Chapter 498: Chapter 171: The 80s Drama Queen Is Forced to Act as a Top Student (6)

"Besides, you’ve gone through nine years of compulsory education. You should know there are no such things as demons or monsters in this world. So it’s impossible for Sheng Leyun to be possessed by some evil spirit."

"I’m more inclined to believe the child is just too smart. She’s been watching and learning from you all this time, just without showing it."

"This time, I’m taking you and your daughter to the Capital City to look after you both in her father’s place. She probably couldn’t accept that, which is why all of this happened."

Ren Xingchen thought it made sense. It had been nearly forty years since the founding of New Xiahua, and the government had always promoted science and dispelled superstition, placing particular emphasis on it in children’s education.

She was an educated person herself, a high school graduate. But because her grades weren’t great and she failed the college entrance exams, Ren Xingchen had rushed into marriage.

Since she’d never seen one with her own eyes, she also believed that ghosts and monsters were just things people made up to scare themselves.

"Then what should we do? Don’t tell me the child holds a grudge against us now, constantly looking for ways to make our lives miserable?" The thought made Ren Xingchen grind her teeth in frustration. She hadn’t been happy from the very beginning, when she first found out Sheng Leyun was a girl.

They never had much of a mother-daughter bond to begin with. After Sheng Xibao was gone and she grew close with Xiao Xuezhen, Ren Xingchen became even more desperate to get rid of this child who was a constant reminder of her miserable past!

What’s more, Sheng Leyun had started to show a rebellious streak and wouldn’t cater to her at all anymore.

Xiao Xuezhen shook his head. "The child knows how to seek help from the neighbors, so there’s not much we can do to her. Perhaps things will get better once she starts school and doesn’t have time to stay at home."

At this thought, Xiao Xuezhen stood up. "I’ll go over to Principal Zhang’s place and see if Sheng Leyun can start school this coming Monday."

"Over the weekend, I’ll sign her up for a couple of extracurricular classes. We can’t let her have too much free time."

"If people say things about you, don’t argue. Just endure it. Over time, when everyone sees that we treat her better than our own children, they’ll stop believing her ’pack of lies.’"

Ren Xingchen nodded and promised, "Don’t worry, Brother Xiao. I won’t hold you back."

"Whatever anyone says, I’ll just put on a pained expression, like it’s too difficult to explain. Slowly, everyone will realize that our silence isn’t an admission of guilt, but our way of showing through our actions how much we care for Sheng Leyun."

"As for Sheng Leyun... heh. She always has that look on her face like she’s being bullied. After a while, people will see she has food, clothes, and an education. They’ll start to wonder what she has to be so aggrieved about."

Xiao Xuezhen smiled and nodded, visibly pleased. He couldn’t help but pull her into his arms and kiss her. "Xingchen, you really are smart. I only had to give you a little hint, and you already understood my true intentions?"

"After all, her father sacrificed himself to save me, and you’re her mother. We both have a responsibility to raise her."

"Once she turns eighteen, we’ll have fulfilled our duty. Then, it will no longer be us who owe her, but her who owes us a debt of gratitude for raising her."

At this, Xiao Xuezhen felt a deep sense of satisfaction wash over him, and the earlier awkwardness seemed to vanish into thin air.

’Tsk tsk. He had quietly taken advantage of Sheng Xibao’s good character, manipulating him into sacrificing his own life. Then, he had snatched up all of Sheng Xibao’s connections for himself, gotten a promotion, and decisively changed careers.’

’Now, the pampered wife that Sheng Xibao had worked so hard to provide for had become his woman, and Sheng Xibao’s only daughter had become his stepdaughter.’

’Heh. In the future, people would only say he was an honest and grateful man. And because of Sheng Leyun’s existence, Sheng Xibao’s old comrades would surely look out for him.’

Sheng Leyun stayed at Old Mrs. Gu’s for a while, and from the old woman’s chatter, she managed to get a rough idea of all the residents on the second floor.

Everyone here worked for the Daily Newspaper. Regular employees were assigned single rooms, while only department heads were qualified to live in suites!

However, because Xiao Xuezhen had joined the company recently and his foundation wasn’t as solid as others’, he could only move into the last remaining suite—the one in the worst location that everyone else had passed over.

"That Mr. Xiao of yours is quite a capable man, little girl. You’d best not try to play any tricks on him," Old Mrs. Gu whispered to her. "And those two, your older brother and sister who are still staying with the Lan Family, they’re the little tyrants of this neighborhood."

"Kids tend to pick on newcomers, so just try to avoid them. This stuff is between you kids. How many times can we adults get involved, and for how long? Their parents might scold them, but they could just turn right around and come get you again..."

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