Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen: More Troubles Ensues (2/2)

The woman looked suspiciously at Xiao Yu and replied slowly: “Junior Hao needs money now. Give us one-year’s worth of money.”

“That’s a large- “

“You have a career that earns you a few million a year. You have good prospects, and you’re the elder brother. You should take more responsibility. Just wait till Junior Hao is back from studying overseas. We won’t treat you unfairly.”

Xiao Yu went silent for a while before he finally nodded his head.

He wanted to explain that even in the best case scenarios, his salary would only about one million per year at best. If something went wrong, he would not even earn a million. However, he knew that regardless of what he said, the woman in front of him would just think that he was trying to quibble, crying poverty just because he did not want to be responsible for her son’s education fee.

Xiao Yu could only acknowledge it as he was used to compromising with Mdm Fang.

He had gotten used to it ever since fourteen years ago.

Even though Mdm Fang had misconceptions about his salary, her requests were still within an acceptable range and didn’t drive him to a corner.

Four hundred thousand for half a year, and eight hundred thousand for a year. Adding in the time when Junior Hao video called him to ask for a ‘red packet’ during the Lunar New Year, it should not exceed nine hundred thousand.

Back then, Xiao Yu had disagreed with Mdm Fang about sending Junior Hao to study overseas but there was no use in objecting to it. In Mdm Fang’s opinion, she had been raising Xiao Yu for free for so many years, it was about time to use him to the fullest. Xiao Yu had owed so much to both of them that he would not be able to repay them fully in his entire life. She was merely asking for eight hundred thousand a year from Xiao Yu who earned a few million dollars annually; that was nothing.

“Are you still renting an apartment?” Speaking of money, Mdm Fang suddenly mentioned the apartment.

Xiao Yu unconsciously nodded his head, then shook it again.

He wanted to speak but chose not to in the end, opting to silently listen to Mdm Fang.

“You should buy a place of your own and settle down. Are you planning to rent an apartment long-term? It’s such a waste of money.”

That was the last thing that Mdm Fang said to Xiao Yu before she turned away and left.

Her back still looked just like it did all those years ago.

Xiao Yu closed the door and stood behind it for a long time.

He did not tell Mdm Fang that he had been involved in an accident two days ago, which was why he could not transfer the money on time to her son, his younger brother. He did not tell Mdm Fang that he wanted to purchase a place of his own, but that he couldn’t even afford the down payment.

He could sense why Mdm Fang was concerned about him renting an apartment. She was probably worried that without a fixed residence, he could just run away from them if he wanted to shirk responsibility.

He would not run away. Mdm Fang did not need to worry about that

Because if he did, then he would really be all alone in this world.

……

It was not really a melodramatic story.

The day Xiao Yu was born, his mother passed away. He then lost his father when he was twelve years old. When he was fifteen, he was caught in the dilemma of whether or not he could continue his studies. His stepmother, Mdm Fang, did not take his father’s inheritance and remarry. This woman who had been cold hearted like an icy mountain ever since she had appeared in Xiao Yu’s life had given him two choices:

One, he could choose not to further his studies and she would provide him with enough to attend a vocational institution so that he could get a job after graduation. Three years later when he turned eighteen, he would be on his own, and they would go their separate ways.

Two, the house would be hers and she would share one-third of the inheritance with him. He could use this money to continue his studies, and he could decide how far he wanted to pursue his studies. However, he would need to sign an IOU for ten times that amount. Regardless of which career Xiao Yu decided on, whether he would earn a high income or an average one, he would still need to repay both principal and interest to her son and Xiao Yu’s stepbrother, Xiao Zihao.

Xiao Yu chose the second option because he did not want to be disassociated with his own family.

Ever since the beginning, he had never forgotten what his father had told him on his deathbed. They owed it to this woman. Even if Xiao Yu had already returned more than what he should have repaid, he had never once thought of breaking ties with Mdm Fang.

There was no evil stepmother story line, neither was there a war over inheritance. Mdm Fang did not owe him anything, or should he say she had given him plenty. If she had brought along her son and remarried when he was twelve, Xiao Yu’s life may have been even worse during the past few years.

Instead, compared to Mdm Fang, Xiao Yu was even more worried about his five years younger brother.

In that stone-cold heart of Mdm Fang, the only soft spot was probably for that son whom she gave birth to. That was why two years ago, before Xiao Yu had a stable career in SI, Mdm Fang forcefully sent her son who had failed his college entrance exam away to study overseas.

The expensive school fees and living costs were fully undertaken by Xiao Yu. In the first year, the total cost was about three hundred thousand. Xiao Yu had transferred one hundred and fifty thousand biannually. However, on the second year, the funds needed per transfer became three hundred thousand, which meant six hundred thousand a year. This year, the third year, the amount had increased to eight hundred thousand.

Xiao Yu was never a proper student who had studied overseas, but during the time when he had followed his teacher to study and travel around the world, he had gained some understanding of the fees for universities overseas as well as the estimated amount of decent living expenses. That the ‘school fees’ seemed to be increasing so rapidly was something that could fool Mdm Fang but not him.

However, Xiao Yu could not tell Mdm Fang that, and neither could he travel and find out what his step-brother was doing. Hence, he could only choose the easiest way –

Compromise.

It was not the first time Xiao Yu had felt relieved that money could resolve everything,

So even though he did feel guilty, he still turned away and closed his eyes.

……

Xiao Yu buried himself into the couch once again.

Suddenly, he really missed Yan Jin, really, really missed him.