After Teasing the Heroine and Running Away, I Was Forced into Love - Chapter 54

Huo Wenlan never imagined that her daughter could have fallen in love and started a relationship in just a few days—and with another woman, no less!

This series of revelations struck her like a string of thunderclaps, leaving her ears ringing.

“What, Qingqing… don’t joke with your father like that! This isn’t something to joke about. How can two women be together?”

Clearly, Shi Jianye, despite being accustomed to seeing billions of dollars wagered in casinos, had a remarkably narrow worldview when it came to the real world.

“It’s none of your business.”

Many people would force a smile for their biological father, even if he was the kind of man who abandoned his wife and children, unwilling to tear down the last shred of pretense.

But Shi Qing couldn’t do it.

She had no desire to spare the man’s feelings. The only reason she’d come to see him was to make her mother finally give up on him and see his true, despicable nature.

“So don’t even think about introducing me to any men. I won’t be interested. And… I’ll never acknowledge you as my father.”

Shi Qing approached step by step.

“Even if Mom wants to forgive you, I won’t allow it. I won’t let her jump into your fiery pit again!”

As the saying goes, “A strong parent raises a weak child, and a weak parent raises a strong child.”

Shi Qing was a prime example of the latter. With her mother ill and her father having abandoned them, she was unlike other children, developing a resilient and independent spirit from a young age.

Shi Jianye was momentarily speechless.

“How could you say that? I have money now, Dad does.”

In truth, he had only managed to win back a small amount after several sleepless nights gambling. He had hastily bought new clothes with the winnings.

But even this meager sum wouldn’t be enough to split evenly with He Shanjian.

Still, Shi Jianye felt that seeing his daughter was paramount.

“Really? Money you won at the gambling table? Money you’ll lose again in a few days?”

Shi Qing’s words struck like sharp swords, each thrust piercing Shi Jianye’s heart with precision.

“Qingqing, how dare you speak to your father like that!”

Huo Wenlan dragged her frail, sickly body, even her shouts were weak and listless, like the rustling of a torn trash bag flapping in the wind.

“Mom, don’t defend him,” Shi Qing said, her voice colder than ever. She had endured this man for far too long.

“When you ran away with all that debt, abandoning Mom and me, you should have known that I would never acknowledge you again. I’m not some pet you can pick up and discard whenever you please!”

Perhaps it was from spending so much time with He Roushuang that Shi Qing’s courage had been tempered.

She envied her sister. She admired her sister. When her sister hated her brother, she showed it without reservation, without needing to feign familial affection.

But Shi Qing couldn’t do that.

So now, she was striving to emulate He Roushuang’s approach.

“You… you ungrateful wretch!”

“While I was slaving away on that ship, saving every penny, it was all for you and your mother! Otherwise, I could have just walked away. And this is how you think of your own father now?!”

Shi Jianye, furious, raised his hand to slap Shi Qing, adhering to the principle that “spare the rod, spoil the child.” He believed that his daughter would only learn and obey through physical discipline.

But as his hand swung high in the air, it didn’t land as easily as it had when she was a child.

Snap!

Shi Qing’s hand shot up, gripping her father’s wrist mid-air.

Her slender brows furrowed slightly, her eyes radiating displeasure, yet more resembling the predatory gaze of a wolf sizing up its prey.

Few children would dare to look at their parents with such an expression. Even the former Shi Qing had never dared, her eyes always filled with fear.

“You want to hit me?”

Shi Qing slowly tightened her grip, sensing her father’s aging body and diminished strength.

“Too bad I’m not that little girl you used to beat and scold anymore.”

With a forceful flick of her wrist, Shi Qing flung Shi Jianye’s hand away, her disrespect growing increasingly palpable.

Shi Qing’s audacity stemmed directly from He Roushuang’s influence.

“If you truly care about us, you should divorce Mom and shoulder these debts yourself,” Shi Qing declared, refusing to back down even as her mother called out to her from behind.

“Shi Jianye,” Shi Qing said, using her father’s full name instead of “Dad” or “Father.”

This act was like triggering a mechanism, shattering the man’s fragile pride.

“I’ve worked my ass off to raise you! How dare you not call me Dad? I’ll beat you to death! I…”

Shi Jianye, his words slurring with rage, lunged forward to strike her again. But the bodyguard behind Shi Qing moved faster, intercepting the man’s attack with a swift motion.

“What?!”

“This case will be classified as domestic violence!”

He Roushuang sat on the sofa, looking like a furious little cat, her entire being radiating a chilling aura.

“We’re still family, after all. He doesn’t want to divorce my mother…” Shi Qing said, her head bowed.

Sometimes, no matter how hard she tried, it was futile.

With her feet pressed together, Shi Qing felt a pang of anguish. Could she never escape this?

Would her sister despise her for having such a terrible father?

“Is this what you call family? This is nothing but utter bastardry.”

The loyal bodyguard He Roushuang had assigned proved his worth, essentially fighting two men at once. Even though Shi Jianye was older and his physical strength had waned, he had once worked as a laborer on ships.

He still managed to scratch the bodyguard’s face.

Though it was unclear why a grown man would resort to a woman’s fighting tactics.

Regardless, He Roushuang covered the bodyguard’s medical expenses and privately instructed him to use more force next time, promising to cover any compensation for permanently disabling Shi Jianye.

“But don’t worry,” He Roushuang said, reaching out to grasp Shi Qing’s soft hands, her eyes filled with unwavering resolve. “As long as I’m here, he won’t lay a finger on you. After all, you belong to me.”

Shi Qing secretly enjoyed her sister’s favoritism, but the thought that He Roushuang might truly harbor a Bai Yueguang in her heart filled her with anguish.

“Alright, don’t be upset,” He Roushuang said, reaching out to gently pinch Shi Qing’s cheek. The soft, plump flesh beneath her palm made her want to keep kneading it.

Since living with her, the Female Lead’s diet had improved significantly, softening her gauntness and adding a bit of flesh to her face. Now, hugs and touches were no longer met with bony protrusions.

Actually… being too thin isn’t attractive, He Roushuang thought. A little bit of meat is much better.

“What’s the good news?” Shi Qing asked.

When petting her friend’s cat, He Roushuang loved to press her forehead against the cat’s, gently nuzzling it. She did the same now, pressing her forehead against Shi Qing’s. The delicate warmth of their skin against each other made her close her eyes in contentment.

Shi Qing had almost forgotten the unpleasantness of the day. She hated her father, who, despite their bl00d relation, only brought her pain. She cherished the person before her, who, though unrelated by bl00d, could soothe her shattered heart.