Chapter Four: A Mountain of Debt?

For most children still in school, the loss of their parents means the loss of financial support and the safety net that holds their lives together. Although Luo Chen had never experienced such a thing himself, the memories flooding his mind let him taste that profound loneliness and helplessness—a once happy family reduced overnight to tragedy.

At least his parents had left them this house. Without it, he would have ended up sleeping on the streets.

“Wait—the house!”

Suddenly, Luo Chen remembered that the house had been purchased less than half a year ago, and a huge debt was still outstanding. Worse yet, the loan hadn’t come from a bank, but from private lenders, and the repayment date was fast approaching.

Luo Chen’s father, Luo Qinlin, had worked for Xingyu Entertainment, a subsidiary in China. It was only after his promotion to director earlier that year that he planned to move the family closer to the city center. Despite holding a relatively high position in a Fortune 500 company and having some savings, the money wasn’t nearly enough to buy a home there outright.

Originally, he had intended to take out a bank loan and pay in installments. But once some idle relatives caught wind of Luo Qinlin’s promotion, they saw an opportunity to cozy up and perhaps get their own children into the Fortune 500 company. Brazenly, they insisted on lending him the money to buy the house.

Though Luo Qinlin had wanted to refuse, he eventually yielded to their persuasion, thinking that buying outright would be cheaper in the long run. He accepted the money. Who could have foreseen that not long after purchasing the house, both he and his wife would suffer a fatal accident, leaving behind two underage children? The once benevolent relatives immediately revealed their true faces, urging Luo Chen and his younger sister to sell the house to them at a low price to pay off the debt.

Naturally, the siblings refused. There was still time before the loan was due. If they lost their home, where else could they live?

Seated in the chair, Luo Chen absorbed the memories in his mind with a bitter smile. Truly, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. He had barely come to terms with inheriting this life when he was already faced with the struggle to repay the money.

“Since I’ve taken over your body, your problems are now mine as well.” Now that he understood the situation, Luo Chen knew he couldn’t just stand aside. If he was here, then the one facing the relatives’ interrogation outside must be his younger sister.

“Tianyi, listen to your uncle. It’s best to sell the house as soon as possible. Let me be frank: do you and your brother really think you can afford the mortgage?”

In the lavishly decorated living room, a middle-aged man of about fifty sat with a stern face, lecturing the fifteen-year-old girl beside him, his tone unmistakably coercive.

Luo Song knew that at his age, his two sons had amounted to nothing, spending their days idling with other jobless youths. He had long given up hope for them. Still, they were his children, and as a father he couldn’t help but worry. When he heard that his cousin Luo Qinlin had become a director, he began scheming to strengthen their connections.

So when he learned that Luo Qinlin planned to buy a house, Luo Song rallied a few relatives who had some money, pooled together over a million yuan, and lent it to Luo Qinlin at a rate just above the bank’s. He figured that even if Luo Qinlin didn’t help his sons get into the company, as a director at Xingyu Entertainment, he would be good for the money and Luo Song could make a tidy profit.

But all those calculations came to nothing when, just months into his new position, Luo Qinlin died suddenly, nearly costing Luo Song everything. Luckily, while the couple was gone, the house remained. If he could seize control of it, all the profit would be his. As for the two orphaned children—let them rent somewhere, give them a little money, and that would be that. What could two kids do? He would handle everything, as always.

Looking around at the opulent decor, Luo Song’s eyes glimmered with longing. He had always wanted a house like this. If things worked out, he would take it for himself—just holding onto it until prices rose would bring a handsome windfall.

With that thought, Luo Song gave a discreet signal to his wife, Li Tong. When it came to persuasion, someone had to play the villain; otherwise, how could he maintain his image as the good guy?

“Listen to your uncle! Do you really think you can keep living in a place like this? Let me tell you, we put up money for this house too. We could have thrown you out already if we weren’t family. If it were anyone else, you’d be gone by now!” Li Tong, the middle-aged woman beside the girl, was growing agitated. This wasn’t their first visit, but the siblings stubbornly refused to give in, and she was running out of patience. The sooner it was settled, the sooner she could have peace of mind.

“Come now, we’re all family—no need to be so harsh. Tianyi, maybe you’re still not clear about the situation. Your father owed us over a million yuan for this house, right? How could you possibly repay that much money?” Luo Song’s voice turned gentle, but then shifted again.

“As for selling the house, you two don’t know how these things work. Don’t get cheated. Let your uncle handle it. Here, take a look at this contract. And try to talk some sense into your brother—would I ever harm you?” Luo Song narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the fifteen-year-old girl as he slid a transfer authorization across the table toward her.

“I won’t sign! We’ll find a way to pay you next month.” The silent girl suddenly erupted, glaring fiercely at Luo Song and his wife. Her cute face puffed up in anger, looking for all the world like a furious little lioness.

“Pay the money? With what? You know the agreement—fifteen thousand every six months. The next payment is due next month. Where are you going to get that money? And don’t think your father left you anything—every penny is long gone. What money could you possibly have left?” Li Tong shouted at the girl, her spittle nearly spraying her face.

“If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police!” Luo Tianyi’s brows knit tightly, her delicate, fair face darkening with anger. These so-called relatives had, just months before, been ingratiating themselves, but the moment tragedy struck, they instantly revealed their true colors and came to collect their debts.

“Call the police? You dare call the police?” Li Tong seemed incredulous, but quickly recovered.

“Fine, go ahead—call the police! So now you’re in the right because you can’t pay? I tell you, if you don’t give us an answer today, I’ll—” Li Tong’s anger flared, and she lost all sense of propriety, hiking up her sleeves, ready to teach this naïve girl a lesson. Did they really think she was someone to be trifled with?