Chapter 80 - 80: Please Apologize
The sunlight bathed Gu Zit s black hair, adding a golden glow that made her look incredibly radiant in the eyes of the two brothers.
“Is that how you address people?” Gu Zi retorted, her voice clear and firm. “Just because they have a few patches on their clothes, you call them beggars? I think it’s time for you to register at the psychiatric department and not lose your sanity at such a young age!”
Her words were cold, her eyes sharp, and her demeanor exuded an air of nobility and majesty.
The guard found himself momentarily speechless, standing rooted to the spot. He had heard about two young beggars sneaking in, and he had rushed over to shoo them away.
The woman before him looked sophisticated, had a good figure, and boasted flawless skin. It was evident that she was from the city.
Even if he had to enforce the rules, there was no need to antagonize a customer on account of two beggars.
“Miss,” he said in a respectful tone, “Not everyone can enter the Children’s Palace, especially not children like these in such a state. It could affect the experience of our other guests.”
“Apologize to my children!” a man with a child in his arms interjected coldly.
“Please apologize to my children.”
The man’s gaze was piercing, and the aura of authority he exuded seemed to crush the guard.
The two children actually had parents! And their father radiated such a commanding presence.
On one hand, it would be embarrassing if he apologized in front of everyone. But if he didn’t apologize, he was a little afraid of what this man might do to him.
While the guard hesitated, unsure of how to respond, Su Bing and Su Li’s expressions began to return to normal. They were now experiencing what it felt like to be protected by their parents, especially their father, whose image had just been elevated in their eyes.
“Why should I apologize? It’s clearly your fault, as parents. The Children’s Palace has a rule that only those who are clean and tidy can enter.” The guard said dryly.
Gu Zi could tell that he was looking for an excuse not to apologize, so she asked him back, “That’s right. The rules stipulate that clothing must be clean and tidy. How can you claim their clothes are not untidy just because they have patches? They look like children from a poor family, and that’s not the same as being untidy.”
The spectators finally understood that the two children were the couple’s children.
It was true that their clothes had patches, but just as their mother had said, their clothes were very neat and tidy.
Gu Zi continued, “You speak Mandarin very well, but you don’t even understand the meaning of the word ‘tidy’.” You’ve unfairly driven my children away without reason, causing them unnecessary psychological distress. Why don’t you apologize?”
The guard had no reasonable response left to offer.
At that point, the director of the Children’s Palace hurried over, recognizing the need to address the situation as a crowd had gathered.
Sensing the arrival of the director, the guard felt more confident as if he now had a strong ally. This was his cousin-in-law.
He quickly aired his grievances, “Director Wang, these two people are causing trouble here. They don’t play any games. They intentionally made everyone think their children are beggars. They even forced me to apologize to their children ‘
The two of them were dressed very well, but the child was dressed in such rags. He must have come to extort them on purpose.
Many in the crowd began to side with the guard, thinking that it made sense. Why would people only care about dressing themselves well and let children wear tattered clothes?
A woman wearing a pearl necklace, holding her own child, chimed in, “These two individuals seem to dote on the children, but they don’t seem close to them. Moreover, they appear undernourished. Who knows if they’re abusing the children behind the scenes? I suggest you investigate the two for human trafficking.”
Her remarks gained support from others, and more people started to share similar suspicions.
“Yeah, I agree,” one person added. “When you look at the children and those two adults, they don’t seem like a real family.”
Seeing the growing support from the onlookers, the guard couldn’t hide his satisfaction and put his hands on his hips , his smug expression unmistakable.
He believed he was on the verge of making a significant contribution by exposing what he perceived as potential human traffickers.
Su Shen couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt as he observed the situation.
Gu Zi, too, noticed this and understood that he was blaming himself for not detecting Chu Xils actions earlier, allowing the children to suffer so much.
The two brothers, on their part, also felt guilty. In reality, they hadn’t thought to wear their new clothes at home. Instead, they had worn their old clothes, intending to save the new ones for school to prevent them from wearing out too quickly.
They hadn’t expected that yesterday’s events would unfold, prompting them to rush to the city in a hurry. If they had been wearing their new clothes, today’s incident might not have happened..