After lunch, they spent the afternoon on a few more standard rides. By the time they were heading back, everyone was in a good mood. Just as they were walking out, someone suddenly shouted,

“Qin Si, Qin Si! I’m over here, don’t walk so fast, look at me!”

Following the voice, Shi Feiye saw a well-dressed couple hurrying over with a chubby little boy. The boy was already quite heavy, and his parents were clearly struggling to pull him along, yet he kept flailing, as if afraid Qin Si might disappear any second. Watching them, Shi Feiye felt tired on their behalf.

“Is that a friend of yours?” she asked Qin Si quietly.

But his face darkened, and he turned away. “Of course not. That’s an annoying brat.”

Annoying brat?

She got her answer right away. The boy rushed up, and the first thing out of his mouth was, “Qin Si, your family’s broke. And they still bring you to an amusement park? Aren’t you afraid you won’t even have food later?”

Shi Feiye almost laughed from sheer disbelief. What kind of kid blurts stuff like that in public? Doesn’t he worry about getting smacked one day?

“It’s none of your business whether we eat or not,” Qin Si shot back, clearly annoyed.

The worst part was that the boy’s parents didn’t stop him. His dad, with a face that screamed arrogance, kept staring at Shi Feiye before saying in a mock-sympathetic tone,

“Oh, so this is Longlong’s classmate Qin Si. I’ve heard about your family’s situation. Must be tough. When something happened to Mr. Qin, I thought you’d transfer schools for sure. Didn’t expect you’d still try to keep up appearances like this. If you ask me, people should live within their means. Otherwise the child grows up spoiled, with no resilience, and turns into a burden. What happens then?”

The mother chimed in right after, feigning surprise while adding fuel to the fire.

“Oh, isn’t this the kid from the bankrupt family? Honestly, if you don’t have money, don’t come out to play. Pretending won’t make life any better. Wouldn’t it be better to spend that money on food? My husband’s right, you really should transfer him. If a child keeps seeing classmates dressed in luxury, won’t he grow resentful? What if he ends up going astray later?”

Shi Feiye’s temper flared instantly. With a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she stepped forward and shielded Qin Si.

“Oh, isn’t this the classmate Qin Si mentioned? The one whose family doesn’t have much money, yet loves acting rich? If money’s tight, then maybe don’t show off so much. Pretending won’t make life any better. If you do have money, wouldn’t it be better to spend it on books, on learning, on improving your upbringing?”

She tilted her head slightly, her tone light but sharp.

“My husband always tells Qin Si to be kind to classmates and not to talk about other people’s situations. Otherwise, people might say you’ve got no manners. And if someone takes offence or holds a grudge, what then?”

“You—who are you calling that!” The woman’s face twisted with anger. Her husband tugged her sleeve to stop her from going further. He put on a polite smile for Shi Feiye instead.

“So you’re Qin Si’s family, then? It can’t be easy, holding on after such a setback. Not many women these days would do that. But if I’m being honest, a woman should think about herself. Why knowingly jump into a pit? With your looks, you could easily find a better man.”