Kyoto Night Kiss

Cheng Chongchong had only been back at school for a short time when the first-grade parents' meeting was held.

Before the parent-teacher meeting begins, parents who arrive early are allowed to listen to the lesson outside the classroom.

Qu Yun took a special day off and arrived very early, just in time for a math class.

She saw Cheng Chongchong leaning against the back of the chair, one leg stretched out in front of her, her elbow casually resting on the edge of the table, and she had even learned to twirl a pen.

His deskmate stood in stark contrast to him.

Lu Jinxing sat upright, exuding a restrained and obedient demeanor from head to toe.

The two small figures stood close together, and Qu Yun couldn't help but gently curve the corners of her lips into a smile.

The teacher, somewhat displeased, reminded the students, "Children who are not sitting properly, stay and sit quietly for ten minutes after class."

Qu Yun estimated that Cheng Chongchong was going to be extremely embarrassed.

This child received a very relaxed education abroad from a young age. Although the school he attends is not an international school, it has a strong local reputation and a very important position.

Otherwise, the Lu family wouldn't have sent their descendants to study here.

"Now let's announce the scores of the mental arithmetic test from last class. Students whose names are called, come up and get your test papers."

Cheng Chongchong suddenly stood up: "Teacher, you can't report scores like that! You're not respecting our privacy!"

The math teacher's face darkened. "If you did well on the test, why would you be afraid of the teacher announcing your score? Besides, how many times have I reminded you to raise your hand before talking in class?"

Qu Yun heard the parents next to her laughing.

She was somewhat worried.

Cheng Chongchong doesn't seem to fit in here.

But that chubby kid was so carefree. After receiving the test papers, when the teacher asked him to come up to the blackboard to write vertical calculations, he said that he hadn't raised his hand at all, so he wouldn't go up.

"This kid is so annoying."

Qu Yun frowned when she heard the sound, and turned around to see Tang Bingqing walking gracefully towards her in high heels and carrying a designer bag.

Is she here to attend Lu Jinxing's parent-teacher conference?

She should have realized this sooner; after all, she was that child's mother...

Tang Bingqing's eyes held an undisguised contempt. "Sure enough, a child's character is entirely determined by their parents' upbringing. Qu Yun, can't you even teach a child the most basic manners?"

This was the first time Qu Yun had met this woman since leaving the island.

"Every child is different by nature; there's no need to mold them all into the same mold."

As she spoke, Qu Yun paused, her gaze sweeping over Tang Bingqing. Although she wasn't decked out in designer brands like Tang Bingqing, her demeanor was just as elegant.

"Compared to my child's carefree and playful nature, I think your child, who can't even smile freely, is more pitiful."

Strangely, Tang Bingqing was not angry because of these words.

She said, "It's fine if you feel sorry for them."

Qu Yun pursed her lips and noticed that Lu Jinxing, who had been paying close attention in class, had glanced in their direction at some point before quickly looking away.

After entering the classroom, parents should sit together with their children according to their assigned seats.

When Lu Jinxing saw Tang Bingqing, his eyes darted away.

He remembered that Tang Bingqing had asked him to say "Mom" last night.

He originally planned to show his father the parent-teacher meeting invitation that had been sitting there for several days, but Aunt Tang said that his father was busy with work and that if he bothered him like that, his father would not like him anymore.

After Lu Junhe returned home, he went to his room specifically to ask, "I heard you ate very little tonight. Is there anything you want to talk to your father about?"

Lu Jinxing simply shook his head slightly.

After Tang Bingqing sat down, she saw a bright "48" on Cheng Chong's math test paper.

She opened her mouth and laughed, "Little friend, is your mom usually too busy finding you a dad to care about your grades?"

"With a score like that, you won't even be able to keep track of money when you're picking up trash."

Qu Yun pursed her lips into a straight line.

She hadn't even had a chance to defend the little guy.

Cheng Chongchong leaned close to Tang Bingqing and asked in a muffled voice, "Auntie, do your teeth not get along with your neighbors? Why are they so far apart?"

"Also, Earth is the mother of all of us, so picking up trash is our duty, and we don't need to pay for it."

"Pfft—"

Unexpectedly, Lu Jinxing was the first to laugh out loud.

Tang Bingqing's face turned green. She slammed the Hermes bag on the desk and nudged Lu Jinxing, making him sit against the wall.

After the homeroom teacher finished explaining the general direction, the parents who had made appointments in advance were asked to meet one-on-one with the subject teachers to understand their child's learning situation.

When Qu Yun returned to the classroom, she saw Tang Bingqing raise her hand for some reason, and Lu Jinxing, who was next to her, subconsciously shrank back.

This seems to be a reaction only children who have been beaten and are afraid of being hit would have.

After Tang Bingqing went out to find the teacher, Qu Yun slowly approached and squatted down in front of Lu Jinxing.

His small face was always tense, with a lingering gloom in his eyes, and his facial features resembled that man's.

It made her feel a tightness in her chest.

Qu Yun's gaze shifted downwards, and she noticed several faint brown marks on the back of Lu Jinxing's hand, as if he had been burned.

She asked, "Does your mother...hit you often?"

Noticing her gaze, Lu Jinxing subconsciously shrank back, clutching the hem of his clothes tightly with his small hands, refusing to speak.

Qu Yun felt a strange, indescribable ache in her heart.

She spoke gently, "Jinxing, you don't need to be afraid. It's very wrong for adults to hit children."

"When Chongchong was abroad before, he was naughty and his father punished him by making him stand in the yard for a while. Some neighbors even reported him to the police and they wanted to arrest Chongchong's father."

Therefore, she hopes that if this child encounters anything unpleasant... he/she will be brave enough to speak out.

Lu Jinxing stiffened slightly, not daring to look up.

He was naturally quiet and introverted, and no one had ever spoken to him so gently before. He didn't know how to respond, but couldn't help asking, "Is Cheng Chong's father... your husband?"

Qu Yun was taken aback. Why are kids these days so concerned about adults' marital status?

Before she could answer, Lu Jinxing retreated back into his little turtle shell. "It's alright, Aunt Qu, you don't need to worry about me."

When school was over, a torrential downpour began from the gloomy sky.

Traffic congestion is already common at the school gate, and this makes it even harder to hail a taxi.

Qu Yun refreshed the queue time on her phone screen and sighed.

"Excuse me, ma'am, where do you live? Let me take you home."

Qu Yun looked up and saw a strange man swinging his car keys and asking her a question. He must also be a parent who came to attend the parent-teacher meeting today.

She declined calmly.

The other party persisted, saying, "My son told me you're raising your child alone. Are you divorced?"

Qu Yun saw that the hand was about to touch her, so she immediately dodged. Her knee hit the back of the chair, and she almost fell down in a sorry state.

Upon seeing this, Tang Bingqing let out a sneer and said to Lu Jinxing, "Let's go, your father is already waiting for us at the school gate."

Qu Yun's heart tightened, and she pulled Cheng Chongchong away, preparing to wait for the bus across from the school gate.

She didn't notice the lewd glint in the eyes of the man who had spoken to her earlier.