Chen Xiao stood at the door.
The few people talking inside the room immediately stopped and looked at him in unison.
The first to speak was his mother-in-law, Han Meixiang.
"Chen Xiao, you're home, change your shoes first."
Han Meixiang's voice snapped Chen Xiao back to reality, and he looked at his father-in-law in the room holding a teacup, greeting him with a full smile.
"Dad, when did you arrive? Why didn't you call ahead so I could pick you up at the train station!"
His father-in-law, Lin Shanhu, nodded slightly, "I heard you went out with Xiaoxi early, so I didn't tell you."
"No matter how busy Xiaoxi and I are, if you come, I must pick you up."
Chen Xiao said with a smile, but a young girl on the sofa joked, "Didn't someone keep my mom waiting an hour or two at the station yesterday because of a bath?"
Hearing this, Chen Xiao feigned surprise and exclaimed, "Oh, Lin Yao, you're here too!"
The girl stood up, grinning, "Yeah, brother-in-law, are you not happy to see me?"
"What nonsense, you're my sister-in-law, we're family, and this house will always welcome you!"
Lin Yao pouted, "Then brother-in-law, from today can my parents and I all stay at your place?"
"Sure, why not!"
"You'll be responsible for all our food and expenses?"
"No problem, when Xiaoxi gets off work, how about we have a grand meal today?"
Seeing Chen Xiao's nonchalant attitude, Lin Yao instantly frowned.
Her gaze, filled with deep suspicion, fixed on Chen Xiao, and she murmured, "Really? You've become so generous? When my sister was unwell, and I stayed an extra half month, you had quite an attitude."
Lin Yao's comment brought Chen Xiao's thoughts back to his past life.
If he remembered correctly, what Lin Yao just mentioned happened at the end of last year.
That time Xiaoxi fell seriously ill, and upon learning this, Lin Yao rushed over from out of town to care for her.
That was the only time Chen Xiao spent such a long period with Xiaoxi's family; initially, he didn't feel anything amiss.
But later, he started to dislike it.
Because this sister-in-law was a natural contrarian; whatever Chen Xiao did or said, she had to refute it twice to feel comfortable.
Eventually, Chen Xiao started giving her the cold shoulder, which ended in an unhappy separation.
Later, the feelings between Chen Xiao and Xiaoxi ended, and he never saw Lin Yao again.
But never seeing her didn't mean Lin Yao just disappeared.
Chen Xiao once thought that Lin Yao was at least 60% responsible for his miserable past life.
Because after the divorce, whatever Chen Xiao did, Lin Yao would find ways to cause trouble.
For instance, if Chen Xiao set up a stall, she would report him to the city management immediately.
If Chen Xiao was a waiter at a restaurant, she would have her friends go and cause trouble.
Chen Xiao once contacted Lin Yao, asking what exactly she wanted.
Lin Yao simply replied, "Chen Xiao, someone like you doesn't deserve to live in this world!"
Chen Xiao knew this was when Lin Yao despised him the most in the Lin Family.
So, in his past life, the person Chen Xiao hated the most was this sister-in-law.
Regardless of Lin Shanhu or Han Meixiang, they might look down on him, but they would still give him some face, some way to live.
Lin Yao was different; she would go all out to ruin Chen Xiao.
Now, thinking from her perspective, if he were Lin Yao, and someone treated his sister that way, he would also try his best to ruin that person.
Perhaps because of living again, Chen Xiao didn't carry the resentment from his past into this life.
Seeing Lin Yao again, Chen Xiao felt a happiness that far exceeded any resentment or fear.
Moreover, if not mistaken, in his past life, it was Lin Yao who provided critical clues when Xiaoxi was searching for the high school student responsible for Luo Dali's death in 2007.
Sadly, Chen Xiao didn't know what method Lin Yao used.
Thinking about Luo Dali's past fate, Chen Xiao suddenly felt uneasy.
In his past life, he saw the whole Lin Family at the door of the civil affairs bureau.
Now they were all in his home. He knew very well why they came, but their arrival had completely diverged from the past.
Just as Chen Xiao was feeling worried, his father-in-law Lin Shanhu stepped in to stop his younger daughter from mocking her brother-in-law.
"Chen Xiao, come sit with me on the sofa, let's have a chat, just us men."
As Lin Shanhu spoke, Chen Xiao immediately sat down beside him.
Seeing this, Lin Yao also sat down, but Lin Shanhu glared at her, "Go help in the kitchen."
"Dad, just let me stay here, otherwise my brother-in-law is hard to deal with." Lin Yao still showed no pleasant expression.
Lin Shanhu's eyes turned cold, "No matter what, he's still your brother-in-law now; have some respect."
"Alright, I'll go to the kitchen." Lin Yao reluctantly left the living room.
Chen Xiao sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
What Lin Shanhu had just said carried some deep implications.
He said Chen Xiao was still Lin Yao's brother-in-law for now, implying he might not be in the future.
Han Meixiang came to persuade Xiaoxi to divorce, and now the whole Lin Family showed up, their intention was crystal clear.
When Lin Shanhu sat down again, he took a sip of tea before saying:
"I heard you helped Xiaoxi solve a big case, and she earned credit, moving to the substation?"
"Yes."
"That's quite commendable; it's rare to see both of you working on something together. It seems you also received a reward from the substation, a fifty thousand yuan bonus?"
Chen Xiao smiled and nodded, "Yes, I didn't expect a reward for that case initially."
"Mm, fifty thousand is quite a sum, but feel free to use it steadily. But in the future, what are your plans? You can't just rely on that fifty thousand and do nothing, right?"
Lin Shanhu asked calmly, and as Chen Xiao was about to disclose his plans, he noticed a flash of resolve in Lin Shanhu's eyes, making him realize he shouldn't just go along with their words.
At this point, their resistance and disdain for him had not diminished in the slightest.
So, Chen Xiao changed his tone and said with a smile, "Dad, in your heart, you probably have two answers to your question, right? One, I could say I'll use this fifty thousand to start some business."
Lin Shanhu raised his eyes in slight surprise but still nodded; he had indeed thought this way.
"As for the other answer, I'd say, since I earned fifty thousand this time, I can surely earn much more in the future by helping Xiaoxi solve cases, maybe even a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand!"
Lin Shanhu frowned, but before he could speak, Chen Xiao continued, "If I said this answer, you'd probably have no doubts left, and by tomorrow morning, you'd take Xiaoxi and me to the civil affairs bureau to file for divorce."
"You..." Lin Shanhu looked over in shock, and Chen Xiao chuckled bitterly, "Your thoughts are not hard to guess because, in your heart, solving cases isn't something I'm capable of. The reason I got the reward this time is either Xiaoxi gave me her credit, or I got incredibly lucky. After all, every man stumbles upon luck once or twice, right?"
Chen Xiao grasped Lin Shanhu's thoughts completely, leaving Lin Shanhu at a loss for how to respond.
Not giving Lin Shanhu time to respond, Chen Xiao calmly said, "As for Mom's thoughts, they're simpler. She doesn't want Xiaoxi to divorce me, but she can't stand seeing Xiaoxi unhappy, so she hopes for you to make the decision."
"Then there's Lin Yao, who's the only one in this family entirely determined for Xiaoxi and me to divorce. The question you just asked was probably something she wanted you to ask to test my response, right?"
After Chen Xiao finished speaking, Lin Shanhu was left dumbfounded.
Because Chen Xiao's words were almost indistinguishable from the truth!
The innermost thoughts of their whole family were all seen through by Chen Xiao, clear as day!