A dim light lingered beside the bed in Dazhi's room.

>Da Zhi wasn't sleeping in bed nor reading at his desk. Instead, he crouched by the window, squinting through a tiny crack at the courtyard below.

When Luo Bao ran toward Chen'er’s room, bouncing with a pillow in his arms, Da Zhi clenched his small fists tightly beside him.

Suddenly, he quickly turned and retreated to the side of the bed, then flung open the curtain and plunged his head into the covers.

Right after that, came the sound of a knock on the door: "Zhi'er, it's me, your mother."

"Mom, I'm going to sleep. Is there anything you need?" Dazhi poked his head out of the covers and asked.

Yang Ruqing said, "Um, Mother has something to discuss with you."

"Mother, are you in a hurry? I've even taken off my clothes. Perhaps tomorrow?" Dazhi asked.

Yang Ruqing's voice carried a hint of coldness: "I'll be waiting at the door. Put on your clothes and come open it."

Dachi, hearing this, felt a pang of fear in his heart. He knew he couldn't escape today.

"Well, I'll get up right away, Mother. Just wait a moment for me."

He pretended to make some noise under the covers, then got out of bed and checked the room again before coming over to open the door.

>

At the door stood Yang Ruqing. As soon as the door opened, Yang Ruqing gave Dazhi a faint smile and then stepped into the house.

She came to the table, brightened the lamp a little, and sat down.

Seeing Da Zhi standing before her with his hands drooping and looking pitiful, Yang Ruqing sighed inwardly.

"Zhi'er, please sit down. Mother just wanted to talk to you. Don't be nervous," she said.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate! ?

Dazhi just then reached out and touched the table, then sat down on the other stool beside it.

Yang Ruohong looked at Da Zhi and said, “Zhi’er, you tell your mother the truth, are you unhappy living in this house?”

>

Upon hearing Yang Ruqing's question, Da Zhi's face clearly showed a startle, but he immediately shook his head like a rattle.

"No, no, I'm happy here, this is my home!" he said hurriedly.

Yang Ruqing said, "Okay, then you tell me honestly, was the doll that was left at Chen'er's doorstep a while ago made by you?"

Da Zhi's eyes flickered noticeably, and his hand subconsciously went to retreat behind him, his shoulders also hunching inward.

>

This subtle body language is a sign of guilt.

“Mother is asking you a question, answer honestly.” Yang Ruqing added.

Dazhi came to his senses. He couldn't bear to look Yang Ruoqing in the eye, and he muttered in a low voice, "No, it wasn't me. I don't know what happened..."

Yang Ruqing tugged at the corner of her lips, "Zhi'er, how did your mother teach you when you were little?" Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate! ?

“The most important thing in life is to be honest.”

>

"You're only eight years old, and you already learned to lie? Have you forgotten the story of Pinocchio? Lying noses grow longer..."

"Mother, that's just a story children tell." Da Zhi suddenly spoke up, interrupting Yang Ruqing's words.

“Mother, don’t scare me with children’s stories anymore. I’m not a child anymore.” he said again.

Yang Ruqing said, "Alright, since you're not a child, then talk to me like an adult."

>

"The doll was yours to play with, and the drool was yours too, wasn't it?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of severity.

Dazhi pursed his lips, clearly nervous and afraid of her.

But he still shook his head: “No, it wasn’t me. Please mother, don’t frame me!”

>

"Slander? That's a good word to use." Yang Ruqing laughed angrily.

Dazhi stood up straight and said, "My mother taught me how to be a good person since I was young. If you say I stole something, then please bring me the evidence!"

"What?"

Yang Ruqing was stunned, sizing up Dazhi as if she didn't recognize her son at all.

"Zhi'er, you don't have a fever, do you? Are you sure this is how you speak to your mother?"

Yang Ruqing was surprised and couldn't help but reach out to touch his forehead, wondering if he was sick.

To his surprise, he unexpectedly dodged Yang Ruohua's hand and jumped up from the stool, standing to the side.

"I am not sick, and I know exactly what I'm saying," he said, his face flushed.

"I know that Brother Chen'er is our mother’s biological son, and I am just adopted. It's natural for Mother to love Brother Chen'er more."

"But Mother, no matter how much you love little brother Chen'er, please don't wrongly accuse me!"

Yang Ruqing was dumbfounded, thousands of words stuck in her throat, she didn't know what to say!

>

“Okay, the doll thing wasn’t you. But can you tell me why your temperament has changed so much these days?” Yang Ruqing continued to ask.

“Even the baby says he’s afraid of you, saying you get angry for no reason and won’t play with him. What’s going on?” she asked.

Da Zhi hummed, “Mother, are you here tonight just to give me a scolding?”

“Zhili, how can you speak to me like that? Are you saying in your heart that your mother is such a spiteful person?” she asked.

One heart, truly chilly and cold.

“Zhi'er, you shouldn't be like this. Mother treats you the same as Chen'er and the baby, I believe you know better than anyone else in your heart!”

“Zhi'er, Mother didn't come here tonight to question you or punish you. Mother is just worried about you,”

"Because of your personality, your mother worries that you keep things bottled up inside and overthink everything alone."

"Mom just wants to tell you, this is your home, the three of you are my children, you are supposed to co-exist, not that you squeeze me out, I can't accommodate you."

"In this house, I don't want to see those dark things, people doing what they do."
"You're a smart child, you certainly understand what I say, think about it yourself, I'm leaving!"

After saying this, Yang Ruqing got up and left Dazhi's house.

As soon as Yang Ruqing left, Da Zhi came over and closed the door.

He sat back down with a gloomy expression, staring at the place where Yang Ruqing had just been sitting. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were clouded with anger.

Before Chen'er came back, it wasn't like this. Mother would never speak to me like that.

Now, she actually came here to confront me, things are really different now.

As Chen'er is so outstanding and the true grandson of this family, the villagers always compare me to him. I become the supporting role, setting off his brilliance like a red flower.

No, no, I don't want this!

>

I don't want to lose everything I have now!

Please let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate! ?

Yang Ruoqing returned to her own room, brewed a cup of hot tea to warm her hands, but no matter how she held it, her hands remained cold.

Likewise, the same goes for your own heart!

>

It was truly chilling. She couldn't figure out where she went wrong, how Dazhi could have become like this!

This child has really become a problem child. He lies with his eyes open, and he lives in his own world, looking at everything around him. He's impossible to communicate with.

A genius in one second: m.

(Editor in charge：novel rick riordan)