EBE Chapter 1327: What a scumbag father of mine!
Chapter 1327: What a scumbag father of mine!
Lin Lang's gaze fell on the photo. Seeing his deceased father embracing his lover, his heart felt as if it had been pierced by a needle, and he was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
He looked at Chen Nianlin, whose eyes were full of tears, with a gaze that longed to be accepted by her brother, and a timid yet helpless expression.
At the age of sixteen, a carefree and blossoming youth, both her parents have passed away.
They are even facing the predicament of living under someone else's roof.
How much courage did she muster to come and claim kinship with a brother she'd never met before? The hardships she endured are unimaginable.
Chu Yiren also picked up a photo and examined it carefully, her brows furrowing slightly, her eyes full of thought.
She glanced at Lin Lang's complicated expression, then at the pitiful girl in front of her, and fell silent for a moment.
The atmosphere in the living room instantly became heavy, with only Chen Nianlin's suppressed sobs standing out clearly in the empty hall.
Lin Lang picked up the letter with trembling fingers.
After opening the envelope, I unfolded the letter and took a look.
The handwriting of Liu Xiaomei, Lin's father's lover, is somewhat messy, suggesting that she wrote it herself while enduring the pain of late-stage cancer.
The letter's main content was an apology to Lin Lang and his deceased mother, Shen Cuiping.
She then recounted how she and Lin Lang's father violated morality and public order by secretly getting together, and how she unexpectedly became pregnant with Chen Nianlin.
The following paragraphs are Liu Xiaomei's profound self-reproach.
He repeatedly stated that his daughter, Chen Nianlin, was innocent, that she had the blood of the Lin family and was Lin Lang's half-sister.
Finally, there's a mother with cancer who, before she dies, hopes that her daughter's brother, Lin Lang, can lend a helping hand when she's desperate.
Liu Xiaomei also specifically stated that she did not want to morally blackmail Lin Lang, but she knew that her second husband was a selfish man who had never truly accepted the daughter Chen Nianlin that she brought with him.
If Lin Lang really doesn't want to acknowledge this younger sister, that's fine, but we hope that Lin Lang will consider the blood ties and give Chen Nianlin the most basic humanistic care.
If she dies in the late stages of cancer and her daughter Chen Nianlin encounters difficulties in life or in the future, she asks Lin Lang to fund Chen Nianlin's university education and protect her until she enters society.
The final paragraph is Liu Xiaomei's sincere apology once again.
In short, while not mentioning moral blackmail in any sentence, the entire letter was about using the blood ties between half-siblings to gamble on Lin Lang's humanity.
After reading the letter, Lin Lang took a deep breath and casually put it into his personal space.
Once such a handwritten letter containing a family scandal is leaked and exposed online, the public outcry is predictable.
Chen Nianlin blinked her tearful eyes and looked at Lin Lang with longing, desperately hoping to be recognized by her brother.
Chu Yiren, sitting to the side, saw Lin Lang's gloomy face and his inner turmoil, and couldn't help but ask, "Chen Nianlin, how are your grades?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Nianlin hurriedly looked at Chu Yiren and said with a tearful yet proud voice, "I am currently studying at Shanghai No. 60 Key High School and I am ranked in the top ten of my grade."
Zhou Mengyao was somewhat surprised that Chen Nianlin's academic performance was quite good, and she couldn't help but look at the girl with higher regard.
She tentatively asked, "So what is your purpose and objective in coming to the Lin residence today?"
Chen Nianlin lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, and replied, "I...I didn't have any purpose or demands. It's just that my stepfather kicked me out and told me to go find my uncle and aunt."
“But when I went to my uncle and aunt, they said that my custody belonged to my stepfather and forced me to go back to him.”
"After my maternal grandmother passed away, my uncle inherited the property, and I..."
"I'm homeless now, I have nowhere to live, and I haven't eaten since this morning!"
At this point, Chen Nianlin knelt down in front of Lin Lang and Chu Yiren with a thud, sobbing uncontrollably, and said, "Please, brother and sister-in-law, have mercy and take me in!"
"As long as you provide me with food and support my schooling, I can help with chores after school. I... I can sleep in the dormitory with the maid; I don't need a separate room."
"I have nowhere else to go! Please, brother and sister-in-law, have mercy and take me in! Waaah..."
Chu Yiren unconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and her eyes inexplicably welled up with tears.
She had witnessed too much human suffering, but she never imagined that a sixteen-year-old girl, who was clearly of the Lin family bloodline, would lower herself so much, asking only for a meal and a chance to go to school.
They were even willing to share a dormitory with the servants.
That frail figure knelt on the cold floor, his shoulders trembling violently. Every sob was like a hammer blow to the heart, causing a trace of pity to appear in Chu Yiren's eyes.
She turned her head to look at Lin Lang and found that his jawline was taut. Although his face was expressionless, the emotions surging in his eyes were even stronger than before. There was shock, there was confusion, but more than anything, there was an unconcealable emotion.
Looking at the girl kneeling before him, Lin Lang felt that sharp pain in his heart again, even more intense than when he saw the photo of his father embracing his lover.
He could clearly see Chen Nianlin's tears falling like beads from a broken string. Her eyes, filled with fear and pleading, resembled a kitten abandoned at the alley entrance, so helpless that it softened his heart.
He never imagined that he would one day face such a difficult situation.
This half-sister, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, carrying the burden of her father's guilt and her own disheveled state, crashed into his peaceful life.
But that cry of "brother," that desperate plea, and her homeless situation made it impossible for Lin Lang to harden his heart.
Especially her words, "I haven't eaten since this morning," were like a fine needle, piercing through all of Lin Lang's hesitation and resistance.
"Get up!" Lin Lang's voice was slightly hoarse. He suddenly stood up from the sofa and bent down to help Chen Nianlin, who was kneeling on the ground, up.
The moment my fingertips touched her arm, I felt a chill, as if it were so thin it would shatter at the slightest pressure.
"Get up and talk first." Lin Lang avoided the sensitive word "recognition," but his tone softened unconsciously.
"No matter what, even if a stranger comes to the Lin family begging for help, we will not let you really end up on the streets."
Chu Yiren also quickly stood up. Her gaze fell on Chen Nianlin's tear-streaked face. She took a few tissues from the box on the coffee table and handed them to her in a gentle voice.
"Quickly wipe your tears, stop crying."
“Your stepfather was wrong, and your uncle and aunt shouldn’t have been pushing you around.”
As Chu Yiren spoke, she raised her hand and gently patted Chen Nianlin's back, trying to soothe her agitated emotions. "Your grades are so good, you're sure to be a successful child in the future."
Although Chen Nianlin did not receive a response from her relatives, at least she was not kicked out of the Lin family home and felt the warmth of her brother and sister-in-law. Tears were still falling, but she forgot to sob.
She looked up at Lin Lang, stunned.
Looking into Chu Yiren's gentle eyes, and seeing the hope that arose from despair, she choked up and couldn't speak, only able to keep shedding tears.
Lin Lang felt terrible looking at Chen Nianlin's pitiful appearance.
All of these were the romantic entanglements caused by his father during his lifetime.
Faced with these historical issues left over from his father's generation, Lin Lang had no choice but to bite the bullet and deal with his deceased father's affairs.
Lin Lang deliberately kept his tone calm and composed, with a hint of deliberation that was barely perceptible: "Nianlin."
The somewhat unfamiliar yet not hostile address made Chen Nianlin stiffen, her sobs subconsciously paused, and her gaze towards Lin Lang was full of timidity and hope.
"You came too suddenly," Lin Lang said, avoiding Chen Nianlin's overly intense gaze.
His voice softened slightly, "We really weren't prepared at all."
"Do you think this is good?"
Lin Lang paused, trying to soften his tone.
"Please sit here for a while. I'll have the servants bring you some food. You haven't eaten anything since this morning, so have something to eat first. We can discuss the rest later."
He didn't mention recognizing relatives, nor did he directly agree to Chen Nianlin's request, but he subtly shed his initial distance through his way of addressing her and his demeanor.
"Okay." Chen Nianlin's stomach rumbled loudly, much to her dismay.
Upon hearing this, Lin Lang felt another pang of sadness and immediately gave a wink to the maid waiting nearby.
The maid understood immediately and hurriedly turned and walked towards the kitchen, her skirt stirring a slight breeze that broke the brief silence in the living room.
Looking at the weak, helpless, and pitiful Chen Nianlin, Chu Yiren continued, "Your decision to stay or leave cannot be made in just a few words."
"With a half-sister suddenly appearing out of nowhere, we need to further verify your authenticity. You're young and can't handle things easily, so please don't be too hasty, okay?" Miss Chu patiently reassured her.
Chen Nianlin's tears continued to fall silently, as if she had finally grasped a lifeline.
She pursed her slightly chapped lips, and squeezed out a single word, heavy with sobs, as light as a feather yet incredibly clear: "Okay."
Lin Lang watched as Chen Nianlin carefully sat down on the edge of the sofa, her back still taut, like a fawn ready to flee at any moment.
When he turned to look at Chu Yiren, his brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes showed caution regarding the situation.
“Wife,” he lowered his voice, his tone decisive and leaving no room for doubt, “go to the restaurant and call for Mom. This can’t be kept a secret. We need to discuss it with her before we can make a decision.”
Chu Yiren had just raised her hand to say a few more words to comfort Chen Nianlin when she heard this and paused.
This matter involves the Lin family's past and the future of an innocent girl; it cannot be hidden, nor should it be kept secret.
"Okay." Chu Yiren responded, glancing at Chen Nianlin who was wiping away tears with her head down, and then at Lin Lang's resolute profile. The emotion in her heart had not yet faded.
She turned and walked hurriedly toward the restaurant.
Only Chen Nianlin's suppressed sobs and Lin Lang's silent figure remained in the living room.
The air was filled with complex emotions: pity, entanglement, and a hint of the weight of the past about to be revealed.