Yi Tian Yu was stunned for a moment before he realized what Xue Jiao meant. Stop Liu Jia Xue?

Though he didn’t understand exactly what Xue Jiao meant, Yi Tian Yu instinctively followed her instructions and chased after Liu Jia Xue.

Liu Jia Xue was running very fast, and Xue Jiao couldn’t catch up with her.

But Yi Tian Yu could, after all, he was a student-athlete.

By now, Liu Jia Xue had already run to the side of the bridge.

“What are you doing?!” Yi Tian Yu was startled as he grabbed her.

Liu Jia Xue broke free and ran toward the edge of the bridge.

Even if Yi Tian Yu was slow-witted, he understood now—she was trying to commit suicide!

“Stop her—” Behind them, Xue Jiao had caught up.

Yi Tian Yu instinctively stuck out his foot, tripping Liu Jia Xue. By this time, Xue Jiao had also run over, panting heavily.

She embraced Liu Jia Xue, her eyes reddening.

“Jia Xue! What are you trying to do?!” Xue Jiao’s arms tightened.

Liu Jia Xue struggled fiercely, using tremendous strength. Xue Jiao’s arm was scratched by her fingernails, causing a sharp pain.

Gritting her teeth, Xue Jiao summoned unprecedented strength, continuing to hold Liu Jia Xue tightly.

“Jiao Jiao… let me go!” Liu Jia Xue broke down crying, her entire body going limp and collapsing.

Xue Jiao fell to the ground with her but paid no attention to that. “Letting you go means watching you die?!”

Her voice cracked with urgency and anger, her eyes red.

How could she possibly watch a life end before her eyes?

“Ahh—” Liu Jia Xue opened her mouth and wailed.

“Living… is so exhausting. Let me find release, please!”

Xue Jiao’s eyes stung, tears rolling down her cheeks. Without knowing why, she began crying too.

“Jia Xue…”

“Jiao Jiao, let me go. I don’t want to stay here anymore. I’m too tired…” Her voice was broken and desperate as if she were suffering unbearable torment.

Xue Jiao knew how painful it was when pressure became too great. Before the second mock exam, teachers hardly taught anymore—they just handed out test papers, had students complete them, then graded them…

And then talked about scores, performance, decline, and improvement.

Class 1 was experimental, naturally bearing pressure that others couldn’t compare with.

Often, some students would be working on test papers and suddenly start crying, then wipe away their tears and grit their teeth to continue.

In her previous life, Xue Jiao had worked throughout the entire winter holiday, even during the New Year, to earn money and save time for review in the second semester of senior year.

But her foundation had been too weak. In the second semester of senior year, although she improved each time, her scores were never as good as she wanted.

She had been deeply obsessed with getting into a university, not just for herself, but also for those who had helped her and for the elderly person who had passed away.

As the college entrance exam approached, several times when scores were released, Xue Jiao couldn’t control her tears, crying while correcting her answers.

No one knew why she was crying.

It seemed as if her eyes were just irritated.

Senior year was like a mountain, pressing down until one could hardly breathe. If external pressures continued to mount during this time, it would be a devastating blow.

“Jia Xue… Jia Xue…” Xue Jiao hugged her and called her name.

Her face was covered in tears, but she didn’t know what to say.

This semester, Liu Jia Xue had truly worked hard, but her grades…

“Let me go…” Liu Jia Xue’s voice was hoarse with desperation.

Xue Jiao held her tightly, refusing to let go.

In such cold weather, with such frigid water, how could she possibly watch her jump in?

Xue Jiao embraced her, murmuring, “There will be a way… there must be a way…”

After a full half hour, Liu Jia Xue finally caught her breath.

She stopped crying and said softly, “Jiao Jiao, let go. I won’t kill myself.”

Xue Jiao didn’t dare release her and continued holding her tightly.

Her voice still carried despair. Though she said she wouldn’t commit suicide, her tone hid her resolution.

“Jia Xue, only by living can we solve problems. Once dead, everything is gone.” Xue Jiao gently patted her back, comforting her.

Liu Jia Xue stared at the lake’s surface, biting her lower lip.

“Living is too exhausting.”

“Jia Xue…”

Xue Jiao wanted to say, what about your family if you die? What about us?

But she couldn’t say it. Liu Jia Xue was in such pain now—if she spoke like that, she would only be emotionally blackmailing her.

What she should do was try to alleviate her pain, making her willing to live on for her own sake.

But for the moment, she didn’t know how to accomplish that.

Yi Tian Yu had been standing nearby for a long time. Seeing the two crying painfully, he had initially been at a loss.

Now that they had calmed down somewhat, Yi Tian Yu crouched down and said softly, “Um… Liu Jia Xue, death doesn’t solve problems, and it’s very painful… There are many wonderful things in this world. There’s no need to leave so early.”

“Yes, Yi Yu is right,” Xue Jiao continued to comfort Liu Jia Xue. “High school is very stressful and painful, I know. We’re currently crossing the most difficult narrow bridge. But it’s only half a year more. After completing the college entrance exam, we can enter a broader world. At that time, the ocean will be wide enough for fish to leap, and the sky high for birds to fly. After the college entrance exam, life’s play has just begun—why exit the stage so early?”

Liu Jia Xue remained silent.

Xue Jiao patted her, speaking softly, “I know, you want to say there will be more storms ahead, more hardships, right? But Jia Xue, we will also have skies of our creation in the future. People always need to move forward, whether through sweetness or bitterness. Only by living can you experience that. Jia Xue, don’t you want to know what your future will be like? Don’t you want to know how you can shape your future?”

Her voice was very gentle. After she finished speaking, Liu Jia Xue trembled slightly.

“Jia Xue, let’s persevere and work hard to create the future we want, okay?” Xue Jiao’s voice remained soft.

Yi Tian Yu nodded in agreement. “There’s not just one path of studying. Don’t feel like the sky is falling when your grades drop. If we thought like that, the bookworm and I would have committed suicide in middle school.”

Xue Jiao glared at him.

Her eyes were red, as was the tip of her nose.

Snowflakes drifted through the air, landing on her body. Today was quite cold…

Yi Tian Yu felt sorry seeing Xue Jiao sitting on the cold ground.

“Liu Jia Xue, why don’t we take you home? You can talk with your family.”

Liu Jia Xue trembled, biting her lower lip as tears rolled down again.

“I… I… I don’t want to go back…”

“Then don’t go back!” Xue Jiao straightened up and looked at her. “Come back to my home with me.”

When Xue Jiao returned, Li Si Tong and the housekeeper had already prepared a table full of dishes.

“Jiao Jiao, why are you back so late? I’ve been waiting for you… Oh?” Li Si Tong approached, complaining, but noticed Liu Jia Xue behind Xue Jiao and was slightly surprised.

This was the first time Xue Jiao had brought a classmate home!

Xue Jiao patted the nervous Liu Jia Xue and smiled at Li Si Tong, “I’ve brought my friend home. Mom, her name is Liu Jia Xue, and she’ll be staying here today.”

“Oh my, that’s wonderful! Xue Jiao finally has a friend.” Her gaze noticed that both girls’ clothes were wet and red. “You two…”

“Ahem, Student Jia Xue, hello! I’m Jiao Jiao’s father. Why don’t you go upstairs with Jiao Jiao to change clothes first? Come down for dinner after changing.” Cheng Shuo stood up with a smile, effectively interrupting Li Si Tong’s question.

Cheng Ming Ze, sitting across from him, also displayed a polite smile. “Go up quickly. It’s snowing heavily today. Don’t catch a cold.”

“Okay!” Xue Jiao agreed, quickly leading Liu Jia Xue upstairs.

She was happy that her father and brother were so intelligent. Asking too many questions at this moment wouldn’t be a good thing.

Liu Jia Xue said softly, “Thank you, Uncle and Auntie…”

Soon, the two went upstairs. Li Si Tong asked with slight confusion, “A Shuo, you didn’t want me to ask?”

Cheng Shuo smiled and shook his head, looking towards Cheng Ming Ze.

Cheng Ming Ze explained to Li Si Tong, “Today is the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, just after school break. For Xue Jiao’s classmate to come to our home instead of returning to her own, something must have happened. Moreover, both of them have been crying, and their clothes are dirty—something significant occurred. Since Xue Jiao didn’t mention it upon returning, she probably doesn’t want us to know yet. At this point, respecting Xue Jiao’s wishes is best.”

“What? Has Jiao Jiao been wronged somehow?!” Li Si Tong’s eyes widened immediately.

“Judging by Jiao Jiao’s appearance, she probably hasn’t experienced anything major, but her classmate seems to be in a bad state,” Cheng Ming Ze explained.

“This…” Li Si Tong didn’t know what to do. The first time Jiao Jiao brought a friend home, they encountered such a situation.

Cheng Shuo smiled at her. “It’s fine. Just pretend you don’t know anything and treat her like any normal guest.”

“Oh, okay, good.” Li Si Tong nodded.

She then returned to the kitchen and asked the housekeeper to prepare another bowl of rice.

Soon, Xue Jiao came downstairs with Liu Jia Xue, who had changed clothes.

“Xue Jiao, Jia Xue, come eat!” Li Si Tong called cheerfully.

“Coming, coming!” Xue Jiao responded with a smile.

Liu Jia Xue bit her lower lip and also nodded.

Everyone sat at the table. Li Si Tong poured a glass of milk for each person and smiled, saying, “Sister Xu just went home. Let’s all enjoy this sumptuous meal. In the coming days, I’ll be cooking, and I can’t make so many dishes.”

“Eat up, cherish this meal,” Xue Jiao whispered in Liu Jia Xue’s ear.

“Hmm?”

Xue Jiao’s voice dropped to an extreme low: “My mom’s cooking… um… she has very little talent for it…”

Liu Jia Xue was stunned and looked up bewilderedly.

“Look at my dad and brother’s smiles.”

Liu Jia Xue looked over and saw two faces smiling stiffly at Li Si Tong.

The corner of Liu Jia Xue’s mouth suddenly twitched.

This was her first smile in a long time.

“Jia Xue, eat up!” Li Si Tong served her some food.

Liu Jia Xue hurriedly responded, “Thank you, Auntie…”

The family ate and chatted together, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

No one asked Liu Jia Xue why she wasn’t going home, nor did they ask her other questions. They just talked about interesting things and plans.

By the end of the meal, Liu Jia Xue felt relaxed for the first time, as if all pressure had been temporarily forgotten.

But after dinner, her phone kept vibrating.

Liu Jia Xue froze, not daring to answer.

The phone continued to ring, its urgent vibrations like the anger on the other end of the line.

Xue Jiao gently reached out: “Jia Xue, may I answer it?”

Liu Jia Xue instinctively bit her lip, and after a moment, closed her eyes and nodded.

Just as Xue Jiao answered, an eardrum-shattering voice came from the other end—

“Liu Jia Xue, you dead girl, where have you gone?!! Do you know how worried your mother is?!”

“Auntie, this is Gu Xue Jiao. Jia Xue is at my home.”

The phone went silent for a moment. After a long while, a voice came through, much softer: “Student Gu, please ask Jia Xue when she’s coming home.”

Xue Jiao smiled: “Auntie, Jia Xue might need to stay here for a few days.”

“It’s almost New Year?! What’s the meaning of her staying at your home?!” Qian Yu began roaring again.

Xue Jiao continued smiling: “I think you should allow Jia Xue to make her own decision occasionally, rather than treating her like your puppet.”

After she said this, heavy breathing could be heard from the other end of the line. Qian Yu was very angry but trying to control her temper.

“Auntie, I’ll send you my home address. You can come see Jia Xue.”

After saying this, Xue Jiao hung up, sent the address, and softly said, “Jia Xue, it’s all right now.”

Liu Jia Xue bit her lower lip. Xue Jiao gently patted her.

Cheng Shuo put down his newspaper: “Student Jia Xue, you can stay with Xue Jiao these few days. I’ll move a desk over for you tomorrow. You two can do homework together.”

Representing the Cheng family, he expressed his welcome for Liu Jia Xue to stay.

Liu Jia Xue tightly gripped Xue Jiao’s hand and said softly, “Thank you.”

Li Si Tong came over and ruffled her hair: “Young girls should smile more. Don’t be like Jiao Jiao, always looking like a bookworm.”

Xue Jiao widened her eyes in disbelief.

Liu Jia Xue, seeing this, smiled.

Xue Jiao had guessed that Qian Yu would come. Sure enough, around ten o’clock, a couple arrived in a hurry.

Qian Yu still looked the same, but today she was anxious and wasn’t dressed as flamboyantly as usual. The man behind her was Liu Jun, Jia Xue’s father, still with his typical quiet demeanor.

“President Cheng, hello, hello. I’m Jia Xue’s mother. This is her father, Liu Jun. Our family runs a…”

Cheng Shuo smiled: “It was my daughter who invited you. I’m not clear about what happened, so let my daughter speak with you.”

As he said this, he stood up and took Cheng Ming Ze upstairs.

Qian Yu was stunned and nudged Liu Jun beside her. “What does that mean?”

Liu Jun smiled shyly: “It means that it was Jia Xue’s classmate who invited us here, and President Cheng and his family won’t interfere.”

“How is that possible?! She’s just a young girl—how can she make decisions independently?! Surely President Cheng and his family decided this, right?” Qian Yu was bewildered.

Liu Jun shook his head.

At this point, Xue Jiao came downstairs, yes, only Xue Jiao.

She had left Liu Jia Xue upstairs, tucked her into bed, and told her to sleep well, not allowing her to come down.

“Student Gu, where is Jia Xue?” Qian Yu looked behind her.

“Jia Xue didn’t come down. I wanted to talk with you.” Xue Jiao said softly, then sat down across from them.

Qian Yu and Liu Jun were stunned.

Xue Jiao continued: “I want to know why you pushed Jia Xue to this state?”

“What do you mean? What state?” Qian Yu was confused.

Xue Jiao said in a low voice: “Jia Xue almost committed suicide today. If we hadn’t saved her, you wouldn’t be receiving my text message now but tragic news about Jia Xue.”

“Wh-what…” Liu Jun was stunned.

Qian Yu, however, suddenly stood up, her face filled with anger: “This is outrageous?! She actually attempted suicide?!”

Xue Jiao frowned: “Auntie, I think you need to reconsider your attitude. We may be able to save Jia Xue once, but not necessarily a second time.”

“How could she be so foolish?!” Qian Yu suppressed various emotions rising in her heart—fear, worry, anxiety—but what ultimately appeared on her face was anger.

“Because the pressure is too great, beyond what she can bear. May I know what kind of pressure you usually put on her?” Xue Jiao patiently continued asking.

“What pressure am I putting on her? I work hard to earn money to support her and provide her with good food and education, and now I’m the one putting pressure on her?!” Qian Yu’s face showed disbelief.

“Senior year is very stressful. You must be putting pressure on her, which is why she’s afraid to go home.”

Qian Yu stood up, her face full of disbelief: “This is ridiculous! I work hard every day to earn money. Her father cooks in the kitchen every day. She’s just a student—she doesn’t face wind or rain, she just has to study. What can’t she bear?! Ask her to come down. I need to have a good talk with her!”

Xue Jiao took a deep breath: “Auntie, I think your fundamental understanding is incorrect. I can’t communicate with you right now. You need to recognize the hardship and pressure of senior year before I can continue talking with you.”

“First, let Liu Jia Xue come down! I want to take her home.”

“No—”

“Xue Jiao,” Cheng Shuo interrupted her: “Go upstairs first. Let me have a good chat with Jia Xue’s mother.”

Xue Jiao stood up, giving the place to Cheng Shuo.

Cheng Shuo was indeed much more skilled than her, with ample social experience. What she didn’t know how to explain, perhaps Cheng Shuo could find a way.

Xue Jiao, quite upset, went upstairs.

Cheng Shuo sat down across from Qian Yu and Liu Jun with a book and said: “Both of you, Jiao Jiao couldn’t explain some points clearly, and I’m not fully aware of the whole situation, but I must correct your understanding about whether studying is difficult or not.”

The two were startled.

Cheng Shuo continued: “Ms. Qian runs a restaurant?”

“Yes.” Qian Yu nodded.

Cheng Shuo said: “That’s indeed quite tough, from procurement to attracting customers, to accounting…”

“It certainly is. I work so hard to provide—”

Cheng Shuo waved his hand, not letting her speak, then slowly said: “Well, how about this: you could close this restaurant, and it would be much more relaxing. And running a restaurant seems quite profitable. Or, what if our Peng Cheng opened a similar one right next to yours, to help reduce some of your pressure?”

Qian Yu’s face froze. After a while, she forced a smile: “President Cheng, please don’t joke…”

Cheng Shuo smiled and said: “Is there pressure? Let me ask you when business is poor, is the pressure and discomfort greater, or is the daily business operation more uncomfortable?”

Qian Yu remained silent.

“You probably know in your heart that running a business every day is certainly tiring, and you likely come home with complaints. But if business is poor, you’d feel even worse—unable to sleep, anxious inside. Even though work might be easier, why would you feel worse? Do you know why? Because you have the pressure of supporting life.”

Qian Yu stared at him blankly.

“Thinking of it this way, do you still believe studying isn’t painful? She has the pressure of advancing to higher education, of maintaining good grades. With such immense pressure, her suffering when she doesn’t perform well is imaginable. And then you pressure her further—it’s almost like you’re pushing her to die.”

Cheng Shuo looked directly at her: “Jiao Jiao was too polite. I believe Jia Xue’s suicide attempt was due to your pressure.”

Qian Yu’s face turned pale.

“At the beginning of the school year, teachers from every subject mentioned that senior year is exhausting and asked parents to cooperate with students. Yet here I am, sitting across from parents who are pressuring their students. Ms. Qian, you should be aware of the suicide rate among young people.”

Cheng Shuo stood up: “We respect Jiao Jiao greatly. If Jiao Jiao decides that student Jia Xue should stay here tonight, we support that. So I won’t let you take her away. Now, you can both leave. Go home early and rest early.”

After saying this, he turned and walked toward his room.

Qian Yu and Liu Jun looked at each other, then stood up bewilderedly and left.

In the kitchen, Li Si Tong, holding a fruit platter, had tears streaming down her face as she slid to the floor.

Jia Xue… suicide…

Pressure…

In the past… how was she any different from Qian Yu?

Upstairs, Xue Jiao and Jia Xue lay in the same blanket.

“Dad says your parents have left,” Xue Jiao said softly.

Liu Jia Xue bit her lower lip, somewhat afraid.

Xue Jiao reached out and gently patted her through the blanket: “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Jiao Jiao… I’m scared…”

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. If you’re angry now, if your parents don’t correct their mistakes, then don’t forgive them, don’t acknowledge them!” Xue Jiao turned to her side, looking at Liu Jia Xue with a gentle smile.

Her tone was playful yet comforting.

Liu Jia Xue looked at the ceiling, then after a moment, turned to face Xue Jiao.

“Jiao Jiao… your family is so happy…”

Xue Jiao didn’t speak, just silently looked at her.

Liu Jia Xue continued: “My mom didn’t finish elementary school before she stopped studying. She never thought studying was something difficult or tiring. Before, I had to be first in class, and if I was first, my mom wouldn’t say anything. But later, in high school, I found it hard to be first anymore. Some so many people are more capable than me. It seemed like I could never be first.”

Xue Jiao just looked at her with concern, saying nothing.

A tear glistened at the corner of Liu Jia Xue’s eye, and she began to cry without realizing it.

“My mom used to scold me, but whenever I ranked first, she would be very happy and wouldn’t scold me for a long time. Since my grades began to decline, my mom started scolding me every day. Sometimes I would think, am I just an extra? Why does she hate me so much?”

Liu Jia Xue closed her eyes, then opened them a moment later.

“My family is different from others. Since I was little, I grew up with my mom’s scolding—she scolded my dad and the neighbors. When I was young, our family only had a small cart for selling things. My mom and dad would push the cart out every day to sell goods. Her voice was very loud, attracting customers and scolding people. I could hear her from our apartment building.”

She seemed lost in some memory: “My dad has never had much ability. He would do whatever my mom told him to, yet she still often scolded him. The year I graduated from elementary school, our family finally opened a restaurant, run by my mom. My dad worked as a waiter and was often scolded by her. Later, when I was in middle school, my mom thought the restaurant relied too much on the chef, so she had my dad learn from the chef.”

“Afterward, it became my dad managing the kitchen and my mom managing everything else. She frequently scolded my dad. I grew up in this environment since I was little. Jiao Jiao, do you think I’m the crystallization of my parents’ love? For my mom, my dad is just her punching bag. They probably didn’t welcome my arrival. If I died, wouldn’t they be free from staying together for my sake? My mom would be free, and my dad wouldn’t have to be scolded by her every day.”

Xue Jiao reached out and held her hand.

Liu Jia Xue closed her eyes tightly: “After the last exam, my mom said if I didn’t do well in this second mock exam, she would break my legs. I… didn’t do well, and I don’t want to live anymore…”

“Don’t say such things!” Xue Jiao interrupted her. “Don’t talk about death. You’re so young, don’t think about dying anymore. When you get into college, that will be the day you leave home.”

Liu Jia Xue didn’t speak, only squeezed her hand tighter.

Xue Jiao opened her mouth and said softly: “Actually, I wasn’t happy before either. My mom didn’t understand me, my dad is just my stepfather and didn’t dare control me, and my biological father, stepmother, and my biological father’s daughter all wanted to harm me.”

“I didn’t understand either at first. But later, I realized that my life is my own. People should live for their own goals, not for others.” She smiled lightly.

“Later, I stopped caring about my mom, and she probably understood some of my difficulties. Gradually, my family became what you see now.”

Liu Jia Xue was still crying. After a moment, she let go of Xue Jiao’s hand.

Then she moved her head slightly, gently resting it on Xue Jiao’s shoulder.

“Jiao Jiao… thank you…”

“You’re welcome,” Xue Jiao replied softly.

Liu Jia Xue leaned against her, her breathing gradually becoming even.

Just by looking at the dark circles under her eyes, Xue Jiao knew that Liu Jia Xue hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time.

Perhaps she was tired from crying, or perhaps because in this home there was no scolding, she finally fell asleep peacefully.

Xue Jiao remained quiet. It was good that she was sleepy—it meant she was relaxing now.

“Buzz—” her phone vibrated.

Xue Jiao reached over to get her phone from the other side. It was a message from Lin Zhi Hua—

【Happy holiday.】

Xue Jiao gently typed—

【Thank you.】

On the other end of the phone, Lin Zhi Hua was slightly surprised. He looked at the time—it was already eleven-thirty at night.

It was the end of the year, and the company was very busy. Lin Zhi Hua had been occupied until now, finally having a moment to breathe.

He hadn’t expected Xue Jiao to still be awake…

【Lin Zhi Hua: What’s wrong? Is something troubling you?】

Xue Jiao looked at this message, then turned to look at Liu Jia Xue with closed eyes.

She didn’t know how to comfort her or how to eliminate her suicidal thoughts. She was afraid that in a moment when she wasn’t paying attention, Liu Jia Xue might impulsively harm herself.

So, she had to find a way to solve the problem, after all… she couldn’t watch over her forever.

“I’m sorry…” Xue Jiao said softly.

Then she gently moved away from her side, got out of bed, and took her phone outside.

She walked to the balcony before replying—

【I… can I call you? I’m very troubled right now.】

A moment later, Lin Zhi Hua called.

“What’s wrong, Jiao Jiao?”

His voice was concerned and worried. Hearing this voice, the panic in Xue Jiao’s heart receded somewhat.

“I’m very afraid. I have a classmate…”

Xue Jiao told him everything from beginning to end, then crouched down, her eyes reddening.

“What should I do to make her abandon this terrible thought? I’m so afraid of being powerless again. If so… I would hate myself for life.”

“Jiao Jiao, don’t be upset.” Lin Zhi Hua frowned slightly.

To Lin Zhi Hua, this was simply a young person under great pressure who lacked endurance and became despondent.

But isn’t that how the world is?

In “Anna Karenina,” it says—that all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its way.

This unhappiness isn’t unique to her; there are countless unhappy families.

In the past, he might not have even given it a second glance.

So many people struggle to survive, yet some want to give up life.

But when Xue Jiao was upset, his heart ached too.

“Lin Zhi Hua, I want to keep her here, let her stay with me until the college entrance exam… The exam is coming soon, and there’s no time to slowly resolve her family issues or help her emerge from the shadow of her family…”

“That’s not a good solution,” Lin Zhi Hua said firmly.

Xue Jiao was slightly startled.

“If she stays at your place, she’ll be dependent on others. No matter how welcoming your family is, she’ll still feel uncomfortable. And if she’s this distressed, it shows she cares deeply about her family. Her family problems persist, so she’ll still be upset and distracted.” Lin Zhi Hua calmly explained.

The most crucial point Lin Zhi Hua didn’t mention was his concern that Liu Jia Xue would affect Xue Jiao.

She would worry about Liu Jia Xue’s state and become distracted while taking care of her.

But this was not a time when distractions were permissible.

“Then I…” Xue Jiao bit her lower lip.

“Jiao Jiao, at this point, it’s not about what you should do, but what she should do herself.”

“Hmm?” Xue Jiao was puzzled.

Lin Zhi Hua instructed her: “Ask Liu Jia Xue if the relationship between her father and mother is really as bad as she imagines.”

Xue Jiao quieted down.

She had also been wondering about this: if things were really that bad… why hadn’t they divorced?

“If her mother truly despised her father, she runs a restaurant, has some money, and takes care of herself—why hasn’t she had an affair? If her father is scolded by her mother and harbors resentment, yet has the skill of a chef, why doesn’t he leave? Why don’t they separate?” Lin Zhi Hua countered with several questions.

Xue Jiao immediately understood—

“Right! Jia Xue’s parents don’t necessarily lack feelings for each other. If that’s the case, Jia Xue’s birth might not be as she imagines! Her parents might not be that they don’t love her… but that they don’t know how to love her, just like their own relationship. It’s not that they don’t love, it’s that they don’t know how to express it.”

Lin Zhi Hua laughed softly: “Yes, you’re right. Her pressure comes from her declining grades and her family. The former can only be resolved by herself, but if the latter is addressed, her mental burden should be much lighter.”

“Thank you!” Xue Jiao had found the key breakthrough, and her anxiety completely disappeared.

“No need to thank me. Get some rest early, and have a good talk with her tomorrow.”

“Okay! Good night!”

From the other end of the phone came a gentle voice, carrying warmth: “Good night.”

Xue Jiao hung up and turned to go back.

Just as she came in from the balcony, her footsteps suddenly halted.

Someone was standing there, having stood for an unknown length of time, also unknown how much they had heard.

Xue Jiao’s heart tightened as she slowly opened her mouth—

“Brother.”

Had he heard her call Lin Zhi Hua’s name?