Capítulo 9: Life Can Drive People Insane
That afternoon, after Shen Ting's remark, the group of boys quickly dispersed. They were all smart enough to realize they couldn't allow themselves to be used as pawns, even if the one pulling the strings was someone they admired.
Before leaving, Shen Ting glanced at the camera. The red light blinked steadily, recording everything that had just happened.
Fang Keluo returned very late. Shen Ting and Fang Qin had already finished dinner by the time she came back, nearly nine o'clock.
Shen Ting's sharp senses caught a faint smell of blood. Fang Qin's usually gentle face looked tense as she told Shen Ting to go upstairs to sleep. Shen Ting glanced at the bruises on Fang Keluo's arm, her eyes flickering, before she turned and went upstairs.
Perhaps due to the system, Shen Ting noticed that since her rebirth, her senses had become more acute. Even through a floor, as she lay in bed, she could hear the argument between the mother and daughter downstairs.
"You went fighting again. How many times have I told you not to hang out with those delinquents? Why won't you listen?" Fang Qin's voice, strained with anger, trembled, showing just how upset she was.
"It's just a scratch. What are you so worried about?" Fang Keluo replied impatiently, carelessly dabbing some medicine on her wound, without so much as a wince.
Fang Qin, seeing her daughter's nonchalance, grew even more furious. She never expected much from Fang Keluo, only that she'd stay in school and study like a normal child.
But even that modest hope seemed unattainable.
At some point, Fang Keluo had begun associating with unsavory characters—thugs with tattoos, smoking, drinking, indulging in all sorts of vices.
The first time Fang Qin saw her daughter with them, she had slapped her hard across the face. In return, Fang Keluo disappeared for two days and a night. Fang Qin was on the verge of losing her mind with worry when her daughter finally returned, but she came back bristling with hostility, her eyes filled with suspicion as she looked at her mother.
Fang Qin was heartbroken. She dared not strike her again and instead begged her not to mingle with those people anymore. Fang Keluo had agreed, but a week later, Fang Qin saw her laughing and smoking with the same group.
Fang Qin was at a loss with her daughter. They had depended on each other since she was little, and she couldn't bear to hurt her. Watching Fang Keluo become more rebellious by the day, she felt helpless and had no choice but to set some ground rules.
No skipping school. Stay out of trouble. Be home by eight.
For the past six months, Fang Keluo had adhered to these rules, but in the last month, she'd been late twice. And just that afternoon, her teacher had called to report that she'd left school early.
Seeing the small cross tattoo between Fang Keluo's eyebrows, Fang Qin took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Fang Keluo had inherited her mother's temper. The two of them couldn't argue without one of them losing their cool.
"Lulu, you're my only daughter. Can't you stop making me worry? Your exams are coming up soon. Why don't you study with Xiao Ting at home? I'm not asking for top marks, just to get into No. 3 High School. What do you think?" Fang Qin spoke cautiously, her hope rising as she saw Fang Keluo's hand pause in the middle of applying medicine.
Fang Keluo tossed the bloodstained cotton ball into the trash and murmured, "I'm not planning to go to high school."
Fang Qin froze for a moment, her voice rising sharply, "What did you say?!"
"I'm going to work for Brother Wang after the exams, two thousand a month. If I get tips, I could earn three thousand," Fang Keluo said flatly, pulling down her sleeve.
The anger that had surged within Fang Qin subsided, leaving only bitterness. She took her daughter's hand, gently rubbing it as she said lightly, "Lulu, you don't need to worry about the school fees. I've almost saved enough. Just focus on your exams."
Fang Keluo bit her lip, the pain clearing her thoughts. She grasped her mother's hand in return, lowering her gaze to the bright red nail polish on her fingers and whispered, "Mom, please stop bringing men home. I'll take care of you from now on."
Fang Qin's body stiffened. She pulled her hand away and looked coldly at her daughter. "Fang Keluo, let me tell you, you *will* go to high school. I didn't slave away, pleasing men, just so you could work security. If you don't pass the exams, you'll have failed me."
Fang Keluo remained silent, meeting her mother's gaze. Fang Qin took several deep breaths before abruptly standing up and leaving the room, her face in her hands.
Fang Keluo clenched her hair tightly, her knuckles turning white. This wretched life was driving her mad.
Shen Ting, lying in bed, turned over. So that's what it was. So that man who left Fang's house this afternoon, touching Fang Qin's face—he was…
It hadn't been her imagination after all, sensing something off in their intimate behavior.
Bitterness and helplessness swirled in Shen Ting's heart. She couldn't truly empathize with their situation, but she couldn't help feeling stifled. Life was filled with too many inevitabilities, draining people of their strength.
The next morning, Shen Ting still made breakfast as usual and went to wake Fang Qin and Fang Keluo.
The tension between them was palpable, but Shen Ting kept silent. She was just a tenant, an outsider, and it wasn't her place to intervene.
With her backpack slung over her shoulder, Shen Ting stepped out. As she walked through the alley, two women carrying breakfast loudly gossiped as if afraid no one would hear.
"Did you see? Another man left that whore's house yesterday. Ugh, the way they were all over each other—it made me sick."
"Oh, I saw. With that look on her face, I wouldn't be surprised if they got it on right at the door. Disgusting woman. Yesterday, she even had the nerve to flirt with my old man."
"Really? She's shameless! If it weren't for her fierce daughter, I would've thrown a bucket of filth on her door long ago. Filth would be cleaner than her."
"Haha, exactly! After all the men she's been with, she's probably riddled with disease."
"Right? I know I'm… Hey, you! Watch where you're going!" One of the women was nearly knocked over by Shen Ting, who didn't bother to turn back as the woman's angry curses followed her down the alley.
After only a few steps, a mechanical voice sounded in Shen Ting's head.
[People who can't keep their mouths shut deserve to be put in their place. Reward: 10 points.]
Shen Ting almost tripped on a stone, but regained her balance. She checked her panel and, sure enough, her negative score of -95 had changed to -85.
Thinking back to the pregnant woman incident, Shen Ting silently asked herself, "Are you really a beauty modification system?"
[Yes, the host should not doubt this.]
Then what was that just now?
[The system has analyzed Earth's customs and agrees the host did the right thing. People who can't keep their mouths shut deserve a lesson. This is the consensus of all Earthlings.]
Fair enough. That is indeed a common belief among people.
Shen Ting stopped dwelling on it. She silently resolved that the next time she encountered such a situation, she would stand up for what's right. After all, not only would it earn her points, but it would also teach those gossipy troublemakers a lesson.
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