C13 Keeping His Promise

Su Xiaoxiao was slumped on the ground, bawling her eyes out. A little boy stood before her, his hands on his hips. “You’re just an illegitimate daughter!” he harrumphed arrogantly. “You don’t have a father! My parent said that an illegitimate child deserves to be bullied!”

Su Xiaoxiao cried even harder after hearing that. “I am not illegitimate! I have a father!”

Seeing that she was talking back, the boy raised his hand, intending to hit her on the head.

Su Lianyi moved fast, grabbing his wrist before he could swing.

“You’re crossing the line, little boy,” she scolded, shaking his hand away before helping Su Xiaoxiao up.

“Don’t cry, Xiaoxiao,” Su Lianyi said as she rubbed her daughter’s back and wiped the girl’s tear-stained face.

But Su Xiaoxiao kept crying. “I want to see Daddy!”

Su Lianyi felt a pang in her heart.

Meanwhile, the boy dashed away when he realized that Su Xiaoxiao’s mother had arrived. Unfortunately for him, he slipped on the ground and fell on his rump.

He wasted no time wailing loudly.

Soon, the commotion caught a lot of attention, and a crowd began to surround them.

“Tian! Oh, Tian! What happened to you?”

Su Lianyi could barely make sense of this turn of events when a middle-aged couple rushed over to the little boy.

“What happened, Tian? Who bullied you? Tell me who it is, and I will teach them a lesson!”

Feeling more confident now that his parents were here, the little boy didn’t even hesitate. He raised his hand and pointed at Su Xiaoxiao. “It’s them, Mom! They were the ones who pushed me.”

Su Lianyi gasped in disbelief. She never imagined that someone so young could be so devious and shameless. This boy was the one bullying Su Xiaoxiao! And he slipped all by himself, too. How could he pin the blame on them?

“That’s not true. Just now, you—“

Before she could explain the incident, the boy’s mother strode over and scolded Su Lianyi.

“Why is your daughter so unruly? Didn’t you teach her any manners at all? How dare she bully my son? Do you know who I am?!”

“I did not bully him!” Su Xiaoxiao yelled. “We didn’t push him, either. He was the one who was bullying me. He said I don’t have a father and I deserve to be bullied.”

“Ha! I see that you really have no manners! Since your own mother failed in that regard, I shall take it upon myself to teach you a lesson today!”

Tian’s mother loomed over Xiaoxiao and raised her hand to slap the little girl, much like his son had done just a while ago.

Su Lianyi quickly pulled her daughter behind her and glared at the other woman. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The woman sneered. “I can tell at a glance that you are a wretch yourself! I shall teach you both a lesson!”

At that point, the kindergarten staff were still rushing over to defuse the situation and keep the parents from attacking each other.

Su Lianyi wasn’t one for violence. But in the face of such a ruthless attack, with her daughter behind her, she felt that she had no choice. Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she lifted her foot and kicked blindly.

As it happened, her kick landed squarely on the other woman’s stomach. The latter fell back and crouched on the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” Tian’s mother screeched to her husband. “Are you not seeing this? Hurry and beat this bitch up!”

Her words seemed to jolt the man back to his senses. He rushed forward, hand raised with the intent to finish what his wife had failed to do.

The crowd emitted a collective sound of shock and disbelief. They never thought that a man would actually hit a woman in front of so many people.

Su Lianyi was still reeling from her own kick. When she saw another attack coming her way, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to dodge in time. She closed her eyes again, this time bracing herself for the inevitable pain.

As the man’s palm descended, there was a flash of movement from the side, and his wrist was caught in a vise-like grip.

And then he screamed. The crowd watched in horror as the man’s wrist was bent backward like twisted fried dough.

His howl of pain prompted Su Lianyi to open her eyes. All she could see was a set of broad shoulders and a strong, muscular back shielding her from her would-be attacker.

“Dad!” Xiaoxiao exclaimed. Despite not seeing his face, she instantly recognized her father. She ran over and clung tightly to Lu Yuan’s leg.

Lu Yuan gazed down at her, still clutching the middle-aged man’s wrist. “Get behind your mother,” he chided gently. “I’ll deal with these horrible people.”

“Okay!” Like the obedient child that she was, Su Xiaoxiao relinquished her father’s leg and toddled back to Su Lianyi.

Their brief exchange snapped Su Lianyi out of her daze. “Lu Yuan,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

“It’s all right. I’m here now.”

Lu Yuan finally let the other man go, flinging his hand to the side and kicking him away.

The man flew a few meters away and landed with a crunching thud.

A pregnant silence fell over the onlookers, who had been in animated discussions just a few moments ago.

Su Lianyi herself was frozen in shock.

She had been worried that Lu Yuan might not be able to hold his own against the man, but she, along with everyone else, had just watched him send a 190-pound man flying a few meters back with a single kick.

“Just what did Lu Yuan experience in the five years that he was gone?” she couldn’t help but wonder to herself.

“Daddy is so awesome!” Su Xiaoxiao cried out while clapping her hands in delight. Her father was like a superhero who defeated the villain that had bullied her and her mother.

Lu Yuan turned around and picked up his daughter. He cradled her against his hip and tapped her nose. “Didn’t I tell you that I will protect you and your mother?”

To his surprise, Su Xiaoxiao squirmed in her arms and looked down at the little boy who was gaping at them.

“Did you see that, Gao Tian? This is my daddy. I am not an illegitimate child. And my daddy is so much stronger than yours!”

The boy burst into tears. He couldn’t bear the scene of his father getting kicked away like a bag of rags.

Her mother reacted as well, picking him up and rushing toward her husband.

Lu Yuan, on the other hand, had to swallow a lump of emotion when he heard his daughter’s words.

It was a good thing that he had decided to come today. He hadn’t been there to rescue Xiaoxiao in the last five years. Just how much bullying did his baby girl suffer? She must have been heartbroken.

Behind them, Su Lianyi was overcome with emotion as well. She felt her face grow hot as she looked at her daughter’s bright smile. Her dissatisfaction toward Lu Yuan eased somewhat, if only a little.

However, Gao Tian’s parents weren’t done yet. His mother supported her husband as they hobbled over. “All right!” she said, her eyes wide with anger, her nostrils flared. “You dare to hit my husband, huh? You will pay for this! Just wait and see!”

With that, she fished her phone out of her pocket and made a call.

The teachers and staff were now at the scene, but no one dared to interfere. In the end, it was the kindergarten’s director who walked forward, albeit with much reluctance.

“Parents, please. This is a simple argument between children. We should just let it go. This is a kindergarten, after all. This will set a bad example to the other kids.”

“Let it go? Impossible!” the woman huffed. “Look at my husband! I’m sure he cracked a few ribs!

Our Gao family is one of the most prominent families in Yun State. We can’t lose face!”

Su Lianyi nervously pulled at Lu Yuan’s shirt. “Lu Yuan, hurry and take Su Xiaoxiao home. I am familiar with the Gao family. They hold a lot of power and influence, just as she said. As a member of the Su family, she might be a little lenient toward me.”

Lu Yuan glanced at Su Lianyi and took her hand firmly in his. “Don’t worry. I will keep my promise. I will never let anyone bully you or our daughter again.”