Chapter 12: The Online Love Rival Becomes a Charmer (12)

Chapter 12: From Web Novel Sidekick to Crowd-Pleaser (12)

Jiang Xiaoe stared at her daughter in disbelief. After just a few days apart, Tang Qing actually dared to defy her!

“Well, well, girls really are nothing but money drains! How dare you splash water on me!” Jiang Xiaoe didn’t hold back either, bolting up from the sofa in an instant and grabbing her shoe to hurl at Tang Qing.

The worn-out cloth shoe, still caked with bits of mud, was easily dodged by Tang Qing, who shot back, "If you think I’m such a money drain, why are you here asking me for it?"

"If that worthless son of yours is so reliable, why don’t you go ask Tang Chai for money?"

Hearing her precious son being called "worthless" repeatedly by Tang Qing, Jiang Xiaoe’s eyes blazed with rage. "You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting?"

In Jiang Xiaoe’s eyes, Tang Qing was the real waste. Since childhood, Tang Qing would fall sick at the slightest bit of work—couldn’t carry heavy loads, couldn’t lift a thing—yet insisted on going to that damn school!

What’s the point of schooling for a girl? She’d just end up married off anyway! Sending Tang Qing to school was like raising a daughter-in-law for someone else’s family. Back then, if it hadn’t been for the village head and the teacher coming to persuade her, Jiang Xiaoe would never have agreed.

"Told you so! I knew I shouldn’t have let you go to school! Now you’ve grown wings, haven’t you? You won’t even listen to your own mother!"

"I carried you in my womb! All these years, you’ve eaten my food, worn my clothes—it’s only right that I ask you for money!"

"Oh really? Because I seem to recall you never gave me a single cent for school when I was little." Tang Qing crossed her arms, looking down at her short but fierce mother. "Primary school was free—you didn’t pay a dime. After middle school, I covered my own living expenses. Tell me, old hag, what exactly did you spend on me?"

"Who do you think you’re fooling with that nonsense? Your clothes were stitched from hand-me-downs, and your food was whatever I could scrape together. What exactly did you ever do for me?"

"And now you come demanding money from me? Dear mother, I really have to ask—what gives you the right?" Her voice was icy as she continued, "Just because your son is a good-for-nothing waste, you think you can shove all your schemes onto me?"

"Let me make this clear today. Not only will you get no money from me, but I also want to know when and how you plan to pay back everything I’ve given you before..."

Jiang Xiaoe was fuming. "Impossible! Pay you back? What money?"

"That was all your duty! Keep dreaming if you think I’m giving it back!" Keeping her distance, Jiang Xiaoe lunged several times, wanting to tear her daughter’s mouth to shreds, but Tang Qing was too slippery—she hadn’t even managed to lay a finger on her.

"Mark my words, if you don’t give me the money today, don’t blame me for what I’ll do!"

"School’s your precious dream, isn’t it? I’ll go straight to your university and tell them you’re disrespectful and rebellious. I’ll have you expelled and drag you back home!"

Tang Qing wasn’t fazed by the threat. "Be my guest. Let the whole school see what kind of parents I have. See if they pity me or curse you for mistreating your own daughter..."

"Out of courtesy calling you ‘Mom’ as family," Tang Qing’s tone shifted, "but whether you still deserve that title—you should know the answer."

"You vile brat..." Jiang Xiaoe scanned the room for something to throw but found nothing. In her fury, she overturned Tang Qing’s coffee table.

The sound of shattering glass made Tang Qing grimace.

Yet another piece of furniture lost in this already struggling household... This damn old hag.

"Oh, dear mother, where are your shoes? You threw them earlier. By all means, come at me barefoot over this broken glass."

Both shoes had been hurled—and missed—leaving Jiang Xiaoe stuck in place, unable to move without cutting her feet.

"Brat, give me back my shoes!" Jiang Xiaoe screeched, stuck in place, reduced to impotent rage. "Just wait till I get my hands on you!"

"Then you’d better stay right where you are." Without hesitation, Tang Qing dialed the police right in front of her. "There’s no family bond between us—at most, it’s a financial relationship, and even then, it’s just you extorting me."

"You barged in uninvited today, and I can’t be bothered to deal with you. When the police arrive, you’ll go wherever they take you. Just don’t cause a scene in my home."

Jiang Xiaoe was beside herself with rage, but Tang Qing’s call to the police was no bluff.

After raising Tang Qing all these years, the girl had always been meek and obedient. But today, it was like she’d grown a backbone—refusing to hand over money, talking back, and now even calling the cops on her own mother!

Storming in like a raging bull, Jiang Xiaoe never expected things to turn out this way. She raised her voice in furious curses:

"Tang Qing! You’ve got a death wish or what?!"

"Don’t you dare ever come home again... you little beast!"

"You ungrateful brat, treating your own mother like this—aren’t you afraid heaven will punish you?"

She kept ranting nonstop, even as the police arrived. Jiang Xiaoe still wouldn’t let up.

*Police Station*

"Young lady, we’ve already reprimanded and educated your mother," said Officer Wang, a kind-faced woman around Jiang Xiaoe’s age, who was taking Tang Qing’s statement.

Officer Wang looked at Tang Qing with pity. How awful—what kind of family still treated their daughter like this in this day and age?

That old woman in the next room was utterly unreasonable. No matter what was said, she insisted that a daughter’s duty was to support the family and take responsibility for her brother.

Not only was she unreasonable, but her behavior was appalling—she hurled anything within reach. If not for the quick reflexes of the officers, someone might’ve gotten hurt.

"I know what kind of person my mother is," Tang Qing said meekly, reverting to the image of a pitiful college student. "I’ve tried talking to her about my brother, but it didn’t go well…"

"Honestly, I just want to focus on my studies, but today she threatened to go to my school and withdraw me…"

Officer Wang jumped up from her seat. "Outrageous! How can she force you to drop out?" After mediating the dispute, she understood the root of the problem—a backward rural mindset.

This young woman had worked her fingers to the bone to get into university. After all that hardship, how could she be forced to quit? "Don’t worry, I’ll report this to the chief. We’ll make sure your school protects your right to study."

"At your age, you should be focusing on gaining knowledge."

Her tone was earnest, her gaze a mix of pity and admiration. "We’ll handle your mother. We’ll coordinate with the village officials to ensure she doesn’t disrupt your education again."

"But what about her tonight…?" Tang Qing hesitated. "Where will she stay?"

Officer Wang waved a hand. "Don’t you worry about that. She’s got plenty of fight left in her—she can stay at an inn or a hotel. That’s not for you to worry about."

"Just sign here, then you’re free to go." The incident report documented the scene at the rental apartment. Tang Qing complied, signing her name.

"Officer Wang, could I take a photo of the report?" she asked timidly, her eyes pleading.

"Sure, no problem." How could Officer Wang refuse such a vulnerable-looking girl? "You did the right thing today. If you ever need help, come find me!"

"Thank you, Officer Wang."

As she watched Tang Qing leave, Officer Wang sighed. Such a polite, well-mannered girl—how unfortunate to have such biased parents.

---

Hey, Wang, is that Tang Qing gone?" a colleague asked, sidling up. "I wanted to see our A University online celebrity!"

"What celebrity?"

"You haven’t heard? She’s been in the news lately—conned several men out of money and was dragged through the mud online." The colleague eagerly shared forum screenshots. "There were multiple victims. If they hadn’t accepted her repayment offer, she could’ve been charged with fraud…" "Mind your own business."