latelenovela Chapter 311 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (22)
Chapter 311 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (22)
His answer suddenly had an unprecedented impact on the ears of the adults around him.
Normally, no one pays this much attention to what he says.
"what are you talking about!"
Aunt Chun frowned, her voice sharp as she shouted at Jin Shuhe.
She was probably in a good mood today, so she put on makeup, and the smile on her face hadn't faded when she saw the man arrive.
Jin Shuhe's sudden outburst caused her to lose her composure.
She tried to shake off the man's support by swinging her arms, but she couldn't break free.
The man in the suit looked back and forth between Jin Shuhe and Lu Liruan.
She simply held onto Aunt Chun, preventing her from rushing forward, her eyes subtly observing with an air of detachment.
But Jin Shuhe no longer had the heart to share with them.
All his attention was on Lu Liruan.
Even he himself didn't expect that the answer would be so simple to say.
It felt as if a huge stone had suddenly crashed down on him, scattering dust everywhere. He felt like he couldn't see clearly, and his mind was in a state of confusion.
All I know is that once I've made this decision, there's no going back.
He held his hands by his sides, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms until they hurt.
"Xiao He! What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't I already discuss it with you?" Aunt Chun also looked towards Lu Liruan, her eyes filled with wariness.
That little girl had a pair of beautiful, bright eyes.
She seemed nervous too, only looking in Jin Shuhe's direction.
What the hell are you doing?!
Aunt Chun felt a surge of anger. What right did this girl have to offer to take care of a half-grown child?
Over the years...
Lu Liruan was indeed unaware of the woman's gaze. She had already stood at the door and looked out through the peephole several times.
Ever since Jin Shuhe said they were moving out, Lu Liruan has lost all interest in doing anything else, and she's even absent-minded when she goes out.
Every day when I come back, I always check whether anyone is still living in the house next door. I started by looking at the lights downstairs, and then I started sneaking around outside the door listening for any sounds coming from inside...
She was worried that the child would move away quietly, just as he usually didn't want to cause trouble for others.
When she heard the noise outside today, she instinctively went to the door, put her hand on the doorknob, but stopped and ignored it.
Listen quietly to the conversation outside.
The child did not want to leave.
Not only did he not want to leave, Lu Liruan could also tell that he didn't want to cause any more trouble for Aunt Chun, who had been supporting him.
But the woman seemed oblivious to his emotions, or perhaps she noticed but didn't care, simply arranging things for him according to her own ideas.
What else can he do but obey?
From the child's perspective, Lu Liruan couldn't think of any other path to take, unless someone paved one for him...
The idea she had been considering for several days now occupied the top of Lu Liruan's mind, causing all her concerns to recede into the background.
Even if there are problems, we can solve them later, but this decision is one I have to make now.
Lu Liruan looked at the boy's thin and dejected back through the small cat's eye, silent as a soundless shadow.
I took a deep breath and flung open the door!
After she finished speaking, Lu Liruan wondered if others had noticed, or if the child himself had noticed.
But she saw a fleeting glint in Jin Shuhe's eyes, like a star flashing for a moment in the gray, rainy summer night.
Lu Liruan then felt that she had done the right thing.
From the moment she entered this world, Lu Liruan had been pondering why it had to be at this particular time.
It was clearly a long time before his accident.
But as she spent more time with Jin Shuhe, Lu Liruan seemed to gradually understand some things.
Because some things don't happen overnight.
During this most sensitive and helpless period of a child's growth, everything they experience and feel can influence the course of their life.
Even in a life-or-death moment, what was he thinking, what were he worried about, and what was he giving up...?
Go help him, go save him, not take him away from the point when he's about to have an accident, or tell him not to go out that day.
Instead, we should help him save himself while he is still thinking, still has hope, and still knows what he wants and what he cares about.
Otherwise, allowing him to survive that day does not mean he can live forever.
Lu Liruan felt that this moment was probably the most likely, and also the last, opportunity to change him...
Seeing the child's expression, Lu Liruan became even more certain of her analysis.
"You said yes!"
Jin Shuhe saw Li Ruan smile, as if she was genuinely happy and looking forward to living with him after receiving his answer.
"what……"
Lu Liruan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling herself relax a little: "Shall I help you with your luggage? What kind of luggage do you have?"
She stepped out in her slippers, bent down, brushed her hair aside, and began to carefully examine the items.
It wasn't until Sister Li Ruan picked up the package he had placed on the ground that Jin Shuhe seemed to wake from a dream and instinctively rushed to help.
But they did not follow Lu Liruan's instructions to move the things into her room.
"Xiao He! What are you doing? Who is she to you? Why are you living with her?"
Aunt Chun still doesn't understand what's going on.
She shouted at Jin Shuhe, both confused and angry.
Jin Shuhe couldn't think of a way to answer her, but before he could speak, Aunt Chun seemed to lose control and became angry.
"My life is already so difficult, why do you have to make things harder for me!"
After Aunt Chun finished yelling, she was stunned, seemingly not expecting that she would actually say such a thing.
She turned her head away with a grim expression, and slowly fell silent under Jin Shuhe's gaze.
She hadn't really looked at the child she'd lived with for so many years in a long time.
At that moment, she saw sadness and understanding in the child's eyes; he was not angry because of her words.
The woman wanted to say something more, but she didn't know what to say. Over the years, she had considered abandoning the child...
What is the relationship between this child and me? When Lao Jin died, I thought the child was quite pitiful. I couldn't just send him away as soon as his father died, could I?
The key question is, where should it be sent?
He has an aunt back in his hometown, but she's been living a very noisy life since she got married. She didn't even come when her brother was cremated. She took her child and sent his ashes to Lao Jin's hometown herself, where they were buried in the village cemetery, one after the other, next to his mother.
The cemetery plots in the city are too expensive; I can't afford to be buried there even if I die...
Old Jin spent half his life trying to make a name for himself, but he didn't achieve anything and ended up with a mountain of debt. It wouldn't be bad if he died and went back to his hometown to live with his parents again.
When his sister saw the child, before she could even say a word, she panicked and, as if her pants were on fire, dragged her son back home after only a few words.
There was no other way but to bring the child back.
She had no man of her own, and the child had no parents, so she raised the child alone.
At the time, I thought that if I got married again in the future, I could send the child away. But after several men came and went, I still couldn't bring myself to send the child away.
She and Lao Jin were just living together as a couple; they didn't even get a marriage certificate.
Time flies, they've grown so much.
Aunt Chun looked at Jin Shuhe and seemed to realize just then how tall he had grown.
She raised the child, but never really looked at him closely. Even so, she complained that if it weren't for him...
But now that she's actually said it, she doesn't feel relieved at all; instead, her eyes are stinging.
“Xiao He… I mean…” Her lips, painted with bright red lipstick, trembled, and her voice softened.
"Do you really want to take me with you? Do you really want to continue living with me? Aunt Chun, thank you for all these years. You should live your own life now. Don't let me hold you back. I really mean it." Jin Shuhe gazed at her and sighed softly.
“Aunt Chun, you should let me go… My dad and I owe you. Once I make money…” Jin Shuhe was extremely sincere. He had no complaints and genuinely felt that Aunt Chun shouldn’t bother him anymore.
She didn't love him, nor did she treat him like her child. Jin Shuhe had known this for a long time, but it didn't make him sad. As he grew older, it only made him feel more and more guilty.
Aunt Chun had carried this burden for too long, and she felt that she would be reluctant to abandon it. But this was not something she was supposed to carry in the first place; it was just that she had carried it for too long.
He has already taken too much advantage and sucked too much blood. He is eighteen years old today, and he can't act innocent after getting the benefits.
These questions seemed to stump the woman; her face was pale, as if she were struggling internally.
Then, as sadness and shame nearly overwhelmed her, the man standing next to her put his arm around her shoulder.
He nodded coldly to Jin Shuhe: "You're not young anymore, you're an adult now... Since you've made your choice, then... we respect you." He said grandly.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Aunt Chun shook off his hand and walked up to Jin Shuhe: "Stop making a scene, Xiao He. Before your father died, I promised him I would take care of you..."
“Aunt Chun, that’s different.” Jin Shuhe lowered her head slightly.
With a firm tone, she said, "Aunt Chun, I'm eighteen years old now, and I'm fully capable of acting. I... I don't want to live with you anymore. Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I will be filial to you from now on. It's not that I'm cutting off contact with you. Don't worry... I'll be fine."
“I’ve saved up some money myself, and I can support myself now.” Jin Shuhe’s voice was soft but very firm.
"You...you live with your neighbor whom you haven't known for very long?" Aunt Chun looked at Lu Liruan again.
“Xiaohe can treat me like an older sister… or like, uh, a landlady. Actually, for so long, I’ve always treated Xiaohe like a younger brother. I’m willing to let him live here with me, and he’s helped me a lot. I will take care of his life and studies from now on. If you’re worried, you can come and see him anytime.”
Lu Liruan tried her best to prove that she was not a bad person.
From other people's perspectives, she did seem a bit confused, but Lu Liruan couldn't find a better solution at the moment. Moreover, she genuinely wanted the child to know that what she said came from the bottom of her heart.
Lu Liruan had no idea how upset he was after hearing his earnest explanation.
But Lu Liruan wanted to make him feel less sad... at least, she could offer him some small comfort in this situation.
Aunt Chun did think that this girl was ignorant and arrogant, but the child really didn't seem to want to leave with her.
She wasn't unaware that the child would feel uncomfortable, but she didn't consider that; the child also needed to have her own life.
During the questioning just now, Aunt Chun realized that she had actually harbored resentment all these years, but she had never thought about it in detail.
Well, this child is clearly determined to stay this way, so we need to find a place to stay today.
The girl looked like a simple-minded, silly person; she certainly didn't seem like a bad person.
Lu Liruan opened her eyes, trying hard to appear sincere, but little did she know that she seemed quite foolish in other people's eyes.
The man hasn't said a word since Aunt Chun interrupted him.
Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, he took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Jin Shuhe: "You can call me if you need anything."
Jin Shuhe acted as if she hadn't heard him speak, ignoring his actions and lowering her head.
With swift and seemingly deliberate movements, he rummaged through his belongings and took them out.
The man didn't press the matter, and turned to look at Lu Liruan.
Lu Liruan didn't know what he did, but he seemed to be someone with some social standing; the aura he exuded indicated that he was of good status.
The two women, standing to the side, didn't seem like they could be a couple.
Lu Liruan thought to herself, why should I judge people by their appearance? What others do has nothing to do with me.
The man seemed used to being treated politely. Although he didn't show any reaction when Jin Shuhe ignored him, it was clear that he was not in a good mood.
He then handed his business card to Lu Liruan.
Lu Liruan glanced at him indifferently, then smiled gently and took the business card.
As if he had completed his mission, the man retreated back to Aunt Chun's side.
Aunt Chun covered her face, neither looking at Jin Shuhe nor speaking.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment. Jin Shuhe silently took out all his belongings and nodded to Aunt Chun.
"I'll have the rest moved." The man made a phone call, and soon after, a driver-looking man brought two other people and carried the rest of the goods downstairs at once.
“Xiao He…”
"Aunt Chun, it's getting dark, you should hurry up and leave. We still need to pack up tonight." Jin Shuhe pursed her lips: "The contents of the box are written on it, please keep an eye on it."
"Okay, if you need anything... just call me."
When the two of them left, their steps seemed somewhat hurried, and they didn't look back.
Soon, the sound of a car starting up could be heard downstairs.
The corridor fell silent. Jin Shuhe looked at the mess on the floor and felt that he was no different from these things.
The only difference is that I chose to stay, but what's the point?