Chapter 157

Grandma Shen was trembling with anger: "What nonsense are you spouting! Don't you know what kind of temperament Ruanruan has? She's been obedient and sensible since she was little; how could she mess around?"

"At the end of the day, they're just children. Is it necessary to say such ugly things to a child?"

"She's your daughter, not a student you're reprimanding at school! You have to say such nasty things—how do you think that makes Ruanruan feel?"

Yu Lizhen couldn't listen to any of it, only feeling that she was becoming more and more hopeless: "Mom, you just spoil her too much! She's just faking it; I gave birth to her, I know her!"

"It's because you blindly protect her that she's become so unscrupulous!"

"She wouldn't go to a key high school in Haishi to repeat a year, and instead insisted on running off to that place, Wuchuan, to attend some crappy junior college."

"When it comes down to it, it's all because of him."

Shen Li moved her lips slightly, giving a faint explanation: "It has nothing to do with him. It's that I didn't want to come back myself."

A wave of anger surged up in Yu Lizhen: "You still dare to say such things! Do you know... how much effort I spent raising you? In the end... is this how you repay me!"

"What have I ever lacked for you, or given you less of?"

"Haven't I been good enough to you?"

"You tell me! How far have you and him gone now? Has he touched you!"

"Enough! That's enough. Don't say any more. Ruanruan is back, and that's enough!" Grandma Shen didn't want to see the situation remain this tense and interrupted the conversation. "Ruanruan, don't pay attention to your mother. Go back to your room and rest. I'll call you when it's time to eat."

Yu Lizhen, however, was relentless and didn't intend to let the matter pass: "If we don't get this straight today, you aren't allowed to eat a single bite."

Shen Li said this calmly: "I am not your daughter; Shen Zhaozhao is the one you gave birth to."

Yu Lizhen was incredulous: "What did you say!"

For the only time, Shen Li did not remain silent and said what she had been holding back in her heart: "Am I wrong?"

Grandma Shen came over to persuade her, feeling heartbroken: "Alright, Ruanruan..."

"Your mother... she's also worried about you. You've been away from home for so long, and she's come to me looking for you many times. She's also been worried sick, afraid you'd be bullied by others out there."

"It's good that you're back."

With stubbornness in her eyes, Shen Li continued: "Clearly... the person who didn't get the recommendation quota was Shen Zhaozhao."

"But Mom... why was I the one who had to repeat the year?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

She had no resentment, no complaints; she just asked this question very calmly. She just didn't understand—she was her daughter, wasn't she?

Yu Lizhen's heart suddenly constricted, as if a tear had been ripped open, and a dull pain spread through her chest, leaving her unable to speak.

Back then, the recommendation quota was limited, only admitting fifteen percent of the province, and Shen Zhaozhao had just happened to be right on the line for admission.

But for the sake of letting Shen Zhaozhao cross that line, her mother had made her voluntarily sign a consent form to give up her own recommendation quota.

"Only if you give up this quota can Zhaozhao move up and take a spot."

"Your grades are better than Zhaozhao's; you'll have another chance if you repeat the year next year."

"You're the older sister; be a little sensible."

In the end, her mother hadn't said anything else.

Because she knew very well that if it weren't for that recommendation quota, she wouldn't have left Haishi, and wouldn't have gone to Wuchuan to attend a junior college out of spite.

Even if Shen Li was at fault, that fault started with her.

She knew it was wrong, and in her heart, she understood it was favoritism.

But she wouldn't admit how biased she was.

In her heart, she just felt that Shen Li was using another form of self-abandonment to take revenge on her.

And she certainly wouldn't feel guilty.

Twilight descended, and the sky was pitch black. Only the dim yellow light from the streetlamps in the complex remained.

Xie Qin stood in the night. His phone screen lit up and dimmed, then lit up again. He looked up at the light turned on on the second floor. He hadn't left, looking at the message he had sent three hours ago that still hadn't been replied to.

【Are you okay?】

In the heavy atmosphere, Shen Li finished dinner and went upstairs to her room. She sat at her desk, took her phone out of her bag, and replied to him: 【I'm fine.】

【Are you home?】

Xie Qin: 【No.】

A moment later, he sent another one: 【I'm downstairs at your house.】

Shen Li stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. She saw that figure; she didn't know how long he had been standing there waiting.

They gazed at each other from a distance.

Being scolded by her mother, she actually didn't feel much, nor was her mood affected.

It wasn't until she saw Xie Qin still waiting for her downstairs that a dull, aggrieved emotion surged up from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to cry a little, but she held it back.

Shen Li: 【It's already very late, you should go.】

【It won't be good if my mother sees you.】

About three or four seconds passed.

A message popped up.

【I'll wait for you to get into university again. We don't have to be in contact, and seeing each other less is fine too.】

【Don't bring up breaking up with me, okay?】

Shen Li replied: 【Okay.】

【Go home early, don't let your family worry. I'm fine.】

Xie Qin: 【Okay.】

This time, Xie Qin didn't linger. He just looked up at her once, then turned and walked step by step into the night.

Shen Li watched his figure disappear before slowly withdrawing her gaze.

Then, she cleared all the message history they had ever had.

She knew her mother coming to Su Shi could only have been revealed by Shen Zhaozhao.

At this moment, there was a knock on the room door. Shen Zhaozhao brought in a glass of milk. "Sister, this is the milk Mom asked me to bring you."

Shen Li looked at her expressionlessly: "If I'm gone, isn't that better for you?"

Shen Zhaozhao closed the door gently. "Yeah, that's what I thought at first, but who told Sister to be so capable? You even participated in this math competition and got a perfect score."

"If Sister gets first place in everything, I won't be able to get the prize money or the qualification to study abroad."

"So I had no choice but to tell Mom about Sister being in Wuchuan."

She had added those boys on WeChat last time and saw them posting on their Moments that Chengde University was starting winter break today, so she and her mother had come to Grandma's house first.

Besides Grandma's house, she didn't have anywhere else to go, did she?

Shen Li looked at her calmly, saying these things from her heart.

"But, I don't care that you're back now." Shen Zhaozhao put down the milk and shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyway... I've already gotten everything I should have."

"Even if you come back, it's still the same as before."

Shen Li was always the one who was managed the most strictly and scolded the most; she... only needed to act a little spoiled.

"In any case... I still have to welcome Sister home."

Shen Zhaozhao gave her a sweet smile and then left the room.

Staring at the tightly closed door, she couldn't describe what she was feeling.

If it weren't for Xie Qin, she wouldn't have come back.

One year...

It would pass very quickly.

The next day, Yu Lizhen booked three plane tickets back to Haishi. She had asked for leave from school, all for the sake of bringing Shen Li back.

Today was Sunday; Shen Zhaozhao wouldn't rush back to Di Du until tomorrow morning, as she had no classes on Monday morning.

As soon as they got on the plane, Shen Zhaozhao naturally sat next to Yu Lizhen. Before the plane even took off, Shen Zhaozhao showed her mother some interesting short videos she had just scrolled through. The mother and daughter were chatting and laughing.

Next to Shen Li's seat was a middle-aged man.