Chapter 153 Tongtong's Illness

One of the boys said dismissively, "What's the point of saying so much? Just see if your mom will come to the parent-teacher conference, and you'll know what's going on."

"Yes, yes, yes! If your mom comes to the parent-teacher conference, we'll believe you're telling the truth!"

Xie Junheng gritted his teeth in anger, "Not only that, I also want you to apologize to me and to my aunt!"

"Hmph! We'll talk about that when your mother arrives!"

After he finished speaking, the children laughed and walked away.

Xie Junheng felt a tightness in his chest, almost making it hard to breathe. He raised his wrist, turned on his smartwatch, and was about to call Jiang Shiyuan when he suddenly stopped.

His mother hadn't contacted him, and he didn't want to lower himself to contact her either.

So he called Xie Jinghuai, and it rang many times before the other end answered:

"Tongtong, what's wrong?"

"Dad, the parent-teacher conference is about to start. Will Mom come to the conference for me?" Xie Junheng asked anxiously.

"certainly."

Xie Jinghuai said firmly, "I've already called your mother, she will definitely go."

Thinking back to what happened at Putuo Temple that day, Xie Junheng felt very uncertain, "What if Mommy doesn't come..."

The man interrupted coldly, "She will definitely come. She is your mother. How could she not come?"

Fearing his father's intimidation, Xie Junheng bit his lip, not daring to ask any more questions.

...

There's less than half an hour until the parent-teacher meeting.

Parents arrived one after another, holding their children's hands as they entered the teaching building.

Gradually, almost all the children waited for their parents, but Xie Junheng was still standing stiffly outside the door, anxiously waiting.

Since his life has been filled with Aunt Xinxin, it seems like it's been a very long time since he's longed to see Jiang Shiyuan like this.

If Mommy hadn't come today, he would never be able to hold his head up in front of those little bastards again, and he wouldn't have the face to come to school.

There are fewer and fewer people at the entrance.

Just then, Xie Junheng noticed that Fu Yansi was standing not far away, also waiting for his parents, but no one came.

Xie Junheng coldly withdrew his gaze, but felt a little better inside.

He is not a child without a mother.

Fu Yansi is the real fool!

When the bell rang, Xie Junheng and Fu Yansi, who had not waited for their parents, had no choice but to return to the classroom.

Xie Junheng was too ashamed to go inside. He hid at the back door, looking disheveled, and furtively checked the situation inside the classroom.

The seats were almost full, except for the seats next to him and Fu Yansi, which were still empty.

Xie Junheng was able to breathe a little better after feeling a tightness in his chest.

"Fu Yansi, haven't your parents arrived yet?" The homeroom teacher walked to Fu Yansi's desk and asked gently.

Fu Yansi pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Should we call your parents to remind them? This is the first parent-teacher meeting for elementary school students, it's quite important."

Fu Yansi lowered his head, hesitating.

Suddenly, the professor's door was pushed open.

The previously noisy classroom suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked towards the door.

"I'm sorry, teacher, there was a small accident on the way... I'm late." Jiang Shiyuan was panting heavily, her smooth forehead covered with glistening beads of sweat.

“Aunt Jiang…” Fu Yansi’s previously gloomy eyes lit up instantly.

However, when he saw that Xie Junheng's seat was also empty, his little hands nervously curled up again.

Dad said that Aunt Jiang would attend the parent-teacher conference in his place.

However, Xie Junheng's parents didn't show up either. Aunt Jiang probably... wasn't here for him.

After all, no matter how good or close his relationship with Aunt Jiang was, Aunt Jiang would always be Xie Junheng's mother, and that couldn't be changed.

At the back door, Xie Junheng saw Jiang Shiyuan arrive late, and his clenched heart relaxed.

However, his relief lasted only three seconds before he was stunned to see—

Without hesitation or doubt, Jiang Shiyuan walked to Fu Yansi's side under everyone's watchful eyes and sat down naturally.

It was as if she was originally Fu Yansi's mother.

She should have been sitting with him!

Xie Junheng's face turned deathly pale, and he gasped for breath as if he were drowning.

"Aunt Jiang, I thought you weren't coming!" Fu Yansi looked at Jiang Shiyuan with delight, his starry eyes sparkling.

Jiang Shiyuan smiled, her gaze firm. "How could that be? Since I promised your father, I will definitely come."

Just then, a muffled thud came from the back door—

"Oh no! Something terrible has happened! Xie Junheng has fainted!"

Everyone was startled and peered over cautiously.

Jiang Shiyuan thought she had misheard, but how could she have misheard her son's name?

Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly.

From this angle, you can just see Tongtong's little body lying straight on the ground, completely still...

...

The ambulance took Xie Junheng to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment, with Jiang Shiyuan accompanying him throughout the process.

The parent-teacher meeting was canceled. She called Fu Chenzhou halfway through, but he didn't answer. She didn't have Xing Zhen's number either, so she could only contact Su Xier and Ye Yu. Su Xier was the closest and promised to get to the school as quickly as possible to take care of Fu Yansi.

Jiang Shiyuan sat in the corridor, staring intently at the lit emergency room light. Her hands and feet were cold, and memories of her life with Tongtong flashed through her mind.

At this moment, her heart was heavy and filled with mixed emotions.

She thought Lin Zhixin would come, but she didn't.

She hadn't expected that Tongtong would react so strongly to seeing her sitting next to Fu Yansi, to the point that she couldn't bear it and fainted.

Jiang Shiyuan closed her bloodshot eyes and shook her head.

Like his father, Tongtong said one thing and did another, and his thoughts were hard to fathom.

Perhaps, in Tongtong's heart, there is still a trace of concern for her mother.

But if he cared, how could he bear to stand with outsiders and stab her in the heart time and time again?

That little bit of concern is still pitifully insignificant.

"Jiang Shiyuan!"

A deep, sharp voice, like a sword, pierced the cold air.

Jiang Shiyuan's long eyelashes fluttered, and she looked up to see Xie Jinghuai striding towards her with long legs, exuding a chilling aura.

Following closely behind were Lin Zhixin and Shen Zhantang.

The three seemed to be attending some kind of banquet. Lin Zhixin was wearing a luxurious white off-the-shoulder dress, exquisite from head to toe in her high heels. Xie Jinghuai and Chen Zhantang were also impeccably dressed in suits, exuding arrogance and nobility.

There's a strong sense of disconnect between them; they seem to be from completely different worlds than Jiang Shiyuan.

As soon as the three of them reached Jiang Shiyuan, before Lin Zhixin could even stand up straight, her eyes were already red and tears were streaming down her face.

"Sister...how can you keep doing things that hurt a child's feelings? Even if Tongtong is a little willful and naughty, he's only five years old! Do you have to hurt a five-year-old's self-esteem like this? Isn't Tongtong your own son?!"

Lin Zhixin, who was usually quiet and gentle, suddenly launched into a fierce and forceful interrogation of Jiang Shiyuan, her voice echoing throughout the corridor.

He doesn't look like a patient at all.

Shen Zhantang, watching from the side, was also furious.

In his opinion, Jiang Shiyuan was a terrible mother; he had never seen such a bad mother.

She's neither a wife nor a mother. Ah Huai was incredibly unlucky to marry her!

Jiang Shiyuan glanced at Lin Zhixin, then at Xie Jinghuai, who was wearing a white suit. The two looked like they were wearing matching outfits, their eyes filled with a cool, unsettling light.

"You mean something more important than parent-teacher meetings is attending boring social events?"

Xie Jinghuai's dark eyes, which were gleaming with a cold light, suddenly darkened.

Shen Zhantang looked indignant. "Miss Jiang, what do you mean by 'boring social engagements'? Ah Huai attends business banquets to expand his network and for the future of the Xie family. Can you please stop being so narrow-minded?"

Jiang Shiyuan's tone was sarcastic and mocking, "Adding bricks and tiles to one's own house, and also taking the opportunity to promote and help one's lover. What a perfect party!"

"You—!" Shen Zhantang was speechless with anger.

Xie Jinghuai clenched his fists tightly, his brows furrowed.

"Sister... I know you harbor resentment. If you have grievances, take them out on us. Why drag Tongtong into this?"

Lin Zhixin cried even harder, tears streaming down her face, "Tongtong is a piece of your flesh, doesn't your heart hurt at all?!"