"He wanted to warn me that if I ever let you down, he would go to the capital and blow my head off."
Ye Qianqian burst out laughing. "Pfft…"
But Shen Zhilie remained straight-faced. "He wasn't joking," he said. "He really meant it when he said he'd blow my head off."
Ye Qianqian's laughter evolved into guffaws. "What in the world?" she exclaimed. "Did my father really say that?"
Shen Zhilie observed Ye Qianqian's reaction with a look of exasperation, and nodded his head. "Yes," he replied. "That's exactly what he said."
"Hmm…"
Curling up to sit next to Ye Qianqian, he said, "Even if your father hadn't threatened me, I would still treat you well."
"Ha! If you ever dare to treat me badly, I'll leave!"
"Where to?"
"I'll leave home. Why would I tell you where I'd go?" Ye Qianqian was rolled up in the quilt. "If you're ever mean to me, I will leave. I will leave every single time you're mean to me, and that will teach you."
