After understanding animal language, the villainous girl is guaranteed to become a heartthrob.

Chapter 728 Buying a House for My Younger Brother
From what Xia Lu said, you can tell that she is a very filial girl.

Xu Shiling said gently, "So you felt sorry for your parents working so hard on the construction site, so you voluntarily gave up going to university and went out to work to ease the burden on your family?"

Xia Lu nodded gently, "Yes."

Xu Shiling pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.

Her little sister is so young, yet so sensible.

At the same age, while others were still rebellious at home, she had to shoulder responsibilities that weren't hers to bear.

Xu Shiling dared not think too deeply about what kind of life Meibao was living in that family.

After the plane took off, Xu Shiling asked in a low voice, "Lulu, have they been good to you all these years?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Lu turned her head to look at her, then lowered her head again after a few seconds. "How should I put it? Compared to other abducted children, I think they could be said to have treated me quite well."

Xu Shiling knew she had more to say, so she remained silent.

“But compared to their own children…” Xia Lu recalled those neglected times, “maybe, it’s just a little bit different.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Shiling suddenly felt a sense of empathy.

In the Xu family, although she was their biological daughter, her parents' hearts always belonged to their son.

“From now on…” Xu Shiling said cautiously, “If you’re willing, I’ll be good to you.”

Xia Lu didn't know how to answer that question. She pursed her lips, her tone filled with concern, "And you? Are your parents good to you? Do they... blame you?"

She was abducted by human traffickers while playing outside with her older sister. Her parents would probably blame the older sister for not keeping a close eye on her younger sister.

"I know a little bit." Xu Shiling didn't go into too much detail and casually changed the subject, "Do you live in a dormitory or live alone in Linjin?"

Xia Lu: "At first I lived in the dormitory, but then I found a dog. Since the dormitory doesn't allow dogs, I moved out."

"Oh, I see." Xu Shiling blinked and blurted out, "Then can I come to Linjin to visit you in the future?"

Xia Lu paused for a moment, then nodded, "Of course."

This answer made Xu Shiling breathe a sigh of relief, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "Okay, you are also welcome to come and visit me in Yunjing when you have time."

Xia Lu smiled and replied crisply, "Okay."

The two-hour flight ended quickly, and the plane landed smoothly at Shuncheng Airport.

Xia Lu's home is in the county town, which is an hour's drive from Shuncheng Airport.

The four of them fit perfectly into one car, so they hailed a taxi at the airport and set off.

Looking at the increasingly familiar streets outside the car window, Xia Lu's heart, which had calmed down a little, began to stir restlessly again, and her fingers clenched unconsciously.

"Lulu, when we get to your parents' house, remember to tell them we are your colleagues," Jiang Yuan reminded her.

Xia Lu sat in the back row and nodded obediently: "Okay, Sister Yuan Yuan, I know."

The road was too narrow for the taxi to reach Xia Lu's house; it had to stop on the main road.

After getting off the bus, there happened to be a supermarket nearby.

Jiang Yuan said softly, "Let's buy some gifts and take them in."

Since I'm going to pretend to be Xia Lu's colleague, it's not appropriate to visit empty-handed.

Jiang Yuan and Xu Shiling picked out some fruit, and Xia Lu rushed over to pay the bill.

"Sisters, don't spend the money, I'll buy it for you."

"Lulu, don't be so formal." Jiang Yuan held down her phone, raising her eyebrows slightly. "It's no trouble for your sister to buy you fruit." As she spoke, Xu Shiling had already paid the bill.

Xia Lu whispered, "Thank you."

Jiang Yuan affectionately put his arm around her shoulder and said with a smile, "You'll get used to it. Your sister will definitely buy you things often in the future."

Having finally found her younger sister, Xu Shiling will definitely do everything she can to treat her well.

Xia Lu's house is a two-story building with dark red tiles on the exterior walls. An electric scooter is parked in front of the door, which is ajar.

Xia Lu turned to look at Jiang Yuan and the others, "I'll go in first and see who's home."

It's mealtime now; my younger brother should be back for dinner.

Xia Lu gently opened the door and, as she bent down to change her shoes, heard a familiar voice coming from inside.

“House prices have dropped quite a bit now. Xiao Quan will be an adult next year. I’m thinking of buying him a small house as a coming-of-age gift. We can upgrade to a bigger one later when we have more money.”

Xia Lu froze as she changed her shoes, her pupils contracted sharply, and her face was filled with shock and confusion.

Xiao Quan is her younger brother, Xia Quan, who is three years younger than her. He is 17 years old this year and is a high school sophomore.

Xia Lu frowned, wondering if she had misheard.

With the family's finances so tight, how could Mom possibly want to buy a house for my younger brother?
"Even if house prices drop, they're still not cheap. Five or six thousand per square meter is still a good deal." Xia's father chewed on his meat, his words slurred. "A 60-square-meter apartment would cost three or four hundred thousand. Our courier station only earns a little over ten thousand a month, and we have to make a living..."

“Don’t we still have some savings?” Xia’s mother said. “Paying the down payment is definitely not a problem. The money Lulu sends each month is just enough to cover the mortgage payments.”

Xia Lu felt a sudden buzzing in her head, her body swayed, and she felt unsteady on her feet.

The family actually had savings...

"Let me think about it." Xia's father wasn't very interested in buying a house. "Isn't Xiao Quan still young? What's the rush?"

Xia's mother said unhappily, "You're not young anymore. You'll be going to university next year. If you own a house, people won't look down on you at school."

Xia's father said helplessly, "You're overthinking it. He's going to school, not to compete with others."

“I don’t care anyway,” Xia’s mother said firmly. “My son must have his own house after he comes of age.”

"Aren't you afraid Lulu will overthink things if she finds out?" Xia's father asked.

Xia's mother pursed her lips, "We'll keep it from her for now."

“But I don’t think it’s fair to her.” Xia’s father’s voice deepened.

Xia's mother said dismissively, "How is it unfair? I think we've been good enough to her, even supporting her until she graduated from high school."

"Didn't I tell you? The girl from the Zhang family who bought a house in the same batch as us was sent out to work after graduating from junior high school. She has earned a lot of money in the past few years and helped her brother buy a house back home."

"Don't keep saying these things," Xia's father said disapprovingly. "People are different from one another."

"You're so high and mighty," Xia's mother said with a hint of sarcasm. "If I hadn't come up with this solution back then, would you be living such a comfortable life now?"

Xia's father frowned, unsure of what to say.

Xia Lu trembled all over, her eyes reddened, and crystal tears fell onto the back of her hand.

She bit her lip hard, suppressing the sob in her throat, put her shoes back on, and walked out silently with tears welling in her eyes.

Xu Shiling immediately noticed her unusual behavior and rushed forward to ask, "Lulu, why are you crying?"

Jiang Yuan and Fu Xiaoxiao also looked worried.

Xia Lu sniffled, her voice low and trembling with tears, "I just overheard some things..."