Chapter 141 : Crimson Blood
"It was me, it was all me first! Sitting in Mom's lap, whispering secrets to her, or even snuggling up to her—it was all me first!"
Ling Ye puffed her cheeks, glaring at Chen Ruo, who was sitting in Ling Ning's lap and whispering with her.
"Why did it turn out like this... My first time having Mom attend a parent-teacher meeting, finally having a chance to show off in front of my own mother... Two joys coming together, bringing me even more happiness. It should've been a dream-like, wonderful time... But why did it turn out like this..."
Qin Sirou glanced at the teacher on stage, making sure he wasn't paying attention to them, and then lowered her voice to ask, "Ye Ye, did you finish reading 'The White Tower Dream'? You sound so dramatic, you're going to get yourself in trouble talking like that."
"Oh, I've just been in the mood for it lately. I've read four of the Five Great Novels; all that's left is 'Crimson Beauty,' and then I'll be done with all of them." Ling Ye answered nonchalantly.
"Wow... that's impressive. I couldn't even finish 'The White Tower Dream,' but I did enjoy 'The Romance of the Heroines' more."
Ling Ye nodded, about to share her opinion, when she heard a cough from behind. She turned around cautiously and saw her mother watching her, finger to her lips, gesturing for silence.
Ling Ye shrugged and turned back to pretend to listen attentively. But her vacant gaze made it clear her thoughts had wandered far away.
"Is that your daughter? She's adorable," Chen Ruo whispered from her spot in Ling Ning's lap.
Ling Ning nodded and replied softly, "Yes, she is. And yours?"
Feeling Ling Ning's breath on her ear, Chen Ruo's little ears reddened involuntarily, her snow-white cheeks also gaining a hint of pink.
Biting her lip reflexively, Chen Ruo pointed to the front of the classroom. "The one with the twin-tails in the very front, that's my daughter, Lin Yue."
Ling Ning followed her finger and saw the twin-tailed girl turn around, glaring daggers at her. Ling Ning blinked in confusion—what had she done to earn the wrath of this little girl?
But the moment Chen Ruo looked over at her daughter, Lin Yue's expression softened instantly, turning into a sweet, adorable smile as she gazed at her mother. Ling Ning rubbed her eyes—had she imagined the whole thing?
Lin Yue turned her head back, the adorable smile vanishing into a sharp, intense gaze. She had told her mother not to come today, knowing her poor sense of direction combined with her shyness meant she'd struggle just to find the school.
But, against all odds, her mother had come—and brought a beautiful lady with her. Lin Yue wracked her brain but couldn’t recall her mother mentioning anyone like this.
If it had just ended there, she might've let it go. But to see this beautiful woman cuddling her mother in her lap? She had always wanted to do that, only to be denied every time. Unforgivable.
And to think they were whispering, that damned vixen even blowing softly into her mother's ear. Did she not know her mother's ears were her most sensitive spot?
"Recess, when it's recess, I'll definitely take Mom back!"
At this very moment, both Lin Yue and Ling Ye had the same thought.
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Parent-teacher meetings, truth be told, were rather dull—listening to the teacher talk about recent events, student performance, and praising those who excelled academically.
But hearing her daughter being called out for praise brought Ling Ning joy. Ling Ye's scores never dipped below one hundred percent—she couldn't have been prouder.
When the other parents found out just how impressive Ling Ye's grades were, their looks towards Ling Ning shifted. Some looked eager to ask her for advice, but since the meeting was still ongoing, they managed to hold themselves back.
Chen Ruo, noticing the parents' gazes, shrank deeper into Ling Ning's embrace. With so many people watching, she felt terribly self-conscious. It was a good thing she had Ling Ning beside her—if she were alone, she might have fled already.
Parent-teacher meetings weren't particularly long or short, and soon the bell rang, signaling the end. Ling Ning was about to find her daughter when she realized she was surrounded by a swarm of parents, Chen Ruo caught up in it as well.
"Hello, could you tell me how you usually educate your daughter? My Xiao Hong's grades just never seem to improve."
"Are her grades this good because you make her study the moment she gets home?"
"I love you, ma'am!"
"..."
Faced with all these questions, Ling Ning felt overwhelmed, while Chen Ruo shivered in her lap. In the end, it was the children who stepped in to drag their parents away. If they didn’t, there was a real fear that Ling Ning might start talking about strict study regimens—and none of them wanted to hear that.
Once the crowd of parents dispersed, Ling Ning and Chen Ruo both let out a sigh of relief, only to be pulled away by their respective daughters. Ling Ye held onto Ling Ning's hand protectively, her gaze wary of Chen Ruo, while Lin Yue did the same with her mother, eyeing Ling Ning cautiously.
"Mom, how can you just go cuddling some stranger?"
"Mom, how could you let a stranger hold you like that?"
Once they had separated their mothers, both girls spoke in unison.
Ling Ning couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head as she patted her daughter's head. "Ye Ye, that’s not a nice way to talk about people. Now, say hello to Auntie Chen... um." Ling Ning glanced at Chen Ruo before correcting herself, "Say hello to Sister Chen."
"I already told you, Mo—Miss Ling isn't some stranger. If it weren't for her, Mom might still be lost in the campus," Chen Ruo scolded her daughter, hands on her hips.
For some reason, seeing Chen Ruo scolding her daughter made Ling Ning want to laugh. But she knew better than to be rude.
"Pfft—" Ling Ning couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter.
Chen Ruo turned, pouting at Ling Ning. Was scolding her daughter really that funny?
"S-sorry." Ling Ning tried to stifle her laughter, though her expression remained caught between wanting to laugh and not daring to.
Chen Ruo glared at Ling Ning, trying her best to look stern, though to everyone else, it seemed more like she was playfully pouting.
"Mom, let's go. Didn't you say you were going to take me shopping for new clothes today?" Lin Yue tugged at her mother's sleeve. Her mother used to only act cute in front of her, but now she was doing it in front of some stranger—it gave her a sense of crisis.
"Alright, alright, Mom's coming." Once she had reassured her daughter, Chen Ruo turned to Ling Ning. "Ling Ning, thank you so much for today. I have something to take care of, so I'll be going first."
"Alright, see you."
As she watched Chen Ruo being dragged away by her daughter, Ling Ning smiled—what an interesting person.
"Mom, let's go too. Didn't you say we’d get some Lanlan snacks tonight?" Ling Ye swung Ling Ning's arm.
"Alright, alright~"
Ling Ning sighed. What was so great about junk food anyway? She'd only been eating it for, what, ten years?
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Author's Note:
That's it for today—heading back to writing now, gotta get that stockpile ready for the New Year~