Chapter 81: Upheaval at Home

Huang Tianhua and Du Dan were overjoyed upon hearing how highly Professor Huang Yu regarded him, not only writing a recommendation letter but also personally calling to make arrangements. The two took turns praising Huang Yu from head to toe. It was either their excellent upbringing or their superior genes. They claimed that Xiao Yu had always been clever and diligent, and all his good habits were the result of their nurturing.

At first, Huang Yu quite enjoyed the compliments, but as the flattery escalated—even declaring him the most handsome and smartest in the world—he suddenly felt embarrassed. His cheeks flushed, and he interrupted his parents’ endless praise.

“All right, let's not go on. Look, our son is getting embarrassed,” Huang Tianhua said with a smile, cutting off Du Dan before she could continue.

“By the way, where are we heading?” Huang Yu asked, glancing at the scenery outside the window to change the subject.

“We’re going to dine at the famous Wangtai Xiao. I’ve already reserved seats. Back when your mother and I were dating, we often visited KM City, and we usually ate there. Now we’re taking you to try it,” Huang Tianhua replied, smiling.

YN Province, PE City, Beichen Community.

Though Beichen Community was located within the central urban area of PE City, it was an older neighborhood. Including the ground floor, no building had more than seven stories.

Li Jia got out of the car at the entrance, dragging her suitcase behind her. After getting off at the station, her parents hadn’t come to pick her up, which made her uneasy. In the past, whenever she came home, her parents always met her at the station together.

Before even reaching home, Li Jia encountered a familiar face in the community. After a brief exchange, she confirmed that something had indeed happened at home.

With anxiety in her heart, she arrived at her front door. Before she could enter, the angry voice of a stranger came through from inside.

“Li Ming, if you don’t pay back what you owe me within three days, your whole family will have to move out and sleep on the streets.”

The voice from inside was harsh and full of menace.

Li Jia was startled. Her hand trembled as she took out her keys, causing them to fall to the ground.

The name mentioned, Li Ming, was her father.

As she bent to pick up her keys, she wondered how her honest, hardworking father could have fallen so deep into debt that even their home was at risk.

The man’s voice could still be heard from inside, but it was much quieter now, making it impossible to catch the details.

With confusion and trepidation, Li Jia opened the door and went inside.

The house was in disarray, nothing like when she had left. If not for the familiar furniture and the keys working, she would have suspected she had entered the wrong home.

Careful as ever, she noticed a visible layer of dust had settled in some places—something unthinkable, since her mother was a neat, tidy soul who cleaned the house several times a week, leaving not a speck of dirt.

She couldn’t fathom how, in less than half a year away, her home had changed so drastically.

Li Jia didn’t bother changing her shoes at the entryway, instead carrying her suitcase straight into the living room.

The people inside seemed to have heard the door open; their conversation halted, and all eyes turned toward Li Jia.

Besides her parents, there were three unfamiliar men in the living room.

All three wore suits, exuding the air of successful businessmen, but their unruly demeanor and visible tattoos made them look anything but trustworthy.

A bad man may not announce it on his face, but a good man would never carry himself like a street thug, adorned with tattoos—except, perhaps, for artists or those with eccentric tastes.

To Li Jia, their expressions were unmistakably those of villains.

She wondered how her honest parents could be associating with such people.

Among them, the obvious leader looked at Li Jia, his eyes lighting up. He quickly composed himself, his appearance cleaner than the others, with no tattoos—making him seem somewhat more like a respectable professional.

He examined Li Jia brazenly from head to toe, then smiled and said, “You must be Li Jia. I must say, you’re even more beautiful in person than in your photos.”

Li Jia merely cast a cold glance at the trio, ignoring them and turning her attention to her parents.

What she saw alarmed her: they seemed to have aged a decade since she last saw them, their faces gaunt with unhealthy exhaustion. Her father, Li Ming, bore obvious bruises. Her mother, Liu Jiajia, though unbruised, looked even more wan and sickly.

“Dad, Mom, what happened? Dad, how did you get hurt? Did these men do this to you? I’ll call the police right now—this is a law-abiding society, and the police won’t let them get away with this!” Li Jia’s shock and concern turned quickly to anger as she stepped forward, pulling out her phone.

Li Ming and Liu Jiajia had wanted to speak ever since Li Jia entered, but the words stuck in their throats, leaving them dazed and silent.

“Don’t call the police, don’t call the police,” Li Ming finally snapped out of his stupor as Li Jia produced her phone, snatching it away and urgently repeating his plea.

Li Jia had never seen her parents like this before; her anger dissipated, her nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over.

Choking back sobs, she said, “Dad, don’t be afraid. This is a law-abiding society. I know a bit about the law myself. Any debt signed illegally or under duress is invalid.”

“Such a pretty young lady—crying really doesn’t suit you. It’s heartbreaking,” the leader among the men said, seemingly sympathetic, but he also declared, “You’re welcome to call the police. I’ve studied law too—more than you have. Every debt your parents owe is legal and legitimate.”

As he spoke, he reached out as if to wipe her tears.

“Get out! All of you, get out right now!” Li Jia, seeing his hand approach, slapped it away and turned to glare at him, shouting furiously.

With her parents’ behavior and this man’s words, she finally realized the situation was far more complicated than she had imagined.

“All right, beautiful lady, don’t be angry—you’ll only hurt yourself. We’ll leave. Li Ming, my message is delivered. Don’t forget: you have only three days. If we don’t see the money, or your family moves out, that’s it. Your daughter’s come home today, so you must have much to discuss—we won’t intrude further,” the man said, staring deeply at Li Jia, then addressing Li Ming coldly.

With that, he called his two companions and left.

The three were surprisingly polite, gently closing the door as they went.

As soon as they were gone, the fierce energy that had possessed Li Jia vanished. She deflated like a punctured balloon and sank onto the sofa.

Suddenly remembering something, she turned to her parents and asked urgently, “Dad, Mom, now that they’re gone, what happened? Who are those people?”

“Jia, don’t worry about this. You’ve just come home, you must be tired and hungry. Let me make you something to eat,” Liu Jiajia forced herself to stand, addressing Li Jia.

Her expression was clearly off, her mood unstable.

“Mom, are you all right?” Li Jia noticed immediately, following her mother and asking with concern.

“I’m fine, really. There’s just been too much going on lately, a lot of stress, so I’m a bit out of sorts,” Liu Jiajia replied quickly, and without waiting for more questions, anxiously turned and walked into the kitchen.

Li Jia wanted to press further, but seeing her father’s indifference, she hesitated.

Turning to Li Ming, she said, “Dad, I’m grown up now. If something’s happened, you shouldn’t keep it from me. We’re a family—if there’s a problem, we face it together. There’s nothing we can’t overcome together.”

Li Ming’s eyes were dull, and he remained silent for a long time before finally responding, “You can’t help with this. Go to your room and put your things away. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

Li Jia refused to move, staring at him. “Why are you all acting like this? I’m an adult, a college graduate. What could possibly be so bad I can’t know or help with?”

“Li Jia! I told you to go to your room—don’t you understand what I’m saying?!” Suddenly, Li Ming’s demeanor changed, his expression becoming agitated as he shouted at her.

The outburst frightened Li Jia, leaving her stunned until Li Ming handed back her phone and apologized repeatedly. Only then did she regain her composure.

Tears streamed down her face once more. No longer asking questions, she took her suitcase and went into her room.

Soon, the sound of quiet sobbing drifted from behind her door.