Chapter 590: Quitting Smoking, Quitting Drinking, "Mother’s Love

Lin Chu didn’t know if Liszt would come over, nor could he be bothered to guess, but one thing was for sure: he wasn’t going to the Solomon Islands.

At this stage, there was only one thing to do: grow!

Grow without distractions!

Lay low.

Lay low until complete victory!

Objectively speaking, given his current situation, his assets, and his wealth, it really wasn’t a good idea to be high-profile anymore.

With this birthday past, he was another year older. It was time for a new attitude toward life.

The next morning, Lin Chu woke up bright and early and was already sweating buckets on the treadmill in his home gym.

A ten-kilometer run.

Ten sets of strength training.

Then, breakfast.

After breakfast, an hour of reading, half an hour of language study, then more exercise—swimming—right up until lunch.

A half-hour nap at noon, followed by an afternoon of “learning” from the “young masters” at the Martial Arts School, and then two hours of work in the evening.

Then, in bed before ten.

This routine…

Lu Ming, You Shaoqiang, and An Yunzhi were all stunned.

What was he doing?

“You quit smoking?”

Having keenly observed that Lin Chu hadn’t had a single cigarette since waking up, An Yunzhi asked with a hint of surprise.

With a slight smile, Lin Chu nodded gently. “Mhm, I quit. Starting today, I’m quitting smoking and drinking. I’ll study, exercise, face the sea, with spring warmth and blooming flowers.”

An Yunzhi: …

The man’s tone was dead serious, but for some reason, she found it completely nonsensical, even a little unhinged.

“What? Had a birthday and… decided on some self-improvement?”

An Yunzhi asked teasingly. It wasn’t a bad thing, of course, but she didn’t think Lin Chu had that kind of willpower.

“Mhm. And let me tell you a universal truth. If a man doesn’t smoke, drink, play cards, or gamble, doesn’t go to class reunions, and stays away from all sorts of messy social circles, focusing only on self-improvement and working hard every day, even living a life that others see as dry and uninteresting… then he must be… a lecher.”

An Yunzhi: “Ahem!”

The bizarre twist caught her completely off guard.

Lin Chu, however, couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He flopped onto the bed, spread-eagled, and pulled the covers over himself. “Time for bed!”

She: …

Somewhat speechless and not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she pursed her lips and silently slipped under the covers.

The lights went out, and the bedroom was plunged into darkness.

It was so quiet they could only hear the sound of their soft breathing.

After listening for a moment, An Yunzhi noticed Lin Chu wasn’t getting handsy like he usually did. Curiosity got the better of her, and she murmured, “Given up on lust, too?”

‘Saying that out loud was still a little embarrassing.’

‘It made her sound like she was the one taking the initiative.’

‘Thankfully, it was pitch-black—so dark you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face.’

‘But Lin Chu right now really was completely different from his usual self. It was as if he’d suddenly become a paragon of self-discipline. It was just absurd.’

“Not exactly…”

“I’m thinking about something.”

In the darkness, Lin Chu’s voice was calm and languid.

“What is it?”

“Thinking about whether to have a child this year.”

An Yunzhi: …

‘She was a little stunned.’

‘But she quickly snapped out of it.’

‘Okay, that explained it. All of his strange behavior today… he wanted a baby, so he’d started getting his body in shape.’

‘Of course, this matter had everything to do with her.’

‘After all, a man certainly couldn’t have a child all by himself.’

Taking a deep breath, An Yunzhi closed her eyes. Her eyelashes trembled in the darkness as she said softly, “Okay. I agree.”

‘Huh?’

This time, it was Lin Chu’s turn to be surprised, but the surprise was fleeting.

‘He hadn’t expected her to agree so readily.’

“Tell me your reasons.”

For some inexplicable reason, the words just slipped out of Lin Chu’s mouth.

An Yunzhi: Huh?

She couldn’t help but turn to face him. ‘Isn’t this what you wanted? Why are you asking me for a reason?’

‘She struggled to keep up with his train of thought.’

“What reason is there? Isn’t it just because we want one?”

Lin Chu closed his eyes, a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind. He had discussed this with Liang Jieyu before. Perhaps it was because he came from a “single-parent family,” but he was always filled with various anxieties and perfectionist fantasies.

He always wanted to give his children a perfect, happy childhood and a perfect life, but his own private life was so promiscuous… It wasn’t an issue of money, but an issue of love.

To choose, without hesitation, to shoulder the fate of another person—and your own flesh and blood at that—required immense courage.

“That’s a child, not a puppy or a kitten… My biggest fear is that when my son grows up, he’ll point at my nose and curse me, ‘You old bastard, you’re just a scumbag. You were out there fooling around while Mom waited at home alone every day…'”

Lin Chu said slowly.

Hearing this, An Yunzhi let out a sudden laugh. Not for any particular reason, she just found it genuinely funny.

‘Who would have thought that this man actually had such concerns deep down?’

“That doesn’t prove anything else. It only proves you chose the wrong woman.”

“A good mother, even if the father is absent during the child’s upbringing, will only tell her child how hard their dad works, how difficult his career is. Everything you have—the house you live in, the clothes you wear, every meal you eat, the education you receive, and the respect you get from everyone… none of it just fell from the sky. That’s what your old man was out there fighting for, with his wits and even his fists.”

An Yunzhi’s voice was calm, but her words flowed freely.

In the darkness, Lin Chu’s eyes snapped open. His expression, hidden in the shadows, was visibly moved.

“Have you given birth before?”

An Yunzhi: …Pah!

“No!”

“Don’t you know whether I’ve given birth or not?”

“It’s because my mother taught me that way…”

She offered a reason.

‘Lin Chu fell silent for a few seconds, feeling a wave of emotion. Damn, a good upbringing really is important.’

“Are you that kind of woman?”

Lin Chu suddenly turned on the light, his eyes fixed on her as he asked with a smile.

A slight smile bloomed on An Yunzhi’s lips. “I’m not sure. If I’m thinking clearly, then I should be. But I can’t rule out mental imbalance caused by hormonal changes or some major, unexpected event. The probability might not be high, but it still exists.”

“Ha, so precise.”

“Alright, it’s decided then. Let’s have one!”

Lin Chu said with a laugh, feeling as if he had conquered another of his inner fears.

It was a shadow from his childhood, an abyss in his heart—deep, bottomless, and tightly hidden—born from the absence of love as he grew up.

At this moment, Lin Chu saw his own heart with perfect clarity.

‘After chasing so many women, was I subconsciously seeking the “motherly love” I missed out on from my partners?’

‘What the hell?’

‘But unfortunately, most of the time, I was basically the one playing the role of the dominant conqueror.’

‘I conquered them, placed them in a subordinate position, and as they comfortably enjoyed that status, they would of course never exhibit the sanctity and selflessness of a “mother” figure.’

And now, faced with the question of having a child, his subconscious had finally manifested. Light was finally beginning to shine into what seemed like a bottomless abyss.