Yu Xiaxing really felt that Ruan Tian had changed completely.
In the past, whenever she sent Ruan Tian an assignment, Ruan Tian would accept it and reply within seconds.
This time, more than half a day passed before she finally replied: “I’m sorry, Seventh Miss. I’ve really been very busy lately, so I’m not taking any assignments for the time being.”
Yu Xiaxing: “Are you getting ready to make your debut? Is that why you’ve started being more careful about your behavior?”
Ruan Tian actually stopped replying.
Yu Xiaxing didn’t continue pressing her. Instead, she went online to search for other private investigators in the city.
The first one she clicked on immediately said, “An appointment is required. Pay the deposit first. We don’t guarantee that we’ll find anything useful.”
The second one said, “We only investigate ordinary families, ordinary couples, and ordinary third brothers and sisters. We don’t take cases involving wealthy families. If we get caught, we can’t afford the compensation.”
With the third one, Yu Xiaxing had only just started making inquiries when they sent her more than twenty pages of terms and conditions. They demanded her personal information, as well as the basic information of the investigation subject. They even said that if anything happened and they were caught, she, as the employer, would have to bear all the risks.
After leaving Ruan Tian, Yu Xiaxing discovered that it was raining heavily outside…
An investigator like Ruan Tian, who asked no unnecessary questions, never shifted the blame, and always managed to uncover results, really was the most convenient. The only problem was that she liked taking benefits from both sides.
Ah, forget it. She would continue the investigation after finding another investigator who was as useful as Ruan Tian.
Yu Xiaxing went to bed first.
—
The next day was Saturday. Yu Xiaxing took Diandian fishing near a remote art industrial park.
There was not only a large lake nearby, but also cafés, art studios, music shops, and more…
While fishing, they could even hear the art students playing the piano.
It was nearly noon when the sun gradually grew stronger. Yu Xiaxing packed up her things and prepared to take Diandian home.
She carried an empty bucket in one hand and held Diandian’s leash in the other.
Just as they reached the side entrance of the art industrial park, she suddenly heard muffled sobbing coming from a corner.
Diandian pricked up its ears and looked toward the steps beside a vocal music exam training center.
A woman sat on the steps, the brim of her hat pulled very low. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Yu Xiaxing felt that the woman’s back looked somewhat familiar.
She led Diandian a few steps closer.
The woman seemed to realize that someone was approaching. She immediately raised a hand to wipe away her tears, lowered her head, stood up, and hurried into the vocal music training center beside them.
The instant Yu Xiaxing saw her profile, she froze.
Ruan Tian? What was she doing here?
Was this the reason she had changed so much lately?
Yu Xiaxing lowered her head and looked at Diandian.
The woman and dog stared at each other for several seconds and reached an agreement.
Yu Xiaxing whispered, “Come on. Let’s take a look.”
—
Inside the vocal music training center.
Ruan Tian held the hand of a little girl and stood outside the consulting room.
The girl looked about fourteen or fifteen. She wore a clean white dress and had neat, delicate features.
It was just that her eyes were completely unfocused, and she seemed extremely uneasy, clutching tightly at the hem of Ruan Tian’s clothes.
Perhaps because she was nervous, her voice trembled when she spoke. “Mom, let’s go.”
A female teacher came out of the consulting room, her expression troubled. “Ms. Ruan… I’m sorry…”
Ruan Tian immediately said respectfully, “Teacher, my daughter really is very talented. She has an excellent voice and good pitch. She just can’t see, but she works very hard. Could you please give her another chance?”
The teacher sighed. “I know the child has a good voice. But taking the vocal music entrance examination isn’t as simple as singing a song. She’ll need to study sight-singing and ear training, music theory, lines, and stage performance…”
“When she takes the exam, it won’t be enough for her to simply go up and sing. There will be sight-singing, melodic imitation, rhythm and aural discrimination, and even physical performance, recitation, improvisation, and expression…”
Ruan Tian defended her daughter softly. “I’ve looked into it. Blind students are also allowed to take the vocal music entrance examination.”
The teacher nodded. “Of course. In theory, she has the right to study and take the exam.”
“But our institution doesn’t have accessible teaching materials or Braille sheet music, and none of our teachers have experience systematically teaching completely blind students.”
“She can’t see the music, the teacher’s mouth or physical demonstrations, or the stage directions.”
“So we really can’t accept her…”
If they accepted her, it would lower the students’ pass rate and slow down the progress of the other examinees.
The other parents had paid high fees. They wouldn’t be willing to have the teachers devote so much time and energy to a child who learned more slowly.
Ruan Tian hurriedly said, “I can accompany her while she studies. I’m a full-time housewife, so I have plenty of time and can devote myself completely to her… Don’t worry, I can afford the tuition…”
She told a small lie. She wasn’t a full-time housewife. She was raising her daughter alone, acting as both her father and her mother.
The teacher could only say tactfully, “Perhaps you should try some other places.”
Ruan Tian still wanted to continue pleading, but the little girl gently tugged at her hand. She tilted her head up, her face filled with guilt. “Mom, it’s okay. I can give up learning to sing.”
Ruan Tian’s heart ached. She raised a hand and rubbed her daughter’s head. “This isn’t your fault.”
Then she nodded at the teacher. “Sorry to bother you.”
Ruan Tian led her daughter outside.
Yu Xiaxing immediately turned her back to them, pretending that she was about to leave and hadn’t seen them.
But Diandian refused to cooperate and let out two soft howls.
The little girl immediately turned toward the sound of the dog and said happily, “Mom, there’s a dog!”
Ruan Tian looked over and only then noticed Yu Xiaxing. She immediately smiled and greeted her. “Miss Yu. What a coincidence. I never expected to run into you here.”
Yu Xiaxing had no choice but to stop. She slowly turned around and looked at the little girl beside Ruan Tian.
The girl was also slightly raising her head in Yu Xiaxing’s direction. Her beautiful eyes were vacant, and it was immediately obvious that she was blind.
Yu Xiaxing didn’t know what to say when Diandian suddenly jumped out of her arms and scampered over.
Hearing the puppy’s footsteps, the little girl immediately crouched down and reached out. She accurately found the dog at once.
Her hearing was clearly exceptionally sharp. Even though she couldn’t see, she could pinpoint its location through sound alone.
Diandian seemed to understand that she couldn’t see. Instead of running around, it pushed its fluffy little head into her palm.
The girl’s eyes lit up instantly. “A doggy!”
Diandian wagged its tail even more enthusiastically and simply burrowed into her arms.
The little girl laughed and carefully wrapped both arms around it.
Ruan Tian lowered her head and stroked her daughter’s hair. “Play with the dog for a while. Mom needs to talk to this lady. Mom is able to earn money to pay for your classes because of this boss.”
The little girl obediently nodded. “Okay.”
She sat down on the steps and played with the dog.
Ruan Tian walked over to Yu Xiaxing. “Miss Yu, let’s talk over there.”
The two of them walked a few steps away and stopped somewhere they could still see the little girl without her being able to hear their conversation.
Ruan Tian spoke first. “I’m sorry, Miss Yu. I really can’t take any more of your assignments lately. As you’ve seen, my daughter is completely blind. I want her to learn an art form so she’ll have a way to make a living in the future, so I’ve been taking her all over the city to enroll in different classes.”
“I’ve decided not to take any assignments for the time being. I’m going to take my daughter to every art class in the entire city.”
“I refuse to believe that in a city as large as Pucheng, there isn’t a single teacher who can teach a blind student to sing.”
Yu Xiaxing asked, “What about the child’s father?”
Ruan Tian answered casually, “He died not long after the child was born.”
Yu Xiaxing fell silent.
After waiting a while with no response, Ruan Tian glanced up and saw that the usually fiery Boss Yu had lowered her eyes, looking upset.
Ruan Tian smiled and nudged her. “It’s all right, Miss Yu. He’s been dead for more than ten years. I barely feel sad about it myself anymore.”
Yu Xiaxing remained silent for a long while before speaking irritably. “When I was asking you for a kickback, why didn’t you tell me about your situation? You made it look as though I was bullying a widow and her orphaned child!”
