The Lin family was the foremost family in Wangjiang City. Unlike the Wang, Fang, and Zhang families who were mentioned in the same breath in Fenglin City, the Lin family in Wangjiang City stood alone, unmatched and unrivaled.

Especially after Lin Zhengren overwhelmingly seized the first position in the Five-Year Dao Debate of the Three Cities, their prestige reached its zenith.

Although there was later the incident of Zhu Weiwei, alone with his spear, challenging the city, it was not just the Lin family who lost face that time, but the entire Wangjiang City. Therefore, the Lin family’s dominance suffered little damage.

Where some flourished, others languished.

The more they prospered, the deeper he sank.

The lucrative Lin family’s medicinal herb trade line was lost, and Lin Zhenglun fell from the clouds to the depths of despair overnight.

As a member of the Lin family, he naturally lacked for neither food nor clothing. But where once he had gathered friends at Wangjiang Pavilion, he now could only buy cheap wine in the streets and seek fleeting dreams in rundown taverns.

He resented it deeply, but he was powerless to change it.

Lin Zhengli was a direct descendant of the Lin family, an elite in the Wangjiang City Dao Academy. His father was the head of the Lin family, and his elder brother was Lin Zhengren!

What could he possibly compete with?

Some things were destined from birth. He hadn’t believed it before, but now he had no choice but to accept it.

…

“Fill it up!” Lin Zhenglun shambled into the tavern like a living corpse, throwing a large wine gourd onto the counter.

The tavern owner took the gourd, a troubled expression on his face. “Young Master Lin… the wine you took the last two times, it’s still…”

“What?” Lin Zhenglun suddenly straightened up, staring directly at the owner. “Afraid I can’t pay for the wine? We’ll settle it all at the end of the month!”

“Yes, yes, yes.” After all, he was a member of the Lin family; no matter how down on his luck, the tavern owner couldn’t afford to offend him. He could only lower his head and fill the gourd.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the tavern. “Isn’t this Brother Zhenglun?”

Lin Zhenglun turned around and saw Lin Zhengli, surrounded by a group of people. He seemed to be on some errand, passing by and hearing Lin Zhenglun’s argument with the tavern owner.

“Zhengli… Young Master Lin.” Lin Zhenglun said with difficulty. The current scene was too embarrassing, especially being caught by Lin Zhengli.

Lin Zhengli looked up at the sky, then at the crestfallen Lin Zhenglun, and smiled. “Quite the craving for wine, in broad daylight.”

“You must be laughing at me.” Lin Zhenglun forced a smile, picked up the wine gourd, and turned to leave.

He practically fled, like a stray dog.

“I suddenly remembered… the apothecary seems to have recently lost a steward, they need someone!” Lin Zhengli said behind him, seemingly casually.

Lin Zhenglun’s footsteps faltered.

He turned around, a forced, unnatural smile on his face. “Young Master Lin thinks… I’m suitable?”

“Brother Zhenglun’s abilities are naturally beyond question.” Lin Zhengli, still smiling, moved closer to the hunched Lin Zhenglun and said in a low voice, “I heard, the widow you married is quite beautiful… isn’t she?”

“Ruyi?” Lin Zhenglun took two steps back abruptly. “No, no! This won’t do!”

He shook his head vigorously, as if only that could resist the terrifying struggle within him. “This won’t do!”

Lin Zhengli straightened up, still maintaining his composed smile. “No need to force yourself.”

He turned and looked at the tavern owner, who was now wearing a fawning smile, pointed at Lin Zhenglun, and said loudly, “This is a member of my Lin family! Don’t you dare underestimate him! From now on, give him whatever wine he wants. Come to my Lin family at the end of the month for payment.”

The tavern owner responded loudly, “Yes! Young Master Lin has spoken, how would I dare be negligent!”

Lin Zhenglun forced a smile. “Thank you, Young Master Lin.”

“You’re welcome.” Lin Zhengli waved his hand and walked on.

The group of people once again crowded around him and went into the distance.

Complimentary voices drifted back.

“Young Master Lin is so righteous!”

“What Young Master Lin? No sense! Call him Young Clan Leader!”

…

Lin Zhenglun, carrying the wine gourd, stumbled back home.

The wine seemed particularly strong today. He had only taken two sips on the way, but he already felt drunk.

It was a two-courtyard house, kept clean and tidy. The front courtyard, in particular, had flowers and plants that were well-cared for and pleasing to the eye.

Lin Zhenglun lost his balance and knocked over a flowerpot. Annoyed, he simply kicked it to pieces!

*Crash!*

Song Ruyi rushed out of the inner room, unable to help but scold, “Lin Zhenglun! What madness are you spouting again?”

“None of your business!” Lin Zhenglun glanced at her askance, staggering towards the house.

Song Ruyi shifted, blocking his path, forcing down her grievances. “What do you mean by spending all day soaking in wine? Do you even want to live anymore?”

“Ha! Interesting.” Lin Zhenglun chuckled, holding up the wine gourd. “What, you want to divorce me?”

“Divorce then, so be it!”

“Ha! I didn’t hear you clearly. What did you say?”

Song Ruyi squeezed her eyes shut, forcing back her tears, and when she opened them again, they were cold. “I said, let’s divorce.”

“Ha! Ha!”

Lin Zhenglun laughed twice, then suddenly smashed the wine gourd on the ground!

The wine gourd bounced twice on the ground before rolling down the steps. The gourd itself didn’t break, but the stopper was knocked off, and the wine poured out. The entire courtyard was instantly filled with the smell of wine.

“Take a look at yourself!” Lin Zhenglun roared. “A widow, now about to be a cast-off! You think you can marry into a good family?”

Song Ruyi gritted her teeth and said hatefully, “Anything is better than being with a good-for-nothing!”

“What did you say? Say it again!” Lin Zhenglun strode forward, grabbed her by the neck, pinned her against the wall, and his eyes were bloodshot. “Say it again!”

Song Ruyi’s face turned red as she struggled. “You… strangle me to death! Anyway, this life… is worse than death!”

Lin Zhenglun released her, stumbling back two steps.

“You’re still wronged? You’re still feeling wronged, aren’t you?” Lin Zhenglun pointed at her. “You send money to Fenglin City! Send jade! Right? You’re using my money to support your ex-husband’s child! Do you know what state we’re in? I can barely afford wine!”

Song Ruyi coughed for a long time before catching her breath. She looked at the man before her, and it all felt so strange.

“Leaving aside whether I should be sending things to An’an or not. My dowry alone is enough for me to send her something different for ten years!”

“Your dowry?” Lin Zhenglun drawled out, then suddenly roared, “Where is it now?”

He shouted, “Why the hell do I have nothing?!”

“You got robbed because of your own incompetence, are you blaming me?”

“I’m incompetent? I’m incompetent!” Lin Zhenglun’s face turned red, no longer retaining even a trace of composure. “It’s just that I don’t have a good father! That short-lived ghost, other than the surname ‘Lin,’ left me nothing!”

He looked at Song Ruyi, saying viciously, “Otherwise, would I have married you? Let people laugh at me? Laugh at me for marrying a widow?”

“Now you嫌弃me for being a widow?”

Song Ruyi’s voice trembled. “You said you were a Lin family member, from a high-class background. Afraid people would look down on you, laugh at you. I even left An’an behind, and came with you to Wangjiang City!

I had her older brother take care of her, and her brother is only seventeen! Not even initiated! I even took his family’s property with me!

My heart has already been hardened like this. Isn’t it right for me to send her a little money? Huh? My Lin family member!”

She approached him, looking directly at Lin Zhenglun, and asked angrily, “A Lin family member who has nothing to eat, nothing to wear, living in a two-courtyard house?!”

*Slap!*

Lin Zhenglun slapped her to the ground.

“Absurd! Ridiculous!”

Lin Zhenglun turned and walked out, stepping into the puddle of wine, causing him to slip and fall to the ground.

He quickly got up and staggered out. “Too absurd! Utterly ridiculous!”

“Lin Zhenglun!” Song Ruyi lay on the ground, covering her face with her hands, tears streaming down, and gritting her teeth. “At this point, I’ll just ask you one question. When you said you loved me, was it true?”

“Aha, aha! Love?”

Lin Zhenglun kicked another flowerpot flying.

“To hell with it! What kind of vague and illusory thing is that?”

He fled out of the courtyard.

He didn’t know where he wanted to go, or where he could go. But it seemed that he had no face to stay any longer.

He had to leave, he had to run.

A stray dog, truly homeless.