Chapter 599 - 39: The Cannon Fodder Daughter and Her Cannon Fodder Dad (Part 39)

Shen Yaoyao smiled with grace and warmth, not forgetting to offer comfort.

"It’s okay, the Master and I have the best relationship. If I plead on your behalf, he definitely won’t make things difficult for you."

After speaking, Shen Yaoyao distanced herself from Jiang Lai, smiled at her, and then turned to leave.

Her steps were light and carefree.

As she turned to leave, Jiang Lai whistled and then headed straight to the front yard.

Lin Gao was sitting in the living room drinking tea, and when he saw Jiang Lai, he quickly stood up, knowing she had also come, which is why he accepted the invitation to the family banquet.

[Are you done with your work?]

"Someone helped, so I didn’t need to do it myself."

Lin Gao proactively invited Jiang Lai to sit down. Just then, the factory manager’s wife returned from outside, holding a cat in her arms, and upon seeing Jiang Lai, she asked with a hint of skepticism,

"Aren’t you here to cook? Why are you sitting here?"

Her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Chefs usually carry a smell of oil and smoke, and would definitely leave a scent on her new sofa cushions.

Lin Gao glanced at her, his gaze dark, his expression unchanged as he made a gesture.

[She is my friend, and I invited her to sit on my house’s sofa]

The factory manager’s wife didn’t understand Lin Gao’s gesture, but Zhang Shuci, who followed her, did.

"Mom, what brother means is that she is his friend, and he said this is his house’s sofa."

This word "home" instantly dulled the smile on the factory manager’s wife’s face significantly.

Looking at Lin Gao, surrounded by guests outside, she couldn’t say anything.

"Oh, right, as long as Lin Gao is willing, this is forever your home. Continue chatting then. Are you thirsty? Should I get someone to pour you a cup of water?"

Before, Lin Gao never responded to such words, just silently hung his head.

Just as the factory manager’s wife thought he would remain silent like before, he suddenly nodded and unexpectedly said,

"Alright."

In the living room, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Zhang family mother and son stared at Lin Gao with an expression as if dreaming, especially the factory manager’s wife, whose gaze seemed as if she’d seen a ghost, her finger pointing at Lin Gao’s mouth shaking uncontrollably as she stammered,

"You, you just, you just spoke?!"

Zhang Shuci didn’t fare much better, his eyes quickly flashing disbelief mixed with a tad of regret and dissatisfaction.

The expressions of this mother and son were truly amusing, utterly disconnected from the concept of family.

Jiang Lai was also a bit surprised.

But soon she calmed down, smiling at Lin Gao, and then continued to listen to him speak.

"Yes, I spoke."

The pronunciation was very clear, but the pace was slow, a bit stiff and awkward, yet this didn’t affect how pleasing his voice was, deep but not gloomy, lending an inexplicable sense of safety.

The factory manager’s wife used all her strength to muster a smile, but even smiling was less effective than not smiling, for it was too forced, as if hooks pulled at the corners of her mouth from both sides.

Lin Gao suddenly speaking dealt her a significant blow.

She didn’t even care about her sofa anymore, her steps hurried and disorderly as she headed towards the backyard, while Zhang Shuci maintained a bit more composure, nodding towards Lin Gao,

"You actually can speak now, that’s a good thing, keep it up, and you should be able to communicate like a normal person."

"Don’t worry, that day will come quickly."

After Zhang Shuci left, Lin Gao looked at Jiang Lai and volunteered to explain.

"I wasn’t born unable to speak."

"I know, that’s amazing, this is such great news. Tonight, when I get back, I’ll definitely make a table full of dishes to celebrate."

Lin Gao saw the brightness in Jiang Lai’s eyes, genuinely happy for him from the bottom of her heart.

Being mute all these years had taught him to observe other people’s expressions to act, so he could always sensitively capture the glow in others’ eyes.

This glow couldn’t be faked, so he could discern others’ good and ill intentions towards him.

And now, Jiang Lai was happy.

She was happy for him.

A faint smile appeared at the corners of Lin Gao’s mouth.

"I originally wanted to tell you alone. But now, it’s just the same."

"When did you become able to speak?"

According to the original story, the antagonist was mute until the very end.

This abrupt ability to speak here surprised Jiang Lai, who knew the plot beforehand.

Little Buding was also bewildered; it was his first time encountering a character deviating so much from the plot setting.

Lin Gao looked at her, his gaze turning serious.

"Actually, I’ve always been able to say some things, but didn’t want to."

"Why do you feel like speaking now?"

Clearly, this was the result of extensive practice.

Lin Gao’s gaze never left Jiang Lai, and at this moment, Jiang Lai seemed to guess the answer.

He lowered his head, hesitating for a long time.

"Alright, if you don’t want to talk about it, don’t. Anyways, being able to speak is good, you’re so talented, able to speak makes you even more impressive."

Jiang Lai’s interruption left Lin Gao with slight regret.

But this emotion quickly dissipated because it didn’t matter; there was plenty of time, and he had enough opportunities to slowly chat with Jiang Lai.

The ideal situation would be sitting by a lake, then, just before dawn, he would sit beside her and slowly talk to her.

This was a scenario Lin Gao had envisioned many times.

Soon the factory manager quickened his steps to come over, evidently eager to verify.

"Little Gao, can you speak now?!"

Lin Gao nodded.

"Yes."

Seeing it firsthand was far more impactful than hearing from others.

After all, the doctors initially said he’d remain mute for life.

The old-timers in the factory wouldn’t ever consider having a mute take on leadership, which is why he spent his life idly outside.

But now, just as the Zhang family’s son had the capability to enter the factory and make a name for himself, Lin Gao could speak.

The factory manager felt a bit uneasy, but this unease was quickly suppressed.

The position of factory manager was already his, and the entire steel factory listened to him; there was no need to fear an orphan without support.

Even if he could speak, so what.

Could he possibly shake his status?

So after a brief daze, the factory manager’s face was filled with smiles again, seemingly sincerely happy for him, as he stepped forward to pat his shoulder.

"Oh, being able to speak is fantastic. Now I can face your parents proudly!"

The factory manager’s wife still seemed distracted, clearly affected by the fact that Lin Gao could speak.

Even though the manager had comforted her, saying Lin Gao posed no threat, the matter just upset her.

A perfectly silent person deciding to start speaking suddenly.

It was truly frustrating. Just thinking about Lin Gao starting to speak made her feel irritable and annoyed.

So when she went inside to touch up and return for the meal, discovering a missing gold bracelet from her jewelry box, in an instant, all her built-up dissatisfaction erupted.

She shouted loudly.