After lunch, Jiang Yushu went to the market near her office to buy two jin of pork ribs and lotus root. It was Wednesday, and Jiang Ting would finish school at 3 PM. If she could leave work early, she might have time to make a pot of pork rib and lotus root soup for her daughter.
With her unfinished work on her mind, Jiang Yushu quickened her pace, plastic bag in hand. Just as she reached the office entrance, she heard someone call her name.
Turning towards the voice, she saw Sun Weiming leaning out of a Santana sedan parked by the roadside, waving at her.
Frowning, she walked over slowly. “Why are you here?”
“I want to talk to you about Tingting,” Sun Weiming said gravely, gesturing to a well-dressed man in the passenger seat. “This is Lawyer Shi.”
Jiang Yushu’s heart sank. She turned to leave, saying, “We have nothing to discuss.”
Sun Weiming got out of the car and hurried after her. “Yushu, you must spare me some time today.”
“Why should I?” Jiang Yushu raised her voice. “Who are you to me?”
Sun Weiming maintained his stern expression. “Jiang Yushu, we’re outside your office. If anyone loses face, it’ll be you. Think carefully.”
Jiang Yushu glanced around, noticing several passersby looking at them curiously.
Gritting her teeth, she lowered her voice. “What do you want to say?”
“Let’s find a more suitable place to talk,” Sun Weiming suggested, pointing to a small park across the street. “How about there?”
Without a word, Jiang Yushu walked towards the park.
The three chose a small pavilion in the park for their discussion. Despite the mild weather, Jiang Yushu was sweating. Sitting on the concrete bench, she turned sideways, fanning herself with a handkerchief, avoiding eye contact with Sun Weiming and Lawyer Shi.
The two men remained patient. Lawyer Shi took out a stack of documents from his black leather briefcase and conferred quietly with Sun Weiming. Then, Sun Weiming cleared his throat. “Yushu, although our last conversation was inconclusive, my stance hasn’t changed.”
Jiang Yushu snorted. “Neither has mine.”
“However,” Sun Weiming continued calmly, “there are many ways to resolve issues. We can fight, or we can negotiate peacefully.”
“Get to the point!” Jiang Yushu snapped impatiently. “I have to get back to work this afternoon.”
“Alright,” Sun Weiming nodded to Lawyer Shi. “Let’s first discuss a possible agreement.”
Lawyer Shi selected a document from the stack and placed it before Jiang Yushu.
“This is a draft custody transfer agreement prepared by the lawyer,” Sun Weiming explained, pointing at the document. “Please take a look. We can negotiate the specific terms.”
“I won’t look at it,” Jiang Yushu maintained her posture. “There’s no room for negotiation if you’re trying to take my daughter away.”
Sun Weiming and Lawyer Shi exchanged glances before picking up the agreement. “Let me put it this way,” Sun Weiming began, flipping through the pages. “Our daughter will spend this summer with me in Beijing. I’ll cover all her living expenses, including tuition. If she wants to pursue a master’s or doctorate after university, I’ll cover that too. After completing her studies, she can decide who to live with.” He paused briefly. “You won’t have to pay anything. I can provide you with a monthly allowance of 300 yuan.”
Jiang Yushu remained silent, only responding with cold laughter.
“Five hundred yuan,” Sun Weiming offered, holding out a pen. “Sign if you agree.”
Jiang Yushu turned to face him, staring for a few seconds. “Stop wasting your breath, will you?”
“Fine, Yushu. You’ve left me no choice,” Sun Weiming sighed. “We’ll have to settle this in court then.”
“Go ahead and sue me!” Jiang Yushu stood up abruptly. “I’m ready anytime!”
“Wait,” Sun Weiming grabbed her hand, looking helplessly at Lawyer Shi. “You take over.”
“Certainly,” Lawyer Shi, seemingly accustomed to such scenes, remained calm. “Ms. Jiang, please sit down.”
Jiang Yushu shook off Sun Weiming’s hand and sat down reluctantly.
“My client, Mr. Sun, is determined to obtain custody of your daughter, Jiang Ting,” Lawyer Shi began, resting his elbows on the concrete table and interlacing his fingers. “However, he doesn’t want to take this to court. Firstly, out of consideration for your past marital relationship; secondly, to avoid causing unnecessary psychological stress to Jiang Ting.”
Jiang Yushu looked at him. “And?”
“If we can’t reach an agreement, Mr. Sun will file a lawsuit against you. However, he wants to make one last effort,” Lawyer Shi adjusted his glasses. “He’s asked me to analyze the legal aspects of your custody dispute for your reference.”
“Analysis?” Jiang Yushu scoffed. “You’re paid by him, of course, you’ll try to convince me. Don’t waste your energy—I won’t agree, period.”
“I’m not trying to persuade you. I’d earn more if you two went to court,” Lawyer Shi smiled. “I’m simply offering a legal perspective on the potential outcome of a custody modification lawsuit. Then, you can decide whether to sign the agreement or not.”
“You mean…” Jiang Yushu glared, “If we go to court, I’ll lose, so I shouldn’t push my luck?”
Lawyer Shi neither confirmed nor denied. “May I proceed?”
Without waiting for Jiang Yushu’s response, he continued.
“Child custody involves two main factors: first, it must benefit the child’s physical and mental health and protect their legal rights; second, it must consider both parents’ ability and conditions to raise the child,” Lawyer Shi looked at Jiang Yushu. “I don’t doubt your sense of responsibility and love for your daughter, and my client, Mr. Sun, doesn’t deny this either. I believe the child’s physical and mental health would be ensured with either of you.”
Jiang Yushu listened silently, arms crossed.
“Now, let’s look at both parties’ ability and conditions to raise the child,” Lawyer Shi continued. “According to the information provided by Mr. Sun, your current monthly income is around 1,100 yuan…”
Jiang Yushu interjected, “It’s 1,300!”
“Very well,” Lawyer Shi nodded. “Still, your income is less than half of Mr. Sun’s. Moreover, considering your income and the expenses of raising a high school student, your bank savings are likely limited.”
“That’s none of your business!”
Lawyer Shi simply smiled. “Therefore, after Jiang Ting enters university, your financial situation may become strained. In other words, you might not be able to provide her with a higher quality of life. For instance, if she has the opportunity or desire to study abroad, you wouldn’t be able to fulfill that.”
Jiang Yushu pointed at Sun Weiming. “Doesn’t he have any obligations?”
“Of course he does. According to your divorce agreement, he pays 200 yuan monthly in child support. However, I don’t think this significantly alleviates your financial pressure.”
Jiang Yushu bit her lip, seemingly reluctant to speak. “I… I could ask him to pay more.”
“That’s a separate issue. Requesting an increase in child support would require a separate lawsuit,” Lawyer Shi maintained his businesslike tone. “Let’s return to the matter of custody modification. Regarding my client, Mr. Sun, based on the information he provided—which I can’t disclose in detail—his financial situation is far superior to yours. Moreover, the opportunities he can offer your daughter are beyond what you can provide. In other words, her future potential would be much higher with her father.”
“You mean Beijing?”
“It’s not just about household registration, but about the platform, perspective, experience, overall quality, opportunities, and so on,” Lawyer Shi pointed to himself. “I studied in Beijing myself. As for the difficulty of the college entrance exam, I believe Mr. Sun has discussed this with you repeatedly. Not to mention educational resources. While our children might learn piano as an extracurricular activity, children in Beijing can learn horseback riding, drama, less common foreign languages, and more. Compared to their peers in other cities, they’re more confident, poised, and charismatic—don’t you want Jiang Ting to become such a person?”
For the first time, Jiang Yushu’s face showed signs of hesitation.
“Tingting… could work hard and get into a Beijing university on her own.”
“This brings us back to how parents nurture their children,” Lawyer Shi said. “The logic is simple: when your daughter needs to climb a high wall, you could give her a ladder, but you’re only offering her a rope—how do you think the child would feel?”
Jiang Yushu lowered her head, silent, her handkerchief crumpled in her fist.
“What are you still hesitating about? Do you want to be the one holding your child back?” Sun Weiming, sensing her inner conflict, quickly added, “Tingting has a bright future ahead. Do you want her to become someone like you, living an ordinary life stuck in a small city forever?”
Jiang Yushu’s expression suddenly changed. “I don’t know what Tingting will become in the future, but I can at least guarantee she won’t turn into a despicable, shameless bastard like you!”
She stood up, glaring at Sun Weiming. “Save your breath. No means no. Sue me if you dare!”
With that, Jiang Yushu picked up her plastic bag containing the pork ribs and lotus root and quickly walked out of the park.
Sun Weiming was too angry to speak. Lawyer Shi sighed, removed his glasses, and rubbed his temples. “Mr. Sun, you were far too hasty.”
“That stubborn woman is so pig-headed!” Sun Weiming slammed his fist on the table. “Never mind, if this doesn’t work, we’ll sue her in court. My chances of winning are high, right?”
Lawyer Shi put his glasses back on. “Not really.”
Sun Weiming’s eyes widened. “But you just said…”
“That was an attempt to persuade her to sign the agreement,” Lawyer Shi shook his head. “According to an opinion issued by the Supreme People’s Court last year, you don’t have a guaranteed win in this lawsuit.”
He began counting on his fingers. “Grounds for custody modification include her having a serious illness or disability that prevents her from continuing to raise the daughter; neglecting parental duties or abusing the daughter, or hurting the daughter’s physical and mental health; the daughter wanting to live with you; or other legitimate reasons.”
Sun Weiming pondered for a moment. “Damn, it seems we don’t have much of an advantage.”
“Your better conditions aren’t a decisive factor in obtaining custody,” Lawyer Shi started gathering the documents on the table. “Focus on improving your relationship with your daughter. I’ll think of other strategies.”
Yang Le emerged from the ice cream shop with a box of ice cream, sitting under the sunshade outside the store. He ate with a small wooden spoon while glancing towards the street corner.
It was around 3:20 PM. The evening rush hour hadn’t started yet, so there weren’t many people or cars on the road. Most of the pedestrians were young people who looked like middle school students walking in groups. Yang Le frequently checked his digital watch, looking quite anxious.
Finally, the tall, thin girl appeared in his line of sight. Yang Le stood up, waving vigorously at her. She saw him too, but her face remained expressionless. She merely nodded slightly and walked over slowly.
“Want something to drink?”
Jiang Ting shook her head. “No need. Just say what you have to say. I need to go home.”
“We can’t just sit here empty-handed,” Yang Le glanced at his half-eaten ice cream. “Soda or ice cream?”
Jiang Ting thought for a moment. “Soda, I guess.”
Yang Le nodded and went into the ice cream shop, returning with a bottle of cola with a straw.
Jiang Ting thanked him and took small sips of the cola. “What did you want to ask me?”
“Well,” Yang Le chose his words carefully, speaking solemnly, “I’ve noticed you’ve been very concerned about Su Lin from our class.”
Jiang Ting lowered her head. “Is that strange?”
“Since she dropped out, almost no one in our class has noticed her absence. The teachers don’t mention her either, let alone students from other classes.”
Jiang Ting bit the straw. “Then why do you care about this?”
“Huh?” Yang Le was taken aback. “I’m the class monitor.”
Jiang Ting smiled slightly, looking towards the roadside without speaking.
“Also,” Yang Le’s face showed embarrassment, “I told you last time, her dropping out… might be related to me.”
Jiang Ting looked at him. “How so?”
“Well…” Yang Le seemed very uncomfortable, stammering for a while before speaking, “There’s a girl in our class, you know her too…”
“Mm-hmm.” Jiang Ting nodded. “Ma Na, right?”
“Yes.” Yang Le forced a smile. “How should I put it, she’s the kind of girl who’s been spoiled and does whatever she wants. And she has a bit of… you know, towards me?”
“I see. But what does this have to do with Su Lin?” Jiang Ting suddenly raised an eyebrow. “I get it, you like her.”
“No, no.” Yang Le quickly waved his hands. “I just feel…”
His face suddenly showed a mix of confusion and nostalgia, with a hint of a smile.
“She’s a quiet person, friendly to everyone, and a good student. But judging by her clothes, her family isn’t well-off. So, she’s not the type to stand out in class. You could even say she has a very low presence.”
Indeed, Jiang Ting thought to herself. If she hadn’t witnessed that incident, she wouldn’t have noticed this girl either.
“People tend to judge by appearances, so you’d often hear others mocking her. But she never argued with anyone. On the contrary, whenever there was a class cleanup or snow shoveling, she was always the most hardworking. Yet, for some reason, nobody liked her. Especially Ma Na, who always targeted her, both in class and during English play rehearsals.”
Yang Le paused. “I think it’s wrong to ignore, neglect, or even bully someone just because they’re not well-off.”
“You sympathize with her?”
“Not exactly,” Yang Le shook his head. “Sometimes, when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I’d stand up for her. The way she looked at me, I always felt there was something different about it.”
He rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. “She probably doesn’t like me, right? After all, we’ve hardly ever spoken.”
Jiang Ting chuckled softly. “You might not see it, but Ma Na sees it differently.”
“Huh?” Yang Le blinked. “You mean… Ma Na thinks I like Su Lin, so she’s always giving her a hard time?”
Jiang Ting took a sip of her soda without responding.
“That can’t be right,” Yang Le pondered for a moment. “The incident doesn’t seem related to this.”
Jiang Ting looked at him. “What incident?”
“Once, we were rehearsing ‘The Little Mermaid’ at noon. Su Lin went to the rehearsal room first. She was playing the role of Maid C—the role you have now.”
Jiang Ting nodded. “I know.”
“But when we got to the rehearsal room, she was standing in front of the mirror, wearing Ma Na’s—the princess’s—dress.” Yang Le shrugged. “Given Ma Na’s personality, she wouldn’t let it go, of course. She said a lot of nasty things to Su Lin.”
“Then what happened?”
“To be honest, it was the first time I’d ever seen Su Lin get angry,” Yang Le smiled bitterly. “She slapped Ma Na.”
Good for her, Jiang Ting thought, gripping her soda bottle tightly. If only I dared to do that.
“She got herself into big trouble. That afternoon during the break, I overheard Ma Na and two other classmates planning to get revenge on Su Lin.” Yang Le sighed. “The next day, Su Lin disappeared and never showed up again.”
Jiang Ting’s mind flashed back to the scene of a disheveled Su Lin confronting Ma Na and the others, and Su Lin’s pleading look towards her.
She shuddered involuntarily.
“I wonder if Ma Na did something terrible to Su Lin, making her too afraid to come back to school,” Yang Le continued, not noticing Jiang Ting’s change in expression. “If Ma Na’s hostility towards Su Lin had anything to do with me, even just a little, I’d feel guilty.”
He looked at Jiang Ting. “So, I’ve been wanting to ask you—do you know the truth about that day?”
Jiang Ting bit her straw, hesitating for a long time before finally gathering her courage.
She looked up at Yang Le. “That afternoon after school, I saw…”
Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes widened in fear.
Yang Le instinctively looked behind him and saw Ma Na approaching with a tight-lipped expression, flanked by Song Shuang and Zhao Lingling.
He had barely stood up when Ma Na was already in front of him.
“Well, well. I wondered why I couldn’t find you after school,” Ma Na glanced at Jiang Ting. “Out here on a date?”
“Watch what you’re saying,” Yang Le frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Still denying it when I’ve caught you red-handed?” Ma Na crossed her arms, tilting her head as she looked at Yang Le. “You move fast, huh? One’s gone, and you’re already onto the next?”
Jiang Ting lowered her head, grabbed her bag, and tried to leave, but Song Shuang pushed her back into her seat.
Yang Le grew anxious. “Don’t do anything stupid!”
“Song Shuang, don’t let her run away,” Ma Na said coldly. “Mess this up, and you’re out!”
Song Shuang’s face reddened as she held Jiang Ting’s shoulders down.
“You refuse to go abroad with me, is it because of her?” Ma Na pointed at Jiang Ting. “What the hell are you thinking? Rejecting the good stuff for this trash?”
Jiang Ting, who had been struggling, suddenly looked up, staring intently at Ma Na.
“One piece of garbage wasn’t enough, you had to find another?” Ma Na sneered. “Are you a garbage collector or something?”
“Shut up!” Yang Le shouted. “I’ve made myself very clear! I don’t care about studying abroad, and I have nothing to do with you!”
“Yang Le, explain yourself!” Ma Na’s face flushed with anger as she shoved Yang Le’s chest. “How am I inferior to these dirty sluts?”
“You’re inferior in every way!” Yang Le steadied himself and yelled back. “Look at yourself! Do you look like a student? Do you even look like a girl?”
Ma Na’s chest heaved rapidly. She suddenly turned and rushed to Jiang Ting. “What did you tell him?”
“You know what you’ve done,” Jiang Ting’s lips trembled, her voice shaking. “Don’t you?”
Ma Na’s face turned pale, her teeth grinding audibly.
“I told you to mind your own business,” she reached for the soda bottle on the table. “What I’ve done once, I’m not afraid to do again!”
Sensing danger, Jiang Ting instinctively tried to stand and run, but Song Shuang held her firmly in place.
Ma Na gripped the bottle’s neck, aiming at Jiang Ting’s head and raising her arm high. Just as she was about to bring it down, she felt her wrist being firmly grasped and her collar seized. In the blink of an eye, she was flung to the roadside, landing hard on the ground.
Scrambling to her feet, she looked up to see an elderly man in his sixties standing calmly by the sunshade.
“Young lady, that’s not how you fight,” the old man gently placed the soda bottle back on the table. “Such violence could lead to serious consequences.”
Ma Na immediately recognized him as the so-called “Uncle Gu,” both shocked and angry. “You… why are you here?”
“If I weren’t here, how would I know how polite and kind the student representatives from No. 4 Middle School are?”
“What’s it to you?” Ma Na rubbed her sore elbow, cursing loudly. “Who the hell are you to hit me?”
Zhao Lingling tugged at her sleeve, glancing fearfully at the old man while whispering, “Na Na, stop…”
“Hit you? I was helping you.”
The old man sat down next to Jiang Ting, looking her over. “Are you alright?”
Jiang Ting stared at him, slowly shaking her head.
Ma Na shook off Zhao Lingling, glaring at the old man. “You old geezer, who do you think you are? Today I’ll…”
“That’s enough, you should leave,” the old man sighed softly. “How many fathers do you have who can always clean up your messes?”
Ma Na was stunned. At this point, Yang Le spoke up. “Ma Na, that’s enough. Stop making a scene!”
Song Shuang and Zhao Lingling came over, each taking one of Ma Na’s arms. “Let’s go, Na Na. We can deal with this another day.”
Ma Na’s face showed signs of fear, but she still refused to back down. “You all just wait. This isn’t over!”
Half-pushed and half-dragged, Ma Na was sandwiched between Song Shuang and Zhao Lingling, cursing as she looked back while they headed towards the street corner. After turning a corner, the three disappeared.
The old man nodded at Yang Le. “Sit down.”
Yang Le looked doubtful. “You are…?”
“My surname is Gu, Gu Hao. You can call me Uncle Gu.”
“Oh,” Yang Le thought for a moment. “Do you know Ma Na?”
“It’s a long story,” Gu Hao didn’t want to answer this question and turned to Jiang Ting. “Young lady, are you in trouble?”
“I recognize you,” Jiang Ting continued staring at him, shrinking back. “Have you been following me?”
“No, running into you was purely coincidental,” Gu Hao shook his head, nodding towards the direction Ma Na had disappeared. ” I was following her.”
The lunchtime meeting with her ex-husband had left Jiang Yushu distressed. Back at the company, she stared at the open ledger in front of her, her mind in chaos. After sitting idly for over an hour, she could no longer bear it and asked her manager to leave, heading home with the pork ribs and lotus root.
Housework temporarily distracted her. However, after setting the pork rib and lotus root soup to simmer, she found herself with nothing to do. The anxiety returned.
Jiang Yushu understood Sun Weiming’s intentions clearly. He didn’t love Jiang Ting that much; he just didn’t want to be alone. After losing his family and the “son” that was never truly his, Jiang Ting was his only emotional comfort. Of course, he could potentially find another woman to marry in Beijing. But as a man over forty and not a Beijing native, he wouldn’t score high in the marriage market. Moreover, his chances of having more children were slim. As for remarrying a woman with children? Hah, Sun Weiming, who never wanted to lose out on anything, would never play stepfather to someone else’s kids.
So, while she could understand Sun Weiming’s obsession, she couldn’t accept it.
However, Jiang Yushu had to admit that although Lawyer Shi was on Sun Weiming’s side, his words weren’t entirely unreasonable.
She was absolutely against Sun Weiming taking their daughter away. But from Jiang Ting’s perspective, it might be an opportunity to step onto a new stage in life.
If she obstructed this, wouldn’t she be too selfish?
But if she let her daughter go, what would become of her? Would she just live alone, counting the days until her daughter came home for the holidays?
Tears fell again as Jiang Yushu silently cursed Sun Weiming for destroying their family and now trying to take her daughter away.
And the bastard dared to act so righteous!
It seemed that Sun Weiming was determined to get custody of Jiang Ting and that Lawyer Shi was quite formidable. Ignoring the situation probably wasn’t wise. After much consideration, Jiang Yushu decided to call the company’s legal department.
The conversation with the legal advisor provided some comfort. Her daughter had always been in her custody, and she had no major illnesses or disabilities. In the advisor’s words, “As long as your daughter remains physically and mentally healthy and wants to live with you, your ex-husband can’t do much.”
Of course, she wants to live with me!
Jiang Yushu felt less anxious now, thinking about making a good soup for her daughter. As she headed towards the kitchen, just as she reached the living room, she heard the door open.
Jiang Ting entered with her head lowered. Yu Shu Jiang put on a smile and said, “You’re back? Go wash your hands. Today we have…”
Before she could finish, her eyes widened in surprise.
Behind Jiang Ting were two men, one old and one young. She recognized both of them.
The young man, who had previously been seen with Jiang Ting on campus, appeared nervous. He bowed slightly to her, saying, “Hello, Auntie.”
The older man, whom she had encountered a few times at the school gate, nodded to Yu Shu Jiang and remained standing in the hallway.
“You…” Yu Shu Jiang was speechless. She turned to Jiang Ting, “What’s going on?”
Jiang Ting looked exhausted. She hung her backpack on a dining chair and sat down heavily, her long black hair falling forward to cover her face.
“Say something,” Yu Shu Jiang said, increasingly bewildered. She gently pushed Jiang Ting, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Ting raised her head but faced the other two men: “Thank you for bringing me home safely. Everything’s fine now, please…”
The young man glanced at Jiang Ting, then at Yu Shu Jiang, hesitating for a moment. “We’ll talk at school then. I’ll go now.” He bowed to Yu Shu Jiang again, saying “Goodbye, Auntie,” before opening the door and leaving.
The older man, however, remained standing. To Yu Shu Jiang’s surprise, Jiang Ting didn’t seem shocked by this and silently maintained eye contact with him.
This eerie atmosphere made Yu Shu Jiang unable to contain herself any longer. She pushed Jiang Ting forcefully, “What’s wrong with you? Have you gone mute?”
“I apologize,” the old man stepped forward, trying to stop Yu Shu Jiang. “I should have explained first.”
He cleared his throat: “We’ve met before. My name is Gu Hao. Someone I know goes to the same school as your daughter, and now she’s missing.”
Gu Hao turned to Jiang Ting: “If I’m not mistaken, you probably know why she disappeared.”
Yu Shu Jiang’s mouth fell open: “Missing? Who’s missing? A student?”
“Yes, a female student,” Gu Hao nodded. “Her name is Su Lin.”
Yu Shu Jiang was taken aback. She recognized the name. Suddenly, images flooded her mind: a dark red dress with white lace trim, Su Lin, Jiang Ting, disappearance, the English play, and this earnest old man standing before her.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, she asked abruptly, “This Su Lin… what’s your relationship to her?”
“It’s complicated to explain right now. But I have compelling reasons to be involved,” Gu Hao’s expression grew serious. “What I know is that her disappearance is related to a student named Ma Na from No. 4 Middle School. Your daughter might know the details. For this reason, or perhaps another, Ma Na intended to harm your daughter today. That’s why I brought her home.” He glanced at Jiang Ting, “Of course, my main purpose is to uncover the truth about this matter.”
Yu Shu Jiang looked at her daughter: “Tingting, what… what’s going on? Who is Ma Na?”
Jiang Ting suddenly stood up and walked towards her bedroom without looking back. She slammed the door shut and locked it.
“Child, please,” Yu Shu Jiang followed, feeling both anxious and angry. “Come out and explain…”
Before she could finish, heart-wrenching sobs erupted from the bedroom.
Yu Shu Jiang’s hand, poised to knock, froze in mid-air. She instinctively looked back at Gu Hao standing in the living room.
“It’s alright. Let her calm down first,” Gu Hao looked equally helpless. “If she wants to talk, she can call me.”
He took out a notebook and pen from his pocket, tore off a page, wrote down his phone number and name, and placed it on the dining table.
“I’ll take my leave now,” Gu Hao said, opening the door and walking out. The living room was left with only a bewildered Yu Shu Jiang and the echoing sobs.
For the next few hours, Jiang Ting didn’t emerge from her bedroom. Yu Shu Jiang sat on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the closed door. Despite her anxiety, she knew that although her daughter was usually obedient, she had a stubborn streak. At times like these, forcing entry or pressuring her would be counterproductive. When she was ready to talk, she would naturally tell her mother everything.
Moreover, the custody battle with her ex-husband had just begun. As the company’s legal department had said, Jiang Ting’s wishes were crucial in determining custody. She didn’t want to strain her relationship with her daughter at this stage. Children will be children, and if Jiang Ting became upset and Sun Weiming took advantage of the situation, it would be disastrous.
Although the pros and cons were clear, Yu Shu Jiang still felt deeply worried about her daughter on the other side of the wall. She suddenly realized that despite living together every day, she knew nothing about her daughter’s life during school hours. As a mother, she cared about whether Jiang Ting ate well, dressed warmly, finished her homework, and how her test scores were. Beyond that, Jiang Ting was a blank slate to her. Each day, before the child resumed her role as a daughter, they were absent from each other’s lives. She had been so careless that she hadn’t even thoroughly questioned the handprint that had appeared on her daughter’s face. Jiang Ting might have been bullied, or even experienced something terrible, yet as a mother, she remained completely unaware.
This realization filled Yu Shu Jiang with fear and self-reproach.
Around 8 PM, Jiang Ting’s bedroom door finally opened. Yu Shu Jiang, who had been lost in thought, immediately jumped up from the sofa but didn’t know how to approach her daughter.
Jiang Ting was still in her school uniform, her eyes swollen from crying. However, her expression was relatively calm, and she even managed a smile at Yu Shu Jiang.
“Mom, I’m hungry.”
The reheated pork rib and lotus root soup was served at the dining table. Jiang Ting ate with gusto, almost wolfing down her food. Her behavior made Yu Shu Jiang even more concerned. It meant that she had either put aside her worries or made an important decision.
Sure enough, after dinner, as Yu Shu Jiang cleared the dishes, Jiang Ting remained at the table, staring absently at her water glass. Yu Shu Jiang carefully sat across from her daughter and, after much deliberation, asked, “Tingting, is there anything you want to tell Mom?”
Jiang Ting pursed her lips and nodded.
Yu Shu Jiang sat up straight: “Go ahead.”
“Mom, do you remember that day when you saw a girl being abducted from the balcony? You thought it was me and ran out desperately?”
“I remember,” Yu Shu Jiang unconsciously touched her elbow. “I fell and hurt myself. It took over a week to heal.”
“Mm-hmm.” Jiang Ting took a deep breath. “Mom you weren’t mistaken that day.”
“What?” Yu Shu Jiang’s eyes widened. “Was it that Su Lin?”
“Yes.”
“You saw everything?”
“Yes.” Jiang Ting lowered her head, her voice barely audible. “Ma Na and two other girls were in the empty lot behind. Three against one.”
Yu Shu Jiang’s hand clenched: “Did they hit you too?”
“No,” Jiang Ting shook her head. “They told me not to meddle. I was scared, so I just hid behind the building and peeked. They took Su Lin to the wall.”
Yu Shu Jiang sighed in relief: “And then?”
“Then I ran into you.”
Yu Shu Jiang thought for a moment: “And after that, Su Lin disappeared?”
“The next day, I went to check Class 4. She didn’t come to school.” Jiang Ting bit her lip. “After school, I went to the wall… there was an open manhole.”
Yu Shu Jiang immediately recalled the night her daughter had sneaked out.
“So, you climbed into the sewer?”
Jiang Ting remained silent.
“Silly child,” Yu Shu Jiang felt both moved and worried, stroking her daughter’s head. “How could she possibly be in the sewer?”
Jiang Ting reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys.
“I found these.”
“This… how could they…” Yu Shu Jiang stared at the keys, dumbfounded. “Maybe they belong to someone else?”
“I don’t know,” Jiang Ting’s face darkened. “But I think they’re hers.”
For a moment, both fell silent. After a while, Yu Shu Jiang asked softly, “Was she your friend?”
“No,” Jiang Ting smiled bitterly. “I never even spoke to her.”
“Then why do you want to get involved?”
“I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to cause trouble for myself.” Tears welled up in Jiang Ting’s eyes again. “But when it happened, she looked at me. She was calling for help… but I was too scared.”
She turned to her mother: “I can’t pretend this never happened. I haven’t been able to sleep well or concentrate on anything. I never imagined I’d end up taking her place, wearing the dress she once wore.”
Jiang Ting covered her face and began to sob: “Mom, I feel like she’s still asking me to save her.”
Yu Shu Jiang’s eyes also moistened. She stood up and sat next to her daughter, embracing her. Jiang Ting curled up in her mother’s arms like an injured kitten, her body trembling.
“How can there be such children?” Yu Shu Jiang stroked her daughter’s hair. “How can they bully someone like this?”
“Mom, you don’t understand,” Jiang Ting’s eyes were vacant, her voice low. “They don’t need a reason to bully others. Sometimes, it’s just because someone is different from them.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“I want to speak out about this,” Jiang Ting gripped her mother’s arm. “I can’t be a coward anymore. It’s not fair to Su Lin.”
Yu Shu Jiang hesitated: “Aren’t you afraid Ma Na will retaliate?”
“I am. They might even make it impossible for me to study properly.” Jiang Ting left her mother’s embrace, sat up straight, and looked directly at Yu Shu Jiang. “Do you remember when Dad came to our house one day, and you talked to him a lot?”
Yu Shu Jiang raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”
“You said, ‘My daughter should be an upright person, not bullying others, but if wronged, she should fight back.'” Jiang Ting paused, then raised her voice, “Mom, I want to be your daughter. I want to fight back.”
“You want to tell Su Lin’s family?”
“Yes. I want to tell them what Ma Na did to their daughter,” Jiang Ting nodded firmly. “They should know.”
“But,” Yu Shu Jiang frowned, “do you know where she lives?”
“No,” Jiang Ting pointed to the dining table. “But he must know.”
Yu Shu Jiang looked over. The paper with Gu Hao’s phone number was still on the table.