The Hand of Confession – Chapter 92

Volume 4: Days of Making Mischief at School

Yue Changping

Maomao, Run!

Two parents holding black umbrellas led two unfortunate players, all four faces—two adults and two children—were equally pale.

The adults looked like they’d been soaked in cold water, while the children were simply frightened.

Teacher Yue smiled and waved goodbye to them: “Goodbye, if you don’t want to come to school tomorrow, make sure your parents call me~”

Shen Maomao looked down at the muddy footprints on the floor, thinking that coming to school tomorrow wasn’t something players could decide.

After the two black umbrellas disappeared from their sight, another black umbrella emerged from the school gate.

Shen Maomao’s heart leaped again, silently cursing this broken game for toying with its players.

The person holding the umbrella walked step by step to the main entrance of the teaching building, climbed the steps, and stood in front of the students, facing everyone.

Shen Maomao’s eyes widened, immediately looking toward Golden Retriever.

It was the woman who picked up Golden Retriever from school every day!

Golden Retriever’s small face turned pale, terrified, and looked back at Lou Jingmo with a pleading expression.

“Tch.” Lou Jingmo clicked her tongue, walked out of the line in front of Teacher Yue, and pulled Golden Retriever’s sleeve in a masculine manner, bringing him in front of her, “You’re coming with me today.”

Teacher Yue said with a smile: “Student Lou Jingmo, girls should be reserved, you can’t take male classmates home.”

“Oh,” Lou Jingmo said indifferently, “he is a girl.”

She shook Golden Retriever’s neck in her hand, signaling him to speak.

Golden Retriever spoke in a spineless manner: “Teacher Yue, actually I’m a girl~” The tone was as affected as possible, even more feminine than actual girls.

Teacher Yue’s smile faltered a bit.

Shen Maomao guessed his composure must have cracked a little too.

Just as he was about to say something more, Lou Jingmo opened her mouth and calmly uttered a name: “Yue Changping, you still owe me a life.”

Teacher Yue’s face changed dramatically, then, as if remembering something, he smiled with understanding: “No wonder you looked unfamiliar yet gave me a familiar feeling. So it’s the arrival of a great god [meaning: an expert or highly skilled person].”

The environment was quite noisy, and Teacher Yue’s voice was very low. Unless one was like Shen Maomao, focusing all their attention on them, it was almost impossible to hear what they were saying.

Teacher Yue sighed and said: “Though my life isn’t worth much, is this how you plan to use it? You’re really underestimating me.”

Lou Jingmo didn’t speak, just nodded.

Teacher Yue’s mouth twitched slightly.

It seemed Lou Jingmo and Teacher Yue knew each other, and there was some entanglement that led to Teacher Yue owing her a favor?

Probably Golden Retriever wouldn’t be in danger now.

Shen Maomao relaxed a little, still having the mood to internally criticize Lou Jingmo for being too straightforward and inflexible.

But given Lou Jingmo’s abilities and status, she probably didn’t need to be flexible anyway.

Teacher Yue sighed again and said: “My authority in this instance isn’t very great. I can only protect one person. Won’t you use it on yourself?”

Lou Jingmo’s lips curled slightly: “I don’t need it.”

Of course, why would Sister Lou need any safety guarantee when she is Lou Jingmo’s final trump card!

Shen Maomao proudly puffed up their AA-cup chest, feeling honored to be Lou Jingmo’s save point.

“Alright.” Yue Changping took out his small black umbrella and held it out to Lou Jingmo.

This wasn’t a small gesture; the players quietly stopped their conversations and focused their attention on the two of them.

Yue Changping smiled and continued, his voice neither loud nor soft, but just right for everyone nearby to hear clearly: “This umbrella can protect one person to live safely until tomorrow. If you want to protect someone, just give it to them.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place erupted in commotion.

All players cast their gaze upon this safety umbrella, and Lou Jingmo instantly became the center of attention.

In the current situation, this umbrella was like a living target – whoever took it would be targeted by everyone.

Everyone was wondering if she would take the umbrella.

Yue Changping was still smiling, his smile full of malice.

Only Shen Maomao thought that Sister Lou would take it.

Because she had the ability and the skill.

Sure enough, under everyone’s gaze, Lou Jingmo took his umbrella and immediately tossed it into Golden Retriever’s arms.

Everyone shifted their gaze to Golden Retriever.

Golden Retriever: “???”

Lou Jingmo said: “Follow along, don’t get caught in the rain.”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Golden Retriever nervously picked up the umbrella and followed behind the young woman, holding the umbrella as they walked into the curtain of rain.

Several people couldn’t help but shift their feet, wanting to rush out and grab this life-saving umbrella.

Lou Jingmo said in an eerie tone: “Getting rained on might be a death trigger condition.”

Those people immediately stopped in their tracks.

Yue Changping hadn’t expected them to be so cowardly and felt somewhat disappointed. He took out a sky-blue folding umbrella from his briefcase, no longer maintaining his nice teacher persona, and hurriedly walked into the rain curtain, leaving the school.

Shen Maomao shuffled over to Lou Jingmo’s side, but before she could speak, Lou Jingmo suddenly said: “Do you blame me?”

Shen Maomao responded with a confused face: “What? What’s wrong?”

Lou Jingmo: “…Never mind, what did you want to say?”

Shen Maomao: “I wanted to ask, Sister Lou, you know this Teacher Yue?”

Lou Jingmo answered simply: “Spared his dog’s life.”

Shen Maomao: “…I understand.”

There wasn’t enough time, and the two didn’t talk much more. Mother Shen had already arrived at school, waving from afar through the crowd: “Maomao, Mama’s here to pick you up!”

Shen Maomao turned to look at Ren Yue.

Ren Yue’s eyes lit up, looking at her hopefully.

Shen Maomao lowered her eyelids, steeled her heart, and turned to hold Mother Shen’s cold hand, holding her small floral umbrella as she walked into the rain curtain.

Ren Yue lowered her head in disappointment.

Mother Shen chatted while leading her forward, asking what happened at school today.

Shen Maomao answered absent-mindedly, carefully trying to avoid getting wet from the rain.

The city wasn’t crowded, passing vehicles moved quickly, splashing large sheets of water. It got dark particularly early today; the sun had completely set before they reached home.

Mother and daughter walked up the stairs hand in hand, the motion-sensor light bulb lighting up in response. When Mother Shen opened the door, with a “pat” sound, as usual, a black umbrella fell out, leaving a large wet mark on the carpet.

Mother Shen wrinkled her nose and said strangely: “Where’s this fishy smell coming from?”

Shen Maomao screamed internally: Is the fishy smell the main point? Isn’t the main point that the umbrella that was dried in the entryway yesterday has appeared at the door again with rainwater on it?!

Mother Shen, as usual, put the umbrella on the shoe rack in the entryway and led her inside.

Father Shen was sitting on the sofa, his hair dripping wet, as if he had come back in the heavy rain.

Mother Shen couldn’t worry about the child anymore, quickly changed her shoes, and said while going to the bathroom for a towel: “Why didn’t you dry your hair? What if you catch a cold?”

Shen Maomao stood at the doorway, shoes still on, staring blankly at Father Shen.

The man’s face was a sickly pale, exactly like those people holding black umbrellas.

Father Shen suddenly grabbed Mother Shen’s wrist, his grip so tight it made her cry out in pain.

“What are you doing?” Mother Shen frowned and struggled, but couldn’t break free.

Father Shen stared at her unblinkingly, his eyes no longer holding their former tenderness and affection, only a darkness like the deep ocean floor.

Only then did Mother Shen panic.

She began hitting her beloved husband, struggling desperately: “Let me go! What are you trying to do?!”

Shen Maomao’s heart pounded wildly, involuntarily taking a step back.

The man’s large hand grabbed Mother Shen’s hair, dragging her toward the door, knocking over the coffee table and chairs along the way, creating a chaotic noise.

Shen Maomao took another step back, half her body already outside the door, standing on that wet carpet.

As he passed the doorway, the man glanced at her, his gaze like an arrow, instantly pinning her in place, making her unable to even lift her legs.

However, the man didn’t do anything to her, but continued walking while pulling Mother Shen’s hair, then pushed open the kitchen door.

Shen Maomao was caught in a dilemma.

Father Shen seemed to be heading to the kitchen to get a knife to kill Mother Shen. After killing his wife, the child would surely be next. This was the best chance to escape; if she missed this moment, she might not be able to run away at all.

But Mother Shen had been so good to her, absolutely without question, reminding her of her own mother. Even knowing she was abnormal—not human—she couldn’t just abandon her and run.

She should run away; that would be the most correct choice. A child like her couldn’t do anything, but…

During her moment of hesitation, the sound of plates and bowls shattering came from the kitchen, accompanied by Mother Shen’s desperate scream: “Maomao, run–!!!”

“Damn it!!” Shen Maomao cursed, grabbed the umbrella from the entryway and rushed in.

At worst, she’d die—after all, she had two lives!!

The battle in the kitchen was fierce. Father Shen held a kitchen knife with both hands, raised high to strike Mother Shen. Mother Shen, with her back to the door, was gripping the blade with all her might, but still couldn’t stop the edge from getting closer to her face.

Fresh blood flowed down her wrists, dripping onto the floor, forming a black river in the darkness.

Shen Maomao didn’t care anymore whether she could fight Father Shen. She raised this ominous umbrella, rushed forward in one stride, and aimed its pointed tip at his eyes.

A thunderous boom split the sky, lightning illuminating Father Shen’s ferocious expression.

With a “squelch,” the umbrella tip easily pierced the man’s vulnerable eye, blood spraying everywhere.

He finally let go, howling as he covered the skin around his eye.

The kitchen knife fell to the ground with a clang. Mother Shen grabbed Shen Maomao’s hand, stumbling out of the kitchen with her, then out of the apartment door, quickly fleeing downstairs.

Warm, slick blood covered her hands. Just as the mother and daughter descended a few floors, they heard heavy footsteps from upstairs, along with breathing like an enraged beast—Father Shen had given chase.

Mother Shen picked up Shen Maomao in one motion, increasing her speed significantly, and finally managed to open the building entrance door before being caught, rushing with her into the curtain of rain.

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