Xu Sisi was speechless: "If I really farted in front of you, you wouldn’t beat me to death."
The old lady laughed: "At least you know your own limits."
"Of course, you taught me from a young age that you could kill me at any moment."
"With that mouth of yours, just say it, what do you want to ask for?" the old lady asked.
"When you play favorites in the future, could you hide it a little?"
"No, I like to be straightforward," the old lady retorted, but affectionately patted Xu Sisi’s head, "In Grandma’s eyes, our Xiaohei is just born to be my scapegoat."
Xu Sisi covered her face helplessly.
She was wrong; she shouldn’t have any illusions about the old lady. Her grandma was not the sentimental type.
"Are you going to eat?" the old lady asked.
Xu Sisi mumbled, "I’ll eat in a while."
So the old lady dashed off, "Then I’ll go and eat everything first, and you can pick at the leftovers."
This old lady’s legs sure are nimble.
Jin Ruiyang was still standing by, waiting for Xu Sisi.
Xu Sisi, feeling hurt and needing comfort, ran over to grab Jin Ruiyang’s hand: "Brother Ruiyang, can I use your telephone?"
He responded with a gentle smile and held her hand, "I’ll take you."
Jin Ruiyang took Xu Sisi to the study, where there was also a telephone.
Xu Sisi sat in a chair and dialed her home number.
As soon as the call connected, Xu Erhong’s flamboyant and cocky voice came through.
With a tone that reeked of big boss vibes.
Xu Sisi was silent for a few seconds. Was this really her dad?
"Oh, it’s our Xiaohei, what’s up? Missing your dad?"
"Yeah," Xu Sisi replied obediently. Xu Erhong said, "So what, your dad doesn’t miss you."
Remembering her purpose for calling, Xu Sisi began to complain: "Dad, grandma is biased. Both Niannian and I are about to take the college entrance exam, and grandma says whether I pass or not, she’s going to dislike me."
"What? Our Baby Nian is taking the college entrance exam? Oh, what a joyous occasion! Quick, Xiaohei, give the phone to your Sister Niannian, let your dad and my dearest niece have a good chat."
Xu Sisi: "...Dad, I’m your own daughter."
Xu Erhong: "You’re not important; it’s enough you’re alive."
"Click." Xu Sisi hung up the phone and threw herself into Jin Ruiyang’s arms with a ’wah’: "Brother Ruiyang, they’re bullying me."
On the other end, Xu Erhong quickly dialed the phone in the Jin Family’s living room.
"Hey, Mom, our Xiaohei really is too nervous. Do you think teasing her will work? Could it make her more nervous because she’s upset?"
The old lady was grinning, "No way, your daughter is just like you, needs a good teasing."
Xu Erhong’s expression turned constipated, utterly displeased: "If you say that, Mother, I’m going to be heartbroken."
"Not my problem. Go be heartbroken, try holding it in for life without laughing, so your mom can have a good laugh." With that, the old lady hung up the phone with a click, without a hint of nostalgia for this long-lost son.
Meanwhile, Xu Erhong touched his chest, "Ah, that familiar feeling."
Lately, with money rolling in, people have been buttering him up everywhere, making him feel inflated and over the moon. Hearing his mother’s familiar nagging brought his floating ego crashing back to earth.
Just thinking about how one day, if he got too carried away and did something stupid, his mom could cut him down without hesitation, reminded him that staying alive was more important. No room for floating, as floating could lead to death, the bloody kind.
On this end, after Xu Sisi cried aloud into Jin Ruiyang’s embrace, her voice fell silent.
About ten minutes later, Xu Sisi, slightly dizzy from Jin Ruiyang’s kisses, struggled to push him away.
"Brother Ruiyang, let’s talk about the college entrance exam."
Jin Ruiyang squinted, gently soothing her: "Still nervous?"
Xu Sisi buried her head in his chest, "My heart’s beating a bit fast, but I’m not nervous anymore."
"I should learn from Grandma."
Xu Sisi was taken aback and looked up at Jin Ruiyang.
Jin Ruiyang gently stroked her back, "Grandma isn’t biased at all."
She just comforts each of them in different ways.
The old lady was a shrewd person. The way she dealt with her granddaughters was based on their personalities. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire·net
Niannian, being delicate and sensitive, was treated by the old lady like a precious gem in her palm, all her affection displayed in her actions.
Whereas Xu Sisi, being carefree and a lively girl, had a different kind of interaction with the old lady.
Xu Sisi blinked, looking at the gentle-faced Jin Ruiyang, "I know Grandma isn’t biased."
A long time ago, she did think the old lady was biased, but the old lady wasn’t bad to her either. With her carefree personality, she didn’t pay much attention to it, and since her Sister Niannian treated the family well, she didn’t mind even more.
Later, as she matured, she realized that what her grandma called favoritism was always just talk.
Even when she complained the most about her dad, her grandma loved him the same way.
One time she saw the old lady and her dad on the phone, scolding and laughing at the same time, with a gentle smile in her eyes, it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen in her life.