Chapter 14
So this is how serious Shen Shiwu is when she’s working.
The door opened and closed softly as the woman left with the documents.
Jiang Siyi continued playing on her phone until her backpack was snatched away by the person beside her.
“Shouldn’t you be doing your homework?”
The tone was completely different from before.
Jiang Siyi immediately turned off her phone and looked up to see Shen Shiwu opening her backpack.
“What’s this?”
Shen Shiwu pulled out a small piece of paper from between the worksheets.
It was rectangular, clearly torn from a corner of a sheet of scratch paper. Something was written on it, and it was folded.
Jiang Siyi quickly snatched it back.
She clutched it in her hand and cleared her throat. “Nothing, just a note I passed with a friend.”
Shen Shiwu looked at her quietly, not saying a word.
After a moment, she nodded. “Fine.”
She returned the backpack to Jiang Siyi. “Do your homework.”
Then she went back to work.
The desk was large, enough for five people to sit comfortably. Jiang Siyi felt that the other woman was truly angry this time, so she didn’t dare to say anything and started working on her worksheets.
The heating in the room was on full blast, and soon Jiang Siyi, wearing a thick sweater, started to feel hot. She rolled up her sleeves, but couldn’t focus.
Until Shen Shiwu suddenly stood up.
The woman glanced at her watch and said, “I’m going downstairs for a meeting. It’ll be about an hour and a half.”
“Okay.”
“If you’re bored after finishing your homework, you can come downstairs.”
After she left, Jiang Siyi tossed her pen aside and turned down the thermostat. Then she sat with her legs crossed, like a creditor, and started looking around.
The entire room was either black, white, or grayish-brown.
Monotonous and gloomy, like the prelude to a rainstorm.
Bored out of her mind, Jiang Siyi started thinking about what colors she would choose if she were to redecorate.
As she was idling, there was a knock on the door, and a voice called out, “Boss, I’m here to deliver the report.”
Jiang Siyi felt inexplicably awkward. Hearing the door open, she subconsciously lowered her head and picked up her pen.
“Boss, please take a look…”
Approaching the desk, the newcomer realized something was amiss.
A schoolbag, worksheets, and…
A high school girl!?
“Shen… your boss, is downstairs in a meeting.” Jiang Siyi looked up, saw the woman’s surprised expression, and said calmly, “You can leave the documents here.”
“O-okay.”
The woman quickly retreated, and at the same time, Jiang Siyi’s composure crumbled.
She slumped back in her chair, thinking that thanks to Shen Shiwu, she had experienced being a “boss” for a while.
Jiang Siyi had never been self-motivated.
Although she had changed a bit recently, it wasn’t by much. If no one was supervising her, she would only do her homework for half an hour at most.
So, restless, she carefully opened the door and peeked outside.
Just as she peeked out, her chin was gently lifted.
“What are you looking at?”
Jiang Siyi looked up and saw Shen Shiwu staring down at her.
The warm touch tickled.
The girl pulled back, her heart pounding a few seconds later.
“Didn’t you say it would be an hour and a half? That was fast.”
“I was afraid someone would get restless.”
Jiang Siyi lowered her head. “Oh…”
To hide the smile spreading across her face, she turned and walked back inside.
“How’s your homework coming along?”
She felt there was a change in the other woman’s tone. Although it was still gentle, it seemed to be lacking something.
“Not finished yet.”
“Let me see how much you’ve done.”
“…No.”
Jiang Siyi practically lay on the desk, shielding her worksheets with her arms. She glanced at the person beside her and then looked away. “Not much.”
She had only done two problems.
And they were both multiple-choice questions.
Normally, Shen Shiwu would tap her head with a pen and say, with a mixture of exasperation and indulgence, “You…”
But now, she simply said, “Okay.”
This drove Jiang Siyi crazy.
What did she mean? Was it because of the note?
After agonizing over it for a while, she crumpled the note, making it even more wrinkled, and handed it to Shen Shiwu. “Here, you can read it if you want.”
But the woman didn’t even glance at it. “I don’t have the habit of prying into other people’s privacy. Take it back.”
“…”
Jiang Siyi had been a crybaby as a child, but after learning to hide her emotions, almost no one knew about it.
But now, she couldn’t hold back anymore. Her nose stung, as if she had been greatly wronged.
When Shen Shiwu looked over, she saw the girl with her head down, tears falling onto the worksheet.
Crying silently.
The woman sighed inwardly, took a few tissues, and softly coaxed, “Why are you crying all of a sudden?”
You bad woman. You used to call me “Xiao Si” all the time, and now, even when I’m crying like this, you don’t call me by my nickname!
The more Jiang Siyi thought about it, the more upset she became. She turned her face away, biting her lip as silent tears streamed down her face.
Shen Shiwu, seeing only the back of the girl’s head, cupped her face and gently turned it. “What’s wrong?”
“I think you’re starting to dislike me.” She sobbed, her eyes filled with resentment.
“Hmm? What made you think that?”
Jiang Siyi’s eyes were red. She thought for a moment, then hesitated.
Finally, she looked away, as if it was difficult to say. “You don’t call me by my nickname anymore.”
Shen Shiwu wiped away her tears, a smile appearing in her eyes. “So you like it when older sister calls you that?”
“Xiao Si.”
Jiang Siyi swatted her hand away and stared straight ahead, silent.
“Just because of this? Anything else? I’ll change.”
“…No.”
The woman pinched her cheek. “Then stop crying.”
“I’m not crying.”
“…”
It’s still more comfortable at home. Jiang Siyi thought, finally getting into the car to go home in the evening.
After doing so many problems, her brain cells felt fried, and she slouched in her seat.
“Seatbelt,” Shen Shiwu reminded her softly, leaning over to fasten it for her.
Jiang Siyi immediately sat up straight.
“Once it’s past midnight, it’ll be Christmas Eve.” During dinner, the woman suddenly spoke. “Does Xiao Si have any wishes?”
You can make wishes on Christmas Eve?
No one had ever told her that before.
Jiang Siyi poked at her food. “Yes.”
“Can you tell older sister?”
“Of course not. Wishes don’t come true if you say them out loud.”
Shen Shiwu put a piece of braised pork in her bowl and nodded. “That’s true.”
“Then write it down.”
“…”
Jiang Siyi didn’t understand why the woman was so insistent on this.
Back in her room after dinner, Shen Shiwu sat on the edge of her bed. “I won’t peek, don’t worry.”
Liar, why would you make me write it down if you weren’t going to read it?
The girl complained inwardly and started twirling her pen. Staring at the blank paper, she wanted to write but hesitated.
All her wishes were related to Shen Shiwu.
If she saw them, it would be disastrous.
Maybe… write it vaguely.
So Jiang Siyi quickly wrote down a line of elegant characters—
I want Shen Shiwu to take care of me forever.
Although it sounded a bit shameless.
But wishes were supposed to be far-fetched, right?
She capped her pen, folded the paper, and handed it to Shen Shiwu. “Here.”
Shen Shiwu didn’t bother pretending anymore and took the paper, holding it in her hand. “I’m reading this openly.”
“…Oh.”
“Alright, Wu Ying is coming over to tutor you tomorrow. Remember to go to bed early.”
After Shen Shiwu left, Jiang Siyi remained at her desk. She fidgeted with her fingers, tore off another piece of paper, and started writing seriously—
I hope Shen Shiwu never falls in love with anyone else.
I hope these eleven days pass quickly.
I hope…
…that in the future, she’ll like me a little too.
Just as she was about to hide the paper at the bottom of her drawer, there was a knock on the door. Jiang Siyi panicked, asking, “What’s wrong?”
There was no response.
She quickly opened the door.
Outside, Shen Shiwu was looking at her, a smile in her eyes.
“Little Jiang, there are two minutes until Christmas Eve.” She leaned in slightly.
Perhaps it was the soft lighting, but the woman’s eyes seemed exceptionally bright.
“Ah, now there’s only one minute left.”
Jiang Siyi couldn’t help but take a few steps back, her heart pounding in her chest.
Thump—thump—
“Some say that if you take a bite of an apple at midnight on Christmas Eve, your wish will come true.” Shen Shiwu smiled, watching the girl’s flustered expression. “Does Xiao Si believe it?”
She brought her hands from behind her back, revealing two shiny red apples.
Which meant…
“Did you… see my wish?” Jiang Siyi was so nervous she almost closed her eyes.
“I did.”
Shen Shiwu dangled the apples. “It’s almost midnight. If you don’t take one soon, it’ll be too late.”
“Three, two…”
Jiang Siyi panicked, grabbed the woman’s wrist, and stood on tiptoe, taking a large bite of an apple.
“One.”
The clock on the wall continued ticking, the hands overlapping for only a moment before moving on tirelessly.
The girl shook her head, like a proud kitten, her expression triumphant. “I ate it!”
As if remembering something, her voice lowered. “So my wish will come true.”
She looked at Shen Shiwu expectantly.
Shen Shiwu closed her eyes for a moment, then said seriously, “Yes, your wish will come true.”
If Jiang Siyi’s face had only been slightly pink before, now it was as red as a rose petal.
She tugged on Shen Shiwu’s sleeve with her other hand and asked, mustering her courage,
“Do you really… want to take care of me forever?”
Talking about “forever” now seemed unrealistic, but Jiang Siyi felt like she was under a spell.
She desperately wanted to hear the answer from the other woman’s lips.
Shen Shiwu could have easily avoided the question.
But…
Her voice was soft, as if soothing the girl’s anxious heart.
“Of course.”
“I can be Xiao Si’s older sister forever.”
Just an older sister.
Clatter.
Perhaps because Jiang Siyi had loosened her grip, the apple in Shen Shiwu’s hand fell to the floor.
“It’s dirty.” The girl squatted down and picked it up, her voice almost self-deprecating.
“Looks like the wish didn’t come true after all.”
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