Chapter 23: Is This Book Really a Must-Read?

After a moment, Song Yan nodded. “—Alright!”

Bai Siqi was instantly overjoyed, but just as a smile spread across her face, she heard Song Yan add, “But not right now.”

Her smile froze.

“—Then when?”

“We’ll find a chance. Anyway, she won’t be leaving before the end of the year.” Song Yan looked at her. “Also, you all go look for her first. Lately, Tang Qiang over in the west side of town will definitely be keeping an eye on things.”

Tang Qiang had a bit of a reputation. Her childhood friend, Lu Ming, often mentioned him.

He was a stickler for the rules, and he had some real skills when it came to solving cases.

“Alright, we’ll do as you say.” Although Bai Siqi was unhappy, she still nodded gently.

“I’ll head back now. I can’t relax with the kids at home.”

As soon as Bai Siqi heard this, she urged, “Then hurry back.”

She really didn’t want to see those three kids—not with how much they cried!

Song Yan left quickly.

Mother Bai let out a sigh. “If only you’d had just one child back then! Then you wouldn’t have had to get divorced.”

Taking care of one at a time would have been manageable.

But three all at once—that was enough to wear anyone out.

What’s more, other people had mothers-in-law to help.

But Song Yan’s mother-in-law had somehow managed to fall and become paralyzed—she was no help at all, and on top of that, needed to be waited on hand and foot.

Bai Siqi pouted. “What’s the difference between one and three? I had no idea raising kids would be this exhausting! It’s all Song Yan’s mother’s fault—she managed to paralyze herself with one fall, just to make things difficult for me. Why couldn’t she have just died right then and there?”

“And that Fu Mingxue—it’s all that bitch’s fault. If it weren’t for her, I’d have gotten my acceptance letter today and left tomorrow.”

Once she left, would Fu Mingxue be able to chase her all the way to a school ten thousand miles away?

“Mom, do you know if anyone else around here got into college?”

Bai Siqi was still scheming.

After all, even if she took the exam again, she knew she’d never pass.

Mother Bai thought for a while before saying, “Your cousin—I heard your uncle mention she took the exam too, but I don’t know if she got in.”

Bai Siqi’s eyes lit up. “Really? Mom, go ask about it tomorrow. If they didn’t get an acceptance letter, we’ll go check ourselves. If they did—then we’ll think of something else. No matter what, I have to go to college.”

After what that bitch Fu Mingxue did today, what reputation did she have left?

She couldn’t stay here anymore.

Mother Bai nodded. “Alright, I’ll ask around tomorrow.”

Just then, she remembered something else.

“—Where’s your brother? Why isn’t he back yet?”

Bai Siqi didn’t care. “He’s probably off somewhere again.”

Father Bai came home late at night. After work, he’d gone drinking with his coworkers and then gambled a bit.

As for what happened during the day, he didn’t care.

Drunk, he didn’t even bother to wash his feet before collapsing into bed—

The next morning, after making breakfast, Mother Bai went to wake her precious son.

She called several times, but there was no response.

When she pushed open the door, she found the bed empty—clearly, no one had slept there last night.

At first, she wasn’t too worried.

After all, her son often didn’t come home.

But today, she couldn’t shake a sense of unease.

She rushed to Bai Siqi’s room and shook her awake.

“—Siqi, Siqi, wake up! Your brother Chunsheng didn’t come home.”

Bai Siqi opened her eyes, annoyed. “Mom, what are you doing? It’s not the first time my brother hasn’t come home. Why are you so worked up? He’ll probably be back by noon.”"