"I think it's you who needs educating!" Di Ruihe shielded Xiaoshan and shouted at Wu Xuerou.
This wasn't just directed at her, but also at Di Jiancheng. He glared at them as if they were mortal enemies, then turned and carried Xiaoshan upstairs.
Was he on medication?
Wu Xuerou was bewildered.
"Are the weak and incompetent afraid of being spoken about?" Di Jiancheng grumbled in the direction Di Ruihe had left.
Now Wu Xuerou understood everything.
"Dad."
Di Jiancheng was stopped.
Wu Xuerou walked around to him, "You shouldn't speak to Ruihe like that."
"What, are you starting to protect him too?" Di Jiancheng teased.
Now even disciplining his son required their intervention?
Wu Xuerou shook her head. She explained helplessly, "Ruihe isn't as bad as you think. He's trying very hard to get what he wants."
"Trying?" Di Jiancheng still had that dismissive attitude. "I haven't seen it. But his mouth, sharp and eloquent!"
Unable to communicate with him, Wu Xuerou saw that Di Jiancheng fundamentally looked down on Di Ruihe. Anything more she said would be futile.
She wisely fell silent and offered no further explanation.
Di Jiancheng, however, took her silence as an admission of defeat. He hummed a self-satisfied tune and left the front hall.
Wu Xuerou glanced upstairs and quickly followed.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw Di Ruihe gently comforting Xiaoshan. Noticing Wu Xuerou at the door, he continued speaking.
"Ruihe, don't take it to heart with Dad. He doesn't understand you, but I do." Wu Xuerou came over, bent down, and sat beside him, placing her hand on his arm.
Gently prying her hand away, Di Ruihe said to Xiaoshan, "Daddy will play with you when he gets back tonight."
With that, he opened the door and left the room, ignoring Wu Xuerou's attempts to talk to him.
Xiaoshan watched this unfold and tugged on Wu Xuerou's arm, "Mom."
"It's okay," Wu Xuerou forced a smile. Her heart heavy with unspoken thoughts, she gazed at the closed door.
...
Ever since Di Dongsheng left, Di Mingjue had been much more relaxed, and Shen Lin had also found some respite.
For several consecutive days, Di Mingjue stayed at Jiang Ziyu's residence, moving his work home as well.
Holding a fruit platter, Jiang Ziyu watched the two of them working in front of the living room sofa. She placed the plate in an empty spot and looked at the files scattered everywhere. "Why aren't you working at the company?"
Di Mingjue picked up a piece of fruit with a toothpick and ate it. "Who would serve me at the office?"
The implication was that at home, he had Jiang Ziyu, a free nanny, to fetch him tea and cut fruit.
"Boring!" Jiang Ziyu grumbled. She turned and stormed into the room, upset. Sitting in front of the vanity, she looked at the blemishes on her face, feeling a pang of distress that she wanted to scratch away.
Ever since his eyesight had returned, she had been deliberately making herself look unattractive. She had finally moved out to live alone and could relax. Who would have thought he would become clingy again?
Every morning she meticulously applied these spots, fearing that the placement would differ from the previous day and that Di Mingjue would notice.
She leaned forward and gently dotted a large dark spot under her eye with her pinky.
She intentionally added two beauty marks below her eyelids, creating an aura of misfortune. Picking up an eyeliner pencil, she deepened the areas where the marks were.
Once done, she took out her phone and checked her email.
She hadn't paid attention for days, but a famous orthopedic surgeon from abroad had arrived in the capital.
The seminar had only one day left, and he was returning to his country the day after tomorrow.
Was one day enough?
Jiang Ziyu glanced at the door outside and then went back downstairs.
Shen Lin, who had been nearby, was gone. Even the pile of documents on the table had disappeared.
"Where's Assistant Shen?"
"He left."
Jiang Ziyu nodded, her expression troubled as she stood there, tracing the edge of her phone.