Qi Fengping hummed a tune as she returned home, only to see Mother Qi wiping away tears. She couldn’t help asking, "Mom, what’s wrong?"
"Nothing." Mother Qi lifted her clothes and said, "Your elder brother is too harsh, he’s not human. I told him I was sick, and he was still cold-hearted and indifferent."
"You called elder brother?" Qi Fengping frowned and said, "Didn’t Dad tell us not to tell elder brother?"
"Your dad just sides with outsiders. Just because he said not to call, should we listen? He’s not the Jade Emperor. His words aren’t imperial edicts," Mother Qi snapped coldly.
"All right, all right, you’re right," said Qi Fengping with a nonchalant shrug of her hands.
"Look at what you’re saying, right or wrong, did I say something incorrect?" Mother Qi shot her another glance and said, "And you, you little wretch, I haven’t settled the score with you yet!"
Feeling somewhat guilty, Qi Fengping said, "Settle what score? Ah, haha, did you cook dinner?"
"Don’t try to dodge it. You were the one who doused yourself with cold water, playing the martyr. I told you not to go, but you insisted on leaving, and I was confused with fever by the time you still hadn’t come. You nearly killed your own mother!" Mother Qi grew angry at this point.
If that deadbeat girl had been reliable, she wouldn’t have suffered for so long!
Qi Fengping laughed awkwardly and went over to hug her mother’s arm, cooing, "Mom, if it wasn’t serious, Dad wouldn’t have softened his heart to let you come home, right? Now everything is safe and sound, isn’t it? You’ve moved back in!"
"Your dad, just as hard-hearted..." Mother Qi’s voice abruptly stopped.
Qi Fengping looked up, only to see Father Qi standing at the door with a gloomy face, glaring at them.
Oh no!
Caught in the act!
"Dad..." Qi Fengping stood up.
"Is what she said true? Did you really make yourself sick on purpose?" Father Qi, gasping for breath, pointed at Mother Qi and asked.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about!" Mother Qi dodged his gaze, looking towards Qi Fengping, "Pingping, go cook."
"Oh!"
"Stop right there!" Father Qi shouted loudly, "You’re not leaving this house until you both explain yourselves!"
He simply couldn’t believe his ears. After all that disgraceful behavior before, was she now resorting to the pain charade just to come home?
How despicable of her!
Despair, after all the days of worrying and regret!
To think it was all false, all her own scheming!
"Yes, I did pour buckets of cold water on myself, deliberately made myself sick, so what? Who made you so heartless, insisting on sending me to live in that old house? Was that even fit for human habitation? Would I even think of such a thing if it wasn’t for you?" Mother Qi shouted.
Father Qi stumbled, scoffed coldly, "Fine, fine, you’re right! You really are something, aren’t you? An eye-opener indeed. What won’t you stoop to next? Murder and arson?"
Such disappointment, utter disappointment!
This woman, to achieve her end, what wouldn’t she think of, what wouldn’t she dare do?
"Mind your own business!" Mother Qi retorted with a stiff neck.
Father Qi gave her a deep look and said, "I shouldn’t worry, I dare not worry. You’re right, you’re the only smart one in the family. Let me tell you, too clever by half leads to folly. One day, you’ll trip over your so-called cleverness, and you’ll regret it!"
With that, he turned and walked out.
"Mom..." Qi Fengping called out weakly, what now?
"What are you panicking for? Is he really going to kick the two of us out of the house? Go cook!" Mother Qi said loudly, as if to bolster her own courage.
Watching her husband’s resolute retreating figure, Mother Qi pursed her lips and spat out, "Regret what? What’s there to regret?"