Qiao Qiao's sudden breakdown left all three people present stunned.
Especially Qiao Qiao's parents.
Ning Dantong was stunned, too.
Standing farthest from the living room, she realized that Qiao Qiao's parents were even more cutting than she had imagined, even stricter and harsher toward Qiao Qiao.
Qiao Qiao really had been wronged.
Ning Dantong couldn't help speaking up for her. "Auntie, Uncle, if Qiao Qiao wants some, let her have some. We can all eat it together."
As she spoke, Ning Dantong walked over, opened the container of mango on the table, and used a little fork to pick out the biggest, prettiest piece, holding it right up to Qiao Qiao's lips.
Qiao Qiao froze for a moment, catching the fresh scent of mango.
But the next second, she remembered how Ning Dantong and Miao Rouning had teamed up to bully her at school.
At the same time, her father scolded her. "Just look at yourself, Qiao Qiao, then look at how considerate Tongtong is. You! Honestly! How can you be this old and still not understand something so simple? You have no manners whatsoever! Your mother and I are ashamed of you!"
Qiao Qiao fell apart even further.
She shoved Ning Dantong away, watching her fall hard to the floor before she could react. The little fork and piece of mango in her hand fell beside her, leaving her a sorry sight.
Qiao Qiao sneered. "Ning Dantong, you don't have to put on that sweet, innocent act here! You know perfectly well what you've done. All you do is lie to everyone. Don't you disgust yourself?"
Ning Dantong had no defense.
Thinking about it, even if she hadn't meant it that way, what she had just done really did look a little like playing the innocent.
Qiao Qiao's mother helped Ning Dantong up with concern. Seeing the woman open her mouth to scold Qiao Qiao, Ning Dantong hurriedly stopped her with a loud cry. "Auntie! Don't, don't! Let me talk to Qiao Qiao. You two sit down and rest!"
Qiao Qiao exploded at that. "Get lost, Ning Dantong! Just looking at you makes me sick. Dad, Mom, you're both going to take her side, are you?!"
"Listen to yourself! What kind of nonsense is that? How is this taking her side? You're clearly the one being unreasonable. Look at Tongtong, still speaking up for you. And you? All you do is yell and scream, shove her, and insult her! Is that how we raised you?"
Watching both sides grow more and more agitated, Ning Dantong felt a massive headache coming on.
She looked awkward and helpless. Neither side would listen to her.
And of course, Qiao Qiao's father chose that moment to add fuel to the fire. "Tongtong's parents aren't in this city. They entrusted her to us, so of course we have to take good care of her. But you..."
Before he could finish, Qiao Qiao pulled up her hair as she sobbed, exposing the burn scars on the back of her neck, and said:
"See these? Take a good look! She's a wolf in sheep's clothing! She smokes at school and bullies people. Last time, she had people beat me up and burn me with cigarette butts. Can't you see her for what she really is?"
Ning Dantong's heart lurched. Sure enough, "she" and Qiao Qiao had a long-standing feud, and a serious one at that.
So the best way to let Qiao Qiao vent to her heart's content was-
Ning Dantong dropped to her knees with a thud, facing Qiao Qiao's parents.
After hearing what Qiao Qiao had said and seeing those horrifying scars, Qiao Qiao's parents stood frozen in shock.
Qiao Qiao's mother asked helplessly, "This... Tongtong, what... what is going on?"
Who knew how this "Cousin Ning" had usually ingratiated herself with the couple to make them trust and care for her so much?
The way they looked at Ning Dantong now seemed to say that as long as she denied it, they would believe her.
Watching this, Ning Dantong sighed inwardly.
She remembered what Qiao Qiao had written in her diary-
"Why does no one ever believe me when my cousin falsely accuses me?
I get bullied endlessly at school, so why do they still insist it takes two to tango, that I must have provoked someone and offended them?"
Perhaps this "Cousin Ning" had falsely accused Qiao Qiao in just such a situation before, claiming that Qiao Qiao had deliberately provoked the others.
Ning Dantong pressed her lips together and looked up at Qiao Qiao's parents, who were gazing at her with blind trust.
She remained on her knees because she felt that "Cousin Ning" deserved to kneel.
Then Ning Dantong admitted it outright in a quiet voice. "Auntie, Uncle, I'm sorry. I've been getting into bad things at school."
For a moment, Qiao Qiao's parents still couldn't process it.
Their faces, so accustomed to looking respectful and humble around others, stiffened. Qiao Qiao's mother asked, "Wh-what do you mean?"
"Qiao Qiao saw me smoking. I was afraid she'd tell someone, so I got people to beat her up. And... and I burned her with cigarette butts and threatened her..."
"What?!"
Qiao Qiao's father's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ning Dantong had been living with them for almost half a year.
Because Ning Dantong's father had helped Qiao Qiao's father find his job, they had always been grateful, terrified that they might neglect Ning Dantong in some way.
And Ning Dantong had always behaved so well and sensibly, being more considerate and hardworking than Qiao Qiao. Naturally, they had grown increasingly fond of her.
But now...
She had actually been smoking at school, had people beat up their daughter, and even burned Qiao Qiao with cigarette butts.
Qiao Qiao's father stood rooted to the spot, dumbstruck and unable to react for a long time. Once her mother came to her senses, she immediately rushed to Qiao Qiao's side to check her all over for injuries.
Her lips trembled throughout the examination, but she couldn't get a single word out.
Qiao Qiao, who had been shaking all over with anger, couldn't make sense of this turn of events either. She had no idea what trick Ning Dantong was playing now, while her mother's belated concern filled her with uncontrollable sorrow.
Crying, she shook off her mother's hand and ran back to her room.
Ning Dantong slowly stood up. Unsure whether what she had done would help at all, she couldn't resist taking a deep breath.
She said apologetically to the couple, "I'll go talk to Qiao Qiao. I'm sorry, Auntie, Uncle."
Qiao Qiao's bedroom door was broken and had never been repaired, so it couldn't be locked.
Ning Dantong hesitated outside for a few seconds before opening the door and going in.
A notebook came flying straight at her.
Ning Dantong barely dodged it, then realized in a daze that it was Qiao Qiao's diary.
A figure rushed over and picked it up, looking at her with hatred and wariness.
"Qiao Qiao, um, I came to apologize."
"Your apology means nothing. Please get out!"
Ning Dantong looked at Qiao Qiao for a few seconds, then lowered her eyes. "I know what I did before was awful, unforgivable, and made you hate me. I'm not apologizing in the hope that you'll forgive me, because I know you won't. I just hope you can be happy from now on. I... I... I'll inflict every bit of the hurt I caused you before on myself."
With that, Ning Dantong's gaze hardened. She took a lighter out of her pocket and, without so much as blinking, flicked on the flame and held it against her palm.
Qiao Qiao wasn't yet the boss she would later become. At the sight, she immediately screamed in fright and instinctively tried to stop her. "Hey! Hey! Don't do that! Aah!"