Chapter 90: Honest Thoughts

"You tell me?" Lin Zhenyuan’s tone rose at the end, and he did not answer his daughter directly. "If I hadn’t found out, were you planning to keep this from us forever?"

"How could I? If I meant to hide it from anyone, I’d never hide it from you!" Lin Luyou laughed it off and tried to sweet-talk him, but inside she was already feeling bitter.

When she asked her grandmother for help, she had deliberately not said it was about her job, precisely to avoid this very situation. As her parents’ daughter, she knew their thoughts all too well after twenty years.

They had always wanted her to choose something easier, preferably an industry that was popular now and had strong prospects for the future. By that measure, apart from becoming a civil servant, the only kind of job they would truly approve of was one in the securities industry.

If they found out she had gone into the internet industry, where internal competition was brutally fierce...

Just thinking about it gave Lin Luyou a shiver.

"Dad, if I tell you the truth, can you help me cover for me with Mom?" Right now, all she wanted was to pull Lin Zhenyuan into the same trench.

While Lin Luyou was busily scheming, she had no idea that on the other end of the call, Lin Zhenyuan was holding the phone and looking uncertainly at his wife.

"And how exactly do you want your dad to cover for you?" came a woman’s voice all of a sudden.

Lin Luyou almost flung her phone away.

"Mom, you can’t just ambush me like that!"

"Ha! How am I ambushing you? Who’s the one sneaking around? Just a month ago, you were still promising at home that you’d go into securities and nowhere else. And look how much time has passed—now you’re secretly sending out resumes and job hunting behind our backs?"

"I’ve heard these internet companies work ninety-six hours over six days, leaving you with no time of your own. Someone as fond of fun as you—can you really stand a life that’s nothing but work?"

Jilan’s tone was stern, but beneath it was mostly concern that her daughter might not do well on the job.

"Mom, you can relax. That whole ninety-six over six thing is nonsense people make up. And look, I’m already off work now, aren’t I? Where’s the nine o’clock part of that supposed to be?"

Lin’s parents asked one question after another, and Lin Luyou patiently answered them one by one.

"...Since you’ve chosen this path, then work hard, understand? Don’t always think there’s a bow you can just draw and then take back."

"Of course. I’ll work hard, and I’ll make something of myself no matter what."

For some reason, after talking with her parents, Lin Luyou felt unusually light and free. Although Jilan’s words sounded half encouragement and half threat, they also made Lin Luyou see her parents’ true attitude toward her job.

She had thought they would only accept a daughter who obeyed and either took the civil service exam or went into securities. In truth, they only wanted her to live a comfortable life.

Once she understood that, Lin Luyou felt energy surging through her whole body. It was as if she could turn the car around and head back to the office right now, then stay and work overtime for several more hours.

Having support behind her, with the burden in her heart lifted, made her feel far braver.

By the time she got back to school, Lin Luyou was humming as she returned to the dormitory.

"I’m back!"

She pushed open the door and called out. But what met her eyes was nothing but darkness.

Right, she had said they would be out doing field research this week.

Thinking of that, the joy she had wanted to share with her friend was instantly doused.