Chapter 108: Chapter 108: The Baffling Text ssage
Xiao Shen, since you don’t need to rest, just leave after breakfast.”
Grandma Su brought out a cup of soy milk and three buns from the kitchen, sighing.
“I don’t want to eat; I want to wait for Qiaoqiao.” Sang Shen’s tone was stubborn, showing no intention of eating.
“She doesn’t want to see you. Yesterday, you almost put her in danger.” Grandma Su was visibly infuriated, and had it not been for the pitiful sight of him sitting at the doorstep, so haggard, she wouldn’t have let him in.
His actions from yesterday, trying to protect his adopted daughter by bringing Qiaoqiao to the scene, had already been a supre disappointnt.
“I didn’t… I was just too afraid that the kidnappers would harm her if they didn’t see Qiaoqiao, so I wanted her to show up to stabilize them. I would never let her exchange places with Jiaojiao, nor would I let her get hurt, I would fight desperately to protect her…”
...
Sang Shen’s voice trembled as he explained, already regretting the thoughtless question he had blurted out at that ti.
His instinct was to protect both of them completely.
“That might be what you think, but others may not interpret your words the sa way.”
Grandma Su’s thoughts were complex; from the beginning, when they had insisted on adopting Sang Jiao, she had tried to dissuade them ti and again, but she wasn’t a Sang Family mber and had little say, truly unable to persuade them.
“I…” Sang Shen suddenly found himself at a loss for words, an image of Qiaoqiao’s indifferent face flashing in his eyes.
All of a sudden, he no longer wanted to deceive himself. Even if he explained, what then? Qiaoqiao wouldn’t believe him, she might even beco annoyed. Having realized this, Sang Shen no longer felt like waiting for Sang Qiao here.
She did not need his explanation or apology; he should find another way to make ands.
Thinking this, he stood up, “I’ll be going then.”
His figure, holding that filthy box, seed forlorn; Grandma Su did not utter a word to stop him, because that was truly the case.
Sang Shen staying wouldn’t change anything; Qiaoqiao seed good-natured, but she was incredibly stubborn about certain things.
By the ti they got up.
Sang Siyang had also left early.
Su Nuanying, rubbing her sleepy eyelids, was startled to see her parents still hadn’t left. She dashed back upstairs, coincidentally bumping into Sang Qiao, who was just about to co down.
“Fuck, cousin, my parents haven’t left yet. What should I do, what should I do? With the ‘rubbish’ I’ve done over the past year, they’re definitely going to kill .”
Right now, Su Nuanying was filled with imnse regret. Why had she skipped classes and caused trouble just to get her parents’ attention?
Every year, it only led to a scolding during the New Year and a deduction from her holiday money.
Why had she been so foolish, making the sa mistakes year after year?
“Why weren’t you scared before?” Sang Qiao raised an eyebrow, looking at her with interest.
This attitude of enjoying the spectacle made Su Nuanying feel even more suffocated.
“That’s because they definitely wouldn’t hit during the New Year since we have to pay respects, and they wouldn’t scold too harshly; it’s bad luck. But now, there’s no such festival.”
Su Nuanying shook her head as she spoke, “No, no, that’s not right. I’ve been so well-behaved lately, maybe even returned to the right path; they shouldn’t scold , right? Maybe they’ll even praise ?”
“That seems reasonable.” Sang Qiao casually agreed and took the lead in going downstairs.
Su Nuanying also felt it made sense, so she grew much bolder, even thinking to herself that if they scolded her, she would run away from ho!
“Qiaoqiao, I didn’t get a chance to see you yesterday; was the birthday party not to your liking? It’s our fault for getting the news late and not being able to co back in ti.”
Mrs. Su’s smile was very gentle, completely different from her decisive deanor during the conversation yesterday.
“No, I just prefer quiet,” Sang Qiao replied, neither humbly nor arrogantly.
“Oh, I see,” Mrs. Su said, “I didn’t have ti to bring your gift. Why don’t you ask Xingxing to pick sothing out with you later? Ever since you’ve been living at our house, she has behaved much better.”
Mrs. Su glanced at her precious daughter sitting beside Sang Qiao and couldn’t help but feel reassured. One is influenced by the company they keep—Xingxing should spend more ti with soone like Qiaoqiao.
“It’s her own realization, it has nothing to do with ,” Sang Qiao said, smiling faintly.
“Su Nuanying, learn well from your cousin Qiaoqiao!” Mr. Su warned.
“Got it,” Su Nuanying replied nonchalantly, her head down fiddling with the dumplings in her bowl.
Su’s parents neither scolded her nor praised her. They left as soon as the al ended, with the attitude of busy people.
Su Nuanying would be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed. They never ca back for her birthday, yet they did for her cousin’s.
But then, looking at the cousin beside her, she couldn’t bring herself to feel jealous. She really liked her cousin, the “child of soone else’s family” in the eyes of her parents.
~
Rose Entertainnt
As Sang Qiao was dealing with work in her office, she received a strange text ssage on her phone, “The money has been received, and the matter has been settled. We’re even.”
She frowned delicately, her slender fingertips tapping lightly on the desk.
Just as she was pondering this, a figure rushed into the room holding a large box, “Qiaoqiao, I’m back, and I’ve brought you a gift. I’m truly sorry for not being able to make it back for your birthday yesterday!”
“It’s fine,” Sang Qiao chuckled lightly, setting the phone aside without a care.
“Did you ask soone to do sothing? What’s this ‘we’re even’ about?” ng Jiahe continued to put down the box and, looking at her screen, which faced upwards, felt puzzled by the text she saw.
“No, it’s probably soone trying to stir up trouble again,” Sang Qiao lifted her eyelids slightly. She could easily connect it to yesterday’s events, though she hadn’t found anything strange about the kidnapper’s incident until now.
But this slanderous text did make her vaguely suspicious.
Those people seed to have captured the three of them, yet they didn’t intend to harm Sang Shen and Sang Jiao.
“Sang Jiao, perhaps? She truly is brave, taking the knife for your second brother twice.”
ng Jiahe was always on the front lines of trending searches, so even if she hadn’t made it back yesterday, she had received all the news.
“Indeed, brave.” Sang Qiao had known Sang Jiao for many years and understood her disposition quite well—she was extrely afraid of death.
The very fact that she offered to lead the captors away alone to rescue Sang Shen was dubious.
Given Sang Jiao’s timid nature, she should have been instigating her to escape together first, then seek help for Sang Shen.
“Your second brother must have changed a lot by now; he can’t be swayed by just a few words to doubt you any longer.”
ng Jiahe felt sowhat guilty as she spoke, hesitating whether or not to tell Qiaoqiao the truth.
Sang Qiao’s lips curved slightly; she remained silent.
“Qiao, let tell you sothing. If… if you hate soone and they worked right under your nose, would you get angry?” ng Jiahe asked tentatively.
“Co on, what is it?” Sang Qiao guessed right away that she definitely had sothing sneaky up her sleeve.
Stared at by Sang Qiao, ng Jiahe’s scalp prickled. She had only intended to sound out the situation, but now she had been seen through. She stamred, “I… I signed Sang Shen, before yesterday. I wanted to ask you first before deciding whether to sign him, but he… really seed sincere!”
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