The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Face-Slapping Time-Traveling Farming Girl 14

Qi Wenwei lay on the bed, thinking of his tragically deceased mother, and then of today, how Anning had caused him to lose face and even struck him hard. He couldn’t help but break into uncontrollable tears.

He had hit Qi Wenshao, but in the end, he received even more beating than Qi Wenshao did.

Now, Qi Wenwei did not even dare to move, as every movement brought pain to his whole body.

He clenched his teeth, tears streaming down, filled with immense hatred in his heart.

Qi Rui did not go to see Qi Wenwei; instead, he was talking to Anning.

”How could you be so cruel with your beatings?”

Qi Rui had some complaints against Anning, too. For the sake of a bastard, she had beaten their son to such a state, and he was certainly heartbroken.

Thinking of Zhou Zhenniang’s tragic death due to his own cowardice, and considering Zhou Zhenniang had only just died, and Anning had beaten Qi Wenwei, he felt even more heartache for Qi Wenwei and was particularly displeased with Anning.

Anning, in any case, was not afraid of Qi Rui.

She sat down with a huff and took a big gulp of cold tea: ”What now, I can’t even discipline my own son? Do you father and son take issue with me? Fine, from now on, stay away from me. Go wherever you wish, I won’t serve you any longer.”

Seeing Anning get so angry, Qi Rui also wilted.

He hurriedly put on a smile: ”That’s not what I meant. He is our own flesh and blood, how can I not feel pain when you hit him?”

”I don’t feel pain.”

Anning huffed and turned her face away, truly not wanting to see Qi Rui’s greasy face: ”Look at him today, he almost hates me enough to eat me alive. My own son regards me as an enemy; what do you think I feel? Instead of showing concern for me, you turn around and blame me.”

As she spoke, Anning also began to cry out of grievance: ”Qi, ever since I married you, I have been filial to your parents, borne and raised your children, and have toiled to manage the household. When we go out as guests, I always try to be kind to others, all to avoid offending anyone, to make your official career a little smoother. All these years, my efforts and strain, do you think they were easy for me? In the end, I receive blame instead.”

Seeing Anning cry and being reprimanded, Qi Rui indeed felt a bit guilty: ”Yes, it’s my fault, it’s Wenwei’s fault too. After a few days, I’ll have him apologize to you, alright?”

While he softly consoled Anning, she only cried harder: ”You are aware that Bai He once saved my life. Before she died, she held my hand and entrusted Shaoshao to me. Over the years, I have indeed neglected Shaoshao for your sake, but in my heart, I remembered him. Not for anything else, but for the friendship Bai He and I had, I cannot let this child suffer.”

Wiping the tears: ”Qi Rui, Shaoshao is your own son, you must not treat them unequally. You cannot disregard Shaoshao just because of Wenwei. This is not right of you.”

”Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.”

Qi Rui repeatedly admitted his mistakes: ”I shouldn’t have neglected Shaoshao. It’s all my fault. From now on, do as you see fit.”

Only then did Anning nod her head: ”Wenwei is my own child, where is there an overnight feud between mother and son? Even if I hit him, he cannot hold a grudge against me. But Shaoshao is not the child of my own body, I can only treat him a little better, so he does not feel that I am too biased.”

Qi Rui felt uncomfortable with these words; he also thought Anning’s speech was excessively virtuous, somewhat abnormal.

However, he could not pinpoint any fault.

Holding a handkerchief, Anning wiped her tears: ”The other day, I dreamt of Bai He again. She told me she saw Shaoshao, and how seeing him grown up so well made her very happy...”

When Bai He was mentioned, Qi Rui felt even more guilty: ”Is that so? Then, we shall be better to Shaoshao in the future.”

Thinking of Bai He, Qi Rui could no longer sit still at Anning’s. He left a few words and hurriedly departed.

No sooner had he left than Anning’s face grew cold.

Qi Wenshao was someone she protected, and should anyone dare to reach out too far and touch even a finger, Anning would surely make them suffer.

Qi Rui had just come from Anning and went to see Qi Wenwei.

By the time he arrived, Qi Wenwei was already crying himself to sleep. Qi Rui glanced at him a few times, sighed deeply, and then stepped away.

He stood in the courtyard for a long time before deciding to go to Ruyu’s.

That night, after Qi Rui and Ruyu had their intimate moment, they lay in bed talking.

Ruyu, resting in Qi Rui’s arms, furrowed her delicate brows, ”Master, there’s something I’m not sure I should say.”

”Go ahead.”

As Qi Rui stroked Ruyu’s smooth skin, feeling much better after their activity, he naturally allowed her to speak her mind.

Ruyu’s brows knotted even tighter: ”I’m not sure if I’m seeing things, but these past few days, it seems that Master Wenshao looks at you and Madam quite strangely... it’s like... there’s a bit of... yes, enmity. But Master Wenshao is Madam’s biological son, why would he harbor any hatred towards Madam? Maybe I am mistaken, if not perhaps you should find a doctor to check my eyesight because it might not be good.”

Ruyu spoke with particular confusion.

Yet, Qi Rui couldn’t help but take her words seriously.

He thought of the undeniable hatred in Qi Wenwei’s eyes when he looked at Anning earlier that day.

He hadn’t noticed how Qi Wenwei looked at him, but if Ruyu said it was similar to his look at Anning, then it meant Qi Wenwei harbored hatred for him too.

Qi Rui jolted with shock and suddenly sat up.

The memory of Zhou Zhenniang’s tragic death made him understand Qi Wenwei’s feelings.

Qi Wenwei likely resented him because of his mother’s death.

After all, Zhou Zhenniang was taken away by Prince Kang Le on Qi Rui’s orders; it could be said that Qi Rui nearly killed her with his own hands. Even if he wasn’t the direct cause, it was his incompetence and inaction that led to Zhou Zhenniang’s demise.

It was only natural for Qi Wenwei to resent him.

Upon further reflection, although Qi Wenwei was Zhou Zhenniang’s son, he was raised by Anning from a young age.

Anning didn’t treat Qi Wenwei poorly at all; she was filled wholeheartedly with affection and never wronged him, yet Qi Wenwei still resented her.

If that was his attitude towards his stepmother, then what about towards his biological father?

The more Qi Rui thought about it, the colder the sweat on his forehead became.

A son resenting his father was not a good sign at all.

He then thought of the always obedient and polite Qi Wenshao, realizing he could no longer indulge Qi Wenwei as he had been.

Qi Wenshao was also his biological son. Technically, both were bastards with the same status; he couldn’t keep neglecting him.

In the future, it wasn’t certain which of his sons would be more successful or more filial. What if Qi Wenshao turned out to be more filial than Qi Wenwei?

Qi Rui felt that he should learn from Anning and be kinder to Qi Wenshao in the future, at the very least not as neglectful and cold as he had been.

Having come to this realization, Qi Rui turned to look at Ruyu again and found that she was already sound asleep.

He couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile at her carefree demeanor, which was frankly reassuring.

The conversation they just had wasn’t likely intentional on her part; she was probably just concerned about him, having noticed something amiss and simply brought it to attention. She truly had no ill intentions.