Chapter 1004: Which Part of Her Looks Like Her Real Mother?
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Read đatest chapters at fĐłeewŃbnoŃ”el.cÏm Only.
Of course, the most embarrassed person in the entire scenario was Xu Sheng. Being scolded by his mother in front of his friends made him wish for nothing more than the ground to swallow him whole.
His head remained bowed, his lips trembling as he bit down to keep from crying out. A suffocating wave of humiliation wrapped around him, making it impossible to breathe.
Huang Fei, however, felt entirely justified in disciplining her son. The idea that her actions might embarrass the boy didnât even cross her mind.
Once sheâd had her fill of scolding, she withdrew her hand and barked, âGo home, finish what you havenât written, and copy the Three Character Classic twenty more times. Donât even think about sleeping until itâs done.â
Xu Sheng didnât dare protest. He barely managed a soft, âOkay,â before turning and bolting in the direction of home.
Only when he was far enough away did the tears, welling in his eyes, finally spill over, cascading down his cheeks like a broken string of pearls. Even then, his sobs were instinctively mutedâyears of habit ensuring no sound escaped.
As Xu Sheng disappeared, Huang Fei looked up and noticed Gu Zi standing nearby. Her expression shifted into a stiff, forced smile, one that didnât reach her eyes. âI never got the chance to thank you for last time,â she said, her tone all too saccharine. âYou took Xu Sheng to the hospitalâreally, Iâm grateful. This kidâs just so difficult, so disobedient. As his mother, I canât afford to let my guard down even for a second. I hope I didnât interrupt anything?â
Su Li and Gao Ming exchanged a look, their gazes filled with disbelief. Did Huang Fei just call Xu Sheng disobedient and difficult? If he was disobedient, what did that make themâhooligans sent straight from chaos itself?
Gu Zi, for her part, had never liked Huang Fei. After the hospital incident, any shred of tolerance she might have had had long since evaporated. She didnât even bother with pretenses now, letting her words slice straight through the facade. âNo wonder Xu Shengâs health is so poor. You treat him like a spinning top, forcing him to keep turning twenty-four hours a day. Do you honestly think youâre doing whatâs best for his future?â
She crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. âWhat future can a child have without a healthy body? Instead of wasting time thanking me, why donât you spend it truly caring for your son? Honestly, I feel like I understand Xu Sheng better than you do, and Iâm just a stepmother.â
Huang Feiâs carefully maintained composure cracked. Her face twisted into a grimace, and she sneered, âYou said it yourselfâyouâre just a stepmother. How could you possibly care more about your son? Youâre just putting on a show, trying to make people believe youâre some wonderful stepmother. You didnât give birth to him; you canât understand the worries of a real mother.â
She struck where it hurt mostâGu Ziâs status as a stepmother.
But Gu Zi, unfazed, merely chuckled. âIf being a real mother means publicly shaming your child and trampling on their dignity, then thereâs nothing worth bragging about in that title. Honestly, I deserve more praise than you do as a mom.â
She turned to Su Li and Gao Ming, motioning for them to follow. âCome on, letâs head inside and let this so-called âreal motherâ reflect on what it means to actually care for her child.â
Without giving Huang Fei a chance to retort, Gu Zi led the two children inside and shut the gate behind them. She had intentionally been harshâsomeone needed to give Huang Fei a reality check.
If nothing else, she hoped her words would make Huang Fei think twice before tearing into Xu Sheng in public again. As for what happened behind closed doors, well, there wasnât much Gu Zi could do about that.
Outside, Huang Fei stood frozen, her face dark with anger. âWhat does she mean, Iâm not like a real mother?â she thought bitterly. âAm I really being too strict?â
But even as doubt crept in, she clung to her conviction. âEverything I do is for his own good!â
Still, a sliver of guilt wormed its way into her heart. Perhaps she shouldnât have been so harsh in front of those two other kids.
Instead of going straight home, she detoured to a small shop, picking up Xu Shengâs favorite snacksâtreats she usually forbade as âjunk food.â Today, she decided, sheâd make an exception.
When she returned home, Xu Sheng was hunched over his desk, so engrossed in his work that he didnât notice her approach. She set the snacks down in front of him, startling him so much he nearly jumped.
But instead of lighting up at the sight of his favorite treats, he looked up at her with wide, fearful eyes. âMom, I-I know I was wrong. I wonât do it again,â he stammered.
The fear in his voice and the way he flinched at her presence struck Huang Fei like a blow to the chest. For the first time, she truly saw how frightened her son was of her.
Forcing a smile, she reached out to ruffle his hair. âXu Sheng, Mommy shouldnât have scolded you like that in front of others. I was just worried about you. Youâre not mad at Mommy, are you?â
Xu Sheng blinked, unsure if he could trust this softer side of her. But when he saw the faint smile on her face, his tightly wound nerves began to relax.
Gathering his courage, he said, âMom, I know you want the best for me. I wonât fall behind in my studies. And⊠can I still play with Su Li and the others?â