Chapter 36: Dragging Someone Down With You

“You have no shame!”

Wu Shixin’s face flushed red as she glared at Su Qinghu, who looked calm as ever. After holding it in for a while, that was all she managed to say.

Su Qinghu glanced at her, looking utterly nonchalant, and lazily brought a French fry to her lips.

Is Wu Shixin crazy or something? What did she say to make her blush like that?

Su Qinghu lowered her head, trying to recall if she’d said anything inappropriate, when suddenly someone slapped her hand. The French fry she was about to eat was knocked right to the floor.

She jerked her head up and stared at Wu Shixin, her eyes full of “What the hell is wrong with you? What are you doing?”

Wu Shixin froze too. It took her a while before her gaze shifted from Su Qinghu’s face to the fallen French fry on the ground.

Just now…

Just now, she saw Su Qinghu slowly bringing the French fry to her red lips, and in a moment of heat, she rushed over and slapped it away.

When she met Su Qinghu’s “are you insane” look, she snapped back to her senses.

Once she realized what she’d done, a chill ran through her, making her shiver, but then a wave of heat rushed from her feet to the top of her head.

Wu Shixin’s face was now burning red, and she had the overwhelming urge to crawl into a hole and disappear!

Su Qinghu had no idea why she was blushing or why she knocked the fry out of her hand. If she ever found out, or even guessed the reason, Wu Shixin would never be able to show her face in front of Su Qinghu again.

Wu Shixin’s heart was pounding wildly. She regretted everything—regretted leaving the house today, regretted provoking Su Qinghu, regretted her own impulsiveness, and most of all, regretted not going shopping with Li Chengwei just now!

Su Qinghu frowned as she watched Wu Shixin’s emotional rollercoaster—her face going pale, then red, then pale again. Her red lips parted.

—You’ve definitely got something wrong with you. Go see a doctor when you have time.

But before she could get the sarcastic words out, Erdan came charging at Wu Shixin like a cannonball, eyes fierce, looking just like a little wolf cub!

Su Qinghu quickly stood up, grabbed Erdan around the waist before he could “avenge” her, and pulled him back.

A few sharp words were one thing—after all, there was no evidence—but if things got physical and something happened… She glanced at Wu Shixin’s flat stomach. That would be a real mess.

It wasn’t that Su Qinghu was overthinking, but in this era, there were just too many uncertainties. The impact of the Reform and Opening Up wasn’t just economic, but cultural too.

Sometimes, the line between conservative and open-minded was razor-thin.

Couples who got married after just a couple of months together, or rushed through the wedding, were usually doing so because of a premarital pregnancy.

Li Chengwei and Wu Shixin met, fell in love, and got married so quickly—it was hard not to wonder…

“What gives you the right to hit my mom!” Erdan glared fiercely, struggling to break free and charge at Wu Shixin. “Did we eat your food? Spend your money? Waste your grain? How dare you hit my mom? You must not know who my dad is!”

Su Qinghu: “!!!”

For a moment, Su Qinghu’s mind was flooded with a single thought, like a barrage of bullet comments: “Do you know who my dad is?!”

“Your dad is your dad!” Su Qinghu let go with one hand and clamped the other over Erdan’s mouth, righteously scolding him. “Don’t go dragging your dad into things every time something happens! A real man handles things himself! Bringing in your elders is embarrassing, not impressive! There’s nothing heroic about it!”

Erdan blinked and tried to pry her hand away, but with his mouth covered, all he could do was make muffled “mmm mmm” sounds.

Su Qinghu saw the look in his eyes and decided to keep her hand there.

This kid looked like he wanted to debate the definition of a “real man” with her…

Erdan, seeing he couldn’t shake her off, turned to Chen Lie for help. But Chen Lie, feeling guilty, pretended not to notice his silent plea.

Erdan then looked to Dadan, who hesitated for a few seconds before turning his head away, refusing to even look at him.

Erdan: “???”

Why? Dad won’t help, and now even his brother won’t save him?

He stopped struggling and looked up at Su Qinghu, meeting her deep, unreadable gaze.

He: “Mmm mmm mmm…”

Even though his new mom’s arms were comfy and smelled nice, he had something to say—he had questions!

Su Qinghu: “You want to say something?”

Erdan nodded.

Su Qinghu: “Is it about being a real man?”

Erdan nodded again!

New mom said a real man solves his own problems, and dragging elders in is embarrassing, not heroic. But… but hadn’t mom and Uncle Zhao Liangyan both used someone else’s name to scare that handsome guy in the floral shirt before?

And just now, mom mentioned that dad’s dad had status, and Uncle Zhao did the same thing!

But before Erdan could get another word in, Su Qinghu, seeing his continued nodding, simply denied him the right to speak!

Who wanted to debate with him!

Erdan waited hopefully for Su Qinghu to let go of his mouth, but she didn’t move her hand at all.

He: “…”

Erdan was dumbfounded. Didn’t she ask him a question because she wanted to hear his answer and let him speak?

Su Qinghu glanced at him and, seeing he’d given up and gone limp, finally pushed him toward Chen Lie. “Watch him.”

Chen Lie quickly caught Erdan, not daring to look Su Qinghu in the eye.

Regaining his freedom, Erdan immediately perked up and launched into his “questioning and dragging others down” mode. “Someone bullies you, I help you, but you won’t even let me talk, you cover my mouth! You’re mean to me! I was the first to rush to help you—faster than Dad!”

“You’re not gentle with me at all! You don’t take my side! Dad wasn’t the first to protect you, and he didn’t stand up for you, but you talk to him so gently!”

Chen Lie: “…”

Chen Lie really wanted to cover Erdan’s mouth, but when he met Erdan’s accusing gaze, he gave up.

And Erdan kept going: “Since we went shopping at the department store today, you’ve smiled at Dad ten times, but only six times at me!”

Su Qinghu was full of question marks.

“You even smiled at my brother one more time than at me!” Erdan, fuming, tugged at his belt. “I don’t like you anymore! I don’t even want the belt you made for me! Go like Dad and my brother instead!”

The more Erdan spoke, the angrier he got. “And you’re a liar! I don’t like you anymore!”

A six-year-old, red-eyed and ready to break up with someone, was both funny and exasperating.

But it also made people reflect.

By now, Su Qinghu was starting to guess why Wu Shixin had blushed. Seeing her looking panicked and guilty, wanting to run but unable to move, Su Qinghu frowned. “Aren’t you leaving?”

Wu Shixin’s heart finally settled back in her chest. She opened her mouth, wanting to explain that she hadn’t been thinking what Su Qinghu suspected, but when she met Su Qinghu’s all-seeing gaze, she chickened out and turned to run.

Once she was gone, Su Qinghu said coolly, “How am I a liar?”

Erdan stayed silent.

“You said you shouldn’t drag elders into things, but you used Grandpa to scare people before…” Dadan, seeing Erdan so deflated, pursed his lips and spoke up. “And there’s more. Think about it yourself.”"