Chapter 9: Settling In
Chapter 9: Settling In
Seeing that Lu Jiaxin was about to leave with her belongings, Lu Hongjun walked over to the door, his face twisted in annoyance. "Lu Jiaxin, stop causing a scene."
Lu Jiaguang could no longer bear to remain silent. "Uncle San, you used to dote on Xin Xin the most. I remember once when she had a fever, you took care of her day and night without even a moment's rest. This time, she almost fell victim to human traffickers and endured so much hardship in the ancient capital. Instead of feeling heartbroken, you accuse her of making a fuss. Uncle San, how could you become so heartless?"
Lu Hongjun was left speechless.
Lu Jiajie also supported Lu Jiaxin's decision to move out, but he didn't think it was a good idea to leave right away. "Xin Xin, we should find a place to stay first before moving out. If you leave in such a hurry, where will you sleep tonight?"
"Don't worry, I'll ask around later, and I'll definitely find a place for you by tomorrow," he assured her, confident that with his many friends, finding a rental property within a day would be no issue.
Lu Jiaguang's face remained stern as he said, "Why rent a place? She can stay with me."
Seeing that both their nephews supported their daughter's decision to move out, Lu Hongjun was furious. "Jia Guang, Jia Jie, what are you doing? I'm not dead yet, and it's not your place to make decisions for this family."
Lu Jiajie didn't mince his words. "Uncle San, before Aunt passed away, she held onto my hand and your brother's, begging us to take care of Xin Xin. We promised, and we will definitely keep that promise."
Ding Jing's heart filled with hatred. That wretched woman had been dead for so long, yet her influence still lingered.
Although Lu Jiaguang was also displeased, his manner of speech was more subtle, unlike Lu Jiajie's directness. "Uncle San, given the current situation, it's not suitable for Jia Xin to live under the same roof as the two of you. If you can't bear to part with them, let Jia Xin move in with me."
Lu Hongjun bluntly refused. "Your place is too small for your own family. Where will she and Xue Mao sleep? Besides, she needs to repeat her senior year, and there aren't any good high schools near you."
Lu Jiaguang stood his ground, his face set in a frown. "Let Jia Xin stay with me for now. Once the paperwork for repeating her senior year is sorted out, we can rent a place near her school. With Xue Mao staying with her, there's no need to worry about safety."
He would never allow his sister to live with that venomous mother-daughter pair again. They had narrowly escaped that toxic woman's scheme this time, but they might not be so lucky next time.
There was no way Lu Jiaxin would move in with Lu Jiaguang—it would be too restrictive. "Big Brother, there's no need to rent a place. I already have a place to stay."
Lu Jiajie's mouth moved faster than his brain. "You just got back. How did you already find a place to rent?"
If that was the case, this girl had intended to move out from the very beginning. However, he could understand her decision. If he were in her shoes, he would have done the same.
Lu Jiaxin lowered her head. "After Mom fell ill, she once had a nightmare that Dad and Stepmother would kick me out of the house, and I'd become homeless. She was afraid that the dream would come true, so she asked someone to buy a small house for me..."
She knew that the house had been purchased by her mother through the Xie family. When her mother was young, she had been abused by her stepmother, which had left her body weak. Then, when she gave birth, she had a severe hemorrhage and nearly died. It took over a decade for her health to improve. But when her original body turned eleven, her mother had saved the Xie family's only child from drowning in the middle of winter, and it just so happened that she was on her period at the time. Her health deteriorated after the rescue, and she passed away half a year later.
Pausing for a moment, Lu Jiaxin continued, "At the time, I said that Dad loved me and wouldn't let anyone bully me, but Mom insisted on buying the house just in case. If I were really kicked out, I'd at least have a place to stay. Before she passed away, she instructed me not to tell anyone about the house because she was afraid that I would be harmed for my wealth."
Lu Hongjun's face reddened as he recalled his promise to his ex-wife.
Lu Jiaguang and Lu Jiajie thought of their kind and affectionate Aunt San, and their eyes grew moist. If Aunt San had been well, their sister would surely have gotten into a prestigious university, and they would be preparing for her enrollment now.
Realizing that Lu Jiaxin's mention of the house meant she was determined to move out, Lu Hongjun knew he couldn't stop her. So, he asked for the address of the house.
Lu Jiaxin didn't hide it and directly gave him the address. The house was on Guangming Road, an excellent location.
Ding Jing regretted her actions immensely. Guangming Road wasn't far from Dazhalan, and houses in that area were so expensive that even money sometimes couldn't buy them. If only she had known, she would have treated Lu Jiaxin well and tricked her into giving up the house. With a property like that, she wouldn't have to worry about Si Yi's future.
Lu Jiaguang was also surprised by the house's location. "That area is very convenient for transportation, and it's close to your school, so there's no need to rent another place."
Now that everything was out in the open, Lu Jiaxin didn't want to stay there for another moment. "Big Brother, let's move now!"
Initially, she had only planned to take her valuables and bedding, but with the support of her two cousins, she changed her mind. "Big Brother, the bed and desk in my room were all carefully chosen by Mom. I want to take everything."
Ding Jing knew that Lu Jiaxin was indirectly scolding her, but neither Lu Jiaguang nor Lu Jiajie said anything. As a leader, Lu Jiaguang had to be cautious, but Lu Jiajie was more straightforward.
Lu Jiaguang readily agreed. "Once you've cleaned up the place, I'll arrange for a car to send these things over."
Although Lu Hongjun was the general manager of the department store, he was already 57 years old, and there were rumors that his superiors planned to ease him into retirement next year.
Once he stepped down and lost his power, people would quickly forget about him. On the other hand, Lu Jiaguang was in his prime, had people supporting him, and was on a promising career path. Lu Hongjun felt that he might have to rely on his nephew in his later years, so he treated him with extra consideration.
Lu Jiajie patted his chest. "Xin Xin, I'll find a couple of friends to help move these things to Guangming Road."
Lu Jiaxin had expected that she would have to fight to move out, so she was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly things were going. Her mood improved significantly. "Big Brother, Fifth Brother, come with me to see the house later."
Lu Jiaguang nodded. "If the house is too run-down to live in, you and Xue Mao can stay with me for the time being. If you're not comfortable, we can also stay at an inn for a couple of days."
Lu Jiaxin politely declined. "Your company's inn is too far away. We'll stay at an inn near Guangming Road instead, so it's more convenient for Xue Mao and me to clean the place."
Lu Jiaguang agreed with this arrangement.
Lu Jiaxin wasn't about to move out without a plan. She turned to Lu Hongjun and said, "There's nothing in that house—no pots, pans, furniture, or appliances. Dad, I don't even have money for meals right now."
The original owner had lived a comfortable life and, due to her young age, had little concept of money. However, Lu Jiaxin was well aware that money was essential for survival in the outside world.
Understanding her hint, Lu Hongjun turned to Ding Jing. "Go and get a thousand yuan."
A thousand yuan? That was enough to chase away beggars!
Before Ding Jing could open her mouth, Lu Jiajie spoke up. "Uncle San, a thousand yuan isn't enough. A decent set of furniture alone would cost several hundred yuan."
Lu Hongjun agreed and decided to give two thousand instead.
(End of Chapter)
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