Part 2 of Chapter 55
This chapter is brought to you by Yobikir, thanks for the ko-fi! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･
Please Like Her 06 – With people like them, the last thing you should do is reason with them.
Shang Lu lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling but feeling somewhat sleepless.
She put on her slippers, draped a thin coat over herself, and went outside, finding a corner where the camera couldn’t capture her.
On this day, so many things had happened, it felt like a long, long time had passed.
Her body felt tired, but her mind was incredibly clear.
“Why are you sitting here?” a indifferent voice sounded, with a hint of doubt.
Shang Lu turned around and saw Song Zeqian holding a cup of water in his hand. He had probably just gone to the kitchen to get some water.
“I feel a bit uncomfortable,” Shang Lu pursed her lips, lowered her eyelashes, and said, “I feel like they are all living very hard lives.”
Many things are completely different when seen in person compared to how they are perceived.
“Just ordinary people,” Song Zeqian said calmly. He didn’t leave but chose to sit next to Shang Lu, showing rare concern. “I heard from the staff that you also visited Xiao Mi’s family?”
“Yes,” Shang Lu nodded and then recounted everything she had seen and heard today. Finally, she looked at Song Zeqian with some regret. “I was thinking at the time, it would have been great if you were there, such good material for reality. Also, your words would have been even sharper than mine. You could have shut them down with just a sentence.”
“That’s not true,” Song Zeqian said calmly. “If I were there, I would have made the same choice as you. Arguing with those people is a waste of time and just makes you angry.”
“That’s true,” Shang Lu felt a bit cold but didn’t want to go back for now. She hugged her knees with both hands and rested her chin on them, her gaze falling on the pebbles on the ground not far away, without saying anything further.
“Do you think this is very bitter?” Song Zeqian’s voice became even more indifferent. He asked, “Have you ever seen more impoverished and backward places? In some villages, men who can’t afford to marry often rely on marriage between two poor families. Families with physical or intellectual disabilities send their elderly parents to work, and women are bought for a few thousand yuan from human traffickers, or even bought collectively with pooled money, just to have a womb and a child. A village is more like a nation; once you enter, you can never leave. Do you know what happens to children raised in such families?”
Shang Lu had only briefly seen these events in the news. Although she had answers in her mind, she couldn’t help but look at Song Zeqian and ask, “What happens to them?”
“They become supporters of the twisted new rules, oppressed, or profit from it,” Song Zeqian said, handing a paper cup to Shang Lu. “This is clean water.”
Shang Lu took it, took a sip of hot water, and felt her body warm up a bit.
Song Zeqian continued, “Seeing suffering and understanding it, and respecting it is one thing, but as an outsider, there’s no need to get trapped in it. You’re just an observer; if you can save one person, that’s one person saved. It’s not your responsibility to save everyone, and it’s certainly not your fault.”
Shang Lu was somewhat uncertain as she asked, “Song Zeqian, are you trying to comfort me?”
Song Zeqian glanced at her and replied, “Nonsense.”
“Thank you,” Shang Lu took another sip of water and remained silent.
Song Zeqian took the initiative again and asked her, “I heard you’re taking Xiao Mi back with you?”
Shang Lu nodded and replied, “Yes, I really like her.”
Song Zeqian asked her again, “Have you thought about how to convince her grandparents to let go?”
After some thought, Shang Lu said, “Ou Yi’s father runs a law firm, so we should try the legal route.”
“If I were there today, I would definitely stop you. The more they see that you like Xiao Mi, the harder it will be to take her away,” Song Zeqian looked at Shang Lu and continued, “With people like them, the last thing you should do is reason with them.”
Song Zeqian’s demeanor as he said this was extremely calm, as if he had seen too many people like that and therefore understood those ugly and greedy souls very well.
Shang Lu raised her head to look at him and asked with her eyes, “What should I do?”
Although there were no outsiders present, just in case there were hidden cameras they couldn’t see in some corner, Song Zeqian still whispered something in Shang Lu’s ear.
Shang Lu’s eyes lit up, and she said, “That makes sense.”
The next day’s recording proceeded as usual.
In the morning, when Shang Lu woke up, she smelled the aroma of food, which she found very strange.
With her hungry stomach growling, Shang Lu quickly got ready and went to the living room.
On the round table were fragrant buns, steamed buns, and a large pot of porridge.
Shang Lu looked at it in disbelief and asked as Ye Lu walked in with a plate of side dishes, “…Did you and Song Zeqian make this?”
Ye Lu confidently replied, “It’s just a small matter.”
The next moment, Song Zeqian walked in with several bowls and exposed Ye Lu, “We basically didn’t do anything; it was all Xiao Mi who woke up early and prepared everything.”
Shang Lu was even more surprised and walked to the kitchen, where she indeed saw Xiao Mi frying radish cakes.
Hearing footsteps, Xiao Mi said directly, “I’ve already fried a plate. You can take it over.”
“Okay,” Shang Lu responded and picked up the plate of radish cakes on the table, praising, “It looks and smells so delicious.”
Xiao Mi thought it was Ye Lu or Song Zeqian who had come and was very surprised when she heard Shang Lu’s voice. She then responded with a simple “Hmm.”
While having breakfast, when everyone found out that Xiao Mi had prepared the whole table by herself, they all showed surprised expressions.
“Wow, this is amazing, and it tastes so good,” Lin Yanyan said as she took another bite, savoring the original flavors of the food.
Jiang Jing also praised, “Xiao Mi is really thoughtful and capable.”
Ye Lu went even further, saying, “Shang Lu, let’s exchange1.”
Of course, Shang Lu rolled her eyes at him and said, “Don’t even think about it, Xiao Mi is mine.”
[Xiao Mi is really considerate, it makes my heart ache.]
[Is Xiao Mi really twelve years old? Compared to her, I feel like a waste at twenty.]
[I don’t think I could make such a breakfast even at forty.]
Listening to the conversation of the group, their praise for her and even the competition, made Xiao Mi’s heart beat fast, but she was also happy to be recognized.
Then she felt someone gently wrap their arm around hers.
Shang Lu successfully defeated Ye Lu and took the last piece of radish cake from the plate, placing it in Xiao Mi’s bowl. “Don’t daydream, hurry up and eat.”
The atmosphere at the dining table was harmonious because everyone was eating breakfast made by a twelve-year-old girl with a grateful heart.
Except for one person.
Fatty, who usually loved to eat, had only taken a few sips of porridge and nibbled a small bite of a bun when everyone was almost done eating.
Xu Ze noticed something was wrong and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing… nothing,” Fatty shook his head and then quickly glanced at Shang Lu.
Shang Lu : “…”
Others : “?”
Shang Lu asked directly, “Is my face making you lose your appetite?”
Meanwhile, at that moment, Ye Lu, who had just returned with a bowl of porridge, didn’t know what was happening. He looked at Fatty’s almost full bowl and said in surprise, “Oh my god, Fatty, your determination to lose weight is impressive! It seems like you took what I said yesterday seriously! Well done! Have a few more sips, take a break, and I’ll take you for a morning walk later!”
Fatty : 🥺
He didn’t want to lose weight, and he didn’t want to go for a run.
Fatty recalled how tired he had been last night and how he couldn’t sleep, then he remembered what he had watched on TV before.
At the beginning, there seemed to be a sentence.
—[Have you seen a ghost? If you’re still alive, it means you’re not her target. Don’t be afraid, don’t let the ghost know you recognize her, she will leave.]
As long as he isn’t found to have recognized the female ghost, he’ll be safe.
Wuwuwu, don’t cry, don’t be afraid.
He’s a man, he can endure this.
Wuwuwu—
But he can’t endure it!
He’s really scared! Why does this Sister Ghost keep looking at him!
Fatty can’t take it anymore, but he’s afraid that if he cries, the Sister Ghost will find out, so he can only put down the spoon and run away.
Ye Lu who had just taken a sip of porridge : “?!”
- talking about their assigned children ↩︎
Poor young seedling 🤣