Chapter 14 Mother's Warmth

Seeing Wan Chu'er finally quiet down, Manager Bai let out a long sigh and said, "I'm telling you, young lady, can you not be so fierce? It's only because I'm a kind-hearted person. If it were someone else, they wouldn't hesitate to break your leg."

Calm now, Wan Chu'er was taken aback by Manager Bai's words. She had been too angry to think about the consequences.

Indeed, if the other person had not given in to her, what could she have done anyhow? She was only a sixteen-year-old high school student relying on her widowed mother. If someone really wanted to do something to her, even sacrificing her life would mean little more than an ant in the eyes of those with wealth and power.

She raised her hands and looked at them, slender and powerless, holding nothing substantial.

This made Wan Chu'er somewhat dejected. She drooped her shoulders and thanked Manager Bai, then turned to leave the place.

Apart from living her life again, she currently had no leverage here.

Manager Bai watched the girl becoming increasingly disheartened, and couldn't help but laugh out loud, calling out to her, "Hey, why leave just like that? There's no need to be so down, I've given you the job, and even let you save face, aren't you happy about that?"

Wan Chu'er turned to look at him and then seriously said, "You're right, I should go back and focus on my studies. Thank you for letting me off easy today."

"Not really, you were just like a fierce tiger ready to attack, why have you suddenly become lifeless?" Manager Bai's eyes swiveled as he said, "Was it because my comment about 'breaking a leg' hit you hard?"

Wan Chu'er remained silent.

Manager Bai laughed, "Young girl, who would have the heart to break your leg? What I mean is, at your young age, don't be so intensely principled and untouchable, always ready to fight with others to the death. It's not good. It's better to be more flexible in life."

Wan Chu'er said expressionlessly, "Are you trying to make me flatter you? Forget it!"

This child!

Manager Bai was taken aback again and couldn't help but ask, "Have you never suffered any grievances since childhood? It shouldn't be, seeing your face covered in bruises, yet you're still so proud! I'm talking about being a little more adaptable, not about flattering, just don't be unyieldingly contentious... Hey, why are you leaving, come back, I haven't finished speaking, do you still want that job?"

Wan Chu'er ignored Manager Bai's nagging and left Heavenly World directly.

Although she thought some of what Manager Bai said made sense, this was not the place for her. If she stayed, given her fierce temperament, she might conflict with Manager Bai again. It was better not to see him; she couldn't afford to provoke such people or Heavenly World, and felt she had been rash coming here.

Indeed, the job was intended for Liu Li.

Paying her US$ 15 every day would probably be very difficult for Liu Li. If Liu Li's family had money, they wouldn't be extorting five yuan from her every day.

Under the pressure of teachers and the school, Liu Li might pay her back for a while, but over the long haul, it was doubtful Liu Li could manage US$ 15 each day. Eventually, she might just give up and stop paying, maybe even reverting to her old ways and causing trouble for Wan Chu'er once more, which would be troublesome.

If she helped Liu Li find a job, that might relieve a lot of her burden. The remaining five yuan wouldn't make repaying too strenuous, preventing Liu Li from rebelling too fiercely, yet painful enough with each payment.

With a job, Liu Li's time for studying would decrease, leaving her little energy to cause trouble.

Moreover, Heavenly World was a nightclub, frequented by unsavory characters. Working there every day, influenced by the environment, her values might be affected, and if Liu Li turned bad, even better!

Such an opportunity to kill several birds with one stone, Wan Chu'er certainly wanted to give it a try - today she considered herself lucky to have settled things at Heavenly World.

After leaving Heavenly World, it was getting late. Fearing Bai Zhixi might worry, Wan Chu'er went straight home.

Indeed, when Wan Chu'er was still at a distance from the Glass Factory Family Quarters, she saw Bai Zhixi waiting under the lamp near the entrance, craning her neck and looking around.

Seeing this scene, Wan Chu'er's heart warmed up and she quickened her pace.

Soon Bai Zhixi spotted Wan Chu'er and called out, "Chuchu?"

"Um," Wan Chu'er responded and walked even faster.

Bai Zhixi quickly said, "Walk slower, no need to rush." She stepped forward to meet her.

After the two returned home, Bai Zhixi did not ask Wan Chu'er where she had been or what she had done. Instead, she cautiously said, "Chuchu, let mom apply some medicated oil for you, so your wounds will heal faster."

Seeing Bai Zhixi's cautious demeanor, Wan Chu'er felt a twinge of sadness. She couldn't bring herself to refuse, and could only say, "I'll take a bath first, then you can apply it."

"Alright, good, good, mom will go get the medicated oil, you go ahead and take your bath."

Watching her mother hurry to the room to get the medicated oil, Wan Chu'er silently returned to her own room. She opened the door of the old wardrobe; the clothes inside were limited. The family was poor, and even though Bai Zhixi deeply loved her, she could only afford to buy her a couple of new clothes a year. Before, Wan Chu'er had resented Bai Zhixi for this, but now she was no longer the vanity-driven girl; she casually picked up pajamas and headed to the bathroom.

After taking a bath, Wan Chu'er lay in bed while Bai Zhixi poured the medicated oil into her hand and then slowly massaged it into her daughter's injured body.

Seeing the bruises on her daughter's body, Bai Zhixi was heartbroken, "Chuchu, don't listen to Zhuo Yao. Don't let others hit you without fighting back; it will only make them more aggressive."

"If someone hits you, hit them back, beat them hard, let them know you're not easy to bully. Scare them, and naturally, they won't bully you again."

With mom's warm hands gently massaging her own body, Wan Chu'er felt a comforting warmth inside her, a truly good feeling.

She said cheerfully, "Rest assured, if someone hits me once, I'll hit them back three times. If someone kicks me, I'll kick them back three times. I won't let people bully me easily anymore."

"Hmm." Bai Zhixi nodded, "That's how it should be."

"Try using a bit more strength, it works better, I'm not afraid of the pain," Wan Chu'er suggested.

"Alright, if it hurts, just yell out," Bai Zhixi knew using more strength would bring better results, perhaps even making the bruises fade by tomorrow.

Wan Chu'er made no sound, she just silently endured the pain.

Seeing her daughter so stoic, Bai Zhixi started a conversation to distract her.

"Chuchu, how did you find out about Zhuo Yao's intentions?"

Wan Chu'er fell silent. How did she know? By exchanging a painful life for knowledge.

Eventually, she said, "I accidentally overheard her talking to someone and found out."

"It's good that you heard it, discovering Zhuo Yao's true face early. We can't afford to provoke such people, better to stay far away from them; focus on your studies. You're still young, the road ahead is long. Get into a good college; it's really what's best for you. Better to go to university in Beijing, see the world, a girl needs to have broad knowledge to navigate life better..."

In Bai Zhixi's gentle and soft spoken words, Wan Chu'er slowly drifted off to sleep.