C18 Money

Lin Xingchen held Xia Xiaorou's hand and went to the elevator. Xia Xiaorou pouted and said, "Xingchen, you haven't contacted me for a long time. If it wasn't for your scandal, I would have thought that you had disappeared!"

When she mentioned the scandal, Lin Xingchen felt a headache, "Let's find a place and I will tell you properly."

They found a coffee shop and ordered two cups of coffee. Xia Xiaorou ordered an Italian ice cream and they sat in the innermost room. Lin Xingchen closed the curtains.

"Xingchen, although you are a celebrity now, you don't need to be so afraid of entertainment reporters when you come out with me." Xia Xiaorou found her cautious look very funny.

Only then did Lin Xingchen tell her that she had replaced Lin Xingxi to get married.

After Xia Xiaorou heard it, she was so shocked that her spoon even fell off. First she scolded Lin Xingxi for being shameless, then she scolded Mu Yan for being a scumbag man, and finally she scolded Xu Jing for being a bad woman.

Lin Xingchen hesitated when she saw this. She did not tell Xia Xiaorou that she found her first love, otherwise Xia Xiaorou would have rushed into Mu family and pulled Mu Yan to confront her.

"Then what are you going to do from now on?" Xia Xiaorou looked at her worriedly.

Lin Xingchen took a sip of coffee, "I don't know. Anyway, I can't leave now."

Just as Xia Xiaorou was about to continue asking, Lin Xingchen's phone suddenly rang. When she saw that it was her mother who called her, she quickly pressed the answer button.

"Xingchen, why aren't you home recently?" Her mother's voice was somewhat anxious.

"Mom, did something happen at home?" Lin Xingchen's heart started to worry.

"Nothing happened. I just saw you not coming home for a long time." Her mother's voice was secretive, which made Lin Xingchen even more puzzled.

"Then I will be back in a while."

"Okay, then you should hurry up!"

Lin Xingchen suddenly thought, "Mom, is Uncle Xu home?"

Her mother hesitated for a moment, "He is at home."

Lin Xingchen did not want to see her step-father. She had a very bad relationship with him. If not for her mother's strong request, she would not have gone home when her step-father was at home.

When she was young, her step-father always beat and scolded her and her mother. Later on, she lived in school and she finally broke away from the jurisdiction of her step-father. But every time she went home, her step-father would ask her for money to drink. Lin Xingchen could only choose the days when her step-father was not around to go home. She would secretly give money to her mother.

After putting down the phone, Xia Xiaorou found that Lin Xingchen's expression was not good and asked her, "Xingchen, what happened to you?"

Lin Xingchen shook her head, "It's nothing. My mother called me home but my step-father was at home."

Xia Xiaorou and Lin Xingchen had known each other for so many years and she knew that her step-father was an alcoholic and a gambler. He even beat up Lin Xingchen and her mother so she was worried that Lin Xingchen would go back.

"Xingchen, don't be afraid. I will go with you!"

Lin Xingchen looked at her gratefully. After she paid the bill, she directly took a taxi back home.

The old-fashioned six-story building was located in the corner of City H. Lin Xingchen's home was on the sixth floor. There was no elevator. They climbed up the stairs. Xia Xiaorou lacked exercise and she was tired to the point of lying on the wall and gasping for breath.

The doorbell rang for less than ten seconds and Lin Xingchen's mother opened the door.

"Quickly come in. Xiaorou is also here!" Lin's mother welcomed the two into the house.

Xia Xiaorou smiled sweetly at Lin's mother, "Hello Auntie."

Lin's mother was not old and could see her beauty back then. But these years of housework had ruined her face and the corners of her eyes were full of wrinkles.

When they came to the living room, they found that Lin Xingchen's step-father, Xu Hong, was sitting on the sofa and eating melon seeds. When Lin Xingchen saw him, she held her mother's hand tightly.

Lin's mother shook her head at her and said to Xu Hong, "Your daughter is back. Why aren't you getting up?"

Xu Hong still steadily lied on the sofa. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Lin Xingchen, looking like a scoundrel. "Xingchen, you're back. I heard that you went to be a superstar recently. How much did you earn?"

Lin Xingchen ignored him and turned to Lin's mother. "Mom, why did you call me back?"

Lin's mother carried the food out of the kitchen, "Let's eat first."

Lin Xingchen could tell that her mother had made the onion fried shrimp balls that she loved, but she did not have the appetite to eat now, so she pinched Xiaorou's hand.

"Xiaorou and I have eaten. Mom, just say it."

Lin's mother said with difficulty, "You guys should eat more or less. I heard that you are coming back and specially went to the market to buy vegetables. They are all your favorite dishes."

Lin Xingchen could only sit down with Xia Xiaorou. Only then did Xu Hong leisurely walk to the dining table and open a bottle of red wine.

"Since you are back, accompany me for a drink."

Lin Xingchen turned her head and said, "I don't drink."

Xu Hong was not angry. He even took the initiative to give the two of them a bowl of rice. Lin's mother kept getting food for Lin Xingchen and Xia Xiaorou. Lin's mother's cooking was not bad but Lin Xingchen and Xia Xiaorou were not in the mood to eat at all.

Xu Hong burped and said to Lin Xingchen, "Look, you have already earned money. You should also give some money to the family. Don't forget, your mother and I are still living a tough life!"