Teasing the Strawberry-Flavored Baby Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Wang Ping knew Liu Jiahao’s father owned a company and had some influence in Linhai City’s business circles. Before school started, his father had invited all of Class Six’s teachers, including the grade leader, to dinner. Only Wang Ping and one older teacher didn’t go. Wang Ping skipped it to avoid being swayed, wanting to treat every child fairly.

Seeing that talking to Liu Jiahao wasn’t working, Wang Ping quickly called his parents. Before she could fully explain, Liu Jiahao’s mother, hearing her son’s cries over the phone, got upset, hung up, and rushed to the school.

Wang Ping looked at Lu Ningwan and said, “Lu, it might be better if your guardian comes too.”

Lu Ningwan hesitated, then said, “Teacher, I don’t want my guardian to come.”

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Wang Ping thought that if Liu Jiahao’s parent got emotional, having Lu Ningwan’s guardian there might reassure her.

When Lu Ming got the teacher’s call, he didn’t ask why he was needed. Reluctantly, he took leave from his boss. His own kids had never had their parents called, and now he had to deal with his deceased brother’s daughter.

When he arrived, Liu Jiahao’s mother was already there, comforting her son while occasionally glaring at Lu Ningwan.

Seeing the scene, Lu Ming pushed Lu Ningwan, who was sitting in a chair. “I’m here now, so apologize to them. You made him cry.” He already disliked Lu Ningwan and usually just put on a show for appearances. Now, he assumed she was at fault without question.

Lu Ningwan stumbled from the push, her eyes reddening slightly. She knew her uncle and aunt didn’t like her and that her uncle didn’t want to waste time on her. But she hadn’t expected him to blame her without even asking. She felt lucky there were cameras in the classroom; otherwise, she’d have no way to explain herself, and no one would stand up for her.

Wang Ping knew Lu Ningwan was being raised by her uncle and aunt but hadn’t realized her uncle’s attitude toward her was like this. Her intention was to have someone there to protect Lu Ningwan. If she’d known it would turn out this way, she wouldn’t have called him.

Wang Ping stepped in front of Lu Ningwan, facing Lu Ming. “You’re Lu Ningwan’s uncle, right? This isn’t her fault. Liu Jiahao took her things but refused to apologize, so I called you both here.”

Lu Ming, caring about his reputation, quickly changed his tone. “Oh, I knew it. Ningwan’s always so well-behaved at home. It definitely wasn’t her fault.”

Liu Jiahao’s mother, however, wasn’t calm. She shouted, “Who says my Hao took anything? We have everything at home! Don’t you dare frame my son!”

Wang Ping frowned. She knew some parents could be unreasonable, but she didn’t expect to deal with this just days into the school year.

“There’s camera footage to prove it. As a teacher, I won’t favor anyone or wrong any child. This is simple—Lu Ningwan just wants an apology, which I think is reasonable. As a parent, you should teach your child to own up to mistakes, not blindly defend them. That does no good for their growth,” Wang Ping said to Liu Jiahao’s mother.

“It’s just a lousy toy! My Hao already gave it back. Even if he took it, we’ll pay for it—five times, ten times, whatever! How much was it?” Liu Jiahao’s mother stood up, looking disdainfully at Lu Ningwan and her uncle.

Learning the item was returned, Lu Ming got a bit upset. He felt there was no need to complicate things when the item was back, yet he’d been dragged here. “Teacher Wang, since the item’s returned and there’s no loss, can’t we let it go? It’s not a big deal.”

Wang Ping frowned, realizing Lu Ningwan’s uncle was unreliable. He didn’t care since it wasn’t his own child being wronged.

Lu Ningwan looked straight at Liu Jiahao’s mother. If no one would stand up for her, she’d speak for herself. “It’s not a lousy toy. It’s a gift from my friend, not something money can replace. I don’t want anything else—just an apology. Theft can be reported to the police. Even if my item was returned, it was still taken, and Liu Jiahao did it. If you and Liu Jiahao don’t mind the trouble or embarrassment, I’ll call the police to get my apology.”

Liu Jiahao’s mother hadn’t expected a six-year-old to be so sharp and calm, analyzing the situation without crying. She realized that if her son didn’t apologize, this girl might actually call the police. Their family had some status, and making a scene like that would be humiliating.

After coaxing Liu Jiahao for a while and promising him lots of things, his mother finally got him to grudgingly say, “Sorry,” to Lu Ningwan.

Lu Ningwan left with the pink box. Lu Ming felt a chill down his spine. He hadn’t expected Lu Ningwan to be so sharp. What if she found out about the hospital matter…? He shook his head, quickly pushing the thought away.

Lu Ningwan returned to class, carefully placing the pink box back in her backpack. She gripped the zipper tightly, feeling a bit happy. She’d protected Tiantian’s gift and learned that at least Teacher Wang was fair.

After school, Lu Ming’s face was sour. After dealing with Lu Ningwan’s issue, he waited in the car for forty minutes until the kids were dismissed.

At home, Lu Ningwan did her usual tasks. During dinner, Lu Ming casually mentioned her parent call. Zhang Ruohua immediately got upset.

“Such a small thing, and they called your uncle over? We’re so busy—where’s the time to revolve around you? Deyu and Zixuan have never had their parents called. Besides, they returned your stuff. Don’t drag your uncle into this again. Taking half a day off costs money, really…” Zhang Ruohua kept nagging, while Lu Deyu and Lu Zixuan listened eagerly.

As if struck by a thought, Lu Deyu’s eyes lit up, turning to Lu Ningwan. “Lu Ningwan, what did your classmate take? Let us see!”

“Yeah, what is it? Show us! Trying to hide it?” Lu Zixuan chimed in.

Lu Ningwan glanced at them before saying, “It’s nothing. Just an alarm clock from a kindergarten classmate.”

Hearing it was an alarm clock, Lu Ming’s expression flickered unnaturally. He tapped the table and said to his kids, “Alright, enough. Eat your food and stop asking questions.”

Lu Deyu and Lu Zixuan quieted down and ate.

That evening, Lu Ningwan finished her homework early. It was too easy for her. She decided to try mentioning to her uncle about buying third or fourth-grade reference books tomorrow.

She took the pink box from her backpack, carefully untied the bow, and revealed a cute pink bunny alarm clock inside. It was palm-sized, perfect for her bedside windowsill. Lu Ningwan set the alarm for the next morning, stared at the bunny for a while, then turned off the light and went to bed.

After giving away her bunny clock, Shen Tian was delighted when Lin Qinghan bought her a matching white bunny clock. Placing it on her bedside table, she was thrilled—she and Little Sister Lu had matching clocks!

Shen Xian’s investigation confirmed her suspicions. After Lu Ningwan’s parents’ car accident, their company assets were sold. After paying debts and employee salaries, the remaining money went to Lu Ming, who was raising Lu Ningwan. Since her parents’ death, Lu Ming hadn’t let her continue kindergarten. He and Zhang Ruohua treated her poorly. Lu Ningwan was only at Linhai City Experimental Elementary because her household registration was transferred to Lu Ming’s, assigning her to this school by district.

Shen Xian sighed. Such a sweet kid, and her daughter cared so much about her. She’d help Lu Ningwan when she could.

Unaware of her mother’s thoughts, Shen Tian finished her homework and went to play with her sister. Lin Yinan, one and a half, had just learned to walk, her short legs wobbling adorably.

Seeing her sister, the little cub rushed over with her tiny legs, arms outstretched, cooing, “Sister~ play~”

The nanny, amused, understood the little cub wanted to play with her sister and stayed close to prevent a fall.

Hearing her sister call her, Shen Tian happily hurried over, scooping the little cub into her arms.

The little cub grabbed Shen Tian’s hand, babbling, “Sister~ car, play!”

Shen Tian understood, grabbing a toy car from nearby. The little cub plopped on the floor. Worried they’d get cold, Aunt Liu grabbed two cushions for them to sit on.

The sisters sat a little apart. Shen Tian pushed the car to her sister, who pushed it back. It was a simple game, but Shen Tian played happily with her sister until the little cub got sleepy. Then, Shen Tian returned to her room, washed up, and went to bed.