"By the way, you still have not told me. Who helped you pay off the debt?" Jiang Yuqing stared at Luo Ying with great interest. "Who has that much gold? Who has a deep enough level of friendship with your family to fill such a massive hole?"
Luo Ying took a sip of the bone marrow soup.
[Item: Bone Marrow Soup]
[Effect: Restores 5 HP. Flavor: Rich and Fragrant.]
The soup was delicious, but she tasted a hint of bitterness.
"You do not want to reveal the name of the Boss? Fine." Jiang Yuqing smacked her lips. She was disappointed that she could not uncover the secret. "That person is your great benefactor. How will you repay them? You are working so hard on your illustrations lately. Are you trying to pay them back? I suggest you give up on that idea. You could draw for a whole lifetime and still not earn ten million."
A helpless, self-deprecating smile appeared on the face of Luo Ying.
"Mmm." (No. The illustrations are just a tool for survival.)
She was already paying the debt. She had used a sponsorship agreement to sell three years of her youth.
[Status: Durability of Youth - Decreasing]
The table was full of delicacies, but she could not taste anything.
"You are not going to tell me you were picked up by a sugar daddy, right?" Jiang Yuqing looked at her with a strange gaze. She then laughed. "I am just joking. Do not be angry. I was just thinking about those plots in novels where people pay debts with their bodies."
The face of Luo Ying turned pale. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her spoon.
"Are you still getting engaged?" Luo Ying changed the subject. She wanted to know what would happen to the engagement with Cheng Ji if Jiang Yuqing successfully chased Lu Liangchen.
The expression of Jiang Yuqing froze. She thought for a moment and shook her head. "Whatever. We will cross that bridge when we get there. I will win him over first."
Luo Ying cleared the complex emotions regarding Lu Liangchen from her mind.
'I no longer have the right to care. I cannot ask or worry. Anything I do is unnecessary.'
After the meal, the legs and waist of Luo Ying were still weak. She did not have any stamina left. However, she did not want to go back yet. She suggested going to a movie.
"Yes! We have not seen a movie together in a long time!" Jiang Yuqing cheered. She immediately used her phone to search for new releases.
Luo Ying did not care what they watched. She just wanted to collapse into a soft seat. She wanted to rest while surrounded by foreign images and sounds.
They bought tickets online. Jiang Yuqing drove her flashy golden sports car and took Luo Ying to the cinema.
Luo Ying did not even know the genre of the film. She only heard Jiang Yuqing making noises like a small mouse while eating popcorn.
"Hehe!" (This movie is so funny!)
Luo Ying fell into a deep sleep.
[Status: Stamina Depleted. Entering Forced Sleep Mode.]
She was too tired. Her limbs did not feel like her own. A red mist covered her eyes. A cold wind seemed to seep out from her bones.
She saw her father. Tears rolled down from his kind eyes. He looked at her silently and painfully.
Luo Ying wanted to call him. Her throat was blocked. She could not make a sound. She wanted to grab him, but her arms were frozen. She could not move.
"Hey! Yingzi, wake up! Did you come here to watch a movie or to sleep?"
The voice of Jiang Yuqing suddenly hit her ears. Luo Ying jumped. She opened her eyes. The mist and her father disappeared. The lights in the theater were on. Most of the audience had already left.
"Yingzi, what did you do last night? You look like you have been completely hollowed out. Hahaha!" Jiang Yuqing teased her with a loud laugh. She pulled Luo Ying up. "Let us go. Go home and sleep!"
Jiang Yuqing still thought Luo Ying lived in the school dormitory. She drove her to the campus gate.
On the way, Luo Ying checked her phone. There were two voice messages from her mother, Huang Jingmei. There was also a message from her sister.
[Message from Luo Xu: When are you coming home?]
The simple line of text revealed her sister was being very careful.
The rest of the messages were from Cheng Ji. There were six in total.
[Message 1: Are you having fun? I left a card for you. Buy whatever you want. Do not worry about the money.]
[Message 2: I lost control a bit this morning. Did I hurt you? I am sorry. I will be more careful next time! It is your fault for looking so delicious.]
There was a shy emoji at the end of the message.
[Message 3: My father ordered me to go home for dinner. I will try to finish early and return to our home.]
[Message 4: You do not need to feel inferior or guilty in front of Jiang Yuqing. This is my fault. It has nothing to do with you.]
[Message 5: This is a business marriage. She and I both know the truth. I have no feelings for her. Trust me!]
Luo Ying curled her lip with disdain. She did not care if he had feelings.
'He is just a playboy. How could he have feelings? He treats everyone the same.'
[Message 6: Do you like this necklace? I will buy it for you.]
There was a photo of a blue sapphire necklace.
Luo Ying closed the chat. She did not call him back. Looking at the time, he had called two minutes after the last message. He was probably waiting for her reply in the jewelry store.
Cheng Ji was always like this. If she ignored him, he would eventually get bored and become quiet. If she replied with a single word or even an emoji, he would immediately enter a talkative mode. He would talk forever.
After Jiang Yuqing drove away, Luo Ying walked slowly toward the villa area. She called her sister.
"Sister, is something wrong?"
The voice of her sister, Luo Xu, sounded timid. "Yingzi, Mom was emotionally unstable again at noon. Is it..."
Before she could finish, she started to sob quietly.
"Do not worry. I will come back and check." Luo Ying changed direction and walked faster. She took a bus and got off near the house.
After paying the debt, Luo Ying sold their old house. She was afraid her mother would be sad if she stayed there. She bought a two-bedroom apartment in an old neighborhood called Furong Court. It was less than eighty square meters.
She wanted to use the remaining money for her mother's hospital fees. However, Cheng Ji had already paid them.
The death of her father was a massive blow to Huang Jingmei. She spent two months in a mental hospital before recovering. Luo Ying did not want her mother to stay there long-term. She brought her home. She used her money for medicine and daily expenses.
Luo Xu worked as a clerk in a foreign trade company. Her salary was low, but the job was stable. She was introverted and not good with words. She panicked easily and relied on Luo Ying for everything.
Luo Ying entered the house quickly. Luo Xu still had tear stains on her face. She led Luo Ying to their mother's room.
Huang Jingmei was holding a photo of her late husband. She was crying. She used to be plump, but now she was just skin and bones. She heard the noise and turned around. She stared at Luo Ying for a moment.
"Yingzi, you did not come back with your father? He is becoming more and more ridiculous. He only cares about money all day. He does not care about this family at all."
Luo Ying sighed inwardly. She stepped forward and hugged the thin shoulders of her mother.
"Eyah." (Mom, Dad is earning money for this family. He works day and night so we can have a better life. You should sleep for a while. Dad will be back when you wake up.)
While Huang Jingmei was listening, Luo Ying quietly took the photo frame. She handed it to Luo Xu.
The eyes of Huang Jingmei moved vacantly. She muttered, "He will be back after a nap?"
Suddenly, her volume increased. She glared at Luo Ying. "You are lying to me again! You said the same thing yesterday, but he is still not back!"
She suddenly remembered something. Tears filled her eyes. "He is never coming back! He is so cruel. He was cruel to us and cruel to himself! Did he not think about how we would survive without him?"
Huang Jingmei covered her face. Tears leaked through her fingers. "That selfish man! He left a mess and ran away. What are we supposed to do?"
Luo Ying held her. For a moment, she thought the tears were red. It reminded her of the day her mother cried tears of blood in front of her father's body.
Luo Ying finally calmed her mother down. she made her take her medicine and go to sleep.
Luo Ying gave Luo Xu some instructions. She then dragged her tired body out of the house.
She did not want to stay there. The air in that house made her feel suffocated. It smelled like despair.
She was afraid she would follow in her father's footsteps if she stayed.
'No! I have fallen into the abyss, but I will climb out. I will grab anything I can reach. Even if it is just a blade of grass, I will climb out!'
The Yunyi Manor villa area did not only contain villas. Cheng Ji had bought a large luxury flat for Luo Ying.
She opened the door with her fingerprint. She stopped at the entrance. She saw a pair of expensive men's leather shoes. They were placed neatly on the floor.
Only a floor lamp was on in the living room. In the dim light, she saw a figure sitting on the sofa. The person had their back turned toward her.