Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Spoiled Rotten by You

When it became clear that no one could control her, the family had no choice but to call Ling Anxun home from the office, where he was working overtime.

They hoped Ling Anxun could get the situation back on track.

After all, in the eyes of the entire family, he was the one who held the most authority.

Ling Anxun had planned to head home only after finishing his work.

But as soon as he heard what was happening, he dropped everything and rushed back.

He left in the middle of a meeting, not even taking the time to gather his documents.

The driver sped up, and Ling Anxun stared silently out the window the entire way home.

Meanwhile, Shanshan remained seated, her gaze serene, saying nothing.

The living room was crowded with people, every seat on the sofas taken.

The moment the door clicked open, everyone’s head snapped toward the entrance in unison.

Shanshan was the quickest to react, springing up from the sofa.

"Dad, you’re finally back!"

In front of everyone, she revealed her truest self, holding nothing back.

She had shot up in height, but just like when she was little, she threw herself right into Ling Anxun’s arms.

Ling Anxun caught her instinctively, his arm securely supporting her back.

"Mom, Dad, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, please have a seat for a moment. I’m going to take Shanshan upstairs to discuss something."

With that, he turned and carried his daughter toward the stairs.

Ling Anxun’s heart sank, a hint of panic setting in.

’At this rate, in a few more years, my daughter won’t even need my permission for anything.’

’As her father, what I care about more is whether she’s happy and free.’

’If this is the path she has chosen for herself, then I should support her, not stand in her way.’

"Dad, was it Grandma who called you back?"

Shanshan watched her father’s expression and asked tentatively.

Ling Anxun composed himself and nodded.

"Shanshan, tell me, why are you so set on taking the college entrance exam at such a young age?"

"Dad, you don’t think I can do it?"

Shanshan tilted her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Ling Anxun smiled, a warm and reassuring smile.

He set down his teacup, sat up straighter, and studied his daughter’s face.

"What can’t my daughter do? There are only things she doesn’t want to do, never things she can’t do."

Hearing her father’s words, the corners of Shanshan’s mouth instantly curled into a grin, her face alight with a pride she couldn’t hide.

She had known all along that her father wouldn’t object.

But actually hearing him say it still filled her with an intense feeling of satisfaction.

This feeling of unconditional support made her even more certain she had chosen the right path.

She poured out her entire thought process from beginning to end.

Ling Anxun nodded along as he listened, occasionally asking for specific details.

Her plan was methodical, with no room for hesitation.

The moment the two of them stepped out of the room, everyone in the living room perked up their ears and stared intently at them.

The relatives, who had been murmuring amongst themselves, instantly fell silent.

The atmosphere immediately grew tense.

"Anxun, how did it go?"

"Shanshan will be taking the college entrance exam this July."

Ling Anxun’s voice was perfectly calm.

Everyone froze. It was as if the entire room held its breath for several seconds.

As his words sank in, the room fell deathly silent.

No one dared to make a sound, except for Ling Zhiwei.

"How old is Shanshan? Who goes to college at this age? She hasn’t even had a chance to just be a kid!"

Ling Zhiwei shot to his feet, his face flushing red.

He paced back and forth, fiercely demanding to know if Ling Anxun had lost his mind.

How could he let a child go down such an extreme path?

But no matter how loudly he shouted, it had no effect on Ling Anxun.

Ling Anxun simply stood his ground, his expression unruffled.

He showed no anger at Ling Zhiwei’s outburst, nor did he offer much of an explanation.

All he had to do was defend his daughter’s right to choose.

From that day forward, Shanshan officially withdrew from her classes to begin her intensive, secluded study period at home.

The school quickly processed the change in her student status.

Her homeroom teacher called personally to confirm, and after receiving an affirmative reply, simply wished her the best.

Her classmates didn’t believe it at first. Only when they saw her name disappear from the class roster did they realize it was true.

All sorts of rumors flew around, and the gossip remained a hot topic for several days.

But Cao Jiajia, the one person who should have cared the most, acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Her phone was perpetually on silent, and her social media apps were basically dormant.

The last time she’d been online was three days ago, and that was just to share a sad song.

All her energy was currently focused on dealing with an impending academic review.

After all, she could barely save herself.

With too many absences and failed exams, the school had already issued an ultimatum. She was one step away from being expelled.

Liu Yingzi was frantic with worry, and the moment she got home, she gave Cao Jiajia a vicious beating.

The bamboo switch left red welts on her legs, and the girl’s cries lasted for nearly ten minutes.

A neighbor heard the commotion and came over to intervene, only to be shouted away by Liu Yingzi through the closed door.

In her desperation, she even went to Cao Daqiang, humbling herself and begging him to step in.

It took forever for him to pick up the phone, and she had to suppress her emotions just to state her request.

They arranged to meet at a teahouse the next day.

She wore her most presentable outfit and spoke with a meekness she had never shown before.

She brought all of Cao Jiajia’s documents: her report card, her written self-criticism, and her psychological evaluation.

"Jiajia is your own daughter! How can you not care? If she really gets expelled, do you think that’ll make you look good?"

She couldn’t understand how a father could be so cold toward his own daughter.

Cao Jiajia had been so attached to him as a child, but now, it was a struggle for her to even see him.

"I have no such disappointing daughter! She had so much potential, and you spoiled her rotten!"

For years, Cao Daqiang had completely neglected his family.

But now that there was a problem, he put all the blame on Liu Yingzi.

The moment he walked in the door, he flung his bag onto the sofa, his face dark.

He strode to the center of the living room and pointed a finger right in Liu Yingzi’s face.

"How exactly have you been raising our child? Why didn’t you tell me Jiajia’s grades had gotten this bad sooner?"

The world around them seemed to fall silent, and even the ticking of the clock on the wall sounded unnaturally loud.

"Yes, you’re right, it’s all my fault..."

Liu Yingzi gritted her teeth, forcing down the rage burning in her chest.

She didn’t want to escalate the conflict; she just wanted to get through this.

She was determined to hound him to the very end.

In the end, Liu Yingzi pestered Cao Daqiang so relentlessly that he couldn’t stand it anymore and reluctantly agreed to go home with her.

He had tried to get out of it, claiming he was too busy with work at the company to leave.

But Liu Yingzi just stood there, blocking his path, saying nothing more.

He finally sighed, turned to grab his car keys, and followed her out the door.

Neither of them spoke a word on the way there. The only sound in the car was the intermittent crackle of the radio.

Unexpectedly, it was on this trip that he heard the news about Shanshan taking the college entrance exam.

He ran into an old neighbor at the entrance to their complex, and the neighbor casually mentioned it, praising the girl for being so promising.

Cao Daqiang froze for a second, then instinctively asked for more details.

After hearing the story, his brow furrowed, his expression unreadable.

He then thought of his own daughter, Cao Jiajia, who was being forced to drop out before even finishing elementary school. The contrast was stark.

"Just look at you! You don’t act like a student at all. All you do every day is fool around. That Ling Xueshan is about to take the college entrance exam, and what are you doing? You can’t even graduate from elementary school, and you have the nerve to stand here and cry?"

Cao Daqiang stood in the middle of the room, berating his daughter while pointing a finger in her face.

Seeing Cao Jiajia sobbing with her head down didn’t soften his heart; it only made him angrier.

In his eyes, here was another kid the same age, already preparing for the most important exam of her life.