Chapter 8: Tell Your Sister to Come Home
Ling Family Mansion.
"What? You mean Ling Lu has been living here for the past three years?" The Ling family members looked at Ling Yeli, their expressions filled with disbelief.
Ling Yeli nodded with a complicated expression. After learning about Ling Lu’s ordeal yesterday, he had been the first to fall into deep self-reproach. He hadn't been in the mood to explain it to the others, so the truth only came to light just now.
Mother Ling stared at the room, which was smaller than her own walk-in closet. A flash of shock crossed her eyes, followed immediately by heartache.
After all, she was her own flesh and blood. No matter how much she disliked her, she was still a piece of her own body—how could she not feel pained?
Mother Ling covered her mouth, choking back a sob.
The men of the Ling family exchanged glances, then fell into a heavy silence. Even Ling Yanye, who was usually talkative, kept his mouth shut.
"Oh my god, how could anyone live in a place like this? Poor Xiaolu, why didn't she tell me? It’s all my fault. Xiaolu has been home for so long, and I haven’t even properly cared for her."
Ling Lin spoke with feigned self-reproach, tears brimming in her eyes.
In reality, she knew everything about Ling Lu’s situation. She had even secretly paid people to put mice and cockroaches in this very utility room where Ling Lu had lived. Now that Ling Lu’s situation was exposed before everyone, she couldn't help but feel nervous. If the Ling family started caring about Ling Lu, wouldn't she lose her favored position?
"Didn't Ling Lu choose not to say anything herself? Who can you blame for that? It makes it look like we were abusing her," Ling Yanye muttered from the side, only to be cut off by a sharp glare from Ling Yeli, which silenced him immediately.
Mother Ling hugged Ling Lin, saying heart-wrenchingly, "You sweet child, how could this be your fault? If anyone is to blame, it’s us parents for being incompetent. I never imagined Xiaolu had lived so bitterly these past three years."
Mother Ling sighed and shook her head. Though she felt some guilt, she still took the time to comfort the "grieving" Ling Lin. In her heart, this daughter she had raised herself was still closer to her.
Ling Canghai rubbed his forehead and spoke with a hint of exhaustion.
"Yeli, go. Tell your sister to come home. Tell her we won’t pursue the matter of the car accident anymore. Tell her to stop throwing a tantrum and return immediately."
Because of Ling Lu, the house had been in chaos lately. It was time to put an end to this farce. Ling Canghai’s attitude was rather indifferent; as a father, although he felt guilty toward Ling Lu, he could hardly blame himself, especially for the sake of his pride as the head of the household.
Upon hearing this, Ling Yeli’s eyes lit up. His spirit lifted as he said, "Alright, Dad. I’ll go bring Ling Lu home right now!"
Since Ling Canghai had given the word, Ling Lu would definitely come back. She had always been the most filial, the most obedient to their parents. Ling Yeli thought to himself that as long as Ling Lu came home this time and apologized for how she had treated Linlin in the past, he would try his best to yield to her and get along. After all, he was the older brother; it was only natural for him to give a little to his sister.
Seeing this, Ling Lin hid the venom in her eyes and spoke with a look of feigned guilt.
"Second Brother, I want to come with you."
She had worked so hard to make everyone in the Ling family despise Ling Lu and drive her out of the house; how could she just watch her come back? As long as she was around, Ling Lu would never step foot back into the Ling house!
"This..." Ling Yeli looked hesitant and indecisive. Ling Lu had always been at odds with Ling Lin. If Linlin went along, would Ling Lu still obediently come home with him?
"Second Brother, I just want to see Xiaolu. Whenever I think of the suffering and the injuries she endured over these three years, my conscience feels uneasy. I want to make it up to her..." Ling Lin’s voice trembled, tears streaming down her face like rain, giving her a look of utter heartbreak.
Seeing this, Ling Yeli immediately agreed, walking over to comfort her by wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Linlin was so good, so kind—why couldn't Ling Lu just get along with her? Ling Yeli decided firmly that once Ling Lu returned, he would make sure she shed her prejudices against Linlin and that the two of them lived in harmony.
***
After leaving Star Shine, Ling Lu headed straight to the small apartment she had lived in during high school.
Before she turned eighteen, Ling Lu had lived in an orphanage, but she had been bullied by the other children there for too long. The orphanage director, Liu Lan, couldn't bear it anymore and took her into her own home, treating her very well. Later, the director retired and moved to the countryside, and this house was rented out. However, Ling Lu couldn't bear to lose the memories, so she secretly contacted the tenant and rented the place back.
During her three years at the Ling house, whenever she felt like she couldn't breathe, she would come here to stay for a while. Because she visited so often, the place was clean enough to live in without much effort.
Ling Lu lay on the small bed in the room, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
What she needed most right now was money. In the three years she spent at the Ling family’s, they had barely given her a penny. She had saved a little here and there, but whenever a Ling family member had a birthday, all her savings went toward buying them gifts. Now, the money she had left was pitifully small...
In a flash of inspiration, something crossed Ling Lu’s mind. A while back, her university professor had mentioned that a program directed by his friend was short on guests and asked if she was interested in participating. It had been delayed because of the car accident. She wondered if the opportunity was still there...
The next day, a Weibo post officially announced the start of filming for a show called *Travel Chronicle*.
As the name implied, *Travel Chronicle* was a show focused on guest travel. It was helmed by the famous reality show director Ge Hong, whose programs consistently ranked at the top in terms of viewership. Plus, he was a well-known director in his own right.
The announced list included four men and four women. Apart from one mystery male guest who had yet to be revealed, all other guests had photos attached. As soon as the news dropped, it caused quite a stir online.
Ling Lu opened Weibo and immediately saw herself on the guest list.
Just yesterday, she had contacted her professor, Xu Xiao, to explain her intentions. Xu Xiao was a straightforward man; he had considered Ling Lu his favorite student throughout her four years of university, so he was more than happy to help her make the connection. Later, Ling Lu learned that the friend Xu Xiao had mentioned was none other than the famous director Ge Hong. After exchanging contact information and communicating, Ling Lu had passed Ge Hong’s screening and successfully secured her spot on the show.
On the list of guests, Ling Lu also saw two familiar names: Ling Lin and her fourth brother, Ling Xuancheng.
It was no surprise that Ling Lin appeared on the show. As a rising star recently backed by Star Shine, Ling Jinmo would certainly assign her to such a high-production program. But Ling Xuancheng was a painter; apart from painting, the only thing he cared about was Ling Lin. He was likely joining the program for her sake.
Thinking of this, a look of realization dawned in Ling Lu’s eyes. She scanned the Weibo comments section and, as expected, saw nothing but praise for Ling Lin. She wasn't surprised by this at all. Recently, in order to promote Ling Lin, Ling Jinmo had directed almost all of Star Shine Entertainment’s top-tier resources toward her. Combined with his willingness to spend money to control the public narrative, this was completely normal.