Even if she were foolish, she knew Xue Jiao couldn't live together with Li Shu's son Hongyi!
With Hongyi's hooligan temperament, what if he didn't improve and instead Xue Jiao ended up corrupted?
After all, Xue Jiao used to be...
What if Hongyi led Xue Jiao back to her former "delinquent" ways?
Li Shu, sharp as ever, took one look at her expression and immediately knew what she was thinking. She looked at Li Sitong and said, "Sitong, I really think this is a great idea! Even someone like Yi Dafa knows to keep his son close to Xue Jiao—it must mean your daughter really has a positive influence!"
Li Sitong forced a smile. "Xue Jiao doesn’t understand any of this. She just buries her head in books, studying mindlessly. She doesn’t know how to guide others!"
Li Shu set aside the mahjong tile she had just drawn and walked over, gently taking Li Sitong’s hand. Softly, she said—
"You younger sisters are always better at raising kids. How do you usually communicate with your child? When I talk to Hongyi, he just rolls his eyes and ignores me. His father can beat him, but a child’s problems can’t always be solved by just hitting them, right?"
"Yes, you shouldn’t hit children often," Li Sitong replied bitterly. It was precisely because she had hit Xue Jiao that the girl still kept her at arm’s length now!
Even though Xue Jiao acted like everything was fine between them, Li Sitong could clearly sense the distance and indifference.
"Give me some advice—how do you raise your child?" Li Shu’s eyes reddened as she spoke. "I’m truly at my wit’s end! I’ve tried everything!"
Li Sitong felt a pang of sympathy looking at the woman before her. Her expression mirrored her own from the past—
Helpless, lost, doubtful, pained...
"Li-jie, I really don’t know. Xue Jiao just changed overnight after making a bet with Mingjiao!" She paused, then added, "Uncle Cheng said we should give children trust and praise, not just constant criticism."
Li Shu froze for a moment before murmuring, "So that’s how it is... His father always yells at him, and I only know how to scold him..."
Her expression was utterly lost. Li Sitong saw her past self in her—the same helpless woman staring at a rebellious Xue Jiao.
Unable to hold back, she patted Li Shu’s shoulder. "Change your approach. Talk to him more."
Li Shu suddenly looked up. "No! Hongyi’s beyond reasoning now. His father can’t control his temper, and I can’t stop myself from nagging him! Sitong, I’m really suffering."
"I understand, I understand. I was the same before," Li Sitong said, her eyes welling up.
"Yes, yes, you get it. When a child won’t listen, no matter how much you watch over them, it’s never enough!"
Wasn’t that exactly how Xue Jiao used to be?
She had scolded her, hit her, reasoned with her—only to push her further away each time!
Li Sitong grew even more moved.
Li Shu clutched her hand, pleading. "Sitong, I know you’re worried about sending Xue Jiao to my place because I can’t control Hongyi. Then how about I send Hongyi to stay at your house for a while?"
"Ah?" Li Sitong was stunned.Li Shu was still clutching her hand tightly, eyes brimming with tears: "Xue Jiao must study hard. If you're worried, I'll send the child over during winter break. Your family has two such outstanding children, and parents like you and Cheng Shuo who are so good at raising them! You can keep Xue Jiao with you every day then, and Hongyi would never lead her or Cheng Mingze astray!"
Li Sitong was still hesitant, feeling something wasn't quite right.
"Sitong, I'm begging you as your elder sister. If you're afraid it'll be troublesome, just have him stay a few days during winter break. If you're unhappy, just call me and I'll come get Hongyi immediately! Just treat it as an ordinary relative's child staying over for a few days!"
Li Shu's reasoning was sound, and Li Sitong opened her mouth, unsure how to respond.
Madam Chang sighed: "Every family has its own difficulties, Sitong. Just take Hongyi with you. You'll be home every day keeping an eye on things—nothing will happen. If Hongyi doesn't behave at your place, just send him back."
"That's right, sister-in-law. You wouldn't refuse to help Sister Li, would you? If I recall, your house is quite spacious—can't it accommodate one more child?" Liu Yazhen said with a meaningful smile.
Li Sitong hesitated, but Li Shu's pleading, so reminiscent of her own past helplessness, moved her. Finally, she said: "Alright then."
——
"I disagree!" To Li Sitong's surprise, after she recounted the day's events, Cheng Shuo was the first to object.
Xue Jiao, on the other hand, remained silent, frowning.
"I disagree too," Cheng Mingze stated firmly, his expression serious.
Li Sitong blinked in confusion. "It's just for a few days during winter break. The nanny and I will be home every day—nothing will happen, right? He won't be a bad influence, will he?"
"Foolish!"
Rarely did Cheng Shuo show such frustration toward Li Sitong.
"What?" she asked, bewildered.
"You think just because you're home nothing could possibly happen?!" Cheng Shuo's face flushed with anger. "They're around the same age, Bai Hongyi is already an adult, and Xue Jiao excels in every way. That Bai Hongyi is no good! There's nothing positive he could possibly teach them!"
"I'll keep Xue Jiao in my sight at all times..." Li Sitong continued, still unable to comprehend why allowing Bai Hongyi to stay would provoke such strong opposition.
"It's not the thief you fear, but the thief's intentions," Cheng Mingze suddenly said with a frown, looking at Li Sitong disapprovingly.
"Exactly! If you let Bai Hongyi stay, someone like him might negatively influence Xue Jiao—or worse, set his sights on our Jiao Jiao. Can you watch him for an entire winter break? Can you watch him forever?!" Cheng Shuo tugged at his tie.
Cheng Mingze nodded in agreement. "I know Bai Hongyi. Someone like him and Xue Jiao are worlds apart—it's best they never meet."
"But... I already agreed..." Li Sitong's eyes filled with regret as the implications dawned on her.
"Why didn't you think this through today? How could you agree so casually? One child in our home is about to take the college entrance exams, the other is a beautiful young girl—how could you let such a troublemaker stay?!" Cheng Shuo sighed in exasperation.
Li Sitong shrank back, her voice growing small. "Li Shu kept begging me. Seeing her distress and pain—it was just like how I used to be—I couldn't help but soften. Their family really doesn't know how to raise children properly...""We don't need a tutor in our home," Cheng Mingze said gloomily. "Our situation is complicated right now, and the next couple of years are crucial."
He absolutely refused to allow some seemingly useless man to move into their home and get close to his sweet, adorable... sister.
Xue Jiao remained silent throughout. The two men had already shut down the idea and explained the key points to Li Sitong.
To be honest, her stepfather... really acted like a father.
And her brother... today, he seemed very much like an older brother...
"Then how should I refuse her? I already agreed..." Li Sitong understood the inconvenience but regretted her hasty promise. Now she was even more troubled about how to decline.
"Just say the kids have classes during winter break, and it wouldn’t be convenient for Hongyi to stay over. He wouldn’t learn much anyway," Cheng Shuo suggested with a frown.
"Would that offend Li Shu? You still have to work with Boss Bai," Li Sitong worried. Boss Bai was currently Cheng Shuo’s client, and mishandling this could cause trouble for him.
Cheng Shuo sighed. "It’s no trouble. Business is business—private matters shouldn’t interfere."
His words were meant to reassure everyone, but they also reflected his true thoughts. His daughter came first—no business was more important than her.
Xue Jiao roughly understood his feelings, and her heart softened slightly.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Cheng Shuo raised a hand to stop her, smiling gently.
"Alright, let’s leave it at that for today. You two should go to bed. Your mother and I will handle this tomorrow."
Xue Jiao fell silent. Cheng Shuo’s tone made it clear the decision was final.
——
"Husband, what should we do? If I say the kids have tutoring, she’ll know it’s an excuse. What if they insist on sending Bai Hongyi to the same classes?" Li Sitong fretted.
Cheng Shuo pulled back the covers and sat on the bed, sighing.
"I never intended for you to say that. Given how they dote on their only son, Li Shu is determined to latch onto Jiao Jiao this time."
"Ah?" Li Sitong’s face paled in alarm.
"So you’ll have to be direct. Say Xue Jiao is young and pretty, Mingze is preparing for college entrance exams, and our home can’t accommodate outsiders right now," Cheng Shuo said, lying down.
"Ah? Wouldn’t that openly offend them?"
"We have no choice but to offend them—otherwise, we won’t cut off future trouble." Cheng Shuo paused, then added irritably, "What nonsense is that second sister-in-law stirring up now?"
Li Sitong shared his frustration. "She just can’t stand seeing me and Jiao Jiao doing well!"
Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong had a restless night, and Gu Xue Jiao also found it hard to sleep.
She picked up her phone, then hesitated.
She realized she might be relying too much on Lin Zhihua—it seemed like every time she faced a problem, she turned to him...
That man’s thoughts were exceptionally sharp, his mind seemingly vast and boundless, as if nothing in the world could ever truly trouble him.
Xue Jiao decided she shouldn’t keep bothering him with every little thing and set her phone aside.
At that moment, as if sensing her thoughts, her phone buzzed with a message.
[Lin Zhihua: Good night.jpg]
Xue Jiao stared at the screen for a long while before replying.
[Good night.]
Instantly, another message arrived.
[What’s wrong? Did something bother you?]
Xue Jiao’s eyes widened in disbelief.
[How did you know?!]
The reply came instantly—["You've been editing for so long, yet only replied with two words."]
Xue Jiao was slightly taken aback. Unable to hold back, she continued—
["I'm a bit troubled by something... I don't know if I should ask you..."]
On the other end of the phone, Lin Zhihua frowned slightly. It seemed he still wasn't good enough...
To the point where Xue Jiao would hesitate to ask him for help when facing difficulties...
["Lin Zhihua: What misconception have I given you that makes you think you can't ask me anything?"]
Xue Jiao paused again, then smiled.
Come to think of it, he had always been very kind to her, answering all her questions and even helping her with outlines.
It might sound unbelievable, but in this world, the person she trusted the most wasn't her biological parents, nor her kindest stepfather—it was actually the person on the other end of the phone...
Her fingers tapped as she recounted everything that had happened that evening.
["What should I do? My mom has already agreed. I feel that if we really refuse after agreeing, it might offend the other party, and Uncle Cheng could suffer significant losses."]
Although Cheng Shuo hadn't said anything, she could tell from Li Sitong's worried expression that something was amiss.
He might not mind, but Xue Jiao did.
She would feel guilty if her stepfather sacrificed his own interests for her sake.
Lin Zhihua's mind never disappointed her. Moments later, a reply came through.
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