Ice is not averse to deception

"Ms. Liu Ruo, do you still remember Tongtong?" Sun Xiaoni asked Liu Ruo casually while watching TV.

"Hao Yuetong?"

"Yes, that's her," Sun Xiaoni said excitedly. "Tongtong has started learning to dance too. Her mother bought her the latest dance costume, it's so beautiful."

"Oh, let's watch TV."

Liu Ruo and Sun Bing both understood their daughter's meaning, but Liu Ruo chose to turn a blind eye.

Sun Bing hesitated for a long time before saying anything, so Sun Xiaoni's words were ignored, just like the mottled "GG" on the wall.

After an unknown amount of time, the daughter fell asleep in Liu Ruo's arms.

Finally, tears welled up in Liu Ruo's eyes.

In fact, Liu Ruo also knew that the reason why Sun Bing had not given up all these years was that he wanted to prove that artists could also achieve great things.

Although Liu Ruo was just as innocent as Sun Bing is now, she firmly supported her husband's so-called dream.

But now, Liu Ruo has clearly shed that naivety.

A year ago, Sun Bing secretly enrolled her daughter in a dance class without telling Liu Ruo. It wasn't until a few months ago that Liu Ruo found out the truth.

Although it was her daughter's own choice, Liu Ruo still had a fierce argument with Sun Bing.

Even though she knew her daughter loved dancing, Liu Ruo did not support her daughter pursuing a career in the arts.

The tragic reality was right in front of her, and as a mother, Liu Ruo naturally didn't want to watch her daughter jump into a fire pit.

The atmosphere in the room became very subtle. Neither Sun Bing nor Liu Ruo spoke, but they both understood each other's feelings.

Sun Bing wanted to say something, but he didn't dare. He knew that if he opened his mouth, the two of them would get into a pointless argument over this issue.

Before she knew it, it was eleven o'clock. Sun Xiaoni was still fast asleep. Liu Ruo carried her to bed and quietly left the bedroom.

As soon as I turned my head outside, I saw the trophy on the counter.

Although the "Blue Lotus Dance Competition" was an internal competition within the training class and the quality of the trophy was barely acceptable, the trophy was wiped very clean, which showed that my daughter really liked the trophy.

"My daughter works very hard, and she loves dancing," Sun Bing said tentatively, immediately earning a cold look from Liu Ruo.

  

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Ruo picked up the trophy and put it in her bag.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard my daughter's voice behind me: "Mom, why did you take my trophy?"

Liu Ruo was a little flustered, but her instincts immediately told her to think of a solution: "Mom will keep it for you. Don't worry, Mom will take good care of it."

Sun Xiaoni naturally understood what Liu Ruo meant. She said "Oh" and turned back to her bedroom with a look of disappointment on her face.

Sun Bing saw Liu Ruo off at the door, but when they reached the door, Liu Ruo suddenly squatted down and burst into tears.

This scene caught Sun Bing somewhat off guard, yet it also seemed to be within his expectations.

"Sun Bing, you owe your daughter something, and I owe my daughter something too. We are not good parents."

Tears welled in Liu Ruo's eyes. She was already slender, and her tears made her appear even more delicate. But in reality, Liu Ruo was not a weak person, at least not on the surface.

But like all mothers, her daughter is her Achilles' heel.

"It will get better, it will get better." Sun Bing's weak words made his tone seem even more pale, but he still said, "I think we should respect our daughter's choice. She is still young, and she has the right to choose what she likes." Sun Bing's voice was very low.

Liu Ru smiled bitterly, wiped away her tears, and her expression instantly became much more resolute.

"And then what? Dedicate yourself to art like you? Nini is only nine years old. Deciding to pursue art so early, don't you think? She's not even mature enough to take responsibility for her choices. Do you know the consequences of acting impulsively!"

Liu Ruo's words were like steel needles piercing Sun Bing's heart. These words were clearly directed at Sun Bing, but he could not refute them. He said weakly, "No, no, my daughter will succeed, she definitely will."

"Sun Bing, can't you wake up!" Liu Ruo finally snapped, roaring, "You've already gone down this wrong path, why are you making our daughter follow it? Sun Bing, you're so selfish! What right do you have to sacrifice our daughter to fulfill your dreams?"

"I didn't!" Sun Bing didn't expect Liu Ruo to think that way, even though it was very close to the truth.

Sun Bing was furious and kicked over a nearby trash can. But he quickly calmed down and walked up to Liu Ruo: "Liu Ruo, trust me one more time. I will change things. I will make sure you and your daughter live a carefree life. Really."

Perhaps feeling guilty, Sun Bing had to emphasize it again.

Clearly, Liu Ruo has developed an immunity to this concept.

"Can I still trust you? With your current financial situation, how far can your daughter go?"

Liu Ruo gave a wry smile, reached into her bag, took out a stack of papers, tossed them to Sun Bing, and turned to leave without listening to what Sun Bing had to say next.

The narrow corridor was only five or six meters long, but there seemed to be an insurmountable chasm between them. Sun Bing wanted to rush up and stop Liu Ruo, but he never had the courage.

Feeling guilty is a reality, not just a state of mind. Sun Bing knew that his daughter was his only hope, and he had to admit that what Liu Ruo said was true.

But it cannot be changed.

Sun Bing picked up the papers from the ground one by one, tears streaming down his face.

These papers are all ice sculpture design drafts made by Sun Bing. Every year, the Ice and Snow World solicits themes from people in the cultural field. Sun Bing prepares many design drafts every year, but has never sent them out.

Sun Bing didn't want to admit it, but he was indeed a complete failure, lacking even the courage to take another step forward.

Slander, defamation, contempt, and even insults...

Believe it or not, people really can be defeated, including men.

Back in the store, Sun Xiaoni was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought.

"What's wrong? Are you still worried about Mom taking the trophy?" Sun Bing immediately saw through her daughter's thoughts and forced herself to calm down.

"How could that be? She's my own mother," Sun Xiaoni protested silently.

Sun Bing hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell her daughter a lie: "Isn't there a scratch on the trophy? Your mom took it to get it repaired. She's very supportive of you."

"Really?!" Upon hearing this, Sun Xiaoni excitedly jumped up from the sofa and hopped into Sun Bing's arms like a rabbit.

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Sun Bing also embraced his daughter, feeling gratified but also a deep sense of loneliness that he couldn't shake off.

"The teacher said tuition is due in a few days, Bing-ge, is everything alright?"

Sun Xiaoni cautiously probed, which only made Sun Bing feel more heartbroken. The more sensible his daughter was, the more utterly incompetent he felt as a father.

"Don't worry, it's a piece of cake."

Sun Bing patted his chest and made a promise, but in the blink of an eye, he was in a state of confusion.

The tuition fee of over a thousand yuan has already put Sun Bing in a dilemma.

However, when Sun Bing was tidying up the bedroom, she quickly discovered two thousand yuan under her daughter's pillow.

Clearly, this was left behind secretly by Liu Ruo.

Sun Bing was indeed a "talented man" in the past. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, was an inheritor of ice and snow sculpture skills, and even won some major awards. His university teacher, Song Peiming, always had high hopes for him.

Ironically, Sun Bing's situation changed drastically after graduation.

Because of his aloofness, Sun Bing was isolated by the circles around him. The young and ambitious Sun Bing did not want to give up his pure understanding of art, which led to his impoverished life.

After many twists and turns, Sun Bing opened a seal-carving shop and made a living by carving seals, thus falling into the mundane world.

During his most difficult time, his university teacher, Song Peiming, introduced him to the Ice and Snow World, where he became an ice sculptor.

Yes, not ice sculptors, but ice workers. They assist and help ice sculptors.

Sun Bing got a part-time job sculpting ice sculptures at the Ice and Snow World.

The work period is only a little over a month each year, but the income is very considerable, with daily wages of 1,200 yuan paid in cash.

Sun Bing could earn 50,000 yuan in one construction period, which was like a lifeline for him in his predicament.

Over the past three years, Sun Bing has used the income from this job to pay off most of his debts. According to the original plan, as long as he successfully completes the job this year, his debts will be completely wiped out.

With the debt gone, Sun Bing had no more worries. He even considered changing careers, hoping that this would make his mother-in-law's family accept him and allow him to successfully bring Liu Ruo back.

But this year is different. It's already the end of December, and Harbin hasn't even had its first snowfall yet.

Around 3 PM, Sun Bing called his teacher, Song Peiming. As before, the teacher's phone was switched off. This made Sun Bing feel a little worried, and he even began to suspect that the teacher's sudden disappearance was related to the delayed opening of the Ice and Snow World.

In fact, what Sun Bing didn't know was that Song Peiming had already moved to Sanya with his family.

Song Peiming is over sixty years old. Every winter, he takes his family to Hainan for a vacation, spending a warm and cozy time in the coldest days of the north.

Sun Bing, on the other hand, was experiencing the biting cold of the north while in the warm and hot environment of the south.

Sun Bing felt it wasn't cold enough.

After all, the river hadn't frozen over yet.