Hating Her, While Still Having to Address Her as Mother - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Through Your Eyes

Chapter Summary: Haven’t I always been hypocritical?

The homeroom teacher had, for the first time, witnessed what true “effective communication” looked like—sharp, decisive, and refusing to let the instigating party drag things out.

From the moment Shen Manci entered the office, it took only seven minutes to resolve the matter. For four of those minutes, Wang Yi’s parent had been shamelessly demanding medical expenses; Shen Manci, merely by moving her lips for the remaining three, had terrified the father and son so thoroughly they clutched their money and fled.

The teacher finally understood: of all people, never offend a professional writer. They can always find the loophole in your logic and twist the narrative entirely in their favor.

Once the pair had left, Shen Manci seemed to shed her defensive armor. No longer tense, she turned around anxiously toward the person she had seemingly ignored until now.

She crouched down urgently, checking Su Zhixi’s condition. Grabbing the girl’s palm with her large hand, she asked softly, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Su Zhixi turned her face away and pulled her hand back. Clearly, she wanted nothing to do with Shen Manci.

Seeing that she appeared uninjured, Shen Manci gave a self-deprecating smile. If the girl still had the energy to sulk, she probably wasn’t hurt. Shen Manci didn’t get angry at her stepdaughter’s attitude; it seemed this was daily bread for her.

Rising without a hint of awkwardness, she addressed the teacher: “Teacher, I’m sorry for the disturbance. It was indeed our Zhixi’s fault for hitting someone. Starting a physical fight is wrong regardless, and we’ve caused you trouble.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Conflicts between students are perfectly normal, and Wang Yi shouldn’t have said those things in the first place.”

After this meeting, the teacher had formed a clear impression of Shen Manci: she was a woman who wouldn’t go out of her way to offend others but was fundamentally sensible. In a conflict, she wouldn’t allow herself to be bullied, nor would she be overbearingly relentless when she held the upper hand. She calibrated her advances and retreats perfectly.

That sharp, blade-like edge was reserved only for outsiders.

“Then, I’ll take Zhixi home now.”

“Of course. It’s raining today, please be careful on the road.”

…

Shen Manci led Su Zhixi out of the office. Once they were a few meters away from the teaching building, Shen Manci spoke: “Don’t you have anything you need to explain to me?”

Her tone remained soft, yet it carried a crispness that wasn’t there before. As she walked, the scent of Gin trailed behind her. Su Zhixi didn’t actually know what Gin smelled like, but literary works loved to describe protagonists carrying its scent. She had looked it up once: a fresh mix of pine and citrus. It was exactly like the scent on Shen Manci.

Su Zhixi held her breath, trying not to let the scent cloud her mind. “Wasn’t it explained clearly enough in the office?” Her voice was as cold as the rainy weather, showing zero desire to continue the conversation.

Shen Manci’s umbrella faltered, and she stopped. As her footsteps ceased, the unique scent faded. Su Zhixi, having no umbrella of her own, was forced to stop to avoid stepping into the downpour. She looked up listlessly, wanting to see the expression on Shen Manci’s face.

Predictably, there was no joy—only a certain gravity. When Shen Manci didn’t smile, one’s eyes were inevitably drawn from her deep features to the iconic beauty mark under her eye.

Su Zhixi hated that face, especially that conspicuous tear-shaped mole.

It was then that Shen Manci, wearing the face Su Zhixi loathed most, said: “I just think you went too easy on him. You can hit harder next time. Well, provided you don’t hurt yourself.”

Su Zhixi was completely stunned. She briefly wondered if she was still dreaming.

Because of this fight, Shen Manci had to stop her work and cycle halfway across town from her office to the school just to clean up her mess and deal with those shameless people. Yet now, Shen Manci was actually complaining that she hadn’t made a big enough scene.

“Are you angry because he spoke ill of you?” Su Zhixi tried to ignore the mole and analyze the meaning behind the words.

“No. I don’t care what he says. I’ve lived long enough to have thick skin; a word or two doesn’t matter.” Shen Manci finally started walking again.

Then, she uttered a sentence that sounded like a sigh: “I was afraid you were unhappy, Ah Xi.”

Shen Manci’s voice was soft and moist, like a drizzle falling on the skin—painless and light. This attitude left Su Zhixi’s rebellion with nowhere to land. It was like punching a bale of cotton; the force did nothing but cause the softness to bounce the fist back.

“Shen Manci, are you trying to say that while you don’t care what people say about you, they can’t say it about me?”

Su Zhixi stepped over a puddle. “If you can actually believe that yourself, then go ahead and say it.”

Shen Manci didn’t pursue the topic, skillfully pivoting instead. “What should we have for lunch?”

They reached the bike shed. Shen Manci picked up a helmet and asked for lunch suggestions. Su Zhixi was startled by the speed of the transition; the woman hadn’t even attempted to defend herself.

“Why are you changing the subject?”

“Because I don’t know what kind of answer you want to hear from me.”

Shen Manci stepped closer, her aura invading Su Zhixi’s space. She pinned the girl against the bike and, using that perfectly camouflaged face and the gentle voice everyone praised, she said: “In your eyes, haven’t I always been a hypocrite?”

“My kindness is an act, my gentleness is a facade, and my care for you is just a beautifully framed display.” As she spoke, she reached out to straighten Su Zhixi’s collar, which had been ruffled during the fight.

“Isn’t that always how I’ve been in your eyes?”

She let out an almost imperceptible, languid chuckle that made her face even more detestable.

“I’m joking. Let’s go home, okay? It’s the Winter Solstice… I bought those corn and pork dumplings you like…”

Shen Manci quickly reverted to her usual self—polite and considerate. She knew Su Zhixi disliked her. As a new member of the family, Su Zhixi resented her arrival. Shen Manci understood; at this age, having a strange woman barge into your home and take your mother’s place is hard for anyone to accept.

Su Zhixi gnawed on her lip. Perhaps because of the dry winter air, she had a habit of biting her lips when she was anxious. Right now, every word Shen Manci said made her heart race with irritation.

“Since you know all that, why can’t you just leave?”

“Why did you have to break my family, Shen Manci?”

“I didn’t, Ah Xi. It’s the Winter Solstice. Let’s go home first, and we can talk about anything once we’re back, alright?”

Shen Manci’s voice carried a hint of pleading—humble, almost lowly. She even reached out to tug at the edge of the girl’s school uniform, hoping she would listen.

But Su Zhixi had no intention of communicating.

“Home? Do I even have a home to go back to?” Su Zhixi stared at her, her eyes reddening. She hadn’t expected that on the Winter Solstice, she would be standing in a parking lot with this woman, having her inner thoughts laid bare so bluntly.

Shen Manci knew everything. She knew the hatred and the resistance. To Su Zhixi, it felt like Shen Manci knew exactly how she had torn a family apart and was now mercilessly mocking the child whose parents had discarded her.

At that thought, a surge of grievance overwhelmed Su Zhixi. She couldn’t hold it back any longer and ran away in tears.