Ch. 141..150

Chapter 141 What are your intentions?

Father Tao and Mother Tao listened to the malicious words coming out of Tan Jing’s mouth. She kept mocking the Tao family for being poor and mocked Tan Rou for being in such a dire state. They felt very upset.

Although he knew that Tan Jing’s previous sensible and obedient behaviour was all an act, he did not expect that in private, Tan Jing would also speak so viciously with her tone full of arrogance.

Mr. Tao and Mrs. Tao couldn’t imagine if Xiao Rou had been ridiculed by Tan Jing like this before they knew the truth. After coming back from the Tan family, Xiao Rou must have felt depressed and Tan Jing was still provoking her so arrogantly. Xiao Rou must have felt awful!

It was all their fault for being incompetent parents. They pursued frugality and forgot about their child’s feelings, which gave Tan Jing the opportunity to use her family’s power to mock Tan Rou.

Mrs. Tao held onto Mr. Tao’s hand and looked at Tan Rou with concern.

Tan Rou was naturally unhappy to hear these words. Tan Jing had said and done even more outrageous things in private but Tan Rou would always fight back. There was nothing to be angry about. She would just allow Tan Jing to jump around like a clown.

Tan Rou glanced at Tao Qi, who was sleeping in the room, from a distance. She didn’t have the time to argue with Tan Jing and automatically ignored Tan Jing’s provocation. She asked directly, “If you were really good to Tao Qi, you should do your homework. What did you feed him? He’s lying in the hospital after having a meal with you. What are you up to?”

Tan Jing was stunned for a moment and subconsciously denied, “In the hospital? How is that possible? This has nothing to do with me!”

“What did you guys eat?” Tan Rou frowned.

Tan Jing shouted in exasperation, “Tan Rou, you’re deliberately trying to frame me, aren’t you? You’re just jealous that I brought Tao Qi to a high-end restaurant. That restaurant is so expensive and luxurious! How could it possibly cause him to eat anything bad?! I’m fine now! Could it be that Tao Qi had never eaten such good food before and his body had difficulty digesting it? Hmph, how dare you question me?!”

Their faces turned livid. They were instantly angered by Tan Jing.

Judging from Tan Jing’s reaction, she probably didn’t know what Tao Qi was allergic to but Tan Jing’s disrespect to Tao Qi in a moment of desperation still made the three of them very angry. What did she mean by Tao Qi had never eaten such good food? What did she take the Tao family for? Beggars?

Tan Rou’s tone was stiff and she didn’t want to say another word to Tan Jing. She only coldly said, “You are indeed a good sister to Tao Qi. I didn’t want to interfere with Tao Qi’s choice but I’ve changed my mind. Don’t even think about seeing him again.”

On the other end, Tan Jing was unwilling to let it go. “Tan Rou! You’re just afraid that Tao Qi and I will get closer and that he’ll kick you out of the Tao family. This was why you came up with this idea, right? I told you that day, Tao Qi is the most doted on. As long as he doesn’t acknowledge you, you will not be allowed to stay in the Tao family. You looked like you didn’t care at all but you were actually scared to death! Weren’t you?!”

Mrs. Tao couldn’t take it anymore. She walked up to Tan Rou and took the phone. “Xiao Rou, don’t be afraid. Whether Xiao Qi accepts it or not, Xiao Rou is my daughter. This home will be her home forever. Xiao Rou has already warned you that you will not be allowed to see Tao Qi anymore. Now, I’m warning you as Tao Qi’s mother! You’re not allowed to contact him in private again or I’ll call the police. You’re no longer related to our family. This will be child abduction!”

Mr. Tao also stepped forward and added, “Tao Qi is still young. He still doesn’t know who’s sincere and who’s not. This is because we, as parents, didn’t educate him well. In the future, we won’t have to trouble Ms Tan for bringing our children out for a better experience. We can still afford to raise a child!”

When Tan Jing heard Mr. And Mrs. Tao’s voices, she was stunned. When she thought about how they had heard what she had just said, she immediately felt guilty. “No! I was just angered by Tan Rou. That’s why I spoke without thinking. Dad, mom, please don’t be angry!”

Mrs. Tao snorted coldly, “You were spouting nonsense? Didn’t Miss Tan sound arrogant earlier? You said it so firmly but now you aren’t going to admit it? There’s no point in saying more. I hope you can remember what we just said.”

Tan Jing was anxious and shouted over the phone, “Tan Rou did it on purpose! She deliberately set me up and even turned on the speaker for you to hear!”

Mrs. Tao rolled her eyes in disgust. “I was the one who asked Xiao Rou to put it on speaker. I want to hear how you got my son into the hospital. Xiao Qi doesn’t need a sister like you. Please stay away from our family!”

 

Chapter 142 Heaven's pride

Tan Jing was still quibbling, “Please don’t believe Tan Rou! She’s trying to harm me on purpose …” Before she could finish speaking, Tan Rou hung up the phone. She had already got what she wanted. It was a waste of time to listen to Tan Jing’s nonsense. She had been talking in a strange way for a long time. When her parents found out, she wanted to make it up to them. It was nothing more than a helpless cry.

Tan Rou’s head hurt when she heard this, and she didn’t want to care about Tan Jing anymore.

Mrs. Tao held Tan Rou’s hand as her heart ached and looked at her affectionately. “Good child, you’ve been wronged. Does Tan Jing often say these things to you in school? Why didn’t you tell mom about it? Don’t listen to her nonsense. No matter how much trouble Xiao Qi causes, you’re still my good daughter. No one can kick you out!”

Mrs. Tao’s heart was broken. No matter how strong Tan Rou was, she would still be sad when she heard these words. Tan Jing took advantage of the fact that she grew up in the Tao family and was close to Tao Qi to bully Rou. Now that Tan Rou had fallen out with the Tan family, Tan Jing still used those words to scare her. What a vicious girl! Mrs. Tao only hated herself for not realising Tan Jing’s evil intentions earlier.

Mr. Tao also sighed deeply and felt sorry for Tan Rou. Ever since his daughter came home, he always thought that she was obedient and sensible, so he didn’t need to worry about her. But he didn’t expect Tan Jing to be so arrogant behind her back. She was hoping that Tan Rou would be kicked out of the Tao family and suffer since she could never return to the Tan family.

Just now, Tan Jing almost let it slip. She said that Tao Qi was the most favored in the family. As long as he didn’t accept Tan Rou, Tan Rou wouldn’t be able to stay at home. This was clearly using Tao Qi to force Tan Rou to be estranged from their family!

Mr. Tao’s heart turned cold. He was completely disappointed in Tan Jing. After raising her for more than ten years, she turned out to be a snake. It was fine if she did not care about them, but she even turned around and harmed his own daughter. Tan Jing would not get any benefits from doing this. She was simply a beast that harmed others!

Father Tao looked at Tan Rou seriously and said, “Don’t worry. What Tan Jing said will never happen. Mom and dad promise you that you’ll be the most pampered child in our family in the future. If Tao Qi doesn’t give in, I’ll beat him up until he does!”

Mrs. Tao smiled as she wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes. “That’s right! Rou’er, mom and dad will dote on you! We’ve all seen how well you treated Tao Qi. If you hadn’t broken in to save him tonight, he would’ve been dead long ago. Not only are you his sister, you’re also his life saviour. He wouldn’t dare to disobey you!”

Tan Rou looked at Mr. And Mrs. Tao, who were looking at her with guilt and love, and felt very touched. She had known about Tan Jing’s schemes for a long time and she believed that the Tao family would not treat her that way. Even Tao Qi was slowly convinced by Tan Rou.

However, when she heard Mr. and Mrs. Tao’s serious promise to treat her as the most pampered child in the family, Tan Rou still smiled happily. She truly felt her parents’ heartache for her. Everything she did was worth it.

Tan Rou nodded obediently. “Since, mom and dad will dote on me, I will dote on Tao Qi. None of us will feel left out then!”

Mrs. Tao looked at her daughter’s playful smile and liked it no matter how she looked at it. She wanted to give Tan Rou all the best things in the world.

When Tan Jing returned to the Tan family, she was so arrogant that her nose was already in the sky. She was eating Western food and was so proud as if she had eaten some immortal peach from the Gods. She did not realize it in the past but now that she looked at Tan Jing again, she was indeed someone that they would be ashamed of. The small Tan family had made her forget who she was.

When the time was right, she would give the best to Xiao Rou and let others see what a true daughter of a rich family looked like.

Mrs. Tao had already thought of which big name designers she would find to customize a gown for Tan Rou, as well as which chefs to make desserts for Tan Rou. Although Mrs. Tao didn’t want to admit it, she had indeed been provoked by Tan Jing.

She just couldn’t stand Tan Jing’s arrogant and useless acts. Rou ‘er was the real daughter of a rich family. She must let Rou’ er enjoy the best. She would return all the grievances to Tan Jing and slap her face hard!

Tan Rou didn’t know what Mrs. Tao was thinking. Otherwise, she would have complained, “Mom, didn’t you say you wanted to keep a low profile? I don’t want to be living such a high profile life!”

 

Chapter 143 For Tao Qi

In the observation room, Tao Qi was done with his medicine and could already be discharged. The little guy had been tormented the entire night and was in a daze. He only woke up when the nurse came to help him remove the needles. In fear, he buried his face in Tao Zheng’s arms, revealing only a small red ear.

Tan Rou looked at Tao Qi gently, her heart softening. She thought for a moment and said to Mr. And Mrs. Tao, “About the phone call with Tan Jing today, I think it’s better not to tell Xiao Qi. He’ll be sad if he finds out about it. Just let him think that his Sister Jingjing truly loved him.”

Mrs. Tao was surprised by Tan Rou’s attentiveness. “Rou’er, you’re so considerate. Xiao Qi … Sigh, I hope that he knows that Tan Jing is not a good person and that he should stay away from her as soon as possible, but I’m also afraid that he will really be hurt. He still doesn’t understand the complexity of the human heart.”

Tan Rou smiled freely. “It’s okay. He will find out that Tan Jing is not a good person sooner or later, but it wouldn’t stop him from thinking that Tan Jing is a good sister. Otherwise, it will cause too much damage to his young heart. I am willing to be a bad person. I will stop him from being with Tan Jing alone in the future. I will let him keep this last trace of memory, even if it is fake.”

“Would it be better if Xiao Qi knew about your kind intentions?” Mr. Tao said emotionally.

“If this brat doesn’t treat you well in the future, he’s definitely heartless!”

Tan Rou’s smile became even gentler. “For Tao Qi’s sake, this should be a secret between us. I’m his elder sister, so he’ll acknowledge me sooner or later. Of course, I have to protect him first.”

Their parents agreed happily. The adults would settle their own matters. Tao Qi was still in need of protection and guidance at his age. With Tan Rou around, there was really no need for them to be worrying about him.

Tao Zheng had already packed his things and walked out with Tao Qi in his arms. “You can go now. The doctor prescribed some medicine. You’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Father Tao pretended to be angry as he looked at Tao Qi, who was in Tao Zheng’s arms. “Do you still have to guts to just put everything inside your mouth?”

Tao Qi pouted, feeling wronged. “How would I know there would be mushrooms? I didn’t even notice it!”

Mother Tao smiled helplessly. She knew that Tao Qi couldn’t be blamed for this, but she still lectured him, “Even if you didn’t know about the mushrooms, don’t you know that you’re sick? If you’re not feeling well, why didn’t you quickly find an adult? Instead, you secretly locked the door and hid?! If it wasn’t for your sister, would you still have the chance to talk back to us now?”

Tao Qi’s eyes widened as he glanced at Tan Rou. Tan Rou raised her eyebrows and didn’t say anything. She smiled and waited for Tao Qi’s reaction.

Tao Qi was a little embarrassed. After he and Sister Jingjing come back from dinner, he wants to quarrel with Tan Rou. In the end, not only did he not question Tan Rou, but he was also saved by her instead. It was really embarrassing.

That night, Tan Rou had told him to believe in his heart and feel who was the one who was truly good to him. Now, Tan Rou even tried her best to save him, so he could no longer deny her sincerity.

Tao Qi pursed his lips, feeling a little awkward, but he looked at Tan Rou with a rare sincerity. “Thank you,”

“You’re welcome,” tan Rou grinned. “It’s what an elder sister should do.”

Tao Qi’s face was red as he struggled in Tao Zheng’s arms. “I’m much better. I can come down and walk by myself.”

Tao Zheng looked helpless. He knew that his younger brother was embarrassed and didn’t want to show his weak side in front of Tan Rou, so he put him on the ground.

Tao Qi was still very weak. As soon as he landed, his legs went soft, and he staggered. It was with great difficulty that he managed to stand up.

Tan Rou looked at Tao Qi’s stubborn appearance, shook her head slightly, and advised, “You’re sick tonight, so you don’t have to be a little man. It’s okay to be taken care of occasionally. I’m not laughing at you.”

Tao Qi was still unwilling to comply, “I’m really fine! Big brother is tired from carrying me; I can walk on my own.”

Mr. Tao was amused. “Little Qi, it’s good that you know how to care for your big brother. Come. I’ll carry you instead.”

Tao Qi continued to shake his head. “I’m already ten years old. I’m very heavy. It’s been hard on dad too. I can walk slowly on my own.” With that, he started to walk by himself. However, it was obvious that he was swaying, and his legs were trembling.

 

Chapter 144 Tan Jing is stupid

Tan Rou couldn’t stand it anymore. She strode forward and picked Tao Qi up. “I’ll carry you, don’t force yourself.”

Tao Qi cried out in shock and found himself in Tan Rou’s arms. He immediately began to struggle. “Who’s trying to be brave? I don’t want you to carry me!”

Tan Rou lowered her eyes and threatened, “You don’t want big brother, nor dad, do you still want mom to carry you? You’re walking so slowly, it’ll be dawn soon. Stop talking nonsense or I’ll spank your butt. You’re so sick now and you can’t beat me!”

Tao Qi glared at Tan Rou angrily. This bad woman. He was just being grateful towards her but in the blink of an eye, she was bullying him fiercely again!

Tan Rou weighed Tao Qi in her arms and hugged him even tighter. She jokingly said, “You’re really heavy. I told you to eat less meat. Be careful or you’ll really become fat!”

Tao Qi was just about to retort when he saw Tan Rou’s gentle gaze. She looked at him with a pained expression and said, “But since you’re sick, you can eat more and get better quickly, brat.”

Tao Qi suddenly didn’t know what to say. He felt warmth from Tan Rou again! Her eyes were so gentle.

Tao Qi was embarrassed again and didn’t say anything more. He resigned himself to his fate and leaned his head on Tan Rou’s shoulder. Then, he thought to himself, ‘Tan Rou’s body also smelled good, but it was different from sister Jingjing’s perfume. It was the fragrance of a type of herb with a faint flower fragrance.’ Without realizing it, Tao Qi was feeling drowsy again.

The other three looked at Tan Rou and Tao Qi’s interaction and smiled at the same time. They were really two little enemies. They were always bickering but it was still quite heartwarming!

Tan Rou smiled as well. There was still the smell of the nerve-soothing incense on her body. Tao Qi was weak to begin with, and even though it wasn’t as effective as burning incense, it was enough for a child to have a good sleep and recover.

The family of five tossed and turned until the middle of the night before finally bringing Tao Qi home. They were both mentally and physically exhausted and went back to their rooms to rest when they got home.

Within a few hours, the sky had just turned bright, and Tan Rou got up again. She had no choice. She still had to go to school and they had an important test today.

Fortunately, Tan Rou had the spices she made herself. Although she only slept for a few hours, she was still in high spirits. After a simple wash, she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her family.

Hearing the noise from the kitchen, Mrs. Tao put on some clothes and walked out. “Xiao Rou, why are you up so early? I’ll cook, you should rest for a while more!”

Tan Rou shook her head. “I’ll do it. Mom, you should sleep a little longer. We have an exam today so I need to go to school slightly earlier.”

Mrs. Tao nodded. She knew that Tan Rou was attending a strict school and that she always had a lot of exams. She also knew that Tan Rou had just returned to the country and she didn’t have much time to study in the Tan family. She was afraid that Tan Rou would be stressed, so she quickly encouraged her, “Don’t be nervous. The exam is nothing. Your participation in it would be enough. There’s still a lot of time to slowly work on it. My daughter is so smart. She will definitely be able to do it.”

Tan Rou knew that Mother Tao was worried that she would be upset if she didn’t do well. So, she quickly comforted her. “Mom, I’ve already studied everything. Don’t worry, your daughter is indeed a smart girl!” She even winked at Mrs. Tao playfully.

Mrs. Tao smiled in relief. That’s right, her daughter even excels in medicine, she must definitely be good at studying too. People with talent learn fast, so she shouldn’t underestimate her daughter.

While cooking the porridge, Tan Rou pretended to ask casually, “Mom, did Tan Jing study well in the past?”

Tan Rou naturally knew that Tan Jing’s academic results had always been good in her previous life and she had also maintained the image of a top student in this life. However, Tan Rou was still very curious and wanted to ask Mrs. Tao about Tan Jing’s performance at home. This time, Tan Jing was definitely digging a trap for her in terms of their academics. She had to know her enemy well.

Mrs. Tao thought that Tan Rou was still comparing herself to Tan Jing and was afraid that Tan Rou would overthink it. She continued to encourage her, “Her grades have always been good, but she’s the hard-working type. She only relies on rote memorization and often stays at home until midnight. She’s not as smart as you. You don’t have to compete with her, she’s not your opponent as well. You just have to do well! Mommy believes you!”

In the past, in Mother Tao’s eyes, Tan Jing was still her daughter. Of course, she would only think that Tan Jing was very hardworking and that she was excellent. However, her impression of Tan Jing now was extremely bad. She did not directly say that Tan Jing was stupid because Mother Tao was a cultured woman. She did not want to compare Tan Jing to Tan Rou at all.

 

Chapter 145 A little adoration

Tan Rou couldn’t help but laugh. Tan Jing pretended to be at ease in school, creating a very talented academic image. However, it turned out that she was secretly working hard at home.

Mrs. Tao looked at Tan Rou affectionately. “I’ve never expected you to do very well, as long as you put in the effort. Grades don’t mean everything and a person’s character can’t be measured by grades.”

Tan Rou put down the soup spoon in her hand and walked over to give Mrs. Tao a gentle hug. “I know, mom. Don’t worry. I won’t let Tan Jing disrupt my studies. She’s not that important.”

Mrs. Tao nodded in relief. Tan Jing and the Tan family were indeed nothing to be afraid of, but what Mrs. Tao was most afraid that Tan Rou might be incited by Tan Jing and lose her heart. If that happened, she would subconsciously compete with Tan Jing no matter what she did and she would not be happy no matter what results she got.

However, for Tan Rou, it was easy to beat Tan Jing in all aspects. Tan Jing was not an opponent worthy of respect at all. Tan Rou was just like a cat playing with a mouse, watching Tan Jing bring about her own evil. She would never lose her heart like what Mrs. Tao was worried about.

After Tan Rou returned back to life, her goal was clear.

She would definitely make Tan Jing and the Tan family pay the price. She would definitely make Tan Jing lose everything and have a taste of being deserted by everyone. However, she would definitely not do anything out of line. If she took the initiative to harm others for revenge, then what difference would she be from Tan Jing?

The mother and daughter talked quietly for a moment. Tan Rou had a simple breakfast and was ready to go to school.

Before she left, Tan Rou told Mother Tao, “I’ve specially stir-fried a vegetable dish for Tao Qi to eat when he wakes up. That dish can help with detoxifying the toxins in his body so it suits him most now.”

Mother Tao knew that Tao Qi didn’t like vegetables the most. Since he was young, no matter how she forced him, it didn’t work. So, she could only give up.

Mother Tao felt that Tao Qi definitely wouldn’t eat the vegetables that Tan Rou made, but Tan Rou was being so thoughtful early in the morning. Her intention was very precious.

She didn’t want to disappoint Tan Rou. She didn’t say anything and just nodded in agreement, saying that she would get Tao Qi eat it.

Tan Rou chuckled, waved her hand, and went to school with light steps.

Not long after Tan Rou left, the other members of the family also got up one after another.

In the past, Tao Qi would never have woken up at such a time, not to mention that he was sick last night and his body was weak.

Mother Tao’s heart ached for her child. She originally wanted to let him sleep in, but she didn’t expect Tao Qi to stretch himself and jump downstairs, clamouring for breakfast.

Tao Qi didn’t know what was going on either. In his sleep, there seemed to be a faint medicinal fragrance lingering around him, and the faint smell of herbs entered his nose.

He felt that his body was becoming more and more relaxed, and his consciousness was becoming heavier and heavier. It was rare for him to wake up naturally.

After waking up, he felt refreshed and felt that his body was the same as before, with an endless amount of energy!

Tao Qi noticed that a plate of incense had been placed at the head of the bed at some point, and it was currently emitting the faint smell that he had been particularly fond of in his dream.

Hence, Tao Qi couldn’t wait to ask his mother, “Mom! Where did the incense in my room come from? It’s so good. I had a good sleep last night, and I’m a little man again today!”

Mrs. Tao immediately guessed that Tan Rou must have lit a nerve-soothing incense for Tao Qi after sending him back to his room last night. Her heart was filled with warmth.

She reached out and touched Tao Qi’s forehead. “You really don’t know how blessed you are. That’s the nerve-soothing incense that your sister made herself. You have no idea how much better my sleep quality has been. Your sister cared about you which is why she gave them to you.”

Tao Qi touched his head thoughtfully. “Was she really that powerful? Where did she learn it from? She even did so much acupuncture last night. It’s amazing.”

Mr. Tao walked over with the newspaper and smiled proudly. “Your sister’s medical skills are amazing. It’s a waste of her talent to help you with acupuncture. You should be happy!”

Tao Qi pouted. Although he also thought that Tan Rou’s medical skills were amazing, hearing how his parents praise her like this still made him a little jealous.

He had to admit that Tan Rou was a little powerful! She’s a bad woman with tricks up her sleeves.

Tao Qi thought that Tan Rou was a little strange. Her IQ was so high that she could easily answer the questions on the forum. She was good at cooking and knew medicine. She was simply too well-rounded. Was this woman really his sister?

Tao Qi didn’t want to admit it but he started to admire Tan Rou deep inside his heart.

 

 

Chapter 146 I want to eat vegetables

Mother Tao glanced at Tao Qi’s expression and laughed to herself. Her youngest son was clearly being influenced by Xiao Rou but he just couldn’t get over it.

Mrs. Tao didn’t point it out.

Everything that Tan Rou had done so far had pleasantly surprised Mother Tao. She didn’t expect Tan Rou to be so tolerant of her younger brother.

She had thought about what to do if the two children were incompatible like fire and water. Now that she thought about it, she was really overthinking. Tan Rou was so obedient and outstanding, who wouldn’t like her?

Just let Xiao Rou slowly conquer her brother! She would only have to assist from the side.

Seeing that Tao Qi was already sitting at the table obediently, waiting for the meal to start, Mother Tao smiled and brought the porridge and vegetables that Tan Rou had prepared to Tao Qi.

Tao Qi frowned unhappily and said in disdain, “Mom, I don’t want to eat vegetables! It’s too bitter and they’re not delicious at all!”

Tao Qi’s reaction was within Mother Tao’s expectations. She didn’t force him and instead said to Father Tao and Tao Zheng, Today’s breakfast was prepared by Xiao Rou. She even told me that she had prepared these vegetables for Xiao Qi to detoxify. It’s a pity that Xiao Qi doesn’t like it, but we can’t let down Xiao Rou’s good intentions. Let’s eat it!”

Tao Qi’s expression froze when he heard that it was Tan Rou who cooked all these. He took a few more glances at the dish.

Tao Zheng raised an eyebrow and played along with his mother. “Sure, I’ve never had this kind of vegetable before. It seems like it can be used in medicine too. Tan Rou is so thoughtful. Let me try it.”

Mr. Tao smiled and glanced at Tao Qi before joining in. “It looks really delicious. Xiao Rou really has been nothing but nice to this brat! Even I, as his father, am a little jealous. I’m going to finish all of this!”

This time, Tao Qi was a little anxious. His eyes were fixed on the dish. When he saw father Tao and Tao Zheng each take a big bite, Tao Qi couldn’t help but say, “She made that for me!”

Tao Qi felt a little proud when he heard what he had just said.

Even his father was a little jealous of the dishes that Tan Rou had specially made for him. At least that woman was tactful and was the most attentive to him at home.

This made Tao Qi feel that he was especially valued and satisfied by the little vanity in his heart. However, when he saw that his father and brother had eaten so much of the dish, he felt a little distressed.

Tan Rou had made him vegetables that night as well and it was the best that he had ever eaten. After knowing that this green dish was made by Tan Rou, it didn’t seem as annoying as before. It should be delicious, right?

Seeing how anxious Tao Qi was, Mother Tao smiled mischievously and pretended to be understanding. “It’s fine, Xiao Qi. I know you don’t like vegetables. Although Tan Rou made this for you, I don’t want to force you.”

Tao Qi hesitated for a while in distress. Seeing that his brother was still eating in big mouthfuls, he completely forgot about his face and shouted, “I want to eat vegetables! Don’t fight with me!” With that, he quickly picked up the vegetables on the plate and ate them in big mouthfuls.

After the first bite, Tao Qi squinted his eyes in satisfaction. This taste was cool and refreshing with a unique sweetness. It was indeed different from other vegetables.

Mother Tao looked at Tao Qi in surprise. Everyone present knew how much Tao Qi hated vegetables. She had only wanted to try teasing him, thinking that he would at most take a bite and give up. She didn’t expect him to be so straightforward and eat a few mouthfuls without hesitation.

Tao Zheng also found it strange. “Tao Qi, don’t you hate vegetables the most? In the past, you would go to the bathroom and vomit for half a day if I tricked you into eating a mouthful. Why are you okay with this? You don’t have to pretend to be brave!”

Tao Zheng was afraid that Tao Qi was being teased by them and was only trying to be brave, worried that he would feel uncomfortable.

Unexpectedly, Tao Qi rolled his eyes and said with a little pride, “I will finish them. It’s not the first time I’ve eaten it. Her vegetables are delicious!”

“When have you ever tried your sister’s cooking?” Father Tao asked, feeling confused.

Tao Qi was still tsundere, and even a little proud. “I didn’t eat the night I came home and then I got hungry, so Tan Rou made me something to eat.” After saying that, he even raised his chin, looking very pleased.

His parents and brother liked Tan Rou so much, but Tan Rou only made good food for him. Tao Qi wanted to show off for some reason.

Realization dawned on Mrs. Tao. “That’s what I thought. When I woke up the next morning, I found traces of the kitchen being used. So, your sister was the one who cooked!”

 

Chapter 147 The distribution of the examination venues

Mr. Tao was really jealous this time. His daughter had never cooked for him but this disrespectful brat had it easy!

That night, he was worried that Tan Rou would be sad because of Tao Qi’s bad attitude. He didn’t expect that from that day itself, Xiao Rou had done so much for Tao Qi. His heart was feeling sour.

Tao Zheng was also a little jealous. He had clearly accepted Tan Rou much earlier and yet he had not received such good treatment. On the contrary, this arrogant brat had taken the lead.

Was this what it meant to be a child who was good at making a fuss? He also wanted to eat the food that his sister specially prepared!

Mrs. Tao looked at the three men at the table and shook her head in amusement.

It was fine if Tao Qi wanted to show off, but his husband and second son, who were two grown men, were actually jealous over such trivial matters. However, this also showed that they both loved Xiao Rou from the bottom of their hearts and wanted to get Xiao Rou’s favouritism. They didn’t even mind bickering with a little kid.

Tan Rou, who had stirred up the family’s jealousy, didn’t know that a simple meal would cause such a huge aftermath. After she arrived at school, she went to the assigned examination hall and sat quietly, waiting for the examination to begin.

The school had a special tradition of dividing the examination venue into several categories based on academic results. They were divided into six grades, from A to F, according to the previous results.

Only the school’s top students could enter the exam hall A. If no one reached the cut-off point of the A exam hall, the school would even leave the A exam hall empty for the next exam to encourage students to treat this as a challenge.

After a long time, the students had all treated exam area A as a particularly sacred place. They felt that only those who could enter exam area A were those who were truly geniuses.

After all, in order to reach the cut-off point for the exam hall A, one had to get close to full marks for almost every subject. This was simply not something that a human could do. Wasn’t that counted as something god-like?

It was said that since the establishment of the school, only a few people have entered the hall. Exam hall A had gradually become a decoration, a legend that could be seen but not reached.

Most of the students with better academic results would be distributed in the exam hall B and this was where Tan Jing belonged. Her grades had always been above average and she had always been amongst the top few in the class. She had always been proud of being able to stay in this exam hall.

Tan Rou, on the other hand, had not participated in the school’s exam. So, according to the evaluation, she was temporarily assigned to exam hall D, which was below average.

Tan Jing secretly laughed at this matter.

Tan Rou was assigned to exam hall D as soon as she arrived. It was indeed something embarrassing!

However, according to Tan Jing’s thoughts, the school should have directly assigned Tan Rou to exam room F. With Tan Jing’s level, she should have been at the bottom.

However, Tan Jing thought about it later and felt that this arrangement was in fact a good one. First, Tan Rou was now arranged in a position that was neither high nor low. After the exam, she would suddenly enter exam hall F. Wouldn’t that be more humiliating? Let’s see if she still has the face to stay in class!

Moreover, this arrangement was in line with Tan Jing’s plan this time.

Wei Ling’s academic results were bad as well. She had always been in the exam hall D. Tan Jing had already inquired about it. This time, Wei Ling and Tan Rou happened to be in the same examination venue. She simply had the right time, place, and people.

Tan Jing had already thought about it. This exam was a good opportunity. It wasn’t enough to just expose Tan Rou’s poor grades. She had to make Tan Rou pay a little price.

Tan Rou was getting too cunning these days. She might do something to falsify her results. Just in case, Tan Jing threatened Wei Ling in advance and asked her to keep an eye on Tan Rou in the exam hall. She couldn’t give Tan Rou any chance to cheat.

It would be best if he caused trouble for Tan Rou instead.

If Tan Rou took the exam honestly, it would be even better if she got a ridiculous grade in the end. Even if an accident happened, Wei Ling would be there to disturb Tan Rou. With double insurance, Tan Jing didn’t believe that Tan Rou would have the ability to defend herself this time.

Tan Jing sneered. Let the others wait and see. She wanted Tan Rou to lose all her reputation after this exam!

 

Chapter 148 The note

Tan Jing had laid out an inescapable net and was waiting for Tan Rou to fall into the trap.

Recently, the rumors in the school were getting more and more unfavourable to Tan Jing. There were more and more rumors about Tan Rou’s handsome character and beautiful appearance. There were also many of them who were arguing that the title of the school Belle should be given to Tan Rou, which made Tan Jing depressed for several days.

However, all of these were nothing. Once the test results were out, everyone would be shocked.

What’s the use of being pretty? Having a handsome personality was even more of a nonsense. Who would choose an ignorant, incompetent, and stupid School Belle? What if such an idiot didn’t know her position and tried to cheat in the exam?

No matter how pretty a person was, people would only think that she was arrogant, despotic, vulgar, and unruly in the end. This was human nature!

Who else would still consider her to be the school Belle? It would probably be a huge joke.

Tan Jing was secretly proud of herself. The idea she came up with was really too smart. Even if Tan Rou accepted her fate and did not cheat, Tan Jing still had Wei Ling to help her.

Tan Jing had already made herself clear and so Tan Jing wasn’t afraid that Wei Ling wouldn’t do anything to Tan Rou. When the time came, if Tan Jing said that Tan Rou had cheated, it would be considered cheating. No matter how Tan Jing quibbled, it would be useless!

Wei Ling originally did not want to get involved in the fight between Tan Jing and Tan Rou. The last time when they were in the classroom, Tan Rou had defeated Liang Lu and revealed that she had a close relationship with Zhuang Liu, Wei Ling had decided not to help Tan Jing.

Now that Tan Rou was becoming more and more difficult to deal with, Wei Ling didn’t want to be the victim. After all, if something happened, Tan Jing definitely wouldn’t help her given how her personality was. Wei Ling had gradually seen through Tan Jing’s selfish nature.

However, Tan Jing still had the strong support of the Tan family while Tan Rou had nothing.

When Wei Ling heard about Tan Jing’s plan, she declined twice, saying that she was too timid to do such a thing.

However, who knew that Tan Jing had completely set her eyes on tan Rou. She did not hesitate to borrow Tan Song’s power to find Wei Ling’s parents and indirectly revealed that she wanted Wei Ling to help her deal with a classmate.

Tan Jing even hypocritically told Wei Ling’s mother how much she valued Wei Ling and sincerely treated Wei Ling as a good friend. She did not expect that Wei Ling would not help her at the critical moment. She was a little sad and even hinted that Tan Song was also a little disappointed in the Wei family.

Wei Ling’s mother was shocked and quickly scolded Wei Ling.

For a family like theirs, as long as they could rely on a strong person, what’s wrong with helping out a friend in school?

Although she didn’t know who Tan Jing wanted to deal with, from what Tan Jing said, the other party was just a nobody. If Wei Ling helped Tan Jing deal with such an issue, Wei Ling could win the favour of the tan family. How worthwhile was that?

Wei Ling stammered and wanted to refuse but she couldn’t say anything. After all, Tan Rou didn’t have any substantial background and her relationship with Zhuang Liu was uncertain. She couldn’t just tell her parents that she just had a feeling that Tan Rou wasn’t someone simple. There was nothing left for her to say.

So, under the persuasion of her family, Wei Ling could only choose to continue helping Tan Jing.

Wei Ling was sitting diagonally behind Tan Rou. She stared at Tan Rou’s back silently. Her heart was in a mess and she did feel incredibly frightened.

Tan Jing had already suffered too many losses because of Tan Rou. Wei Ling felt that she might not be able to gain any benefits this time either. However, this time, she was chosen by Tan Jing to become her helper. If something happened, wouldn’t she be the one who was at fault?

The last time, Wei Ling was still hesitating about when to befriend Tan Rou so that she could have another person to stick up to. However, she did not expect that before she could see what Tan Rou had, she was pulled back into Tan Jing’s camp.

Wei Ling rubbed the paper in her hand and thought carefully. Although she never wanted to pick a side, she obviously had no other choice now.

If she chose Tan Rou, there would be too many risks involved. She didn’t know if she could win against Tan Jing. Even if she could, it would probably take some time.

However, if she did not help Tan Jing with this now, the Wei family might immediately suffer under the Tan family’s suppression.

After weighing the pros and cons, Wei Ling gritted his teeth and looked at Tan Rou with regret.

She didn’t have the capital to gamble. Since she couldn’t completely offend Tan Jing now, she could only do her best to help the other party suppress Tan Rou, she had no chance to turn things around and she had to do this right.

 

Chapter 149 Pretending to be confused

Wei Ling made up her mind and secretly hid the paper she had prepared in her hand. It would come in handy later.

The students waited for a while and it was finally time for the exam.

Two invigilators walked into the classroom and conducted a security check on the students in the examination hall according to the regulations. There were many rich kids in this school. Although it was a discipline school, the management was very humane. Students were usually allowed to bring their mobile phones to school but they were particularly strict when it came to their examination.

This was because, in their school, the biggest punishment was not for dating or fighting but cheating in exams.

The new principal came from the military and had a strong sense of justice. He hated fraud most and he was almost harsh on the student’s character. Before every examination, he would emphasise that it was not shameful to have bad grades but cheating was someone that had to be severely punished.

This was also why Tan Jing had come up with the idea of slandering Tan Rou for cheating. As long as Tan Rou’s cheating was confirmed, then whether it was reason or the school system, they would not allow tan Rou to continue staying in the school.

The students also understood the school’s rules. No one had the guts to openly challenge the principal. They all handed over their phones and other electronic devices and sat in their seats obediently.

It couldn’t be helped. The principal had requested that no matter how good or bad one’s studies were, they had to treat the exam seriously. Therefore, they couldn’t sleep, lean on the table, or bring in the papers in advance.

This was also one of Tan Jing and Wei Ling’s considerations. If Tan Rou didn’t know anything and went to sleep or left early as soon as the exam began, their plan couldn’t be implemented.

However, the school had a rule that Tan Rou had to stay in her seat obediently before the exam was over and so Wei Ling would have plenty of time.

Tan Rou also turned off her phone and walked to the podium to hand it over to the teacher. On her way back, she happened to bump into Wei Ling. Their eyes met and Wei Ling was the first to look away. Perhaps it was because she felt guilty but she pretended to be calm and greeted Tan Rou. “What a coincidence, we’re in the same exam hall!”

Tan Rou didn’t say anything. She kept staring at Wei Ling until Wei Ling became nervous and there were cold sweats that started to appear on her forehead. Tan Rou smiled. “Indeed … What a coincidence.” Then, she gave Wei Ling a meaningful look, turned around, and returned to her seat.

Wei Ling heaved a long sigh of relief and clenched his slightly sweaty hands. She was definitely afraid of the gaze that came from Tan Rou.

When Tan Rou stared at her without a word, she almost wanted to tell her the whole plan. Tan Rou’s gaze was too domineering and she made others feel scared from the bottom of their hearts.

Moreover, Tan Rou’s domineering appearance from the past few incidents had been lingering in Wei Ling’s mind. So, when Tan Rou stood in front of her with an imposing aura, Wei Ling wanted to run. She felt that she was just like everyone else, unable to withstand a single blow from Tan Rou.

Wei Ling clenched her fists tightly and comforted herself that everything was just an illusion. Tan Rou couldn’t have known in advance. Even if she suspected that Wei Ling would do something, there was no evidence. She shouldn’t panic!

Once Tan Rou saw through her guilty conscience, everything would be over. She had no way out and so she could only brace herself and rush forward!

Little did she know that in Tan Rou’s eyes, Wei Ling’s behaviour was already suspicious and guilty.

Tan Rou didn’t think much about being assigned to this test field. It was the same no matter where she took the test. It might have been a coincidence that she was assigned to the same test as Wei Ling.

However, this kind of coincidence could be easily used by Tan Jing.

The moment Tan Rou saw Wei Ling, she knew that Tan Jing would not be here herself. If she wanted to do something, she could only assign this task to Wei Ling.

Just now, when the two of them exchanged glances, Tan Rou deliberately put pressure on Wei Ling silently to watcher her reaction. As expected, before Tan Rou could say anything, the silent gaze had already made Wei Ling feel guilty.

Wei Ling’s fleeting gaze and awkward greeting were strange in every way. The only thing missing were the words “I want to harm you” written on her face.

Tan Rou sneered. Not only was she not worried, she was also looking forward to what kind of idiotic idea they would come up with to frame her.

The exam hadn’t even started yet and Wei Ling was already so nervous. It must have been hard on her. Tan Jing really didn’t have anyone useful on her side.

Tan Rou looked back at Wei Ling with a wicked smile. Wei Ling’s heart trembled as she forced a smile at Tan Rou, pretending that she didn’t know anything. In the eyes of others, Wei Ling was trying to be friendly with Tan Rou.

Tan Rou also pretended to be confused. She narrowed her eyes and smiled back at Wei Ling. The two of them had their own thoughts and undercurrents flowing in the dark, but at this time, they were smiling like a pair of best friends which was extremely strange.

Chapter 150 Hidden strength

The bell rang and the invigilators handed out the papers for the students to answer.

Tan Rou lowered her eyes and her curled eyelashes cast a shadow on her face. She roughly read the paper from the beginning to the end.

The questions on the paper weren’t too difficult. After all, it was a mock exam and most of them were basic questions. There were only a few difficult questions mixed in, which was still easy for Tan Rou. However, Tan Rou didn’t become arrogant because of this. Instead, she looked at the paper seriously.

Tan Rou calculated in her heart that the time needed to finish this paper was probably less than one-third of the time taken for the exam.

However, she couldn’t hand in his paper in advance nor could she lie on the table and take a nap. Wouldn’t it be too boring if she just answered everything so quickly?

Tan Rou sighed and comforted herself. It was her first time taking an exam in school, so she shouldn’t break the school rules. It would be too eye-catching. She calculated the time and slowly wrote down the answers at the speed of a normal student.

Tan Rou had already decided to keep a low profile. Otherwise, with her level, she would definitely be able to get the first place in the school with a score close to full marks. However, that would definitely attract many people’s speculations and doubts, which would be too troublesome.

Tan Rou was too lazy to explain and she didn’t want to set up the image of a genius for herself. Besides Tan Jing, who was a restless factor, she still wanted to enjoy a simple and ordinary life.

Therefore, Tan Rou decided to hide her true strength and only wanted to control her strength to be slightly above Tan Jing.

Tan Rou thought to herself that she just wanted to compete with Tan Jing and did not need to create pressure for others.

Didn’t Tan Jing always think that she was ignorant and incompetent? Wasn’t Tan Jing waiting for her to make a joke of herself? First, Tan Rou would then score a little higher than Tan Jing. Then, Tan Rou would give Tan Jing a scare then admire her disbelieving expression. Tan Jing would want to try to overtake Tan Rou but no matter what, Tan Jing would fail at it.

When Tan Rou thought of this, she pursed her lips and laughed secretly. She felt that she was indeed a genius. Tan Jing would be angered to death if she did this.

After handing out the papers, Wei Ling had been observing Tan Rou from the corner of his eye. When she saw Tan Rou flip through the papers, ponder for a long time, she sighed and finally felt relieved.

Sure enough, Tan Rou reacted just as Tan Jing had said. Tan Rou knew nothing. After reading the questions, she sighed. This way, Tan Rou’s image as a bad student was basically confirmed. Tan Jing and her no longer really worry about their target. As long as Tan Rou got a bad result, the others who had a favourable impression of her would be immediately reduced.

Then, when Wei Ling saw that Tan Rou, who had just been staring at the paper in a daze, suddenly pursed her lips and laughed for some reason. Could it be that Tan Rou found the questions too difficult and imagined the scene of her being laughed at after the results came out and she had gone crazy with anxiety?

Wei Ling’s eyes widened as she looked at the paper in her hand. It was a normal paper. It didn’t look very difficult. What was so funny?

Wei Ling felt that Tan Rou was acting weird. Perhaps Tan Rou had already given up. She didn’t understand the world of bad students.

Wei Ling shook her head. She didn’t care about Tan Rou for the time being and quickly started to answer the questions.

She had no other choice. Although she promised to help Tan Jing, she also needed to take the exam. She couldn’t bring a zero home just to harm Tan Rou, right?

Wei Ling’s academic performance was average to begin with. This time, she had other things on her mind and it was even more difficult for her to sit for the exam. She could only force herself to finish the questions quickly and then deal with Tan Rou. Anyway, she was not allowed to leave early and Tan Rou couldn’t run away either.

Tan Rou supported her head in boredom and slowly wrote down the answers on the paper to pass the time. In the end, she only chose a few questions from all the answers and wrote them down on the paper. Just like this, Tan Rou found it interesting to answer the questions while calculating the scores.

The sun shone in through the window and golden rays fell on Tan Rou’s table and body. Tan Rou squinted her eyes in comfort. She thought to herself, in order to anger Tan Jing to death, she had wasted a lot of time pretending to be a bad student. She just didn’t know what Tan Jing and Wei Ling had planned. She couldn’t help but feel sleepy. Tan Rou had hoped that they wouldn’t be too stupid this time. She was hoping that they could be more creative this time!