Yang Mo never expected that things would reach such a ridiculous conclusion. Once again, Lin Cohen resorted to deceit, fabricating evidence, and, in the end, pulling a desperate trick to frame him. What an act. And to think, all of this was just to push him out of the Lynn family.
His sisters, Lin Xia and Lin Ruan, wanted to say something to persuade him to stay, but their words died before they could be spoken. What could they say? Would anyone willingly stay in a family where they were treated so unfairly? Yang Mo had endured this treatment for over a year. Now, it was enough.
As he turned and walked away, the two sisters exchanged a look filled with guilt and helplessness. Once Yang Mo disappeared from sight, Lin Xia took out her phone and called their mother, Jo Eong.
"Mom… Mo is gone."
At that moment, Jo Eong stood outside the hospital's operating room. Lin Cohen's injuries were severe enough to require stitches, and in the rush to get him treated, she had completely forgotten about Yang Mo. The realization hit her like a brick.
"What? We left Mo behind again?" she muttered, a pang of regret in her voice. "I was in such a hurry... I'll call him later to apologize. Right now, I can't leave—your brother is still in surgery. Just try to calm Mo down for now. I'll make it up to him later."
But Lin Xia was done making excuses. "Mom, just focus on your dear son. You always have."
With that, she ended the call, her heart brimming with resentment. Right now, she couldn't care less about Lin Cohen's injuries. What infuriated her more was how Lin Cohen had once again successfully framed Yang Mo.
"Ruan, do you see it now? Lin Cohen isn't as innocent as he pretends to be. He's been scheming for a long time."
Lin Ruan nodded solemnly. The truth had finally become clear. Lin Cohen's ability to frame Yang Mo with such ease suggested that this wasn't the first time. Who knew how many other times he had done it in the past?
"When Mom comes back, I'm telling her about how Lin Cohen stole the bracelet," Lin Xia declared. "She needs to stop being fooled by him."
With that, the two sisters returned to the villa to gather evidence of Lin Cohen's scheming.
Meanwhile, Yang Mo had taken a bus and arrived home in no time. As he stepped inside, he found his adoptive parents sitting in the living room, washing eggs in preparation for the next morning's tea eggs.
"Mom, Dad, let me help you with that," he offered.
Fang Dongmei looked up and smiled warmly. "Mo, you're back! No need, dear. There aren't many eggs, so we'll be done soon. Oh, by the way, that girl, Xingyu, came looking for you. She said to drop by when you got back."
"Xingyu? Alright, I'll head over now," Yang Mo replied before stepping out again.
Xingyu's house was nearby, just in a different building in the same neighborhood. A few minutes later, he knocked on the door, only to be greeted by a sight that made him blink in surprise.
Xingyu's usually pristine face was covered in soot, and she smelled heavily of burnt charcoal. Behind her, her parents, Uncle Jiang and Aunt Feng, were also covered in grime.
"Uh... Auntie, Uncle? What happened?"
"The gas tank in the kitchen exploded," Xingyu said with a straight face.
Uncle Jiang quickly stepped forward with an embarrassed chuckle. "Mo, come in! We were just testing out a new dish."
Xingyu grabbed Yang Mo's hand and tugged him inside. "Brother Yang Mo, we're having a barbecue at home!"
Yang Mo raised an eyebrow. "Barbecue? You mean you guys are the ones getting grilled, right?"
"Haha, you're such a jokester!" Uncle Jiang laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, we were thinking of testing some recipes. If it works out, we might open a stall to earn some extra money."
Yang Mo nodded in understanding. He knew Uncle Jiang had been struggling since getting laid off, so trying something like a barbecue stall made sense.
"So... how's the barbecue research going?" Yang Mo asked.
Uncle Jiang sighed. "Well, in theory, it should work, but in practice..."
"The barbecue tastes awful," Xingyu interrupted mercilessly.
"Hey! It's not that bad—" Uncle Jiang began.
"Dad, don't sugarcoat it. It's poison," Xingyu said bluntly.
Yang Mo chuckled. "Poison? Surely it's not that bad."
"See for yourself!" Xingyu dragged him into the kitchen.
On the counter sat a grill with something black and crusty on top. Yang Mo picked up a skewer and inspected it closely before turning to Aunt Feng and Uncle Jiang with a puzzled expression.
"Auntie, why are you skewering charcoal?"
Xingyu snorted. "Brother Yang Mo, that's not charcoal. That's supposed to be a shiitake mushroom."
Yang Mo stared at the blackened skewer. "...Oh. I see."
Xingyu crossed her arms. "I told you. Poison."
Uncle Jiang sighed in defeat. "Maybe we should just give up. I don't think we're cut out for this."
Aunt Feng nodded. "Other people make grilling look so easy. Why does ours look like a failed science experiment?"
Yang Mo rolled up his sleeves. "Why don't I give it a try?"
Aunt Feng looked surprised. "Mo, you know how to barbecue?"
"Of course!" Xingyu chirped. "Brother Yang Mo is good at everything! He even took me out to grill chicken wings before."
Uncle Jiang's eyes lit up. "Then you're our last hope! Show us how it's done, Mo!"
With a grin, Yang Mo grabbed the tongs, ready to turn their kitchen disaster into a delicious meal.