M Mo, what the sisters did in the past was wrong. Since everyone happens to be here today, we all want to apologize to you," Lin Niao spoke first, her voice filled with genuine remorse.
"I'm sorry."
Then, the second and third sisters followed suit, lowering their heads as they echoed her words.
"I'm sorry."
Yang Mo's expression remained indifferent. His dark eyes carried no warmth as he coldly responded, "There's nothing to be sorry for. You don't owe me anything, and I don't owe you anything. We're strangers—just strangers, that's all."
If he hadn't been reborn, he would already be dead. Would an apology mean anything to a dead man?
Lin Cohen was stunned. He never thought that his proud, noble sisters would ever apologize to Yang Mo. The very idea seemed absurd to him. How could they lower themselves before a feral child raised by a pauper? What exactly had changed?
As realization dawned on him, panic began to rise in his chest. If things continued this way, his position in the Lin family would become more precarious. If Yang Mo managed to gain Joy Fang's trust, what would happen to the shares of the Lin family? If they were allocated to Yang Mo, he would be completely finished.
A response was quickly forming in his mind. He had to act before things spiraled further out of his control.
It wasn't long before the kitchen staff served the dishes, and everyone took their seats at the lavishly decorated dining table. The aroma of fresh seafood and fragrant stir-fried dishes filled the air. Lobster, abalone, sashimi, and a hot assortment of delicacies adorned the table, accompanied by fine fruit platters and expensive red wine.
"Little Mo, try this prawn. It's especially delicious. I had the kitchen prepare it just for you," Joy Fang said with a hopeful smile. She picked up a plump prawn with her chopsticks and placed it into Yang Mo's bowl.
Yang Mo's expression turned cold. He glanced at the prawn in front of him before speaking in a low, deliberate tone. "Ms. Joy, do you want me to die?"
The entire room fell silent.
Lin Andong immediately slammed his palm against the table. "Yang Mo, don't go too far! Your mother is being kind and offering you food. How could you say something like that?"
The sisters also frowned in confusion. "M Mo, what's wrong with you? Mom didn't do anything wrong."
"That's right, brother Yang Mo. If Mom gave me food, I'd be thrilled. You're really being unreasonable!" Lin Cohen added, feigning innocence. He was waiting for Joy Fang to reprimand Yang Mo, just like she always had in the past.
Yang Mo remained silent for several moments, staring at the prawn in his bowl before he finally spoke. "I'm allergic to shrimp. I'm sure you didn't know that, did you?"
The dining hall grew deathly still.
Allergic?
None of them had ever realized this. Or rather, they had never bothered to notice.
Joy Fang felt as though a knife had been plunged into her heart. How could she, his biological mother, not know something so basic about her own son?
"I… I didn't know…" she murmured, shame evident in her trembling voice.
The sisters, too, lowered their heads, realizing their own negligence. Just moments ago, they had thought Yang Mo was being unreasonable, but now they could see how little they had truly cared about him.
"No need to apologize." Yang Mo's voice was eerily calm. "I never expected you to know in the first place. I was never important enough for any of you to notice."
Lin Cohen clenched his jaw. He hated the way everyone suddenly seemed so guilty. It was always about Yang Mo now. This orphan, this outsider, had suddenly become the center of attention.
Joy Fang quickly pinched the prawn away from Yang Mo's plate and placed it into Lin Cohen's bowl.
Lin Cohen's face burned with embarrassment. Since when had he ever been given food that someone else didn't want?
Yang Mo scoffed. "This shrimp suits your son better anyway. Isn't this his favorite?"
Joy Fang stiffened. Lin Cohen did love seafood, particularly the Australian lobster, a dish worth thousands. She realized, with a sinking heart, that Yang Mo knew more about this family than they had ever known about him.
She forced a smile, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere. "M Mo, you must be hungry. Let Mom get you something else. What would you like to eat?"
"I'm not hungry. You all go ahead." Yang Mo shook his head, his tone flat.
"How could you not be hungry? You haven't eaten since school," Lin Ying tried to say gently, her voice uncharacteristically soft.
Yang Mo blinked, momentarily taken aback. Lin Ying… gentle? Was this really happening?
"Even if you want to draw a line with us, that doesn't mean you should starve yourself," Lin Niao added, standing up and reaching for a plate. She took a slice of cake and placed it in front of him. "Just eat something."
Yang Mo remained silent, staring at the slice of cake.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't sure what to do.