Chapter 2 Rebuttal

“You can’t leave!” Qian Pei pulled Xu Dong to block the doorway, fuming with anger. “Look at what Zhi Li did to my son! And my face is swollen too!”

Qian Pei had been stunned by Xu Qingying’s slap earlier. By the time she regained her senses, Xu Qingying had already instructed her assistant to quickly pack Zhi Li’s belongings and was preparing to leave.

“You must pay for the medical expenses!” Qian Pei’s gaze lingered on Xu Qingying’s clothes and handbag, a flash of greed crossing her face. “You must pay 100,000 for medical fees—no, 200,000!”

Zhi Li, held securely in Xu Qingying’s arms, no longer feared being hit by her aunt. With her fear gone, her mind cleared, and she frowned at her aunt’s words, her fair little face scrunching up.

She had pushed her cousin, and Mom had slapped Auntie, so they had to pay Auntie 200,000. But Auntie had hit her too—did that mean Auntie had to pay her 100,000?

Xu Hongli inwardly cursed Qian Pei for her shortsightedness. If they really took that 200,000, their relationship with Xu Qingying would be severed. How could they keep milking money from her in the future?

He hurried over, subtly helping Qian Pei block the door. “Qingying, your sister-in-law was just scared by Dongdong’s bleeding. Don’t listen to her nonsense.”

Qian Pei shot Xu Hongli a surprised look and was about to speak when he glared at her fiercely.

Xu Hongli continued, “It’s just kids roughhousing—”

Xu Qingying had no patience for their antics and snapped impatiently, “Get out of the way!”

The command “Get out” made Xu Hongli’s expression twist in humiliation. He resented Qian Pei for choosing today to hit the child in front of Xu Qingying and resented Xu Qingying for publicly humiliating him.

“Who are you telling to get out?!” Qian Pei shrieked. “Do you think our home is someplace you can come and go as you please?! You had a child and dumped her on us without care, and now your kid made my son bleed—and you think you can just leave?! Pay up for the medical fees! Otherwise, I’ll expose you online, tell everyone you and your kid have violent tendencies!”

Qian Pei believed she had nothing to lose.

No matter how bad Xu Qingying’s online reputation was, she had hooked up with a wealthy man and surely wouldn’t want people knowing she was the type to slap others.

“Expose? Expose what?” Xu Qingying gently stroked Zhi Li’s back, her cold gaze fixed on Qian Pei. “Expose how you took 60,000 to 70,000 a month in living expenses while beating and abusing my daughter?”

Zhi Li: “!!!”

I really wasn’t freeloading!

Qian Pei retorted, “I was disciplining her! What kind of child pushes her cousin so viciously at such a young age? What would she be like when she grows up? My Dongdong bled so much!”

Now certain she hadn’t been freeloading at her aunt’s house and emboldened by Xu Qingying’s embrace, Zhi Li grew braver, her mind whirring.

If Auntie hitting her counted as discipline, then her pushing her cousin must count as discipline too!

With this thought, Zhi Li listened even more intently to her aunt’s next words, her little face serious.

Xu Qingying took a step back with Zhi Li to avoid Qian Pei’s spittle and scoffed. “If he hadn’t tried to snatch Zhi Li’s things, would he have been pushed and bled?”

Qian Pei faltered, her expression stunned.

Xu Qingying had only been here a few minutes and hadn’t asked anything—how could she already know the cause of the children’s fight?

Xu Dong, exposed in front of everyone, shifted his eyes nervously and shrank back guiltily.

He was used to bullying others at home, but when faced with a formidable adult, he was terrified—especially this aunt he’d never met before, who had slapped his mother the moment she arrived.

Qian Pei stiffened her neck, “Wh-what do you mean by stealing! Zhi Li is so selfish at such a young age. Shouldn’t things given by elders be shared? Even if you don’t want to share, you can’t hit people!”

“That wasn’t hitting!” Zhi Li poked her head out from Xu Qingying’s embrace, recalling her aunt’s earlier words and trying to counter them, “I was educating Dongdong. Dongdong bit his sister so viciously at such a young age—what will he be like when he grows up? I bled—”

Oops.

I didn’t bleed!

Zhi Li felt a momentary pang of guilt but then confidently stretched out her soft little arm, “Even though I didn’t bleed, I have bruises this big from being pinched!”

Just as she finished shouting, Zhi Li suddenly remembered the difference between 200,000 and 100,000 in medical fees and quickly added, “Two whole bruises!” She had been pinched twice by her aunt, so her aunt would have to compensate her 200,000, and then Mom wouldn’t have to pay anything!

Xu Hongli and Qian Pei stared at the bean-sized pinch marks on Zhi Li’s arm, their lips twitching.

Wait a minute.

Why did Zhi Li’s words sound so familiar?

Qian Pei: “…”

Damn, this little brat Zhi Li had used the excuse she’d just given to shut her up.

“You little—”

“Qian Pei!” Xu Qingying’s gaze turned icy as she looked at the bruises on Zhi Li’s arm. “Say one more word, and I won’t mind making both sides of your face match!”

Qian Pei instinctively covered the side of her face that hadn’t been slapped yet, frightened by Xu Qingying’s tone.

Zhi Li blinked in surprise, then hurriedly examined both of her little arms. Delighted, she found another bruise near her elbow on the other arm and immediately felt relieved.

That’s enough. Even if Mom hits her again, she won’t have to pay 100,000 in medical fees.

Xu Qingying didn’t quite understand what Zhi Li was looking at, but she was surprised nonetheless.

She hadn’t expected the introverted and sensitive little Zhi Li from the book to have been such a bold, quick-witted little troublemaker just a week ago.

As the atmosphere grew tense, Xu Xia’s voice came from behind. “Auntie, can I talk to Zhi Li alone? And she hasn’t taken her sketchbook yet.”

Zhi Li quickly turned around, her eyes bright with excitement. “You found my sketchbook?”

Xu Xia pointed to the bedroom. “It was under the bed.”

Zhi Li gently tugged at Xu Qingying’s sleeve. “Mom, can I go get my sketchbook?”

“Of course.” Xu Qingying set Zhi Li down and adjusted the little girl’s twin ponytails. “I’ll wait for you at the door.”

Zhi Li nodded vigorously and skipped happily toward the bedroom.

Xu Hongli’s mind was in turmoil.

From what he knew of Xu Qingying, his cold-hearted younger sister had only been generous with living expenses to buy peace—she didn’t want Zhi Li disrupting her current life. But today, not only did she want to take Zhi Li with her into a wealthy marriage, she was also standing up for her?!

His mind still fixated on the luxury car worth millions that Xu Qingying had arrived in, he couldn’t bear to sever ties just yet. He refused to believe Xu Qingying actually had any maternal love for Zhi Li—she was probably just embarrassed by Qian Pei’s outburst and wanted to save face.

Seizing the moment while Zhi Li was fetching her sketchbook, Xu Hongli hurriedly said, “Qingying, even if you’ve climbed to a higher branch, you still need a strong family behind you. No matter what, we were the ones who took Zhi Li in when she had no one else. Your sister-in-law just lost her temper earlier—I’ll make her apologize to you and Zhi Li, alright?”

Qian Pei was so angry that steam seemed to rise from the top of her head.  

Apologize to Zhi Li? In her dreams!  

“And Dongdong—”  

“Shut up!” Xu Qingying, her earlier gentleness toward Zhi Li gone, spoke coldly to her assistant. “Zhong Wei, have the lawyer come tomorrow.”  

Zhong Wei, the assistant who had been quietly standing by Xu Qingying’s side, had only been in her position for half a day.  

With shoulder-length hair and a calm demeanor, she gave a slight nod at Xu Qingying’s instruction. “The company has a legal team. I’ve already informed Lawyer Gong beforehand.”  

The steam above Qian Pei’s head vanished in an instant, replaced by fear. Xu Hongli also panicked, stammering, “W-what do you need a lawyer for?”  

“From what I understand,” Zhong Wei began, glancing briefly toward the bedroom and omitting the words “before her passing,” “when Zhi Li’s grandmother was—you promised at her bedside to treat Zhi Li well and use 80% of the living expenses my employer provided on her, in exchange for the old house. Over the past three months, you’ve requested a total of 185,000 yuan in living expenses and 80,000 yuan in tuition fees—26,5000 yuan in all. However, based on our investigation, you’ve failed to uphold your promise.”  

Xu Hongli and Qian Pei exchanged frantic looks.  

Neither had expected Xu Qingying to have already gathered information about what had transpired at the old woman’s bedside! If it came down to it, they wouldn’t have been able to take custody of Zhi Li if the grandmother hadn’t passed so suddenly—she had never trusted them in the first place.  

“Our legal team will meticulously document every cent you received and compare it against the actual expenses spent on Zhi Li’s care. Given today’s incident where Ms. Qian struck and berated Zhi Li, the lawyers will also interview neighbors to determine whether this was a recurring pattern.” Zhong Wei produced a voice recorder, speaking unhurriedly. “Rest assured, the legal team will record these interviews, just as I’m doing now. We won’t slander you.”  

A voice recorder?!  

Xu Hongli and Qian Pei turned ashen.  

If lawyers went door-to-door in their neighborhood asking questions, they’d be the subject of gossip every time they stepped outside—utterly humiliated, with no dignity left.  

Meanwhile, oblivious to the conversation in the living room, Zhi Li dashed straight to her sketchbook the moment she entered the bedroom.  

The edges of the sketchbook were badly worn, and its cover had been clumsily taped back together. Yet, as Zhi Li held it in her hands, little bubbles of joy seemed to burst around her head—biubiubiu!  

Xu Xia watched Zhi Li, her expression gradually twisting with complexity—envy, resentment, and a faint trace of pity.  

She envied Zhi Li for having lived a life of luxury that others could only dream of, and for stumbling upon a powerful benefactor even after being cast out of that privileged world.  

As for resentment—  

Xu Xia dug her fingers into the edge of the bed, flashes of her past life replaying in her mind.  

Back then, she had been interested in a project a friend was working on but was short by a million yuan. Zhi Li had the connections to borrow the money from that influential figure—yet not only had she refused, she’d even claimed the project was problematic.  

Hah! As if. Those were just excuses.  

Zhi Li had been afraid—afraid Xu Xia would make money and climb the social ladder, afraid that benefactor would start favoring Xu Xia over her.  

Of course, Zhi Li was also pitiable.  

On that family reality show, she’d been constantly scolded and belittled by her own mother, only to watch as that same mother showered her stepbrother with gentle affection. From start to finish, Zhi Li had been nothing more than a tool—used by her mother to curry favor with the wealthy family.

As for the maintenance in the living room, it was easy to guess that Xu Qingying was putting on a show for that assistant who had never appeared in her past life—undoubtedly trying to leave a good impression on the wealthy family.

Speaking of which, it seemed the preview for the live variety show would air tomorrow.

In this life, Zhi Li had been brought back to the wealthy family a week earlier. Didn’t that mean she’d be scolded and belittled by her birth mother a week sooner too?

“Zhi Li.” Xu Xia, worried about being overheard by those outside, kept her voice very soft.

Zhi Li turned around, recalling Xu Xia’s smile during dinner, and her own dimples appeared as she called out softly, “Sister Xia Xia.”

“Do you know your mom married someone else?”

“Mm!” Zhi Li hugged her sketchbook tightly, her clear, dark eyes filled with innocence and confusion. “Mom said she’s taking me to live in a new home.”

“But the new home won’t just have you. There’ll also be a strict wealthy grandmother, a stern stepfather, and a bad-tempered older brother.” Xu Xia stepped closer to Zhi Li, lowering her voice. “You’ll be looked down on by the wealthy grandmother, ignored by your stepfather, and ostracized by your stepbrother. In the future, you and your mom will even be kicked out of the family!”

Zhi Li blinked in bewilderment.

Seeing Zhi Li show no reaction, Xu Xia couldn’t help but seethe inwardly.

If Xu Qingying hadn’t arrived a week earlier than in her past life, making her miss the chance to fully win Zhi Li over, she wouldn’t have had to bring this up now.

“All of this is what I saw in a dream about the future. Don’t you remember how accurate my dreams always are?” Xu Xia said with a straight face. “The day before yesterday, I dreamed that Da He’s dad next door would abandon him. Yesterday, I dreamed the kindergarten wouldn’t accept you. Didn’t both things happen? If you tell anyone else about this dream, they’ll have bad luck—understand?”

Xu Xia pressed her palm against Zhi Li’s shoulder, coaxing her like a child. “You mustn’t let hardships defeat you. You have to cling to that family no matter what, slap them in the face, and carve out a glorious path of ‘Don’t bully a teenager for being poor’!” The last part was purely Xu Xia projecting her own aspirations onto Zhi Li.

Only if Zhi Li stubbornly clung to the wealthy family and got entangled there could she swoop in first to save that influential figure.

Rumor had it that the big shot was only seventeen or eighteen. Zhi Li had been too young when she saved him in the past, so nothing could develop between them. But if Xu Xia saved him, she’d have every chance to win his heart and rise from rags to riches.

When Zhi Li remained silent for a long time, Xu Xia asked, “Did you get all that?”

Zhi Li didn’t understand a word about slapping faces or “Don’t bully a teenager for being poor.” Timidly, she asked, “What does ‘slap their face’ mean?” Recognizing characters and hearing pronunciations were different—Zhi Li had never heard anyone use the phrase “slap their face” before.

“…” Xu Xia’s expression went blank. “Your mom just slapped my mom’s face earlier.”

Zhi Li thought back and finally recalled the loud slap her mother had delivered upon arrival. She quickly shook her head. “I won’t slap them. I can’t slap their faces.”

Xu Xia thought this kid was such a coward. “Even if they treat you like that, you won’t slap their faces?”

Zhi Li clutched her sketchbook and whispered, “One slap costs a hundred thousand. How could I afford that?”

Xu Xia: …

Damn! Is this kid stupid or sharp?!