Chapter 69: The Ruler and a Drop of Tear
A summer afternoon.
Three screams broke the silence.
The living room was a mess. A golden lop-eared rabbit was running around the room barefoot, kicking away a throw pillow with her left foot and a fruit bowl with her right, a cream cake still in her hand.
She climbed onto the coffee table and forcefully smashed the cake against the wall. The white cream and yellow cake base exploded at the same time. The little devil finally showed a satisfied smile.
“Baby! Stop!” Her mother stood not far away, her hands clasped in front of her chest. She wanted to go forward but didn’t know how to stop her. She was anxious but couldn’t bear to scold her loudly.
“Be good, baby. Don’t throw anymore!” Her father’s voice was equally gentle. At this point, he was still thinking of negotiating. He was frozen at the edge of the living room, watching the crystal chandelier also suffer.
Her older sister was even more at a loss. The three of them, facing the little devil, were on the verge of hugging each other and “crying bitterly.”
Lina pushed her luck, grabbed a cake, and prepared to throw it at the window. She knew no one would deal with her. Everyone treated her like a baby, holding her and coaxing her.
Just then.
“Click!”
The main door was pushed open.
A tall and slender figure blocked the sunlight that was pouring in from the entrance, casting a long shadow on the floor.
The clamor in the living room was instantly cut off. Everyone followed the sound and looked over.
Adele stood at the door, a few books in her left arm, a leather bag in her right hand. Her features were innocent, her whole being exuding a clean, scholarly air.
Besides the small and exquisite silver watch on her wrist, there were no other accessories. Half of her long black wavy hair was gathered in front of her. Her cold aura formed a sharp contrast with the sweet and chaotic atmosphere of the living room.
She also had no expression.
Faint.
“G-good afternoon…” Lina’s mother was the first to react, greeting her a little awkwardly.
Her father also hurriedly nodded in acknowledgment.
Adele gave a polite, slight bow. Then, her gaze swept over the living room and landed on Lina.
Their eyes met. Her expression showed no ripples.
Lina glanced at her and quickly lost interest.
Another boring private tutor.
She had plenty of ways to get rid of her, just like the fifty before her!
Lina didn’t take Adele seriously at all and once again prepared to throw the cake in her hand.
Adele took a step and walked straight toward Lina, her steps steady and swift. As she walked, she stuffed the book into her bag, her movements smooth and without a single pause.
The next second, Lina felt the light behind her disappear. A very oppressive shadow came down on her, pressing down like a mountain.
Just as she was about to turn her head, she felt a tightening on the back of her collar, and then—
An irresistible force abruptly lifted her up!
Lina’s feet were instantly off the ground. Her two rabbit ears swayed helplessly.
The sudden feeling of being lifted stunned her. She blinked, her small face filled with disbelief. She even forgot to struggle.
“Mo!?”
From childhood, who had dared to treat her like this?!
Her father and mother had never even spoken a harsh word to her! Her older sister had protected her like a piece of porcelain. Who would so roughly lift her up like this!
“Let go of me!”
Lina was immediately enraged and struggled desperately.
Adele ignored her and said to the woman who had hired her, “Excuse me, where will I be teaching Miss Lina next?”
“…The study.”
The woman’s eyes were wide, the man’s mouth was agape, and her older sister subconsciously touched her own neck. The three soft buns had finally welcomed their “backer.”
Adele got her answer and walked away, carrying Lina.
…
Lina was carried into the bathroom by Adele.
Adele instructed a maid to wash her clean. 15 minutes later, Lina was carried into the study by Adele again.
After this, Lina already understood that she couldn’t win by force alone…
The little rabbit was gently placed in front of the desk.
Adele pulled over another chair and sat beside her, the distance just right, neither too intimate nor unable to completely control the situation.
As long as Lina wanted to run, she could grab her with a single reach.
“How much does Mommy give you? I’ll give you double. Let me go and play.” When the hard way didn’t work, Lina tried the soft way. She pointed at the toy room next door. “I want to go and play with my toys.”
She had so many toys they needed a separate room.
Adele’s face still showed no expression. She took out a primer from her bag and spread it out in front of Lina.
“We’ll start from here today.”
Adele completely ignored her words.
Lina hated this appearance of hers. A spoiled person hated this feeling of losing control even more. She was desperate to do something to regain the upper hand.
So, she directly swept the book off the table!
Lina looked at Adele with a provocative gaze, ready to meet the other’s anger, or at least, astonishment.
She had also prepared countermeasures such as screaming, crying, and so on.
However, Adele just looked down at the book on the floor and said calmly, “Pick it up.”
“I won’t!” Lina immediately retorted.
Adele did not speak again. She opened her leather bag. This time, what she took out was not a book, but a smooth, dark brown ruler.
The corners of the ruler were polished smooth, but the body of the ruler had a cold and hard feel.
One hit, and it seemed the skin would break…
Adele placed the ruler flat on her lap, looked at Lina again, and repeated, “Pick it up.”
Lina’s eyes were fixed on the ruler. She had never seen it before, but her intuition told her that this thing would hurt if it hit her.
She forced a calm demeanor and shouted with a stern exterior but a weak interior, “I won’t!”
“Three.”
Adele began to count down.
This aroused Lina’s rebellious spirit. She immediately took a deep breath and screamed, “Help—! She’s going to hit me! Daddy! Mommy! Sister! She’s going to hit me! Help—”
Her cries were extremely piercing. As expected, the sound of hurried footsteps immediately came from outside the door!
Lina’s heart immediately settled back into her stomach. She looked at Adele with a triumphant expression.
But soon, she couldn’t laugh anymore.
The three of them passed by the door, one after another, but not a single one came in to stop her.
Her mother, who had always doted on her the most, only glanced inside. Her older sister, although she had grabbed the doorframe and stopped, wanted to speak but held back, and in the end, she hardened her heart and left.
Lina was stunned, her eyes wide.
At this moment, she finally completely understood that her father, mother, and older sister still cared about her, loved her, so they would run up to see. But they would no longer indulge her without principle as they had before.
They couldn’t bring themselves to be harsh, so they had found this bad woman! And had also tacitly approved of her punishment!
“Two.”
Adele continued to count down.
The provocation in Lina’s eyes disappeared without a trace, leaving only panic and grievance. She looked at Adele, pouted, and tears were already welling up in her eyes.
Adele had no intention of coaxing her at all.
Lina did not resist anymore. She silently slid down from her chair, walked to the desk, and picked up the book, placing it properly.
Adele picked up the ruler, tapped the desk, and said, “Left hand, hold it out.”
The crisp tapping sound made Lina tremble. She looked at Adele’s expressionless face, and tears burst from her eyes.
She was scared.
Lina slowly held out her left hand and opened her small palm.
Adele grabbed her slender wrist.
The absolute difference in strength made Lina unable to move.
The ruler was raised. Lina flinched in fear.
“Slap!”
A sharp pain exploded in her palm. This completely exceeded Lina’s imagination. She sucked in a sharp breath and looked at her rapidly reddening palm.
The second hit landed in the same place. The pain doubled. Lina began to struggle violently, but Adele’s hand was like an iron clamp. She couldn’t dodge at all.
Lina couldn’t bear the pain and cried and begged for mercy.
But Adele was as if she hadn’t heard.
The third hit was also merciless. The pampered person immediately knelt in pain.
Lina sobbed softly, crying until her whole body trembled.
Bad woman!
The worst woman in the world!
“Why did I hit you?” Adele’s cold and hard voice pierced through her cries.
Lina used her cries to express her anger, grievance, and protest.
She didn’t want to answer at all, and she didn’t know how to answer.
Adele raised the ruler again.
Lina saw that terrible shadow was about to fall again and was so scared her cries changed pitch. “I was wrong! I was wrong! Mmph… I shouldn’t have thrown the book!”
The ruler stopped.
Adele didn’t want to see her kneel and forcefully pulled her up.
Lina knew very well how to be coquettish. Although she hated this bad woman before her, she also knew that there was no benefit in going against her. She took the opportunity to sit directly on Adele’s lap and squeezed into her embrace.
“I was wrong… Teacher.”
A rabbit ball suddenly appeared in her arms. Adele stiffened but did not push her away. Her heart instantly softened, and she could no longer say any harsh words.
She put down the ruler and said earnestly, “Children your age, many of them have already completed their basic education, left their families, and gone out to do practical work. What about you? Are you planning to stay in this farm forever?”
Lina looked at Adele in a daze. She only knew that her palm hurt a lot.
This woman who had suddenly appeared was so scary.
The lop-eared rabbit’s bewildered and pitiful appearance made Adele’s heart completely soften. She gently held Lina’s left hand and, with the pad of her finger, very gently rubbed the red and swollen area.
She was like a different person from the cold and harsh disciplinarian just now.
Lina was stunned by this sudden gentleness.
The burning palm actually didn’t hurt as much under this gentle comfort.
She began to enjoy this moment of Adele’s gentleness.
A seed was quietly planted in her heart. Because of this beating, she and this bad woman, who was five years older than her, had thoroughly gotten to know each other.
She also completely behaved herself.
“From today on, I am your private tutor. Your studies, your living habits, and the equestrian skills you will need for your future education will all be my responsibility.”
She placed the ruler on the desk. “Be good, and I will reward you. Make a mistake, and it will educate you for me.”
Lina had only one thought in her mind.
It’s over.
“Mmph mmph mmph—”
A few days passed.
Lina was very cautious, afraid of getting a beating.
The weekend was not a school day. Adele was not at home. Lina finally relaxed and was lying on the sofa, playing with building blocks.
Suddenly, a sound came from outside the door. The clear and steady footsteps came from far to near.
Every step was like stepping on Lina’s heartstrings.
She abruptly raised her head. A pair of rabbit ears instantly stood up in surrender!
She would never mistake this sound of footsteps!
It’s Adele!
Why is she here today?!
Lina instantly shot up from the sofa.
Run!
A rabbit’s life is at stake!
She rushed to the stairs at the fastest speed and ran up the stairs.
Adele pushed open the living room door and saw a fluffy, frantically fleeing back, and a trembling ball of a rabbit’s tail.
Her footsteps paused. A very faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed in her eyes.
This little rabbit is so scared.
Adele did not call out to her, slowed her steps, and slowly walked up the stairs.
A wolf’s sense of smell is very keen. She immediately smelled that Lina was hiding in the wardrobe.
She walked over and saw a small section of a skirt hem peeking out from the gap in the wardrobe.
Adele stood quietly. She could imagine the posture of the little one curled up inside. She was probably covering her mouth, not even daring to breathe.
Adele did not expose her and placed the food box in her hand in front of the wardrobe.
Then, she took out a keychain from her pocket. On it was a small glass ball. Inside the ball was a milky-white liquid and glitter. With a light shake, the glitter would flutter about, like a mini snowstorm.
Adele placed this small snow globe keychain on the food box, then turned and left.
Lina curiously listened to her movements. Only after the footsteps had completely disappeared did she open the wardrobe.
Wisps of fragrance wafted out from the food box.
The sweet smell of strawberry jam, the rich aroma of butter and flour were extremely tempting, making Lina’s stomach rumble. She opened the food box and found that it was muffins.
During class yesterday, she had said she had never eaten them. Adele had promised to bring them for her.
So, she had come to deliver muffins…
Lina’s emotions were complicated. Her gaze was then drawn to that small keychain.
She touched the transparent little ball, then picked it up and shook it.
A snowstorm was in her hand.
Lina’s eyes instantly widened. She liked snow, but it never snowed on the farm all year round.
Is this a gift from Adele?
Lina’s palm had long since stopped hurting. The burning fear was, at this moment, erased a little by the sweetness.
Alright.
The bad woman is not so bad.
Time quietly flowed by.
Lina’s figure grew taller, and she began to have the innocence of a young girl.
On an ordinary evening, the setting sun plated the villa with a warm glow. She walked downstairs in a new dress.
The soft goose yelow fabric perfectly outlined the young girl’s curves, the hem swaying lightly with her steps. Her family, who had been waiting downstairs, saw her and immediately burst into enthusiastic applause!
More excited than welcoming a movie star.
“So beautiful!” her older sister was the first to speak.
“Our little princess!” Her mother’s eyes were even a little moist.
Her father took out a flashlight and pretended it was a flash, shining it on Lina.
The little sensitivity of the rainy season was dispelled by the encouragement and praise of her family. A person who grows up in a strong love is extremely confident.
Lina held the hem of her skirt and gracefully spun around. The goose-yellow skirt bloomed like a flower.
She enjoyed her family’s praise, her smile bright.
After a long moment, as if remembering something, her gaze subconsciously glanced at the door. “Hasn’t Teacher come yet?”
“It’s only six o’clock.” Her older sister winked mischievously and asked, “Do you want to show her this new dress?”
Lina’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. Her face grew slightly hot. Without thinking, she immediately denied it, her voice unconsciously rising, wrapped in a hasty attempt to cover up. “Of course not! Who wants to show her!”
Her older sister gave a meaningful “Oh.” “Then are you still afraid of her?”
Afraid?
Lina was slightly stunned. What appeared in her mind was not Adele’s stern discipline, but her gentle coaxing.
She was afraid of that ruler, but…
She looked forward to Adele’s comfort even more.
She would try her best to do her best because she liked to see Adele show a satisfied smile. She would also deliberately make mistakes because she hoped to be held and comforted by Adele.
So strange…
“I’ve never been afraid of her!”
The more guilty a person is, the louder their voice.
Just then, the door opened.
Adele appeared at the door, the same as always, a simple shirt and trousers. She just had less of a scholarly air and had become more mature and capable.
She looked at Lina, her heart trembling, and then a strange flutter stirred within her.
The goose-yellow dress made the young girl’s skin look like jade. Her innocent curves looked even more hazy in the setting sun.
So beautiful.
Adele gritted her teeth, deliberately suppressing the churning emotions. Her expression showed no ripples, as if the momentary daze had never happened.
The moment Adele’s gaze fell on her, Lina’s body unconsciously tensed slightly.
Seeing Adele’s calm and composed face, Lina’s heart grew sour.
So cold!
Lina’s face immediately fell. The confidence that had just been built up by her family was also pierced by a small hole and quietly leaked out.
Does she not like it?
…
Why should I care if she likes it or not!?
So annoying!
I hate bad women!
Lina let out a “hmpf” without any warning and turned and rushed upstairs.
Leaving only four confused faces.
Hmm?
