Chapter Eight: A Tyrant at Home

“Yes, our Yu Luo is definitely not that kind of child!” Yu Luo’s aunt chimed in hastily, “She would never go off eating random things on her own!”

She hesitated for a moment, uncertain, then ventured, “But, you know, this child does have a habit of eating junk food from outside, all sorts of milk tea and spicy snacks. I keep telling her not to eat those things from outside, you never know what goes into them!

Isn’t everyone online saying—what’s it called… some kind of dangerous stuff?”

“Technology and dangerous additives!” Yu Luo’s uncle reminded her from the side.

“Yes, yes! Technology and dangerous additives! That’s what people are saying these days!” Yu Luo’s aunt nodded repeatedly. “Could it be that those foods contain something addictive, something that makes people crave more and keep buying them?

And didn’t that young man who came in just now say that while those things aren’t fatal, the real issue is that Yu Luo was frightened in the cinema? If she was already unwell, and then got scared, that’s when something bad happened!

If you ask me, you should run whatever tests you need, but the cinema must be held responsible too! Otherwise, today it’s our Yu Luo, tomorrow it could be another child who gets frightened to death—what a tragedy that would be!”

“It’s unlikely there’s a problem with the food additives,” Ning Shuyi shook her head at Yu Luo’s aunt, accustomed to the turmoil of grieving families. “Those substances are much more expensive than junk food.”

“Oh…” Yu Luo’s aunt nodded, accepting the explanation. “Even if the junk food isn’t to blame, the cinema still needs to be investigated, right? They scared our child to death—shouldn’t there be compensation?”

“You! Why do you always focus on compensation?” Yu Luo’s father, already distressed by the news of problematic substances in his daughter’s blood, grew increasingly irritable as his sister spoke, and couldn’t help but scold her.

Yu Luo’s aunt seemed about to explain herself, but Ning Shuyi caught a glimpse of Yu Luo’s uncle lightly nudging his wife’s leg with his knee. The words Yu Luo’s aunt intended to say were swallowed back, left unspoken.

She quickly changed tack: “Maybe you should look into Yu Luo’s friends? She has a group she spends time with, always up to something mysterious!

Kids these days—whatever they do outside, they keep it from their elders. It’s easy for them to hide things from us, but her friends must know everything!”

Yu Luo’s uncle nudged his wife again, and she fell silent.

Ning Shuyi noticed this little gesture for the second time, but said nothing, pretending not to have seen it.

Huo Yan, nearby, seemed to react similarly, his gaze swiftly sweeping over Yu Luo’s aunt and uncle, his face unreadable as usual, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

“Since we’re on this topic, how much do you know about Yu Luo’s social circle? Who are the people she’s closest to? Did she have any serious conflicts with anyone?” Ning Shuyi followed up on Yu Luo’s aunt’s earlier suggestion, questioning them directly.

“I really don’t know,” Yu Luo’s father admitted, both embarrassed and regretful. “I remember her childhood friends from elementary school, but after her mother passed away, she became very sensitive, hating when people mentioned she didn’t have a mother. She got into frequent quarrels at her old school, and her teachers kept calling me. So I transferred her, and she lost contact with her old friends.

When she started middle school, I was busy with work, so I didn’t pay much attention. I just knew she went out with friends often, spent a lot, and I kept giving her more pocket money.

I thought, since she doesn’t have a mother and I can’t be there for her, as long as she had good friends to keep her happy, the expense didn’t matter. Besides, girls don’t get into too much trouble, so I stayed out of it.

As for conflicts…”

Yu Luo’s father sighed deeply, a touch of sadness in his voice. “I feel like, aside from holding a grudge against me, she got along well with everyone. I never heard of her having any major disputes.”

“That’s true,” Yu Luo’s aunt nodded, glancing cautiously at her brother. “Yu Luo is great in every way, just a little stubborn with family.

She never showed much temper with others outside, but at home, her attitude was even worse.

So if you say she had a bitter feud with someone outside, I find it hard to believe. What kind of grudge could be so deep as to push things this far?”

“So, you know nothing about her social life?” Ning Shuyi ignored the rhetorical question, summarizing their statements.

Yu Luo’s relatives nodded sheepishly, unable to deny it.

“But speaking of enemies… it might not even be one of Yu Luo’s friends,” Yu Luo’s uncle, who had hardly spoken, suddenly seemed to remember something. He looked at his wife, then at his brother-in-law. “Didn’t that situation with your engagement get messed up because of Yu Luo? At the time, that person was furious, practically wanted to tear her apart!”

“Exactly!” Yu Luo’s aunt exclaimed, inspired by the reminder. “I almost forgot about her!

Brother, you were about to marry Cai Mei Wu, but Yu Luo ruined it at the last minute. The marriage never happened, and Cai Mei Wu was left full of resentment.

I remember how angry she was! She kept saying our whole family betrayed her, bullied her, and that we’d all face retribution, none of us would escape!”

Yu Luo’s father looked embarrassed and glared at his sister, “Why are you bringing her up? She’s irrelevant!”

“Who is Cai Mei Wu? Did she have a serious conflict with Yu Luo?” Ning Shuyi quickly asked.

Yu Luo’s aunt wanted to answer, but Yu Luo’s father shot her a glare, and she fell silent.