Chapter 93

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Chapter 93: Punishment, Father and Daughter Meet, Resolving Past Grievances

Tang Liuli stumbled out of bed, and after burning away the filth with "Heart Flow," she finally returned to normal, becoming her timid and gloomy self with social anxiety.

At that moment, her previous erratic behavior seemed to transform into abstract thoughts in her mind, turning into a monster that ruthlessly destroyed everything Tang Liuli enjoyed in her mental world – playing video games, watching cartoons, sleeping, and drinking soda.

——Wishing for death, feeling ashamed, wishing for death, feeling ashamed, wishing for death, feeling ashamed.

Even without guilt towards Chu Yuanqing, and without extreme self-loathing, the torture of social anxiety was already unbearable, shattering her self-esteem and soul repeatedly, enough to urge her to end her life right away.

With these three factors combined, the thought of leaving this beautiful world raced through her chaotic mind, galloping forward, surpassing the peak.

Tang Liuli staggered to her desk, without any thought and unable to continue thinking. Her trembling hand grabbed a pen from the pen holder, ready to stab her throat.

With a cold and angry tone, a voice echoed in the room:

"Tang Liuli!!!"

Tang Liuli instantly recalled being scolded by the director, getting hit on the hand with a ruler by her mom, and being questioned by her teacher for not doing her homework. She looked scared, trembling and kneeling on the ground in embarrassment, her mind blank.

So scary, so scary, so scary, Mother Qing… When she gets angry, it’s so scary!

Chu Yuanqing wiped the blood from her lips, her expression calm. Her once loving and gentle golden eyes now looked like flowing lava, consuming all softness, leaving only burning rage.

At that moment, with a core of human brilliance and hidden divine charm, Chu Yuanqing’s captivating witching allure, along with her owner’s intense emotions, restrained all her compassion and radiance.

Majestic like a prison, majestic like the sea.

The dazzling allure, more captivating than a succubus, had completely transformed into a compelling force that oppressed the spirit.

Chu Yuanqing was indeed angry. She was very gentle and easygoing, but that didn’t mean she had no limits.

If the previous fake kisses and being pinned on the bed were just childish pranks, then the current act of suicide undoubtedly raises the issue to another level.

Chu Yuanqing doesn’t deny the choice of suicide. Among her familiar comrades, 60% sacrificed themselves in the process of fighting against Disaster Wave and the Calamity God, while the remaining 40% chose suicide.

Some lost their loved ones, some didn’t want to burden others after becoming disabled, some were tired of wandering and wanted to die in their homeland, some became desperate about this era because of the Calamity God, and some were mentally broken to the point of madness…

This is the helplessness of a grand era. Choosing to live and continue the struggle at that time, facing more fears and despair, was far more than just ending it all through death.

Chu Yuanqing doesn’t think that only in such times can one choose the path of suicide. The sufferings in the world are always varied. Perhaps for some people, suicide is not a trivial and impulsive decision.

But for Tang Liuli now, it seems like child’s play in her eyes.

Because she is still a child, her emotions are fickle and complex, her personality is inexperienced and immature, and her choices are impulsive and irrational.

What she needs now is not pampering, but a truly meaningful and serious education.

Chu Yuanqing approached the green-eyed cat, threw the cardigan over its head, took away the ballpoint pen in her hand, and threw it on the nearby table. She asked in a distant and calm manner:

"Tang Liuli, please put on your clothes first, then calmly tell me why you want to die."

Tang Liuli was extremely scared.

People online say that the more gentle and honest a person seems, the scarier they can be when they get angry.

Right now, the love and warmth she used to feel from the other person turned into a huge sense of anger and disappointment. It felt like the bursting veins of a rose, suffocating, hot, terrifying, and awe-inspiring.

In that moment, enjoying the stolen motherly love, the green-eyed cat who acted like a guilty mother, faced harsh punishment.

Tang Liuli curled up shaking, looking confused, almost turning into a blob, wanting to escape from this world immediately.

Because she was too afraid, she couldn’t pretend to be dead or act like she didn’t hear anything. She could only shiver, bury her head into her hood, play with her bangs to cover her eyes, like a scaredy-cat, crouching on the ground, apologizing crazily:

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m a worm, a fraud, a pervert. I should have died 76 million years ago as a ancient Cuban solenodon."

"I didn’t even consider how my death here would cause trouble for Little Qing, I’m so stupid, not even as smart as a woodlouse. Please forgive me, I’ll do anything, wear a maid outfit, dance on the edge, bark like a dog, lick shoes, as long as you’re not mad, anything is fine."

Chu Yuanqing let Tang Liuli keep talking, she could see what was bothering her and realized that just being gentle didn’t make sense to her now.

In fact, Tang Liuli might feel so bad that she wants to die, partly because she thinks her actions have hurt herself.

Even though from a god’s perspective, aside from that kiss, the other things didn’t bring any advantage to Tang Liuli; even the kiss itself triggered a healing mechanism that greatly reduced the effects of the curse rampage and magic repulsion.

In fact, Chu Yuanqing didn’t feel like she lost out, she felt like she gained something subjectively.

But the problem is, Tang Liuli doesn’t know these details, being gentle with her only makes her feel more guilty, having the opposite effect.

So, she needs to go through a strict, harsh, even cruel lesson.

Chu Yuanqing took out her phone, the screen showed a moving sunflower icon, indicating a few messages were received, including a selfie taken at a coffee shop.

Chu Yuanqing replied to her daughter’s message first, saying she had driven near Zhelong Town, was walking over, and would be there in five minutes, then turned to the green-eyed cat, and calmly asked:

"As long as I don’t get angry, will you do whatever I say?"

"Even if it’s something unfair and goes against your personal principles, would you still obey?"

Tang Liuli nodded fearfully, she didn’t dare call the current Chu Yuanqing as Honey Qing anymore.

What Great Devil? What sakura girl? When Mother Qing gets angry, she’s scarier than all bad women combined!

The little girl shivered, tears in her eyes as she swore:

"I will obey, anything, any request is fine."

Chu Yuanqing watched this scene with a subtle disdain in her eyes. Even the cutest green-eyed cat would look ashamed after sniffing, she threw a pack of tissues at the cat’s head, maintaining a cold tone, saying:

"Firstly, no suicide allowed."

Tang Liuli wanted to speak but was harshly suppressed by the disdainful look.

Chu Yuanqing continued:

"Don’t you feel sorry for me? Killing yourself won’t solve any problems, it will only cause me a lot of trouble."

"Haven’t you thought about what kind of rumors will spread if the former child star mysteriously commits suicide after a public performance?"

"Once this scandal breaks out, even if ‘Dazzling Stage’ is not forced to stop, the show’s popularity will be suppressed by the authorities. All 167 contestants will be affected by your actions, and Kyoto’s ‘Dazzling Stage’ will emerge as the biggest winner."

"This is just the beginning. Online viewers will scrutinize all contestants who have good or bad relationships with you on camera with a magnifying glass. They will suspect if you have been bullied or subjected to emotional abuse."

"And that includes me."

Chu Yuanqing’s eyelashes drooped, her golden pupils displaying a strange coldness, gazing down as if questioning with disappointment and detachment in her eyes.

Tang Liuli’s expression stiffened, as cold as ice.

Huh? Is me committing suicide hurting Little Qing? Am I… going to be truly disliked by Little Qing?

No, absolutely not!

Whenever she thought about how Chu Yuanqing would dislike her and how she would never receive her kindness, a strong fear would grow wildly and spread throughout her body.

The girl’s heart kept falling downwards, a sense of emptiness engulfed her whole body. She frantically shook her head in denial, wanting to say something but feeling more and more suffocated, unable to speak.

Until…

"I will forgive you, as long as you promise to keep your word."

This statement was like giving her oxygen, helping her break free from the dark sea and suddenly come alive.

Tang Liuli immediately sat up straight like a good student, nodding repeatedly, and replied:

"Mm-hmm, I will be obedient, I am very obedient."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yuanqing’s cold little face showed some relief. It was as if she was giving a reward, she reached out and patted the head of the green-eyed cat. However, as soon as she noticed the enjoyment from the other party, she quickly withdrew her gaze, feeling something was amiss.

No, she definitely needed to give this child a heavy punishment.

Chu Yuanqing thought carefully for a moment and then said softly to Tang Liuli, who had just shown a happy expression on her face:

"By the way, starting today, your bedtime stories are canceled."

Tang Liuli felt confused for a moment, like a cat whose food bowl had been taken away. She couldn’t believe it and her green eyes widened, the smile on her lips gradually disappearing. She seemed like a frozen abstract painting, cracking apart slowly.

The little girl’s lips quivered for a while, her eyes teary, unable to say anything but swallowing a sob, nodding to show she was obedient.

Chu Yuanqing was not hesitant at all. She could be very indulgent when she wanted to but firm when necessary. Without dwelling on the topic, she straightforwardly said:

"I need to go out for a while. You stay here and do your homework."

Tang Liuli blinked, and asked softly in confusion:

"Homework?"

Chu Yuanqing picked up the pen on the table, glanced at the ink inside, and gave a devilish reply:

"Yes, it’s about your homework. Reflect on what you did wrong today, write a self-criticism with this, then write your recent work plans and intentions. Think deeply about your life and dreams, list all your favorite foods and hobbies, seriously consider your true sexual orientation…"

Chu Yuanqing carefully reiterated her demands for another three minutes before continuing:

"Use this pen that you were going to use for suicide to write, write until the ink runs out."

"No condoning word count, no wasting ink from the pen, and definitely no half-hearted efforts."

"Set up your phone here to record a video yourself, I will come later to inspect and approve each one."

After speaking, she added a terrifying threat:

"If you write poorly, in the future when I tell bedtime stories to Qingxuan and Xiaoxiao, you must wear headphones and not listen at all."

Tang Liuli was greatly shocked. She had just comforted herself that although she didn’t have the right to choose the stories, she could still eavesdrop on Mother Qing telling stories to others!

Oh no, how could there be such a cruel punishment in this world?

Is there any difference between explaining to your husband that you won’t argue with him throughout your life and threatening to have two little kids yell at you every day if you work less than eighty hours overtime per week, and by the way, who cares about that?!

"I… I… I promise to complete the task."

Tang Liuli dared not object, trembling as she picked up the round pen on the table. She regretted not choosing the pen with the least ink in front. She swallowed her bitterness and sorrow, obediently sitting at her desk, setting up her phone to record, opening her new notebook, and starting to work on her homework, tears streaming down her face.

Glancing behind her, Chu Yuanqing suppressed her feelings of guilt. She walked out the door, went to the bathroom to freshen up, magically changing the color of her eyes and hair, and sighed with a complex expression.

"She may have schizophrenia, and it’s probably related to her family issues."

"Even so, Liuli still managed to suppress the illness with ‘Heart Flow’ at that time. She is a pitiful yet strong child."

While it’s despicable to use Liuli’s emotional attachment and dependence to morally constrain her, it’s currently the best approach.

Nonetheless, it’s okay. I believe that if she makes more friends and eventually falls in love with an industry like Miyuki did, she can gradually overcome her psychological shadows.

For now, she needed to focus on her adorable daughter.

…

…

A few minutes later, at the coffee shop.

The wind chimes swayed, making a crisp sound that dispersed some of the summer fatigue.

Chu Wang Shu looked at her father, whose tired appearance showed signs of aging, feeling nervous she discreetly hid the gift bag on the side and finally spoke up in the silence:

"Dad… Have you been working hard lately? You look very tired."

Chu Yuanqing nervously sat in a blind spot at the bar, where she could see her lovely daughter. She had asked Tang Liuli for the password to access the monitoring screen on her phone, making sure everything was well-prepared.

The Magic Clone was flawless in every aspect, from appearance to expression, even replicating touch, temperature, and fingerprints perfectly, except for two things that needed special attention.

One, it consumed a lot of magic power.

Two, don’t stay too far apart.

In simple terms, this thing needs a lot of magic to work when it’s far away. The farther it is and the weaker the signal, the more magic is needed to connect them.

So… Chu Yuanqing hoped her lovely daughter wouldn’t mention any strange requests about driving around Zhelong Town!

Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment. She didn’t want to lie to her daughter, so she decided to answer in a roundabout way. But as she spoke, she found herself starting to complain a bit:

"Work? I have been feeling tired lately. Dealing with clients and their new demands is so different. I have to completely rethink my sales strategy."

"The tasks given by the clients are also very strange. In the end, things often don’t go as planned. The planning department is very capable, but they clash with the sales department’s goals."

"The company leaders like to make big announcements. During meetings, they always criticize the sales department, which is very annoying."

Chu Wang Shu was touched.

Even though Chu Wang Shu didn’t fully understand what was being said, she could sense the challenges of the adult world. She once again realized how difficult it was to live in this city and raise a child on her own.

Oh, when Dad works, it must be even harder than my own training, right? Maybe he really needs some extra emotional support.

The little girl debated for a while, overcame her inner resistance, gathered her courage, and said:

"Dad, actually… I don’t mind if you find a new mom."

The words faded away.

Chu Yuanqing felt puzzled, why did the child suddenly bring up this topic?

But soon, she realized the answer.

Indeed, Little Shu had never experienced a mother’s love, and with Chu Yuanqing being busy with work and unintentionally distant, she had been feeling lonely for years. So when she said this, she must have been hoping for Chu Yuanqing to find a nice stepmother to make a complete family.

Chu Yuanqing felt very guilty.

Because she knew this was an impossible task and considering her current situation, it was not possible to use Magic Clone to fall in love. Just the harsh reality of limited time alone would ruin everything morally.

However, learning more about Little Shu through this topic wouldn’t be a bad thing.

"Chu Yuanying" stirred the latte art in his coffee with a spoon, then looked up and asked:

"If I had a stepmother, what kind of person would Little Shu want her to be?"

Chu Wang Shu was greatly surprised. In her original expectation, there was a 70% chance that her father would remain silent on this topic. But he seemed interested in continuing the conversation, so she excitedly said:

"I hope she is kind and gentle, good at household chores, cooks as deliciously as you do, and is a little prettier, younger, and has a better figure."

"In terms of height, a few more centimeters taller than 1.6 meters would be nice. But the most important thing is her demeanor. She should have a bright smile that can heal hearts and radiate a sparkling aura."

Chu Yuanqing pondered for a moment, feeling something strange, but she didn’t dwell on it and replied earnestly:

"That sounds wonderful. Such a person would surely be liked by many."

Chu Wang Shu felt a bit proud at the mention of Little Qing’s successful career. She thought to herself that it’s only natural. Little Qing had earned millions of likes, snatching the main carry position among popular competitors, shining like a treasure on the stage. With over six million Weibo fans, she was bound to become a nationwide sensation.

The stepmother template makes it impossible not to be popular!

Unfortunately, even though Little Qing likes older men like her dad, due to her idol’s rules, the show’s contract, and the online bullying, they don’t have a chance.

So, as a compromise, as long as the stepmother and Little Qing are 30% similar, she will accept it happily.

Dad, do your best to find me a stepmother like that!

Chu Wang Shu eagerly looked forward to enjoying Honey Qing’s replacement meal, bring it quickly.

Chu Yuanqing remained unaware, absorbed in chatting about trivial things with her lovely daughter.

Time passed slowly yet quickly.

The noisy summer cicadas, along with a few swaying sunbeams, passed through the French windows.

The faint clinking of the spoon against the cup wall, occasionally mingling with the loud noise of wind chimes, was particularly crisp.

The old man with silver hair and a suit wiped the bar counter, playing a piano piece called "River Flows In You". On this cozy afternoon, the music flowed gently like a calm sea, giving a different texture to the scattered sunlight.

The conversation between the father and daughter seemed ordinary and boring to others. They talked about favorite songs, recent books they read, whether their clothes looked outdated, if they preferred classical or romantic music on the piano, their favorite philosophers, how cute the orange cat in the neighborhood was, and whether they had been happy lately.

The little fragments and pieces gathered over the past 17 years accumulated in the container called life, waiting silently to be awakened and revived in a fleeting moment, rising and falling in the daylight.

Chu Yuanqing thought she probably wouldn’t have the chance to talk about all of them with her daughter.

Whether it was her own past, the experiences of the past 17 years, or many deliberately buried, unspeakable secrets, some parts were destined to be buried with her.

However, at least during this brief afternoon, during almost two hours of chatting, she saw her daughter’s smile, gained precious happiness, and finally understood things that had puzzled her for ten years in the past.

Regardless of whether her relationship with Little Shu was strained before her death, Little Shu remained her only support and loved one in this world. As long as this fact remained unchanged, given Little Shu’s personality, the heart-wrenching experiences and sorrows would not diminish much.

As Chu Yuanying himself, he couldn’t grasp this issue.

Dealing with the curse of the Sea of Truth and the trivial matters at work had already left him mentally and physically exhausted.

Constant suffering all the time erased any room for thinking, making people gradually numb and closer to being like zombies. The result was almost inevitable.

Chu Yuanqing began to feel grateful for making the choice to change her life.

Some things are like that, without changing perspectives and feelings, one will never find the right answer.

And because of this, her communication with her daughter this time was relaxed and free, no longer silent and cold.

This fresh vitality made the Magic Clone seem to slowly grow flesh, causing Chu Wang Shu to clearly notice her father’s sincere response, with more and more smiles on his face.

Chu Yuanqing felt relieved and silently thanked Little Liuli who was still working hard on her homework above.

Without the unexpected activation of magic twice by the other party, she wouldn’t have had the chance to spend so long with her daughter. At most, they would talk for an hour before finding a reason to leave.

As for now…

9。 Chu Yuanqing lowered her eyes, clutching the pendant in front of her chest, silently coming up with an answer, and making a plan in her heart.

Chu Wang Shu looked at her dad, who put down his coffee cup and glanced at the clock. She felt a bit sad and pressed her lips together, knowing this was her dad’s signal that he was about to leave.

Even though the meeting was unexpectedly successful, with both sides resolving their past differences and talking more than they had in years, it made Chu Wang Shu feel even more reluctant to see her dad go.

Being mature, she decided not to say anything to make her dad stay longer, but just thought about giving him the gift she hadn’t given yet.

Unexpectedly, her dad got up and walked over to her. He squatted down, reached out and carefully stroked her hair and cheek. His usual calm and weathered face, with little emotion, now showed regret and sadness as they stayed silent for a long time.

Chu Yuanqing seemed apologetic and remorseful, and softly said:

"Little Shu, you’ve worked so hard all these years."

Chu Wang Shu stood there dumbfounded and frozen, as if in a daze since her face was touched. She let the other person’s big hand touch her, almost losing her senses.

Chu Yuanqing always felt that the artificial limbs couldn’t feel real warmth anymore.

But for Chu Wang Shu now, the artificial hand could convey real warmth and love.

At that moment, her chest filled with sour warmth, a clear sign of the fact.

Chu Wang Shu pressed her lips together, she wanted to say something.

She awkwardly uttered "phony big liar", honestly said "I have been working hard, feeling sad", angrily said "why did it take so many years to say this", or simply tried to act cool and say "it’s nothing, I am very mature now, I don’t care at all".

Anyway, she had to say something at this moment, or it would be embarrassing, like embarrassing a child.

But suddenly, tears inexplicably filled her eyes and spilled over, ruining her plans, making her expressionless face turn into a pitiful one, looking very immature, unable to even speak the words out, looking clumsy.

Why does it seem like everything is going against her?

The more Chu Wang Shu tried to hold back, the more tears flowed.

With every tear falling, it felt like hitting hard ice deep inside her heart, melting out one hollow after another, releasing more long-suppressed emotions.

Chu Yuanying patiently wiped her tears, he was never a good father, trapped in curse and suffering from endless hardships in the past.

Now, she could only create beautiful lies briefly with fake illusions, maintaining the daily routine between father and daughter.

However, no matter what, in the end, he still had to let his daughter face the cruel reality.

But at least before that, spend a little more time together, smile a little happier, and leave a few more memories.

This is… one of the few gifts she could leave behind.

Chu Yuanqing thought and smiled, inviting gently:

"There’s an art exhibition nearby, shall we go together? Little Shu."

Chu Wang Shu embraced her father, who opened his arms to her for the first time in many years, holding on tightly like a clinging koala bear. After a while, she responded with a cute agreeing sound but showed no intention of letting go for a long time.

This dream feels like a fake happiness, spreading warmth in the heart.

At this moment, she couldn’t help but wish time could stop right here.

Before long, the longing and anticipation for the future life sparkled like colorful gems in their hearts, shining brightly continuously.

The future will definitely be better, right?

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