Chapter 81: The original Lin Feng

None of it would undo the damage.

Ling Feng didn’t know why, but a sour feeling began to spread through his chest, reaching his eyes, nose, and throat. The corners of his eyes grew hot, and his nose stung as though he were about to cry.

But these were not his own emotions.

They were the feelings the original owner of this body had left behind.

Guilt, self-blame, pain, and sorrow.

Of them all, the overwhelming guilt was the strongest.

Lin Feng pressed a hand against his chest, his eyes silently watching his cousin break down before him.

According to the memories he had inherited, the original owner had once shared a relatively good relationship with Lin Xiaoxiao. Yet now, all that remained between them was resentment and hurt.

’Lin Feng, are you still there?’

Naturally, no one answered his call.

Lin Xiaoxiao slowly stepped closer, her eyes red as she stared straight at him.

"Now that things are getting better, you’re coming back? You still dare to show your face here? How thick-skinned can you be? Do you think that just because the matter has faded from the public eye, we’ll all forgive you and pretend nothing ever happened?"

The pressure in his chest grew heavier. Lin Feng tried to breathe through it, but the discomfort only sharpened, spreading until even standing still took effort.

His gaze rested on his cousin, filled with complicated emotions, but he still said nothing.

It wasn’t that he had nothing to say. Rather, he could barely speak at all. The original owner’s emotions were overwhelming him, leaving him breathless and lightheaded.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s gaze turned icy, mistaking his silence for indifference.

"I swore that the next time I saw you, I’d beat you up."

With that, she raised her hand and swung her palm toward him.

Lin Feng did not move. He simply stood where he was and quietly closed his eyes, too overwhelmed by emotions.

But the expected slap never landed.

A large hand caught Lin Xiaoxiao by the wrist just before her palm could strike the boy’s face.

"Xiaoxiao."

The familiar voice finally brought Lin Xiaoxiao back to her senses.

Although she had been unable to slap the person who had caused her entire family to suffer, the words she had kept simmering inside her during those sleepless nights and moments of silence when she had been alone had finally been vented out.

All the pressure from cyber-bullying, the pointing of fingers, the financial burden when they had to sell properties one after another, filling them with fear that the next moment, they would have to file for bankruptcy with nothing over their head...

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiaoxiao pulled her hand free from the man’s grasp.

"Brother Junhao. You shouldn’t have stopped me. You know what he did."

"I know." Lin Junhao’s voice was still gentle and restrained. "But that doesn’t mean you can hit him."

Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes. His hand was still pressed tightly against his chest.

Standing beside Lin Xiaoxiao was a tall, handsome young man. A gentle yet melancholic aura surrounded him, giving him the air of an ancient scholar—elegant and upright as bamboo.

When their eyes met, Lin Feng paused.

There was something inexplicable in the young man’s gaze, an emotion he couldn’t quite identify, yet somehow found familiar.

Lin Junhao continued looking at the boy’s face for a moment before noticing that something was wrong.

He couldn’t immediately pinpoint what it was, but the fine beads of sweat dotting Lin Feng’s forehead and the unnatural pallor of his face caught his attention. Then he noticed the way Lin Feng was clutching his chest.

Suddenly, Lin Junhao remembered Aunt Yufei, who had suffered from a heart condition. He also recalled that Lin Feng had once collapsed during his childhood.

Alarmed, Lin Junhao reached out and gently held the boy’s chin, tilting his face upward.

The moment he noticed the faint purplish tint of Lin Feng’s lips, his usually gentle peach blossom eyes became serious.

"Xiao Feng, do you have your medicine with you?"

Lin Feng shook his head, finally able to take a deep breathe.

By now, the overwhelming emotions had finally begun to subside, allowing him to regain some control over himself.

"I’m all right."

"You’re not."

"I really am fine now," Lin Feng sighed.

Only then did he realize how intimate their current position was. Embarrassed, he stepped back, his smooth chin slipping out of the man’s large hand.

Lin Junhao could see that some color had finally returned to the boy’s cheeks. He lowered his hand behind his back and clenched it tightly.

"It’s good that you’re all right."

"What now? Are you going to tell me you have a weak heart, too?" Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly interjected.

Her words were as sharp as ever, but under their harshness was a trace of unease she couldn’t quite conceal.

Lin Feng sighed before stepping forward to face her.

"Xiaoxiao, everything you said earlier was painful to hear, but I admit that you were telling the truth. I won’t deny it. I was reckless, and I didn’t think about the consequences of my actions."

Lin Xiaoxiao’s mouth immediately snapped shut. She straightened her back and looked at him coldly, waiting to hear what else he had to say.

"I know a mere apology can’t undo the hurt I’ve caused everyone, but I still want to say it."

Lin Feng thought back to the torrent of emotions that had overwhelmed him moments ago. Even now, the guilt lingered in his chest, and it was heavy and difficult to ignore.

It turned out that the original Lin Feng had been wanting to apologize to them all this time.

He took a breath and looked at Lin Xiaoxiao.

"Xiaoxiao, I’m sorry."

Then he turned to Lin Junhao.

"Third Brother Junhao, I’m sorry."

His gaze lowered briefly before he continued, naming each person he had wronged.

"Big Sister Mengyao. Second Brother Chengye. Uncle and Aunt. And even Uncle Tang, and Grandpa..."

Lin Feng paused between them, as though he wanted to make sure he did not leave anyone out, as though each apology deserved to be spoken rather than swept together into a few careless words.

Lin Feng was just following what was in his heart.

"I’m truly, truly sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you. You don’t have to forgive me. I only hope that one day, I’ll be able to make it up to you."

Silence settled between them.

The original Lin Feng did not ask them to forgive him.

The current Lin Feng had said what he needed to say, and whatever they chose to do with his apology was up to them.