Chapter 175 - 174: Estate Partition Agreement

"Alas, child, how can I ever stop worrying about you?" Mrs. Lin sighed heavily as she looked at the silent Lin Aoxue. She then turned her head to look at Lin Guodong, who was standing nearby. "Guodong, go open the safe and take out what’s inside. The passcode is the date our company was founded."

Lin Guodong looked slightly surprised, but he wordlessly complied. Opening the safe, he found a kraft paper envelope inside. He took it out and handed it to Mrs. Lin.

"Xue’er, open it," Mrs. Lin said, lifting her chin to gesture at the envelope.

Lin Aoxue stared at the slightly yellowed paper. After a brief hesitation, she slowly opened it.

She thought, "An estate division agreement?!"

Seeing the contents of the envelope, both Lin Guodong and Lin Aoxue could barely sit still. Lin Aoxue glanced at Mrs. Lin, then slowly flipped through the agreement in her hands.

"Upon my death, the assets under my name shall be divided into four equal shares: one share each for the eldest and second branches of the family, one share for the collateral relatives, and the final share to be inherited by Lin Aoxue.

"I hold forty percent of the shares in the Lin Group. This equity shall be divided in the same manner as the aforementioned assets.

"Furthermore, the position of company president shall be assumed by Lin Aoxue, and no one shall object to this."

Reading the clauses in the agreement, Lin Aoxue was dumbfounded. The date signed at the bottom was from two years ago. Lin Guodong also stared at Mrs. Lin in shock; he had never imagined that she had arranged her posthumous affairs so long ago.

It took a long while for Lin Aoxue to snap out of her daze. "Grandmother, I won’t sign this agreement," she said. "I have already severed my ties with the Lin Family. Moreover, I am leaving Jianghai City soon to go to Jingcheng with Ye Xuan.

"So, you should draft a new will."

However, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy over this agreement; on the contrary, she actually felt somewhat averse to it. Two years ago, seeing such an arrangement from the old woman would have filled her with immense happiness and gratitude. But now, she was thoroughly disappointed in the Lin Family and had made a firm decision to leave both them and Jianghai City behind. If she signed this agreement, she would once again be tethered to the Lin Family, making it impossible for her to leave with Ye Xuan.

"Are you truly so heartless that you can watch the career you built from the ground up be destroyed just like that?" Mrs. Lin grasped Lin Aoxue’s hand tightly, her tone full of pleading. "Xue’er, come back. For the sake of your dying grandmother, please forgive us this one last time, won’t you?"

Was this really her usually strict and domineering grandmother? Even when the Lin Family had been suppressed by rivals to the brink of bankruptcy, she had never bowed her head. Yet today, she was pleading so desperately. Lin Aoxue’s resolute heart began to waver.

"Xue’er, just grant your grandmother this final request," Lin Guodong chimed in eagerly, seeing her hesitation. "Don’t worry, I will absolutely not allow anyone in the Lin Family to hurt you again."

The Lin Family could not afford to lose Lin Aoxue. Only under her leadership would the Lin Group continue to grow better and stronger.

"L-let me go back and think it over," Lin Aoxue replied, at a loss for what to do under their burning, expectant gazes. She couldn’t make this decision on her own; it would be best to go back and discuss it with Ye Xuan first.

"Alright, go back and think about it carefully. But I hope you won’t wait too long. I’m afraid I won’t last many more days." Mrs. Lin knew she couldn’t push Lin Aoxue right now. If the girl couldn’t get past the hurdle of everything that had happened in the past, nothing they said would be of any use.

"Grandmother, don’t talk such nonsense. You’re still strong; you’ll definitely get better," Lin Aoxue said earnestly, squeezing the old woman’s hand. Hearing such depressing words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

But in the next second, Mrs. Lin’s bright eyes instantly turned vacant. She timidly pulled her hand away from Lin Aoxue’s grasp and shifted her body to the side, distancing herself.

"Grandmother? Grandmother, what’s wrong? Say something to me." Seeing the sudden lifelessness in Mrs. Lin’s eyes, Lin Aoxue panicked. She grabbed the old woman’s shoulders, her emotions running high.

"AHH! AHH!"

Her forceful demeanor terrified Mrs. Lin, who let out incoherent cries and struggled violently to prevent Lin Aoxue from touching her.

"How did she end up like this..." Lin Aoxue stumbled back two steps, staring in disbelief at her grandmother’s guarded expression.

"There, there, it’s okay. Mom, don’t be afraid. It’s alright now," Lin Guodong said in a soothing voice, expertly pulling Mrs. Lin into an embrace and gently patting her back to calm her down.

After about ten minutes, Mrs. Lin finally quieted down and fell into a deep sleep on the bed.

"Why has Grandmother become like this?" Lin Aoxue asked, her voice choking as she looked at the haggard old woman on the bed.

"Although your grandmother has developed dementia, the events of that day left a deep shadow in her heart," Lin Guodong explained. "Normally, no one but me can touch her. If anyone else tries, she goes into a frenzy.

"At first, she couldn’t even recognize anyone. Then, yesterday, her condition suddenly became critical. After some emergency treatment, they temporarily saved her life.

"But the doctor said this is merely a case of terminal lucidity. Within a week, she will..."

Lin Guodong couldn’t finish his sentence. His voice hitched, and he turned his head away to secretly wipe his tears.

Hearing this, Lin Aoxue fell silent. Now, she was even more unsure of what to choose.

"Take good care of Grandmother. I will carefully consider the agreement. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now."

She didn’t dare to stay any longer; seeing Mrs. Lin in such a state, Lin Aoxue was afraid her resolve would crumble. Leaving those words behind, she turned to leave in a hurry.

"Xue’er!" Lin Guodong suddenly called out from behind her.

Lin Aoxue’s footsteps paused, and she ultimately stayed where she was.

"Is there something else?" she asked, slowly turning around to face him.

"I’m sorry. Everything that happened before was my fault. Can you forgive me?" Lin Guodong looked at her with utmost sincerity, a trace of tenderness in his eyes.

Lin Aoxue’s heart violently trembled, and her body quivered slightly. However, not all mistakes could be forgiven with a simple apology.

"I accept your apology, but I cannot forgive you," she said. "When you sold me out to the Xiao Family time and time again, I gave up on you completely."