Liang Shi: "...?"
Was she being lectured by a child?
Or should we educate her on how to educate children?
Liang Shi was shocked.
Before she could recover from being lectured by the children, Rainbow said, "Sister Liang Shi, Teacher Qi is here."
Liang Shi turned around blankly, nodded slightly, and greeted Qi Jiao, "Teacher Qi."
She temporarily put aside the impact Rainbow had on her.
"Mmm." Qi Jiao didn't show anything unusual in front of the child. She gently bent down and patted Rainbow's head. "Rainbow can go home early today."
Rainbow shook her head. "Let's not go home. Let's go eat something delicious first."
His tone was calm, but Liang Shi detected a hint of smugness in it.
“That’s fine too.” Qi Jiao maintained a gentle smile throughout. “Then Rainbow should eat more.”
Liang Shi could sense that Qi Jiao's kindness at this moment was not feigned.
She genuinely likes children, and seeing them happy makes her feel fulfilled.
And the woman I saw today was completely different from the one I saw in the mall that day.
When Qi Jiao was by Mrs. Qi's side, she felt apprehensive, uneasy, and afraid.
But she becomes a completely different person when she's with children.
Liang Shi took a deep breath and asked gently, "Teacher Qi, do you have time now? Let's talk."
Qi Jiao stood up. She was a little shorter than Liang Shi. She wore light makeup, her long hair was tied up with a yellow scrunchie, and she wore a yellow dress with a beige coat over it.
It's the kind of thing that looks completely harmless.
She pursed her lips as she looked at Liang Shi, then asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
Liang Shi glanced at Rainbow. Although the genius girl had just lectured her, Liang Shi was still "stubborn to stick to his own opinion." These things definitely couldn't be heard by Rainbow.
Liang Shi thought for a moment, "Let's pick a quiet place."
Qi Jiao refused, "Let's just stay here. There shouldn't be anything that others can't hear."
Liang Shi looked around, but there was hardly anyone there.
Only a few teachers are leaving one after another.
Liang Shi called to Rainbow, "Can you wait for me in the car? I have something I want to say to your teacher."
Rainbow glanced at her watch. "How long?"
Liang Shi: "..."
She thought for a moment, "No more than ten minutes, I guess."
If Qi Jiao doesn't cooperate, it might not even take three minutes.
Liang Shi unlocked the car and watched Rainbow get in. He told her there was an iPad in the back seat with some science fiction movies downloaded on it, which she could watch as she pleased.
Rainbow carried her backpack without looking back, but when she reached the roadside, she looked to both sides to see if there were any oncoming vehicles.
When Liang Shi looked away, he found that Qi Jiao was still looking at Rainbow.
Only after the car door closed and Rainbow gave an "OK" sign from inside the car did she turn her head, purse her lips, and her expression return to its indifferent state. "Ms. Liang, I don't think we have anything to say to each other."
"You and Mrs. Qi," Liang Shi said, "that is, President Qi of Qida Company, are you family?"
Qi Jiao frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
Liang Shi let out a soft sigh. "I often have a dream in which Mrs. Qi is, and in which you are."
At this point, Qi Jiao's expression changed.
Her previously rosy cheeks turned deathly pale. "What...do you mean?"
She immediately shook her head, "I've never seen you before, I don't know you."
Liang Shi smiled, "Really? We never saw this when we were kids?"
"No!" Qi Jiao answered firmly, without the slightest hesitation, "I don't know anything."
Seeing that she was not in a stable condition, Liang Shi took half a step back to maintain a safe distance.
“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” Liang Shi spoke gently, trying to convey his goodwill. “It was in that dimly lit little room, your mother did more than just beat you…”
"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." Qi Jiao's eyes were panicked, but she quickly interrupted her, "I don't think there's any need for us to talk. You won't get the answer you want."
Liang Shi sighed softly, maintaining his gentle voice, while reassuring Qi Jiao, "Don't get agitated, or I'll think you're the little kid who went through all that with me."
"I'm not, you've got the wrong person." Qi Jiao said and turned to leave, but Liang Shi grabbed her wrist.
“Miss Qi, I heard from Lingdang that you are still suffering those torments, is that right?” Liang Shi used a roundabout tactic. “I’m not here to reminisce about the past with you. I just heard some things from Lingdang and wanted to talk to you about them.”
"Thank you, but I don't need it," Qi Jiao refused.
Then he glanced at her hand and said, "Please let go of me."
"Don't you want to know how the other child who was abused is doing now?" Liang Shi asked, "the younger sister you forced to talk to."
"I've already said I don't know you," Qi Jiao said. "I have no recollection of any of the things you've mentioned."
"Then why are you so agitated?"
"..."
Qi Jiao suddenly fell silent.
She closed her eyes briefly. "What answer do you want?"
Liang Shi looked at her, then asked, "Has your mother always been like this?"
Qi Jiao said, "No comment."
“Teacher Qi.” Liang Shi smiled gently and released her wrist. “What I want to say is that the way to deal with domestic violence is to become stronger, not to be submissive. Otherwise, you will only be bullied indefinitely.”
Qi Jiao remained silent.
The evening breeze gently rustled the treetops, and large patches of fiery clouds appeared on the distant horizon, dyeing half the sky red.
The afterglow of the sunset filled the air, and slightly yellowed leaves twirled and drifted down from above.
A leaf happened to fall on Qi Jiao's shoulder.
Liang Shi reached out and gently brushed it off for her.
"Sister Qi Jiao," Liang Shi said, using the same address he used twenty years ago, even the curve of his smile was the same as before, "If we keep enduring it, things won't always get better."
Qi Jiao suddenly opened her eyes wide, her eyes filled with tears.
"You really don't know anything," Qi Jiao chuckled. "So what do you want to do now? Ask me to testify in court about things from your childhood?"
“No, I just came to verify something,” Liang Shi said. “Now I have the answer I wanted.”
Liang Shi just wanted to know if it was a dream or reality.
Qi Jiao's reaction now proves everything.
Next, that's what happened between her and Qiu Zimin.
However, as a fellow victim, Liang Shi still wanted to encourage Qi Jiao, "If your parents become demons, then they don't deserve to be called parents. You don't have to keep enduring it; that will only make the demons more vicious."
Qi Jiao looked at her, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were thinking.
"And another thing," Liang Shi said, "When you're in love with Cheng Ran, you should hold back a little; don't love her too much."
People who have experienced domestic violence are prone to falling in love, but they are often left heartbroken and devastated by love.
Qi Jiao did not answer her question.
After a long silence, she asked, "Do you really think you've successfully escaped?"
Liang Shi smiled, "Not yet, but we'll succeed someday, right?"
Her hopeful gaze dealt a heavy blow to Qi Jiao's heart.
"The first step in resistance is to strengthen your heart," Liang Shi said. "She may not be able to beat you right now."
“I’m moving forward. Perhaps you can watch over me. If one day I need someone to testify in court, I hope you can come, because this isn’t just my problem; it’s something we’ve been through together.”
Liang Shi's voice was gentle, his deliberately lowered tone was warm and lingering, and although it was autumn, it gave people the feeling of a spring breeze, with a touch of spring and vitality.
It was as if what she said was true, and that it could be achieved.
“Of course, I’m not trying to morally blackmail you,” Liang Shi said. “You can be afraid, you can back down, that’s all right, but I hope you can be brave.”
Qi Jiao's tears fell with the wind.
Liang Shi said, "Let's be brave together."
Under her highly persuasive tone and rhetoric, Qi Jiao suddenly laughed, a laugh like a withered flower in late autumn, tinged with decay and desolation, "But if I were to say that Qi Jiao has already..."
He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.
The half-sentence "They're dead?" was stuck in her throat.
Liang Shi asked gently, "What?"
Reason returned.
Qi Jiao raised her hand to wipe away her tears, "It's nothing."
She took a deep breath, raised the towering city wall again, and shut Liang Shi out. "I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said. You can leave now."
Liang Shi did not press closer.
Whether it was her own experience or the original owner's experience, the moment she thought about it and saw Mrs. Qi, she felt fear.
How could Qi Jiao not be afraid after living in such an environment all her life?
She understood Qi Jiao's weakness and respected her choice.
Liang Shi simply hoped that she could move on.
You can be a little braver.
Say no to domestic violence.