Shi Shaochuan said impatiently, “Enough, I’m not going to waste my time talking to you about other things. You shall take the child with you from now on. I’m afraid she might even end up killing me in the future. She’s so young and yet she’s already capable of such terrifying acts. Is there anything she can’t do?”
As soon as he said his piece, he turned around and entered the elevator.
Jin Qingyue looked at Shi Bao’er and grabbed her luggage. “Come in.”
Shi Bao’er entered and closed the door.
Jin Qingyue sat on the couch and stared at her daughter quietly.
She had brought this child into the world and yet she failed to educate her and take her in hand.
She was miserable, helpless, and agonized.
She was miserable because her child had turned out to be such a rebel. She felt helpless because she did not know how to help her child turn over a new leaf. She was agonized because there was no way she could abandon Shi Bao’er even if she no longer wanted to take care of her, because she was her own flesh and blood.
She continued staring at Shi Bao’er quietly.
Shi Bao’er could not tell what she was feeling. She looked up at Jin Qingyue every now and then, only to discover that her expression did not change at all.
After remaining silent for more than ten minutes, Jin Qingyue finally said, “You’ve made your biological parents dread living together with you. Is that what you wanted to achieve?”
Shi Bao’er answered, “No.”
“No? Tell me, then, why doesn’t your father want to live with you anymore?”
She could not answer Jin Qingyue’s question.
“You’ll be turning eight years old soon. You may be young, but you’ve committed some shockingly brazen things that even adults don’t have the guts to. Do you know that you’ll have to be sent to prison for committing such acts? Don’t think that you can do whatever you want just because you’re young. The police may let you off, but I won’t spare you this time. You ought to be punished for the mistakes that you had done,” said Jin Qingyue, who was trying her best to suppress her emotions.
Shi Bao’er was flabbergasted upon hearing her words. She had no idea how Jin Qingyue intended to punish her.
Little did she know that Jin Qingyue had already made up her mind.
——
After hearing Fan Shixin’s report, An Xiaoning hurriedly opened her laptop to read the latest news reports. She perused the content and said to Fan Shixin, “Wen Lele has really been put through so much suffering this time.”
“Young Madam, why do you think there would be a fire in the bedroom all of a sudden?”
An Xiaoning waved and said, “Someone must have caused it deliberately. Think about it, she was actually sent to the hospital for emergency rescue. The fire must have been massive. How could a small fire result in so much damage?”
“Who would set her on fire?”
An Xiaoning placed the laptop aside and took a sip of tea before saying, “It must be Bao’er.”
“Bao’er!?! I almost forgot about her,” Fan Shixin said in bewilderment.
“Don’t be fooled by her tender age. She’s not one to be trifled with. Shi Shaochuan must have been exasperated. I reckon he’d definitely send Bao’er back to Qingyue.”
“Isn’t Missy pregnant now? If Bao’er returns to her side and does something outrageous again, the consequences would be dire…”
“Qingyue will probably take the necessary precautions. What a troublesome child,” said An Xiaoning.
“I’m actually more worried about the children in the boot camp. They have to face Shi Bao’er every day… I think we must make Shi Bao’er repent and turn over a new leaf before sending her to the academy again. Otherwise, she’ll commit another huge mistake sooner or later. She’s like a ticking time bomb. Who knows when she’ll explode? Young Madam, she’s already committed such an atrocious act when she’s still so young. There’s nothing she wouldn’t dare to do.”
Jin Qingyue entered and said, “Fan Shixin is right.” She had heard everything he said.
Feeling a little awkward and embarrassed, Fan Shixin said, “Missy… I was being nosy.”
Jin Qingyue sat down beside An Xiaoning and said, “No, you’ve said my exact sentiments. That’s also the reason why I’m here today. Sis-in-law, I hope you’ll give me a hand.”
An Xiaoning turned to look at her and said, “Me? How do you want me to help you?”
“Sis-in-law, don’t you think that disciplining a mischievous child is far more interesting than fortune-telling?”
An Xiaoning remained silent.
She’s assigning a task to me.
“Qingyue, you’re putting me in a spot.”
“Sis-in-law, you may not have reconciled your marriage with my brother yet, but you’re Bao’er’s aunt. You can’t sit back and watch your niece ruin her own life. I know you taught Yiheng since young…”
Before she could even finish, An Xiaoning interrupted, “Qingyue, I raised Yiheng since he was young and taught him the right values. However, he’s a very obedient and sensible child who obeys my teachings. He never gets up to any extreme misbehavior. I don’t have to worry much about him. But Bao’er is completely different from him. I’m not her biological mother. To be frank, I’m not very willing to take care of her.”
An Xiaoning did not feel embarrassed to turn her down, for she did not wish to compel herself against her own wishes.
Jin Qingyue grabbed her hand and said, “Sis-in-law, if you’re willing to take care of her, I won’t intervene with the way you discipline her, even if you end up beating the living daylights out of her. I’m actually really afraid of living with her, especially since I’m pregnant right now. I’m truly at my wit’s end. I’m also worried that she might end up ruining her own life. I dare not imagine what she’ll become when she’s older. She’s barely eight years old now, there’s still time to change her.”
An Xiaoning and Fan Shixin looked at each other, and they were both dumbfounded.
“Qingyue, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but this is a tall order.”
Staring at An Xiaoning, Jin Qingyue said, “She’s already been training at the boot camp for so long but there hasn’t been any changes about her at all. Sis-in-law, I know you’re not in need of money, but I shall be open with you. If you can help me with this, I’m willing to give you 50 million dollars in return.”
“Why don’t you use that money to seek and hire professional help?”
“I don’t trust them. I feel better about leaving her in your hands.”
“I don’t need money,” said An Xiaoning, who did not wish to take up such a tough challenge. Not only does it take time and patience to discipline such a notorious child, it also takes wits and determination. It was a tricky problem.
“Sis-in-law… I feel like you’re the only person who can take her in hand. Shi Shaochuan has sent Bao’er back to me after this incident. He also mentioned that he would be returning her custody to me.”
She has such high hopes.
Seeing how eager she was, An Xiaoning said, “Let me consider it carefully. I’ll discuss this issue with your brother when he gets home later. I need to hear his opinion too.”
Jin Qingyue immediately smiled and said, “Brother will definitely agree to it. I’ll come again at night.”
She then stood up and skipped out of the door merrily.
“Be careful,” An Xiaoning cautioned upon seeing how fast she was moving.
