Something must be going on

The cycle of day and night continued endlessly as autumn's hues grew richer. Tang's mother rested her chin on one hand while leaning against the table, her gaze sweeping over the assortment of skewers spread across its surface. In her mind, she calculated how much more stock she needed to purchase—enough to meet demand but not so much that leftovers would go to waste before the cold snap arrived.

After a moment of contemplation, she lifted her eyes to the empty tables and chairs near the grill, where only the autumn wind whispered. Pressing her lips together lightly, she found herself at a loss.

Maybe I should discuss this with Manman when I get home.

That clever girl would surely have a good idea.

At the thought of Tang Manman, Tang's mother's peach-blossom eyes curved into a smile, brimming with warmth and pride.

What incredible good deeds had she done in her past life to deserve such a sensible and capable daughter?

Memories of three years ago—crushed under the weight of debt and Qinqin's illness—still cast a faint shadow over her heart.

But Manman had excelled in her studies, earning a substantial scholarship from No. 3 High School. Not only had it cleared the debts left by her late father, but there was even enough left to continue Qinqin’s treatment, sparing them from being turned away by the hospital.

What brought even greater comfort was that Manman hadn’t been led astray by the troublemakers at school. She remained focused on her studies, consistently ranking within the top ten in every exam.

"Phew."

Tang's mother exhaled softly. Whenever she thought of her daughter’s brilliance, she couldn’t help but recall the envious, almost resentful expressions of other parents when they talked about their own children’s grades. A faint smile tugged at her lips—she couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride.

But lately, something seemed off about the girl.

She’s been so distracted.

And she won’t tell me why.

A quiet sigh escaped Tang's mother before she quickly brushed the worry aside.

Manman’s grown up now.

She’s entitled to her own worries and secrets.

Taking a deep breath, she stretched her arms, feeling a wave of relief wash over her.

Qinqin’s condition had stabilized. With just a little more observation, she might even be discharged early if all went well.

Once she’s home, we’ll finally be able to save some money.

When Manman gets into university, I’ll buy her the best phone!

And I’ve heard students need laptops or iPads—I’ll get her the best of those too!

She shouldn’t have to go without what others have.

Tang's mother rubbed her delicate, oval face, her soft features marked by faint exhaustion but mostly contentment.

It really feels like things are looking up.

As evening approached, the autumn wind grew sharper.

With no customers in sight, Tang's mother remained seated on the plastic stool.

Another gust of cold air swept through, slipping past her slightly grimy cotton gloves and stealing what little warmth remained in her slender hands.

Shivering, she pulled off the gloves, cupped her hands to her lips, and blew warm air onto them before rubbing them together briskly.

Once some heat returned, she was about to tuck them into her pockets to preserve it—when she suddenly froze.

A familiar presence made her turn her head.

Ah!

My precious girl! (o(￣▽￣)o)

...

Huh?

Why is she crying? (o(っ°Д°;)っ)

Seeing her daughter’s tear-streaked face, Tang's mother sprang up and rushed toward Tang Manman, who stood just a few steps away.

Reaching her, she gently wiped the rapidly falling tears with her fingers, her heart aching.

"What’s wrong, Manman?"

"Did someone bully you?"

"If anyone hurt you, tell me. I’ll deal with them!"

As she spoke, her own eyes reddened.

Since her husband’s passing, these two children had become her entire world.

Especially Tang Manman—her obedient, brilliant daughter. Beyond the pride and joy she brought, Tang Yun couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

A child as outstanding and sensible as her deserved to be doted on by an entire family.

Yet she had ended up as her daughter, forced to endure hardship after hardship.

Under Tang Yun’s tender concern, Tang Manman’s lips trembled further. She sniffled, her head bowed.

"I’m sorry, Mom. I did really badly on this exam."

Hearing about the drop in grades, Tang Yun didn’t feel anger—only relief.

So it was just a failed test.

You scared me to death.

With the way you were crying, I thought something terrible had happened.

Assured that her daughter hadn’t been mistreated, Tang Yun let out a quiet breath. She reached out and stroked Tang Manman’s hair gently.

"Did you fall out of the top ten again?"

"It’s okay."

"Don’t cry."

"We’ll just work harder next time."

Tang Manman pressed her lips together tightly. She shook her head, another sob escaping before she spoke again, her voice breaking.

"I’m sorry, Mom. I dropped out of the top twenty. I lost the scholarship for this term."

"I’m sorry."

"I’m so sorry..."

The sun had fully retreated behind the western mountains, surrendering the sky to darkness.

Tang Yun blinked her textbook-perfect peach-blossom eyes in the dimness, as if unable to believe what she had just heard.

Out of the top twenty?

How?

This has never happened before!

But more than the loss of the scholarship—which had eased their burdens so much—she was far more worried about her daughter’s state.

Why had her grades plummeted so suddenly?

Recalling how distracted she had been lately, Tang Yun’s unease deepened. Her brows furrowed, and the words of reproach nearly spilled out.

But as her vision refocused under the glow of the streetlights, she saw her daughter’s tearful, guilt-ridden face. Her lips parted, yet no words came.

After a pause, Tang Yun’s expression softened. She opened her arms and pulled the sobbing Tang Manman into a gentle embrace.

"It’s alright."

"You slipped up this time, but we’ll just try harder next time."

"Don’t worry about things at home. Qinqin will be discharged soon, so the pressure will ease. I can handle it."

"From now on, just focus on your studies."

"You don’t need to carry anything else."

Under Tang Yun’s soothing words, Tang Manman’s tears finally subsided. She wiped her wind-chilled cheeks with her sleeve and sniffled.

"Mom, I’m going back to study now."

"No need to rush."

Tang Yun smiled softly, glancing at the charcoal grill nearby.

"You just finished exams—take tonight off. Since there aren’t any customers, what would you like?"

"I’ll grill something for you."

Tang Manman turned to look at the grill. After a brief silence, she gave a small nod...

...

"Manman, has anything interesting happened at school lately?"

Tang Yun handed a skewer of beef to Tang Manman, who sat beside her, her tone casual.

"No."

Tang Manman took the beef skewer, eating it quietly while shaking her head and murmuring softly.

Tang Yun let out an "Oh," then fell silent.

After a while, as she sprinkled seasoning on the grilled sausage, Tang Yun spoke up again:

"What about you?"

"How have you been doing at school lately?"

"Anything you're struggling with or feeling uneasy about?"

"No."

Tang Manman's reply was just those two words, her voice so faint it nearly scattered in the autumn breeze.

"Really?"

"But I’ve noticed you’ve been distracted lately."

Tang Yun handed the grilled sausage to Tang Manman, looking into her eyes with earnest concern.

Tang Manman’s hand, clutching the skewer, froze mid-air. Under Tang Yun’s slightly scrutinizing gaze, a flicker of panic flashed through her reddened eyes before she quickly turned away, avoiding her mother’s stare.

"Manman, no matter what’s happened, you can always talk to me about it."

"I won’t blame you."

"Because I’m on your side."

Tang Yun’s brows furrowed slightly, her tone as gentle as could be.

"I-it’s really nothing."

Tang Manman sat on the plastic chair, head slightly lowered, before murmuring after a brief silence.

"You—"

Tang Yun wanted to say more, but Tang Manman didn’t give her the chance. She set the still-steaming sausage on the plate, stood up, and said:

"I’m full. I’ll head home to study now."

"Mom, you should go home early too."

Without even wiping her mouth, Tang Manman turned and hurried away as if fleeing.

Watching her daughter’s retreating figure, Tang Yun clenched her fist tightly.

She’s definitely hiding something from me!

I have to find out what it is!