Chapter 22
“I really was the one who paid for it; Mengyao ran out of money and used all she had to support the family.” Xu Ke looked at the increasingly tense Lin Mengyao and said expressionlessly to Li Lihua.
“You said you paid for it, but you don’t have a job. Where did you get the money to buy a car?” Li Lihua asked incredulously.
“I won the lottery a couple of days ago. I thought it was inconvenient for Mengyao, as a girl, to take the crowded buses and subways to work every day, so I used the money to buy her a car.”
“You used all the lottery money?” Li Lihua widened her eyes and asked Xu Ke.
“Yes, all of it.” Xu Ke nodded and said.
“We’ve provided for you for so long, and the first thing you do with your winnings is not to buy something for dad and mom, but rather you use it all to buy your sister a car. You’re really an ungrateful wretch who knows nothing about filial piety.” Li Lihua’s eyes were red with jealousy upon hearing that Xu Ke used his lottery winnings to buy things for Lin Mengyao.
At the dining table, not only Lin Mengchen but also Li Lihua’s eyes were red. She let out two deep breaths of suppressed frustration and said, “You’ve been freeloading off our family for so many years, and we haven’t asked you for a penny. If you had any conscience, wouldn’t the first thing you do after winning be to hand over the money to compensate for what our family has done for you all these years? Since you spent it on a car, the car belongs to our family. Don’t think that just because you spent the money, it belongs to you. Do you hear me?”
“Mom, that car…” Lin Mengyao couldn’t help but call out.
“What car? You have a problem with what I’m saying?” Li Lihua slammed her chopsticks on the table and said.
Lin Mengyao was about to say something when Xu Ke gently nudged her foot under the table, prompting her to swallow the rest of her words.
With Lin Mengyao’s car taken away, a trace of satisfaction appeared on Lin Mengchen’s face. She turned her eyes as if she suddenly thought of something and put down her bowl and chopsticks to plead with Li Lihua in a sweet tone, “Mom, in a few days, my classmate’s birthday party is at the Grand Emperor Hotel in the city center. All the attendees will be rich. I don’t want to take a taxi and be looked down upon by my classmates. Can I use the family’s Ferrari, please, mom?” Lin Mengchen pulled on Li Lihua’s arm and looked at Lin Mengyao with a challenging gaze.
“Sure, why not? You’re our little princess. You can use the Ferrari for now, and your father and I will use the Audi,” Li Lihua said with a smile, pinching Lin Mengchen’s nose and completely forgetting that the car was bought for Lin Mengyao’s commute.
“Thank you, mom! I knew you loved me the most, I love you so much,” Lin Mengchen said happily, hugging Li Lihua’s neck with affection, giving Lin Mengyao a proud look as she did so.
The mother and daughter reached an agreement, laughing contentedly together. They seemed harmonious, with a motherly bond, while from a young age, she was told she was the eldest daughter and should shoulder the responsibilities as the elder sister. So, she had always told herself to be steady, not to cause trouble for the family, and to be sensible so as not to make the family worry. Such acts of clinging to her parent’s neck and acting spoiled had not happened since she could remember.
Suddenly seeing such behavior now, her heart felt sour and bitter, as if something inside was fermenting, bubbling up with acid, and the delicious food suddenly lost its taste.
“I’m full, I’ll go back to my room first,” Lin Mengyao said as she put down her half-eaten dinner and left. Before leaving, she could still hear Lin Mengchen whining and pestering Lin’s father and mother behind her, as if she were an outsider.
“Thank you, but no need, I’m already full. You shouldn’t have stopped me just now. I’ll get the Ferrari back for you, and even if I can’t, I’ll repay you the money,” Lin Mengyao said, feeling she already owed Xu Ke too much, not wanting to owe him anything more.
Lin Mengyao’s eagerness to draw a clear line unsettled Xu Ke for a moment, but in the next second, he returned to normal as if nothing had happened. “There’s no need; that car was meant to be a gift to you. The decision is yours.”
Lin Mengyao saw Xu Ke’s expression and lightly moved her lips, saying, “Thank you. I seem to have not told you yet; I’ve become the project’s manager.”
“Congratulations! Let me take you out to celebrate tomorrow,” Xu Ke offered.
“No need. The construction site is far from home, and it’s inconvenient to go back and forth. I’m planning to stay there for a few days and come back when I’m done.”
Lin Mengyao’s decision came suddenly, catching Xu Ke completely unprepared, as if an invisible hand had struck him to the ground like in Hell. He struggled to put a smile back on his face, wanting to ask Lin Mengyao: Do you have to avoid me like this? But he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth, not wanting to hear any more words from her that he didn’t want to hear.
“Then you, being a girl, should be careful on the construction site. Please take care of yourself, find a safe place to live, and don’t forget to eat three meals a day when you’re busy.”
Xu Ke’s voice gradually diminished until it fell completely silent. Seeing Xu Ke had nothing more to say, Lin Mengyao nodded, making a sound neither too loud nor too soft, indicating she heard him, and then walked into the bathroom. As the bathroom door closed, Xu Ke’s expression turned dark as if the sadness would solidify.
The construction site and home are in the same city, how far could it possibly be? Moving out was just a way to avoid him, a way to tell him not to seek her out. Xu Ke watched his distinct, long fingers slowly clench into a fist, his sorrowful eyes replaced with determination. He heard a voice within himself telling him that no matter what, he must hold the other person tightly in his hand and never let go.
Inside the bathroom, Lin Mengyao turned on the shower, letting the warm water hit her face and closed her eyes.
She owed Xu Ke a debt of gratitude. If she could, she would also try her best to repay him, but that doesn’t mean she would risk herself for it. She clearly knew she didn’t love him. So, it’s time to leave for a while, give him a cooling-off period to forget about this affection, Lin Mengyao thought as she wiped the water from her face.