Chapter 50: Manman Chooses to Be an Escapist

Book:Beloved by the Hardhearted Avenger Published:2024-5-1

Zhong’s threat in the last encounter haunts Ding Manman so much that she locks herself in the room as an escapist to avoid contacting with or getting closer to others.
While, Ding’s abnormal actions doesn’t draw attention from his parents in such a patriarchal family. Neither does Ding Qi, her affectionate little brother, find anything strange about her. After all, he is too little to understand adults’ troubles.
She has promised Ding Qi to go to the movies together, which has not been achieved due to her recent detachment. Ding Qi cannot bear loneliness and knocks on her sister’s door.
“Sister, sis, are you here? May I come in?” Ding Qi asks cautiously at the door.
In her room, Ding Manman, who is immersed in sorrow, doesn’t reply to Ding Qi.
Without an answer from his sister, Ding Qi doesn’t know what to do but wander outside the door.
Eventually, driven by the desire for watching a movie with his sister, he walks into the room without Ding’s permission.
Pushing the door open, he finds his sister blindly look out through the window. The sun shines on his quiet sister who looks like an angel, just descending from the sky.
Ding Qi runs to Ding Manman joyfully, and then hugs her from behind.
Ding Manman feels her back stiffened subconsciously, fearing that it is Zhong who recaptures her to confine her to the boundless darkness again. No, she never wants to suffer the same pain, to suffer the physical and mental torture again. If this happens one more time, she must go mad.
No, she can’t go out again, and she can’t meet him again. All chances to encounter him should be avoided.
“Sister, when will we go out to the movies? I want to watch movies with you, okay, sister?” Ding Qi inquires with a coquetry tone.
“No, I won’t go out!” Ding Manman roars loudly.
Abruptly, Ding Qi bursts into tears.
Ding Manman comes to herself and squats down to comfort Ding Qi: “Qiqi, please don’t cry. I am sorry and I didn’t shout at you on purpose, now I apologize to you, okay? Please stop crying.”
“All right, sister, let’s go to the movies. If you accompany me to the cinema, I won’t cry anymore, will you? Sister.” Ding Qi begs while sobbing.
Ding Manman cannot bear to see her brother’s crying face, intending to agree with him. But a demon comes to her mind, warning her, “Ding Manman, dare you go out? Are you not afraid to meet Zhong Shaoting? Could you endure his torture again?”
Ding Manman falls into deep thinking.
Without a response for a long while, Ding Qi cries much louder, fearing being rejected by his sister.
And his crying causes the attention from their parents who are just about to leave for the company,
Mrs. Ding hurries upstairs, following the sound to Ding’s room. She rudely pushes the door and then hugs Ding Qi, scolding Ding Manman, “How do you behave as Qi’s sister? You are much older than you brother. Can’t you give in to your little brother? I really regret having raised you, such an ungrateful soul!”
Ding Manman wants to explain, but fails to say a word. It was indeed her own fault that let her little brother down.
“My boy, tell me what Ding Manman did to you. Just tell me what happened and I will vent for you!”
“Mom, my sister didn’t do anything wrong to me, so please do not scold her.”
“It’s okay, Qiqi, say it boldly, and I will stand by your side forever!”
“Mom, nothing really. I just want my sister to go to the movies with me.”
At her son’s words, Mrs. Ding becomes angrier. She shouts at Ding Manman: “You refused Qiqi in such a trivial matter? Were you spoiled by Zhong Shaoting in the past few months of your disappearance? You are not a princess destined to be pampered, stop posing! It’s your great honor that Qiqi invited you to the cinema, don’t you know that!? What qualifications do you have to refuse him! Pack up quickly and go with him!”
Ding Manman looks at the angry mother while the image of the demon, Zhong Shaoting, occurs to her mind. She refuses “Mom, I am not mincing. I can’t go out for some unspeakable reasons.”
“Qiqi, we needn’t go out to watch the movie, OK? We can watch it on a computer or TV at home? The same visual effect!”
“Sister, it’s different, totally different. Our home cannot create the cinematographic atmosphere compared with the cinema.” With these words, he cries loudly with tears freely flowing out of his eyes like an open faucet.
Ding Qi’s tears really distress Mrs. Ding, and she shouts at Ding Manman: “No more words, you must accompany Qiqi to the cinema. This is your honor that you should cherish.”
The crying sound upstairs also catches the attention of Mr. Ding who is waiting downstairs.
Mr. Ding strides out of the room and speaks, “How come there are so many troublesome matters every day?”
He pauses for a split second and continues speaking, “Manman, you should go out with Qiqi if he really wants your accompany. What a trivial incident! And… what do you think about that thing? Do you really want to see our company go bankrupt? By then, your comfortable life will fade away, and Qiqi will also be harmed, are you clear?”
Ding Manman opens her mouth, intending to say something. Before her words are uttered, Mrs. Ding aggressively speaks: “Ding Manman, if you refuse to do that thing, you should start dating Fang Hao and asking for forgiveness of the Fangs. Anyway, you have to save our company. Otherwise, I will break the mother-daughter relationship with you, and I have never given birth to you!”
Ding Manman feels heartbroken and replies “Okay, Mom, I know your meaning, and I will try to get Fang Hao’s forgiveness, and protect our the company from going bankrupt!”
“All right, stop talking. Manman, let me arrange it for you. Today you take Qiqi to the cinema, and by the way invite Fang Hao with you to see if there’s a chance to reconcile with him! Now, send a message to Fang Hao and ask him if he has time to the movies with you!”
Ding Manman has no choice but to take out her phone and send a message to Fang Hao, “Hao, are you free today? Do you want to go to the movies with me?”
Fang Hao looks at An Ya who is chatting with his mother happily in his home. He is clear of his mother’s intention to match him with An Ya. His mother will definitely ask him to take An along with if he goes out. However, he misses Manman so much that he accepts the invitation after a long deliberation.
Seeing this appointment is settled, Ding’s parents leave with satisfaction.