What???
Chapter 20
No wonder, years later, after the enemy was caught, Lin Rusong and Bai Yaxin rushed to the police station. The enemy flatly denied having taken Lin Xiawan away back then, and even claimed someone had acted before he did.
Lin Rusong thought he was refusing to admit it until he saw the coffin. He hired the best lawyer, and later they found Lin Xiawan. Ling Zhen and Song Zhuang both said they had found Lin Xiawan in a trash can outside the hospital. Everything lined up, and Lin Rusong and Bai Yaxin hated that enemy to the bone.
So this couple had taken their Xiawan away?
Ling Zhen inexplicably felt a little cold. She thought, Rich people really have it good. They live in such a big room and keep the air conditioning turned up so high. They never have to worry about money. Since Bai Yaxin and Lin Rusong have so much money, what's wrong with giving us a little?
Besides, they really had raised Lin Xiawan until she was twenty. They had put so much into her, and now they were only getting back a little compensation.
No one spoke, and the atmosphere grew even colder. Ling Zhen said considerately, "I know. Three million is a little much. How about this? Old Song and I will go back and scrape some together. We shouldn't make things difficult for you."
Lin Tingyue rolled her eyes.
Come on, you're the ones who want to buy the house, and you're the ones who want to borrow the money. What are we supposed to find difficult?
Tut, tut, tut. I think I finally understand what it means to have no bottom line.
The two of them are each worse than the other. When Sister Xiawan was little, those two old bastards slapped her, one after the other.
Once, Sister Xiawan ate just one meatball, and Song Zhuang pulled off his belt and beat her. The reason? All the meatballs belonged to Song Fan. Sister Xiawan was a girl, and she'd been picked up, so she didn't deserve to eat one.
All four pairs of eyes turned toward Lin Xiawan in the corner. Bai Yaxin could barely hide her heartache. Her precious daughter, whom she cherished like a pearl or jewel, had been treated so badly outside.
And she had still been giving money to these two things that were worse than beasts!
She should have slapped them twice and driven them out of her villa.
Why does something feel off?
Lin Tingyue glanced around at everyone.
Did Mom and Dad figure it out?
Speaking of which, is it still in time to sue Ling Zhen and Song Zhuang for deliberately stealing a child?
Of course it was in time!
Bai Yaxin said reasonably, "Adding a new member to the family is a happy occasion. After all, you raised Xiawan for twenty years, and Song Fan is Xiawan's biological older brother. I'll add another million as a red envelope for the child."
A million!
The three members of the Song family were nearly ecstatic. It was clear the money had gone to their heads.
And that wasn't all.
Lin Rusong said, "We're all family now, so why should family have to buy a house? Lin Enterprises has a new development in the east. I wonder if you'd be interested?"
That was the east, with gardens and villas everywhere. Even if they added another six million, the Songs still couldn't afford a home there.
Ling Zhen immediately pinched Song Zhuang. Song Zhuang coughed and said, "Since you're being so generous, we'll just have to accept."
Oh, you sound so reluctant. You could always refuse!
Ling Zhen even wiped away nonexistent tears. Choking up, she said, "Xiawan really has found a good family. It wasn't for nothing that I always told Xiawan her biological parents didn't not love her. Something must have happened, and that's why they..."
Ling Zhen was so overwhelmed that she couldn't go on.
What a fine display of crocodile tears.
Honestly, if someone suddenly gave me that much money, I could act like that too. I'd act my way straight to an Oscar.
"Sister Zhen, we know," Bai Yaxin said, looking just as moved. "It's all thanks to you that we found Xiawan."
Hah, so it was all about acting?
She was Lin Tingyue's mother, who was going to win an Oscar.
Seeing that the three of them had taken the bait, Lin Rusong smoothly said, "Yuhuan, help Auntie Ling and Uncle Song find a good place. Pick a unit with a good layout."
Song Fan hurriedly added, "And one with a good orientation."
Lin Yuhuan glanced at Song Fan with his pale eyes and said, "All right."
Lin Shengyan was quick-witted too. He immediately guessed what his parents and eldest brother were up to, and casually said, "Hey, Dad, wasn't the maternal and child hospital where Mom gave birth back then nearby?"
"Yes. When your mother had Xiawan, I even had your big brother bring you over."
Lin Yuhuan gave a quiet "Mm." "I still remember that Mom's delivery room was unusual."
Lin Rusong said uncertainly, "I think there was a sun on the wall."
"No," Bai Yaxin said. "I think it was an apple tree."
"You've all got it wrong," Ling Zhen said, unable to contain her delight. "It wasn't a sun. It was star-and-moon stickers. There were so many of them. They were beautiful."
Ling Zhen remembered so clearly because when she took Lin Xiawan away, her mind had been full of the riches and honor she was about to gain. She had seen all those stars and moons as gold!
The living room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Bai Yaxin asked coldly, "Ling Zhen, didn't you say you found Xiawan outside the hospital? How would you know what my delivery room looked like?"
"That's right," Lin Rusong said, his face darkening. "You deliberately stole a child. You're going to prison for that."
Prison?
No, no, no. She couldn't go to prison.
Just as Ling Zhen was about to explain, Song Zhuang grabbed her hand and stood up. He said forcefully, "Song Fan has to go home and look after the child. We'll be going now."
Seeing Song Zhuang like this, Lin Tingyue was amused.
What, you don't want the money anymore? Did we hit a nerve?
And you have to go home and look after the child? That child isn't Song Fan's at all. Song Fan's wife was already over a month pregnant when she married him.
Lin Yuhuan stepped in front of the three who were trying to leave. Song Zhuang hardened his resolve and raised his fist. "My fists don't have eyes. Think about the consequences before you stop me."
"I think Uncle Song has misunderstood," Lin Yuhuan said, adjusting his glasses. A cold light gleamed behind the lenses. "I only have some news to tell you."
"What news?" Song Fan asked suspiciously, supporting Ling Zhen.
Lin Yuhuan looked at Song Fan and said, "Your wife was already pregnant before she married you. The child isn't yours."
Hahahahahaha! Big brother really knows how to twist the knife.
But with that cool, detached face, he's announcing news like this. The impact and contrast are both off the charts.
Lin Yuhuan curled his lips. To be honest, he thought he could win an Oscar too.
After Lin Yuhuan showed Song Fan the evidence, Song Fan immediately let go of Ling Zhen and stormed out. Ling Zhen, meanwhile, fainted where she stood.
Bai Yaxin and Lin Rusong called an ambulance, reported the matter to the police, and went to the police station to give their statements. By the time they returned, it was already late at night.
Everyone was still awake, waiting for them in the living room.
Bai Yaxin took Lin Xiawan's hand and had her sit beside her. She asked gently, "Xiawan, you went through so much. Why didn't you tell Mom?"
At the thought of little Xiawan being beaten with a belt, Bai Yaxin's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.
"Mom, I'm fine. That's all in the past."
When Lin Xiawan saw Bai Yaxin crying, her heart tightened for a moment. She hurriedly tried to comfort her.
"Even if it's in the past, does that mean Mom can't feel sorry for you?"
Lin Xiawan froze. "Mom..."
"Xiawan, tell me honestly. Did you never plan to become part of this family?"
Lin Xiawan lowered her head and said nothing.
Luckily, there was Lin Tingyue.
Oh, Sister Xiawan didn't mean not to become part of the family. She just doesn't feel secure. With a biased mom, a heartless dad, and a useless older brother, she could only be independent and resilient.
If the true faces of those two old bastards hadn't been exposed this time, Sister Xiawan would have found a way to get the money back herself.
Sister Xiawan is like a snail. Right now, the snail has poked out its two tiny feelers.
Bai Yaxin looked up and patted the top of Lin Xiawan's head. She wanted to see where the feelers were.
Mom, don't pat her. They'll retract!
Lin Shengyan was the first to laugh, and then everyone started laughing too.
Huh? What are they all laughing about?
Anyway, I know a lot about raising snails.
Bai Yaxin smiled and pulled Lin Tingyue into her arms too. Stroking both their heads, she said, "You're both my precious daughters."
Lin Tingyue never received any news about the variety show, so she figured it had probably fallen through. The ten million she'd nearly had was gone just like that, and she was so unwilling to accept it!
Luckily, Bai Yaxin was planning to take Lin Tingyue to a banquet.
If there's no money, good food is nice too.
To Lin Tingyue's surprise, it was her eldest brother who drove them there.
Lin Tingyue asked, "Big brother, aren't you busy today?"
That morning, she'd seen Lin Yuhuan in an all-English video conference. Listening to it had given her a headache, so she'd simply gone back to sleep. When she got up, she felt refreshed.
Lin Yuhuan was too embarrassed to say he'd only decided to come because he'd missed the spectacle of the gossip last time. He said, "I'm not busy."
Lin Tingyue nodded.
This time it was a birthday banquet. Lin Yuhuan went to park the car, while Lin Tingyue waited for him at the entrance with her arm linked through Bai Yaxin's.
People around them were chatting.
"Didn't Old Wei just celebrate his fiftieth birthday last year? Why's he holding another birthday banquet this year? I thought it was his son's wedding."
"Yeah. If they're not getting married, they could at least hold an engagement party first. Dragging it out like this-what's the point?"
As they were talking, the guest of honor at the birthday banquet appeared.
The person beside Lin Tingyue lowered their voice. "Tut, tut, tut. I saw this girl with him last year too, but this year..."