The Domineering CEO's Vain Trophy Husband 27

Ming Yao remained silent for a long time, simply looking at Lin Zhi quietly. The depths of his eyes were nearly obsessive.

His heartbeat thumped powerfully, and everything around him felt warm and alive.

The servants employed by the Ming Family noticed that the relationship between Mr. Ming and Mr. Lin seemed to be getting better and better.

Because whenever they called Lin Zhi 'Mr. Lin' in front of Mr. Ming, he always gave off a terrifying impression.

No one knew who started calling him 'Mrs. Ming' first, but everyone tacitly changed their form of address in silent agreement.

Lin Zhi showed no particular reaction to this. When he heard the changed form of address, he simply smiled while rubbing Nuonuo's head.

In the red-brick and green-walled courtyard, Old Master Ming was happily teasing a bird.

Now that the weather had turned cold, he had already put on thick clothes in advance.

Earlier, he had told Lin Zhi to wait until winter was over to raise a new bird, but after hearing about Ming Yao's rehabilitation progress, Old Master Ming seemed to have become younger and more energetic, eager to tinker with flowers, birds, insects, and fish again.

"How did you come here? Isn't Zhizhi with you?"

Old Master Ming looked at Ming Yao, who had rolled in on a wheelchair from the entrance, and glanced behind him.

"I came to give you a gift."

Ming Yao held a wooden box and handed it to Old Master Ming.

He had come specially alone because there were things he wasn't comfortable asking his grandfather about in front of Lin Zhi.

"Oh, suddenly giving me a gift? That's unusual."

Old Master Ming's tone was surprised. Although Ming Yao often showed filial respect, he usually had things sent directly, rarely making a special trip and bringing it up specifically like this.

Old Master Ming opened the box. Inside was an ancient painting. Old Master Ming's movements immediately became careful and deliberate as he admired the genuine artwork for a while.

After he closed the scroll with a pleased expression, Ming Yao finally spoke: "A matchmaker's gift."

Old Master Ming choked on his saliva and coughed so violently it was earthshaking.

"Thank goodness I already put the painting away, or I might have torn it with a trembling hand. That would have been the end."

Even a small tear would break Old Master Ming's heart. He patted his chest, looking at his grandson who had spoken such shocking words yet remained completely calm, trying to calm his own jumping nerves.

Old Master Ming considered himself a serious and rigid person, but compared to Ming Yao's composure even when mountains collapsed before him, he felt somewhat inferior.

After these many days of getting along with Lin Zhi and being in a good mood, he rarely just accepted it outright. Instead, he said with a hint of teasing: "I remember you once told me about the nature of your marriage."

Old Master Ming admitted he had a bit of a wicked sense of humor and wanted to see Ming Yao embarrassed.

Ming Yao remained as calm as ever: "Times change."

Well, Old Master Ming conceded defeat. He couldn't help but smile as he asked Uncle Jin to place the gift in the cabinet in his room.

"Zhizhi is a child who is easy for people to like—intelligent, capable, and wise enough to awaken early after sinking."

Lin Zhi had begun to change six months after the wedding, something both Old Master Ming and Ming Yao knew.

"He is very good."

Ming Yao nodded in agreement, yet he couldn't help but feel some doubt.

Could a person really change so drastically? However, thinking about it more carefully, it seemed reasonable. In any case, the Lin Zhi by his side right now was enough.

Old Master Ming looked at Ming Yao, who appeared revitalized with satisfaction, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

In this state, Ming Yao's mother, who had long passed away, and his old grandmother, who had still thought of her grandson before she fell ill, would also be gratified.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Not today. I have a meeting later," Ming Yao declined, revealing another purpose of his visit. "His birthday is coming up soon. What do you think I should give him as a gift?"

Ming Yao had no experience in this regard and no close friends to discuss it with, so he planned to ask his grandfather for help.

Not only because his grandfather was an experienced elder, but also because his grandfather was familiar with Lin Zhi and might know what he liked.

"I think giving him a surprise would be best."

The grandfather and grandson discussed this, while Uncle Jin stood nearby, speechless for a long time.

Two people equally clueless, yet discussing it quite methodically.

At the intersection of autumn and winter, the sky carried a faint chill. Today was a day off, and Lin Zhi had no work and was not socializing, enjoying his leisure time.

Nuonuo had grown into a large dog, bouncing around lively at his side.

The dog trainer at home had already been replaced. After Guan Yi left that day, he had mentioned that he likely wouldn't have time available, so he had recommended a new person.

After the trainer left, Lin Zhi took Nuonuo out to play.

Although the small garden at home was spacious enough for the dog to run around, the public residential area had a larger pet zone. Nuonuo had made friends there, and servants often took it to play.

When a dog runs freely, it gives people a sense that their souls run free as well.

Lin Zhi watched quietly and took several photos, which he sent to Ming Yao.

Many things require accumulation and maintenance.

As evening fell, Lin Zhi led the tired Nuonuo home.

Just as he was about to reach the door, he noticed a stranger standing beneath a tree not far from the entrance.

The man was very tall, wearing a somewhat old leather coat. From his back alone, he exuded an air of freedom and detachment. His shoulder-length black hair was streaked with silver strands that marked his age.

Seeming to sense someone approaching, the man turned around and faced Lin Zhi.

Though the man's skin was dark and rough from years of wind and sun exposure, he must have been handsome in his youth. Even in this decadent, weathered state, he didn't appear ordinary. His pair of brown eyes were cold and sharp, watching Lin Zhi with scrutiny.

"Hello, is there something you need standing at my family's door?"

Lin Zhi had some suspicions about the identity of this person who didn't seem very kind. He led the dog closer.

Lin Zhi's tone was calm as he approached the gate.

The stranger directly asked: "Who are you to Ming Yao?"

Lin Zhi replied: "His partner. We're married."

The servants saw him return and opened the gate. The man entered, looking at Lin Zhi and saying: "I'm his father."

Lin Zhi expressed appropriate surprise and greeted him politely: "Uncle, it's nice to meet you."

He called him uncle, not father.

Ming Zhiqi had no particular reaction and simply nodded.

This was the first meeting between father-in-law and son-in-law—polite and distant.

The housekeeper, seeing the man come in with Lin Zhi, nearly had a heart attack.

He took a deep breath and immediately stepped forward saying: "Mr. Ming, welcome. Would you like to rest for a bit first?"

In this house, everyone called Ming Yao "Mr. Ming," and with the addition of a surname prefix for Ming Zhiqi.

After all, this was Ming Yao's home, not Ming Zhiqi's.

"No need for special treatment. I'd just like to have a word with him."

Ming Zhiqi sat in a chair on the open-air terrace outside the living room, moving no further.

Though Ming Zhiqi hadn't explicitly said who he meant, everyone understood.

"Two cups of black tea."

Lin Zhi instructed the housekeeper, noticing the meaningful look in his eyes and reassuring him with a smile.

The atmosphere wasn't tense. The conversation revolved around Ming Yao.

"How long have you two been married?"

"Almost a year."

"Where was your wedding held?"

Lin Zhi answered without any hesitation: "We haven't held a wedding yet."

He provided no explanation and showed no signs of loss or sorrow.

Ming Zhiqi frowned slightly: "Is your relationship not good?"

"It should be quite good."

Lin Zhi picked up the black tea and took a sip, his eyes curving in a smile.

In Lin Zhi's imagination, Ming Yao's father was someone who had become obsessed with madness from losing his beloved, someone emotionally unstable who deeply hated Ming Yao, and by extension, should greatly dislike him, Ming Yao's partner.

But reality was not so. The middle-aged man before him, though filled with a sense of impermanence in the world, gave off an impression of extreme calmness. He showed no hostility toward him or Ming Yao.

At the end of their conversation, he gave Lin Zhi something.

It was a box. When opened, Lin Zhi saw an almost dreamlike jeweled necklace—leaf-shaped diamonds formed part of the chain, and below hung red gemstones that sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.

The man's hands, as he offered the gift, were rough and scarred.

Lin Zhi didn't know what he had experienced and had no intention of accepting the gift without hesitation.

Lin Zhi politely declined: "Uncle, this is too precious."

"This is the betrothal gift that his mother prepared long ago to give to her future daughter-in-law. Please accept it."

Ming Zhiqi's tone was flat. When his gaze fell on the box, it carried a warmth different from when he looked at Lin Zhi.

Ming Zhiqi's words left Lin Zhi with no reason to refuse. He thanked him quietly.

In the rapidly moving car, Ming Yao gripped the armrest of his wheelchair tightly.

After receiving the housekeeper's notification, he immediately decided to return.

Just thinking of his father and Lin Zhi talking together made Ming Yao anxious.

Why did he suddenly come back? What does he want? Will he say something to Lin Zhi?

Just imagining Lin Zhi hearing the words he had once heard himself filled Ming Yao with a suffocating sensation.

What would Lin Zhi think? Even if he had said he didn't think it was his fault, how would he view him in the face of such accusations?

Ming Yao's grip tightened further. He forced himself to stay calm.

He had prepared for every possibility, except for one.

The box in Lin Zhi's hands was all too familiar to him. He knew exactly what it contained.

When Ming Yao entered from the gate, Ming Zhiqi also stood up.

Father and son stood facing each other, one standing, one sitting, appearing to have no more connection than strangers.

"I made another trip to Tibet. I dreamt of your mother last night. She told me to come back and see you. I suppose it was for this reason."

Ming Yao responded, his words polite yet stiff: "Thank you."

Naturally, he was thanking his father for acknowledging Lin Zhi's status and transferring the item to him.

Ming Zhiqi nodded. That was why he had come, and he had no intention of staying longer. Strictly speaking, he hadn't even set foot inside his son's house.

Watching his father's retreating figure, Ming Yao spoke: "I will be able to stand up again very soon."

The man's footsteps stopped. He turned to look at Ming Yao, his eyes carrying a terrifying coldness.

He looked at his son for a moment, then said: "Good. Then completely say goodbye to the past, and forget your mother too."

At this moment, the man truly revealed his extreme side.

—You better stay crippled. Every day you cannot walk, you must remember why you lost those legs. Beyond losing them, what else have you lost?

—It's all because of you. Once you can walk normally again, how many more years can you truly mourn her?

—She gave you life, and you caused her death.

—You don't need to pay respects to her anymore. I will take her ashes with me. If you miss her, just look at your legs and think about that rainy day.

These words continued to echo in Ming Yao's mind. He thought it was good to end it this way.

If his father could never forgive him, then let them part here.

He would certainly miss his mother, in his own way.

"Forgive my intrusion into your conversation, uncle. I'm afraid you cannot replace your wife's will."

"While she was your wife, she was also Ming Yao's mother."

Lin Zhi didn't continue from the perspective of Ming Yao's mother, because he knew those words had certainly been said more than once by Old Master Ming and the others.

He didn't intend to launch a fierce rebuke, because that wouldn't produce the result he wanted to see.

"When you love someone, you want them to be remembered, not forgotten. That's what you've been doing all along, isn't it?"

"You cannot deprive Ming Yao of the right to remember, nor can you deprive him of the right to continue this memory. After Ming Yao and I adopt children, I will tell them about the kind and lovely person their grandmother was, and what wisdom she shared, thereby influencing the next generation."

Lin Zhi walked behind Ming Yao and casually placed his hand on Ming Yao's shoulder, offering him warm contact.

"I believe that is better than forgetting. Don't you agree?"

Ming Zhiqi said nothing. After a long while, he turned his gaze back to Ming Yao.

His tone carried a note of reproach as he said critically: "You have married a fine partner. You should give him a wedding."

Ming Zhiqi said nothing else and simply left.

His attitude seemed neither softened nor hostile, yet it seemed to carry tacit approval.

Ming Yao paused for a moment, then gripped Lin Zhi's hand tightly, his eyes bright as he said: "After the wedding, we'll proceed with the adoption paperwork."

Lin Zhi slowly withdrew his hand and smiled: "Mr. Ming, I haven't agreed to attend our wedding yet."