Chapter Forty-Four
"How come you got such a low score again?! What's wrong with your brain? You're just like your deadbeat father! You didn't take a single thing out of me!"
The boy shielded his head, dodging the sharp fingernails that reached out, and muttered, "You're not that smart yourself, you didn't even finish high school, you're not even as smart as my dad."
The woman overheard this and her anger flared. She swept all the books off the desk. "Am I not good enough for high school?! I can't go! Your grandparents favored boys and gave your uncle the chance to go to high school!"
The boy was terrified. Hearing the commotion, the man in the living room quickly put on his slippers and got up from the sofa. Seeing the mother and son arguing, he immediately tried to mediate, "Alright, alright, he's just been studying for too long and his brain's gone to mush. Haozi, quickly apologize to your mother!"
Qian Hao lowered his head and whispered an apology.
Zhou Yun sneered, "I don't deserve your apologies. You can study however you want from now on. It doesn't matter if you don't get into university. You can stay at home and let your useless father support you!"
Zhou Yun slammed the door and left. Qian Zhiwei walked over and rubbed Qian Hao's earlobe. "Alright, did you say something to upset your mother again?"
"I just casually mentioned that she didn't get into high school. I had no idea there was such a thing behind it."
Qian Zhiwei sighed and sat down in the spot where Zhou Yun had just been sitting. "Your mother, she had a hard life before. Just when things finally started to get better, her heart felt empty again."
"Dad, you said Uncle is dead, what else is Mom dissatisfied with?"
Qian Zhiwei glared at her, "How can you talk like that? Your uncle died saving someone, and although your mother hates your uncle, she still loves him. But parents can't treat each other equally, and it's inevitable that the child will feel bad. Over time, a rift will form. Your mother has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Last time she went to pick up your sister, she got a scolding, and she felt bad too."
Qian Hao said dismissively, "What sister? I don't recognize her. And don't lie to me. I heard about my uncle saving people from a transfer student in our class. He didn't die saving people. He was killed when he tried to threaten the students. He got what he deserved. He's not a good person at all."
Qian Zhiwei was puzzled and wanted to ask something more, when a voice suddenly came from behind him, "Say it again."
Qian Hao looked at Zhou Yun and repeated, "Mom, you don't need to feel bad because of someone like that. He stole your good luck before, and now he's getting his comeuppance."
No sooner had Qian Hao finished speaking than Zhou Yun rushed up and slapped him. Qian Zhiwei immediately grabbed his wife, saying, "Let's talk this out! Why are you hitting the child?!"
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?! Has your uncle ever mistreated you since you were little?! Huh!" Zhou Yun saw the Lego bricks in the room, grabbed them, and held them high.
Qian Hao quickly stopped her, "Mom! What are you doing! This is very expensive!"
"Zhou Qinian bought this for you, didn't he?! When you were cursing him, did you ever think about the things he gave you?!"
Qian Zhiwei ultimately failed to stop his wife. Since he met Zhou Yun, he had never done anything to change her decision.
The building blocks were scattered all over the floor, and Qian Hao finally exploded, "What the hell are you doing?! Are you going through menopause?! You're jealous of Uncle, but you won't let me scold him?! What are you trying to do?!"
"Qian Hao! How dare you talk to your mother like that?!"
Seeing that his father was also on his mother's side, Qian Hao had nothing to say and stormed out of the door in anger.
Qian Zhiwei was about to give chase when Zhou Yun stopped him, saying, "You're not allowed to go!"
Zhou Yun sat on the bed, covering her face with her hands, unable to hide her sobs. "How did I raise such a child? Is it my fault?! Qian Zhiwei, is it my fault?! Zhou Qinian is good in every way. My parents side with him, and he always has someone thinking of him. But what about me? I only have myself left. His daughter is also ungrateful. I went all the way to the earthquake zone to pick her up, and she embarrassed me in front of so many people. I was angry and ignored her. Was I wrong?"
“That’s right, A-Yun, you’ve done a good job.”
Zhou Yun shook off Qian Zhiwei's hand that was leaning towards her. "Then why did Zhou Qinian come to me in my dream?! If he came to me in my dream, doesn't that mean he thinks I haven't taken care of his daughter? He's scolding me! Don't be so hypocritical! Saying thank you to me?"
"He wanted to be a good person, but what happened? Even after he died, people still gossiped about him behind his back! He was so kind to people, yet some ungrateful wretches still didn't appreciate it!"
"Why did I raise this ungrateful wretch?!" Zhou Yun pounded her chest and stamped her feet, filled with remorse.
Seeing this, Qian Zhiwei hugged Zhou Yun tightly. "Ayun, it's alright. When Qian Hao comes back, I'll give him a good talking to. How could he talk to his elders like that?"
With Qian Zhiwei by her side, Zhou Yun gradually calmed down. "I need to go to Ming'an City."
"Ah-Yun, I'll go with you this time."
“Zhiwei, I feel like Zhang Xing has been lying to me all along. Is Zhou Mo really doing well? If she’s not doing well because of my selfishness, I really don’t know how I’ll face Zhou Qinian after I die. I hate my brother so much.”
Qian Zhiwei didn't offer any opinion, but simply patted his wife's back gently, silently thinking of a solution.
Zhou Mo sneezed four or five times in a row at the newly opened flowers, but fortunately the flowers were resilient and were not affected.
Qi Xiao pulled out a few tissues and handed them to Zhou Mo. "What's wrong? Are you catching a cold?"
Zhou Mo rubbed her nose. "Who's been talking about me behind my back?"
"Could it be that little girl Ning Xiangjian? Wasn't the warning we gave her last time enough?"
"Yu Xi said that Ning Xiangjian has taken a week off."
Qi Xiao scoffed, "What good is a good family background? Good character is what really matters. I always thought she was spoiled by her family and spoke without thinking, but now it seems she's just a person with no manners."
"Alright, don't get angry over irrelevant people." Zhou Mo pulled Qi Xiao to sit on the swing in the yard.
The swing swayed gently, and Qi Xiao relaxed her body and leaned back.
"School's starting soon, how's your packing going?"
Zhou Mo: "That's about it. You should also bring the sunscreen you'll need for military training."
"I brought it, but the thought of military training makes me feel down."
Zhou Mo poked Qi Xiao's waist. Qi Xiao had a lot of ticklish spots, and she couldn't stand being poked by Zhou Mo like that. "What are you doing?"
"You're still so listless. The other day you pinned someone against the wall, I thought you had received professional training. This amount of exercise in military training is nothing to you."
Qi Xiao realized Zhou Mo was teasing her, so she rolled over and pinned Zhou Mo down. "Jealous? Should I give you some special training beforehand?"
"No, I still hope I can suffer later."
How did Yu Xi do on the exam?
Zhou Mo: "Not bad, 45th on the list, but his Chinese composition went off-topic, I suspect he did it on purpose."
"...Forty-five?"
"I feel he can still rise further."
Qi Xiao muttered about the ranking, forty-five... No, Yu Xi, who had never been to school before, was taking the weekly test for the first time in her senior year of high school, and she ranked forty-five on the overall list?!
Their school isn't even a bad one, ranking 45th on the overall list?!
How was the exam conducted?
Moreover, judging from Zhou Mo's reaction, she doesn't seem very satisfied with the result.
Who exactly is Yu Xi? Is it because his father is a professor that his son's IQ is so extraordinary? Or has Yu Xi actually been secretly studying all along?
Tsk.
In either case, Qi Xiao found it hard to accept. She worked herself to the bone in her senior year of high school and only managed to get into Z University by ranking 22nd on the list. If this guy worked even harder, wouldn't he surpass her?
Tsk.
If I had known, I should have studied harder in my senior year of high school. Being outdone by Yu Xi meant I would lose every argument in the future.
Qi Kai noticed that Qi Xiao had been sullen ever since she returned from Zhou Mo's place, muttering numbers to herself. "What's wrong?"
"Mind your own business."
"Tsk, your temper is getting worse and worse. What's wrong? You're going to college now, and you think I can't control you anymore?"
Qi Xiao rolled her eyes.
Qi Kai's face instantly darkened. Usually, Qi Xiao would be trembling with fear at this time and obediently let Qi Kai do as he pleased, but this trick stopped working soon after Qi Xiao became friends with Zhou Mo.
The current face-changing act is just a one-man show by Qi Kai.
Qi Kai closed his eyes, took a deep breath to compose himself, and said, "The old man wants to see you."
"when?"
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay, I know." Qi Xiao's impatience was almost overflowing. Qi Kai instructed with some concern, "Be polite to the old man. He said you can go to Z University. Otherwise, Li Zhenliang wouldn't have let you off so easily."
Qi Xiao: "Okay, I understand."
"What were you muttering just now?"
Qi Xiao rested her chin on her hand and looked at Qi Kai, "You really want to know?"
Qi Kai: "Don't keep me in suspense."
"Yu Xi ranked 45th on the list in the first weekly test of her senior year of high school."
Qi Kai didn't react for a moment, "So?"
"He might be a genius."
Qi Kai: "?"
Qi Xiao looked at Qi Kai and sighed, "We've both grown up together, but he's handsome, tall, fair-skinned, and smart. We're both twenty years old, how come there's such a big difference?"
After Qi Xiao left, Qi Kai belatedly realized what was going on. "Holy crap?! I knew it! That kid's a shrew. He stopped following me. He's definitely staying home to study. Damn it!"
Yu Xi, who was caught in the storm of public opinion, had no particular thoughts about ranking 45th on the list of successful candidates.
Qi Xiao said, "Did you secretly study while playing with them?" She questioned the high score on the first weekly test.
Yu Xi: "She didn't suspect me of cheating? Thank you, her opinion of me has changed quite a bit."
Zhou Mo couldn't help but laugh. "You two are really funny."
"Is school starting soon?"
"Um."
Do you need me to take you to the station?
"That day was your weekly test."
Yu Xi: "You just need to tell me whether you need it or not."
Zhou Mo, holding chopsticks in her hand and resting her chin on her hand, pondered, "Yes."
Yu Xi wasn't surprised by Zhou Mo's answer at all. He added a piece of preserved plum pork rib to Zhou Mo's plate and said, "Okay, I'll give it to you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
