Lin’s mother called the counselor in the afternoon to explain that Lin Xinyuan needed to take leave and return home.
Lin Xinyuan listened absentmindedly to her mother’s conversation while scrolling through her phone.
Qin Nanfeng had already left at noon; after all, Lin’s mother was here, and he didn’t want to stay in the young girl’s rented room.
With the young man gone, Lin Xinyuan felt a bit empty inside, uneasy…
She slowly lay down on the bed, tossing her phone aside, listening to the sounds of the call and the video nearby, closing her eyes.
“Hmm…”
Pressing her cheek against the quilt, Lin Xinyuan sensed a familiar scent.
It smelled somewhat like… that stinky blond-haired guy’s smell…
Could it be…
She shook her head secretly, a strange feeling lingering but quickly suppressed.
It must be her imagination…
She knew that guy well; he wouldn’t be so careless…
On the other side, Lin’s mother’s call was nearly finished.
“Thank you… I understand…”
“Mm-hmm… alright… thank you, Teacher Qi…”
“Beep…”
The call ended, and Lin’s mother took a deep breath.
The teacher on the other end had spoken politely, but the tone was not very warm.
Although the call was made to the girl’s biological father, she understood she bore much responsibility as well…
Her daughter had almost faced life-threatening danger.
Even though it was stopped in time and there were no lasting injuries, it had taken so long for them to react—it was undeniably irresponsible.
No wonder the teacher responded the way she did…
Lin’s mother glanced toward the young girl curled up on the bed with closed eyes and walked straight over, sitting beside her.
She reached out to turn off the phone that was still playing the video but was stopped by a small hand.
“Don’t turn it off…”
“Alright.” Lin’s mother replied, then got up to fetch Lin Xinyuan’s pillow from the side of the bed.
“Lift your head up. Don’t sleep on the hard bed board. Use the pillow.”
Since the moment her mother hung up the phone, Lin Xinyuan’s heart had been tense.
She still didn’t know how to be alone with her mother.
Feeling awkward, she had kept her eyes shut, unwilling to look directly at her mother.
Hearing her mother’s words, Lin Xinyuan’s long eyelashes trembled slightly.
After a long pause, she obediently lifted her head.
The pillow was placed beneath her head, and she no longer resisted, resting softly on it.
“I’ve already told Teacher Qi…”
Lin’s mother said as she tucked the quilt around the girl.
“Mm.”
After carefully arranging the blanket, she continued, “Later, we’ll go to school to see Teacher Qi. We’ll leave for Guangdong Province early tomorrow morning.”
“What about your work…” Lin Xinyuan hesitated.
Lin’s mother chuckled softly, finishing tucking in the blanket and sitting back down beside the bed.
“It’s fine… I can look for a new job when I get back. Though the salary won’t be as high as in Yangcheng, it’ll be enough to support you.”
She had made up her mind to give up her previous job and return to Zhannan to take care of Lin Xinyuan.
This time, it was for her daughter…
After all, all these years struggling in Yangcheng, aside from the monthly mortgage, she had some savings left—enough for the two of them to live on.
Lin Xinyuan had now opened her eyes, her small mouth slightly parted but saying nothing.
Looking at the gentle smile on her mother’s beautiful face, a complex mix of feelings swirled in her heart, leaving her unsure of what to say.
“Why? Not going back to sleep?”
The tender words were something Lin Xinyuan had never heard before.
She—
Was completely different from before…
Should she accept this?
Thinking this, tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, stubbornly held back, but eventually one shimmering drop escaped.
A finger gently wiped away the tear…
“Don’t cry… don’t cry…”
Lin’s mother stroked Lin Xinyuan’s head like soothing a child.
This time, she didn’t resist, silently letting the clear tears fall.
It wasn’t just that she thought of how her own parents had treated her before, now contrasting sharply with Lin’s mother’s care.
It was also the bleakness she felt about her future.
Seeing her cry hurt Lin’s mother even more, and so she fell silent, softly caressing the girl’s fuzzy head…
Later, Teacher Qi finally had time and notified the mother and daughter to visit the school ahead of schedule.
The two hurried to the school, heading toward the building where the office was located.
There weren’t many people on the way, but some recognized Lin Xinyuan, casting various looks that made her face pale.
Fortunately, with Lin’s mother beside her, those people dared not be too bold.
The girl clutched her mother’s clothing tightly, bowing her head and quickening her pace a little.
Once inside the building, out of others’ sight, the girl finally relaxed and let go of her mother’s clothes.
“Are you okay?”
Lin’s mother, having walked with her, now understood that Qin Nanfeng’s earlier words were not exaggerated.
The girl was indeed not suited to stay at school.
Lin Xinyuan’s earlier behavior only deepened her worries.
Could this be a mental illness…
Lin Xinyuan gave a soft “Hmm,” signaling she was fine now, expressionless.
Even with prior knowledge from that online post and mental preparation, it was still hard to accept…
She hadn’t dared to read the comments, but it was easy to imagine how awful they were…
“Let’s go… I don’t want to stay here…”
Lin’s mother quickly replied, “Okay.”
They took the elevator upstairs and soon arrived at Teacher Qi Yan’s office door.
Lin’s mother knocked.
As soon as she knocked, a young female voice called out, “Come in!”
Lin’s mother led the way, with Lin Xinyuan behind, stepping into the office.
It was the girl’s second time here; the last time was about a month ago during a meeting with Qi Yan.
“Teacher Qi, hello… thank you for taking care of Lin Xinyuan recently.”
“Teacher Qi…”
Qi Yan smiled and nodded at Lin’s mother, showing no sign of the earlier phone call’s displeasure, though her tone was noticeably more formal and distant.
“No need to thank me; it’s my duty… Mm… please sit…”
Then she looked at Lin Xinyuan and nodded to her as well, her gaze softer and more affectionate.
They sat facing each other.
Once seated, Qi Yan directly addressed the girl.
She had noticed Lin Xinyuan’s pale face earlier and had roughly understood the situation.
“I’m sorry, Xinyuan. It’s my fault for not considering your condition and making you come here like this…”
“As for what happened on the forum, I only learned about it today. It’s been a hectic time… But the school is handling it, so don’t worry.”
Lin Xinyuan shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Teacher. I know you’ve been very busy…”
“Haha… That’s good to hear…”
Qi Yan laughed softly but quickly turned serious again. “Enough talk. Things have been busy lately. I’ve already discussed the details with your mother. You need to take leave and go home, right?”
Lin’s mother glanced at Lin Xinyuan, her eyes filled with worry. “Yes, Teacher Qi. She isn’t feeling well and needs to rest for a while.”
“Mm… that’s for the best. By next semester, this will probably be forgotten, and no one will pay attention anymore.”
Qi Yan responded promptly without elaborating.
She agreed with Lin’s mother—health was more important than studies.
The girl was showing signs of social withdrawal…
However, this Lin parent was not what she had expected.
She had thought Lin’s mother would be like Lin Xinyuan’s father, but meeting her revealed a very different person.
Qi Yan, also a mother, recognized that Lin’s mother’s concern could not be concealed.
When she first received the call from Lin’s mother about this incident, she had been uneasy, but it was someone else’s child, and she couldn’t say much.
Now, however, she felt that her worries were unnecessary and felt some relief.
At least this parent truly cared for the girl.
After a brief chat, Qi Yan took a leave note from her drawer.
Being busy with her counselor duties, she couldn’t spare much time to talk with the mother and daughter.
After writing the note, she escorted them out.
Watching them leave, she sighed softly.
She hoped that when the girl returned next semester, she would be able to pick herself up…
Chapters have been consistently well translated. Only the rare untranslated parts now