On the other side, after finishing their meal, Ye Yuan looked at the sky and said to Ye Dong, "It's getting late. The caregiver will take care of you tonight. I'm going home now and will come to see you tomorrow morning. If you need anything, just call home."
He specially arranged a private ward for Dongdong, complete with a telephone.
Ye Dong asked the caregiver to help him get out of bed and go to the bathroom, and obediently nodded: "Okay, brother."
Ye Yuan patted her head, got up, and left.
After the caregiver helped Ye Dong to the restroom, Ye Dong said to her, "Auntie, I want to have a late-night snack. Could you go to the cafeteria and see what they have?"
The caregiver nodded: "Okay."
After the caregiver left, Ye Dong watched the door close and then dialed a phone number.
Soon after, He Su's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello."
“Aunt He Su, I’m Dongdong,” Ye Dong said obediently.
He Su smiled and asked, "Dongdong, does it hurt today?"
Ye Dong pouted and touched her leg, which was in a splint: "Of course it hurts. I also have stitches in my head. Will this really work like Auntie said? It hurts more than I expected."
“Of course, you’re just a little girl and you’ve been disfigured, someone has to take responsibility, right? Dongdong is a smart girl, she knows that showing weakness is a woman’s biggest weapon,” He Su said slowly and deliberately.
Ye Dong hesitated for a moment: "But Brother Zhaonan lost his temper with me today. Did I go too far? And that woman said during dinner... that I... wanted to replace my sister and be with Brother Zhaonan."
He Su smiled and said, "Good girl, remember never to admit to anyone that you like your brother Zhao Nan. Even if your grandfather asks, you should say that you only see him as a brother. This will put you in an invincible position. No matter what that woman says, you should insist that it is slander."
Ye Dong nodded: "I understand."
He Su: "You've done enough. Now just be a good child and leave the rest to Auntie."
Ye Dong still hesitated: "But... my brother won't let me associate with you, Auntie."
“Your brother is still young, just as silly as you. He just follows Zhao Nan around and has some misunderstandings about me. You graduated from high school, married into the family after college, and you still have to call me Mom.” He Su comforted him softly on the other end of the phone.
Ye Dong blushed slightly and paused for a moment before saying, "I understand. I won't tell my brother."
"My dear child, this is your room phone, right? We'll call when no one's around. Tell Auntie anything that makes you unhappy or happy. Auntie treats you like her daughter," He Su said with a smile.
Ye Dong was in a good mood when he hung up the phone.
He Su stared at the phone with disdain for a moment, then looked at Secretary Xu to the side and put on a gentle expression: "Let's go, it's time for Lao Rong to drink his herbal tea."
Secretary Xu handed the brewed herbal tea to He Su.
The two went to Rong Wenwu's study.
As soon as He Su entered the study, she saw Rong Wenwu standing by the window looking out at the road in the courtyard, clearly waiting for his son.
"Old Rong, the child is here. You must speak to him kindly and not get angry." He Su narrowed her eyes, her gentle voice echoing in the study.
Rong Wenwu looked out the window with a dark face: "You've only been back for a short time and you've already caused a lot of trouble!"
He Su stepped forward and handed him the herbal tea, saying gently, "That child is a stubborn one, you've known that for a long time. This time, he even caused Dongdong to fall like this. I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to Lao Ye and the others."
Rong Wenwu took the herbal tea and drank it down in one gulp, his face darkening even more: "This kid is utterly useless, he can't even protect a little girl! He's been in the countryside for too long, his skills have all gone to waste!"
“But Dongdong fell on her own, not because her older brother pushed her. Just because Dongdong is Grandpa Ye’s granddaughter doesn’t mean she can bully others…” A soft voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
He Su looked out the door and saw a thin, slender girl of about eighteen years old, standing timidly at the doorway, carrying a fruit platter.
He Su's eyes flashed with displeasure, and she beckoned for her to come in.
Rong Chaobei carried in a plate of sliced fruit, his head bowed.
He Su took the fruit plate and said gently, "Chao Bei, you're still a child. Don't talk nonsense. This isn't bullying. Grandpa Ye has retired, but he will always be Dad, and he's a respected figure among the uncles and elders. It's only right that he takes good care of and spoils Dongdong."
She paused for a moment and then said, "Besides, there's also the favor you owe your sister Ye Qiu. Which child in your generation hasn't received kindness from your sister Ye Qiu?!"
Rong Chaobei lowered his head and didn't speak, only pursing his lips.
When her father returned from a business trip to the Soviet Union, he gave her a pair of red ballet shoes signed by the Soviet ballet genius Galina Ulanova.
Ye Dong saw it and liked it, so his father gave it to Ye Dong, saying that he needed to take care of his younger sister.
Ye Dong clearly can't dance ballet!
“I just… I think even if we go to Grandpa Ye’s place, it’s Dongdong’s own fault for falling. Sister Ye Qiu is Sister Ye Qiu, and Dongdong is Dongdong,” Rong Chaobei said softly.
Hearing his youngest daughter's words, Rong Wenwu frowned slightly but said nothing.
He Su frowned and gave Secretary Xu, who was in her fifties, a wink: "Alright, you rarely come home for the weekend, go to sleep, you have to get up at six o'clock tomorrow morning to go to school! Aunt Xu, take Xiao Bei to rest."
What's wrong with this girl? She's so naive, willful, and doesn't know any better!
Secretary Xu quickly pulled Rong Chaobei outside, saying, "Chaobei, your father has something to do. Let's go, let's go."
Rong Chaobei had always been afraid of the stern Rong Wenwu, so he didn't dare to say anything and was pulled away with his head down.
“Old Rong, Chao Bei is still young and doesn’t understand things.” He Su looked at Rong Wenwu and gently massaged his shoulders.
Rong Wenwu said calmly, "She's not a child anymore, and she's quite sensible."
He Su was somewhat surprised to hear him praise his daughter.
Rong Wenwu is always busy with work and is often away from home. His two children are not very close to him and often scold him rather than praise him.
In particular, Chao Bei was a bit timid, and Rong Wenwu disliked timid children even more.
It was rare for him to offer praise, so He Su smiled and said, "Well, she's just a little girl, she'll grow up eventually."
"Alright, you should go and rest too. Zhao Nan will be angry if he sees you." Rong Wenwu glanced at her.
He Su's smile froze on her face, but only for a moment. She nodded obediently, "Okay, then I'll go first. Lao Rong, if you need anything, just have someone call me. Don't be angry, you have a heart condition."
She didn't ramble on; after saying that, she turned and left.
As soon as she left the room and was alone, her beautiful, mature face instantly fell.
He Su went downstairs expressionlessly and went straight to Rong Chaobei's room.
"What's wrong with you? Have you gone mad? Why are you taking Rong Zhaonan's side?" She looked coldly at her daughter, who was sitting on the sofa packing her things.
Upon seeing his mother, Rong Chaobei felt flustered and nervous. He lowered his eyes and whispered, "But my brother is my own flesh and blood, while Dongdong is an outsider..."
"I'm so smart, how could I have given birth to such an idiot like you!" He Su's beautiful face twisted with anger, and she raised her hand to slap her.
Rong Chaobei was so frightened that he shrank back onto the sofa, covering his head and crying out, "Mom...Mom, don't hit me! I was wrong! I was wrong!"
Secretary Xu rushed over and grabbed He Su's arm: "Su Su, Chao Bei is still young, don't hit her!"
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