"Let’s just go in and take the exam! Don’t bother with her."
If Zhou Lanfang was hit, the situation would escalate.
Her father, Shen Jianhua, was a bit of a coward but couldn’t stand to see anyone hitting his wife. Firstly, because he truly cherished Zhou Lanfang, and secondly, because it would be a loss of face; actually hitting someone wouldn’t end well.
Besides, the longer she stayed, the more the two could argue. If the main character left, they would have no reason to continue the dispute.
Lu Siyuan glared at Zhou Lanfang, his hands clenched into fists, and Zhou Lanfang started to feel afraid, not daring to say anything more for the time being.
Finally, Lu Siyuan managed to hold back his anger and snorted, "This is me letting you off just this once. If I hear you cursing again, no one can save you."
"And what if I curse again?" Shen Jianhua looked at him with a grim face. "I’ve let it slide because you’re a kid, but don’t think I’m afraid of you. Don’t throw your weight around in front of us. You’re still too green to out-tough me."
In this regard, he and Zhou Lanfang were alike; they feared He Nan but not Lu Siyuan.
No matter how tough, Lu Siyuan was still just a sixteen-year-old boy. He lacked the daunting presence that He Nan had accumulated from the battlefield, a presence that Shen Jianhua, a man in his forties, wouldn’t be intimidated by.
Feeling defiant, Lu Siyuan was about to retort when Shen Mianmian pulled on his arm to stop him. Remembering that Shen Jianhua was after all Shen Mianmian’s biological father, Lu Siyuan gritted his teeth and swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue.
Shen Mianmian looked at He Nan and said softly, "Big Brother He, we’re going to go in for the exam now."
"Go ahead!" He Nan nodded. His voice was indifferent when addressing Shen Jianhua but always contained a hint of familiarity when speaking to Shen Mianmian, an attitude he didn’t even show to Lu Siyuan.
"You’re not going anywhere until you hand over the money," Zhou Lanfang tried to grab Shen Mianmian, but she dodged past her.
Seeing this, Shen Jianhua also turned to Shen Mianmian and said, "Mianmian, hand over the money and I’ll save it for you. I’ll take your earlier words as said in anger. As for tearing up the house, I won’t hold it against you. Locking you in the room was something Siyu and your mother did; I didn’t know about it before, and I’ll talk to them when we get back."
With He Nan there, resorting to violence was out of the question, so Shen Jianhua decided to step back for the moment, coax the money out of her, and get her to return home. The rest could be dealt with once they were back at the house.
Hearing him coax her like a child, Shen Mianmian found it particularly amusing. After all this, her father still thought she was wrong, that she was to blame.
He thought that by saying this, he was giving her a way out, and she should take it.
Taking her money was also something he considered his rightful duty.
"Sorry, but the money is my own earnings, and I have the right to decide how to use it. I don’t need anyone to save it for me. As for going home..." Shen Mianmian paused for a moment, looking at Shen Jianhua earnestly and resolutely, "That’s your home, not mine. I’m not coming back."
Having said that, Shen Mianmian turned and strode away. Zhou Lanfang, seeing this, hurried to pull her back but was stopped by Lu Siyuan.
"You little bastard, get out of my way." Get full chapters from 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩
Zhou Lanfang was desperate, reaching out to scratch Lu Siyuan’s face, but he pushed her into Shen Jianhua’s arms.
"Ouch! He’s hitting me! Everyone, come and look oh! I’m not going to live..."
Zhou Lanfang started crying, causing a scene, and threatening to hang herself, again.
Lu Siyuan touched his face where she had scratched him, drawing a bit of blood, and after giving He Nan a nod, he quickly ran into the school grounds.
Seeing this, Zhou Lanfang lost her desire to cry and followed after him, attempting to enter as well, but she was stopped by a male teacher from the eighth grade.