The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 373 - 372 Pei Ziheng’s Revenge

Chapter 373: Chapter 372 Pei Ziheng’s Revenge

Hearing that his stepdaughter had gone to the Pei Family to apologize, Zhao Dafa’s face showed a satisfied smile, and his tone softened considerably.

"I have a social engagement tonight, so I won’t be having dinner at home. Just fix yourselves something to eat or go out for dinner. Come to me for reimbursement later."

Since he had a meal at the Pei Family’s home at noon, Zhao Dafa gave the nanny the day off.

"Thank you, Dad!"

After watching Zhao Dafa’s Xiali car drive away, Zhou Hui lowered her head and instructed her daughter, "Xiaowen, you see, as long as your Uncle Zhao is happy, we’ll have good days ahead."

Liang Xiaowen nodded vigorously.

...

Two days later, in the afternoon.

"Brother, where are you going?"

Seeing Zhao Yun about to head out with a basketball, Liang Xiaowen, who had been sitting on the couch watching TV, immediately ran up to him.

"Mind your own business, go watch your TV!"

Zhao Yun put on his sneakers and left the house.

Liang Xiaowen was not deterred by Zhao Yun’s bad temper and followed him out the door like a little tail, "Bro, you’re going to hang out with Pei Ziheng, right? Let me come with you."

With that, she eagerly took the basketball that Zhao Yun had placed in the bike basket and held it in her arms.

Although Zhao Yun was annoyed, he didn’t say anything.

If he didn’t take Liang Xiaowen with him, she would complain to her dad, and he would get a scolding.

Hopping on his bicycle, Zhao Yun first headed to the Pei Family’s place.

"Pei Ziheng!"

Seeing Liang Xiaowen sitting in the back seat of Zhao Yun’s bike, smiling brightly, Pei Ziheng slightly curved his lips.

Liang Xiaowen was somewhat taken aback by the favor.

Pei Ziheng usually paid her no mind, but today he actually smiled at her.

On the way to school, Liang Xiaowen couldn’t help but look back at Pei Ziheng from time to time, feeling a sweetness in her heart.

Pei Ziheng was smart, had good grades, and was good-looking—there wasn’t a girl who didn’t want to hang out with Pei Ziheng, and she was no exception.

...

The school gates were locked during the summer break, but that was no problem for Zhao Yun.

A pack of cigarettes and a bottle of liquor, and the gatekeeper would let them in.

Once inside the school, they dropped their bikes on the ground and chased after the basketball towards the playground, as if in high spirits.

Besides Liang Xiaowen, there were four people playing basketball.

Zhao Yun and Pei Ziheng on one team, with Zhao Yun’s two lackeys, Xiahou Dun and Liu Shan, on the other.

"Pei Ziheng, pass the ball to me!"

As soon as the basketball reached Pei Ziheng’s hands, Zhao Yun shouted while moving under the basket.

Liang Xiaowen sat on a bluestone bench under the basketball hoop, resting her chin in her hands as she watched the four play.

Pei Ziheng dribbled and dodged Xiahou Dun and Liu Shan’s interceptions. Noticing Zhao Yun’s position overlapped with Liang Xiaowen’s, he decisively threw the basketball over.

"Pang!"

The basketball arced over Zhao Yun’s head and squarely hit Liang Xiaowen.

Liang Xiaowen let out a scream, clutched her head, and sobbed uncontrollably.

Zhao Yun swore, his annoyance plain as he ruffled his hair, about to go console Liang Xiaowen, but Pei Ziheng got in the way.

"Go buy some ice pops to put on Xiaowen’s forehead to reduce the swelling."

"Okay!"

Zhao Yun took Pei Ziheng’s words as gospel and immediately ran toward the school gate.

Pei Ziheng walked over to Liang Xiaowen, bent slightly, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Looking at the boy’s face, so handsome it hardly seemed real, Liang Xiaowen had not yet reacted when she heard the boy’s chilling warning:

"If you dare touch my sister again, I promise what I’ll hit you with next won’t be a ball."

...

By the time Zhao Yun came back with the ice pops, Liang Xiaowen was nowhere to be seen on the playground.

"Where is she?"

"She left."

Knowing that Liang Xiaowen had left, Zhao Yun didn’t pay much attention and shared the ice pops with the three of them.

After finishing the ice pops, they played basketball for a while longer until the sun set, and then they rode their bicycles home in the twilight.

As expected, the moment Zhao Yun arrived home, he was confronted by Zhao Dafa.

"Xiaowen went out to play with you, how could you not take good care of her? She has such a huge bump on her forehead."

Zhao Yun glanced at Liang Xiaowen, who was icing her forehead, and snorted, "I didn’t ask her to come; she insisted on following us."

Zhou Hui asked, "Xiaoyun, Xiaowen said Pei Ziheng purposely hit her with the basketball in order to stand up for Guoguo. Is that true?"

Zhao Yun scoffed, "Bullshit, even shooting the ball isn’t that accurate, let alone hitting someone on purpose."

Zhao Dafa felt his son made sense; even athletes can’t guarantee they won’t make a mistake, let alone a regular kid.

"Xiaowen ah, Ziheng probably didn’t do it on purpose."

"He did it on purpose!" Liang Xiaowen shouted.

Although Zhou Hui also thought Pei Ziheng probably didn’t have the skill to accurately hit someone with a basketball, the injury on her daughter’s head was real, and out of distress, she couldn’t help feeling indignant.

"Even if it wasn’t on purpose, their family’s Ziheng has injured Xiaowen, and they should give an explanation."

Seeing that no one believed her words, Liang Xiaowen was almost furious.

"Why don’t any of you believe me? Pei Ziheng did throw the ball on purpose to hit me, and he also said if I bully Guoguo again, he’ll hit me with other things in the future!"

"I didn’t."

Pei Ziheng’s aggrieved voice came from the door.

The Zhao Family looked over and saw Shen Mingzhu leading Pei Ziheng to their door.

Zhao Dafa quickly got up to greet the mother and son to come in and sit down while he asked the nanny to make tea.

"Zhao brother, Zhou sister, I’m really sorry. I just found out Ziheng accidentally hit Xiaowen with the ball while playing."

Shen Mingzhu placed the fruit and snacks she brought in front of Zhou Hui and showed concern for Xiaowen’s injury, "Is it serious? Should we take her to the hospital for a thorough check-up?"

"No need, it’s nothing serious," Zhao Dafa replied diplomatically.

"Xiaowen, I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose. Please forgive me."

Liang Xiaowen didn’t accept Pei Ziheng’s apology, "You did it on purpose to hit me!"

"Auntie Zhou, Uncle Zhao, it’s my fault that I hit Xiaowen, but it was not intentional."

Pei Ziheng’s pretty little face was full of guilt, and his dark eyes were watery as if he was about to cry at any moment.

In contrast, Liang Xiaowen, who was both crying and making a fuss, appeared somewhat unreasonably demanding and petulant.

Zhao Dafa already liked Pei Ziheng very much, wishing he were his own son, and his inner balance immediately tilted towards Pei Ziheng.

"Ah, it’s all small stuff. When kids play together, bumps and bruises are inevitable."

These words sounded familiar.

Oh, that’s what Zhou Hui said a few days ago when Liang Xiaowen bullied Guoguo.

Catching a glimpse of Zhou Hui’s face, which looked as if she had swallowed a fly, Shen Mingzhu felt smug inside.

You only feel the pain when the knife cuts into your own flesh.

Before leaving, Pei Ziheng gave Liang Xiaowen a sinister smile when no one was looking.

See, no one believes you.

Liang Xiaowen burst into tears out of frustration.

...

Although Zhao Yun firmly defended Pei Ziheng in front of Zhao Dafa and Zhou Hui, he still harbored some doubts.

Pei Ziheng hated the heat and usually didn’t like to go out, but it was Pei Ziheng who had suggested playing basketball this time.

In the study.

Zhao Yun occasionally looked up at Pei Ziheng, engrossed in his book across from him, and could no longer contain his curiosity, "Ziheng, I want to ask you something."

Without looking up, Pei Ziheng said, "Liang Xiaowen is right; I did hit her on purpose."

Zhao Yun was stunned.