Chapter 28: Mother (Part 2)

  For Cassidy's choice, Gu Mengli was somewhat stunned, but from another perspective, wasn't it that at this moment, with some words being censored and not even entering her ears, the clumsy angel couldn't have used magic?

  The filtration system is surprisingly accurate, it's indeed an angel-level product. Thinking of this, Gu Huanli couldn't help but glance at Cassidy. The light cast his deep facial contours on the wall, from the hair strands gently swaying in the wind to the perfect lip line, so that except for the battlefield where one shouted loudly and the other sobbed softly, the other three people stared blankly at him, even Chu Lianyu's fingers lightly drew those lines in the air, wanting to engrave them into the deepest part of her memory.

  This is not a kind and gentle angel, but a demon that captures people's hearts! Gu Huan Lian thought to herself, however, if she were to speak her mind, Cassidy would definitely be furious, because being compared to a demon was the greatest insult to him. So, for someone who will be staying in the mortal realm for a while, he should really learn about human language and at least learn to distinguish between insults and genuine praise.

  He's obviously a bumpkin, but he insists on calling himself an angel. Sigh, a stupid angel is still a stupid angel.

  The dispute has reached a boiling point, with sparks flying everywhere. If it weren't for the presence of Director Gu and Mr. Qu, and if there wasn't a handsome gentleman watching, Chu Liuyan and Shen Muran's fight would likely have resumed. However, since the first word exploded from Gu Wenjuan's mouth, Shen Yanran has been at a disadvantage. She used all her strength to endure, using all her abilities to protect her daughter, but innocent Muran was ruthlessly insulted by Gu Wenjuan, which is something Shen Yanran absolutely cannot tolerate.

  Go on, go on!

  The devil in his heart is tempting him like this.

  Speaking out can transfer pain.

  As long as it's said, Gu Wenjuan can be even more painful, and Chu Lianyou will also suffer together.

  Gu Wenjuan's family background is nothing to brag about, but she can't even protect her own husband. This has nothing to do with Shen Yanran! These wealthy and aristocratic women are not as noble and elegant as they seem. They spout dirty language and obscenities one after another, and they know more of this kind of thing than ordinary people from common families like mine.

  How ridiculous!

  How pitiful!

  The demon in her heart slowly and silently closed the door of reason, shrinking the light inch by inch until it was extinguished. In an instant, Shen Yanran was plunged into a bewildering and chaotic eternal night, but all this was all too familiar to her. Since that magnificent and resplendent encounter destroyed everything for her, she had been living alone in the boundless darkness. This loneliness and coldness were like her shadow, always closely tied to her. And it was with these icy hatreds and faintest hopes for the future that she sustained her life, just as a demon must feed on souls.

  Shen Yanran thought, perhaps she should thank the darkness that made everything boundless and intangible. It allowed her to truly feel the importance of warmth and the preciousness of hope. Whether it was a lifeline or a fragile spider silk, as long as it hung within her reach, she would grasp it tightly, never letting go, never giving up easily.

  For Gu Wenjuan, Shen Yanran's existence is the only stain on her perfect life. She can even clearly hear the drumming and shouting in her body, this rhythm entwined with love and marital affection, causing her soul to completely abandon the so-called elegance and etiquette of a noble lady.

  She knew it was wrong, she knew her behavior was the worst example for underage children, everything she knew, but couldn't control herself, yes, she couldn't control herself. This imbalance made Gu Wenjuan feel terrified, she deeply hoped someone could stop her, give her a way out, even if it was just a basin of cold water poured on her body, at least not to continue this meaningless quarrel.

  But Gu Wenjuan's prayers went unheard, and even God had abandoned this small corner of the world.

  The head teacher finally came to her senses, and with a wry smile said, "Please don't argue anymore, parents. Let the children speak for themselves about what they're fighting over."

  Gu Huanli's mouth corners slightly curved into a smile, for this, she had waited too long. Yes, she didn't like revenge. Such cruel things, she couldn't do. So, the thing she could do was to reveal the truth, let all the people who had hurt her make their own choice in front of the bleak reality, whether to continue this already broken lie or start a new life with the determination of cutting off one's wrist like a brave warrior.

  Yes, that's right, she would collect these disparate memories along with the scattered and primitive ones as evidence of time. These would be sewn together tightly with perfect stitches, aired, dried, preserved until the moment her life ended. As the soul was formatted, worn down into fine sand, lost in unawareness, far away.

  A chill ran rampant in the room. Even though the glass window had long been closed, the chill still lingered in everyone's heart. In this completely sealed space, it recklessly plundered any temperature slightly higher than itself around, and what was called balance probably referred to the chill that emanated from the bottom of one's heart to the limbs and even fingertips at this moment.

  Expectation? Sighs? Hesitation? Fear? Panic? Distress? Doubt? Complex emotions keep pounding on everyone's heart, silence, still ongoing.

  The head teacher finally broke the silence, sighing and saying, "Actually, both children have already realized their mistakes. It wasn't a big deal to begin with, just a small misunderstanding that led to a dispute. The school hopes you..."

  The rest of the words didn't even enter Gu Huan's ears. She just silently thought, could it be... could the truth escape in silence?

  In the past, how many times had others easily pierced through her lies and revealed the truth to her gaze? Those pale flames that brought her pain, those heart-wrenching wails, those rivers of blood from despair, tears like rain from sorrow, and this ugly dirty world, why did it become so beautiful in an instant?

  Why is what she gives cruelty and what others give tolerance?

  Perhaps this is what they call reality, forever fair and yet forever unfair. However, Gu Huanli would never personally uncover the truth of this incident, it was just one failure after all, besides, she had already sown a seed of doubt in her aunt's heart, one day it would sprout and grow into a towering tree.

  It seems that she still doesn't understand her former loved ones and enemies well enough. Perhaps, apart from practicing piano by herself and indulging in sorrowful self-pity after falling into despair, she hasn't seriously examined them or the people around her. So even if she wanted to play some tricks, the outcome was so pathetic and laughable.

  Will she really be able to escape the despair that awaits her? Will she really be able to stop everything from happening all over again? Gu Huan's heart was suddenly illuminated by a cold and desolate sorrow. Is this the price of evil deeds?

  Gu Huanli turned her head to look at Cassidy, but she didn't regret it. Everything had just begun, and the idea of losing everything was still far away.

  However, Chu Lianyou felt her body gradually turning cold, while the surrounding air became stiflingly hot, scorching away the warmth of the autumn day. Even her throat and vocal cords were scorched. Those flames dancing wildly were screaming with abandon, yes, those flames had life, they were wailing, wailing in her mind.

  "Mom, classmates all say Shen Muran and I look very alike, they also say she is our family's private-born daughter."

  In short, the end was not only Gu Huan's faint disappointment, but also Shen Yanran's rationality on the verge of collapse, and Gu Wenjuan's anger that had just subsided.

  "Lingyou, what did you say?"

  Chu Lian glanced at Shen Mu Ran with a complacent expression, then quickly repeated, "Mom, my classmates all say that Shen Mu Ran and I look very alike, and they also say she's our family's illegitimate daughter. People like her who are poor are the best liars, so I got my classmates to teach her a lesson."

  Gu Wenjuan suddenly opened her eyes wide, she grabbed Shen Muran and examined him carefully. Those eyebrows, that nose bridge, that chin, none of them were not a replica of Chu Lintao's. Yes, she could say that there were many people in this world who looked like him, but she couldn't deny it, especially the resemblance between her husband's mistress's daughter and her own husband. "How old are you?" she asked.

  "Seven years and eight months." Shen Mu Ran felt like she was being squeezed to death by the woman in front of her, and she looked at her mother for help, hoping that her mother could save her from this crazy woman.

  "Seven years and eight months... my daughter is eight years and one month...". Gu Wenjuan's face suddenly turned pale, she let go of Shen Muran in a daze, saying word by word, "Chu Lintao, this is what you've done! This is what you've done!"

  "Mom, mom, why are you crying?" Chu Lianyu rushed into her mother's arms and said sorrowfully, "Who bullied you? I'll teach him a lesson for you! I'll take revenge for you!"

  “Lian You…… my Lian You……” Gu Wenjuan buried her face deeply in her daughter's neck, sobbing softly, “My poor daughter, my poor daughter!” Scalding tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto Chu Lianyou's neck, which was slightly cool to the touch.

  Chu Lian was vaguely aware, but she could feel the chill after the big fire went out, fear spreading from the bottom of her heart, and as her mother's tears continued to fall, this chill became more and more intense, pushing her into an endless abyss. "Mom, are those rumors true?"

  "I don't know, I really don't know..." Gu Wenjuan replied with a heart full of sorrow.

  The director of education, who was watching from the side, finally understood the relationship between these four people, no, six people. She took a look at Gu Huanli, who was standing silently, and wondered if she already knew about this matter, which is why she didn't help either of them, or perhaps both of them were helping.

  Gu Huanli didn't care how the teaching director looked at her, nor did she care about Shen Yanran's deep sigh and Shen Muran's surprised expression. She simply took out a handkerchief from her body and handed it to Gu Wenjuan, saying calmly, "A daughter of the Gu family can fail, can fight for dignity, but absolutely cannot shed weak tears in front of the enemy. If Auntie doesn't want to see the person who hurt you and Cousin, let's go back to the old mansion together today."

  "This is my young lady." Cassidy was very satisfied with Gu Huan's gentle, kind and strong performance at this moment. He reached out to help up the dispirited Gu Wenjuan, then said to the principal, "Although this incident is a private matter between the Gu and Chu families, I hope you will still uphold the principle of fairness and justice, and handle it with caution."

  "Don't worry, I will handle this matter seriously according to school rules." The head teacher turned around and looked at Shen Yanran and her mother, saying calmly, "Ciji Primary School does not accept children with unclear identities. Originally, we thought that Shen Muran's father had just passed away... We hope you can choose another school within a month."

  "Why?" Shen Mu Ran said in shock, "They were the ones who hit me, they were the ones who scolded me, why does the school want to force me to transfer instead?"

  "Because of you and your mother's credibility issues. As a school, we absolutely do not allow people with stains on their credibility to continue staying in Cijin Primary School." The principal said seriously.

  "But..."

  "If you want to refute, bring strong evidence. Tomorrow at 10 am, go to the school's Moral Committee for a counter-argument."

  "I..."

  "Don't say any more, it's just fate, this is our fate." Shen Yanran looked at Gu Wenjuan's departing back, muttering to herself, her slightly relaxed heart once again plummeting into the depths of despair.