Zhao Mingzhu entered the classroom only to see several boys with black and blue noses and swollen faces.
"What happened to you guys?"
The boys, seen in their disheveled state by the girl of their dreams, were so frightened that they quickly hid.
Zhao Mingzhu had no choice but to ask a classmate next to her: "What happened to them? It looks like they’ve been beaten up?"
Before the classmate had a chance to answer, a chubby kid raised his hand: "I know, I know, they got bagged on their way home."
Zhao Mingzhu felt even more amazed as she listened: "Their homes aren’t in the same place, their routes home are different too, how could they possibly be bagged at the same time?"
The chubby kid shook his head: "Who knows."
Seeing the embarrassed look of the boys, Zhao Mingzhu didn’t ask further.
She sat at her seat, thinking about the scene she saw when entering the school gate earlier, where Anning was giving something to Xiao Yuan. After thinking for a while, she decided she still had to give Song Ruyi a call.
Taking advantage of the fact that classes hadn’t started yet, Zhao Mingzhu stepped out of the classroom to a corner of the corridor to call Song Ruyi.
It just happened that both Song Ruyi and Zhao Han were still at home, and when Song Ruyi heard the ringing, she picked up her cellphone, smiled at Zhao Han and said: "It’s Mingzhu calling, there might be something going on."
Zhao Han gestured for her to answer.
Song Ruyi answered on speakerphone: "Mingzhu, have you arrived at school? How have you been lately? Are you getting used to living there..."
Zhao Mingzhu smiled: "Mom, I’m good, my living situation is pretty nice, and the food Auntie makes is quite delicious."
Once Song Ruyi heard this, she was reassured: "If there’s anything you’re not used to, or if something happens, just tell Mom, okay? Our Mingzhu must not suffer any grievances."
Hearing Song Ruyi expressing her concern, Zhao Mingzhu felt a touch of smugness in her heart.
After waiting for a moment, Zhao Mingzhu spoke softly: "Mom, there’s something I have to report to you."
Zhao Mingzhu carefully chose her words: "Here’s the thing, I suspect that my sister might be in an early romance. Today when going to school, I saw her giving something to a boy, who looks quite handsome, but his academic grades aren’t that great, he’s always ranked last in the entire grade during exams."
Having said this, Zhao Mingzhu quickly backtracked: "Maybe I saw it wrong, but I am still a bit worried about my sister, she’s so afraid of me, it’s difficult for me to talk to her, you should pay more attention, Mom."
Song Ruyi promised to do so, but her face had darkened a bit.
After she hung up the phone and looked up at Zhao Han, his complexion wasn’t looking good either.
"Mingzhu has her little schemes."
Zhao Han sighed deeply.
Song Ruyi also felt quite sad: "I took care of her since she was little, and now... Husband, you know, I don’t even know how to face her now. I feel so guilty letting her move out to live on her own, and yet, I feel it’s unnecessary to feel guilty, as we really have done right by her."
If Song Ruyi hadn’t compared the situation to Anning’s experience at the Liu Family home, she certainly would have felt quite guilty about Zhao Mingzhu.
But every time she thought about everything Anning endured at the Liu Family, she felt that Zhao Mingzhu’s life was like heaven in comparison.
Zhao Han’s thoughts were similar to Song Ruyi’s.
He took a seat next to Song Ruyi: "Let’s just wait and see. Right now, Mingzhu just has a bit of a scheme, maybe it’s fear too. We asked her to move out, so she might feel a lack of security, afraid that we wouldn’t want her. That’s why she’s acting this way. We should be more mindful in the future. Even though we may not be able to be completely fair, we can’t have Mingzhu living in constant fear."
Song Ruyi thought about how cunningly Zhao Mingzhu stirred up trouble, and she felt uncomfortable. Then thinking about Anning, who had suffered so much, she just felt troubled.
She loved both children, but she had no idea how to balance their relationship.
Her biological daughter, whom she dearly loved and wanted to compensate, and her foster daughter, whom she couldn’t bear to let go, truly put Song Ruyi in a difficult position.
Song Ruyi thought for a while and then shook her head: "Let’s keep her for now, and when she turns eighteen, give her a sum of money so she can move out and live on her own. As long as she comes to visit us during the holidays, that’s enough."
Zhao Han put his arm around Song Ruyi’s shoulder: "Don’t be too sad. She’s grown up, she knows what’s going on. We can only carefully persuade and correct her, not make decisions for her. If she really can’t get along with Ningning, we shouldn’t force it. When she’s of age, we can give her a house and some money; as long as we fulfil our responsibilities, that’s good enough."
Even though Zhao Mingzhu had all kinds of schemes, Zhao Han and Song Ruyi didn’t think about sending her back to the Liu Family.
After all, the Liu Family were too hateful, extremely cruel-hearted. Song Ruyi also feared that if Zhao Mingzhu was sent back, she would repeat Anning’s fate.
Zhao Mingzhu did not know that her scheming had already been seen through by Song Ruyi and Zhao Han.
After she hung up the phone, she was quite smug.
She thought that with her snitching, Anning would surely be questioned upon her return.
In this way, the relationship between Anning and Song Ruyi would become strained. If Song Ruyi got angry, she might not treat Anning so well, maybe she would even bring her back home.
At the same time when Zhao Mingzhu hung up the phone, Anning had already found out through An Xin what she had done.
Anning didn’t take it too seriously.
She had already reported the matter to Song Ruyi the day before.
This was to prevent Zhao Mingzhu from stirring up trouble.
The reason why she was at the school gate giving gifts to Zhang Ke and Xiao Yuan today was also because she knew Zhao Mingzhu was nearby, and did it especially for her to see.
Anning could easily guess Zhao Mingzhu’s thoughts.
Upon discovering that Anning and Xiao Yuan were getting close, she’d definitely try to tattle.
Unlike the former Zhao Anning in her past life who kept everything bottled up and didn’t communicate with Song Ruyi, leading to many misunderstandings,
Anning put everything out in the open and communicated quite a bit with her parents, making it hard for others to use such tactics to sow discord.
Zhao Mingzhu wanted to make life difficult for Anning, but in doing so, she actually made Song Ruyi realize that she wasn’t pure-hearted. This time Song Ruyi might not take it seriously, but what about the next time, and the time after that? As the incidents accumulate, it will gradually erode the affection Song Ruyi has for her.
Anning smiled and took out her books to read.
She was waiting for the opportunity, waiting for the mid-term exams to completely suppress Zhao Mingzhu. By that time, Zhao Mingzhu would be panicking and genuinely lose her composure.
And when she’s panicked and scared, she’ll make more mistakes.
This day was a Friday, and as school ended, Anning packed up her things and wondered where to spend the weekend.
Xiao Yuan came over and asked her, "Where are you going for the weekend? Why don’t we all go out together? I heard that there’s a new amusement park that’s quite fun."
Anning shook her head: "I’m not going out to play."
Xiao Yuan carried Anning’s backpack for her as they went outside, and behind them, Zhang Ke and Gao Nana also caught up: "Staying in is so boring, what’s the fun of being cooped up at home? Let’s all hang out together."
Anning smiled: "I’m planning to go to the library."
Xiao Yuan paused mid-step, frowning, then gritted his teeth: "Then I’ll also go. Let’s go together. Which library is it? Send me the location."