Chapter 57 Xie Lin is in a Difficult Position

Chapter 57 Xie Lin is in a Difficult Position

Arrived at my doorstep.

Lin Mianmian carried a bag containing vegetables and tofu, her fingers slightly red from being squeezed, but she still hummed an off-key tune, her steps as light as a hopping bird.

Seeing this, Xie Lin calmly took the bag from her hand, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the back of her hand, earning the girl a sweet smile in return.

“Let me carry it, it’s heavy.” His voice was gentle, but with an undeniable certainty.

Lin Mianmian skillfully took out her key and opened the door. The moment she pushed the door open, a faint fragrance of laundry detergent wafted out.

The small house was kept very clean, the floor was polished to a shine, and freshly washed clothes hung out to dry on the balcony, swaying gently in the breeze.

Lin Mianmian put the yogurt in her hand into the refrigerator, and when she turned around, Xie Lin hugged her from behind.

His chin rested on the crook of her neck, his warm breath brushing against her skin, carrying a hint of weariness, yet utterly comforting.

"Are you tired?" Lin Mianmian raised her hand and gently rubbed the back of his neck, her fingertips able to touch the slightly protruding bones.

He has lost a lot of weight recently.

Xie Lin shook his head, buried his face even deeper, and said in a muffled voice, "I'm not tired. I'm not tired when you're here."

He recalled living in the Xie family mansion, a huge villa so empty it was frightening; even with all the lights on, the chill in his heart couldn't be warmed.

But now, this small house, which is only a few dozen square meters, is filled with the warmth of everyday life because of Lin Mianmian.

Lin Mianmian turned around, stood on tiptoe, and smoothed the wrinkles between his brows: "Then you rest for a while, I'll go make braised pork."

Xie Lin didn't let go of her hand, but simply held it and followed her into the kitchen.

Watching her tie on her apron, tiptoe to take a spatula from the cupboard, her small figure busy at the stove, his gaze lingered on her, so tender it could melt hearts.

He leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching her carefully blanch the pork belly, watching her meticulously stir-fry the rock sugar, and watching her get splattered with oil.

She subconsciously withdrew her hand, looking both charming and adorable.

"Let me help you." Xie Lin walked over, took her hand from behind, and together they stirred the pork belly in the pan. The aroma of the meat mixed with the sweet scent of rock sugar quickly filled the entire room.

The two nestled together in the small kitchen, listening to the sizzling sounds from the pot, as the sky outside the window gradually darkened and the streetlights came on one by one.

Warm yellow light streamed in through the window, falling on the two of them and creating a cozy silhouette.

Dinner was simple: a plate of bright red braised pork, a plate of stir-fried greens, and a bowl of tofu soup.

Lin Mianmian picked up a piece of braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat and put it into Xie Lin's bowl, her eyes sparkling: "Try it quickly, this is a new recipe I learned."

Xie Lin put it in his mouth, and the aroma of meat filled the air. It was soft, tender, and flavorful, sweet but not cloying.

Looking into the girl's expectant eyes, he smiled and nodded: "Delicious, even better than what a Michelin three-star chef makes."

Lin Mianmian blushed slightly at his praise, lowered her head, picked at the rice in her bowl, but couldn't help but smile.

After dinner, Xie Lin insisted on washing the dishes, while Lin Mianmian sat on the small sofa in the living room, watching his busy figure in the kitchen, holding the box of strawberry-flavored yogurt in her hands, feeling sweet inside.

As night deepened, the wind outside the window gradually picked up, making the window rattle and whistle.

Lin Mianmian was already asleep, breathing evenly, with a faint blush on her cheeks.

Xie Lin sat on the edge of the bed, gazing quietly at her sleeping face in the moonlight streaming through the window, his eyes filled with tenderness.

He gently stroked her hair, his fingertips icy cold.

No, this can't go on.

He couldn't let her live such a frugal life with him, and he couldn't let her hesitate to put her favorite yogurt back.

We can't let her live in this old, run-down house, which doesn't even have a decent wardrobe.

Even if he were kicked out of his home and left with nothing, he couldn't let his girl suffer.

The next morning, while Lin Mianmian was still asleep, Xie Lin had already quietly gotten up.

He quietly finished washing up, left her a note saying he was going out to buy some breakfast, and then left home with his meager savings.

He first went to a nearby office building, looked at the glamorous job postings, took a deep breath, and went inside.

He was once the heir to the Xie family business, managing a huge company and handling projects worth hundreds of millions. He thought that with his abilities, finding a decent job shouldn't be difficult.

But reality dealt him a heavy blow.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xie, we need employees with relevant industry experience and local social security records." The interviewer pushed up his glasses, his tone polite but distant.

Xie Lin clenched his fist and said in a low voice, "I used to manage the overseas business division of the Xie Group, and I handled..."

"The Xie Group?" The interviewer interrupted him, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Mr. Xie, if I may be so bold, we cannot find any relevant work records for you."

"Furthermore, you have no proof of resignation and no letters of recommendation."

He then remembered that when he was kicked out of the Xie family, he hadn't brought anything with him. All those past glories now seemed like nothing at all.

Unwilling to give up, he went to several more companies, but the responses he received were all pretty much the same.

Some people complained that he didn't have local social security, others questioned his resume, and still others simply refused to give him an interview because he was dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans.

The sun gradually rose to its zenith, scorching the earth.

Xie Lin walked on the scorching hot road, sweat dripping down his face and onto the dry ground, where it evaporated instantly.

He wouldn't even buy a bottle of mineral water.

He stood by the roadside, watching the bustling traffic and the hurried people, and suddenly felt like a kite with a broken string, lost and helpless, not knowing where to drift.

He can't just go back like this; he still needs to earn money to buy clothes for Mianmian.

Xie Lin gritted his teeth, turned around, and walked into a nearby labor market.

"Young man, looking for work?" A middle-aged man in a vest approached and looked him up and down.

"Judging from your appearance, you don't seem like someone who does manual labor. But there's a food delivery job available. Would you like to do it? You get paid daily, but it's a bit tiring."

Delivering takeout?

Xie Lin was stunned for a moment. He used to be the young master of the Xie family who never lifted a finger to do housework. He rarely even poured himself a glass of water, let alone delivered takeout.

But when he thought of Lin Mianmian's sweet smile when she woke up in the morning and saw the breakfast he brought back, his heart felt like it was being tugged by something.

"Damn it." He blurted out almost immediately.

The middle-aged man chuckled, handed him a jacket with the food delivery platform's logo printed on it, and then taught him how to download the order-taking app.

"The weather's bad today, it looks like it's going to rain. We have a lot of orders, so you'd better hurry up and don't be late. Customer complaints will result in hefty fines."

Xie Lin nodded, thanked him, took the coat, and put it on.

The oversized coat, though ill-fitting on his slender frame, felt heavy, pressing down on his shoulders and his pride.

He had just received his first order when the sky darkened and large raindrops began to pelt down.

Without an umbrella, he could only wrap the delivery box tightly and ride his rented electric bike into the rain.

The raindrops stung my face.

The wind, carrying rain, made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

He could only squint and ride forward with difficulty, relying on the route he remembered.

My trouser legs were quickly soaked through, clinging tightly to my legs, icy cold.

The shoes were also filled with water, and with each step on the pedal, you could feel the water overflowing from the seams.

His first delivery was in an old residential area without an elevator. He carried the delivery box and climbed eight floors in one go.

The moment the door was opened, an impatient voice from a middle-aged woman came out.

"Why is it taking so long? It's ten minutes late! Do you know how long I've been waiting?" The woman frowned, taking the takeout with a look of disgust, not even glancing at Xie Lin. "Bad review! Definitely a bad review!"

The door slammed shut. Xie Lin stood outside, soaked to the bone, rain dripping down his hair and into his neck, icy cold.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He remembered Lin Mianmian lying in his arms last night, whispering, "Being with you, even eating steamed buns tastes sweet." His nose tingled, and his eyes even reddened.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the water on the road was getting deeper and deeper.

He rode his electric bike carefully, avoiding puddles, while new order notifications kept popping up on his phone screen.

He dared not stop, nor could he stop.

The more orders I deliver, the more money I earn, and the closer I get to my goal of giving Lin Mianmian a better life.

By the time he finished his last delivery, it was completely dark.

The rain stopped, and the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, casting a cool, clear light.

He rode his electric bike slowly back home. His clothes, soaked to the bone, clung to his body, cold and sticky, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Clutching the money I earned today, not much, just over a hundred yuan, it felt heavy.

He stopped at a convenience store, went inside, and bought a box of strawberry-flavored yogurt that Lin Mianmian liked, as well as two hot steamed buns.

He carried steamed buns and yogurt, slowly walking home.

The evening breeze blew gently, carrying the freshness of the rain, but it couldn't dispel his weariness.

When he got home, he looked up and saw a warm yellow light shining in his window.

That lamp, in the pitch-black night, was like a bright star, guiding him home.

He took a deep breath, raised his hand, gently patted his cheeks, and tried to force a smile.

He couldn't let Mianmian see his disheveled state, and he couldn't let her worry.

He straightened his soaked clothes, clutched the steamed buns and yogurt in his hand, and stepped onto the stairs.

The voice-activated light snapped on, casting a warm yellow glow that fell upon him.

He looked up and saw Lin Mianmian standing at the door, holding a dry towel in her hand, her eyes filled with anxiety and heartache.

"Xie Lin! Where have you been? Why are you only just getting back?" Lin Mianmian walked over quickly, handed him a towel, her voice choked with emotion, "Look at you, you're soaking wet!"

Xie Lin looked at her reddened eyes and felt a warmth in his heart. All his fatigue and grievances vanished at that moment.

He held up the steamed buns and yogurt in his hand, and said with a smile, "I bought steamed buns and your favorite yogurt."

Lin Mianmian took the things from his hands, pulled him into the house, stuffed a towel into his hand, and then turned around to find him clean clothes. "Go take a shower quickly, don't catch a cold."

Xie Lin watched her busy figure, his eyes slightly warming up.

He thought that even if the road ahead was full of thorns, even if he had to endure a lot of hardship, as long as she was by his side, that would be enough.

He will definitely work hard to earn money, buy her a big house, buy her everything she likes, and let her live a carefree life.

This idea took root in his heart and grew stronger.