Free Web NovelChapter 287: Chapter 287: Can You Not Get Married?
"There, there, don’t cry. We’re not crying anymore, okay?" Su Li helped Little Tang Mo wipe away his tears.
Out on the balcony, Wu Sheng let out a breath and muttered to himself, "Laughing one minute, crying the next..."
Su Li and Little Tang Mo had talked things out and resolved their issues, so he could go back inside now.
But as soon as he stepped in, he saw Little Tang Mo hand Su Li a sticky note.
Wu Sheng glanced at it, and his eyes went wide.
"So if Mom gets married in the future, you still won’t leave me, right? And if you have your own kids, you won’t stop loving me, right? Mom, can you not get married?"
The three questions made Wu Sheng’s eyes bulge. Seeing Su Li open her mouth to answer, he cut in first.
"Yes, that’s right! No matter if she gets married or has kids, she’ll always be good to you! Always!"
He was terrified Su Li would answer, "I can. I won’t get married!"
After Wu Sheng’s preemptive answer, both Su Li and Little Tang Mo turned to look at him.
Wu Sheng cleared his throat and said with a straight face, "Little Point, your mom is still young. She should still get married someday."
Little Tang Mo looked at him, pressed his lips together, and finally, reluctantly, crossed out the last question, leaving the first two for Su Li.
’In the future... if Uncle Wu turns out to be not so great, then I’ll just get rid of him. For now... for now... this is fine...’
Everything Little Tang Mo was thinking was written all over his face and in his actions.
Looking at his little expression and the note, Su Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She sighed. "To borrow a phrase from your Uncle Wu, I won’t leave you. No matter if I get married or have kids, I’ll always be good to you and I’ll love you forever!"
Only then did Little Tang Mo nod.
Wu Sheng looked at Little Tang Mo, unable to stop himself from smiling, but he desperately held it in.
After Little Tang Mo had calmed down, Su Li looked at him seriously.
"Little Mo, you have to promise me this time. You can’t ever hurt yourself like before, and you can’t talk in secret anymore. Can you do that?"
Little Tang Mo looked at Su Li and nodded.
"I promise, Mom."
Su Li held Little Tang Mo, put some medicinal drops in his throat, and then patted his back.
"Little Mo, go ahead and sleep for a while."
Little Tang Mo had had a long enough day; he needed to get some sleep and rest.
Little Tang Mo nodded and obediently closed his eyes.
At such a young age, he had been bearing a pressure that even adults would find hard to endure. Now that he could finally relax, Little Tang Mo fell fast asleep in less than a minute.
Looking at his small face, Su Li’s heart ached with pity and sorrow, but at the same time, it felt soft and warm.
After carrying Little Tang Mo to his room and putting him to bed, Su Li gently closed the door and came out.
Wu Sheng patted the sofa. "You should get some rest, too. I’ll keep an ear out for Little Point."
Su Li sat down next to Wu Sheng. "Does it hurt a lot?"
Wu Sheng shook his head. "It’s fine. I’m used to it. You should rest."
Su Li shook her head. "I can’t sleep."
She sighed. "Wu Sheng, how did you know about Little Mo’s behavior at school?"
Wu Sheng said, "I got here earlier than you that day. Little Mo and his class were having P.E., and I noticed he wasn’t very friendly with his classmates."
"Combining that with his previous behavior... it was basically a guess."
Su Li nodded. "I see. When I’ve picked him up before, I’ve seen him smiling with his classmates, so I thought he was getting along with them just fine."
"He probably doesn’t have any problems getting along with them, it’s just that he might be..."
Wu Sheng searched for the right words. "A bit distant. He doesn’t smile that much and doesn’t really engage with people. But his classmates seem used to it, and they’re still nice to him."
"Distant?" Su Li bit her lip. "Like he was before?"
Wu Sheng nodded.
"The way he acts toward you is different from how he acts toward everyone else, including me."
Su Li let out a breath. "I... I should call his homeroom teacher."
Su Li had gotten the teacher’s number before.
"Go ahead," Wu Sheng encouraged.
Su Li called the homeroom teacher and asked in detail about Little Tang Mo’s behavior at school.
It was only through this detailed questioning that Su Li realized the teacher’s description of Little Tang Mo as "well-behaved" was completely different from what she had imagined.
Hearing how detailed Su Li’s questions were, the teacher wondered if something was wrong.
"...Although he’s a bit quiet and doesn’t really play with his classmates—he’s a little shy—overall, there aren’t any problems. When his classmates talk to him, he always responds, and no one bullies him. They get along pretty well."
The teacher was actually very responsible. "Because he’s a new student, and he’s so young, and his situation is a bit unique, I’ve been keeping a close eye on him. I’m certain that Tang Mo isn’t being bullied or excluded."
"I know, I know. I understand what you mean, and I trust you, Teacher."
Su Li gave a small laugh. "I just never expected that Little Mo didn’t like to play with his classmates."
"Even though they don’t play together all the time, their relationship is still pretty good," the teacher stressed again.
Su Li nodded, but in the end, she still had to ask.
"Teacher, have any of the students ever called Little Mo a ’little mute’ to his face?"
The teacher paused for a moment before answering.
"I... I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never heard it myself, or I wouldn’t have allowed it. Did someone in the class call Tang Mo that?"
The teacher’s voice sounded a little nervous.
"I’m not sure either. I was just asking. If it hasn’t happened, then that’s for the best."
Su Li guessed that things probably hadn’t reached the point where they would brazenly call him a "little mute."
"Even though kids might say it casually, it’s still not a nice thing to call someone. If you happen to notice it, Teacher, could you please let me know?"
The teacher quickly agreed. "Of course. You don’t even have to ask. If I notice it, I’ll talk to them. I wasn’t aware of this before. I’ll look into it tomorrow..."
Su Li quickly cut her off. "No, no, Teacher, please don’t specifically investigate or bring it up. If you haven’t heard it, just let it be."
Kids are like that; they might just blurt something out and forget about it. But if the teacher makes a big deal out of it, they might remember it instead and even start calling him that from then on.
The teacher understood the logic and didn’t insist, only promising again and again that she would pay attention.
The teacher actually felt a little guilty. She had unintentionally chatted about Little Tang Mo with her colleagues before, and had even gossiped curiously about Su Li’s situation, but she truly meant no harm.
It was just simple curiosity.
But being curious like that behind someone’s back wasn’t right, especially when Su Li was being so polite.
The teacher was polite, and Su Li was polite in return. She thanked her repeatedly and asked her to continue looking out for Little Tang Mo before hanging up.
After hanging up, Su Li came out and sat next to Wu Sheng, staring into space.
"Are you okay?" Wu Sheng asked.
"I’m fine. Everything’s fine," Su Li said, though her heart ached.
Every time she went to pick up Little Tang Mo, he would be smiling so happily, running toward her with that big smile. She had thought he had returned to his old self.
"Don’t overthink it. Just let things take their course," Wu Sheng advised.
Su Li forced herself to cheer up and glanced at the time. "Shouldn’t you be heading home?" freeweɓnøvel.com
It was already past four in the afternoon. "Is your family waiting for you? Look at me... I completely forgot."
"It’s fine. It’s no problem if I get back a little late." Wu Sheng shook his head, unconcerned.
