From the moment Wei Linlang looked at Bai Li, Bai Li noticed her gaze and sensed the hostility emanating from her. Already on guard, she twisted her body and dodged Wei Linlang’s hand.
Wei Linlang had charged at Bai Li with considerable force and hadn’t expected Bai Li to evade her. Unable to control her momentum, she slapped Yu Jianguo’s hand instead.
Smack! After the crisp sound, the living room fell into an eerie silence.
Although Wei Linlang was only a little over three years old, she had put all her strength into the blow, leaving a deep red mark on Yu Jianguo’s hand.
Seeing this, Bai Li immediately grabbed Yu Jianguo’s injured hand with both of her own, brought it to her lips, pouted, and gently blew on it. “Grandpa, Li Li will blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.”
The stinging pain was soothed by the gentle breeze, easing considerably. Looking at the obedient and adorable Bai Li and then at the haughty Wei Linlang, a thought suddenly crossed Yu Jianguo’s mind: Had his endless tolerance toward Yu Qingqiu and her daughter truly been for their good?
With this thought, his gaze toward Wei Linlang couldn’t help but sharpen.
Previously, Yu Jianguo had been stern with everyone, and Wei Linlang hadn’t paid it much mind. But now, seeing him shower Bai Li with affection while treating her as harshly as ever—or even more so—the contrast struck her deeply. Anger and resentment welled up inside her, and she couldn’t hold back her tears. “Waaah! Grandpa, Bai Li’s dad doesn’t even want her! How can you be nice to her?”
“Wah… wah…”
Before Wei Linlang could finish, Yu Qingqiu covered her mouth.
“Dad, I’m sorry. Linlang is young and doesn’t know any better.”
Suddenly, a gentle yet firm voice came from the living room entrance. “Qingqiu, Linlang not only needs to apologize to Dad but also to Li Li.”
It was Yu Lixia, who had just returned after giving her statement.
“Mommy!” Seeing Yu Lixia return, Bai Li snuggled in Yu Jianguo’s arms, held up the jade pendant in her hand, and proudly showed it off. “This is Grandpa’s reward for Li Li! Only Li Li has one!”
Then, she turned her head to look at Wei Linlang, grinning to reveal her two little canine teeth. Hehe, this’ll make you mad!
Wei Linlang’s tears flowed even more, but with her mouth covered by Yu Qingqiu, she could only glare fiercely at Bai Li.
Yu Lixia had just arrived at the living room entrance and didn’t yet know exactly what had happened inside. However, hearing Wei Linlang say that her daughter’s father didn’t want her, she felt a surge of anger and instinctively spoke up to defend her daughter.
But seeing her daughter proudly holding up the jade pendant, Yu Lixia first walked over to her, ruffled her hair, and sat down beside Bai Li, her voice gentle. “Li Li is amazing.”
Then, she turned to stare at Wei Linlang, her tone stern. “Linlang, apologize!”
She could tolerate criticism directed at herself, but she would never allow anyone to speak ill of her daughter—even if it was just a three-year-old child.
Wei Linlang, stared down by Yu Lixia, whom she had always looked down upon, and now being forced to apologize, felt her resentment peak. Remembering what her mother and grandmother had said earlier, she completely disregarded her mother’s warning not to speak badly of Bai Li and shouted at the top of her lungs, “No!”
“Bai Li is a bastard! I won’t apologize to a bastard whose own father doesn’t want her!”
Slap!
A sharp slap echoed through the hall, abruptly cutting off Wei Linlang’s cries.
Bai Li looked with satisfaction at the five clear finger marks on Wei Linlang’s face, baring her teeth at Wei Linlang. “I am my daddy and mommy’s child. I am not a bastard.”
“If you say it again, I’ll hit you again!”
After saying this, she even raised her little chubby hand high.
Originally, Bai Li hadn’t wanted to argue with Wei Linlang, but when she saw her mother’s face growing paler and paler with Wei Linlang’s words, she became angry.
No one could bully the person Little Pi Xiu wanted to protect, not even the three-year-old Wei Linlang.
She believed that with one slap, Wei Linlang wouldn’t forget this pain for a while.
Wei Linlang had never been hit before. The moment the slap landed, she was completely stunned. It wasn’t until the fiery pain spread across her face that she snapped out of it and began wailing again.
“Mommy, it hurts!”
Seeing that half of her daughter’s face was swollen, Yu Qingqiu felt her heart ache uncontrollably. She couldn’t hold back her emotions either. Her gaze, laced with venom, swept over Bai Li. Holding the loudly crying Wei Linlang, she looked pitifully at Yu Lixia. “Sister, it was Linlang’s fault for saying the wrong thing. I apologize to you and Li Li, but Li Li shouldn’t have hit her and swollen Linlang’s face like this!”
“Linlang is only three years old. How could Li Li bring herself to do this?”
Upon hearing Yu Qingqiu’s words, Bai Li was about to respond but was stopped by a look from Yu Lixia. “Qingqiu, don’t forget that Li Li is only a little over three years old too. Is it cruel for Li Li to slap Linlang, but it’s not excessive for Linlang to call her a bastard in front of her?”
“Although Dingting and I may not have as harmonious a marriage as you and Wenfeng, Li Li is our child. Both Dingting and I love Li Li dearly and have never thought of abandoning her.”
“I don’t know why Linlang, even though she’s only three, could say things like Li Li is a bastard and her daddy doesn’t want her anymore. I don’t care if someone said something behind our backs that she overheard, but I hope that from this moment on, no one will ever say such things in front of Li Li again.”
Yu Lixia, shedding her usual meekness, firmly stated her demands, which changed the Yu family’s impression of her to varying degrees as they quietly watched from the sofa.
Especially Yu Jianguo. Seeing Yu Lixia fiercely protecting her child, the image of Shen Qionghua arguing fiercely with the military wives in the military compound for her children years ago surfaced in his mind. He sighed inwardly, thinking that both his daughter and granddaughter had changed after today’s ordeal, becoming more and more like members of the Yu family.
Just then, Bai Dingting’s voice came from outside the hall door. “Lixia is right. Li Li is my, Bai Dingting’s, daughter, my treasure. I won’t allow anyone to insult my daughter.”
“As the saying goes, if the child is not taught, it is the father’s fault. Comrade Yu Qingqiu, both you and your daughter must apologize to Li Li.”
Bai Li followed the voice and saw Bai Dingting standing at the living room entrance, his expression stern, his gaze sharp, fixed intently on Yu Qingqiu and her daughter, exuding an imposing aura.
Seeing Bai Li look up at him, Bai Dingting strode over to her side. After greeting everyone, he took Bai Li from Yu Jianguo’s arms and held her in his own.
Yu Qingqiu looked at Bai Dingting, whose posture was as straight and tall as a pine tree, a flicker of inexplicable light passing through her eyes. Holding Wei Linlang, she looked pitifully at Bai Dingting. “Brother-in-law, I’m sorry. Linlang doesn’t understand. Please don’t take it to heart with her.”
“But whether you believe it or not, Wenfeng and I have never said anything about Li Li in front of Linlang, and I don’t know who gossiped in front of her to make her remember. After all, what happened back then wasn’t only known by our two families.”
Bai Li was sharp-eyed and immediately noticed that as soon as Yu Qingqiu said this, most of the people present—such as her grandfather, grandmother, and uncle—showed expressions of guilt. Meanwhile, her father and mother’s demeanor instantly weakened by two degrees, and their gazes toward Yu Qingqiu carried a hint of apology.