At the thought of tonight's racing competition and the chance to see the cool and stylish Auntie Wuwu again, Feng Jingxin's mood brightened.
After changing her clothes, she picked up her phone and glanced at the screen. Soon, her little brows furrowed. Usually, whenever she sent a message to Auntie Wuwu, the woman would reply very quickly. But today, even after she had finished washing up, there was still no response.
Is Auntie Wuwu angry?
Worried, she quickly sent another message to Lin Wu.
[Auntie Wuwu, what's wrong? Are you mad at me?]
[Auntie Wuwu, you know I didn't want Mom to take me to school. You know I like you more. Auntie Wuwu, please don't be mad, okay?]
Even after a long while, Lin Wu did not reply.
Rong Ci finished packing her things and came over to find her. "Jingxin? Are you ready? It's time to go downstairs for breakfast."
Having received no reply from Lin Wu, Feng Jingxin was already anxious. Facing Rong Ci's urging, she snapped impatiently, "I know! Mom, can you stop talking all the time? You're so annoying, don't you know?"
With that, she grabbed her backpack in a huff and stormed downstairs.
Rong Ci watched her go and followed silently behind her. However, she noticed that the clothes Feng Jingxin was wearing looked very unfamiliar.
In the past, her clothes had always been prepared by Rong Ci after consulting the girl's opinions to ensure they matched her tastes. But ever since Feng Jingxin followed Feng Tingshen to Country A, her aesthetic had changed.
Word was that this was because she had been learning rock climbing and skateboarding from Lin Wu. It was said that Lin Wu was not only academically brilliant but also had numerous hobbies; she was the epitome of a dazzling and charming modern woman. She was highly skilled in skateboarding, rock climbing, and even paragliding.
Feng Jingxin idolized her completely, to the point that even her personal preferences had shifted.
In the past, although Rong Ci had been hurt by how close her daughter was to Lin Wu, she never said anything since it was the girl's own preference. In fact, over the last two years, Rong Ci had even started buying clothes based on her daughter's new tastes. But Feng Jingxin would only spare those new clothes a few glances and never actually wore them.
Now, she only wore clothes picked out by Lin Wu.
Looking at the outfit Feng Jingxin had on, Rong Ci guessed what was happening almost instantly. However, she didn't ask. Acting as if she hadn't noticed, she maintained a natural expression as she headed downstairs.
When they reached the lower floor, Feng Tinglin and the others were still in bed. The Old Madame Feng, however, was already awake.
"Xiao Ci, Jingxin, you're both up so early?"
Rong Ci smiled. "Good morning, Grandma."
In a bad mood, Feng Jingxin gave a muffled greeting. "Good morning, Great-grandma."
The Old Madame Feng asked, "Is our little Jingxin unhappy? Did something happen?"
Feng Jingxin said nothing. She didn't feel like talking.
The butler, who had heard Rong Ci knocking on the girl's door earlier, chuckled and said, "She was probably woken up before she was finished sleeping, so she's a bit grumpy."
The Old Madame Feng laughed softly at that, then asked, "Where is Tingshen? Is he not up yet?"
Rong Ci's expression remained unchanged. "Tingshen had some business and went out last night."
The Old Madame Feng's face instantly darkened. She guessed exactly what that "business" entailed. However, seeing that a child was present, she couldn't very well criticize Feng Tingshen's faults out loud, so she remained silent.
After breakfast, as they were preparing to leave, Feng Jingxin realized she had forgotten something and ran back upstairs to grab it. Rong Ci sat downstairs and waited for her.
Just then, Feng Jingxin's phone screen lit up with a notification. Someone had sent her a message.
Rong Ci caught sight of the contact name on the alert: "Dearest Auntie Wuwu."
Rong Ci paused. Although Feng Jingxin was still young, Rong Ci had always respected her privacy ever since she got a phone. She had never peeked at it. But after seeing the sender's name, she hesitated for a moment before picking up the device.
Finally, she understood why Feng Jingxin had been losing her temper so frequently since early morning.
She quickly scrolled through their chat history and discovered that Feng Jingxin took the initiative to message Lin Wu every morning to say good morning. They chatted every single day. And they talked for a very long time.
Hearing the sound of the elevator approaching, Rong Ci put the phone back in its original place, acting as if she had seen nothing.
Feng Jingxin reclaimed her phone and opened it. Seeing that Lin Wu had actually replied, saying she couldn't bear to be mad at her and that she had only missed the earlier messages because she wasn't awake yet, the girl immediately broke into a happy smile.
Walking ahead, Rong Ci caught a glimpse of her daughter's face and knew exactly why she was so happy. Feng Jingxin was so immersed in her joy that she didn't even notice her mother looking back.
Once in the car, Feng Jingxin sat in the back and began chatting with Lin Wu. Occasionally, she would sneak a peek to see if Rong Ci was paying attention. Seeing that Rong Ci was merely focused on driving, she felt relieved.
However, the school was quite far away. After chatting for half an hour, the conversation with Lin Wu tapered off. By this time, Feng Jingxin's mood had fully recovered, and she finally felt like talking to Rong Ci.
"Mom, are you free this afternoon?"
Rong Ci didn't look back. "Why do you ask?"
Feng Jingxin didn't answer directly, choosing instead to act spoiled. "Just tell me!"
"I have a lot on my plate lately, so I'm not free. Why?"
Feng Jingxin smiled brightly. "Oh... nothing, then."
Since her mom wasn't free, she definitely wouldn't make a special trip to pick her up after school. That meant she could go straight to Auntie Wuwu after school without worrying about her mom finding out. Success!
Upon arriving at the school, Rong Ci spent a moment chatting with Feng Jingxin's homeroom teacher. Then, led by the teacher, they headed toward the girl's classroom.
As they reached the door, a sweet, childish voice suddenly called out to Rong Ci, "Sister Rong!"
Rong Ci blinked in surprise just as a small, pink figure suddenly dove into her arms. Worried the child might fall, Rong Ci quickly leaned down to catch her.
When the child looked up, Rong Ci recognized her immediately. "Tiantian?"
This was the neighbor's child she had rescued a few days ago when the girl had almost been bitten by a dog.
"Mm-hmm!" Tiantian wore two delicate little braids. She looked incredibly adorable in her pink outfit, her smile sweet and well behaved.
Rong Ci's voice softened instinctively as she smiled. "So Tiantian goes to school here too—"
"Ah!"
Before Rong Ci could finish her sentence, little Tiantian was violently shoved out of her arms by Feng Jingxin.
Rong Ci rushed to support the child who had fallen to the ground. "Tiantian, are you okay?"
Tiantian shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears as she looked at Feng Jingxin. She didn't understand why she had been pushed. "You... how could you push me..."
Feng Jingxin had been stunned at first when she saw another child throw herself into Rong Ci's arms. But seeing how familiar the girl seemed with Rong Ci, and seeing her mother holding the child and refusing to let go, her face turned sour.
Staring at how Tiantian looked like she was about to cry over a single fall, Feng Jingxin's face twisted with disdain. "So weak and fragile, all 'pink and tender' how ugly and disgusting!"
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