HBWMA -Chapter 13 I’m Here to Apologize

Shen Jiao didn’t spare Jiang Huashan a second glance. She merely swept past her and walked straight toward Fu Sui’er. Her movements were light and unhurried, her brows and eyes relaxed—yet that lazy composure carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

“Mom.” Fu Sui’er, knowing she was in the wrong, called out weakly. The word lacked any real confidence.

Shen Jiao stopped, looked at her expressionlessly for a moment, then turned and bent down to help the fallen Aunt Feng.

Aunt Feng immediately sensed the tension and, afraid Shen Jiao would scold Fu Sui’er, quickly tried to smooth things over. “Miss, it’s not Sui’er’s fault—”

“Aunt Feng.” Shen Jiao interrupted her flatly.

Aunt Feng froze and said nothing more.

Shen Jiao placed Aunt Feng’s hand onto her arm, then turned slightly to look at the guilty-looking Fu Sui’er. Her tone remained calm.

“Come here. Apologize.”

Fu Sui’er’s expression changed. Her reddened eyes immediately welled up with tears. She instinctively glanced at Jiang Huashan nearby, then stiffly said, “I won’t apologize. Isn’t she just a servant of the Shen family? I’ll pay for what I broke—why should I apologize?!”

Those words were like a blade stabbing into Aunt Feng’s heart. Even though she knew the child didn’t truly mean it, she still couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red.

Shen Jiao’s gaze darkened slightly.

“Sui’er. First—making a mistake isn’t scary, but don’t deceive yourself. Learn to apologize. Second, Aunt Feng isn’t a servant. She’s family. Not only people bound by blood are family. Do you understand?”

Fu Sui’er said nothing. Clearly, she hadn’t taken much of it in.

Instead, Jiang Huashan on the side seemed to absorb every word.

When someone made a mistake, Shen Jiao taught Fu Sui’er to apologize. But Fang Mei had taught her to deny everything no matter what.

And when it came to family, Shen Jiao told Fu Sui’er that family wasn’t defined by blood. Yet Fang Mei had constantly reminded her that only her mother and younger sister were her real family—because they shared the same blood.

Blood is thicker than water.

So what was the truth?

Jiang Huashan’s thoughts gradually cleared. She lifted her head and looked at Aunt Feng—the most inconspicuous person among them.

Six years later, a massacre known as the “Whale Harbor Incident” would shock the world in Country A.

A group of pirates fighting over control in international waters would collude, smuggling large quantities of weapons into the port. Nearly all the major wealthy families of high society would become targets. Half of them would suffer devastating losses, and even top-tier families like the Fu family would be severely impacted.

Fu Jiaming—Fu Sui’er’s father—would narrowly escape death, fleeing with only a son born from an affair. In that moment of crisis, everyone in the Fu family only cared about saving themselves. Only Aunt Feng risked her life to hide Fu Sui’er, standing guard at the door with nothing but a kitchen knife…

When she died, both her arms were broken, yet she still gripped that knife tightly in her hand.

Later, people from the Shen family arrived in time and saved Fu Sui’er. But if Aunt Feng hadn’t bought even a single minute of time at that doorway, Fu Sui’er would not have survived intact.

So Shen Jiao did love Fu Sui’er in her own way. Even after death, the people she chose for her daughter continued protecting her until the very end.

Jiang Huashan could see through Shen Jiao’s intentions because she knew the script—but Fu Sui’er couldn’t.

And so she burst out in grievance.

“Why are you glaring at me like that?! Are you even my mother?! Since I was little, you’ve always been so strict with me! Unlike Dad and Aunt and the others—they only ever see my good side! You? All you do is criticize me, scold me! If you never liked me, why did you give birth to me?!”

“Sui’er!” Aunt Feng’s expression changed. “You can’t say that!”

Shen Jiao’s eyes deepened further, though her face remained calm.

“Fu Sui’er. If you can’t even face your own mistakes now, what can you do in the future?”

Fu Sui’er wasn’t listening at all. She pointed at Jiang Huashan instead.

“Then what about her?! Why don’t you make her apologize to me? Did she do nothing wrong today?! Mom, why can’t you just be biased toward me like Fang Mei and Grandpa are?!”

Shen Jiao frowned and glanced at Jiang Huashan. Normally, anyone in this situation would avoid eye contact—but she was actually watching the show.

Jiang Huashan met her gaze. In an instant, she adjusted her expression, smiling at her innocently and sincerely.

“Aunt Jiao, don’t misunderstand. I came here to apologize to Sui’er.”