Free Web NovelChapter 265: Chapter 265: Rejected
Su Li stood frozen for a moment until a chilly gust of wind brought her back to her senses. freewebnσvel.cѳm
She took a deep breath. "It’s getting colder."
Su Li opened the door to her home and, sure enough, saw Little Tang Mo looking over.
"Little Mo, let’s go buy a vase!" Su Li said with a smile.
Su Li took Little Tang Mo out to buy a vase, and when they returned, she arranged the sunflowers in it.
Su Li gazed at the flowers for a moment, seriously considering what Wu Sheng had said.
She’d been taking leave from school recently and had no time to manage her bookstore. Even the new garment factory branch she’d just bought, which she’d planned to get running immediately, had been completely neglected.
She hadn’t even reached out to Pinjun Children’s Wear once on her own initiative, only dealing with matters that were absolutely urgent.
’This can’t go on.’
On top of all that, there was the issue of custody.
’I can’t put off the custody issue any longer.’
There had been no word from Tang Yuanxiao since she last saw him, and she had no idea what he’d decided.
Just as Su Li was considering contacting Tang Yuanxiao, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Qin Shanshan.
Qin Shanshan had saved Mrs. Tang, followed her to the family compound, and even become a substitute teacher at the elementary school.
When Su Li heard the news, she felt a ridiculous sense of inevitability.
Tang Yuanxiao and Qin Shanshan were in the same place again. If this entanglement continued, it wasn’t out of the question that they’d end up getting married.
Hearing that it was Qin Shanshan outside, Su Li had no intention of opening the door.
"How does she know I live here?"
Su Li muttered. Just as she was about to head back to the kitchen, she heard Qin Shanshan call out from the other side of the door.
"Su Li, open the door. I know you’re home. I need to talk to you about Tang Mo’s custody."
Su Li stopped in her tracks.
’The custody issue? Is she here to deliver a message from Tang Yuanxiao?’
After a moment’s thought, Su Li opened the door.
"Are you here with a message from Tang Yuanxiao?"
Su Li got straight to the point. Qin Shanshan saw Su Li, glanced past her into the house, and gritted her teeth without a word.
Ever since she failed to score higher than Su Li on the college entrance exam, lost so much face, and then suffered that humiliation in Xinghua Village, Qin Shanshan had hated Su Li to the bone.
The thought that she was still crammed into a small, assigned dormitory while Su Li lived in such a nice place only made her hatred burn brighter.
"Yes and no." Qin Shanshan watched Su Li pull the door partially shut, then composed herself and spoke.
"Su Li, please give Tang Mo back to Brother Tang Yuan."
Hearing the name "Brother Tang Yuan" again, Su Li’s eyebrow twitched.
"Brother Tang Yuan is in a lot of pain right now. He’s suffering every day, and he’s gotten so thin he’s almost unrecognizable. He’s already lost his mother; he can’t lose Little Tang Mo, too."
Qin Shanshan spilled out everything she had to say in a single breath.
Tang Yuanxiao was wasting away at a visible rate, and Qin Shanshan could see his daily anguish.
She wanted to ease his pain and take care of him. She even brought him home-cooked meals, but he refused them.
Some time ago, Qin Shanshan had seen Tang Yuanxiao leave his home. On a whim, she had secretly followed him and ended up seeing him come to visit Su Li.
He didn’t show himself, just watched secretly from the shadows. The sight only seemed to leave him even more tormented.
It was no longer a secret that Su Li was going to fight Tang Yuanxiao for custody. Qin Shanshan didn’t like Little Tang Mo, but she thought that since he wasn’t Tang Yuanxiao’s biological son, she could just raise him half-heartedly later on. This, combined with her desire to make an effort and show Tang Yuanxiao her sincerity, was why she had come to find Su Li.
"Su Li, just give Tang Mo back to Brother Tang Yuan," she said, lifting her chin. "I’ll help take good care of Tang Mo, too."
Hearing that last sentence, the corner of Su Li’s mouth twitched.
"Is this Tang Yuanxiao’s idea, or did you come up with this on your own?"
"It’s our idea," Qin Shanshan said, puffing out her chest. "I can’t bear to see him in so much pain."
Just as Su Li was about to speak, the partially closed door behind her suddenly swung open.
Little Tang was holding an enamel mug of water. He had been looking for Su Li, but as soon as he opened the door, he saw Qin Shanshan.
His expression changed in an instant. Without a second thought, he hurled the mug at Qin Shanshan, his small face filled with rage.
"Little Mo," Su Li gasped, startled.
With a dull THUD, the enamel mug struck Qin Shanshan squarely on the forehead, the impact stinging.
Not only that, but the water from the mug splashed all over her. Qin Shanshan shrieked.
"Ow! Why did you hit me?!"
Ignoring Qin Shanshan’s shriek, Su Li asked, "Little Mo, what’s wrong?"
Su Li hurriedly turned and saw the expression on Little Tang Mo’s face shift.
"Qin Shanshan, you need to leave now," Su Li said without looking back, scooping up Little Tang Mo as she tried to close the door.
But Qin Shanshan lunged forward and blocked the door.
"Momo, your father is in so much pain because of you. You need to hurry back to your father’s side..."
"Shut up!" Su Li was furious, yelling to stop her, but it was no use.
Qin Shanshan had blurted it all out in an instant.
Little Tang Mo had already heard the word "father."
The color drained from his face. His already fragile state shattered, and he clutched his head, his entire body trembling.
"What... What’s suddenly wrong with him?" Qin Shanshan asked in confusion. She’d heard Little Tang Mo was mute but had never seen him act like this.
"Little Mo, don’t be scared, don’t be scared..." Su Li was comforting Little Tang Mo when she heard Qin Shanshan’s question and whipped her head around.
"Qin Shanshan, shut your mouth and get out! Get out!"
At Su Li’s shout, Little Tang Mo flinched violently.
Su Li closed her eyes for a moment, then covered Little Tang Mo’s ears and turned back to face Qin Shanshan.
Her gaze was piercing.
"Qin Shanshan, don’t you ever appear in front of Little Mo again. Go back and tell Tang Yuanxiao that I will be suing for full custody of Little Mo!"
With that, Su Li kicked the door shut.
"Don’t be afraid, Little Mo. Mommy’s here." Su Li carried Little Tang Mo back to his room, pacing in circles and patting his back.
Once Little Tang Mo had calmed down a bit, Su Li took a moment to think and then said to him.
"Little Mo, don’t be scared. Your grandma has been arrested by the police and locked up. She’s in prison. You know what prison is, right?"
Of course, Little Tang Mo knew what prison was, and he knew who the police were.
Because of his past experiences, he greatly admired Police Fang and had even said he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up.
Su Li had been afraid of upsetting Little Tang Mo, so she had never mentioned Mrs. Tang or the fact that she had been sentenced to prison.
Hearing this for the first time, Little Tang Mo was stunned.
"Your grandma is locked in prison and can’t get out, so Little Mo doesn’t have to be afraid anymore."
Little Tang Mo stared blankly at Su Li, and his trembling surprisingly stopped.
Su Li let out a breath of relief.
"From now on, Little Mo doesn’t have to be afraid of Grandma. And you don’t have to be afraid of Daddy, either. Daddy won’t hit you, right?"
She said tentatively.
Little Tang Mo burrowed into Su Li’s embrace, hugging her tightly.
But he had stopped trembling.
Su Li knew her words had worked.
After Little Tang Mo fell asleep, Su Li took out the lawsuit documents she had prepared some time ago. She looked them over, stared out the window for a moment, and finally made her decision.
She called the lawyer who had helped her before. "I’ve decided to sue for custody."
The next day, Su Li went to the courthouse and formally filed the lawsuit.
Unfortunately, the result was not what she expected.
The case was dismissed.
