Chapter 10: Irritated

Chapter 10: Irritated

As they left, the debt collectors still threatened to stay downstairs and warned that neither Shi Nian nor Shi Yu would be able to escape. However, they no longer dared to block the door and left after making their threats, pressing the elevator button to go down.

The corridor was now left with only Shi Yu and Lin Yao's family.

Shi Yu’s jawline was taut, and his face looked grim.

He showed no emotion, merely nodding at Lin Xiong before turning to close the door and enter.

"Wait!" Xia Tingnan couldn't help but speak up, "Lin Xiong, what are you waiting for? Go get them some medicine."

Lin Xiong: "Oh right... Shi Yu, wait a moment. Uncle will get you some fever-reducing medicine and iodine."

The young man hesitated slightly, his hand on the door tightening almost imperceptibly.

In the end, he did not close the door.

Lin Yao sighed in relief.

Looking at Shi Yu opposite her, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

His cheeks were noticeably gaunt, marked by injuries, and he exuded a cold and aloof aura, silent and distant.

Lin Yao couldn't describe the feeling in her heart; it just felt suffocatingly heavy.

At this moment, Lin Xiong returned with fever-reducing medicine, iodine, and other common medications.

Shi Yu only took the box of fever-reducing medicine.

"Thank you."

His voice was low, cold, and hoarse.

Lin Xiong wanted to give more instructions, but the door had already closed.

Lin Xiong: "..."

Xia Tingnan: "This child..."

They exchanged glances, both seeing complex emotions in each other's eyes.

Xia Tingnan suppressed her sympathy and sorrow, then turned to see Lin Yao still standing there, remembering her bold actions earlier.

"Lin Yao, who told you to come out? Go back inside!"

Xia Tingnan dragged Lin Yao back into the house, while Lin Xiong closed the door behind them.

She pushed Lin Yao onto the sofa, her tone urgent. "Do you know how reckless your actions were? That bald guy didn’t look like a good person. Why did you meddle in their affairs?"

Lin Yao: "But if we didn’t help, Shi Yu and Shi Nian would..."

Xia Tingnan: "That’s not your responsibility as a child!"

Lin Yao, scolded by her mother, lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Seeing this, Lin Xiong quickly pulled Xia Tingnan aside, soothing her softly. "Alright, alright, Yao did nothing wrong. The police were there; those people wouldn’t dare hold a grudge. Besides, I’m here too."

Xia Tingnan didn’t want to listen and elbowed Lin Xiong away.

"Yes, yes, you’re all good people, and I’m the bad one..."

She sat on the other side of the sofa, facing away from them, suddenly wiping away tears, seemingly touched by some emotion.

Lin Yao was stunned.

She had seen Xia Tingnan lose her temper.

She had also seen her fiery nature, never backing down in arguments.

But this was the first time she saw her crying silently alone.

The little girl immediately sat next to her, gently tugging at her sleeve. "Mom, what’s wrong? Don’t cry..."

"It’s nothing..." Xia Tingnan sniffled, wiping away her tears, not wanting Lin Yao to see. "Adults’ matters are none of your concern."

Lin Xiong, who knew Xia Tingnan best, sighed and said softly, "Your mom is crying for Uncle Shi and Aunt Song."

Lin Yao: "..."

Yes, how could she forget?

Although Xia Tingnan always seemed to have issues with the Shi family, in reality, Xia Tingnan, Song Li, and Shi Mo grew up together and were once the closest of friends.

It was said that when Aunt Song and Uncle Shi dated in high school, it was her mother who helped cover for them.

Shi Mo was an orphan, and Song Li’s parents disapproved of him. No relatives attended their wedding.

It was Lin Xiong and Xia Tingnan who stood in as family members, offering their blessings.

Later, Song Li and Xia Tingnan became pregnant around the same time, and their children were born one after another.

Lin Yao’s childhood memories were intertwined with those of Shi Nian and Shi Yu.

But after discovering that incident,

Xia Tingnan resolutely moved away with her daughter and husband, cutting off all ties with the Shi family.

And so many years passed, all the way until the past two years.

Lin Xiong had made some money and, in order for Lin Yao to have a better living and learning environment, he gritted his teeth and bought this expensive school district house next to a key high school.

On the very first day they moved in, they discovered that their neighbors were the Shi family once again.

Lin Xiong was well aware of what Xia Tingnan was hesitating about and finding difficult.

He could never bear to see his wife cry, so after thinking it over, he said in a deep voice, "Wife, how about this: we'll help them pay off the Shi family's debt, and from now on, Shi Nian and Shi Yu will come live with us. Raising two more children, we can still manage."

"Manage what? Do you know how much money the Shi family owes?"

Xia Tingnan turned around with tears in her eyes upon hearing Lin Xiong's words.

"I just found out that Shi Mo and Song Li were hit by a truck on their way to the airport and fell off a bridge into the river. The rescue team searched for three days and nights but only found the wreckage of the car. They probably met with a tragic fate long ago. Without Shi Mo, their high-tech company won't sell for much. Even if you count the insurance compensation and the assets of the company, there's still a gap of over ten million yuan. Selling their house would still leave them five million short."

Five million...

Lin Xiong fell silent after hearing this.

Their family's situation was far worse than the Shi family's.

Not to mention coming up with five million yuan in cash right away, even the house they currently lived in still had an outstanding mortgage.

Lin Xiong: "Then..."

"This matter is beyond our control, but I know who should handle it!"

Xia Tingnan stood up, wiped away her tears, as if she had made an important decision, her expression solemn.

"No matter what, Shi Nian and Shi Yu are still the Song family's grandchildren. If they didn't care about Song Li back then, can't they at least take care of her children now? If these two children really end up shouldering this debt, their lives will be ruined."

She sighed, "Let's pack up and go to the capital tonight. We must get the Song family involved."

The Song family in the capital, which Lin Yao had heard mentioned when she was little, was Aunt Song's family.

But they had never recognized Shi Nian and Shi Yu as their grandchildren.

Lin Yao lowered her head, letting out a soft sigh, somewhat worried.

She hoped the Song family would step in...

After a while, Xia Tingnan and Lin Xiong had packed their bags.

She brought a few extra sets of decent clothes.

The Xia family had gone bankrupt long ago and hadn't been in touch with the Song family for many years, unsure if they would even be able to meet with the Song family.

Before leaving, Xia Tingnan instructed, "Lin Yao, there's the beef stew I made today on the stove. Heat it up for dinner. If we don't make it back in the next couple of days, eat outside near your school."

Lin Yao: "Okay."

Xia Tingnan: "Remember, no junk food."

Lin Yao: "Alright."

Xia Tingnan thought of something and stopped, reminding her again, "And most importantly... Mom and Dad are already trying to figure out the Shi family's situation. You're just a student; while we're away, don't meddle in other people's affairs."

Lin Yao paused slightly, nodding obediently, "I understand, Mom. Don't worry."

...

After Xia Tingnan and Lin Xiong left, Lin Yao glanced at the time—it was 6 PM.

After a busy day, her stomach was already rumbling.

Lin Yao ran to the kitchen and opened the pot on the stove.

A large pot of steaming beef stew filled the air.

How delicious...

The rice cooker beeped, signaling that the rice was ready.

Lin Yao took out bowls and chopsticks from the cabinet, scooped a bowl of mixed grain rice, and poured a generous serving of beef and broth over it.

Usually, when Xia Tingnan was around, she controlled Lin Yao's diet, so she couldn't eat this much.

After a day of worry and fear, the young girl sat at the dining table, holding her bowl, and took a sip of the meat broth, finally feeling a bit of warmth inside.

But as she drank, her mind suddenly flashed with the image of Shi Yu's dark, cold eyes.

The shocking scene in the hallway earlier replayed in her mind.

Lin Yao put down her bowl, her mood sinking.

"I'm so hungry, Shi Nian and Shi Yu must be even hungrier..."

And Shi Nian...

Has her fever subsided?

Those people blocking the entrance to the residential area wouldn't let them out or allow any deliveries.

For so many days, how have they been surviving?

Lin Yao suddenly got up and rushed to the kitchen.

After rummaging through for a while, she finally found their lunch box.

She scooped two large boxes full of beef from the pot and packed another large box with assorted grain rice.

Ignoring Xia Tingnan's instructions as she left.

The young girl, holding three fully-packed meal boxes, ran across and knocked on the neighbor's door.

"Shi Yu, are you there? It's me."

"Open up quickly, I've brought food for you... Don't worry, there's no one else outside."

Lin Yao looked around to make sure no one else was on the floor before whispering softly to the door.

But all she received was silent silence.

No one opened the door.

She didn't even hear a sound.

She knocked harder, pat pat pat... Still, there was no response inside.

Lin Yao's heart raced anxiously.

Oh no, something must have happened!

She pounded the door frantically, her voice tinged with urgency.

"Shi Yu, Shi Yu, can you hear me... Are you in there? Shi Yu, Shi Yu, open the door..."

"Shi Yu, it's me, Lin Yao..."

The girl pounded the door loudly.

Her soft palms turned red from hitting the iron door, hurting badly.

But she kept pounding, over and over.

...

After a long while.

Just when Lin Yao was about to give up, the tightly closed door finally opened.

She watched as the door slowly cracked open, revealing a dark room with no lights on.

The boy in a black hoodie stood in the shadows, his thin eyelids drooping, his expression cold and indifferent.

"Shi Yu, you finally opened the door..."

Lin Yao bent down to pick up the meal boxes, missing the flicker of emotion in the boy's eyes.

She stacked the three boxes together and handed them to him.

"How is Shi Nian? Has she gotten better after taking the medicine? You must be hungry. This is my mom's braised beef and rice; take it."

The boxes hung in mid-air, unclaimed for a moment.

Only then did Lin Yao look up.

Her gaze met a chilling, bone-deep coldness.

How could she describe it? The young girl had never seen such an expression on Shi Yu's face, so distant and icy, radiating a cold rejection.

A chill ran through her heart, and she called out softly, "Shi, Shi Yu..."

"Thanks, but no need," he said politely but distantly.

His voice was low and hoarse.

Though he said thank you, Lin Yao saw no warmth in his eyes, only a cold, dark void.

"You have to eat something..."

But she still mustered the courage to persuade him.

"I know about your parents. You're very sad, but they cared about you the most. If something happened to you and Shi Nian..."

"Lin Yao."

Shi Yu suddenly called her name.

Lin Yao stopped speaking, looking at him blankly. "What?"

The boy lowered his gaze, his eyes filled with cold disdain.

"You're really annoying."

He said.