Chapter 494 Your mother is dead, so you have to support me.
Sun Chengjian's hair was so white it looked like it was covered in frost, and it was stuck together in a clump.
The collar of the faded jacket was frayed, and the cuffs were stained with some unknown dirt. His face was so fleshy that his eyes were reduced to slits.
He rushed to Cui Xiao, spread his arms to block her way, his chest heaving from the exertion of running, and shouted in a rough voice, "Cui Xiao, you can't just leave like this."
"Get out of the way."
Cui Xiao's voice was as cold as ice in winter. After experiencing Jin Ping's passing and the hassle of running around for her funeral, she had no energy left to deal with Sun Chengjian's entanglements. She just wanted to quietly take Xiao Nuomi and complete this final farewell journey.
Sun Chengjian showed no sign of backing down. Instead, he took a step forward, kicking the pebbles at his feet until they rolled, and his spittle flew onto the ground in front of Cui Xiao as he roared.
He pointed his finger at Cui Xiao's nose, his voice sharp and shrill, drawing curious glances from the security guards at the hotel entrance. "My daughter is still in jail. You have to find a way to get her out, or you can forget about leaving this city."
Cui Xiao frowned, about to retort, when Sun Chengjian hurriedly leaned forward, lowering his voice but still full of arrogance, "She's your own sister, a blood relative, how can you just watch her suffer in jail? Quickly find your boss Lin to pull some strings and spend some money to get her out, otherwise I'll stay at the hotel entrance and let everyone see you, this 'ungrateful wretch'."
The fat on his face trembled with anger, and his eyes were wide open, as if he wanted to devour someone.
"impossible."
Cui Xiao refused decisively, her voice not loud but firm: "Sun Lu is suspected of fraud involving millions of yuan. This is her own mistake, and the law will determine what punishment she should receive. I have neither the ability nor the intention to interfere with judicial fairness."
Upon hearing the word "impossible," Sun Chengjian's face instantly turned from flushed to ashen, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
He suddenly reached out, his rough fingers grabbing at Cui Xiao's arm, dirt still embedded in his fingernails.
Cui Xiao was prepared and took a big step back, pressing Xiao Nuomi's head into her arms.
She covered her daughter's ears with her hands to prevent her from hearing the vicious argument, her voice filled with suppressed anger, "Try hitting me here. This is the hotel entrance, and the security guards are right here. If you dare to hurt anyone, I'll call the police right now."
Startled by the sudden noise, Xiao Nuomi shrank back, hugged Cui Xiao's waist tightly, and whispered, "Mommy."
Perhaps it was seeing Cui Xiao's tough attitude, or perhaps it was catching a glimpse of the wary look from the security guards not far away, that made Sun Chengjian's arrogance immediately diminish.
He awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hand, rubbed the dirt off his palm, and the fierce glint in his eyes gradually turned into naked greed.
He moved closer to Cui Xiao, lowering his voice but still carrying a self-righteous calculation, his eyes glancing at Cui Xiao's designer trench coat.
"Fine, I won't let her out, but you have to agree to one condition."
He paused deliberately, observing Cui Xiao's expression. Seeing that she didn't speak, he continued, "Give me ten thousand yuan a month for living expenses."
When he mentioned "ten thousand yuan," his voice rose several decibels, and he even raised his chin confidently, as if it were a matter of course. "Ten thousand yuan isn't much for you, is it? You're working with a big boss like Zhou Mubin now, staying in luxury hotels and eating delicacies. Do you really need this little bit of money? Your mother and I have raised you for over ten years and fed you. Isn't it only right that we ask you for some living expenses to support us in our old age? Let me tell you, I'm asking for very little. Anyone else would have asked for an exorbitant amount."
Cui Xiao finally understood that Sun Chengjian was not truly concerned about Sun Lu at all; all he cared about from beginning to end was money.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to plead with her now; Sun Chengjian would have come to her as soon as Sun Lu was taken away.
Looking at the undisguised greed on Sun Chengjian's face, and at the gleam in his eyes as he schemed, Cui Xiao felt only a chilling coldness in her heart.
Cui Xiao sneered, her eyes filled with disdain and determination. Her voice was clear and firm, each word like ice, "Over the years, I've earned my living expenses and tuition fees myself through part-time jobs; you haven't taken a single penny. On the contrary, since I started working, I've been contributing several hundred yuan to my family every month. When Jin Ping was alive, you benefited from her; now that she's gone, why should I continue to support you?"
She took a step closer, exuding an imposing aura that made Sun Chengjian shrink back in fear. "Don't even think about getting a penny, let alone ten thousand. If you keep bothering me here, I'll call the police right now and accuse you of disturbing public order."
"Call the police? Go ahead and call them."
Sun Chengjian laughed wildly, slapping his thigh as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. The wrinkles around his eyes were crinkled together, full of provocation. "I've already consulted the authorities. When I married your mother, you were still a minor. I raised you with all my heart. The law stipulates that stepchildren who have raised minors have an obligation to support them. You dare not support me? Even the police will have to side with me."
He leaned forward and said, "Let me tell you, either give me ten thousand yuan every month, or I'll sue you in court and ruin your reputation. When your boss finds out you didn't even support your adoptive father, let's see if he'll still hire you."
Cui Xiao's heart sank. She did know about the obligation to support her parents, but she was speechless for a moment because of Sun Chengjian's shameless logic. She could only protect An'an even more tightly.
Just then, a black sedan came to a steady stop in front of the hotel. Zhou Mubin pushed open the car door and strode in, his well-tailored dark gray suit giving him a commanding presence.
Seeing the standoff before him, his eyes instantly turned cold.
He walked straight to Cui Xiao and her daughter, shielding them behind him, and his sharp gaze swept over Sun Chengjian. "I wondered who was causing trouble here. It turns out it was you."
When Sun Chengjian saw Zhou Mubin, his eyes flickered slightly, but remembering the "legal basis" he had consulted, he braced himself and said, "Attorney Zhou, you've come at the right time. You be the judge. I've raised Cui Xiao for so many years, and now that she's old, is it too much to ask her to give me 10,000 yuan a month for living expenses? She even wanted to call the police to arrest me."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Mubin's lips curled into a cold smile. He took out his phone, pulled out a document, and handed it to Sun Chengjian. "Since you've brought up the law, let's have a proper discussion. The Civil Code stipulates that stepchildren have an obligation to support their stepparents who have been raised and educated by them, but this is on the premise that the stepparents have fulfilled their responsibilities of raising and educating them. As far as I know, after you married Jin Ping, you never paid any household expenses. Cui Xiao's tuition and living expenses were all covered by her odd jobs."
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