“Sorry, but my daughter might need a few more days before she can come to school.”
Ruan Xiao stood up, holding the young girl who was silently sobbing in his arms.
Lu Lu quickly waved her hand, her gaze full of empathy as she looked at Ruan Shu.
How could there be such a gentle, lovable child?
Clearly, she was so sad herself, yet she kept apologizing to her father. Sigh, Lu Lu was used to seeing kids who would throw tantrums or even hit teachers just to avoid going to school, but then came this pitiable little one—who could bear to say anything harsh to her?
“No problem. Little Ruan Shu can come back whenever she’s feeling better,” Lu Lu reassured.
Ruan Xiao nodded and left with Ruan Shu in his arms.
As they left, he messaged the principal about Ruan Shu’s situation and also asked Ruan Qingran to bring Shen Yu over to their home.
By the time they were in the car, Ruan Shu had stopped crying, though she was still sniffling. Her small hands clutched her father’s shirt tightly, her face buried, unwilling to look up.
She felt so ashamed, embarrassed for her father. She didn’t want to face anyone.
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Ruan Xiao held her in his arms without speaking, gently patting her back to comfort her.
After a while, Ruan Shu sniffled, her soft, muffled voice filled with sadness.
“Dad, I messed up.”
Her spirits were so low. She had left home feeling cheerful, but now… she’d never been like this before.
But with her father standing beside her, all those past grievances and pains suddenly surged up, and Ruan Shu couldn’t hold back anymore—she wanted to cry so badly.
In her past life, she had wanted to cry many times too, hiding alone in her small room, secretly crying under the covers.
But she had never dared to cry in front of her parents because she knew that crying in front of them wouldn’t earn their pity or soften their hearts; they would only feel annoyed and impatient.
Now, though, she finally had family who cared about her, so when those past emotions surfaced, she couldn’t stop herself from crying out all her pent-up sorrow. She was being so selfish, taking advantage of her father’s concern for her.
Ruan Xiao gently stroked her hair without a hint of reproach, his eyes full of compassion.
“School can wait; you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
Ruan Xiao, a man who had never comforted anyone before, now wished he were better with words, not knowing how to ease his daughter’s pain.
Ruan Shu tilted her head, softly rubbing her father’s hand, like a stray cat that had finally found its owner after wandering for so long—vulnerable, gentle, and entirely reliant on him.
Her cheeks were still flushed, her eyes slightly swollen, and with her head hanging low, she looked exactly like a cat who knew it had done something wrong, pitifully admitting her mistake.
“This isn’t your fault,” Ruan Xiao emphasized.
How could his little girl have done anything wrong? It was all someone else’s fault, nothing to do with her.
With the information he had, Ruan Xiao had already assigned all the blame to Xiao Yuanyi in his mind.
And honestly, Xiao Yuanyi wasn’t exactly innocent in all of this either.
When they got home, Ruan Qingran and Shen Yu were already there.
Ruan Shu’s emotions had calmed a lot by then. She was carried out of the car by her dad, though she still looked a little downcast and dispirited.
“Brother Qingran, Brother Shen Yu,” she greeted them, trying to muster some energy, though her voice was small and filled with embarrassment.
Originally, today was supposed to be her first day at school, but that hadn’t worked out as planned.
“Shushu doesn’t look very happy today. Did something happen?” Shen Yu asked gently.
Ruan Shu’s fingers tightened around her dad’s shirt as she looked down, responding timidly.
“I was… supposed to go to school, but I messed it all up.”
But her dad hadn’t scolded her; he had even comforted her. He really was the best dad in the whole world.
“Oh, that’s not a big deal at all,” Shen Yu reassured her. “You know, I have a younger brother about your age. When he first started kindergarten, he was excited, but after just one day, he came home crying and said he never wanted to go back.”
Shen Yu spoke in a calm, pleasant tone, one that drew people in without feeling overwhelming, making Ruan Shu listen intently without realizing it.
“Why?” she asked, her curiosity piqued like a little kitten’s.
“Well, he thought that going to school would mean he could do whatever he wanted. But on the very first day, he ended up fighting over things with his classmates and lost. He had never lost that badly before, so afterward, every time he had to go to school, he’d come up with all kinds of ways to try and escape. And when he failed, he’d cry, and no one could console him.”
Ruan Shu listened, and as Shen Yu told his story, she began to imagine this little boy trying all kinds of tricks to skip school, constantly battling wits with his teachers and parents.
Seeing her relax, Shen Yu gently tried to prompt her to speak.
When his questions went deeper, Ruan Shu clung tightly to her dad’s arm, her expression conflicted as she bit her lip, unsure if she should say anything.
Ruan Qingran comforted her, “It’s okay, Shushu. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. Things will get better in time.”
Ruan Shu kept her head down, her fingers twisting the fabric of her dad’s shirt as a faint, timid voice emerged.
“I… I had a dream.”
Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked down and said softly, “I don’t know if it was really a dream, but I remember it very clearly. It feels like… I had a brief life in another world, where I only lived until I was twelve.”
She was dazed, still unsure if it was just a dream or if somehow, when she reincarnated, the Lady of Forgetfulness had forgotten to give her the tea to erase her memories. So in this life, she remembered things from her past life.
Slowly, Ruan Shu lifted her head, looking nervously at her dad and brothers, her eyes red and brimming with tears. She decided to muster the courage to share these memories, though her voice trembled uncontrollably.
“In that world, shortly after I was born, my mom and dad divorced. Neither of them wanted me, so I was passed back and forth between them, never having a real home.
“I’d spend a month with my dad, then a month with my mom. Before long, they both remarried and had new families, new siblings for me. But my bedroom turned into a tiny storage room, or sometimes just a corner of the balcony.
“I was always well-behaved, taking care of my little brothers and sisters. But… but they still didn’t like me…”
Ruan Shu’s voice grew softer as she murmured, “I tried so hard to be good. I didn’t go out to play, didn’t get my clothes dirty, washed my own clothes, did the dishes, and studied diligently. But…”
She looked up at her dad, her vision blurred by tears until she could hardly see anything.
“They still said I was naughty, always causing trouble for them. In kindergarten, it was they who bullied me. I only pushed him because he pulled my hair so hard it hurt. I didn’t start the fight. Why didn’t Mom listen to me? She hit my face… it hurt so much, so, so much.”
“I didn’t mean to get caught in the rain without an umbrella. I just really didn’t think about it. I wasn’t being disobedient or bad. After that, Shushu made sure to bring an umbrella every time. And I didn’t push my sister; she fell by accident, and I was just trying to help her up. But why wouldn’t Dad listen to anything I said before hitting me…?”
These were such small matters, yet Ruan Shu’s clear eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, her face now streaked with tears.
Sitting beside her, Ruan Xiao’s gaze darkened, like a brewing thunderstorm. Veins stood out on his forehead as he struggled to control the violent rage surging within him.