He Shu’s loud questioning was something Lu Yinghan had already anticipated in her heart.
But experiencing it again, her heart still felt a twinge of pain.
The one questioning her like this was her own mother.
Everyone was startled by He Shu’s loud outburst.
Even Lu Xuanyao, who was the subject of He Shu’s suspicion, stopped crying, hiccuping between sobs as she cautiously watched Lu Yinghan.
She knew she had done something wrong, and her sister was going to be scolded by their mother again.
Lu Yinghan didn’t show the same nervous, aggrieved expression as before. She merely clutched her homework tightly behind her back, quietly watching He Shu and Lu Xu.
He Shu’s agitated breathing caused her chest to rise and fall dramatically.
By the time she had mostly calmed down and Lu Xuanyao had stopped crying, Lu Yinghan finally spoke coldly.
“Yaoyao wanted to take my homework. My homework needs to be turned in tomorrow, so I took it back.”
Her flat narration echoed through the hallway, making the two men who had just arrived from behind stiffen, their expressions turning unpleasant.
“Homework?? You’re going to school?”
He Shu’s anger faded into shock, her tone rising with disbelief.
Lu Yinghan’s expression confirmed to He Shu that she really had been attending school.
She was momentarily at a loss for words.
If that was really the case, then it was indeed Yaoyao’s fault…
Looking down at Lu Xuanyao, whose eyes were still red-rimmed in her arms, He Shu’s heart immediately filled with sympathy.
But she also couldn’t scold Lu Yinghan.
She was her daughter too.
She hadn’t known anything about her going to school, and she had just scolded her so harshly…
“If your sister wants to see your homework, why not just let her take a look first? Is it just this one notebook you have? Why make her cry? Don’t you know your sister isn’t in good health?”
He Shu might feel guilty, but that didn’t mean Lu Xu felt the same.
He furrowed his brows, looking at Lu Yinghan with some irritation.
Lu Yinghan’s gaze finally turned to her second brother.
His fluffy black hair was slightly wavy, his seductive phoenix eyes narrowed, pressing down on Lu Yinghan with heavy hostility.
He clicked his tongue.
Turning to look at Lu Xuanyao in He Shu’s arms, his expression changed in an instant, speaking to her with doting tenderness.
“Yaoyao, tell Brother Xu, do you still want the homework notebook now?”
Lu Xuanyao glanced uncertainly at Lu Yinghan, a hint of hesitation showing in her eyes.
The current atmosphere told her she shouldn’t nod.
She was young, but she wasn’t stupid.
She was sensitive to her surroundings, her gaze wavering between Lu Xu and Lu Yinghan.
Lu Xu uncrossed his arms and walked straight up to Lu Yinghan.
“Hand it over. Let your sister take a look at your homework.”
“My homework won’t be finished in time…”
Before Lu Yinghan could finish speaking, Lu Xu impatiently stepped forward and tried to snatch the notebook from behind her.
Lu Yinghan’s heart jumped in alarm.
She immediately pulled the notebook tightly to her chest.
She really wouldn’t make the deadline!!
“Rip!”
The opposing forces tore several pages of the notebook into shreds…
Lu Yinghan’s hands trembled as she forcibly suppressed the anger rising in her heart.
She looked up at Lu Jiansen and Lu Xiong, who had been watching from behind the whole time.
“Big Brother, yesterday you told me not to bring shame to the Lu family. I was up all night working on my homework. Yaoyao came in and tried to take my notebook directly. If I can’t finish my homework, am I to understand that from now on, whenever my sister wants anything related to my studies, I must give it to her unconditionally?
No matter what consequences these actions bring me at school? That I can just throw away the Lu family’s reputation whenever I want?”
Lu Xu’s temper flared up immediately.
“What does Yaoyao have to do with this? Can’t you even let her take a look? Lu Yinghan, you—”
“Lu Xu.”
Lu Jiansen’s deep voice came from behind, his eyes warning Lu Xu that he had gone too far.
“Yinghan started attending the International Elite Elementary School yesterday. This was a decision Father and I made on the spot, so we didn’t have time to inform all of you. From today on, if Yaoyao wants something, just buy her an identical copy. Yinghan really does need to focus on her studies at school right now.”
Lu Jiansen’s magnetic voice echoed through the hallway.
His voice was pleasant to hear.
But right now, Lu Yinghan didn’t think so. If anything, it sounded grating to her ears.
After finishing her speech, she stepped forward and knelt on the ground, picking up the torn pieces of her homework one by one.
No one came forward to help her.
She stood alone, facing this mess.
She still had to keep her back straight, refusing to bow or compromise before them.
There was a moment of awkward silence in the hallway.
He Shu’s heart was beating a little fast.
Watching Lu Yinghan kneeling on the ground picking up the paper, He Shu stepped forward and spoke in a hoarse, soft voice.
“Yingying…”
Lu Yinghan’s hand paused mid-reach. She slowly looked up at He Shu.
Just one glance, then she lowered her head and continued picking up the pieces.
He Shu’s chest was struck heavily by what she saw in Lu Yinghan’s eyes.
In the depths of those dark pupils, there was no longer any trace of her.
No tears, no pleading that it wasn’t her fault—unlike before.
She didn’t respond the way she used to, with that weak little voice saying she’d be more careful next time.
Today’s Lu Yinghan was so unfamiliar that He Shu was frightened.
She closed her mouth and stopped talking, but her eyes remained glued to Lu Yinghan.
She watched her finish picking everything up, give the group a slight bow, then turn and walk away without looking back.
Only then did He Shu let out a huge sigh of relief. She walked straight over to Lu Xiong.
“When did you arrange a school for her? Why didn’t you tell me right away! If you had told me, I wouldn’t have said anything to her tonight!”
He Shu was still troubled by the fact that she had just yelled at Lu Yinghan.
More than guilt, it was a sense of unease.
Her tone when questioning Lu Xiong grew harsher.
“Honey, don’t be upset… It’s just that I’ve been so busy these past couple of days, I forgot to tell you!”
Lu Xiong rubbed his nose.
It was a sign of guilt.
On the day Lu Jiansen took Lu Yinghan to school, he felt he had made it up to her, and the discomfort in his heart disappeared instantly.
Then he forgot all about it and went to play with Lu Xuanyao.
Lu Xiong forgot—but what about Lu Jiansen, who had taken Lu Yinghan to school?
He Shu looked at Lu Jiansen, only to see her eldest son, the one she was so proud of, silently hanging his head.
He had forgotten too…
Because at the time, all he could think about was what toy to buy for Lu Xuanyao.
The atmosphere in the hallway sank to rock bottom.
Lu Xu glanced at the spot where the argument with Lu Yinghan had just taken place, where a few small scraps of paper remained.
He pressed his lips together, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
“I’m heading back to my room first.”
Being the first to speak, Lu Xu ruffled Lu Xuanyao’s hair and went back to his room to rest.
He Shu knew she was in the wrong. Her mind was filled with the scene of her scolding Lu Yinghan without even asking what happened, and the way she had looked at her.
That gaze—cold beyond cold…
Goosebumps shot from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head. He Shu hugged Lu Xuanyao tightly, remembering the palpitations she’d had a few days ago.
Her eyes slowly widened…