Su Leyun had been curled up in Su Minghui's arms, watching the show. Now, he could finally chime in.
[She really did jump down herself.]
With that one sentence, Su Minghui and Su Yinan both looked at him in surprise.
Su Leyun closed his eyes. Everything surfaced in his mind, and he let out a long sigh.
[Wen Jing is so pitiful.]
Wen Jing was the same age as Su Yinan, yet their lives had followed vastly different paths.
Although Su Yinan had never known a father's love growing up, he had a mother who doted on him. Not to mention his privileged family background meant he had never had to worry about trivial matters like food, clothing, shelter, or transportation.
Wen Jing's parents divorced when she was little. She lived with her mother in the capital, and the two depended on each other. Their life was somewhat tight, but it had still been happy.
But everything changed after Wen Jing's mother got a new boyfriend.
Wen Jing's mother became immersed in her romance. Not only did she neglect the household, she also spent the family's savings supporting that man's eating, drinking, and entertainment. Wen Jing could no longer remember how many nights she had gone to sleep hungry.
Even worse, that man eventually sweet-talked Wen Jing's mother into getting a marriage certificate with him, then moved into their home openly and lived with the mother and daughter.
Wen Jing's mother was delighted that day. She roughly pushed the unwilling Wen Jing in front of the man, her face wreathed in smiles. "Wen Jing, he'll be your new father from now on. Be good, call him Dad."
Not wanting to anger her mother, Wen Jing forced out a word as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "D... Dad..."
Perhaps because he had just gotten the marriage certificate and was still putting on an act, the man looked at Wen Jing kindly. Upon hearing her call him that, he suddenly burst into laughter. "Good, good. Be good. Dad will definitely protect you and your mother from now on. I won't let anyone bully you..."
Wen Jing's mother laughed as well, but Wen Jing inexplicably felt nothing but fear.
The facts proved that Wen Jing's fear was not without reason.
That night...
She screamed and cried in terror. Her cries drew Wen Jing's mother, who had been busy in the kitchen, and the source of Wen Jing's terror disappeared.
"What's wrong? I'm not dead, so why are you wailing like you're at a funeral?"
Realizing that her mother was not on her side, Wen Jing staggered back two steps in disbelief. She shrieked, "He's not! I hate both of you! I'm going to find my dad!"
At the mention of her ex-husband, Wen Jing's mother's emotions instantly erupted. She shoved her daughter and shouted just as loudly, "Then go find him! He's so great, so why are you still living with me?"
Wen Jing curled into a ball and crouched on the floor, crying. Overcome with emotion, Wen Jing's mother slammed the door and returned to the bedroom.
"..." Wen Jing retched dryly as tears poured down her face.
After that, Wen Jing's life seemed to fall into an endless hell.
Wen Jing watched helplessly as that door closed in front of her, as though it had never been opened at all. She gave up struggling and stared at the ceiling like a puppet. Her tears fell and soaked into her pillow.
That same year, she was admitted to Su Yinan's school because of her outstanding grades.
Her excellent academic performance made her a teacher's favorite, while her pretty face made her the center of attention among the boys. Some boldly confessed to her, but unable to ignore the misery of her own circumstances, she rejected every one of them.
Who would have thought that those people who claimed to like her could turn around and fabricate rumors to stab her in the back?
She was not talkative by nature. Over time, she became an outcast. Not only did she have no friends and was isolated, she also had to frequently endure the "pranks" of classmates who disliked her.
She wanted to seek help from her parents like other children did. As expected, her mother continued to turn a blind eye as usual, while the man actually said with a smile, "In a situation like this, you need to reflect carefully on whether you did something wrong. Flies don't bite seamless eggs. There are so many students—why don't they bully others? Why do they only bully you?"
Wen Jing was utterly disappointed.
For once, she skipped school for a day. She told the teacher she was sick and wanted to rest for the day. She had always been too well-behaved, so the teacher approved her leave without any suspicion.
Wen Jing set off early in the morning and bought a ticket to a neighboring city.
She was going to find her father—her real father.
After the divorce, Wen Jing's biological father had returned to his hometown in the neighboring city to build his career. She found the address of his workplace in her mother's text messages and searched all the way there. To her surprise, she really found him.
Wen Jing's father seemed to have just gotten off work and walked out of his workplace. Although they had not seen each other for years, he had not changed much. He even looked more energetic than before the divorce.
Wen Jing could not muster the courage to go up and greet him. She followed him all the way back to his current home.
The moment he opened the door, a child around four or five years old rushed over and affectionately called out, "Dad!" From Wen Jing's angle, she could also see a gentle-looking woman inside placing dishes on the table.
It was the picture of a very harmonious family of three.
So Dad was not only her father. He was someone else's father now, too.
She was even less daring to approach. Just as she was about to slip away quietly, Wen Jing's sharp-eyed father caught her red-handed.
Recognizing his daughter, whom he had not seen for many years, he nervously glanced back into the house. Seeing that his wife had not noticed them, he quickly pulled Wen Jing aside.
"Why are you here?"
Wen Jing answered vaguely, "There's a competition here for school. I was passing by, so I came to see you."
Wen Jing's father touched her head with relief. "Our Jingjing has grown up too. You're a young lady now."
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