Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Luo Chen had secretly taken care of Liu Ruo and her child for nearly twenty years, but settling the accounts didn't take much time since Luo Chen had instructed his assistant to handle the money transfers and property acquisitions for the Liu family.

Although Luo Chen didn't care about the amount spent on the Liu family, as part of his job, the assistant kept detailed records and provided regular reports.

Now that Luo Chen needed the detailed account statements, the assistant, despite being puzzled, diligently compiled them and sent them over promptly.

Apart from tangible assets like houses, cars, and jewelry that could be directly returned, the total sum of other monetary transactions was a staggering figure that left one speechless.

He Ruyan exploded again, but this time with biting sarcasm: "This isn't called keeping a mistress, then what is? Oh, this is even worse than keeping a mistress. Who takes care of their lover's child's every need, including education, without getting anything in return, right, Luo Chen?"

Luo Chen furrowed his brows, refraining from anger due to his guilt, but his tone wasn't pleasant: "Isn't it because I felt sorry for Liu Ruo's family and wanted to help them out? The money spent on you wouldn't even cover your garden expenses, how exaggerated..."

Luo Qianjian, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly interjected, seemingly perplexed as to why He Ruyan so easily believed there was nothing more sinister between Luo Chen and Liu Ruo.

His voice was unusually sincere: "Dad, apart from the financial transactions and your regular visits, there really wasn't any other relationship between you and Aunt Liu? Given the situation with the Liu family, it wouldn't be odd to say you were maintaining another household outside... Now, you must tell Mom the truth. She has a good temper; if you confess and admit your mistakes, she will forgive you. But if you continue hiding things, in the future..."

"Luo Qianjian!" Luo Chen was infuriated by his son's words.

Luo Qianjian blinked.

Luo Chen gritted his teeth: "My relationship with Aunt Liu is completely innocent! What are you trying to do by saying these things? You don't want to see your mother and me reconcile, do you! You're truly a good son of both your mother and me!"

Luo Qianjian smiled: "I also think I'm pretty good, thank you, Dad."

"You!" Luo Chen became even angrier, raising his hand to smash a vase.

Luo Qianjian watched calmly, knowing that Luo Chen was merely throwing things to the ground and not specifically aiming at him, so he didn't need to dodge.

"Dad, why are you so angry? I treated you and Mom equally. When I burned Uncle Mu's photo at home earlier, I asked Mom if she was hiding anything from you, and she wasn't as angry as you are now. At that time, you didn't find my question problematic. Why are you so agitated now..." Luo Qianjian grew increasingly suspicious.

Luo Chen glared at him, his gaze flickering towards He Ruyan, who indeed began to harbor doubts.

He Ruyan frowned: "Yes, why are you so agitated? Did Qianjian accidentally expose something? What exactly is your relationship with Liu Ruo! I knew it, there's no way someone would spend money and effort for over a decade without expecting anything in return. Unfaithful lovers!"

Luo Chen: "He Ruyan! What nonsense are you spouting! Luo Qianjian is just a child who doesn't understand, but you don't either!"

Liu Ruo choked up and spoke: "Sister Ruyan, Brother Chen and I are completely innocent..."

He Ruyan sneered: "Still calling him Brother Chen, aren't you ashamed at your age?"

Another argument ensued.

Luo Qianjian, the instigator, leisurely continued watching the drama unfold.

When Liu Wei rushed back home, he encountered this scene.

Luo Chen: "Enough! What more do you want to believe me! Even if Qianjian and I did a paternity test, you wouldn't believe it. What else can I do!"

He Ruyan: "How am I supposed to believe you? Believe that you've been taking care of Liu Ruo for tens of years without ever crossing the line physically! You were a playboy when you were young, but I always thought that was before we were together, and I didn't want to dwell on it. But now, the facts are right in front of us. How am I supposed to believe that you two are innocent! Luo Chen, you made it impossible for me to trust you!"

Liu Ruo was in tears: "Brother Chen, Sister Ruyan, I'm sorry. I didn't expect this to happen. Sister Ruyan, please believe that Brother Chen and I are innocent..."

Liu Qingqing surprisingly didn't join in the crying but stood a meter away from Luo Qianjian, staring at him with innocent eyes.

Luo Qianjian smiled back sympathetically: "How pitiful. Where will you stay tonight?"

Liu Qingqing was taken aback.

Luo Qianjian sighed softly, shaking his head: "At your age, children have delicate skin, which is most attractive to mosquitoes, cockroaches, and rats. You might be left with only bones after spending a night on the streets. It hurts just thinking about it."

The previously aggressive Liu Qingqing burst into tears, joining the elderly group still in the midst of their breakdown.

As Liu Wei entered the house, the cacophony assaulted his ears. He looked around and saw that only Luo Qianjian appeared relaxed.

"Mom! Uncle Luo! Aunt He!" No one noticed Liu Wei's return, so he had to call out loudly himself.

The quarreling among the elderly group stopped, while the younger Liu Qingqing continued to cry. Liu Ruo hurried to comfort him and then looked at Liu Wei with a bitter smile: "A Wei, you're back... Just in time, we're moving out soon, so we need to pack our luggage quickly."

He Ruyan reminded sarcastically: "Don't forget to write an IOU first, don't think about dodging the debt. If you have any issues with the account statement provided by Luo Chen's assistant, I don't mind going through it slowly with you, checking each item to see where the money went."

Liu Ruo whimpered, then sobbed: "No need to check the accounts, I'll sign it..."

Liu Wei looked at Luo Chen, seeking dependence: "Uncle Luo, what... is going on here? Are you kicking us out? And what does IOU mean..."

Luo Chen sighed: "Sorry, A Wei... you have to understand Uncle Luo. Uncle Luo also has a family..."

Liu Wei's expression twisted, surprised by Luo Chen's decisiveness.

But he quickly adjusted his emotions, nodding sadly: "Our whole family has been taken care of by Uncle Luo. Now that Uncle Luo wants to take it back, it's understandable. But can you give us some time? Moving out immediately is too rushed..."

"Especially for Wei Wei. Although she's not at home, there are her belongings here. Moreover, she has a little over a month until her college entrance exams. This sudden upheaval at home will greatly affect her exam performance. Uncle Luo, Aunt He, you also have siblings preparing for the exams. Considering this, can you please show some understanding and allow us to stay until after Wei Wei's exams?"

Liu Wei thought to himself that as long as they weren't forced to move immediately, there would still be room for negotiation...

Liu Ruo immediately chimed in, saying that her daughter Liu Wei studied very hard, had excellent grades, and was very nervous about the college entrance exams. For this reason, she only came home for half a day once a month after entering senior high school. With the exams approaching, her state couldn't be affected.

Luo Chen, who wasn't firm enough, naturally hesitated upon hearing this.

He Ruyan was dissatisfied but couldn't bring herself to say something as heartless as "What does Liu Ruo's daughter's college entrance exams have to do with us," feeling that the grudges of the older generation shouldn't affect the children...

However, Luo Qianjian didn't mind playing the bad guy.

He smiled and said: "Yes, we also have younger siblings preparing for the college entrance exams. These past few days, Mom and Dad have been fighting nonstop at home, greatly affecting their moods."

"Aunt Liu, Senior Liu, please consider our family as well. We can't prioritize someone else's child over our own. If you move out quickly, my parents can reconcile, and our younger siblings can focus on their college entrance exams."

Liu Ruo was taken aback, not expecting such a response from Luo Qianjian.

Liu Wei's fists clenched at his sides, unable to contain his frustration as Luo Qianjian's response was like fighting fire with fire, leaving him momentarily speechless.

It was then that He Ruyan regained her composure, her confidence bolstered. She was grateful that she had brought along the quick-witted Luo Qianjian today.

"That's right, and we have three children preparing for their college entrance exams, making our situation even more pressing!" He Ruyan declared.

Luo Qianjian added calmly, "Furthermore, our three younger siblings return home every day. It's impossible to hide matters from them. But your sister is different; she only comes home for half a day each month. As long as you don't tell her, how would she know about the changes at home? Or are you planning to disregard your daughter's future and inform her of the family's troubles just to exploit our guilt?"

Liu Ruo looked at Liu Wei, her expression troubled.

Liu Wei gritted his teeth before forcing a smile. "How could that be? Luo Xue弟 has taken us for villains. If we were to move, Wei Wei would certainly notice something amiss, which is why I suggested waiting until after her exams..."

"There's no need," Luo Qianjian blinked. "Your sister already only returns home for half a day each month. With less than a month left until the exams, you could easily claim concern for her travel and visit her at school instead, sparing her the trip home. Wouldn't that be easy enough to pull off?"

Liu Wei's anger grew.

Naturally, He Ruyan supported Luo Qianjian's argument.

Luo Chen remained silent, though he felt uneasy. He tacitly accepted Luo Qianjian's lead, unwilling to further conflict between the Liu and Luo families.

He Ruyan urged Liu Ruo to write the IOU once again.

Liu Ruo resisted but, accustomed to moral high ground, found herself unable to step down. Reluctantly, she took out pen and paper and began writing slowly.

Liu Wei watched anxiously, his resolve hardening. Suddenly, he spoke up, "Luo Xue弟, are you pleased with the chaos you've caused among the elders?"

Everyone paused.

Seated calmly, Luo Qianjian smiled wryly. "Xue长 Liu wants to divert blame and sow discord?"

Liu Wei's face was grave as he addressed Luo Chen directly. "Uncle Luo, this morning, I confronted Luo Xue弟 at school. He admitted that inviting our family over yesterday was intentional, and he anticipated the discord it would cause between you and Aunt He. He didn't consider the timing of his siblings' exams, or else he wouldn't have instigated this now."

"I don't know why Luo Xue弟 would deliberately disrupt your household peace, but since you've cared for us for so many years, I couldn't keep this from you. Whether it's sowing discord or not, you'll be the judge."

Luo Chen frowned deeply, turning to Luo Qianjian. "Qianjian, is this true?"

"Yes," Luo Qianjian replied lightly.

His straightforwardness caught Liu Wei off guard. He had expected Luo Qianjian to deny and feign ignorance. Liu Wei's intention was indeed to sow discord, hoping to stir enough discontent in Luo Chen towards his son. He didn't expect much more, considering Luo Qianjian was still Luo Chen's flesh and blood.

But what Liu Wei hadn't anticipated was that Luo Qianjian wouldn't play along at all.

Luo Qianjian remained unperturbed. "Xue长 Liu, how strange. Do you hope my father will lash out at me in anger, allowing you to stay and avoid repaying your debt? Anyone can see that I did this on purpose. Why go through the trouble of exposing my 'true colors'? Do you really think you're doing a good deed?"

"Aunt Liu, do you also believe I shouldn't have exposed your reliance on my father's care? That way, my mother wouldn't find out, and you could continue enjoying his support?"

Liu Ruo, who had stopped writing, hesitated, unable to respond.

Luo Qianjian turned to Luo Chen. "Father, did I do wrong? If you think I did, then cast me out of the house."

Luo Chen looked at his rebellious son, feeling utterly drained.

Then, Luo Chen suddenly asked He Ruyan, "Ruyan, once we settle matters with the Liu family, let's put this incident behind us, alright?"

He Ruyan reluctantly nodded. "I don't want the children to be unhappy."

Relieved, Luo Chen turned to Liu Wei. "A Wei, Uncle Luo knows you're a good child, but Qianjian didn't do anything wrong this time. Even if it was intentional, it stemmed from misunderstanding and worry about me having someone outside. Qianjian is my and your Aunt He's biological son. His desire for us as parents to be open with each other and prevent future conflicts is perfectly normal."

Liu Wei clenched his fists, saying nothing, inwardly acknowledging that they were indeed a family.

Luo Qianjian gave a nonchalant smile.

To his surprise, his father's defense of him sounded quite logical for a normal person.

Luo Chen sighed again.

Both Luo Chen and He Ruyan wondered if their personal affairs had somehow affected Luo Qianjian.

Had he first discovered his father's suspected affair, followed by his mother's lingering feelings for an old flame, causing his mental breakdown and subsequent rebellion?

Though Luo Qianjian had said many infuriating things, his intentions were clear: to address issues and promote family harmony. For instance, once the Liu family matter was resolved, they would cease arguing...

"Write the IOU quickly," Luo Chen urged more firmly.

Tears streamed down Liu Ruo's face once more.

The Liu family, accustomed to financial stability, lacked a tangible sense of their impending debt and the absence of financial support. Though resistant, they couldn't bring themselves to brazenly refuse repayment, leading to the eventual completion of the IOU.

He Ruyan, IOU in hand, glanced around in disdain before telling Luo Chen, "Alright, have your assistant handle the rest. They must leave today, and I'll come tomorrow to inspect."

Eager to distance himself from the Liu family, Luo Chen promptly agreed, calling out to Luo Qianjian to hurry and leave without further aggravation.

The Liu family's calls went unanswered.

Exhausted, Luo Chen and He Ruyan retreated to their room upon returning home.

Luo Qianjian leisurely made his way to the kitchen.

The chef, busy stewing soup, greeted Luo Qianjian and explained, "This soup was requested by Second Miss this morning. She instructed the kitchen to prepare it for Young Master Bai to consume when he wakes up, as it's meant to nourish his blood and energy."

Luo Qianjian nodded. "I came to request a dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes for tonight. A classmate will be joining us for dinner, and he enjoys it."

The chef appeared hesitant. "Well... scrambled eggs with tomatoes isn't a grand dish, and it can be prepared in time. However... Third Young Master, you may have forgotten, but Eldest Young Master dislikes this dish. Seeing it makes him angry, so we haven't prepared it in the household for many years..."

Luo Qianjian, of course, remembered.

He recalled why Luo Hefeng disliked the dish—his love-hate relationship with his first love, who adored scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Whenever he saw the dish, it reminded him of his first love, stirring up unpleasant emotions.

In his previous life, Luo Hefeng already felt Shen Dongyi bore a resemblance to his first love. Upon discovering her fondness for scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a mix of love and hate overwhelmed him, leading to endless entanglements.

"Never mind." Luo Qianjian smiled at the chef. "Go ahead and prepare one dish. When the time comes, I'll take my classmates to eat elsewhere; I won't let Brother see it."