I smiled. “This is the one-of-a-kind dress my husband had custom-made for Miểu Miểu at House C’s luxury exhibition for her birthday. I’ll have my lawyer send you the relevant documents and receipts for the cost. I hope you’ll compensate us for the full amount to avoid any unnecessary disputes later.”
Trần Tử Hằng’s mother gritted her teeth, her face stiff, as if I’d just slapped her with an invisible hand.
4.
Từ Sâm was the CEO of a publicly traded company, young and talented, with more than half the Từ family’s shares in his hands.
Even though he had a daughter, that didn’t stop him from being a highly desirable prospect in the marriage market among elite families.
To Từ Sâm, his older brother’s bloodline mattered more than his own emotional needs.
He’d tried dating well-born young women from families of similar standing, but none of them could truly devote themselves to caring for a child.
In the end, Từ Sâm decided on a marriage of convenience.
That was when he received Quý Tư Nhiên’s résumé.
That day, after interviewing for the position, Quý Tư Nhiên was about to leave the office building when the company’s CEO approached her and asked, “Would you be willing to enter into a contract marriage with me?”
Quý Tư Nhiên was born in the countryside. Through her own hard work, she made it through the grueling college entrance exams and into C9, and eventually defended her research project successfully.
Quý Tư Nhiên looked over the offers from major companies, but her gaze eventually settled on Từ Sâm’s contract.
She and Từ Sâm entered into a contract marriage, and she took care of Từ Tri Miểu.
Three hundred thousand a month.
At first, Quý Tư Nhiên agreed only because of the high salary, but as time passed, other thoughts began to take root.
On the outside, she was the elegant Mrs. Từ, but only she knew that Từ Sâm’s gaze had never lingered on her. He cared only about the daughter his late wife had left behind.
Quý Tư Nhiên wanted more than money. She wanted Từ Sâm’s heart.
Từ Sâm’s indifference made her take out her anger on Từ Tri Miểu.
Quý Tư Nhiên’s warped personality gradually began to manifest in how she treated Từ Tri Miểu. She felt that the child was the reason Từ Sâm didn’t love her.
So she relentlessly manipulated the girl and abused her behind closed doors.
The original owner of this body bore undeniable responsibility for Từ Tri Miểu’s descent into darkness.
A well-educated woman who deliberately taught a child all the wrong things.
The original owner had no professional ethics, but I did.
Once you’ve taken the money, the client is always right.
When we got home, I had the family doctor tend to Từ Tri Miểu’s injuries first.
Only Từ Sâm and I remained in the bedroom.
He rubbed his temples, looking a little worn out. He seemed not to have expected Từ Tri Miểu to run into trouble at school.
[System, do you think Từ Sâm might decide I haven’t taken good care of Từ Tri Miểu and kick me out? If he does, the mission will fail!]
That couldn’t be allowed to happen.
Before Từ Sâm could say anything, I admitted my fault. “I’m sorry. I’ve been neglectful this past month. I thought children needed room to grow, so I let my guard down about taking care of her, and she ended up getting seriously hurt at school.”
“If you want to hold me accountable, you can deduct this month’s salary.”
I admitted my fault sincerely.
A pay cut was fine. Getting fired was not.
Từ Sâm looked at me in surprise. He hadn’t intended to put all the blame on me, but he also hadn’t expected me to bring up our cold, transactional relationship at a time like this.
After all, I’d always thought of myself as Mrs. Từ and never brought up our contract marriage.
After a long while, he finally turned his probing gaze away from me. “It’s all right. This isn’t entirely your fault. I’m responsible too, for not paying enough attention to Miểu Miểu.”
“Exactly.”
Từ Sâm was at a loss for words. He turned to look at me again.
I smiled. “Even if ours is only a contract marriage and I’m responsible for Miểu Miểu’s upbringing, a child needs more than a mother. You’re her father, so you need to be involved too.”
[System, our mission is to stop Từ Tri Miểu from turning evil. If Từ Sâm gets involved, could that make the mission harder?]
The system thought in rigid terms. It only wanted to teach Từ Tri Miểu the difference between good and evil; as long as she didn’t turn evil, that was enough.
But I wasn’t a cold machine. I cared about emotions, too.
Education isn’t about cramming things into someone’s head.
I looked at Từ Sâm. “The essence of education is one tree swaying another, one cloud pushing another, one soul awakening another. As parents, our silent example has a tremendous influence on our children. You’re Miểu Miểu’s father. I don’t want you to be absent from her life.”
Từ Sâm stubbed out the cigarette in his hand. “What do I need to do?”
I handed him the family schedule I’d prepared. “Be sure to come down for dinner tonight. If there’s anything you can’t eat, just let me know.”
I’d just finished speaking and was about to go find Từ Tri Miểu when Từ Sâm’s voice came from behind me. “Quý Tư Nhiên, thank you for everything you’ve done for Miểu Miểu.”
I turned and smiled brightly. “It’s nothing. These things count as extra services, so they come with an additional fee.”
Từ Sâm froze, looking at me in confusion.
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What, is that not okay?”
“I don’t mind paying more…”
“Great.” Satisfied with his answer, I stood and left the room.
Từ Sâm: “…”
5.
“The young miss has been hiding in her room, crying nonstop. I can’t get her to stop no matter what I do.” As soon as I came downstairs, the housekeeper appealed to me helplessly.
My heart sank, and I hurried toward Miểu Miểu’s room.
Another housekeeper was holding a nightgown, looking utterly helpless as she watched the girl sobbing in a corner.
The girl had a towel wrapped around her and stubbornly refused to change.
I went over, took the nightgown, and gestured for everyone to leave the room.
“Miểu Miểu, what’s wrong?”
To my surprise, as soon as I approached with the nightgown, she started crying even louder.
So I set the nightgown aside and sat down beside her.
I slowly soothed her, the little girl sobbing so hard it broke my heart.
She choked out, “Auntie…”
“Pick me up, Auntie.” She clutched my sleeve with her little hands, seeking comfort.
“I… I won’t wear… wear dresses anymore.”
“Do you think you were bullied because you were wearing a dress?”
“Isn’t that why?” Từ Tri Miểu’s eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked pitiful.
In her world, she had been born without a mother, and her father was busy all day long.
All of that left so many of her feelings neglected and unacknowledged, and little by little, she became quiet and withdrawn.
Even when her classmates bullied her, she couldn’t show the anger most children normally would.
When someone can neither feel nor express anger, they become repressed and sink into insecurity and shame about themselves.
Anger is important in life; it shows where our boundaries lie and that we can stand firm.
Từ Tri Miểu didn’t know how to get angry, so she was easily treated unfairly.
Over time, her spirit would become twisted and grow dark.
“That’s not it. If someone wants to bully you, they’ll do it whether you’re wearing a dress or pants. If you don’t stand up for yourself, you’re letting them get away with being cruel. Miểu Miểu hasn’t done anything wrong. You don’t need to blame yourself. The ones who do bad things are the ones who should be punished.”
“You’re still little. If you’re not strong enough to protect yourself, your dad and… Auntie will both be here to support you through anything.”
Từ Tri Miểu looked at me, a faint flicker of emotion in her eyes.
She wasn’t a bad child by nature. Her warped personality was mostly the result of the warped environment the story had created.
In Từ Tri Miểu’s world, she had been born without a mother, her father was busy, and the housekeepers were the only ones who cared for her day to day.
But a child needs more than basic protection and care; she also needs guidance.
Miểu Miểu had dreamed countless times about how happy her life would be if she had a mother.
Every day, she envied her classmates who could run into their mothers’ arms after school.
Từ Tri Miểu thought that if she had a mother too, she would surely be the best-behaved child, the first among all her classmates to run into her mother’s arms.
Miểu Miểu’s lashes fluttered softly, like a butterfly beating its wings.
“Auntie, can you hold me a little longer?”
I held her close, letting my arms give her strength and love.
A hug is also an affirmation of love.
And Miểu Miểu had been deprived of far too much of that.
“So let’s forget the sad things for now. Don’t let someone else’s mistakes waste your feelings. How about we change into our pajamas, then go make dinner?”
“I’ll make you something delicious!”
Children’s attention is easily diverted.
Từ Tri Miểu perked up and went to change her clothes on her own.