The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 624 - 623: Licking Up to Ultimately Having Nothing

Chapter 624: Chapter 623: Licking Up to Ultimately Having Nothing

Seeing Ren Jingshu slapped, Zhao Yun’s mind heated up, and he rushed over lifting his foot.

"Hey, why are you hitting people randomly!"

Hearing his voice, Ren Jingshu looked over in astonishment for a moment, then the next second she pretended not to recognize him and lowered her gaze.

Ren’s mother sized up Zhao Yun with a scrutinizing eye, "Who are you?"

"I, I am just passing by. Can’t you talk things out? Why resort to hitting someone?"

Ren’s mother wasn’t easy to fool. Her gaze fell on the roses Zhao Yun was holding, then glanced at Ren Jingshu, smiling with irony: "You’re here for my daughter Jingshu, aren’t you?"

"What Jingshu, moving Jingshu, I don’t know her! I am just passing by. Don’t hit people again, or I’ll call the police!"

After the warning, Zhao Yun turned and left, not giving Ren Jingshu another glance, as if he really was just a passerby.

But Ren’s mother wasn’t ready to let it go and interrogated Ren Jingshu for quite some time, although she didn’t extract anything.

Perhaps because her anger had subsided somewhat, seeing the clear handprint on Ren Jingshu’s face, Ren’s mother raised her hand to touch it, but Ren Jingshu turned her head to avoid it.

Ren’s mother didn’t seem to care, her tone as if nothing had happened.

"Go backstage and remove your makeup. After that, head to the dance studio for training. Don’t worry about the spot; I have a lunch appointment with President An. I’ll make sure she finds a way to get you a spot in the national finals."

Watching Ren’s mother walk away, Ren Jingshu’s eyes revealed self-mockery, and she then turned to head backstage to change.

Zhao Yun hadn’t gone far but was hiding beside a car, observing the Ren mother and daughter through the car’s rearview mirror.

If Ren’s mother dared to hit Ren Jingshu again, he would really make a scene.

Why should she hit his girlfriend!

Seeing that Ren Jingshu had returned to the theater, he didn’t hurry to follow her but waited until Ren’s mother drove away before rushing excitedly backstage.

"Jingshu, congratulations on winning runner-up!"

Ren Jingshu paused in the midst of removing her makeup, turned her head, and coldly glared at Zhao Yun holding the bright, smiling roses, "Is it funny? Do you find it amusing that I got runner-up!?"

Zhao Yun was a bit dumbfounded, "No, I think you’re amazing. To win runner-up among so many competitors—that’s a testament to your strength."

Ren Jingshu turned her head back to continue removing her makeup, "You can leave. I don’t need sympathy or pity."

"No, Jingshu, I really think you’re amazing. And it’s not just me who thinks so—Ziheng, Guoguo, and Houzi are all happy for you. They’ve already gone to the restaurant. They’re waiting for you to come over for a celebratory party!"

Ren Jingshu stared at her own reflection in the mirror, her hand squeezing the makeup sponge tightly.

"If I really had the strength, why am I not the champion? Why did I only get runner-up?"

"That’s not your fault, it’s the judges who lack vision and appreciation. If I were a judge, you would definitely be the champion!"

His words didn’t comfort Ren Jingshu. On the contrary, they made her feel even more humiliated and angry.

Did she only have to rely on backdoor deals to compete in the national finals and qualify to win the championship?

"Get out, don’t come looking for me again. I don’t want to see you!"

"Jingshu, I know you’re upset. The more upset you are, the more I should be with you..."

"I told you to leave, can’t you understand human language? Do you need me to curse at you for you to feel better?"

Seeing her flare up, Zhao Yun didn’t dare say more. He put down the flowers and left with a look back at every step.

...

The place for the celebration was Shenji’s new branch that opened earlier this year—Qinyuanchun.

By the time Zhao Yun arrived at Qinyuanchun, they had already started serving the dishes.

Seeing him come alone, everyone naturally asked about Ren Jingshu.

Zhao Yun couldn’t bring himself to say he had argued with Ren Jingshu, and not wanting to dampen everyone’s spirits, he made the excuse that Ren Jingshu was taken away by her mother.

"No worries, let’s eat. Consider it a thank you to everyone for supporting my Jingshu."

```

Hearing him say that, everyone else unceremoniously picked up their chopsticks and started eating voraciously.

Shenji was somewhat famous in Fengcheng, but its prices were exorbitant, beyond what ordinary people could afford. Today, they had the rare chance to mooch a delicious meal, and it would be a loss to eat even one bite less.

However, Shenji’s cuisine was haute, served in modest portions. Coupled with the impressive appetites of a group of young men, a dish would be gone within a minute of being served.

Waiting for new dishes to be served while hungry wasn’t an option, so Zhao Yun called for Pei Ziheng, planning to head to the nearby Mingzhu Restaurant to buy some pastries to tide them over.

Pei Tang also clamored to go, so the three of them left together.

On the way to Mingzhu Restaurant, Zhao Yun briefly told Pei Ziheng about Ren Jingshu getting hit and being upset, hoping Pei Ziheng could help him figure out a way to cheer Ren Jingshu up.

Pei Tang quickly said, "Brother Hei Xiong, I have a good idea!"

"What is it?"

"Break up with her, and find someone with a gentler temper."

Zhao Yun was speechless, "Nonsense, Jingshu and I are fine."

Pei Tang rolled his eyes adorably, "She told you to scram, and you still think she’s fine. It’s sad she got hit, but that’s none of your business. You kindly bought her flowers, planned a celebration banquet, and if she doesn’t appreciate it, that’s one thing, but then she gets angry at you, that’s her fault."

"She’s just in a bad mood. I’m her boyfriend, if she’s not venting her anger on me, should she vent it on some other man?"

Seeing Zhao Yun still making excuses for Ren Jingshu at this point, Pei Tang shook his head.

Loyal to a fault, loyal to a fault, your loyalty leads to nothing in the end.

...

"Jingshu!"

After finishing a dance, Ren Jingshu was about to go to the resting area to grab a towel and wipe her sweat when she saw Zhao Yun, sitting on a resting stool and waving at her with a big smile. She paused slightly.

"How did you know I was here?"

As she walked over, she looked down at Zhao Yun.

She and Zhao Yun were the same age, with a height of one meter sixty-six, standing a head taller than the seated Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun didn’t answer but instead extended a towel and a cup of water to her, very attentive.

Ren Jingshu took the towel expressionlessly.

But Zhao Yun was pleased, as her taking his things meant she had cooled down.

"It’s the weekend today, you surely don’t want to go home, so where else would you be but here?"

Upon hearing his response, Ren Jingshu was slightly taken aback and then noticed the lunchbox sitting on the stool.

A small glass lunchbox, laden with colorful food.

"You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I brought this especially for you: vegetable salad, tea eggs, braised beef, and baked sweet potato. Carbs, protein, vitamins, it’s not only nutritionally balanced but also low in calories. You won’t gain weight eating this."

Looking at the food laid out in front of her, Ren Jingshu was stunned for a while before taking the fork from Zhao Yun’s hand and trying a bite of the salad.

The taste was very good, at least, much better than the boiled vegetables she usually ate.

"Have some beef, don’t just eat the vegetables."

Ren Jingshu swallowed the food in her mouth and then started eating a piece of beef in small bites.

"How is it? Tasty, right?"

Ren Jingshu didn’t reply, her gaze lowered, as tears unbiddenly fell into the lunchbox.

Having been dancing up to this point, tired and hungry, not even her own mother had thought to bring her something to eat. Instead, it was an outsider who was thinking and caring about her.

Zhao Yun had been watching her all along, and as soon as she cried, he immediately noticed.

He suddenly stood up and swiftly took off his T-shirt.

Ren Jingshu was startled by his actions, the tears hanging on the brink, "What are you doing!?"

```