Chapter 196 Is there someone next to you?
After hearing this, Zhou Ruolan snorted coldly, "This old man Song has a pair of snob eyes. He ignores my daughter now, but he'll be begging for his attention in the future."
"If you don't want to date, then don't. There are plenty of men out there. Your uncle and cousin know a lot of guys. Let them help you find a few good ones, and we can take our time choosing."
"Mom, I still really like Song Xu, and I don't want to change partners," Lin Xi said shyly, lowering her head.
Zhou Ruolan sighed, hoping her daughter wouldn't be as love-struck as she was. "Mom can't go out right now. After I've recovered, I'll find a chance to meet that Song family boy."
"Okay." Lin Xi smiled at Zhou Ruolan.
“Xi Xi,” Zhou Licheng looked at Lin Xi, “the case of that boy named Xiao Yang who drugged you. Due to a misjudgment, Xiao Yang was released before. Now it has been found that his medical records were fake, and he has been arrested and brought back to the police station. After he confesses to his accomplices, the trial will be held.”
Lin Xi nodded, "Thank you, Uncle. Actually, even without investigating, I could guess who was behind this. It's most likely Lu Yunqi."
"Anyway, she's already in a vegetative state, and she's received the punishment she deserves."
“That’s not enough,” Zhou Ruolan chimed in, taking Lin Xi’s hand. “Xi Xi, don’t leave tonight. Tell your mother all about what has happened to you over the years.”
That damned Lu Zhentao, that damned Meng Xiuwan, she'll make them pay for their crimes sooner or later.
Lin Xi thought for a moment. She and her mother hadn't had enough time together and she wanted to know more about her mother. "Then I'll call Grandma and tell her, otherwise she'll worry."
Lin Xi called her grandmother and told her she was staying at a friend's house for the night.
Grandma Lin knew that Lin Xi was very sensible, so she didn't ask any more questions, but simply told Lin Xi to be careful.
After dinner, everyone sat together chatting. Lin Xi brought up Jiang Ran, "Does Ranran still not know about our relationship?"
Madam Zhou said, "I haven't told her yet. If she finds out, she'll definitely ask for leave to come back. Besides, she's too stubborn and impatient. I'm going to wait until she comes back next time to tell her."
"I sat next to Ranran for three years, and I never imagined that we were actually cousins," Lin Xi exclaimed. No wonder she got along so well with Jiang Ran; it turned out to be because of blood ties.
“When Ranran came back on the first day of high school, she said she met a female classmate who looked a lot like her aunt, but we didn’t take it seriously,” Mrs. Zhou said with regret. “If we had thought about it more, we might have found out sooner.”
"It's not too late now, it's better than not finding out at all," Lin Xi comforted her, then changed the subject, "Jiang Ran, Jiang Yan, cousin-in-law, your name sounds so similar to Ranran's."
Jiang Yan smiled shyly, "I met your cousin because of my name."
“He went to the supermarket with Ranran to buy things. I was there too. He couldn’t find Ranran, so he called out. I thought he was calling me, so I stared at him for a long time and then asked him if he knew me.”
"Wow!" Lin Xi's eyes were full of envy. "What a romantic encounter."
Jiang Yan blushed. "Ranran was the matchmaker for me and your cousin."
Madam Zhou was very satisfied with Jiang Yan as her daughter-in-law. "Jingming, when are you planning to marry Yan Yan? I'm eager to have a grandson."
“Let’s wait a bit,” Zhou Jingming said. “It will be about the same next spring when Auntie is feeling better.”
“There’s finally something to look forward to,” Mrs. Zhou said with a smile. “When will your father and I meet Yan Yan’s mother?”
Jiang Yan's expression changed slightly. How was she going to tell her in-laws that she had completely broken ties with her own family?
“No rush,” Zhou Jingming stopped him. “Let’s take care of Aunt’s matter first, otherwise I won’t be able to calm down and prepare for the wedding.”
“That’s true,” Madam Zhou nodded. “You should secretly help Yunzhou more. It’s not easy for that child to manage such a large group of things on his own.”
“Sister-in-law, I may have to bother you for a while,” Zhou Ruolan said. “I’ll move out once I buy a house.”
“Lanlan, what are you saying?” Madam Zhou said, displeased. “Your surname is Zhou, this is your home. You will live here from now on. It’s not like you have nowhere else to live.”
"Thank you, sister-in-law," Zhou Ruolan said, her eyes glistening with tears. "You've worked so hard all these years."
My parents were taken care of by my sister-in-law before they passed away. This unfilial daughter has been away from home for more than 20 years and has not fulfilled her filial duties at all. She didn't even get to see her parents one last time.
"To be honest, I resented you too," Mrs. Zhou wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with her fingers. "You said you were cutting ties, and you really didn't contact me at all. When Mom and Dad passed away, they were calling your name. They sent you messages, but you didn't reply at all."
"But now that I know your situation back then, what reason do I have to blame you? I can only feel sorry for you. These past eighteen years have been too difficult for you."
Zhou Ruolan sobbed softly. She felt sorry for her parents, her relatives, and especially her daughter. She had lived such a failed life.
If she could do it all over again, she would never marry Lu Zhentao; instead, she would gather evidence to send him to jail.
That night, Lin Xi and Zhou Ruolan lay on the same bed, covered by the same quilt.
Lin Xi was held in Zhou Ruolan's arms, and she felt that the air around her was sweet. "Mom, I am so happy right now."
She has a mother now, and her mother loves her very much.
“Mom too,” Zhou Ruolan kissed Lin Xi’s forehead, “Mom has been thinking about this scene for eighteen years, and today I can finally hold my darling baby and sleep.”
Lin Xi was dozing off in her mother's arms. Just as she closed her eyes, her phone started vibrating.
She suddenly opened her eyes and realized she had forgotten to message Song Xu. She reached for her phone and saw that it was indeed a video call from Song Xu.
"Mom, it's Song Xu who opened the video call. We can't let him see you."
Zhou Ruolan nodded and moved to the side to avoid being in the shot.
Lin Xi answered the phone after finding a good spot. She saw Song Xu outside, and behind him seemed to be the front door of her grandmother's house. Oh no, he actually went to her grandmother's house tonight.
"Song Xu, are you at Grandma's house?"
Song Xu stared at Lin Xi on his phone. She was wearing pajamas, her hair was loose, and she looked like she was about to go to sleep. The background behind her was unfamiliar.
Song Xu's eyes were dark, and his voice was icy, "Xi Xi, where are you?"
"I... am with Senior Jiang Yan," Lin Xi swallowed, lying made her very nervous, "I didn't have a good chat with Senior Jiang Yan tonight, so she dragged me home to continue chatting."
"Song Xu, how did you get out of the hospital? Did your grandfather release him?"
Just as Song Xu was about to answer Lin Xi's question, a cough came from Lin Xi's side. He was sure it wasn't Lin Xi who coughed. He narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold tone, "Is there someone next to you?"
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