Chapter 7

At 7:00 am, Zoey rose to find Mira in a deep, peaceful sleep. Surprisingly, Mira looked much better than expected, showing no signs of her most recent flare up. Inspecting last night's acupuncture spots, Zoey worried about the unorthodox black needles, as there was no sterilization, which meant there was potential for inflammation. Mira's weakened immune system required her to always wear a mask at kindergarten to avoid infections. Yet, not sending Mira to kindergarten would mean there was no one watching over her while Zoey worked, and Mira longed for her own friends. Oddly, despite Zoey's thorough search, there wasn't a trace of a needle hole at the acupuncture points. Zoey looked at the black box on the bedside table, murmuring, "What's this Imperial Nine Needles? Why is it black? I hope it's not some cheap imitation." But as long as Mira was fine, Zoey felt reassured. Truthfully, Zoey had already braced herself for the possibility of Mira's departure. These challenging years had delayed the optimal treatment time for Mira's illness. Doctors had advised her to spend more time with Mira, as chemotherapy proved too painful. "Sweetheart, do you want to go to school today?" Zoey asked softly. "Yes." Mira got up, high-spirited. After kissing Zoey's face, Mira glanced back at Cyrus, who was still snoring. With a content smile resembling a crescent moon, Mira said, "Daddy really kept his promise this time." "Yes, he did," Zoey admitted. Sneaking over, Mira hesitated momentarily, finally pecking Cyrus, saying, "It'd be better if Daddy could take me to kindergarten. My classmates say I don't have a daddy." Forget it. It was best not to provoke him during his sleep. Cyrus was highly irritable if he didn't sleep well. "Mommy can take you, too. I've talked to the teacher about that chubby kid who bullies you." "He's really rude, always grabbing my hat and laughing that my hair is falling out." Mira's words stung Zoey's heart. Cyrus, in his half-asleep state, heard it too. Yawning, he reached out to pat Mira's head, saying, "Daddy will take you, and if anyone dares to bully Mira, I'll handle it." Zoey fitted a cap on Mira and asked, "Are you sure about this?" "Of course, I'm going to brush my teeth." Cyrus got up and headed to the bathroom. Excited, Mira bounced on the bed, saying, "Daddy is really taking me to school!" Cyrus rode an electric bike, taking Mira to the kindergarten beside the herbal medicine market. As they left the gate, they encountered Rachel, driving a luxury Land Rover worth over a million. The sight surprised Rachel, almost causing her sunglasses to fall off her face. Was someone like Cyrus taking his daughter to school this early in the morning? "Hey, did the sun rise from the west today?" She joked. Cyrus completely ignored her, but quick-witted Mira replied, "My daddy has changed. Don't look at him negatively anymore." "Mira, does your mom believe that?" Rachel laughed. "Of course, my mom believes it. I was sick last night, and my parents slept with me." The child's honesty froze Rachel's smile. She angrily threw her sunglasses to the ground, driving away. The flames of jealousy were once again ignited in her heart. Was Zoey really that charming? She just couldn't accept it. "Dad, Mom says this lady is bad. Don't play with her anymore," Mira said. "Well, once Dad gets back what belongs to you, we won't play with them anymore," Cyrus chuckled. At the kindergarten entrance, traffic was at a standstill. Their electric bike narrowly avoided being hit by a Porsche Cayenne, and a boy in the backseat shouted, "Mira, you dare block our way with your broken electric bike? Get out of the way!" "Oh right, you don't have a dad. Is this guy your stepdad?" Other classmates joined in, laughing uproariously. Cyrus couldn't be bothered with these little troublemakers. "Daddy, that's Victor Hudson who bullies me every day." "Don't worry, I'll talk to the teacher about him later." "Their family seems rich, and the teacher always takes his side," Mira said. Although Zoey had spoken to the teacher many times, it hadn't made much difference. Cyrus stopped the electric bike and lifted Mira off, but before she could stand properly, the chubby boy named Victor rushed over, grabbed her cap, and ran, accidentally pulling her down. Mira cried loudly. Victor, frightened, threw the cap away, attempting to rush into the school. A few strands of Mira's hair that had been pulled out were visible on the red cap. Cyrus was furious. With a swift step, he caught up with Victor, grabbed his backpack, threw it on the ground, and slapped him hard. "You brat, did no one teach you manners?" Victor rolled on the ground, wailing, "Daddy, Mommy, someone hit me, someone hit me. Come and beat him up." Chaos ensued, with the kindergarten teacher hurrying over and other parents gathering to watch the spectacle. A tall man and an attractive woman stepped out from the Porsche Cayenne that had stopped earlier. They pushed through the crowd, staring at the handprint on their son's face, and pointed at Cyrus, shouting, "Did you hit our son?" "Yes," Cyrus admitted. "Kneel down and apologize to my son right now," the woman yelled. Looking at these parents, Cyrus finally understood why Victor was arrogant and lacked manners. He felt it was necessary to teach them a lesson and said, "The two teachers here, did you witness the situation just now?" The two female teachers were frightened, their faces turning pale. One of them stammered, "Children often mess around. Let's not get too worked up as adults." Cyrus showed them the red cap, saying, "Do you not see the hair on this? My wife has told you about this, right?" The teacher nervously nodded, feeling a bit uneasy about the situation. The man, Arthur Hudson, showing off his muscular physique after taking off his jacket, pointed at Cyrus and sternly declared, "I'll give you, The Spendthrift, one last chance. Kneel and apologize to my son." It seemed that Cyrus's reputation as "The Spendthrift" had circulated among the parents, especially small business owners in the herbal medicine market. No wonder these kids felt entitled to bully Mira; their parents' influence was clearly at play. Amid this, Mira boldly extended her little hand, positioned herself in front of Cyrus, and, with tears in her eyes, bowed to the man three times, pleading, "Uncle, please don't hurt my daddy. I've been sick, and he's just worried about me losing my hair." "Yeah, Mr. Hudson, let's just forget about this. Normally..." "Shut it," Arthur roared, shutting down any attempts to interject. He was clearly used to being in charge, leaving the teacher intimidated and silent. Pointing at Cyrus, he continued, "Fine, for your daughter's sake, you don't have to kneel. Just squat down and apologize. Then, let my son get back at you twice as hard." "Uncle, can I take the blame for my dad?" Mira anxiously inquired. "No, I want to punish your useless dad," Victor huffed angrily. Cyrus scooped up Mira, brushed off the dirt from her knees, and casually removed a hairpin from her hair, reassuring her, "Sweetheart, no need to worry. Go to your class. Dad will handle this." "Heir of the Johnson family, you're such a disgrace," Arthur cursed as he threw a punch. Cyrus effortlessly dodged the punch and flicked the hairpin in his hand, hitting a precise acupoint on the man. Before his fist reached Cyrus, Arthur crumpled to the ground. His face was in the mud, and he was unable to move. A collective gasp filled the air as bystanders were bewildered, not comprehending how the man had fallen so suddenly. Cyrus, holding Mira, approached Victor, advising him, "Buddy, if you ever bully Mira again, expect a slap in return. Got it?" Victor, looking at his father on the ground, instantly deflated and nodded quickly. "Apologize to Mira." "Mira, I'm really sorry. I won't ever dare to bully you again. I promise."