The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: The Face-Slapping Time-Traveling Farming Girl 20

Anning returned home, and when Qi Wenshao came to pay his respects in the evening, he brought her a painting.

Anning took it and glanced at it, then stared intently at Qi Wenshao.

Qi Wenshao felt nervous under her gaze and couldn’t help but take a step back.

”Kneel down.”

Anning’s face suddenly turned cold.

Qi Wenshao involuntarily knelt down before Anning with a thud.

Anning had always spoken to him with gentle and soft words, and had never harshly scolded him like this before. Qi Wenshao knew he must have done something wrong, but he did not understand what exactly he had done wrong.

Anning looked at Qi Wenshao and asked him word by word: ”What have I taught you?”

Qi Wenshao hung his head and said nothing.

Anning threw the painting in front of Qi Wenshao with a force: ”Don’t dodge the issue with me. I taught you that a man must have far-sighted vision and an open heart. Leave these trivial squabbles of the inner house to me and your sister. Right now, what’s crucial for you is to study properly, to learn those things you’re supposed to learn. Once you gradually become stronger, you will find that a Qi Wenwei cannot affect you at all.”

Qi Wenshao clenched his fists tightly, still remaining silent.

Anning stood up and walked in front of him, slowly crouching down.

Seeing his stubborn demeanor, Anning suddenly understood something.

She reached out her hands and hugged Qi Wenshao: ”I know what you are thinking. Are you feeling insecure, afraid that I favor your brother more than you? Afraid that I suddenly dislike you, abandon you? Are you... testing me with this painting?”

”Mother.”

Qi Wenshao looked up, his eyes red.

He writhed in conflict and shame: ”I was wrong, I shouldn’t have thought that...”

Anning sighed, reaching out to pull Qi Wenshao up.

”It is I who made you feel insecure.”

”Mother is very good.” Qi Wenshao turned his head, somewhat afraid to look at Anning: ”It’s my narrow-mindedness.”

A touch of sourness filled Anning’s heart too.

Qi Wenshao was precocious and especially sensible, having achieved the title of Scholar at a young age. Yet, no matter what, he was still just a child and had his moments of petulance and irrationality.

Anning had always treated him like an adult, never regarding him as a child.

Now thinking about it, it really wasn’t right.

Such a young child like Qi Wenshao would only be a middle-school student in modern times, an age when children are moody, sensitive, and stubborn. Having lacked maternal love from a young age, Qi Wenshao clung tightly to anyone who truly cared for him.

He was a child terrified of loss, also using his little schemes to ensure his love was forever secure.

Thinking this, Anning’s eyes filled with warmth when she looked at Qi Wenshao.

She carefully straightened the wrinkled clothes on Qi Wenshao: ”Shaoshao, I’ve told you before, you are my son, forever. Before, I cared for you for your mother’s sake, but over these years, isn’t our time together real? My care for you has always been genuine. Now, it’s not for your mother that I treat you well, but for you, because you are Qi Wenshao, just you.”

With these words, Qi Wenshao suddenly burst into loud weeping.

He embraced Anning tightly: ”Mother, never leave me... I’m scared.”

Tears also appeared in Anning’s eyes.

She patted Qi Wenshao’s back, gently comforting him: ”I won’t, don’t be afraid. I am your mother, forever. Where in the world would a mother willingly abandon her child...”

Anning made many promises, finally making Qi Wenshao break into a smile.

He looked at Anning full of adoration: ”Son will definitely be filial to mother in the future. Whatever mother wishes to do, son will try his best to fulfill those wishes for mother.”

”Alright.”

Anning also smiled, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away Qi Wenshao’s tears: ”Look at you, such a big kid and still acting spoiled with mom, aren’t you embarrassed?”

Qi Wenshao was indeed quite embarrassed.

He hung his head, not daring to look at Anning for a long time.

Anning had calmed Qi Wenshao down here.

Meanwhile, Qi Wenwei went to find Qi Rui.

He brought up the thought of wanting to settle the marriage arrangements sooner and marry earlier as soon as he saw Qi Rui.

These past few years, Qi Wenwei could feel that Anning was actually not very kind to him.

He was somewhat puzzled as to why.

He had asked Qi Rui as well, but Qi Rui also did not give a reason.

Actually, Qi Rui was somewhat nervous inside.

He felt that Anning probably knew that Qi Wenwei was not her biological son, but Anning had not said anything, so he did not ask either.

He wanted to feign ignorance and muddle through.

Moreover, Qi Rui thought that Anning had been married to him for many years, the two were as one in marriage, and it was not possible for them to divorce, so she probably would not dwell too much on this matter.

Thus, even if Anning knew, she would not dare to make a fuss. At most, she might be nicer to Qi Wenshao and turn a blind eye to Qi Wenwei.

As long as Anning did not cause trouble, Qi Rui did not want to meddle in these matters.

After all, no matter how you put it, outsiders all believed Qi Wenwei to be Anning’s biological son; as long as his status as the legitimate son was stable, other trivial matters could be overlooked.

If pressing, Anning might leave her private savings to Wenjuan and Wenshao, so he would just find a way to keep more for Qi Wenwei.

Anyway, Zhou Zhenniang had been dead for several years now, with no one to prove anything; who could do anything to him.

Based on this mindset, Qi Rui had normally accepted Anning’s attentive care and protection towards Qi Wenshao, and also calmly accepted the decline in Qi Wenwei’s treatment.

Actually, it was mainly Qi Wenwei who was somewhat unable to accept this.

Especially this time, the fact that he couldn’t even buy a painting because he had no money was a further blow to him.

Qi Wenwei was thinking about settling the marriage arrangements sooner, to prevent any good matches from being snatched by Qi Wenshao.

Besides, he wanted to find a wealthy wife, so once he got married, he could use his wife’s private savings to buy the things he wanted.

It was with these thoughts that he went to Qi Rui, saying that he wanted to marry sooner.

Whether to marry sooner or later, Qi Rui didn’t really care much, but since the child said he wanted to marry, then so be it.

Afterward, Qi Rui went directly to Anning, repeated Qi Wenwei’s thoughts, and asked Anning to help look into it.

Anning agreed with a smile, and even suggested several candidates to Qi Wenwei, whom Qi Wenwei found quite satisfactory, and thus he felt even more reassured about Anning understanding the big picture.

After Qi Rui left, Anning started arranging the matchmaking.

She was really looking down on Qi Wenwei now.

She just felt that Qi Wenwei really couldn’t handle stress well, and moreover, he was not shrewd.

With just a bit of pressure, he started to make foolish moves, actually thinking about marrying early and wanting to spend his wife’s money, which left Anning unsure of how to even comment.

When educating Qi Wenshao and Qi Wenjuan, she used this matter as an example, telling the siblings to look further into the future, such characters like Qi Wenwei truly did not qualify to be their rival.

Watching Qi Wenwei make one foolish move after another, Qi Wenshao already looked down on him.

Over the years, Qi Wenwei had always been oppressive over him, making him feel weighed down, but now, the mountain he once thought he couldn’t climb over was merely an insignificant stumbling block, which he could kick away with just a light kick, and only then did he truly feel relieved.