Chapter 94: Don't Raise If You Can't

"Can you please stand up?"

A strange request.

Although he didn't understand what she wanted him to do, Pei Du met the girl's beautiful peach-blossom eyes, curved like a crescent moon, and for some reason didn't refuse; he stood up as she said.

The man's height was 1.89 meters, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist; even in a loose sweater, his tall, handsome, upright figure could not be concealed.

He stood opposite Shu Shu, lowered his gaze, and asked: "How?"

Shu Shu curled her lips, but didn't answer; the next second, the motion of her raising her hand was reflected in the man's pitch-black, calm pupils.

Only a "pa" sound was heard.

A crisp, clean slap landed on Pei Du's face.

At the instant the echo of palm striking cheek faded, the air almost fell into dead silence.

Utterly quiet.

"..."

Pei Du tilted his head slightly; from this angle, the man's nose bridge was straight, his jaw sharp, and on his cold-white face a faint pink palm print was visible, the shadow of his sparse eyelashes covering all emotion in his eyes.

"Shu Shu classmate——what are you doing?!"

If saying that Zhou Zhi was dumbfounded by Shu Shu's line "Is he shy?" then now he was completely stunned, his whole body went cold, he reacted and rushed to check on Pei Du, his voice trembling.

"Director Pei, are you... alright...?"

Pei Du slowly turned his head, staring at Shu Shu's dark eyes with icy intensity, as if a chill spread and permeated, making the surrounding temperature drop drastically.

Shu Shu didn't dodge or avoid, the corner of her mouth still curved, she said lightly: "Pei Du, how does it feel to be slapped and then fed a sweet date?"

Her tone was full of mockery, even dropping the two characters "Mister".

This showed she wasn't afraid of him at all.

Pei Du frowned: "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean?" Shu Shu tugged at her lip: "You know, Mu Yin has always been unhappy, and she is extremely insecure."

"You say she likes me, likes being friends with me, but have you ever thought about why a person from Jing Shi would go all the way to An Shi?"

"It's just because the first time she came to An Shi, I let her have a piece of mousse cake at the dessert shop—a mere gesture, such a tiny ordinary kindness—yet she cherished it so much, showing how lacking in kindness her usual environment is."

"The second time she came to An Shi, she had skipped school and been out for many days—would ordinary kids dare do that? I used the worry that her family would feel to urge her to go back, otherwise it's unsafe for her to be out alone, but she told me, 'It's fine, sister; anyway, my family doesn't care about me—I've been out for so many days, they haven't called or messaged me once.'"

"Is this what you call caring for her?" Shu Shu asked clearly.

"You also said she hardly makes friends—have you ever thought why she couldn't before? She told me those people pretended to play with her but mocked her behind her back; she is such a pure, kind child—how hurt and sad she must have felt—where were you, did you ever accompany her?"

"That's because the Eldest Young Lady doesn't like—"

Zhou Zhi beside them heard Shu Shu's words, his expression strange, as if he wanted to speak up to explain, but Pei Du cut him off.

"And then?"

The man's pitch-black eyes fixed on Shu Shu, his breath tense, the emotions in his eyes already frozen by solemnity.

"Also, it's the question you yourself just answered." Shu Shu said: "Mu Yin's hobby is playing the violin, but she says her grandmother doesn't support her playing—no, not that she doesn't support, but constantly scolds her, even belittles her, saying she plays badly and brings shame to the family."

Pei Du's pupils contracted slightly.

Even Zhou Zhi beside them was filled with disbelief, unable to believe: "What, the old lady—she actually said that? She clearly dotes on the Eldest Young Lady!"

What dotage?

Mu Yin's grades are good, always first in her grade; in an ordinary family, they'd be praising her to the skies, doting and praising her without end—but in her grandmother's mouth, it's terrible, not good enough, nothing to show off.

Do you know how much impact these words, heard year after year by a child, have on a child?

Shu Shu's voice turned cold by the end.

From the questions just asked of Pei Du and the fact that he had someone come look for her today, it's clear he truly cares about his daughter, and even notice that he is unaware of some information bias on certain matters.

But so what?

And what if he's lost his memory?

The harm Mu Yin has suffered is real and tangible.

Pei Du's slap wasn't wasted on her, nor was it wasted on him.

Whenever Shu Shu thinks of her daughter's lost words, her low spirits, her heart aches unbearably, heat rises in her eye sockets, she feels heartbroken.

She even wishes Mu Yin's personality could be like Ling Chen's—carefree—letting the Chu family mother and daughter live in her house, giving them her living expenses, reducing herself to a little beggar, being looked at with colored glasses, being called a poor ghost, being called a toad wanting to eat swan meat.

He just says, "I won't argue with them," and moves on, not taking it to heart.

These are all things Mu Yin said herself, right?

Pei Du slowly lifted his eyelids, looking grave.

Shu Shu: "Yes."

The man's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty, his pitch-black eyes seeming to hold a storm, he said word by word: "Good, I will go and find out clearly."

"That's your business." Shu Shu didn't care, saying: "Pei Du, if you don't know how to raise a daughter, then don't; there are plenty who will."

…

Shu Shu left.

Indoors.

The man still held that pose, like a statue, fitting the moment; outside the window the sunset had faded, the light that had fallen on him all dimmed, his whole body fell into shadow, his expression indiscernible.

A long time passed.

Zhou Zhi's legs went numb from standing, he dared not breathe beside them, deliberately avoiding looking at the red mark on that pale face.

"……Director Pei?"

Pei Du moved, only hearing the man's icy voice: "Return to Jing Shi."

He must, he needs to figure it out.

…

As soon as Shu Shu got home, Pei Muyin and Shu Lingchen both crowded around her.

"Sis, where did you go?"

Shu Shu's expression gave nothing away; she said lightly, "I happened to pick up two pieces of cake on the way—this isn't to celebrate our turkey baby's first time scoring eighty on his own, is it?"

Shu Lingchen pitter-pattered over to take the two bags, his tail behind him about to wag into a propeller; he walked into the kitchen, humming a song as he pulled the vegetables out of the bags, sorted them neatly, and without meaning to, he turned his head and caught sight of Shu Shu washing her hands.

"Mom, why is your hand so red?"