The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 511 - 514. Qinglan educates her child

Jiang Chenxi had not expected things to move this fast, but in a way, it was a good thing.

"Congratulations," he said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, a flash of bitterness swiftly crossed Chen Wanqiao’s eyes, and she offered a faint smile in return, "Thank you, and I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you two either. Your wedding is at the end of next month, right? I heard about it from your aunt when I bumped into her last time."

"Yes, it’s on the 30th of next month. If you don’t mind, we’d love for you to come and have a drink then," Jiang Chenxi responded. Originally, he had not planned to invite Chen Wanqiao, but since they had met today and it seemed like she had let go of him and started a new life, they could be considered friends. Since they were friends, it seemed only right to invite her to his wedding.

Pei Yinong had actually noticed the fleeting sadness in Chen Wanqiao’s eyes just now, and hearing Jiang Chenxi’s words made her sigh internally. This fool, does he genuinely not understand, or is he just pretending not to?

But before she could intervene and smooth things over, Chen Wanqiao had already accepted the invitation, "Sure, I’ll definitely come. Let’s have a meal together next time. I have some things to attend to with my fiancé today, so we’ll be leaving first."

Jiang Chenxi nodded and watched as the two of them left, only to turn around and see Pei Yinong looking at him with an incredulous expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He touched his face, thinking he might have something dirty on it.

Pei Yinong shook her head. This blockhead, well, the person concerned has already left, so what’s the point in nitpicking here?

"It’s nothing. Weren’t we going to buy a cabinet? Let’s go," Pei Yinong linked arms with Jiang Chenxi and said.

Halfway through their departure, Chen Wanqiao glanced back as if by some demon’s prodding and saw the two of them walking arm in arm, sharing an intimate laugh. Her eyes dropped slightly, hiding the gloom deep within them.

"Wanqiao, what are you looking at?" Zhong Lei noticed her distracted and pulled her attention back. Looking at the man in front of her, who was gazing at her tenderly, she responded with a gentle smile, "Nothing, let’s go."

She took the initiative to link arms with Zhong Lei. Even though she didn’t like Zhong Lei, throughout their time dating, he had always treated her very well. Even if she had been intent on finding fault, there was none to be found.

Zhong Lei was a good-looking man with a decent job. He not only treated her well but was also good to her parents. His parents were also quite fond of her, and the two families were well-matched. From any perspective, theirs seemed like a happy match. To everyone else, the two were a match made in heaven. What reason could she have to oppose such a suitable marriage?

Even if she didn’t like Zhong Lei now, through the long days and time spent together, she might eventually develop feelings for him. And even if she never came to like him, at the very least, there would be affection, right? After all, doesn’t the love between a husband and wife turn into familial affection over the years?

That’s what Chen Wanqiao thought. She didn’t become hysterical from not receiving Jiang Chenxi’s love but chose to calmly accept another relationship, accepting the fate life had dealt her. Perhaps she was never meant to be with Jiang Chenxi after all.

"Wanqiao, my mother said she wants you to come over for dinner tonight. Would you like to go?" Zhong Lei asked softly.

"Of course, I’ll go. Let’s buy some fruit later, though. I always feel embarrassed going over empty-handed."

"We’re almost family now, no need for such courtesy. We have plenty of fruit at home, so you don’t need to bring any. Just your presence will make my mother very happy."

Chen Wanqiao wore a gentle smile on her face and listened to Zhong Lei attentively. You see, life like this was pretty good. Even if Jiang Chenxi didn’t like her, there would always be someone who did. In the future, she would try her best to start liking Zhong Lei. Everyone would be well, and that would be enough.

"Hold on a second," Chen Wanqiao stopped in front of a gift shop and called out to Zhong Lei who turned to her, "What is it?"

"I want to check something out." Chen Wanqiao walked in, with Zhong Lei following behind. She headed straight for a pair of black swan ornaments in the display case.

Black swans symbolize fidelity in love. They are strictly monogamous; if one dies, the other would rather live alone than seek a new partner.

"Wanqiao, do you like these?" Zhong Lei followed her gaze and naturally saw the pair of ornaments.

Chen Wanqiao’s gaze fell upon the black swan ornament, and she spoke softly, "Do you think it looks nice?"

Zhong Lei nodded, "It looks pretty good, but don’t we already have a set of ornaments at our new home?" That set was personally chosen by Chen Wanqiao herself.

Chen Wanqiao’s eyes lingered on the ornament, seemingly not hearing Zhong Lei’s words.

"If you like it, we can buy it and take it home." He glanced at the price, four nines, not cheap, but if Chen Wanqiao really liked it, he would grit his teeth and buy it.

"It’s not about liking it; I just thought it was quite exquisitely made, so I came in for a look. Now that I’ve had my fill, let’s go," Chen Wanqiao said softly with a brief glance over the body of the black swan.

"Wanqiao, if you really like it, we can buy it and take it home. Our house is big enough, one more ornament won’t make a difference."

Chen Wanqiao shook her head, "I really don’t like it that much, let’s go." She took Zhong Lei and left the mall.

As soon as they reached the parking lot, Chen Wanqiao’s phone rang. After ending the call, she looked at Zhong Lei apologetically, "Zhong Lei, why don’t you head home first? My friend just called, saying that my office needs me for something. I need to go there."

"Then I’ll take you," Zhong Lei opened the passenger door.

"No need. My company is in a different direction from your home. It’s out of your way. I’ll just take a taxi. I’ll hurry back as soon as I can. I’ll have dinner at your place tonight."

"Do you really not need me to take you?"

"Really, no need. It’s easy to get a taxi here. Don’t go to the trouble."

"Okay then, I’ll watch you get on the taxi before I leave." Zhong Lei personally hailed a cab for Chen Wanqiao and watched her car disappear into the distance before he drove back.

Ten minutes later, Chen Wanqiao reappeared at the entrance of the gift shop. She pointed at the pair of black swan ornaments and said to the clerk, "Please wrap this up for me."

The clerk recognized her and although it was strange that she hadn’t bought it earlier, they smartly didn’t ask, "All right, Miss. Are you paying with cash or card?"

"Card."

"Okay, please follow me."

Chen Wanqiao paid, and as the clerk was wrapping it up, she said, "This is a wedding gift for someone. Please wrap it up nicely."

"Don’t worry, you can count on me."

Chen Wanqiao left the mall holding an exquisitely wrapped gift bag, glanced at the time, and directly took a taxi back home.

**

Shen Qinglan was called to the school by the teacher, and when she received the call from the kindergarten teacher, she thought the teacher had made a mistake.

"You’re saying Anan fought with other kids at school?" Shen Qinglan hesitantly asked, surely she hadn’t misheard?

"Mrs. Fu, the parent of the child who was hit has already come to the school and wants to have a word about what happened. Can you come over now?" Teacher Xiao Xie, Anan’s homeroom teacher, said with a tone of helplessness. In the background, there was a vague sound of clamor.

This time, Shen Qinglan was certain she had not misheard; Anan had indeed gotten into a fight, and the other child’s parent had already shown up. Shen Qinglan’s expression changed slightly, "Okay, Teacher Xiao Xie, I’ll come over right away."

"Qinglan girl, where are you off to?" Old Sir Fu came downstairs just to see Shen Qinglan getting ready to leave.

"Grandpa, Anan’s homeroom teacher needs to see me about something. I’ll be back soon after stepping out."

"What happened to Anan?" As soon as he heard it was Anan’s homeroom teacher looking for her, Old Sir Fu thought something had happened to Anan and immediately became anxious.

"Grandpa, Anan is fine. It’s probably because he had a nightmare during his nap and is causing a fuss at the kindergarten. They want me to go over and comfort him," Shen Qinglan made up an excuse on the fly, not mentioning the fight Anan was involved in.

Old Sir Fu, hearing that Anan was alright, was immediately reassured.

In the office of Anan’s homeroom teacher, Teacher Xiao Xie.

Anan sat in a chair, head lowered without speaking, while Teacher Xiao Xie stood in front of Anan, blocking him from a fat woman standing in front of the teacher.

"Teacher Xiao Xie, I entrusted my son to you as his homeroom teacher because I trust you. But look at the state my son is in now after being hit," she said as she pushed a chubby boy in front of her, "Can you even look at this face?" Her expression was one of fury.

The little guy’s face was a patchwork of blue and purple, dotted with tears, making for a distressing sight. Xiao Pang was sobbing, wiping away tears intermittently.

Teacher Xiao Xie was visibly embarrassed; Xiao Pang did indeed look quite pitiful. As for Anan, there was a small scrape on his face, and his clothes were torn, but there seemed to be no other injuries. Compared to Xiao Pang, he was clearly in much better shape.

"It’s not uncommon for little kids to have small conflicts. Mrs. Liu, you..." Teacher Xiao Xie tried to start explaining.

The fat woman, known as Mrs. Liu, interrupted Teacher Xiao Xie. "Teacher Xiao Xie, it’s one thing for kids to fight, but you can’t let them beat each other severely. What, because it’s not your son, you don’t care, do you?"

This accusation was an exaggeration; although Xiao Pang was hit quite badly, Anan was only three years old, with limited strength, so how much could it really hurt?

"Mrs. Liu, Anan is a kind-hearted child, and there must be a reason for them to have come to blows," Teacher Xiao Xie tried to explain.

"Don’t give me that. What you’re saying is because he’s kind-hearted, he doesn’t hit the wrong person, so my son deserves to be hit, right? I’d like to ask you, just how much did their family give you to take their side like this?" the fat woman said with an imposing air.

Teacher Xiao Xie was embarrassed; she didn’t mean that. "Mrs. Liu, please calm down, let’s figure out the reason first, okay?"

That afternoon, after nap time, Teacher Xiao Xie had gone to prepare snacks for the children. She had not been gone long when someone ran up to tell her that there was a fight in their class. Teacher Xiao Xie rushed back to the classroom without even grabbing the snacks and saw Anan on top of Xiao Pang, punching him. Even though Xiao Pang’s physique was clearly more robust than Anan’s, he was the one being pinned down and hit.

When the two children were separated, Xiao Pang started howling. No matter how they tried to pacify him, they couldn’t get to the bottom of the issue, and Anan was completely silent.

Teacher Xiao Xie originally wanted to take the two children to the office to find out exactly what had happened, but before she could get answers, Xiao Pang’s mother arrived, from who knows where she had gotten the news. As soon as she came in, she started berating Teacher Xiao Xie, even threatening to find Anan’s parents. With no other choice, Teacher Xiao Xie had to call Shen Qinglan first.

"Reasons or no reasons, you can’t just beat my son to this state! At such a young age, to be so cruel, where are his parents? Call them here for me," the fat woman demanded brazenly.

"Anan’s parents are already on their way here," Mrs. Liu, please calm down. I think we should first find out why the two of them were fighting."

"It’s not important. Whatever the reason, the result is that my son got beaten up. Teacher Xiao Xie, I hope you can handle this matter impartially. This child has no manners at all. I’m telling you, not only do they have to compensate for the medical expenses, but I’m also going to have a talk with their parents. What kind of parenting is this, teaching a child to be so violent at such a young age? If he’s this ruthless now, what will he become when he grows up?" The plump woman rambled on, her words becoming more and more excessive, to the point that even Teacher Xiao Xie couldn’t bear to listen anymore. It was just a small skirmish between children, and she used such vicious words to describe a child barely three years old—this really was...

Anan furrowed his brow and stared steadfastly at the plump woman. Although he was young, he understood some of what was being said. He didn’t like the woman in front of him.

The plump woman noticed that Anan dared to stare at her and glared back, "What are you looking at? Who told you to hit my son? You uncivilized thing."

Anan continued to stare at her, "He deserved it!"

"Oh wow, you have the nerve to talk back after hitting someone? Since your parents won’t teach you, I’ll have to teach you a good lesson myself, so no one can say you lack home training." The plump woman rolled up her sleeves, intending to grab Anan, but Teacher Xiao Xie stopped her. It was one thing for children to fight, but if a parent hit a child, that would be a serious problem.

"Teacher Xiao Xie, step aside, or I’ll hit you too. Today I am definitely going to discipline this ill-mannered brat." The child had dared to stare at her just now, showing no fear at all, which really irritated the plump woman.

"How my son is raised is not for an outsider to comment on," a cool voice rang out as a slender figure appeared at the office door.

Anan looked towards the door, his eyes lighting up. He slid off the chair and dashed towards the newcomer, hugging her leg and looking up at her, "Mommy."

Shen Qinglan glanced at her son and, seeing no obvious injuries, felt a bit relieved. She then turned her gaze to the loud plump woman.

The plump woman looked Shen Qinglan over, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes before she spoke with a stern face, "So you’re his mother?"

Shen Qinglan nodded.

"You’ve come at the right time. I was just about to find you. Look at how your son has beaten up mine." She pushed Xiao Pang forward, "Just look! Look at his face."

Shen Qinglan glanced at Xiao Pang, her eyes flickering. Indeed, the beating was severe. She swept her gaze over Anan lightly, and Anan lowered his head, not daring to meet his mother’s eyes.

"I want to know why the two little friends were fighting," Shen Qinglan said, looking at Teacher Xiao Xie.

"No matter the reason, it’s wrong for your son to hit someone. Apologize, and do it now. So young, and yet so heartless. If you don’t discipline him now, it’ll be too late! If you as the parents won’t teach him, then I will." The plump woman’s attitude was very arrogant, and as she spoke, she tried to take action.

She saw how fragile Shen Qinglan looked and didn’t take her seriously, believing she wouldn’t have the strength to stop her. Accustomed to bullying others, she reached out to push Shen Qinglan aside, but to her surprise, Shen Qinglan stood immovable.

"It is not your place to discipline my son," Shen Qinglan said with a frosty look, her eyes shining with a cold light as she stared at the woman.

"I was wondering why such a young child could be so badly-mannered. It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree," the plump woman retorted, frustrated that she couldn’t push Shen Qinglan aside.

Ignoring her, Shen Qinglan turned to Teacher Xiao Xie, "Teacher Xiao Xie, why did the two children fight?"

Teacher Xiao Xie looked embarrassed, having never really understood the entire situation, "Mrs. Fu, I really don’t know!"

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan turned to Anan, "Tell Mommy, why did you fight?" Her tone was no longer gentle, but serious.

Anan, with his head low and his hands twisting the hem of his shirt, said, "Mommy, I’m sorry!" He seemed to think he had caused trouble for his mother.

"Anan, first tell Mommy why you fought with the other child,"

Anan hung his head in silence.

A small head peeked in through the office door, Shen Qinglan looked up and saw a girl with braided pigtails. When she looked her way, the girl hid a little further back. Shen Qinglan recognized her; it was the same girl she had seen upon arrival, standing by the office door, hesitant to enter. When she saw Shen Qinglan, she ran away.

"Jingjing, come in." Teacher Xiao Xie recognized the girl and called her by name. Jingjing shuffled in slowly, lowering her head and stopping in front of Teacher Xiao Xie, "Teacher Xiao Xie."

"Jingjing, what brings you here?" Teacher Xiao Xie asked softly. Jingjing glanced quickly at Anan, then looked down again.

Shen Qinglan noticed this and gave a slight flicker of her eyes. She squatted down, gently looked at her, and softened her voice, "Your name is Jingjing?"

Jingjing nodded.

"Are you and Anan classmates?"

Jingjing nodded again.

"Do you know why they fought?"

Jingjing nodded a third time.

"Would you like to tell Auntie why Anan fought with this child?" Shen Qinglan’s voice was gentle and coupled with her beautiful appearance, she was very approachable to children.

Jingjing glanced at the plump woman, quickly returned her gaze, and spoke softly, "Because Xiao Pang bullied me."

"How did Xiao Pang bully you?"

"Xiao Pang said I was wearing strawberry panties today. I said it wasn’t true, but he didn’t believe me, and he asked to see. I didn’t want to, and he tried to pull at my skirt. Mommy said boys aren’t allowed to do that, so I got scared and cried, and then Anan started fighting with Xiao Pang."

The little girl spoke clearly and with logic; everyone present understood what had happened.

The plump woman’s face turned red, and she slapped the back of her son’s head, "At such a young age, you’re not learning good things, lifting a girl’s skirt, are you trying to die?"

Xiao Pang had not expected his mother to suddenly hit him and burst into tears. The plump woman glared, "You dare to cry? Keep crying and I’ll have your father deal with you when we get home." Xiao Pang immediately stifled his sobs, only daring to sniffle.

The plump woman turned to Shen Qinglan, "My son bullying a female classmate is his fault, and I will make him apologize. But the fact that your son beat my son to this extent is also true. You must apologize and compensate for my medical expenses. Plus, there should be compensation for emotional distress."

Shen Qinglan looked at Anan, "Anan, apologize."

Anan pouted, clearly reluctant, "Mommy, I won’t apologize, it was his fault, he bullied Jingjing."

"Anan, what has Mommy told you?"

Anan lowered his head, "I’m sorry." Mommy said that we shouldn’t fight with other children.

"What are you saying? Speak up; I didn’t hear you," the woman said with a smug look on her face.

Qinglan’s eyes turned cold. Seeing this, Teacher Xiao Xie quickly intervened, "Mrs. Liu, Anan has already apologized. Let’s each take a step back. Xiao Pang, you should apologize to Jingjing as well. She’s a girl, so how could you go lifting her skirt?"

"Because she wouldn’t let me see if she was wearing strawberry panties. I just wanted to know if she was," Xiao Pang sputtered, not believing he had done anything wrong.

"Smack," the chubby woman slapped Xiao Pang on the back of his head. "Are you a little pervert, huh? What are you trying to look at? You’re embarrassing your mother. I’ll deal with you when we get home."

Although Xiao Pang was hit, he didn’t dare to cry out, only standing there pitifully.

"Why are you just standing there when I told you to apologize? I’m paying for you to learn, not to fight. Just because they lack manners, does it mean you can too?"

The woman ranted disdainfully. Qinglan’s expression remained unchanged, but the chill in her eyes grew denser. "Enough," she spoke lightly. "If you want to discipline your son, do it at home."

"Pfft, it’s my business where I discipline my son, not yours. You can’t even teach your own son properly, yet you have the nerve to interfere with me? It looks like you’ve made an effort with your appearance, but I wonder where all your attention really goes during the day—better to spend more time teaching your son."

Qinglan’s face sank as she coldly watched the chubby woman. "If you didn’t brush your teeth in the morning, don’t come out and embarrass yourself. It’s not a mad dog’s turn to judge how my son is. My son was wrong to hit, and he has apologized, but you..."

Her gaze towards the chubby woman carried a mocking undertone. Anyone with half a brain could see the implication, and although the woman was very angry, the icy coldness in Qinglan’s eyes made her choke back her words.

With a cold snort, the woman turned to Teacher Xiao Xie. "I thought this was the Military District Kindergarten, supposedly the best around here. I paid a lot of money for my son to learn here, not to be picked on. How can your kindergarten, which is somewhat well-known, not take care of even a small child? To boot, when accepting children, can’t you be selective about the quality? Anyone unaware would think this is some unlicensed trash day care."

Teacher Xiao Xie’s complexion darkened. Their family was much more entitled to study here than them. The woman’s husband was just a real estate developer who had a relative in the kindergarten’s leadership, and through connections, managed to get their son admitted. Seeing Qinglan’s unremarkable dress and unknown brand, she assumed Qinglan was also a connection-based admission, not worth taking seriously.

Qinglan also looked at Teacher Xiao Xie. "Teacher Xiao Xie, I also want to know why they can study here if they are not Military Region families." Her demeanor was calm, yet this calmness was more intimidating than the woman’s questioning, leaving Teacher Xiao Xie feeling awkward. "Mrs. Fu, I also..." She meant to say she was powerless, being just an ordinary kindergarten teacher, after all, just a worker; she couldn’t decide on these matters.

Qinglan was addressing the woman, not making things difficult for Teacher Xiao Xie, so after speaking, she turned her gaze back to the woman. The woman’s face turned dark, and she was about to speak when someone else walked through the door—the principal.

The woman’s eyes lit up, about to complain to the principal, only to see him speak apologetically, "Mrs. Fu, for such a trivial matter, I’m truly sorry to have troubled you to come here personally."

As the principal entered, he bowed and scraped to Qinglan with a very polite and ingratiating tone, leaving the woman dumbfounded. Initially, in order to get her son admitted here, she had buttered up the principal with kind words and hefty gifts, barely managing to get his reluctant agreement.

Not being completely foolish, the woman realized from the principal’s attitude that Qinglan’s identity wasn’t what she had assumed it to be—a mere connection-based admission—and a chill went down her spine. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Those who could study here, if not connection-based admissions, were the families of soldiers residing in the Military District. Anyone here wasn’t to be trifled with, and given the principal’s earlier behavior, this woman’s status was clearly not that of a simple soldier’s family. Wait, didn’t the principal just call her "Mrs. Fu"? Could she be from the Fu Family?

That thought made the woman break out in a cold sweat.

Hearing the principal’s words, Qinglan offered a slight smile. "It’s just a small quarrel between children, not a big deal. There’s no need to be so formal, principal."

The principal, having already understood the situation when he arrived at the door, was somewhat relieved to see Qinglan not pursuing the matter with the kindergarten.

He turned to the chubby woman. "Not to criticize you, but it’s normal for children to have small disagreements. However, as a parent, shouldn’t you also be more magnanimous? To fiercely cling to such a petty incident—what does that look like!"

Unlike her earlier bluster, the woman could only mumble after being scolded by the principal, "Seeing my son get hurt by her son was just painful for me." Was it worth fussing with a child?

"How much strength can a child have in a fight? Those bruises will heal in a few days. Besides, Anan has apologized already. Are you, an adult, going to be worse than a child?" The principal stared her down, giving the woman a thorough dressing-down, and she didn’t dare retort, just silently listening.

After telling the woman off, the principal turned back to Qinglan, a flattering smile on his face. "Mrs. Fu, she is a distant relative of mine. Her husband does business out of town, and they asked me to look after their mother and son. When it was time for their child to attend school, I thought it’d be more convenient for me to take care of them if they studied here. I didn’t expect this incident to happen—it’s my fault for not managing properly. I’ll have her apologize to you."

Saying this, the principal looked toward the plump woman, "Hurry up and apologize."

The plump woman’s face was full of embarrassment, while Shen Qinglan’s expression was indifferent, showing no emotion, "No need. Apologies should come from the heart, sincerely, not just lip service. I will cover this child’s medical expenses, and my son has already apologized. You, principal, should also be clear about the ins and outs of this matter, and should know who was in the right and who was in the wrong. I won’t say anything more. Since things have escalated to this point today, I will take my son home now."

"Mrs. Fu, I really am sorry about today’s incident. I failed to do my job properly. I will definitely educate them properly later. Please forgive me."

Shen Qinglan waved her hand and walked out of the kindergarten with her son.

On the way home, Anan kept his head down, not daring to speak, and Shen Qinglan did not say a word either. As they were about to reach the entrance of the Military District, Anan stopped, Shen Qinglan paused and looked down at him, "What’s wrong?"

Anan looked up, "Mommy, are you angry?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Mommy, you’re not talking. Are you angry with me? I didn’t mean to fight today, Xiao Pang was bullying others."

Shen Qinglan squatted down, leveling her eyes with her son’s, "Anan, mommy knows you’re a kind child. You only fought because you couldn’t stand seeing another child being bullied, right?"

Anan nodded.

"But Anan, when you see a child being bullied, you can solve it in another way, such as stopping the child and telling him not to bully others, or directly telling the teacher and letting the teacher handle it, instead of getting physical. Not to mention, you saw the attitude of that child’s mother today. If you hadn’t hit anyone, she wouldn’t have any reason to talk to you like that, right?"

Anan seemed to understand but not quite, "But mommy, Jingjing, she’s a girl. Daddy said to protect girls."

"Daddy is right, we should protect girls, but protecting girls doesn’t necessarily mean you have to hit others. Like what mommy just said, you can tell the teacher or talk reason with Xiao Pang. It’s wrong to hit others."

Shen Qinglan didn’t want to cultivate a domineering habit of hitting others in her son, so she had to be patient and reason with him. Some things Anan didn’t understand, but he roughly got the gist.

"Mommy, I know I was wrong. I won’t fight with other kids anymore. Can you please not be angry with me?"

"Mommy is not angry. I’m just explaining things to you," Shen Qinglan said softly, moderating her tone.

"Mommy, are you really not angry?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "No, this is your first time fighting. Mommy forgives you. But there absolutely cannot be a next time. If it happens again, mommy will truly be angry, understand?"

Anan nodded his little head vigorously, "Mommy, I understand my mistake. It won’t happen again."

"You hit Xiao Pang today. You need to say sorry to him tomorrow."

"Mommy, I already said I was sorry today."

"Mommy knows, but you didn’t properly apologize to Xiao Pang, did you?"

Anan thought for a while, finally nodding, "Okay, then tomorrow I’ll give Xiao Pang my favorite milk candies, alright?"

"Alright," Shen Qinglan said with a smile.

"Then mommy, today Xiao Pang’s mommy scolded me, shouldn’t she apologize to me too?" Anan’s little face was filled with earnestness.

"Yes, what Xiao Pang’s mommy did today, scolding, was wrong. But we’re going to be a magnanimous child and forgive her, okay?"

Anan’s little brow furrowed, "Alright."

Shen Qinglan gently touched the small abrasion on her son’s face, a flicker of distress in her eyes, "Does it hurt?"

Anan nodded, "Xiao Pang pushed me. I fell to the ground."

Shen Qinglan thought of the bruised and swollen face Xiao Pang had from the beating and picked up her son’s little hand to look. His white and tender little hand was like a plump lotus root joint. How could he have hit someone so fiercely?

"Mommy, my hand doesn’t hurt," Anan claimed, leaving Shen Qinglan somewhere between laughter and tears. "In the future, you’re not allowed to fight. Otherwise, mommy will have to punish you."

"Understood, mommy."

Anan’s clothes were torn, and he had abrasions on his face. Whatever happened would not be easily concealed; there had to be an explanation.

When they got home, Old Sir Fu saw his great-grandson in such a state and immediately became anxious, "What’s happened to Anan? How did he get like this? Was he bullied by other children at the kindergarten? Quickly tell grandpa."

Shen Qinglan’s face was drawn with black lines – it wasn’t that his great-grandson was bullied, but that he was the bully.

"Grandpa, it’s nothing. I just fell at the kindergarten. The kids are naughty; it’s normal to bump and knock into things." Shen Qinglan had already told Anan not to let Old Sir Fu know about him hitting others; he doted on his little great-grandson so much, fretting over every little bump and bruise. If he found out his great-grandson was hit, who knows how he might react?

"How did this fall happen? How could it have resulted in such a serious injury? Look at how his little face is scraped," Old Sir Fu was even more distressed now, "Are there any other injuries? Qinglan, you must check on him properly. If it’s serious, we should call a doctor."

Shen Qinglan hastily reassured the old man, "Grandpa, don’t be agitated, it’s really just a small abrasion, nothing serious. Children are resilient. I’ve already checked him over; it’s only this little scrape, no other injuries."

Old Sir Fu was not convinced and turned to Anan, "Anan, tell grandpa, are you hurting anywhere else?"

Anan shook his head, "Grandpa, it doesn’t hurt, I fell by myself."

"Are you sure you fell by yourself, and you weren’t bullied by someone?"

"I fell by myself," Anan insisted, nodding his little head. Mommy said that if grandpa knew he hit someone, he would worry.

"You child, how could you be so careless to hurt yourself like this? Grandpa’s heart aches for you," Old Sir Fu said as he hugged Anan, showering him with affectionate concern.

Shen Qinglan spoke up at the right time, "Grandpa, I’m going to take Anan to change his clothes."

Old Sir Fu nodded, "Go ahead, and it might be best to have a doctor look at the scrape on his face."

Such a fair and tender little face with a wound like that truly made one’s heart ache to see it.