After breaking up, I picked up a beautiful vampire girl

In the wave of rapid development and modernization of the city, the old elements that once carried history and memory are facing two completely different fates.

They are either repackaged and dressed in colorful coats in an attempt to keep pace with the times; or they remain in their original form and are eventually ruthlessly submerged in the torrent of change and disappear from people's sight.

Zhong Ke's parents chose the former. They did not want to see the pastry shop they had run for many years being eliminated by the times.

Zhong Ke's father is a skilled pastry chef. Although he lacks a formal educational background, his love and persistence for pastry-making allow him to constantly explore and innovate on this path.

Zhong Ke's mother also did not receive higher education, but her wisdom and hard work have always been a strong support for this small family.

Their pastry shop is like an old ship that has experienced many ups and downs. Although the exterior is mottled, the interior is full of warmth and tenacity.

In the tide of urban transformation, they worked hard to install new sails for this old ship, hoping that it can continue to sail in the rough sea.

However, reality is always cruel. That high-end dessert shop was just the beginning. With the rise of more and more modern dessert shops, Zhong Ke's pastry shop is facing unprecedented challenges.

Those novel desserts, with their unique taste and fashionable packaging, quickly attracted a large number of young customers.

In comparison, although Zhong Ke’s pastries taste authentic, they seem to have difficulty competing with these emerging dessert shops.

Despite this, Zhong Ke's parents did not give up.

They rely on the support of loyal neighbors and old customers and continue to operate every day.

Whenever regular customers come, they always greet them warmly and make each pastry with care, hoping to retain every customer's heart with this sincerity and hard work.

Zhong Ke also gradually felt the changes in the family's financial situation.

Seeing her parents working day and night to make a living, the young girl's heart was filled with gratitude and respect.

She knows that although her living standard may not be as good as before, the love and support her parents give her is a precious treasure that cannot be replaced by any material conditions.

In this ever-changing era, Zhong Ke, like her parents, is trying to find her own place.

They believe that as long as they keep their original intentions, continue to adapt and innovate, they will be able to find their own place in this wave called progress.

Unfortunately, life is not a novel.

Finally one day, the conflict broke out. A customer who bought pastries at Zhong Ke’s pastry shop was sent to the hospital that night. The doctor diagnosed that the patient had food poisoning because he ate expired maocai and milk in the evening.

This matter, which had nothing to do with Zhong Ke's family, brought them a devastating disaster.

Early the next morning, when Zhong Ke's father went to open the shop door, he saw that paint had been splashed on the door of his shop, and words like "black-hearted shop, life for life" were written on the door.

Zhong Ke's father was very angry. He didn't understand what was going on.

And this was just the beginning. More and more people came to the store to cause trouble, saying that they had read the posts online.

This store is a black-hearted store. They ignored the couple's explanation and made a big fuss in front of the store.

There were even people who claimed to be family members of the person who had food poisoning, and they swore that the doctor diagnosed that it was because of their food that they almost died.

"You, you guys! Don't slander me out of thin air! You! You said that it was because you ate something from my house that caused the problem! Show me the doctor's report! I will never deny it!"

But the other party didn't listen to reason at all, and just kept shouting: What evidence do we need for people like you? It's just that there is something wrong with your things!

Zhong Ke's father was arguing with someone outside, while his mother was trembling in the house holding young Zhong Ke.

Later, the neighbor gave Lao Zhong an idea and asked him to take his things for testing. Then he could clear his suspicion with public certification.

So Zhong Ke's father asked someone to find the Food Safety Bureau and asked them to conduct a comprehensive inspection of his store.

The result is that there are no problems with either hygiene or food.

He also gave a formula to Zhong Ke's father.

But this formula was torn down the next day after it was posted.

"His house was inspected by the Food Safety Bureau yesterday! I saw it! He still said he was fine!"

"What a shame! The shop has been open for so long, and it turns out that all it sells is garbage that can kill people!"

"I used to come to their store every day to buy things. How can this store still be open? Go to hell!"

Zhong Ke's father explained to everyone in a hoarse voice that he had asked the Food Safety Bureau to come to his office himself just to prove himself.

"What a joke! How could someone check their own store? They are just being stubborn!"

"You said you asked someone to investigate yourself! Do you have any official documents?"

"Yes! I had it! It was torn apart!"

Then a group of people burst into laughter.

"You are such a dirty scum! You should die as a token of your sin! Stop dragging down your wife and daughter!"

Zhong Ke's father was so angry that he turned around and rushed to the Food Safety Bureau, and asked someone to reprint a notice, but when he came back, there was no one at the door.

All that was left was the shop front, which was once again splashed with paint and all kinds of dirt, and the wife and daughter who were curled up in the corner of the house crying.

Lao Zhong is an honest man and has never had any bad intentions in his life. He doesn't know what to do at this time.

The next day, the news that the Food Safety Bureau visited his store spread across the Internet.

A series of titles such as poisonous pastry, black-hearted shop, etc. were forced onto his head.

Lao Zhong didn't know how to use the Internet, so he asked Lao Zhang from the hardware store next door for help. Lao Zhang's son took a photo of the announcement and helped him post it online.

Nobody cares.

No one cared whether he was innocent or not, it was as if there was an invisible hand that was determined to kill him.

Almost no one visits the shop anymore, and even those former neighbors and old customers look at Lao Zhong with strange eyes every time they meet him.

Old Zhong looked at the increasingly dilapidated shop and his impoverished wife and daughter, and he let out a long sigh.

[You are such a dirty scum! You should die as a token of your guilt! Stop dragging down your wife and daughter! ]

I don’t know who shouted that sentence, but it kept echoing in Lao Zhong’s ears.

He hugged his wife and daughter for the last time, and all three of them cried bitterly.

That night, Lao Zhong asked his wife to take Zhong Ke back to her parents' home to hide for a while, and he would take care of everything.

"...What are you going to do?" his wife asked him tremblingly.

"I have a few acquaintances at the Tianhai Public Security Bureau. I want them to help me think of a solution... It's been too much trouble recently. I heard that Keke was bullied in elementary school. Let's go hide somewhere else for now."

"dad......."

Zhong Ke sobbed and grabbed his father's hand.

"We did nothing wrong...why are they doing this to us."

Lao Zhong couldn't answer the child's question because he also wanted to know why.

He smiled, touched his daughter's head, took her to the door of the store, and pointed at the dark sky above their heads.

"Coco, look, is it dark now?"

"Dark..." Zhong Ke said in a low voice.

"Dad thinks it's dark too, because there are dark clouds covering the moon."

"Then Dad...will the moon still come out?"

The father squatted down and gently touched his daughter's head.

"Yes, Coco. One day, when you look up, you will be able to see the moon, the stars, and everything... Coco, remember, we did nothing wrong, so never admit your mistakes or bow your head... Believe that the dark clouds will eventually pass, and tomorrow will be a good day."

That was the last time Zhong Ke saw his father.

She and her mother returned to her parents' home and stayed there for three days, but they could not contact Lao Zhong.

The mother was very worried, so she took her daughter back to Tianhai City.

The moment the shop shutter was opened, Zhong Ke heard his mother's almost desperate laugh.

The mother did not open the rolling door completely, because at this moment, Lao Zhong's body was hanging in the middle of the store.

At his feet was a suicide note written in blood.

There is no resentment about one's own grievances in it.

Only reluctance and guilt towards his wife and daughter, and...

Admission of food poisoning.

"That's unreasonable!"

Xia Lingyue, who was originally lying on the bench, sat up directly.

She punched down and smashed the bench under the two people into pieces.

"Ah!" Zhong Ke also sat down on the ground.

".....I'm sorry, this chair has fallen into disrepair."

Xia Lingyue quickly tried to make amends and then changed the subject, "This matter! This is too much! From beginning to end! Those people couldn't produce any evidence! Instead, your father kept proving himself, but even if there was evidence, it would be ignored!"

"How can there be such a ridiculous thing in the world! And! Why did your father admit it in the end!?"

Zhong Ke stood up from the ground carefully and patted her already very old school uniform.

"I, I don't know. My mother inherited the shop after that. People felt sorry for us and would occasionally come to patronize us. But I heard that even if they bought something from my family, they wouldn't eat it and would throw it away when they left. They were just taking care of us..."

"Fuck! Such delicious food! They just threw it away! What a waste! They don't deserve to eat it!"

Xia Lingyue was so angry that she paced back and forth with her hands on her hips.

"Anyway... Xia Lingyue, I, I hope you don't be afraid. There is absolutely no problem with the things in our house..."

Xia Lingyue rolled her eyes at her and muttered, "My mom's cooking is probably the real poison. Old Li said Sudan red mixed with yogurt is not as good as my mom's cooking. Even if your food is poisonous, it doesn't matter."

"Eh? Xia, what did you say?"

"That's enough! Don't call me classmate, just call me Lingyue. That's what all my friends call me."

"Friends...?"

Zhong Ke pointed at himself in disbelief: "You, are you willing to be friends with me, someone like me?"

"What's wrong? Do you have an extra eye or an extra mouth? Or is there something extra under your skirt? Let me see?"

As she spoke, Xia Lingyue went to lift Zhong Ke's skirt.

“Ahhh!!” Zhong Ke blushed and covered her skirt, saying with some dissatisfaction: “Ling, Lingyue! No, you can’t do this…”

As a result, Xia Lingyue did smile nonchalantly and said, "Right, you see, isn't it much easier to talk this way?"

Then she suddenly remembered something: "Oh no, Lao Li said that the mentally retarded kid was discharged from the hospital today, and we should go out for dinner together."

"I'm sorry! Did I take up your time?"

Xia Lingyue didn't say anything, but was just thinking. Seeing this, Zhong Ke bowed slightly and wanted to leave.

The girl suddenly grabbed her hand and made a phone call.

"Lao Li, I'm done with school, come pick me up, I don't want to walk, I want to take the bus! Um, by the way, can I bring a friend with me to dinner tonight? Really~? Lao Li, you're the best~ Bah, I won't call you dad, hang up, I'll wait for you at the school gate."

After hanging up the phone, Xia Lingyue found that Zhong Ke's hands were shaking.

"Ling, Lingyue, you, you, what you just said to your father...friend, could it be...?"

"Why, you don't have time tonight?"

"No... No, I, I'm free... I just can't be back too late... No! That's not the problem!"

"That's it." Xia Lingyue rolled her eyes at the girl, and then, regardless of her surprise, she pulled her away from the school rooftop.