"Why are you arresting me? Go arrest her! She's the one, that little b*tch, who bullied me! Look at what she's done to me!" the kindergarten director roared, his voice tearing at his throat.
The two police officers restraining him shot him a glare. "Stop spouting nonsense. Look at your own physique. How could a delicate woman like her bully you?"
The director was plump, easily weighing two hundred pounds, while Shen Qingqing was slender, likely not even a hundred pounds. Anyone with a brain could see who was bullying whom in this confrontation.
Shen Qingqing gave him a disdainful glance before turning to the police. "Thank you. You've arrived just in time. I came to see him today to seek justice for my daughter, but I never expected him to lay hands on me. I hid in the bathroom, and he still wouldn't back down. Fortunately, you're here, or I truly wouldn't know what to do."
She didn't resort to pretense. She simply stated the facts with a poker face. The more composed she was, the more the police felt pity for her. It was obvious she was scared witless. "Don't be afraid. As people's police, we will protect you. Rest assured, we will punish him severely!"
"Thank you."
The director continued to curse and grumble before his mouth was covered, and he was dragged away. Shen Qingqing would never forget the unwilling and resentful look in his eyes. She only felt a sense of triumph. The man deserved it!
She didn't want to linger there for another second and headed straight back to the hospital. The moment she entered the ward, Shen Jinxi ran up to her. "Mommy, Sister is awake!"
"Xingyao?" she hurried to the bedside. Seeing the little girl lying on the bed, pale but seemingly energetic, she asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Xingyao hummed, her voice small and faint. "Much better."
Shen Qingqing sat by the bed and touched her forehead. Her fever had indeed subsided. "It's good that you're better. My child, why didn't you tell Mommy when something happened?"
"I didn't want to trouble Mommy," Xingyao said softly, a hint of guilt on her small face.
Shen Qingqing gently replied, "Nonsense. You are Mommy's daughter. If you are wronged, you should tell me. It's not trouble for me to stand up for you."
"Mommy..." Xingyao had always felt she needed to be good and sensible, never causing trouble for her mother. Since arriving at the new home, she had been quiet and well-behaved, never complaining. She listened to everything her mother and brother said, fearing that if she wasn't sensible, her mother might dislike her. "I'm sorry..."
"Silly child, you don't need to apologize to Mommy. We are family." Shen Qingqing called Shen Jinxi over and patted the little boy's back. "Isn't that right?"
Shen Jinxi nodded quickly. "Yes, yes! I'm not afraid of troubling Mommy. Mommy only likes children who cause trouble."
"Is... that so?" Xingyao was uncertain. Back at the orphanage, the director hadn't said that. She had said that obedient children get rewards.
Shen Qingqing pinched the child's little cheek. "Silly child, whether you're naughty or well-behaved, you are my child. I will always treat you well, understand?"
Xingyao finally understood and nodded obediently. "I understand."
"It was Mommy's fault this time. Mommy didn't pay enough attention to you and didn't notice you were being wronged in time. As your mother, it was my dereliction of duty." Shen Qingqing never hesitated to apologize to her children. "Mommy is apologizing to you this time. Will you forgive Mommy?"
Xingyao's small mouth fell open in surprise. "How can Mommy apologize to me?" She was so anxious she almost sat up, but Shen Qingqing gently pushed her back down. "Silly child, why can't Mommy apologize?"
"You're Mommy..." In Xingyao's impression, adults didn't apologize.
Shen Qingqing stroked her little face. "Adults can apologize too, Xingyao. If someone is wrong, anyone needs to apologize."
Xingyao finally understood and nodded obediently. "Then I was also wrong. I shouldn't have hidden it from Mommy. Mommy, I'm sorry."
"Good child."
The mother and daughter grew more harmonious. Shen Jinxi cried out, "Mommy doesn't love me anymore."
"Don't be silly. I love you and your sister equally." Shen Qingqing pulled him into her embrace, holding Xingyao's little hand with her other.
Once she confirmed the child was fine, they could arrange for discharge. Shen Qingqing could then return to work. However, this time, she didn't plan to send the children to kindergarten. Xingyao was still young and her eyesight wasn't great; it would be better to hire a tutor to teach her at home.
This led to her being somewhat distracted during lunch with Fu Jingshu. Noticing this, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"I want to hire a private tutor for Xingyao."
"Do you need my help?" Fu Jingshu elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I know some quite good teachers. If you need them..." Perhaps he could make a call to the best kindergarten teacher right away, no matter the cost, to secure their services...
"No, thank you."
Fu Jingshu paused. "No?"
Shen Qingqing's eyes flickered under his gaze, and she lowered her head. "I already have a direction in mind, so I won't trouble you. I'll look for one myself. If it doesn't work out later, I'll bother you. After all, it involves using your connections and favors, and I don't want people to say I rely on you for everything."
Saying it like that... it was a passable reason. Fu Jingshu didn't press further. While he felt a touch of disappointment, he kept his composure. "Then, you can look for one yourself."
Shen Qingqing subtly raised her eyes and glanced at him. Seeing a hint of disappointment on his face, she felt a pang of guilt. But she couldn't let Fu Jingshu introduce someone. While there was no guarantee that anyone he introduced would have met Chenchen, she still needed to conceal the fact that Xixi looked identical to Chenchen. It wasn't the time to reveal that.
"It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that a friend has already called and asked for his help. If I now say I've found someone..."
Fu Jingshu understood. "I understand. You don't need to explain. I support whatever you decide to do."
"Thank you." Shen Qingqing proactively used the public serving chopsticks to place a piece of meat into his bowl. "This is very delicious."
Was this... an attempt to appease him? Fu Jingshu, though outwardly impassive, was inwardly pleased. Without even looking, he ate the piece of meat. After swallowing, he narrowed his eyes, thinking that this restaurant's taste was good. Perhaps he should consider acquiring or merging with it...
After the meal, Fu Jingshu returned to the office, and Shen Qingqing went back to see the children. She also made a phone call to Lu Junze.
"Help me with something."
"Go ahead," Lu Junze replied. It sounded a bit noisy on his end, as if he had moved slightly away, lowering his voice.
"Help me find a private tutor. They need to have a good reputation, high qualifications, experience teaching children, and specifically, experience with special needs children who have physical disabilities." Shen Qingqing deliberately set stringent requirements, preferring a difficult search to settling for someone mediocre.