Chapter 817: Waiting for Him to Confess

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Upon seeing a group of about ten teenagers approaching with great vigor from around the street corner, Da Hu’s heart pounded in his chest.

Gu Zi, who had paused in her steps to curiously observe the scene, only served to heighten his anxiety.

He noticed Su Bing, usually so composed, betray a hint of panic. This only served to heighten Da Hu’s own nervousness. He cursed inwardly, berating himself for his well-intentioned actions that had seemingly led to this predicament.

Su Bing was not immune to the panic either. His mother had a strong aversion to lies, and if she were to discover the truth about the situation, her anger would be inevitable. He attempted to mask his unease, suggesting, “Mom, let’s go home.”

Gu Zi nodded, dismissing her initial intention to linger. She and Su Bing began to leave, but they had barely taken a few steps when the group of teenagers reached them.

The leader of the group, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips, stepped forward. He removed the cigarette and, in a manner reminiscent of a gangster, bowed respectfully to Su Bing.

This unexpected display left Gu Zi dumbfounded, a thrilling melody of heroism involuntarily playing in her mind.

The leader addressed Su Bing, “Big Brother, we’ve long admired your reputation. We wish to become your followers, just like Da Hu and the others. We too have been bullied by that detestable Teacher Zhou. You have the power to help the weak and uphold justice against such tyrants. We are willing to submit to you wholeheartedly. Please, accept us!”

They had learned that the ‘Big Brother’ was to attend a competition today and had timed their arrival to meet him. Fortunately, they had not been late and had managed to catch him.

However, they were oblivious to the fact that their actions had put Su Bing in a difficult position. Unable to hide his anxiety any longer, Su Bing turned to his mother and blurted out, “Mom, I can explain everything.”

Gu Zi glanced at the three teenagers selling fruits at the stall, then at the newly arrived group. For a moment, she was at a loss for words. Her son, the secretive leader, had started recruiting followers without her knowledge.

She responded sternly, “You handle this first. I’ll wait for you up ahead. And I’ll be waiting for your explanation.”

Needing a moment to compose herself, Gu Zi pushed her shopping cart away.

Su Bing watched her retreating figure with regret. Da Hu accused, “Da Niu, you’ve really messed things up for the boss today. His mother didn’t know about any of this, and you’ve let it all out. What were you thinking?”

“Big Brother, I’m sorry,” Da Niu apologized.

Da Hu, realizing that the truth was out regardless, decided to say everything that needed to be said, “They came to me. They saw how you dealt with Teacher Zhou that day and admired you. They wanted us to introduce them to you. Like us, they are homeless children from the city, orphaned and bullied. Big Brother, let them follow you. They are willing to work hard to escape from the darkness. They don’t want to be hooligans.”

However, Su Bing was in no mood to deal with the situation or listen to their apologies. He said curtly, “We’ll discuss this later. I have to go now.”

Su Bing hurried off in the direction his mother had gone. The teenagers, aware that they had made a mistake, did not dare to follow him. Their faces fell, their spirits dampened. Perhaps they were not as fortunate as the Hu brothers, unable to grasp this ray of hope, unable to escape from the darkness…

When Su Bing caught up with his mother, he didn’t dare to utter a word. Silently, he followed Gu Zi to the new store, then returned with Zhang Yao to the Jifu New Village.

Throughout the journey, his mother didn’t initiate a single conversation with him, nor did she offer him a friendly glance. Su Bing knew, this time, his mother was genuinely angry, more so than ever before.

He would rather his mother scold or hit him, questioning why he was so disobedient, than endure her silence. He waited for his mother to pick up his sister, carefully choosing his words before approaching her tentatively, “Mom, will you stop being angry if I apologize like before?”

Gu Zi was busy tidying Su Le’s hair and polishing his shoes, deliberately ignoring him. Her voice was cold as she responded, “You speak first. Only then will I know whether or not I should continue being angry.”

Gu Zi understood Su Bing’s character. In the original book, Su Bing was indeed such a cunning person. However, this didn’t mean Gu Zi could tolerate his continuous concealment. Such behavior would cause her to lose faith in him and make her feel uneasy.

She cared for all three children and treated them well, but this was based on the premise of her own peace of mind. If Su Bing became too unpredictable, she would retreat.

Moreover, no matter how intelligent Su Bing was, he was only ten years old now. At this age, his cognition and values were not fully developed. Gu Zi wouldn’t let him do whatever he wanted just because he was smart. There had to be a bottom line, a set of rules to follow.