Chapter 205

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"It's cold outside."

Wu Meng had a very good reason: "Standing outside during the funeral procession, after a long time you can't bear it."

"Alright."

Lin Xiyu smiled with relief, then wrapped the scarf around her neck two more times, covering her mouth and nose, bundling up tightly, airtight.

"Now it's warm."

Wu Meng was very satisfied with her own suggestion.

"I won't chat with you anymore, I'm leaving."

Lin Xiyu got dressed, not wanting to delay any longer, and as she spoke she lifted the curtain and went out.

Wu Meng saw her to the doorway of the small courtyard, watching her turn into the adjacent alley until her figure disappeared, then impatiently took out her mobile phone and called Guben.

She spoke a bit loudly, and Lin Xiyu heard it carried on the wind, smiling knowingly, without a moment's pause under her feet, she continued walking toward County West Lane.

—

Lu Yuntang * Lao Jinan Lu Cuisine Restaurant.

When Lin Xiyu arrived, the private room was already full of people.

What surprised her especially was that, besides her maternal grandmother and her mother Chen Xiulan, all the other relatives had come.

"Sister, sister..."

Chen Xiaoyi (Xu Yi took his mother's surname and changed his name) and his little female cousin Nana, only five years old, seeing her enter the door, scrambled to run over.

Chen Xiaoyi was already a thirteen-year-old boy and could no longer recklessly hug his sister and romp around; he was beaten to the best spot by his little female cousin, and threw himself into his sister's arms.

Lin Xiyu bent over and picked up Nana, kissing her pink cheek, making the little female cousin giggle happily.

"You girl, you've kept it really secret..."

The female cousin pretended to be dissatisfied and complained: "Guben came back from the United States and didn't tell me; if it weren't for what grandmother said, we wouldn't have known about this at all."

"I was going to tell you all after I got back."

Lin Xiyu put on a bitter face to gain pity: "It can't be explained clearly over the phone; too many things happened, I've become somewhat numb, sometimes it feels like a dream, I can almost no longer tell dream from reality."

"What's going on? I see you don't look too good?"

The female cousin indeed softened her heart and couldn't bear to blame her anymore.

"There are too many troublesome things; can't finish saying them in a short while..."

Lin Xiyu had her concerns and didn't want her negative emotions to affect everyone's mood.

"I'm your sister."

The female cousin smiled and scolded affectionately: "We are real sisters; grandmother specially called me to comfort you; others might not say it, but wouldn't they tell me?"

Lin Xiyu tugged at the corner of her mouth and said nothing.

"Leilei, forget it..."

Da Yifu saw her reluctance and didn't force her: "Xiyu doesn't want to say, then don't say; today is the fifteenth of the first lunar month, let's set unhappy things aside for now; let's eat first, and after eating you two sisters find a place alone to talk properly."

"I'm just anxious."

The female cousin couldn't bear to see Lin Xiyu in low spirits and couldn't wait a moment.

"Listen to your dad."

Aunt Da glared at her discontentedly: "You're already over twenty years old, and still so flustered; when something happens you can't keep calm."

"Fine, fine, fine, my fault, I won't ask, okay?"

The mother-up adult spoke, and the female cousin had to listen.

"Let the waiter serve the dishes."

The sister-in-law rubbed her stomach and smiled to smooth things over: "I really am a bit hungry."

The male cousin and his sister-in-law held their wedding two years ago; now the sister-in-law was already pregnant, with a big belly, raised fair and plump, looking at first glance like a wife-blessing type, a very prosperous-looking person.

"I'll go say..."

The male cousin, fearing his son would go hungry, nimbly stood up from the chair and walked out of the private room.

"Sister-in-law, how many months along? About to give birth?'

Lin Xiyu found it amusing and took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Eight months."

The sister-in-law was of a gentle disposition; when she smiled, two small dimples appeared on her face, looking very pleasing.

"No wonder your belly is so big..."

Lin Xiyu smiled knowingly: "Looks like twins."

"It's a boy."

Da Yifu was so happy he couldn't close his mouth.

"Da Yifu is really happy now."

Lin Xiyu smiled and echoed: "Eldest son and eldest grandson; your old Liu family has an heir now."

"Actually our family prefers girls..."

Da Yifu's stock phrases came readily: "Doesn't matter if it's a boy or not; Liu Jian and his sister—I dote on Leilei more, never let the girl suffer."

"That's true..."

Cousin quickly took up: "My dad really treats me well. For our company, he really put in the effort. Collecting debts before New Year—luckily my dad was there. If it were just me alone, I'd really be at a loss..."

"Ah?"

Lin Xiyu looked surprised: "Da Yifu went to collect debts too?"

"My sister's husband is quite a talent..."

Uncle smiled and played along: "Banging gongs, leading people in slogans, when reporters came, he had a whole set of routines. He turned debtors into jokes, made them into catchy rhymes, and the reporters were stunned one by one. They were originally dissatisfied with us, disliking us for blocking the door and occupying the road, but he stubbornly turned them into supporters."

"That's a brilliant move..."

Lin Xiyu clapped her hands in praise: "How did Da Yifu put it? Give me a piece too."

"That's easy, I'll just make something up..."

Da Yifu rolled up his sleeves and got excited, just about to perform, when he was mercilessly interrupted by Aunt Da.

"It's New Year, what's this talk of credit? Unlucky. We finally got the money back, don't mention those troublesome things."

Da Yifu's smile froze, and the words he was about to blurt out were forcibly swallowed back.

"Hehe."

Chen Xiaoyi found it funny and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Our family clearly has the grandmother calling the shots..."

Cousin's wife joked with a smile: "Absolute say, no one dares to oppose."

"Cough cough."

Da Yifu coughed awkwardly twice, his expression somewhat unnatural.

"No one's forcing him to listen if he doesn't want to."

Aunt Da had a knot in her heart; just thinking about Da Yifu's female colleague made her angry. For the children's sake, she didn't divorce, but she still felt bad inside.

"Must listen, must listen..."

Da Yifu gave an awkward laugh: "Listening to your wife means someone dotes on you, you don't suffer losses, right, Old Chen?"

"What smart mouth are you showing off in front of your daughter-in-law?"

Aunt Da glared at him displeased.

"Mom and Dad's relationship is really good..."

Cousin's wife was the only one present who didn't know Aunt Da had a knot in her heart; in her eyes, it looked like flirting.

"What's wrong with my brother?"

Cousin saw Aunt Da's face darken even more, and decisively changed the topic: "Calling the waiter to serve a dish is so slow."

"Coming, coming."

Cousin pushed the door in at that moment, and several hotel servers carrying trays came back with him.

"The dishes are here, the dishes are here..."

Chen Xiaoyi clapped his hands to liven up the atmosphere.

Little cousin followed him, pulling out her childish little voice to shout.

With delicious food, the private room instantly became lively. Everyone put their troubles behind them, raised their cups, drank heartily, and ate with great relish.

—

"Sister Lei, what's going on between you and Brother Xiao? You've been dating for two years, right? Don't you have plans to get married?"

With relatives accompanying her, Lin Xiyu was in a good mood to joke and chat. The two sisters left the private room, found a quiet corner in the hotel, and whispered secrets.

"I don't want to get married."

Cousin was very firm: "There are a ton of things inside and outside the decoration company. I hold it all up alone. I can't leave for a moment. Let alone getting married, even treating you to a meal requires me to squeeze out time with difficulty."

"I originally planned to go to Weifang today. There's a project there that needs bidding, and the itinerary was all arranged. Grandma called to say you and your mom had a falling out again and you were in a bad mood, so I temporarily arranged for Xiao Zhou to take others there first..."

"Can he do it?"

Lin Xiyu felt full of guilt: "If they don't win the bid, wouldn't that delay your making money?"

"It's fine."

Cousin didn't care: "Even if I went, I might not win either. It's just trying my luck. People in our line of work, not winning bids is too normal. I run around all day, I've run all over the province. I haven't stayed in one place for more than twenty-four hours. I go and return the same day. When there's a new project, I rush to the next city immediately. At least half of every month is spent on the road, and the other half at the wine table. If you want to talk business, there's never a time without socializing..."

Lin Xiyu looked worried: "Can your body take it like this?"

"Even if I can't take it, I have to endure. Making money isn't that easy..."

Cousin stretched out her leg, lifted her pant leg to show her: "Look at my calf. Press it and it dents. Relatives and friends all say I've gotten fat, but it's actually from being tired, edema..."

"You're like this already, and you won't even let yourself rest."

Lin Xiyu felt heartbroken: "Making money isn't as important as life. If you keep going like this, once your body breaks down, no amount of money can buy it back."

"I have to go all out..."

Cousin smiled helplessly: "As they say, before forty, trade life for money; after forty, trade money for life. I'm deeply feeling that now."

"Can't you force yourself to rest?"

"I still owe the bank a loan that hasn't been paid back—over ten million. If I don't take on projects, I'll be ruined. Just the interest could be fatal..."

"Why did you borrow so much money?"

Lin Xiyu couldn't believe it.

"Bought a floor of office space near Dong Outer Ring Road by Yanshan Interchange, and moved the company address there..."

Cousin spoke of the company's future with full confidence: "Although the area isn't too large, the location is good. Someone has already heard the wind. They're going to build a road to the east, extending from Yanshan Interchange all the way east. Once Shi Dong East Road is completed, house prices will rise immediately. Buying now is exactly the right time."

"I truly admire you."

Lin Xiyu sighed endlessly: "Your courage is extraordinary. First you borrowed Liu Ye's money to buy shops, made money and opened a company, and now you've borrowed from the bank too."

"What's the big deal? My little tricks..."

Cousin didn't take it to heart: "Wang Fan and those in construction—that's the real 'catching a wolf with empty hands.' They trick the bank into loans for land, use homebuyers' down payments for financing. They don't spend a penny themselves and still gain huge profits."

"If they keep doing this, something will happen sooner or later."

Lin Xiyu frowned, not wanting to hear anything related to Wang Fan.

"The real estate market is booming right now..."

Her female cousin didn't think much of it and continued: "Financing is going smoothly, sales are booming; as long as capital turnover isn't a problem, they can keep making huge profits."

"This person never has a proper moment."

Lin Xiyu showed a bit of irritability: "Doing business isn't done properly, just thinking about speculation and profiteering, getting something for nothing."

"Huh?"

Even if her female cousin was slow, she now sensed something was off: "You and he had a pretty good relationship, right? He's been very attentive to you these past two years; I thought you two might get married."

"No possibility..."

Lin Xiyu's pretty face sank, her eyes showing ill omen.

"What happened? Did you fall out?"

Her female cousin's heart thumped, and a bad premonition surged up.

She had hoped to cooperate with Wang Fan and get a project from him; seeing her female cousin like this, she estimated it would fall through.

"He has an illegitimate son, already four years old."

Lin Xiyu didn't want her female cousin to guess wildly, so she didn't hide the truth.

"Damn..."

Her female cousin couldn't help but curse: "This kid, he's playing around enough, an illegitimate son has even come out; I was blind, shouldn't have believed he was sincere to you, and even thought about saying a few good words to match you two up."

"Just give up that idea."

Lin Xiyu glanced at her with a half-smile: "He hates me now; you shouldn't rush forward either, lest he come to hate you as well."

"That's not necessarily the case..."

Her female cousin laughed awkwardly: "Business is business; as long as our company offers a suitable price, he will definitely still prioritize us."

"That person of his isn't proper; you'd better not get involved with him."

Lin Xiyu tentatively advised: "Lest something happen and bring trouble to yourself."

"It's just a loan, nothing big."

Her female cousin didn't take it to heart: "Nowadays, among those doing real estate, how many aren't getting rich by relying on loans? As long as sales are booming and they can earn the money back, the banks are happy; they're counting on issuing loans to earn interest."

"Sigh."

Lin Xiyu saw her female cousin clearly hadn't taken her words to heart, and sighed helplessly.

"Don't talk about him; let's talk about you and Guben."

Her female cousin seized the opportunity and pulled the topic back to Guben: "What exactly is going on between you two? When did he come back? Stop hiding it; tell me everything at once."

"The matter between us can't be explained in a sentence or two..."

Lin Xiyu sighed faintly; under her female cousin's Death Stare, she smiled helplessly and could only tell her everything that had happened in recent days in detail.

—

"What? You had a miscarriage?"

Her female cousin, knowing the truth, opened her arms with heartache and pulled her into her embrace: "My good younger sister, why didn't you tell your family sooner? Even if I were busy again, I would go to Shanghai to see you. You've suffered so much; I, as your elder sister, haven't helped at all. I really feel terrible about this."

"I just didn't want you to worry, so I didn't say..."

Lin Xiyu leaned on her female cousin's shoulder, greedily drawing her warmth; the bitterness and depression of not being understood by her mother were miraculously healed at this moment.

"You girl..."

Her female cousin felt very uncomfortable in her heart: "You're just too kind, always thinking of others; you should also consider yourself a little. Seeing you like this, your elder sister feels so heartache; I'm so uncomfortable I don't know what to say..."

"Sister, it's fine, it's all in the past."

Lin Xiyu's corner of mouth curved slightly, comforting her in return: "I know you care about me; having you say this is enough."

"Is Guben good to you?"

Her female cousin couldn't let it go and asked uneasily.

"Good."

Lin Xiyu, upon hearing the two words Guben, suddenly felt an irrepressible impulse; she wanted to see him immediately and wanted to return to his side.