Searching for Someone

Xu Ruyi's face slowly reddened as well, and her lips began to tremble. Yet more than anger, she felt somewhat flustered.

"Are you blaming me for not looking for your sister's iron tree? I told you, sometimes looking is useless. Like today, it's not as if we didn't go down there—some things can't be found once they're lost. Are we supposed to keep grieving over them forever?"

"Is that what I'm talking about?! Stop changing the subject!"

"...Then what are you talking about?" Xu Ruyi controlled her volume, trying to show the indignation of someone who had been offended. "Is that any way to speak to your mother? You..."

"Do you love me, Mom? Do you love me?"

"What kind of question is that... What mother wouldn't love her own daughter—"

"Then why, no matter what happens in this family, do you never turn around and look at me! Why do you only care about what outsiders think? Why don't you care whether I'm suffering? Why did you make me watch you—watch all of you endure so much torment, while making me pretend nothing ever happened! Did you ever think about how I felt?!"

Xu Ruyi opened her mouth again. She struggled to process her daughter's accusations, yet she felt as though she could not understand what Ding Yuqing was saying.

"...Endure? Endure what?" Xu Ruyi frowned and blinked. "Ah... Are you asking why I refused to divorce your father?"

From the distance, Ding Jiali suddenly let out an ill-timed scoff. "I'm telling you, Ding Yuqing, you've really had enough. In this family, you try to persuade everyone you meet to get divorced—"

"Shut up!" Ding Yuqing glared at him. "I'm talking to my mom. It's not your place to interrupt!"

Xu Ruyi tried to answer, but her mind was