Time Traveling to 23 Years Later with My Ex-Boyfriend

17 (ii)

Having released her pent-up longing for her parents, Chu Qing's mood had calmed considerably. As she watched her mother close the door, she suddenly felt confused—

She had been away from her parents for over a year and seeing her mother's aged appearance made her want to cry. But for her mother, it had only been a few hours since they last saw each other. What was there to cry about?

Before Chu Qing could voice her confusion, Mother came over, choking back tears, and sat on the bed holding her hand. "Tell Mom, did something happen?"

"...There are some things." But I'm afraid you won't believe me, so I'd better not say.

Mother looked away, wiping her tears, then steeled herself after a moment. "Listen to me, child. We must call the police."

Chu Qing was stunned. "What?"

"Bad people must be punished. Mom knows this is cruel for you, but if you don't bring the culprit to justice, you'll be trapped in this shadow for the rest of your life. So even if it's for your future, I can't let that person go free," Mother's tears fell freely. "Don't worry, after we send the bad person to jail, Dad and I will move with you somewhere where no one knows us..."

"Mom, wait a minute. What are you imagining?" Chu Qing was speechless.

Mother froze. "Aren't you..."

"No, I'm not." Chu Qing said firmly.

Mother hesitated. "Then why did you come home wearing boys' clothes?"

"I told you, I accidentally got my clothes dirty," Chu Qing explained quickly, hoping to avoid further questions about the clothes. "I was running too fast and fell in dog poop. Those clothes couldn't be saved."

Sure enough, at the mention of excrement, Mother immediately became disgusted, but still pressed on, suppressing her revulsion, "Then why did you cry as soon as you came in?"

"...I was just being emotional." Chu Qing said dryly, truly not knowing how to explain this point.

Mother stared at her for three seconds, then frowned, "Take off your clothes. I won't be at ease until I see for myself."

"Mom!"

"Hurry up!"

Chu Qing finally yielded to her mother's pressure and reluctantly took off her clothes. Mother examined her carefully, and after confirming there were no marks on her body, she angrily smacked Chu Qing. "So you were just being dramatic for no reason!"

A red handprint immediately appeared on Chu Qing's fair skin, though it looked worse than it felt. She quickly jumped to the closet, found some pajamas to put on, and then whined, "Can't I just cry if I want to? Don't you ever feel melancholic?"

"I don't!" Mother stood with her hands on her hips.

Seeing her mother's lively demeanor, Chu Qing grinned and said flatteringly, "Mom, I just realized today how young and beautiful you are. I hope you'll never grow old."

"What nonsense," Mother glared at her, but her expression softened. "It's good that nothing happened. You really scared me."

"Mom, you're being too cautious. Think about it, even if someone had bad intentions, who could overpower me?" Chu Qing said casually.

Mother took a deep breath, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "You don't know anything. In today's world, of course we have to be extra careful raising a daughter. If it weren't for your mother keeping a close eye on you and making you learn martial arts, would you have grown up so safe and healthy?"