Chapter 60: Chapter 60: It’s All in the PastChapter 60: It’s All in the Past

    Ultimately, both Chu Ge and Lin Chengdu respected Lin Qin’s wishes and allowed him to leave with Meng Chao.

    But before that, they needed to record a final segment. Although Lin Qin and Meng Chao left together in the end, the show needed to portray a bittersweet farewell between the two.

    Both of them were award-winning actors, so delivering such a performance came effortlessly.

    With the final scene wrapped up, the first season of We Are Together was successfully completed. There was supposed to be a celebratory banquet, but it had to be canceled due to last night’s incident.

    Lin Qin and Meng Chao stood by the mountainside road, seeing off the production crew, before turning their attention to Chu Ge and Lin Chengdu, who stood waiting nearby with anticipation.

    "Baby," Chu Ge blurted out in her urgency, using the childhood nickname she once called Lin Qin, "Are you really not coming back with Mom?"

    What she didn’t say was that she had already taken her annual leave this year, intending to go on an impromptu trip with Lin Qin to make up for lost time.

    Lin Chengdu, unwilling to be outdone, chimed in, "Qin, why not come home with Dad? I’ll get someone to find you some excellent scripts, and you can pick whichever you like."

    He knew his son loved acting, and since that was the case, he wanted to give him the best opportunities.

    Even so, he felt it was far from enough to make up for the mistakes of his past.

    Hearing this, Chu Ge was displeased and snapped, "Baby just finished work and should be resting. Why are you piling more work on him? He’s your son, not your money-making tool!"

    Lin Chengdu felt wronged and retorted, "Chu Ge, don’t you think you’re being too harsh? When did I ever treat Qin as a money-making tool? I know he loves acting, which is why I want to give him the best. How did that turn into him being a tool for profit in your eyes?"

    Their argument escalated quickly, a testament to the lingering tensions between the former couple. Chu Hong, standing to the side, shrugged—whenever these two met, it was like sharp needles clashing against each other, determined to fight for dominance.

    Anyone with eyes could see that there were unresolved feelings between the two. But how much longer they’d go on like this was anyone’s guess.

    Lin Qin was used to it by now and showed no interest in breaking up their fight.

    He merely said flatly, "I’m leaving now."

    His simple statement had an immediate effect, as though someone had grabbed both of them by the necks. Their argument stopped abruptly.

    The two turned to look at Lin Qin, their expressions filled with a rare, mutual grievance.

    "Baby, really not coming back with Mom?"

    "Qin, please come home with Dad?"

    Lin Qin shook his head and declined. "No, I still have work to do."

    Chu Ge, unwilling to push further, made a compromise. "Then... can Mom get a hug at least?" She asked cautiously. Ever since Lin Qin developed social anxiety, she hadn’t even had a chance to be alone with him, let alone share the simple intimacy of a mother’s hug.

    Lin Qin didn’t reply at first, and just as Chu Ge began to think there was no hope, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

    At first, Lin Qin’s body was noticeably stiff, but as soon as he came into contact with Chu Ge, he began to relax.

    Hugging and connecting with others—it really wasn’t so bad.

    In that moment, Chu Ge couldn’t hold back her tears. How many years had it been since they last shared a hug like this?

    In the end, it was all her fault. The guilt and remorse she had carried over the years bore down heavily. She had tried countless times to reconnect with Lin Qin, but his panic and rejection had only deepened her awareness of the irreversible damage he had endured.

    Many nights, the thought of Lin Qin’s suffering would bring her to tears. Back when she had fallen out with her family and struggled alone abroad during the most challenging times, not once had she cried. She had gritted her teeth and persevered through everything.

    But when it came to Lin Qin, the weight of her debt to him was insurmountable.

    "Baby, I’m so sorry," Chu Ge said, her emotions unraveling as she held Lin Qin and tried to stifle her sobs.

    Lin Qin felt momentarily helpless but gently patted her back in comfort. "It’s okay, Mom. I’m okay now."

    She was still his mother. During his darkest times, he had hated her—for not coming back to rescue him, for abandoning him.

    But now, none of that seemed to matter anymore.

    Chu Ge cried for a long while before finally calming herself. She turned away, discreetly wiping her tears.

    Lin Chengdu felt his own eyes sting. He looked up at the swaying tree branches dancing in the wind, as if doing so would keep his tears from falling.

    The next moment, Lin Qin approached him, spreading his arms to embrace him. "Dad, it’s all in the past," he said softly.

    Lin Chengdu couldn’t hold back anymore; tears slid from the corners of his eyes as he returned Lin Qin’s hug. Choked with emotion, he replied, "Yes, yes, it’s all in the past."

    Everything was in the past. After Lin Qin had shared everything with Meng Chao the previous night, he found that his heart, when confronting those dark memories again, was much calmer than he had anticipated. In that moment, Lin Qin understood—it was truly all behind him now.

    Since it was all in the past, there was no need to use those memories to punish himself—or the people who loved him.

    Standing to the side, Meng Chao remained silent.

    It wasn’t until Lin Qin walked over to him that Meng Chao finally smiled, reaching out to ruffle Lin Qin’s hair.

    Lin Qin smiled back, his lips curling upward as a warm beam of sunlight enveloped him, making him seem to glow.

    "Brother Chao, thank you."

    "Silly, what are you thanking me for?"

    For pulling me out of the darkness. For letting me feel the warmth of this world once again.

    ...

    Chu Ge and Lin Chengdu bid Lin Qin an emotional farewell. They exchanged a glance, huffed in unison, and returned to their respective cars without saying another word before driving off.

    On the winding mountain road, they passed by another vehicle heading in the opposite direction. None of them realized that the car contained Yi Ran, who was returning to collect his luggage.

    Yi Ran stared at a photo he had taken moments earlier on his phone, a sinister smile tugging at his lips.

    So that’s how Lin Qin managed to land such amazing resources right after debuting—turns out he had such a powerful benefactor backing him.

    With this thought, Yi Ran quickly contacted a well-known paparazzi studio in the industry and sent them the photo.

    This kind of exclusive scoop was every paparazzo’s dream.

    Yi Ran soon received a response from the paparazzi, but to his surprise, the studio rejected his tip. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Perplexed, Yi Ran sent the photo to several media outlets, only to receive the same response—everyone refused to publish the story. One of the outlets, which Yi Ran had collaborated with many times before, advised him to give up. They explained that the chairman of Lin Corporation despised gossip. In the past, a minor celebrity had tried to create a scandal involving Lin Chengdu; not only was the star blacklisted, but all the media outlets that participated in the rumor-spreading were also shut down.

    Given that precedent, no one dared to report any gossip involving Lin Chengdu, no matter how solid the evidence.

    The entertainment industry, after all, was controlled by capital.

    Clenching his teeth, Yi Ran sneered. If those cowards wouldn’t do it, then he’d handle it himself!