Madam, Please Behave

Liu Changqing felt his entire body trembling.

It wasn’t from fear, but from anger—rage provoked by the words of the woman standing in front of him, Li Wanran, the mother of his two children and his ex-wife.

How dare she ask such a question?

Who was the one who shamelessly took away all his assets? Who was the one who abandoned the children and disappeared for so long without a word?

And now, she has the nerve to say things like this?

Flicking the cigarette butt onto the ground, Liu Changqing crushed it underfoot.

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. If you have nothing else to say, don’t come here again.”

He lifted his head and glared at Li Wanran.

Liu Changqing didn’t even realize his eyes had turned bloodshot.

Had she just been scared by this man?

Her eyes reflected disbelief, as though she was seeing Liu Changqing for the first time.

In her memory, Liu Changqing had always been careful around her, always putting her first, always considering her feelings.

He’d never raised his voice at her before.

“Can’t you just stay with your dream lover and stop interfering with the lives of the three of us?”

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Liu Changqing didn’t want to let his anger spiral further. He was afraid of what his body might do if he let his rage take control.

“…”

There were many things Li Wanran wanted to say, but not a single word came out.

Deep down, she felt a twinge of guilt, but Liu Changqing’s words had extinguished even that small flicker.

Her face reverted to its usual cold indifference—a look Liu Changqing had once found captivating.

She reached into her purse, pulled out a bank card, and held it out to Liu Changqing.

“Ten thousand yuan. That’s my price for the right to see the children.”

“Get out!”

Liu Changqing was completely enraged.

After everything she had taken from him—his money, his house, his car—did she think a mere ten thousand yuan could buy her way back into his children’s lives?

“You took everything from me. My house, my car, all of it is yours now. And you want to trade ten thousand yuan for the most precious part of my life—my family?”

Taking a step forward, Liu Changqing clenched his jaw so tightly he thought his teeth might shatter.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Who do you think you are? Do you really believe you still have the right to negotiate with me? Why do you always act like the world owes you something?”

He pounded his chest with his fist.

“I, Liu Changqing, owe you nothing!”

“You destroyed your children’s family! You drove your best friend to the brink of madness—all because of your so-called love!”

Pointing to the staircase, Liu Changqing spat out his final words with icy precision.

“Now, leave my sight. Immediately.”

With that, he opened the security door.

Frozen by Liu Changqing’s fury, Li Wanran could only stand there, speechless. She heard his final words just before the door slammed shut.

“I will never forgive you.”

The sound of the door closing echoed behind him as Liu Changqing exhaled deeply.

Then, his gaze landed on Liu Zhiyue, who was standing a short distance away.

After a moment of thought, Liu Changqing walked toward his son.

“I want to say something to her.”

“…”

Liu Changqing didn’t object. He nodded and stepped aside.

Liu Zhiyue opened the door and stepped out.

Hearing the door open again, Li Wanran, who had already begun walking downstairs, turned around. When she saw who it was, a faint smile appeared on her face.

She quickly walked back up.

Her eyes immediately noticed the mark on Liu Zhiyue’s face, and a flicker of concern crossed her expression.

“What happened to your face?” she asked, reaching out to touch it.

Liu Zhiyue pulled back, stepping away from her hand.

He stared at his mother for a long moment, as if trying to etch her face into his memory.

“Don’t come back here again,” he said.

Li Wanran froze, unable to process what she had just heard.

She stood there, dumbfounded, even as Liu Zhiyue returned inside and closed the door behind him.

The sound of the door shutting left her alone in the stairwell, his words echoing in her mind.

Her firstborn son had just told her never to return.

The next day at school, Zhao Xuanwen stared at the empty seat beside her, feeling a twinge of sadness.

By then, some classmates had already heard about the punishment Liu Zhiyue had received: one week of suspension.

In contrast, Zhang Yuan, the so-called “victim,” hadn’t faced any punishment at all.

Though Liu Zhiyue hadn’t physically attacked Zhang Yuan, his sheer presence at that moment had been enough to terrify Zhang Yuan so badly that he wet his pants—an incident witnessed by the entire class.

It wasn’t even his fault…

With this thought, an idea formed in Zhao Xuanwen’s mind.

A one-week suspension meant he would miss classes, which might leave him behind.

I’ll study hard, take detailed notes, and bring them to him after school!

Feeling her plan was foolproof, Zhao Xuanwen sat up straight and focused intently on the blackboard.

From time to time, she nodded, as if understanding a long-unsolved mystery, her pen flying across the pages of her notebook.

She had never been so attentive in class before.

When school ended, she packed her bag, her notes tucked safely inside, and headed toward Liu Zhiyue’s home.

They had once lived in the same neighborhood, and when Liu Zhiyue’s family moved, she had made sure to find out where they went.

As she walked, a sense of pride bubbled up within her.

I bet he’ll be surprised when he sees this effort.

Like a child eager to show off, Zhao Xuanwen couldn’t help smiling all the way there.

Maybe he’ll even praise me!

She had never heard Liu Zhiyue compliment anyone before.

Imagining the scene, she couldn’t suppress a giggle.

When she finally found the building, Zhao Xuanwen checked her outfit to make sure everything was neat and proper.

Clearing her throat, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

It didn’t take long for the door to open.

Liu Zhiyue had just returned home with his sister, and his father wasn’t back from work yet. When he opened the door, he initially thought his father had come home early, but seeing Zhao Xuanwen standing there, his expression turned to surprise.

Noticing his rare reaction, Zhao Xuanwen covered her mouth and giggled.

Feigning seriousness, she cleared her throat.

“Aren’t you going to thank me?”

“Thank you?”

Liu Zhiyue looked at her, confused.

Like unveiling a surprise gift, Zhao Xuanwen pulled a notebook out of her bag.

“Ta-da! I took detailed notes for you this morning!”

“…”

Holding the notebook next to her face, her crescent-moon eyes sparkled with pride.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“…”

Standing in the doorway, Liu Zhiyue stared at the girl in front of him.

For some reason, he sighed.

Stepping aside, he made space for her to enter.

“Standing out there, someone might mistake you for an idiot. Just come in.”

“Then I’ll make myself at home!”

Completely unbothered, Zhao Xuanwen stepped inside with a skip.

Sighing again, Liu Zhiyue closed the door behind her.