Chi Yong looked at Cheng Ying. "I've seen it several times." Cheng Ying was very guarded.

"A woman?" Chi Wu was indifferent. This was an admission.

Cheng Ying felt a surge of anger—damn it, if Big Sis didn't bother others, it was because she was decent. But now this one was practically showing up on their doorstep, daring to undermine her own mother?

That was just asking for trouble. Who was this clueless fool?

If it had been her real father's childhood sweetheart showing up, that would have been one thing, but this was a complete stranger barging in. Cheng Ying exploded in fury.

"Damn it, I'll kill her!" Chi Wu said, "Don't get agitated. It's not like that.

I just saw that female teacher constantly discussing things with Dad; I didn't see anything else." Chi Wu was too attached to this sense of belonging. Having finally found a happy family, he genuinely didn't want anything to disrupt the harmony.

However, this was still his biological father, so they couldn't let things escalate too much. Cheng Ying thought to herself that if she actually saw them getting together, it would be too late.

"Wuzi, the way you acted was right. This kind of thing must be snuffed out in the bud.

Think about how good Mom is to you; shouldn't you be thinking about her? If you got a new stepmother, who knows if she'd treat you this well.

Understand? What you did today was the right thing to do." This child needed praise; this approach needed to be encouraged and affirmed.

Chi Wu replied, "It really wasn't anything serious; I just felt a little anxious seeing it." Cheng Ying shot back, "What do you mean it wasn't anything serious? Do we have to wait until we see your dad sleeping in the same bed as someone else before it counts as a problem?

Is it too late then? Whether it's physical infidelity or an emotional affair, it's disharmony, it's unhealthy.

Society doesn't accept it. We are saving your father here." Chi Wu was genuinely pleased when Cheng Ying referred to "our Mom," but when it came to his own father, she switched to "your father." He immediately felt displeased.

Why was this girl drawing such a clear line? Also, the way she talked about sleeping together—those words were truly distasteful.

"Suit yourself. I just saw them talking about work." During dinner that evening, Cheng Ying observed her stepfather.

He seemed no different from usual. But then again, if a man was having an affair, would you even notice?

Her stepfather was a man of considerable skill; she assumed anything he did would be done without a trace. Cheng Ying decided she needed to investigate his workplace environment.

Besides, knowing yourself and your enemy guarantees victory in a hundred battles. In the morning, as Chi Wu was leaving for school, Cheng Ying specifically told him to gather information on that female teacher.

By noon, Cheng Ying reviewed the information Chi Wu brought back and analyzed it for a while, concluding that the woman should be quite easy to handle. The two of them ambled off to check out their stepfather.

Cheng Ying savored the news Chi Wu had gathered. This teacher was nothing more than a slightly older single woman, likely desperate to get married.

Otherwise, how could she see their stepfather—a man like him—as a piece of desirable meat? The middle school campus wasn't large.

Chi Wu and Cheng Ying arrived early; the primary school dismissal time was different from the middle school's. By the time Cheng Ying and Chi Wu got there, the bell for the middle school had just finished ringing.

Forgive them; the schools in the countryside hadn't installed electric bells yet; they were still using traditional gongs. From a distance, Cheng Ying spotted a woman walking beside their stepfather, a figure distinctly characteristic of the era: short overalls and her long, delicate hair tied into two plaits hanging down past her shoulders on either side of her chest.

She looked quite demure, and this teacher knew how to dress! It was the height of fashion for the time—clearly someone who was a **woman.

Cheng Ying vaguely recalled seeing a female movie star on a poster dressed exactly like that. Then she saw the woman holding a book, her cheeks flushed as she stood next to their stepfather.

Hmph, clearly an old maid who couldn't find a husband, yet she was trying to act like a fashionable young thing. She was practically courting disaster.

Chi Wu had sharp eyes; this was the prelude to trouble. If this woman wasn't interested in their stepfather, Cheng Ying would eat her hat.

Nodding toward Chi Wu, Cheng Ying gave him full affirmation. "We've caught them in the act, haven't we?" Chi Wu retorted, "Don't put it so crudely.

My dad hasn't done anything." Cheng Ying thought to herself that if he had done anything, he wouldn't be Chi Yong. This man was too deep in thought; he wouldn't make a mistake over a woman like this, but caution was still necessary.

What if it turned into one of those Qiong Yao dramas, where they claim true love? The mere thought made Cheng Ying sick.

As they walked closer, they overheard the woman gushing about "Hai Yan" and "the driver." Cheng Ying got a headache. Chi Wu asked, "What is she saying?

Do you understand?" Cheng Ying replied, "I don't. Big Sis knows about One Piece and knows she'll have her own driver someday, but what does that have to do with me?" It was obvious they were both uneducated.

Chi Wu was even more bewildered. Cheng Ying walked right up to the pair, unwilling to give the woman any more opportunity to shine.

"Dad?" Chi Wu stared coldly at Cheng Ying, his eyes wide. His expression could only be described as pleasant surprise; he was finally calling his biological father "Dad." When Chi Yong turned around and heard Cheng Ying address him this way, his reaction was bordering on shock.

He knew exactly what kind of girl his daughter was. After all the trouble she went through to fix the grave for his parents, he never imagined she would ever call him "Dad." What was happening now?

He was one hundred percent certain his daughter wasn't plotting something benign. He just couldn't figure out what had provoked her; he felt certain he hadn't done anything stimulating.

"Cheng Ying is here. Wuzi, come over." Chi Wu followed closely behind Cheng Ying.

"Dad." The female teacher's expression definitely shifted. Perhaps, seeing their stepfather’s somewhat soft appearance, this teacher assumed his wife either didn't exist or didn't have children.

It was their own mother's fault for being too low-key for so long; she hadn't publicized their marriage at school. This was causing trouble for her children.

Chi Yong asked, "Why have you two come over today?" Cheng Ying answered, "We came to see Mom, and to look around the school." Then, she turned to the woman and greeted her politely, "Hello, Auntie." Chi Wu remained unresponsive, glaring at the woman with anger. The woman spoke up, her voice noticeably less bright than before.

"Teacher Chi, your children are so big already. So cute." Chi Yong said, "Not really.

Country children, raised rough." Cheng Ying piped in, "Auntie, the last time a lady called my dad and me cute, my grandmother grabbed her by the hair and dragged her straight to the brigade headquarters. It was quite a scene." Chi Yong’s face instantly flushed bright red.

This bothersome girl! He still had to work at this school!

He glared at Cheng Ying, his tone carrying much more authority. "Don't talk nonsense!" Chi Wu glanced at his biological father, then turned away without commenting.

Chi Yong smiled; it seemed they were united in their front against the outsider. The woman’s face changed.

"The children are really..." She couldn't finish the sentence, turning away in a hurried retreat, looking utterly disheveled. "Teacher Chi, I'll go eat first." Chi Yong called out, "Teacher Xiao, go ahead.

Our family will be over later." The woman's steps were rushed; it looked like an escape. Chi Yong looked at Cheng Ying.

"Nonsense." Cheng Ying was unconcerned. Watching the woman's retreating back, she offered a very certain assessment: "That one has the intention but not the guts." Chi Yong responded, "Do you think Uncle is an immortal?" Meaning, he wasn't attractive enough to warrant such attention.

Cheng Ying sized up her stepfather. "You shouldn't think so little of yourself.

Your temperament perfectly fits the campus image. Mom has good taste; she knows how to dress you." Chi Yong felt that stooping to the level of this troublesome child was just making things hard for himself.

He chose not to dwell on the recent incident. "Alright, no more spreading rumors at school." Cheng Ying wasn't in a hurry.

She followed her stepfather and ate a meal in the cafeteria before they left. Of course, they didn't forget to speak ill of the wall-climbing woman to her own stepfather.

"That person just now, she's probably only a few years younger than Mom. Look at her face—she still has acne even though her youth is past.

She’s not as pretty as Mom." Chi Yong looked at his daughter. He never realized his girl had a sharper tongue than his own mother.

How could anyone speak about someone like that? It would be terrible if someone overheard.

Chi Yong’s thin, muscular-lacking cheeks trembled for a long moment. He couldn't manage to say a single word.

Turning around, at the school gate, Chi Wu found out where the woman often passed through. The two waited there.

Luckily, the woman had good habits and did pass that way. Rumor had it the woman visited a relative in the countryside every day.

Cheng Ying stayed close behind Chi Wu, watching the woman until the woman started feeling uneasy under their gaze. Then Cheng Ying declared, "Chasing handsome boys is called dating; that’s freedom; that’s democracy." These were the catchphrases of the youths of the era; they were shouted like slogans.

It was hard for Cheng Ying not to know them. This statement left Chi Wu utterly confused.

What did slogans have to do with cornering someone? Also, even though Yingzi didn't attend school, she knew everything that was going on.

Making sure the woman could hear her words, Cheng Ying continued, "Chasing handsome men who already have wives and families is a political mistake; it's a matter of moral conduct. In the countryside, it’s called being a 'broken shoe' (a derogatory term for a promiscuous woman)." Chi Wu’s face darkened.

Just a moment ago, it was democracy and freedom, and now it was 'broken shoe'—how ugly. Chi Wu almost wanted to cover his ears.

No, he should keep his distance from Cheng Ying and pretend not to know her. But it seemed to be effective.

After Cheng Ying finished speaking, Chi Wu saw the woman practically sprout wings to fly away. Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying.

"This won't do." Cheng Ying retorted, "Why wouldn't it? Let me tell you, she's a woman; she cares about her reputation.

She’s the one who stands to lose in a situation like this, so she won't dare speak about it. Even if your dad came back to the village, it wouldn't matter much.

Our family staying together is the most important thing, right?" Chi Wu nodded along, effectively selling out his own father. Cheng Ying concluded, "If she's smart, she won't go near your dad anymore, and we'll stop here.

If she doesn't learn her lesson, you should wait here every day and repeat what I just said, tormenting her to death." Chi Wu looked miserable. He steeled himself.

"I'll listen to you." Then they heard Chi Wu ask, "Do I really have to say this every day? I feel a bit embarrassed.

Those words are... they're too ugly." Cheng Ying thought to herself that he was a decent kid after all.

"If she dares to do it, she shouldn't be afraid of being embarrassed. Do you really want a different mom?

Don't say this woman is bad; maybe she'd treat you well. Maybe she'd even make you an egg pancake after she finishes setting her perm." Chi Wu countered, "But she hasn't done anything yet." Cheng Ying huffed, "Hmph.

Say it or don't, it’s up to you." Anyway, this stepfather wasn't completely safe.