Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties
Chapter 471 - 470: Can’t I Just Admit I Was Wrong?

Chapter 471: Chapter 470: Can’t I Just Admit I Was Wrong?

Lu Pengcheng had another chat with Lin Xia about her situation with Lu Zheng, and then, after eating something, he went to Luo Xinyan’s house.

Luo Xinyan was not surprised by Lu Pengcheng’s visit, since her daughter was getting married, Lin Xia couldn’t possibly have kept it from him, and knowing that, he couldn’t possibly stay away.

Back then, he had been unaware of Luo Yue’s existence, but now that he was aware, for whatever reasons, he would want to make up for those absent years.

"Is the child at work?" Lu Pengcheng, sitting on the edge of the kang, made small talk.

He knew Luo Xinyan hated him, for from the moment he followed her into the house, she hadn’t granted him a single smile.

In fact, she should hate him so much!

If it weren’t for him, if it hadn’t been for those events of the past, with Luo Xinyan’s looks she could have found any man, and she would have lived a very happy life.

But because of him, her life changed, and she lived so many years in misery and helplessness.

"Yes! Is there something you need?" Luo Xinyan was very cold to Lu Pengcheng. Even the most intense love and emotions would slowly fade with the passage of time.

Moreover, she had deep-seated hatred for Lu Pengcheng and his mother to begin with, followed by his wife coming to her home later, bringing a devastating impact on her and her daughter.

Where they originally lived, the entire neighborhood knew she’d been pregnant before marriage and that her daughter was illegitimate.

Although they’ve moved from there, they still live near the hospital—there’s no wall in the world that won’t let the breeze pass through.

Every day she lived in dread, fearful that the in-laws of her daughter might find out about her illegitimacy and look down on and make life difficult for her.

Having lived for so long, she had seen too many cases of mothers-in-law bullying their daughters-in-law; how could she bear to let her daughter, after a hard day’s work, still have to go back and do housework or endure such treatment?

That’s why she insisted her daughter must live at home after marriage, so at least under her watch, her daughter wouldn’t have to endure the mother-in-law’s temper.

Lu Pengcheng took out a kraft paper bag from his bag and placed it on the edge of the kang, pushing it toward Luo Xinyan, "This is a little something from me, for the child to buy some things."

He knew this money and these things were nothing, no amount of money or goods could make up for the suffering she and her daughter had endured over the years.

But that was all he could do now!

Luo Xinyan’s eyes swept over the paper bag, a mockery forming at the corners of her mouth, "I thank you on behalf of my daughter!"

She didn’t say she didn’t want it! Why wouldn’t she? After all, that was what Lu Pengcheng owed her daughter!

Seeing how readily she accepted it eased the anxiety Lu Pengcheng felt. He hurriedly asked the question that weighed most heavily on his mind: "How is the young man’s character? Is he good to Luo Yue?"

The man Luo Yue was marrying was Lin Xia’s cousin; naturally, he couldn’t ask Lin Xia how her cousin was. What would that make him look like?

Luo Xinyan indifferently answered, "Hongli is a good kid, with a good temper. He’s especially good to Yueyue! Don’t worry!"

"As long as he is good to her!" Looking into her still water-like eyes, Lu Pengcheng cautiously asked, "How have you been recently?"

"I’m fine! Why wouldn’t I be? If there’s nothing else, you can go now. I won’t keep you!" said Luo Xinyan with a dismissive coldness.

Lu Pengcheng knew he had no reason to stay any longer, "Then I’ll be leaving now!"

"Okay!"

As Lu Pengcheng looked back at the firmly closed front door and listened to Luo Xinyan’s footsteps returning to her room, he gave a rueful smile. In this lifetime, he had let down too many people...

The next day, Lin Xia first went to Jiang Mingyuan’s restaurant.

Her original intention was to give him both the keys to the house and the cosmetics store, asking him to help with closing and locking up in the evening since she had already arranged for the store clerks to start work tomorrow afternoon;

Meanwhile, she planned to take Lu Pengcheng, Song Yinran, and Along to Lin Aijia’s place first.

As for Jiang Mingyuan, if he rushed to Lin Aijia’s place first thing in the morning to pick up Yu Hongli, he would be on time.

In the end, Jiang Mingyuan just pocketed the keys and casually grabbed the car keys from the office desk.

"Let’s go! My sworn little sister! Your sworn big brother will take you there!"

Lin Xia couldn’t help but laugh and roll her eyes at him, "Second Brother! Can we not always keep this sworn sister and sworn brother thing on our lips? Isn’t it just that I acknowledged a godmother without your consent? Am I not allowed to make a mistake?"

Since that day, Jiang Mingyuan knew he would no longer call her Lin Xia, but instead referred to her constantly as "my sworn sister", it practically became his catchphrase.

Later, when she asked him to help with Yu Hongli’s wedding procession, he also went on about how he must carry out the task entrusted by "my sworn sister", and so on and so forth.

Jiang Mingyuan’s face was also filled with a smile as he quickly flicked Lin Xia’s forehead, "No way! Who let you two carry out your plan in secret? Besides, you’re now my sworn sister, and in the future, Lu Zheng will be my sworn brother-in-law!"

He felt that he had no romantic fate with Lin Xia, but now that they had this relationship, it wasn’t bad either.

It not only fulfilled his mother’s wish to have a daughter, but it also let him legitimately keep in touch with Lin Xia. That way, no one would talk if Lin Xia became close to him.

Lin Xia, rubbing her sore forehead, complained, "Second Brother! I’ve noticed you’re really willing to hit hard now, you never flicked my head before!" They had known each other for several years, and Jiang Mingyuan had always been a gentleman who spoke kindly but never used force.

Jiang Mingyuan’s eyes revealed deep meaning, and he curved up his lips, "Can the past really be the same as now? Let’s go, sworn sister!"

Lin Xia obediently followed behind him, making faces at his back, but she soon grinned silently. She liked their current mode of interaction; Second Brother’s gaze towards her finally resembled that of her Big Brother.

At the entrance of the Songxue Hotel, Lu Pengcheng and the other two stood waiting. When they saw Jiang Mingyuan drive up, Lu Pengcheng’s eyes flickered.

He heard from Shao Meirou later about this young man driving the car, who turned out to be the restaurant owner who liked Lin Xia.

Now, seeing the two of them together so openly, he believed in Lin Xia’s character, thinking to himself that it must be this youngster who was too eager.

After getting in the car, Lin Xia turned to introduce them, "This is my sworn brother, Jiang Mingyuan! Second Brother, you’ve seen Lu Zheng’s dad before, these two are my uncle and Along..."

Lu Pengcheng was momentarily stunned when he heard "sworn brother", but he quickly returned to normal.

Everyone greeted each other, and when Jiang Mingyuan turned to say hello, he took an extra look at Along.

On the way, Lin Xia and Jiang Mingyuan chatted casually, without a fixed subject.

In the back seat, only Song Yinran was talkative, inquiring about the local economic development and people’s living conditions.

Lu Pengcheng and Along remained silent throughout.

Along was quiet because of his identity and was not naturally talkative.

Lu Pengcheng, however, sat silently, watching the landscapes that whizzed past the car window, immersed in his thoughts.

Luo Yue was his daughter, and although he had never raised her for a day as her father, he shared the same feelings as any father would have when giving away his daughter in marriage.

But he absolutely could not show any of this in public, and now, going to the groom’s family, he would have to appear merely as Lin Xia’s future father-in-law.

Fortunately, he had Lin Xia’s uncle and the others with him. Otherwise, his presence would indeed have seemed very conspicuous.