"As someone who’s been through it, let me teach you some basic survival skills," Rong Qingqing pulled the pouting Shen Qiao over.
"Being strong-willed is a good thing, but sometimes being too stubborn, too straightforward, is not necessarily good. You’re just a junior high school girl; there’s no need for all that."
"Take what happened tonight, for example. Was it worth it to let your pride and stubbornness upset you? You’re a girl of the Shen Family. In a situation like tonight, when I tell you to cry, you cry."
"At such moments, it doesn’t matter how much that Jingjing cries. As a Shen Family girl, regardless of the reason, if she makes you cry, in others’ eyes, she’s in the wrong!"
"If she cries and you don’t, others will think that you, as a Shen Family girl, are arrogant and bullying, and they’ll easily conclude that it’s your fault."
"Even if you don’t cry, it’s okay. After all, as a Shen Family girl, you have the backing to bully others. But when Grandpa Shen asks you something, you shouldn’t stay silent."
"Qiaoqiao, do you understand? Tonight was the best chance for you to clearly explain the whole story to Grandpa Shen when he asked you what happened."
"You don’t need to exaggerate; you just need to say that you were the one who got bullied first, and that’s enough. We can’t let people think you, Shen Qiao, are bullying others using your family name. We must be justified and fair."
When Mr. Shen asks questions, everyone around goes very silent. At that moment, everyone indeed is a bit biased towards the Shen Family because of their fear.
Moreover, when Mr. Shen asks, he’s addressing Shen Qiao; no one dares to interrupt. That’s the best time for Shen Qiao to explain things clearly.
"Qiaoqiao, I know you’re upset with your grandpa because of your dad and brother’s issues, but Qiaoqiao, some truths are harsh and too real, but you need to understand."
Rong Qingqing truly felt for this strong-willed young girl, "The Shen Family is still under your grandpa’s control. Although the president and general manager of the Shen Group have changed to your second uncle and Shen Xingwei,
the real power of the Shen Group is still in your grandpa’s hands. It’s not just your family; your second uncle’s family is the same. You all currently rely on your grandpa for survival."
"Before you can break away from this reliance on the Shen Family, Qiaoqiao, you need to learn to hide your thoughts.
You need to learn to endure, just as you endure your classmates at school and endured that Jingjing at tonight’s banquet."
"Qiaoqiao, maybe you haven’t realized this yet, but the reason you can openly show your displeasure with your grandpa is simply because he’s your grandpa. He’s your family. You’re tough on your own but soft on outsiders, which is wrong."
Rong Qingqing wasn’t sure how much Shen Qiao absorbed, but she had to keep advising, "This kind of reversal doesn’t benefit you or your family, do you understand, young lady?"
Shen Qiao’s eyes reddened, "I can put up with anyone bullying me, but I can’t endure my own family doing it."
"I know, because family and outsiders are different," Rong Qingqing sighed,
"Qiaoqiao, it’s not me forcing you to grow up and be sensible. It’s you who made yourself grow up first, but it’s not mature enough."
"Qiaoqiao, either you stay as the wayward little girl you used to be, and that’s not wrong, or if you grow up, you have to fully grow up to avoid making mistakes."
The Old Master Shen still feels a bit guilty towards Shen Qiao, so he will tolerate her and be kind to her for now.
But what about as time goes by?
What if the second house whispers in his ear, and the Old Master Shen reaches his limit of patience?