Many years ago, Song Qingwan was not the elegant and perfect piano prodigy she is today.
She was just a little girl who loved chasing butterflies in the Song family garden, would secretly feed the dog carrots she didn't like, and would snuggle into her mother Song Shuhua's arms when she was tired from practicing the piano.
Back then, her eyes were clear and her heart was full of sunshine.
Everything changed when she met her aunt, Song Shurou, who had a resemblance to her mother in her eyes and eyebrows, by chance, near the Song family home.
At first, Song Shurou simply gave her candy and praised her for being pretty.
Gradually, she started saying strange things.
"Wan'er, you look just like me."
"Do you know? I am your biological mother."
Xiao Qingwan was terrified, and the candy in her hand fell to the ground.
She pushed Song Shurou away in rejection and ran back to the big house with its warm lights and her mother's gentle smile.
But the seed has already been planted.
She began to live in constant anxiety, her mind wandering while practicing the piano, secretly glancing at Song Shuhua's gentle face while eating, and waking up from nightmares at night.
She was both afraid of the woman who claimed to be her biological mother and unable to completely banish her from her mind; the lessons her teacher had taught her lingered in her heart: to respect one's mother.
Her young heart was filled with contradictions and fears, and her innocence and kindness were shrouded in an indelible shadow.
Finally, when Song Shurou secretly found her again, Xiao Qingwan, whose heart was in extreme torment, said with a sob in her voice, "I'm going to tell Mom and Dad..."
She thought that telling the truth would bring her relief, but little did she know that it would be the beginning of an even deeper nightmare.
Song Shurou didn't stop her. Instead, she gave a sad and eerie smile: "Okay, before that, let Mom let you experience real life first."
In the days that followed, Song Shurou began to frequently take Xiao Qingwan to her neighborhood. The neighborhood was very run-down, far inferior to the mid-range neighborhood she would later live in.
She asked Xiao Qingwan to help her wash the dishes, and the greasy dirty water soaked the hands that should have been touching the piano keys.
"Mom's life is not easy, Wan'er wants to help Mom." Song Shurou said, but accidentally, a shard of broken porcelain cut Xiao Qingwan's hand, and the wound was deep.
Blood gushed out, and Xiao Qingwan cried out in pain.
She was unable to practice the piano for several weeks.
Song Shuhua pressed for details with concern, but Xiao Qingwan only dared to say that she had accidentally broken the cup and cut herself while picking up the glass.
Just as Xiao Qingwan's injury was healing, Song Shurou had a man from next door, who reeked of smoke and alcohol, accidentally bump into Xiao Qingwan waiting for her downstairs.
The man's lewd gaze and outstretched hand left an indelible psychological scar on the young girl.
She was so frightened that she trembled and cried as she hid in the arms of Song Shurou, who had rushed back.
Song Shurou chased the man away, then hugged her tightly, her voice trembling with tears and lingering fear: "Wan'er, look! This is the outside world! Without the Song family protecting you, you would have encountered countless bad people like this! Mom almost lost you!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
