Chapter 1309: Little Sister of the Qi Family 3

"It was not easy for me to catch her and bring her back."

Qi Xiaomei crouched on the ground, still in her usual signature posture, hugging her head with both hands and shivering.

"What happened to your arm?"

Shi Youxuan also noticed the injury on her arm.

The bodyguard hurriedly explained: "Madam, it has nothing to do with me; I didn't hit her."

"You may go down; I know you didn't hit her."

The scars on her arm were clearly not new; they were all old marks.

Xiaomei did not speak, still keeping her head lowered and crouching on the ground, shivering!

The housekeeper Zhang Ma said to Shi Youxuan: "Madam, I just gave her a bath, and she has even more injuries on her body. There is almost no patch of good skin left; it is all bruised and purple."

Zhang Ma had been in the Sheng Family for many years and had seen her fair share of storms.

It was usually difficult to see her emotions fluctuate, but now her eyes were brimming with tears, and she was holding them back with great effort so they wouldn't fall.

Several children of the Sheng Family gathered around. Sheng Zihan tugged at his mother's lapel and whispered: "Mom, are you asking if she was beaten by her foster parents? The stepmother of Liu Xiaocui in our class often beats her and threatens her not to tell anyone, saying she will beat her to death if she does."

Shi Youxuan glared at her son: "You're everywhere."

"What are you all doing here? Go, go, go play somewhere else."

She shooed the boys away, and as Zhang Ma was also about to leave, Shi Youxuan grabbed her: "You stay."

Shi Youxuan mimicked Xiaomei's posture and crouched down, trying to keep herself at roughly the same height, and said softly: "Xiaomei, Auntie means no harm; you can trust me."

"I promise I won't take what I ask you outside to talk about. Your sister Shi Ran can also do that. Now I ask and you answer; you don't need to speak, just nod or shake your head. Is that okay?"

Qi Xiaomei nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Xiaomei, were the injuries on your arm caused by your foster parents?" A flash of ruthlessness crossed her eyes.

If it was Xiaomei's foster parents who hit her, she would make them pay the price for the evil deeds they had committed.

Xiaomei shook her head.

It wasn't them, so who could it be?

"Neighbors?"

Xiaomei continued to shake her head.

A thought suddenly flashed through Shi Youxuan's mind.

"Are your classmates at school bullying you?"

This time Xiaomei didn't shake her head, but she didn't nod either; she just shed tears in torrents, looking pitiful.

That was it; there was no need to keep asking.

Shi Youxuan had once been a Chairman of a school and knew a thing or two about school affairs; school bullying was something that had always existed and had been difficult to eradicate for years.

The targets of bullying were usually honest children who dared not tell their teachers or parents even after being bullied.

Especially in Qi Xiaomei's situation, now that she was an orphan, there was even less of a person to stand up for her.

Shi Youxuan was furious beyond measure.

She had forgotten all about the instructions she gave Shi Ran not to meddle in other people's business; now, she was prepared to "meddle."

"Do your foster parents know about this?"

This time Xiaomei shook her head again.

They don't know?

The child was bullied to this extent, yet they knew nothing at all?

Shi Youxuan took Xiaomei's hand: "Come, I'll go with you to find them."

"No!"

This time she spoke, struggling hard to break free from Shi Youxuan's hand, terrified and wanting to run outside.

The bodyguard stood guard at the door and blocked her, so she didn't manage to run away.

To be this terrified just at the mention of finding her foster parents—what kind of life did this child usually lead?

"Xiaomei, don't be afraid. If you say we won't go, we won't go. Are you willing to go home?"

She shook her head, but after a while, she nodded again.

Shaking her head and then nodding—was she willing or unwilling?

Shi Youxuan could roughly guess her thoughts.

Her shaking her head was a subconscious reaction; she didn't want to go back. Even if that home didn't abuse her, it was likely filled with indifference and cold violence; otherwise, Xiaomei wouldn't have been chased away by the Security Guard time and time again and still been willing to run to the hospital.

There was only one reason she would do that—the hospital provided the warmth she couldn't get at home!

The nodding afterwards was likely because she didn't want the treatment she suffered at home to be known by others.

Being afraid of it being known meant the consequences were severe.

Shi Youxuan sighed and said to Xiaomei: "How about this? You stay at my house and stop running outside."

"I won't go to your foster parents, but I will go to your school to find your teacher and have her look after you so you aren't bullied by others."

Xiaomei suddenly ran in front of Shi Youxuan, looked up at her, tears streaming down her face, and then plopped down on her knees before her, hugging her legs with both hands, her small body trembling slightly.

Shi Youxuan felt a sour ache in her heart; she couldn't describe the feeling.

Xiaomei's appearance reminded her of herself when she was young.

Just as lonely and helpless.

Although she wasn't bullied at school, she was bullied by Shi Yuke every day, and she even had to be on guard while sleeping, fearing that if the mood struck her, she would give her a beating!

Back then, she also wanted to run away, to run to a place where no one knew her, but every time she ran away, she would be brought back by her father.

Then her father would hold her and cry, saying he was sorry to her biological father and mother...

Well, she was still better off than Xiaomei; at least she had a foster father who truly loved her.

Zhang Ma took the little sister to the guest room to rest, and Shi Youxuan sent Lao Jiu out to investigate the little sister's situation at her foster parents' home and at school.

Shi Ran asked her mother, "Mom, do you want to take the little sister in?" There was a faint expectation in her eyes, but she deliberately hid it, not wanting to make it too obvious.

"Mind your own business, go home, you only know how to cause me trouble."

Because the little sister was brought back by Shi Ran.

Shi Ran:...

"Mom, I haven't eaten yet, why are you chasing me away? Besides, Dad hasn't come back yet, and I have something to tell Dad."

These were all excuses; the real reason was that Shi Ran wanted to know what kind of reaction her father would have after getting off work.

Zichen made a basin of a new, improved version of boiled fish.

The taste was very good, but everyone didn't eat more than a few bites.

In fact, it wasn't just the boiled fish; the other dishes on the dining table hadn't been touched much either.

Everyone's full attention was on the little sister, and almost no one wanted to eat.

The few boys were chattering away, except for Zirui.

Zichen and Zihan were the most active, and Litian was also very active today.

They supported their mother in taking the little sister in, saying she was too pitiful, and anyway, the house was big with many rooms, and it wouldn't hurt to provide her with a bite to eat, so they might as well let her stay; the more people, the livelier it would be.

The grandparents strongly opposed it.

They kept nagging, repeatedly reminding their daughter-in-law not to forget how her parents and brother had treated their family back then!

The old couple didn't have a single good impression of the Qi Family, and they stubbornly believed that taking in the little sister was like continuing to raise a wolf by their side, a female version of an ungrateful wretch.

Wang Yinghao was in poor health and was easily agitated.

As long as her emotions fluctuated, her blood pressure would shoot right up!

To soothe her mother-in-law's emotions, Shi Youxuan coaxed her, "We won't keep her, Mom, don't worry, I'll have her leave tomorrow."

The parents-in-law were soothed, but the children's side exploded again.

"Grandma, you have no compassion."

"Let her stay, okay?"

"Grandma is a Buddhist, yet she isn't merciful at all!"