her loudly, fearing she would disturb Lin Yao, this golden phoenix about to be caught.

She could only suppress all her anger in her heart, her face flushed red.

The entire corridor once again fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone's gaze was focused on Lin Yao.

The reporters' cameras were already aimed at her face, ready to capture the moment she nodded or shook her head.

This would determine the front-page headlines of all their media tomorrow.

"Myth Descends, Sky-High Contract Lands at Fengxing Technology!"

Or... "Genius Falls, Siblings Head to the Abyss Together!"

Father Lin and Mother Lin didn't speak.

They just quietly looked at their daughter, their gentle gaze silently conveying a message.

Whatever you choose, we support you.

Lin Yao's body was trembling slightly.

She felt as if she was standing on the edge of a cliff.

On one side was a broad, flower-strewn road leading to a visible, tangible, stable, and prosperous future.

On the other side was her brother.

He stood on the opposite bank of the misty abyss, calmly looking at her, with endless unknowns behind him.

How should she choose?

Reason told her she should choose Feng Rui.

This was the best choice for everyone.

But... as soon as she thought of nodding to Feng Rui's smiling face, as soon as she thought of accepting this contract mixed with calculation and charity, her stomach churned with a sickening feeling.

No.

She didn't want to.

But... could she really be that selfish?

Just because of her momentary disgust, should she refuse this contract, delivered to her doorstep, capable of changing her entire family's destiny?

Her brother wanted her to choose what she wanted.

But what she wanted was for her whole family to be well.

Her parents no longer worried about money, enjoying their old age.

Her brother no longer had to face the near-certain death of the College Entrance Examination.

This... seemed to be what she wanted too.

Two kinds of "want" fiercely tore at her mind, almost ripping her sanity to shreds.

She had no confidence.

No confidence to be like her brother, ignoring everything and then handling all the consequences.

She was just an eighteen-year-old girl.

An ordinary person who had just seen the harshness of the world and was pushed into the spotlight.

Her body trembled more and more violently, almost unable to stand steady.

Just as she was about to be completely submerged by the torrent named "reality," preparing to open her mouth and utter the unwilling "I do."

A warm and strong hand gently held her shoulder.

The strength was not great, but it instantly dispelled all her coldness and wavering, like a sea-stabilizing needle, piercing into her chaotic heart.

It was her brother.

Lin Yu walked out of the corner and stood beside her.

He didn't look at anyone, just calmly looked ahead at the group of people with various faces and various thoughts.

Then, he spoke.

His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire corridor, overriding everyone's breathing.

"We refuse."

Four words.

Exploded in the crowded corridor.

The reporters' hands holding cameras froze in mid-air.

President Qian and President Li's expressions of watching the show instantly solidified.

Father Lin and Mother Lin's worried gazes turned into pure astonishment.

And the smiles on the faces of those relatives who had just been in ecstasy and flattery shattered inch by inch.

"You... what did you say?"

Mother Su was the first to shriek, her voice as harsh as a cat with its tail stepped on.

She pointed at Lin Yu in disbelief, her whole body trembling.

"Lin Yu! Are you crazy?! Do you know what you just said?! That's Fengxing Technology! That's a contract worth dozens of times an S-class!"

"You good-for-nothing! Jinx! Isn't it enough that you've ruined yourself, do you have to drag Yao Yao down to die with you?!"

Auntie also reacted, her face, which had just been full of smiles, was now distorted beyond recognition by anger and disappointment.

"Crazy! Truly crazy! For the Lin family to have someone like you, it's truly eight lifetimes of bad luck!"

Second Uncle trembled with anger, pointing at Lin Yu, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"You... you... you're going to force your parents to their deaths!"

Their curses were like the foulest dirty water, splashing all over Lin Yu.

However, Lin Yu didn't make a single extra movement.

He just stood there, supporting his sister, like an unshakeable mountain.

All eyes eventually converged on the instigator, the Vice President of Fengxing Technology, Feng Rui.

Feng Rui's gentle smile had completely disappeared.

He stood there, motionless, his face under the gold-rimmed glasses showing no emotion.

But the temperature of the entire corridor seemed to drop several degrees instantly.

The surrounding company representatives watched him with schadenfreude.

They wanted to see how this calculating man would react after being so decisively slapped in the face by a "madman" in front of all the media.

"Mister Lin Yu."

Feng Rui finally spoke.

His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.

"I believe the signatory of this contract is Miss Lin Yao."

"Her decision, I'm afraid, is not something you can make for her."

He didn't get angry, nor did he lose his composure, but with just a gentle sentence, he once again pushed the core of the problem back to Lin Yao.

Seeing this, Mother Su immediately seized on it like a drowning person clutching a straw, yelling at Lin Yao.

"Yao Yao! Speak up! Quickly tell President Feng you agree! Don't listen to your brother's nonsense!"

"This is your future! Not that good-for-nothing's! Why should you be held hostage by him?!"

"Speak up!"

Lin Yao ignored her.

She just slowly, slowly raised her head.

She first glanced at her brother beside her.

Lin Yu was also looking at her, his calm demeanor silently conveying a message.

Don't be afraid.

Choose.

Whatever you choose, I'm here.