Wang Lili was stunned.
She never expected her usually obedient daughter to say such things to her.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief and shock, which quickly turned into anger!
Qin Qiaoqiao! How dare she?
With so many police officers around, she made it sound like Wang Lili was some kind of evil woman.
“Qin Qiaoqiao, I’m your mother! Can’t I discipline you?”
“And Jiang Che really isn’t right for you. A rich kid like him... he’s just playing around. He won’t take you seriously!”
“I’m doing this for your own good.”
“You two are from completely different worlds, don’t you get it?”
Qin Qiaoqiao fell silent, her shoulders trembling as tears fell to the ground. She clenched her fists tightly.
She knew deep down that she and Jiang Che were from different worlds.
That girl, Ye Mengyao, was not only beautiful but also came from a well-off family.
But she had already fallen for Jiang Che!
She craved the love he gave her, adored his presence, and dreamed of falling asleep in his arms every night.
She knew... she wasn’t good enough for Jiang Che.
Jiang Che couldn’t sit still anymore. Scolding your daughter is one thing, but why drag me into it?
So what if I “stole” your daughter? Was it really necessary to go this far?
He wrapped his arm around Qin Qiaoqiao’s waist and glared at Wang Lili.
“Ms. Wang, you’ve never given her what she truly wanted. All you’ve brought her is pressure and pain. Did you know... Qiaoqiao has been diagnosed with depression?”
Jiang Che’s words were shocking, even Qin Qiaoqiao herself was taken aback.
Then, Jiang Che pulled out a medical report from his pocket. It read:
Qin Qiaoqiao, severe depression!
With suicidal tendencies!!!
Wang Lili was dumbfounded, her hands starting to tremble.
Though old-fashioned, she wasn’t ignorant.
While some parents dismissed depression as mere melodrama, Wang Lili, being well-educated, knew that severe depression could be life-threatening.
“Qiaoqiao... when did this happen? Why didn’t you tell your parents?”
Wang Lili’s voice was shaking.
But Qin Qiaoqiao was just as confused.
I have depression?
Since when???
Though her parents’ pressure had driven her to despair, she didn’t think it was depression, let alone suicidal tendencies. She was determined to get into a top university and break free from her parents’ control. How could she be so fragile as to consider suicide?
But Qin Qiaoqiao was a quick thinker. She soon realized that Jiang Che must have forged the medical report.
Qin Qiaoqiao and Jiang Che were in sync, ready to put on a show for Wang Lili.
The girl’s face turned sorrowful as she looked at her mother with despair.
“Tell you? Would you even listen?”
“Mom, you’ve been pushing me so hard with my studies. I’ve tried my best, but it’s never enough. I’m exhausted...”
“Qiao... Qiaoqiao,” Wang Lili panicked. Severe depression was no joke. She was terrified Qin Qiaoqiao might do something drastic.
Someone was panicking!
But who could it be?
“Mom, you’ve pushed me to the brink. Sometimes, when I pass the river near school... I feel like jumping in.”
“No! I won’t push you anymore...” Wang Lili shook her head.
“You will. Once we’re home, you’ll keep pressuring me. I’m tired of living.”
“My life was already in darkness, until... I met Jiang Che!”
“He’s like a ray of light, shining into my life...”
Qin Qiaoqiao’s acting was so convincing that even Jiang Che felt a chill down his spine.
She went on and on about how wonderful Jiang Che was, how she couldn’t live without him.
After a ten-minute emotional speech, she successfully convinced Wang Lili.
Without Jiang Che’s “depression diagnosis,” Qin Qiaoqiao’s words would have earned her a slap from her mother.
“Mom... please don’t push me anymore. It’s almost graduation, and with my grades, I can easily get into a top university even if I don’t study anymore...”
“I won’t push you anymore. Let’s go home...”
Wang Lili reached for Qin Qiaoqiao’s hand, but the girl recoiled as if burned.
“I don’t want to go home. You’ll hit me!”
Instantly, the police officers in the station, who had been watching the drama unfold, straightened up, their smiles fading.
Domestic violence?
Looks like they might have one more case before the end of their shift!
Wang Lili’s eyes showed a rare hint of pain, but she didn’t regret it.
Her strictness was for Qin Qiaoqiao’s own good...
“Qiaoqiao, I’ll ease up on you. I won’t hit you anymore.”
Now, Jiang Che knew it was his turn to step in.
He pulled Qin Qiaoqiao behind him, shielding her, and looked coldly at Wang Lili.
“Ms. Wang, Qiaoqiao only feels pain when she’s with you, but she’s happy with me. So, for her sake... let her stay at my place for a while.”
The true intention was finally revealed!
All that acting was for this very moment.
Wang Lili’s eyes widened. Let her daughter stay with a spoiled rich kid?
No way!
“No! Jiang Che is just a playboy...”
“Mom, then I’ll have no choice but to end my life...”
Wang Lili: “......”
For the first time, she felt her daughter slipping away from her.
“Auntie, Qiaoqiao is an adult now. If you don’t let go, given her condition... she might really do something drastic.”
Jiang Che’s use of “Auntie” nearly gave her a stroke. Was he openly declaring his intentions?
Wang Lili was completely broken. Who’s your auntie!
Letting her precious daughter live with Jiang Che, that good-for-nothing rich kid?
What could possibly happen?
“No... you can’t live together!”
“Mom, don’t push me!” Qin Qiaoqiao’s voice was resolute.
The standoff lasted about ten minutes.
Wang Lili slumped to the ground, looking as if she had aged five or six years in an instant.
“Go ahead, Qiaoqiao... your dad and I will bring you meals every day, okay?”
Jiang Che immediately rejected the offer. “Auntie, that won’t be necessary.”
No way was he letting her play the third wheel!
Not a chance!
Qin Qiaoqiao couldn’t bring herself to look at her mother, but she couldn’t contain her excitement.
[Yes! Is this like eloping with Jiang Che?]
[But... does Mom look like she’s about to break down?]
[Mom, your love is too extreme. It scares me.]
Jiang Che took Qin Qiaoqiao’s hand, ready to head home.
[Wang Lili: Qiaoqiao... I won’t push you anymore. Come back, please?]
[Wang Yanran: Jiang Che, you little rascal! You’re planning to bring a girl home? Setting up a love nest? Just wait, I’ll tell Auntie Jiang all about this.]