Chapter 8
It was still daylight, the sky only slightly dimmed as the summer evening approached.
Seven people crowded around a small table, bumping shoulders and elbows. The air was thick with the summer heat, and even the breeze couldn’t dispel the sweat.
From Xu Yuan, the others learned that this elegant, gentle beauty was Jiang Siyi’s older sister. Perhaps because they didn’t seem that far apart in age, they felt at ease and continued chatting animatedly.
As high school students, they always had endless things to talk about, able to pull a topic out of thin air.
Jiang Siyi, however, focused on eating, planning to leave as soon as she finished her portion.
Shen Shiwu, sitting behind her, was looking at her phone. Glancing at the girl, she was about to tell her to take her time, when Jiang Siyi finished everything in one go, grabbed a few tissues, and said goodbye to everyone at the table.
“I’m leaving now. See you at school.”
Xu Yuan responded with a casual “Okay.”
The sky finally darkened, and the streetlights flickered on one after another.
As soon as Shen Shiwu stood up from the plastic stool, Jiang Siyi had already started walking. But a few seconds later, she noticed the girl’s pace slowing considerably.
“Where are you going? The car is this way.” Thinking the girl was going in the wrong direction again, she reminded her.
Jiang Siyi kicked a small pebble, which rolled next to an electric scooter.
She pointed at the scooter. “This is mine.”
Shen Shiwu paused, then nodded thoughtfully. “So you’re riding your scooter home?”
What else?
Are you going to ride my scooter while I drive your Mercedes?
After a brief exchange, Shen Shiwu simply told her to be careful and went to her car across the street. Jiang Siyi had already put on her helmet and zoomed off, looking incredibly carefree.
Arriving home first, Jiang Siyi didn’t go inside immediately but waited for Shen Shiwu. She was spotted by Li Nan, who happened to be home.
He thought he was seeing things. He stared for a long time in the dim light and then cursed under his breath. It really was Jiang Siyi.
What was she doing back here? And standing in front of the neighbor’s house, was she planning to rob them?
But the next second, following the car headlights, a Mercedes-Benz slowly approached.
Shen Shiwu didn’t get out immediately but rolled down the window and looked at the girl. “Waiting for me?”
Jiang Siyi crossed her arms and turned her head away. “Just wanted to show you how fast my scooter is.”
Seeing them talking, Li Nan was even more shocked. He couldn’t help but step closer and call out, “Jiang Siyi!”
Hearing this, Jiang Siyi gritted her teeth, about to curse him out, when she heard the loud slam of Shen Shiwu’s car door.
The woman’s voice was raised. “Something you need?”
Hearing Shen Shiwu speak, Li Nan hesitated and didn’t say anything for a moment.
After all, she was wealthy and influential; offending her wouldn’t do him any good.
“Miss Shen, I’d like to ask, how did you two end up together?”
Actually, when Shen Shiwu spoke, Li Nan was momentarily stunned, almost not recognizing her.
After all, the last time they met, she was still a child, but now she was completely different, radiating a strong aura of authority.
So strong that… he subconsciously lowered his stance.
“Siyi is under my care now,” Shen Shiwu said concisely, not wanting to waste words. “In other words, she’s my responsibility.”
Li Nan gasped, fuming inwardly.
How could this be?
“So please watch your words and actions in the future.”
Watching the man turn around with a forced smile, Jiang Siyi swallowed all the curses she had prepared.
She couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at Shen Shiwu.
Besides her mother, after all these years, Shen Shiwu was the only person who had stood up for her.
So the girl stared, wanting to etch the woman’s image into her heart.
“What are you looking at, little girl?”
The woman, whose tone had been firm just moments ago, was now incredibly gentle.
Shen Shiwu would occasionally call her “little girl.”
At first, Jiang Siyi hated the term, because it made her feel like she would never grow up, like a child.
But later, hearing those two words, a warmth would spread through her heart.
She didn’t know what it meant.
So that night, after showering and lying in bed, Jiang Siyi held her phone and typed into the search bar.
After reading for a long time, the girl silently sobbed into her pillow.
Because Baidu said it was myocarditis and needed treatment.
Only after her tears dried did Jiang Siyi drift off to sleep. The price of crying was that her eyes were swollen the next day.
She applied a cold towel for a long time before she looked presentable.
It was still early morning. Shen Shiwu was about to leave for work and was surprised to see the girl awake. “You’re up so early?”
It’s all because of this damn biological clock.
Jiang Siyi replied, “At school, I have to get up at this time. I’m used to it.”
Shen Shiwu nodded and sat back down at the dining table.
“Aren’t you going to work?”
“I have time.”
Shouldn’t a CEO be incredibly busy?
The girl poked at her noodles but didn’t ask.
“Your friend’s name is Xu Yuan, right?” Shen Shiwu suddenly asked.
“Yes, how did you know?”
The other woman glanced at her. “I guessed.”
“…”
Jiang Siyi wanted to dump the bowl of noodles on her head.
“Her parents said in the group chat that they’re switching her to day school.”
“The parent group chat? How did you get in?”
Shen Shiwu looked innocent. “Your homeroom teacher added me.”
Seeing the girl’s long hair getting in the way while she ate, the woman stood behind her and gently held it back.
Jiang Siyi stiffened, then silently slowed down her eating.
“What will you do now that she’s gone?”
The woman’s voice came from behind. Jiang Siyi touched her nose. “I’ll figure it out.”
Her head was patted again.
Shen Shiwu said, “I’m asking you seriously.”
The girl divided a single noodle into three pieces and replied, “It’s only two semesters anyway.”
I’ll manage, I won’t die.
“Do you want to switch to day school?”
She felt Shen Shiwu must have studied psychology.
Jiang Siyi stubbornly replied, “I don’t know.”
That means yes.
Shen Shiwu shook her head inwardly.
So stubborn, but cute.
“Then I’ll let your homeroom teacher know.” Shen Shiwu was always efficient and already had her phone out.
Jiang Siyi finished the last of her noodles, satisfied. “Okay.”
The housekeeper had already left, and Shen Shiwu went to work after finishing her meal. Jiang Siyi was alone again in the large villa.
But now, she didn’t feel lonely at all.
Because someone would be coming home later.
The clock ticked. She sprawled on the sofa, watching TV. When the housekeeper arrived for lunch, she got up and chatted with her.
“I have a daughter your age. She’s in the top class at No. 3 High School.” The housekeeper’s eyes shone with pride when she spoke of her daughter.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Jiang Siyi was very supportive.
Knowing Jiang Siyi’s grades weren’t good, the housekeeper avoided the topic, afraid of making her uncomfortable.
But Jiang Siyi didn’t mind at all. Perhaps because she lacked a mother’s love, she enjoyed talking to the housekeeper.
“Then I’ll be going now. I’ll come back in the evening.” The housekeeper took off her apron and walked out.
Jiang Siyi, eating her lunch, responded with a hum.
After filling her stomach, she was wondering how to kill time when a heavy downpour suddenly started outside. Checking the weather forecast, she saw a typhoon warning.
Typhoons were common in coastal areas, and Jiang Siyi was used to them. Just as she closed the window, a loud clap of thunder echoed through the air.
Oh my god.
When she was little, her mother had told her to turn off all the power during thunderstorms. So Jiang Siyi scurried upstairs in her slippers, from the second floor to the third, then the fourth…
It was like running a 3000-meter race.
She didn’t go back downstairs but went straight to her room.
And the next second, tears streamed down her face.
Jiang’s mother had died in a car accident on a stormy day like this.
Back then, Jiang Siyi was still in elementary school. Her mother had even called her, telling her to stop watching TV and turn it off.
But…
Jiang Siyi never received another call.
Her legs had trembled as she ran upstairs to turn off the power, but she still remembered her mother’s words.
Tears quickly soaked her pillow.
With another clap of thunder, her heart pounded.
Her only thought was for Shen Shiwu to come home quickly.
No, wait.
“No, no…” Jiang Siyi shook her head. “She can’t come back now.”
What if she also…
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the girl quickly spat three times to ward off bad luck.
She wrapped herself in the blanket like a burrito, only poking her nose and mouth out to breathe before burying herself again.
She repeated this countless times.
Her phone suddenly rang.
The thunder outside had lessened. She shakily picked up the phone and saw it was Shen Shiwu calling.
Jiang Siyi quickly composed herself.
After making sure her voice was steady, she answered, “Hello.”
“I might be home a little late today, around ten. Is that okay, Xiao Si?”
It was the second time the woman had called her that.
Hearing her voice, Jiang Siyi felt much calmer, but the woman’s words also stirred up her fears.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” She pretended not to care, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Good. I won’t go to the office tomorrow. I’ll stay home with you.”
“Oh, okay.”
The conversation was as usual.
After hanging up, Jiang Siyi listened to the intermittent thunder, feeling like she was back in the villa next door.
Back to the countless stormy days filled with cold sweat.
Just go to sleep.
Once I’m asleep, all the scary things will disappear.
This was her usual method of comforting herself.
But it had never worked when she was highly emotional.
However, this time was an exception.
Thinking of Shen Shiwu, her mind filled with the woman’s image and every word she had said… After about fifteen minutes, for the first time in years, Jiang Siyi finally fell asleep.
She was awakened by a familiar scent.
Although her eyes were still closed, she felt a fingertip gently wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.
And a soft call:
“Xiao Si.”
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