Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Slapping the Fake Heiress 37
Zhang Ke was caught by Xiao Yuan at the internet café.
Xiao Yuan dragged Zhang Ke straight out of the internet café and into the villa where he often stayed.
Zhang Ke was pretty angry: "Dude, this is not cool. I was just about to team up for a dungeon raid and you pull me out like that, how am I supposed to explain this to my teammates?"
Xiao Yuan, with reddened eyes, sat on the sofa without speaking.
Only then did Zhang Ke realize that something was off with Xiao Yuan.
He quickly leaned in and asked, "What’s going on? You look like you’ve been boiled, why is your face so red?"
Xiao Yuan threw a punch, and Zhang Ke dodged quickly: "Will you just talk already, what the hell happened?"
Xiao Yuan pulled out a report card from his backpack, ripped it to shreds, and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
Zhang Ke couldn’t even save it in time.
"What are you doing? You finally improved your scores, why take your anger out on your report card?"
After thinking for a bit, Zhang Ke tentatively asked: "Is it because you had another fight with Uncle Xiao? You know, you can’t keep fighting like this. The worse off you are with Uncle Xiao, the more it benefits your drag-of-a-sister."
Mentioning Chen Ke’er only angered Xiao Yuan more.
He shoved Zhang Ke: "Don’t you bring her up."
Zhang Ke asked a few more questions, but Xiao Yuan refused to speak; instead, he took out several bottles of alcohol: "Join me for a few drinks."
Zhang Ke was somewhat reluctant.
But the friendship he had with Xiao Yuan since childhood meant that he had to be there for him when Xiao Yuan was feeling down.
Zhang Ke smiled, "I’m going to use the restroom first."
Sitting in the restroom, he started to message Anning on Flying Messenger: "Jixiang, I need urgent help from the worldly society."
Anning had just taken a shower and was drying her hair when she received Zhang Ke’s message, puzzled for a second: "What happened? You got cooked?"
Zhang Ke: Not the time for jokes. Xiao Yuan insists on making me drink with him. You don’t know his tolerance; he’s a lightweight, one glass and he’s gone, plus he gets crazy when he’s drunk. I really can’t handle it, buddy.
Anning frowns: What’s wrong with him?
Zhang Ke: I’ve no idea. He wouldn’t tell, but he ripped up his report card.
Anning thought for a moment: Stall him for now, I’ll find out what’s going on.
Zhang Ke: How will you find out? Are you coming over? That’s not okay, it’s too dangerous for a girl to go out alone late at night.
Anning: No need to go out, I have a plan up my sleeve.
Anning put down her phone and called out An Xin.
"An Xin, do you know what happened to Xiao Yuan?"
In today’s advanced internet society, an entity like An Xin is akin to a deity, there’s almost nothing she can’t find out.
After a moment of silence, An Xin gave Anning the answer: "Xiao Yuan took his report card home. His dad, seeing his improved grades, not only refused to reward him, but also accused him of cheating."
Anning was also silent.
Suddenly, she understood why Xiao Yuan had become like this. Despite being so smart, he chose to fall from grace; his father bore the primary responsibility for Xiao Yuan’s current state.
"Help me find his dad’s phone number."
An Xin quickly gave Anning a series of digits.
Anning pulled out her phone and dialed it.
Xiao Hongyi was still fuming on the other end.
He stopped Tian Mei: "You should stop bothering with him. Just look at him now, he never stays at home. Who is he trying to spite, me, his father?"
Tian Mei gently and softly persuaded him, "Why are you getting angry with a child? No matter how badly he behaves, he is still your own son. Is there anything that can’t be discussed openly?"
Tian Mei thought for a while and then advised, "I think Yuan Yuan was quite happy when he brought his report card home this time. It’s a good thing that a child’s grades improve. You accused him of cheating without any evidence or understanding the situation. Is this how you should act as a father?"
Xiao Hongyi still stubbornly retorted, "In the last monthly exam, he was ranked at the very bottom. In such a short time, he has moved up by nearly three hundred places. I haven’t even seen him studying hard, so how could he improve so suddenly? If you say this isn’t cheating, would you believe it?"
Tian Mei, annoyed by Xiao Hongyi’s retort, said, "Forget it, I don’t want to talk about this with you. After all, it’s a matter between you and your son. I only need to take care of my Ke’er."
Xiao Hongyi still wanted to say something, but his phone, which was placed to the side, rang.
He frowned, but still picked up the phone.
Seeing it was an unfamiliar number, Xiao Hongyi hesitated for a moment, then hit the answer button.
Then, a voice that sounded sweet and very young came through, "Excuse me, are you Xiao Yuan’s father?"
Xiao Hongyi frowned deeply, cursing in his heart that Xiao Yuan had carelessly given out his number, "Yes, I am. Who are you?"
Anning sat on the bed, her hair still not dry. She sat cross-legged, wiping her hair with a towel while talking on the phone with Xiao Hongyi, "Uncle Xiao, hello. You don’t know me; let me introduce myself. My name is Zhao Anning. I am Xiao Yuan’s classmate. In this midterm exam, I got first place in our grade with a score of eight hundred and fifty-eight."
When Xiao Hongyi heard that Anning scored eight hundred and fifty-eight, he immediately took it seriously.
He straightened up instinctively, "Student Zhao, why are you calling me? Did Xiao Yuan threaten you to copy your exam paper?"
Tian Mei sitting nearby wanted to roll her eyes.
Chen Ke’er, leaning against Tian Mei, didn’t want to speak either.
Anning was almost amused, "Uncle Xiao, I don’t understand why you think Xiao Yuan cheated. He’s in second year of junior high now and has been ranked last for more than a year, which shows he would rather submit a blank paper than cheat. Even if he wasn’t good in his studies before, he is trustworthy in character. Don’t you know your own son?"
Tian Mei, upon hearing this, whispered to Chen Ke’er, "It’s about time someone lectured Uncle Xiao like this, always so stubborn and obstinate."
Chen Ke’er giggled.
Xiao Hongyi felt quite embarrassed by Anning’s scolding.
If it were someone else, he might have lost his temper.
But firstly, Anning was a young girl with a sweet and gentle voice, which softened Xiao Hongyi’s heart.
Secondly, Anning was Xiao Yuan’s classmate. Although Xiao Hongyi had various complaints about Xiao Yuan, after all, he was his son and he did care about him. He didn’t want Xiao Yuan’s relationships with his classmates to be too stiff, so he had to tolerate this.
Thirdly, Anning’s high score shocked him greatly. Xiao Hongyi always admired those who excel in studies, and Anning, as a ’God of Study,’ was naturally someone he favored even more.
Because of this, he held back.
Anning sighed, "Let me tell you, I’ve been tutoring Xiao Yuan these days, not just him, but also other classmates in class twelve. Everyone’s grades have improved in this exam, not just Xiao Yuan. He did well and was quite happy about it. When he brought the report card home, he wanted to share his joy with you and prove that he isn’t worthless."
Xiao Hongyi fell silent.
Anning’s words were telling him that Xiao Yuan didn’t cheat, the grades were legitimately earned.
For a child who had always ranked at the bottom, to improve his grades by nearly three hundred places in such a short time, Xiao Hongyi, even though long finished with school, understood very well how much effort must have been put in.
He thought about his attitude when Xiao Yuan brought the report card home, and his heart felt uncomfortable, filled with even more guilt.
"Uncle Xiao."
Anning called out again, "Xiao Yuan is now in the villa he usually stays in. He is very upset. Zhang Ke has been with him the whole time. I hope you can go see him."
Xiao Hongyi felt choked up and it took him a while to respond, "Alright."
Anning continued, "I hope Uncle Xiao can sincerely apologize to Xiao Yuan."
Eh?
Xiao Hongyi didn’t know what to say. Asking him to apologize to his son was something he found difficult to swallow.
Anning probably understood his mentality, "Is it that adults, when they do something wrong, don’t need to apologize? After hurting their children as parents, do they just feel perfectly justified? Uncle Xiao, Xiao Yuan has with great difficulty managed to motivate himself to study, but what have you done? If you don’t apologize, the hurt this time will follow Xiao Yuan for a lifetime. If you want to ruin your son, then continue to maintain your ridiculous pride."