"Because you might still need the desk upstairs," Lynn replied in a flat tone, her face expressionless. "I shouldn't affect you because of myself, so I should come down to the dining table to study."
Not affecting others because of one's own reasons, yielding good things to others, and leaving the less-than-ideal for oneself—this was an etiquette etched into her bones and blood, a constraint written into her soul.
Hermione frowned and gathered the things Lynn used for writing her essay into her arms. "Don't always think about others; think more about yourself. You're the one who should be put first, aren't you?"
If you don't even consider yourself, why would others give you priority? Wouldn't that just leave you getting the short end of the stick?
Hermione expressed her confusion at Lynn's mindset. She couldn't understand why Lynn subconsciously put others before herself.
However, if Hermione were to voice all her thoughts, Lynn might have replied that suffering a loss is a blessing, and not being too calculative is a basic rule of etiquette.
Mrs. Granger walked over and gently stroked Hermione's head. At her current age, she had already seen many Easterners like Lynn.
Most of them were like Lynn, not competing or grabbing. Sometimes, they would even yield opportunities and praise that belonged to them to others.
In response, Mrs. Granger could only say she respected their ways, but understanding them was too difficult; cultural differences made it hard to do so.
Now that she had met Lynn, Mrs. Granger barely understood why they could do it. They did it as children and were taught that way, so they naturally continued as adults. After all, it had become a "habit."
As for Lynn herself, Mrs. Granger felt she seemed to go a step further than other Easterners in this regard. Even in a small matter like where to do homework, she thought of leaving the desk for Hermione.
And Hermione wasn't even planning to use the desk at that moment. Mrs. Granger could respect the personal choices and practices of adults.
But for Lynn, she couldn't help but want to say a few words. Otherwise, she didn't know how many opportunities and treatments that originally belonged to her would be lost in the future because of this habit.
"Lynn, what belongs to you, or what you can strive for, you must work hard to get. And you should strive for the best. Don't yield when you shouldn't. Do you understand?"
Mrs. Granger looked at Lynn earnestly. This child was just too sensible. A child who is too sensible... will be bullied by others.
Lynn's expression was blank. Mrs. Granger's words created a severe conflict with the cognition in her brain.
Not competing, yielding, and being humble—wasn't that what was in the books?
With two ideologies clashing in her mind, Lynn couldn't forcefully distinguish who was right or wrong. She could only nod at Mrs. Granger with an unchanging face.
"Okay, thank you, Auntie. I will try my best to do that."
Listening to Lynn's voice devoid of any ups and downs, and looking at her expressionless face, Mrs. Granger suddenly felt a sense of incongruity in her heart.
Could simple parental suppression and immersion in study really turn a person into this?
It was normal for someone to become quiet and less responsive to the outside world, but not to the point of being this rigid and indifferent to external stimuli.
Looking at Lynn like this, she couldn't help but think of a certain infamous treatment in history, and she felt a chill run down her spine.
Forcing herself to calm down, Mrs. Granger smiled at Hermione. "Hermione, take Lynn upstairs to rest. Chat with each other or something, and don't let her study anymore. It's the first night of the holidays; have a good relax."
"Okay." Hermione nodded, took Lynn's hand, and walked upstairs.
Before leaving, Lynn politely bid goodnight to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. "Auntie, Uncle, goodnight."
Only after saying that did she follow Hermione upstairs. Watching the two children turn the corner, Mrs. Granger guessed they could no longer hear, then turned to her husband. Her forehead was already covered in cold sweat.
"Don't you think Lynn's appearance is very similar to those people?"
Being doctors themselves—though dentists—they both knew relevant medical history. Thus, Mr. Granger understood exactly what his wife was talking about.
He frowned, his heart also thumping violently. "It shouldn't be... that kind of surgery was banned long ago. It's illegal. Which doctor would dare to do it?"
"And no matter what Lynn's parents are like, they are still her mom and dad. They wouldn't be that heartless, would they? Besides, even if they were that heartless, there's no reason. Destroying someone like that just to make them obedient?"
"Medical technology is so advanced now, and that surgery was proven harmful long ago. No one could really be that ignorant..."
Mr. Granger didn't continue, because he wasn't sure what Lynn's situation actually was.
"Whatever," Mrs. Granger shook her head. "Let's not go to the clinic tomorrow. We'll take Lynn for a comprehensive physical exam. We might as well have Hermione do one too. We'll know if something's wrong once they're checked."
"Alright." Mr. Granger nodded, agreeing with his wife's decision. It was better to check; if there was something wrong, they could find a way to treat it, and if not, they could rest easy.
On the other side, in Hermione's room upstairs, Hermione was sitting on the bed playing with Lynn's hair.
Lynn leaned blankly against the headboard, letting Hermione's fingers continuously twirl her hair.
"Sigh..." Hermione sighed. "People used to say I loved studying and was a bookworm. Now, comparing myself to you, I feel like I'm practically too lively."
"Who is so eager to study and do homework the very first night they get home for the holidays? At least let yourself rest a bit."
Lynn's eyes were as still as an ancient well without a single ripple as she shook her head.
"Homework is just the basic requirement. I must complete it as quickly as possible and then devote myself to independent study. Holidays are the best time to overtake others on a curve. I cannot be overtaken by others, and I must use this time to surpass them."
"Overtake... on a curve?" Hermione looked confused. Did that term mean what she thought it meant?
Passing the car in front while on a curve? Isn't that prone to accidents? And what did that have to do with Lynn saying homework was just the foundation and she needed independent study?
Shaking her head, Hermione wisely decided not to dwell on the term if she couldn't understand it. Regardless, she keenly sensed that she probably wouldn't like its true meaning.
Giving up on agonizing over the phrase, Hermione's eyes darted around as she thought of a good idea.
"Ahem, Lynn, let's discuss something."
Lynn slowly turned her head to look at Hermione, her tone indifferent and without a ripple. "Okay, go ahead."
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