Category: After Breaking Up, the Gentle Older Sister Went Crazy

Chapter 9

“Xiao Si, are you still watching TV? There’s thunder, turn it off quickly. Mommy will be home soon.”

The image of her mother in her memory had gradually faded. The most vivid memory she had was of an urn.

“Mommy…”

Murmuring, Jiang Siyi opened her tear-filled eyes. Her vision was still blurry when she was pulled into a warm embrace.

“Xiao Si, I’m sorry, I came home late today.”

Shen Shiwu gently patted her back, her movements soothing.

Damn, she saw me crying.

Jiang Siyi sniffed, quickly pulled away from her embrace, and wiped her face haphazardly.

“It’s, it’s nothing. It’s normal to be busy with work.” She feigned indifference and got out of bed to wash her face, trying to save face. “I wasn’t crying. I just caught a cold from not having the blanket on.”

A cold that made her eyes swell up like lightbulbs.

Shen Shiwu smiled helplessly and simply nodded. “Mm, you weren’t crying.”

Splashing cold water on her face, she finally felt more awake. Jiang Siyi stared at herself in the mirror for a long time before going downstairs.

Shen Shiwu was asking the housekeeper where the cold medicine was when she saw Jiang Siyi coming down. She put the call on speakerphone.

“The cold medicine? It’s in the kitchen, left cabinet, third shelf.”

The girl froze mid-step, then immediately turned to run back upstairs.

“Where are you running off to?” Hanging up the phone, Shen Shiwu quickly caught her wrist. “If you’re sick, you should take your medicine.”

“…”

After some smooth talking, Jiang Siyi managed to avoid the medicine. It was then that she realized it was only six o’clock.

“Didn’t you say you’d be home late?”

Shen Shiwu had been in a meeting, busy, and had squeezed in the time to make that call, naturally not noticing anything amiss.

However, the moment she returned to her office, looking at the terrible weather outside, she suddenly remembered what her mother had said:

“Your Auntie Jiang passed away on a stormy day…”

She paused mid-sip, then rushed home without even grabbing her coat.

“Isn’t it good that older sister came home early to be with you?”

Jiang Siyi didn’t reply, then mumbled after a few seconds, “Work is important.”

Smiling, again.

The girl simply turned her side, presenting the back of her head to the woman.

“Don’t worry, all my meetings are over.” Just then, the doorbell rang; it must be the housekeeper arriving to prepare dinner. Shen Shiwu patted Jiang Siyi’s head reassuringly as she went to open the door.

The girl, appeased by the gesture, finally turned around.

“Miss, I’m sorry, I’m late today because of the rain.” The housekeeper closed her umbrella and apologized.

“It’s okay.”

Before the dishes were served, Shen Shiwu watched Jiang Siyi playing on her phone and asked, “Where’s your homework?”

“I forgot to bring it.”

“I’ll go with you to get it tomorrow.”

“…I’m going back to school tomorrow.”

The woman tapped the table. “You’re a privileged day student now.”

Oh, right.

Jiang Siyi was amazed by her efficiency. “Sister Bao agreed? What did she say?”

“She told me to sign you up for one-on-one tutoring.”

Then I might as well stay at the dorm!

Jiang Siyi shook her head. “I’m not good at studying. Tutoring is a waste of money.”

“Your essays are excellent, which means you’re smart, you just don’t want to study.”

Hearing this, the girl pretended to be looking down, but secretly listened intently.

After all, she was willing to accept compliments.

Why did you stop? Keep praising me.

Jiang Siyi, not hearing anything more, cleared her throat and mumbled, “Mm.”

Still nothing.

The girl finally looked up and said, “Oh.”

Shen Shiwu was watching her, her chin resting on her hand.

Jiang Siyi glanced at her, then looked away, saying flatly, “My essays are good, but that’s about it.”

“There’s always a chance.” The woman’s voice was gentle. “You learn a little, and maybe another subject will improve too.”

Jiang Siyi listened, and surprisingly, she found it made sense.

This was strange.

Because this thought had never occurred to her in her seventeen years of life.

Shen Shiwu’s words seemed to have a magical power, able to nudge her back on track little by little.

After a long moment, Jiang Siyi nodded, her hair swaying slightly.

Her voice was low. “Then… then I’ll try.”

Shen Shiwu finally felt relieved.

She gently praised, “Good girl.”

***

Unfortunately, the “good girl” slept soundly the next day, showing a tendency to sleep her life away.

“Xiao Si, Wu Ying will be here soon.”

Shen Shiwu’s voice came from outside the door, gently urging her to wake up. She was holding a tray of breakfast.

Wu Ying was the housekeeper’s daughter. She was happy to tutor Jiang Siyi, as it allowed her to review her own knowledge and earn some money. It was a win-win situation.

Jiang Siyi finally sat up.

She mumbled a response, rubbing her eyes as she got out of bed to wash up.

Meanwhile, Wu Ying, with a simple ponytail and dressed in her school uniform, sat nervously on the sofa. Shen Shiwu poured them both some water. “Sorry, Siyi gets up early at school, so she sleeps in a bit more on weekends.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” The housekeeper waved her hand. “Miss, you don’t have to pour water for us.”

Jiang Siyi rushed downstairs as quickly as possible.

“Say hello. This is Miss Jiang.” The housekeeper nudged her daughter, who finally reacted. “Hello, my name is Wu Ying.”

“I’m Jiang Siyi.”

“Come sit.”

Seeing the girl standing still, Shen Shiwu patted the sofa beside her.

“Every Saturday this semester, Wu Ying will come over to supervise your homework and help you with your studies.”

Jiang Siyi nodded, saying she understood.

Then she asked, “Does that include today?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

“Oh,” she touched her nose. “I thought today was Sunday…”

This made all three of them laugh.

Shen Shiwu tapped her head. “You…”

“Breakfast is on the table. Go upstairs and do your homework after you eat.”

“We’re about the same age, so you can call me Xiao Ying. Can I call you Xiao Si?” Back in the room, Wu Ying was visibly more relaxed.

“Sure.” Jiang Siyi readily agreed and pointed to another chair. “Sit here.”

Then she picked up her schoolbag from the corner, unzipped it, and rummaged through it, finally finding two pitiful worksheets.

She smoothed the wrinkled papers and soon started to feel sleepy.

Half the day passed. Wu Ying diligently explained the basics, while Jiang Siyi furrowed her brow, racking her brain, before finally letting out a long sigh and slumping onto the desk, defeated.

In the afternoon, during the half-hour break, Wu Ying, knowing her essays were excellent, brought up the topic.

“My cousin works at a publishing house abroad. If you’re interested in writing in the future, you can try submitting your work.”

Jiang Siyi, initially uninterested, suddenly looked up.

“I can submit my work?”

“Of course. I’ll send you the email address.”

Hearing the notification sound from her phone, Jiang Siyi checked the message and, to be safe, copied the email address into her notes.

Perhaps because of this, she was exceptionally focused for the rest of the afternoon. Although she still didn’t fully understand everything, she at least tried her best.

When Wu Ying left, she comforted her, “It’s okay, it’s just the first lesson. It’s already impressive that you understand some of it.”

Jiang Siyi felt a little embarrassed.

She watched as Wu Ying opened the door and followed them downstairs to see them off.

During their conversation, she learned that Wu Ying was a few months older than her, so she politely said, “Goodbye, older sister!”

Wu Ying turned around. “Bye, Xiao Si.”

Jiang Siyi closed the door after they left. Before she could turn around, she bumped into something.

Well, it seemed to be a person.

Shen Shiwu had silently gotten up from the sofa and approached her like a ghost.

“So our Xiao Si knows how to call someone ‘older sister’.”

Heh, politely calling someone ‘older sister’ and you’re already getting sarcastic.

Is it necessary to be so snarky?

Jiang Siyi moved to the side before turning around. “Yeah, can’t I?”

After saying that, she felt a little guilty, because she had never called Shen Shiwu that before.

Shen Shiwu seemed to sigh softly.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

She walked to the dining table and pulled out a chair for her.

Jiang Siyi stared at her back, silent for a few seconds, then walked over and sat down.

She had initially wanted to invite Wu Ying and her mother to stay for dinner, but they had said they had something to do. The dining table was silent, almost eerily so.

Usually, Shen Shiwu would start a conversation, asking Jiang Siyi about school or how she slept, but today, she was silent, focusing on her meal.

Jiang Siyi hummed inwardly, the sound of her eating growing louder, her chopsticks deliberately clinking against the bowl. If her mother were still alive, she would definitely be scolded.

But Shen Shiwu always let her do as she pleased.

She believed there was no need to constantly restrict a child. Life should be lived freely.

So Jiang Siyi gave up and continued eating quietly with her head down.

“Finished?” The other woman finally spoke.

The girl nodded, and her bowl and chopsticks were taken away.

Hiss, is Shen Shiwu really angry?

Jiang Siyi sat in her chair, hugging her knees, lost in thought, even more focused than when she was solving math problems.

“Let’s go upstairs. I’ll check your homework.”

While she was still pondering, the other woman emerged from the kitchen and said this.

Damn.

Jiang Siyi reluctantly stood up and trudged upstairs like a zombie.

The two worksheets in her bag were almost completed, thanks to Wu Ying’s guidance. Although they were covered in red marks, she had at least corrected her mistakes.

However, the extra homework Wu Ying had assigned… well, she hadn’t done a single problem.

“I didn’t have time to do it. She gave me this worksheet right before she left.”

“Don’t I need to eat?”

“Are you sure?” Shen Shiwu’s voice trailed off.

“…”

Jiang Siyi touched her nose guiltily, still stubbornly insisting, “Yes.”

“Children who lie will get extra homework.” Even her threats were delivered in an incredibly gentle tone.

I’ve been rebellious for so many years, and you think you can threaten me?

Jiang Siyi was naturally unconvinced in her heart.

But when she met the woman’s gaze, her usually unyielding back slowly bent.

She lowered her head.

“I’m not so sure anymore.”

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.”

Chapter 7

In the following days, Jiang Siyi didn’t cause any trouble, but she was often lost in thought.

Especially during meals, worrying Xu Yuan so much that she thought Jiang Siyi had developed early-onset dementia.

“Are you okay?” She waved her hand in front of Jiang Siyi’s face.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” The girl snapped back to reality.

It was Thursday, and the weekend was fast approaching. Xu Yuan seemed to be contemplating something, hesitating to speak.

“What’s up?” This time, it was Jiang Siyi’s turn to ask.

“Well…”

“Since the college entrance exams are coming up, my mom signed me up for one-on-one tutoring. I might have to switch to day school.”

Although Xu Yuan was also a slacker, her mother had never given up on her.

Jiang Siyi responded with a dismissive “So? I thought it was something serious. Just do it then.”

As a high school student, struggling through annoying math problems and sneaking cheat sheets for vocabulary tests were manageable hardships.

But a good friend suddenly taking leave or switching to day school felt like the end of the world.

Despite appearing nonchalant, Jiang Siyi was actually a little worried.

Xu Yuan visibly relaxed and then said, “How about I ask those juniors to have dinner with you from now on?”

“And come back to the dorm with you!”

Jiang Siyi picked up her tray and left, her back radiating an air of indifference.

The last class on Friday was their homeroom teacher’s. She was fiddling with something in the office and arrived a little late.

The classroom was noisy, then instantly fell silent as the sound of high heels approached.

“Oh, why did you all stop talking?” Fu Jing held a stack of white paper, tore it into squares, and asked the class representative to distribute them. “With such good acting skills, our class should just debut as a group.”

The students wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, their faces contorting.

“I know you’re all excited about going home soon, but it’s class time. Pay attention.” Fu Jing tapped her phone against the podium and then announced something that made the entire class groan.

“As senior students about to take the college entrance exam, the school has decided to hold a parent-teacher meeting.”

The classroom instantly erupted in wails and restless chatter.

“Come on, it’s not like you haven’t had one before. Haven’t you gotten used to it yet?” Fu Jing, unaffected, continued, “Same rules as always, write a letter to your parents, fold it, and hand it in.”

No. 1 High School had a tradition: before every parent-teacher meeting, students had to write a heartfelt letter.

This rule made many students, unwilling to open up, cringe.

“Stop whining, it’s not like I’m asking you to sing praises to your parents. Be grateful.” Fu Jing patrolled the classroom in her high heels, punishing anyone who spoke by making them write an extra letter.

Jiang Siyi had never participated in parent-teacher meetings. For the past two years, she had either skipped school or climbed over the wall to go out and play.

But this year seemed a little different.

Holding the white paper, she picked up a pen for the first time.

“Has everyone handed them in? Then I’ll assign homework.” Fu Jing looked around the classroom, about to continue, when a student asked, “Sister Bao, when is the parent-teacher meeting?”

“Not yet confirmed. This one was added by the school specifically, so we might have two.”

That settled it. The students instantly descended into despair.

Only Jiang Siyi twirled her pen, seemingly in a good mood.

The bell finally rang, much to everyone’s relief.

Jiang Siyi, her backpack almost empty, walked so fast that even Xu Yuan couldn’t keep up.

Under the scorching sun, the school gate was jammed with people and cars. She squeezed through the crowd, muttering, “Shen Shiwu… where is she?”

As she stood on tiptoe, looking around, someone tugged on her backpack.

“This student, are you lost?”

A familiar voice rang out. Jiang Siyi turned around, suppressing her excitement, and saw the woman wearing a light green dress, more eye-catching than a jade bracelet.

Fanning herself, she mumbled, “It’s so hot today… where’s your car? Let’s go home quickly.”

“Is it that hot? Your face is so red.” Shen Shiwu was puzzled.

Jiang Siyi took out her water bottle from her backpack, took a large gulp, and unconsciously walked even faster than the person beside her.

“The car is here. Are you trying to run away with someone else?” Shen Shiwu pulled her back and lightly tapped her head.

“…I didn’t see it clearly.” The girl stubbornly insisted.

The car’s air conditioning was on, offering instant relief. Jiang Siyi wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue and saw a cup of bubble tea appear before her.

“Actually, drinking too much of this isn’t healthy, so next time, you can only have it occasionally.” Shen Shiwu had even inserted the straw; Jiang Siyi only needed to open her mouth to drink.

The girl softly thanked her and took several large gulps.

“And some small cakes.” The woman handed her another bag. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I bought a little of everything. If you can’t finish them, put them in the fridge when we get home.”

Jiang Siyi chewed on the tapioca pearls, deep in thought. “You should buy less next time.”

“Why? Don’t you like them?”

“No, it’s like you’re feeding a pig.”

Shen Shiwu chuckled, her hands on the steering wheel. “Then should I call you ‘Piggy’ from now on?”

“…No.”

Jiang Siyi, her arms full of food, thought, You’re the pig.

After dropping her off, Shen Shiwu didn’t get out of the car. “Sorry, I have a meeting. I might be home a little late today.”

Jiang Siyi nodded. “It’s okay, go ahead.”

“The housekeeper will come over to cook dinner. I’ll send you her WeChat. Tell her what you want to eat.”

After the woman left, Jiang Siyi, alone at home with her phone, didn’t feel bored, as she hadn’t touched any electronic devices for a week.

As she was watching videos, her phone rang.

She answered, and the person on the other end asked, “Hello, did you lose an electric scooter the other day? We found it. When can you come pick it up?”

Jiang Siyi immediately sat up straight. “Now!”

***

Getting off the bus, she hurried to the police station, startling the people inside. The policewoman from before recognized her. “It’s at the entrance. Check if anything is missing.”

She was practically penniless. The only thing she had on her scooter was a helmet.

After confirming the helmet was still there, Jiang Siyi was relieved and asked, “Where’s the person who stole my scooter?”

“Five days detention. He’s in jail.”

She nodded, thanked the policewoman, and rode off on her beloved scooter.

After all this time, Jiang Siyi had thought she wouldn’t get it back. She was in a good mood, humming a tune as she rode home.

It was almost six o’clock, and the barbecue stalls were already set up along the street. Jiang Siyi’s mouth watered. After a few seconds of internal debate, she stopped.

After ordering, she sat on a plastic stool, waiting. The stall owner was a warm, chatty Northeastern lady.

“Kids these days have it tough with their studies.” She looked at the girl still in her school uniform. “You just got out of school, right?”

No.

I just got out of the police station.

It had been a long time since Jiang Siyi sat by the roadside like this, enjoying the breeze. She felt relaxed, and her words came out without thinking. “No, I just got out of the station.”

“Which station?”

“The police station.”

The lady paused, thinking Jiang Siyi had some unspeakable secret.

“My scooter was stolen, and I just got it back.” Jiang Siyi, realizing her mistake, quickly added, afraid of scaring the lady away.

“Oh, I see. You shouldn’t speak in half-sentences, young lady. I thought something had happened to you.” She wiped the sweat from her forehead, fanning the smoke. “Haven’t had dinner yet? The lamb skewers will be ready soon.”

Dinner.

Dinner…

Jiang Siyi took out her phone and saw several missed calls.

Hiss, after being alone for so long, it’s really not easy getting used to someone caring.

She called back, and the other end picked up quickly, asking, “Where are you?”

The urgency in the woman’s voice made her freeze for a few seconds. “I’m having barbecue outside…”

A moment of silence.

Just as Jiang Siyi thought the volcano was about to erupt, the other person seemed to sigh. “Is anyone with you? Send me your location.”

“No, I’m alone.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp voice called out, “Jiang Siyi!”

The voice was too familiar, and the girl whose name had been called twitched.

Looking up, she saw Xu Yuan and the group of juniors rushing towards her.

Smelling the aroma, Xu Yuan felt hungry too and shouted to the stall owner, “Auntie, give me ten lamb skewers, fish tofu, meatballs…”

The juniors followed suit, placing their orders.

“Auntie, no spice for me!”

“She doesn’t want spice, but I do! Extra spicy!”

The scene was chaotic, and Jiang Siyi wanted to die.

She clutched her phone, hearing the person on the other end take a deep breath, then ask again, “How many people?”

This is so unfair!

Little Jiang felt wronged. She glanced at the situation and answered truthfully, “It was just me a moment ago, but now…”

She counted. “One, two, three, four…”

“Including me, six.”

Another brief silence.

Jiang Siyi touched her nose, about to explain, when the call was abruptly ended.

Oh no, is she really angry?

She opened WeChat and saw the message asking for her location, so she obediently sent it.

Soon, the barbecue arrived. Only two people at the table looked out of sorts: Jiang Siyi and the round-faced girl.

“Why aren’t you eating? No appetite?” Xu Yuan, after chatting with the Northeastern lady for a while, had picked up her accent.

“I’m eating.” Jiang Siyi took a large bite of meat.

Fifteen minutes later, a Mercedes-Benz slowly stopped across the street.

“That car is so cool.” The oblivious Xu Yuan commented. “Looks expensive.”

Jiang Siyi thought, Just shut up.

“Why does it look so familiar?” She squinted as she ate, feeling something was off.

“Oh, isn’t that your sister?”

Seeing the woman walking towards them, Jiang Siyi stopped eating, stood up, and was about to leave.

Xu Yuan grabbed her. “Leaving already? You haven’t finished what you ordered!”

Just as she was about to wink and signal for Xu Yuan to let go, Shen Shiwu’s voice rang out, her expression as usual, even with a hint of a smile. “Sit down and continue eating.”

The rebellious Jiang Siyi immediately sat back down.

After a few seconds, she felt a little embarrassed. Why did I listen to her? She asked directly, “Why are you here?”

“My little kid ran away, so I came out to catch her. Any problem?”

Chapter 6

The walk from the cafeteria to the classroom required going around the entire gymnasium.

The sun was scorching, and after a few steps, Jiang Siyi felt sweaty and uncomfortable.

She started missing the days spent lounging at Shen Shiwu’s house.

Pushing open the classroom door, she was greeted by the cool air conditioning.

Xu Yuan pounced on the air conditioner like a hungry wolf, while Jiang Siyi, more reserved, went straight to her seat and opened her water bottle.

Then, she discreetly tucked the letter into her desk.

Senior year students didn’t have a lunch break. As soon as the bell rang, the history teacher arrived on the battlefield, armed with a stack of papers.

“Come on, pass them back quickly. Hand them in after twenty minutes.”

It was all fill-in-the-blank questions. Jiang Siyi hadn’t memorized any of the material, so she could only prop her chin up and stare blankly.

Her seat was by the window, where she could see the light blue sky and the large, wind-blown clouds.

The weather is nice.

She wondered if Shen Shiwu, sitting in her high-rise office, had time to look up at the sky and enjoy the scenery.

The sound of pens scratching against paper filled the air, while she remained idle. The history teacher was grading papers from another class, not even glancing up.

So, Jiang Siyi, emboldened, took out the phone she had snuck in, wanting to send a message.

But she stared at the chat box for a long time, ultimately not sending anything.

Forget it.

“Jiang Siyi!”

Thud—

The phone hit the floor with a loud thud, attracting the attention of the entire class.

Hearing the approaching footsteps and looking at the phone lying innocently on the ground, Jiang Siyi sneered inwardly.

Heh.

Another mess.

The air conditioning in the office was blasting, and Jiang Siyi shivered slightly. The history teacher handed her and her belongings over to Fu Jing and hurried back to her class to collect the papers.

“A phone, a love letter.” The homeroom teacher put down her teacup, her expression serious. “Oh, and a blank test paper.”

Jiang Siyi listened, mentally counting how many school rules she had broken.

“You just can’t help but cause trouble on the first day back, can you?”

As the homeroom teacher, Fu Jing naturally knew about her family situation and felt sorry for her, so she usually tried to offer guidance rather than criticism.

But today was simply too much.

Bringing electronic devices and engaging in puppy love, it was outrageous!

“Call your guardian. I’ll talk to her personally.”

“…I don’t have a guardian.”

She thought Fu Jing had forgotten, but the teacher said, “What do you mean you don’t have one? Your older sister added me on WeChat.”

Fu Jing showed her the message on her phone.

The familiar profile picture appeared—

It was a picture of Shen Shiwu’s back, taken by the seaside.

“She said she’s your cousin. At first, I thought it was a scam.” She locked the screen and confirmed again, “She’s your sister, right? Not a scammer?”

Jiang Siyi couldn’t quite describe her emotions.

She nodded and hummed in affirmation.

“Okay, I’ll ask her to come over later.”

“My sister is very busy, she doesn’t have time.”

Fu Jing typed quickly. After the message was sent, she said, “Oh, come on. When she added me, she said she was always available.”

“…”

Shen Shiwu arrived quickly.

The sound of high heels clicking against the floor grew closer. The door was pushed open, and the woman who entered looked at Jiang Siyi first.

After confirming that her mood wasn’t too bad, she turned to the teacher and said, “Sorry, teacher, I’m late.”

Fu Jing was momentarily stunned when she saw her.

She hadn’t expected her to be so young.

“Not at all, not at all. Please have a seat.”

Shen Shiwu glanced at Jiang Siyi, who was still standing, and pulled over a chair, saying softly, “Sit down.”

Perhaps because standing was too tiring, Jiang Siyi obediently sat down.

“It’s these three issues. Sigh, Jiang Siyi’s guardian, you really need to discipline your younger sister.” Fu Jing sighed.

Shen Shiwu nodded. “Alright.”

Even at this point, she didn’t criticize or scold, simply responding calmly.

This surprised Jiang Siyi, who had kept her head down the entire time.

Just as they were about to leave, Shen Shiwu added, “Teacher, can I take this love letter with me?”

“Of course, here you go.”

The hallway was quiet, the classroom doors closed, no one outside.

Jiang Siyi followed behind her, thinking the woman was quite tall, providing good shade. As she was secretly observing, the woman suddenly stopped.

Not good.

Although she braked quickly, her head still bumped into the woman’s back.

A pair of hands steadied her shoulders. Jiang Siyi rubbed her forehead and heard the woman’s amused voice, “Did the teacher’s scolding make you dizzy?”

She hummed, “No, I’m used to it.”

Shen Shiwu held the letter between her fingers, dangling it in front of Jiang Siyi’s eyes.

“I’ll keep this love letter safe for you.”

“No way, give it back!”

She still had to return it to its owner.

Sunlight streamed into the hallway, the warm breeze ruffling Shen Shiwu’s long hair.

Her smile faded slightly, but remained gentle. “Jiang Siyi, no puppy love.”

“I’m not in puppy love!”

Back in the office, Fu Jing had opened the love letter and shown it to Shen Shiwu, who had only glanced at it before folding it up.

Seeing her indifferent attitude, Jiang Siyi had assumed she wouldn’t pursue it.

“But someone wants to have puppy love with you.”

Shen Shiwu straightened Jiang Siyi’s collar. When she looked down, her long eyelashes, illuminated by the sunlight, shimmered with a silver glow.

“So I need to talk to her and clear things up. If you confiscate the letter, how can I return it?”

“Oh, right.” She straightened up, sounding agreeable, her voice soft and gentle. “Then let’s do it now. I’ll go with you.”

“…”

Perhaps afraid of the letter getting lost or seen by others, the round-faced girl hadn’t written her name, only filling the page with words of admiration.

Jiang Siyi still didn’t know her name or which class she was in, so she had to call Xu Yuan out.

Xu Yuan, bored from class, almost laughed out loud when she came out.

But then she saw Shen Shiwu behind Jiang Siyi and respectfully greeted, “Hello, older sister.”

Shen Shiwu replied, “Hello.”

Jiang Siyi shielded her eyes with her hand and stepped between them, hissing, “Why is it so hot today?”

Just as she finished muttering, a figure moved beside her. Shen Shiwu raised her hand, blocking a large portion of the sunlight.

“Stand here, inside.”

Jiang Siyi obeyed, shifting her position, finding the heat less bothersome.

She finally remembered the task at hand.

“Which class was that junior who treated me to lunch in? What’s her name?”

Xu Yuan thought for a moment. “They’re probably all in the same class, so that would be Class 12, Grade 10.”

“I don’t know her name. She was only talking to you.”

Jiang Siyi felt the sunlight intensify again. She looked to her left, puzzled, and saw the woman’s expression unchanged, the gentleness in her eyes still present.

She could only say, “Let’s go, Class 12 is in the building opposite.”

Classes were in session. Because of the air conditioning, all the classroom doors and windows were closed, curtains drawn, not even a mosquito could get in.

Finding the classroom, Jiang Siyi paused and then told Xu Yuan to open the door. “You’re close to those juniors, you go call her out.”

“Fine, fine.” For the sake of skipping class, she readily agreed.

Soon, the round-faced girl came out, blushing.

Jiang Siyi, afraid of embarrassing her, asked the other two to wait at the stairwell.

“Senior, are you looking for me?”

The hallway was quiet. Jiang Siyi returned the letter, trying to be tactful. “I’m sorry, you’re wonderful, but I’m not interested in dating right now.”

The round-faced girl’s eyes reddened, tears welling up.

Jiang Siyi thought, Oh no, and fumbled in her pockets for tissues, but found nothing.

As tears started rolling down the girl’s face, Jiang Siyi was trying to think of something to say to salvage the situation when she heard Shen Shiwu’s voice from behind.

“Puppy love isn’t advisable. Focus on your studies for now.” She took out a tissue from her bag and offered it to the round-faced girl.

The girl, mistaking her for a teacher, panicked, and ran back into the classroom without taking the tissue.

She even forgot to take the letter back.

Jiang Siyi looked down, then smiled at Shen Shiwu. “It’s all your fault, you scared her away.”

The woman replied, “Yes, it’s all my fault.”

As she spoke, she effortlessly picked up the letter.

“Since she forgot it, I’ll keep it confiscated.”

She looked at Jiang Siyi’s expression and added, “I’ll return it to you on your eighteenth birthday.”

The girl smacked her lips. “Fine.”

Having just left that morning, she had to rush back in the afternoon to deal with her own mess. Jiang Siyi wasn’t heartless. She told Xu Yuan to go back to class and walked Shen Shiwu downstairs.

“Little girl, you should go back to class.” The woman pressed the car key.

Jiang Siyi hesitated, then spoke, “You know, you didn’t have to come.”

She had caused so much trouble before, and that good-for-nothing Li Nan had never shown up once, and nothing had happened. Eventually, even her homeroom teacher had given up.

So Shen Shiwu didn’t need to clean up her messes.

“If you’re worried about troubling me, there’s no need.” Shen Shiwu opened the car door, took a hat from the passenger seat, and placed it on the girl’s head.

“I’m taking care of you now, so I’m like your guardian. This is what I should do, understand?”

Jiang Siyi’s head was small, and the hat kept slipping off. Shen Shiwu smiled and adjusted it, then gently touched her face.

“Little Jiang, I’ve noticed you tend to overthink things.”

Her tone was softer, with a hint of helplessness.

Jiang Siyi had never been this close to anyone. She flinched backward, and the hat fell onto her face.

She heard the other woman chuckle softly.

Slightly irritated, the girl threw the hat back at her and took a few steps back before speaking, “I wasn’t overthinking. I was just worried about affecting your work.”

“What if you go bankrupt one day, lose your house and company? Are you going to ask me to take care of you then?”

She rambled on, talking nonsense.

“That’s a good idea.” Shen Shiwu readily accepted. “So, little Jiang, you should study hard. Then when older sister has nothing left, I can come and rely on you, right?”

“…”

Smart children wouldn’t argue with smooth-talking adults.

So Jiang Siyi turned to leave.

But before she could take a few steps, the other person easily caught up.

Shen Shiwu handed her the hat again and leaned down to meet her gaze. “I’ll take your phone home for now. Be good at school, eat well.”

“And, promise me.” The woman looked into her eyes.

“No more overthinking, okay?”

So close again.

Jiang Siyi’s eyes darted around, and she fidgeted with the corner of her uniform.

She nodded and hummed in agreement, then fled upstairs, clutching the hat that carried Shen Shiwu’s scent.

Chapter 5

Jiang Siyi, despite appearing prickly, was more insecure than anyone.

Lying on the top bunk, she turned on her side, her voice muffled. “So what?”

“I’ve always been a problem student. If you don’t want to deal with me either, you can say so now.”

Shen Shiwu looked at the back of her head and gently shook her own.

She’s bristling.

It reminded her of a cat she once had, equally mischievous. But when it was unhappy, a cat treat would always do the trick.

She rummaged in her bag and found a piece of candy.

“If I really didn’t want to take care of you, I would have left already.” Shen Shiwu tapped the wooden railing of the bed with her knuckles.

Jiang Siyi slowly sat up.

“Open your mouth.”

The next second, the sweet scent of grapes filled the air.

Only when the hard candy landed on her tongue did she react.

Looking up, she met Shen Shiwu’s gaze, filled with amusement.

“Now that you’ve eaten my candy, you’re stuck with me.”

“So no matter what, I won’t abandon you.”

She stroked the girl’s head. “Remember that?”

Actually, Shen Shiwu hadn’t intended to say those words.

No one could predict the future. Life was long, and at some turning point, even if they parted ways, it would be normal.

But looking at Jiang Siyi’s slightly curled-up form, lonely and stubborn, a part of her heart softened.

Forget it, what turning point?

Since this child is under her care now, she had to take responsibility.

If Jiang Siyi felt insecure, she would provide that security.

Crunch.

The girl bit down on the candy.

The sweetness spread, and she heard herself softly reply, “Mm.”

“I’ll remember.”

***

Now that everything was unpacked, Shen Shiwu really should leave.

Before getting into the car, she told the girl, “Use your words, not your fists. And if you do fight, be careful not to get hurt.”

Jiang Siyi wanted to say she had been quite well-behaved recently; it had been a while since her last fight.

But after thinking about it, she simply said, “Oh, I know.”

Shen Shiwu got into the car and rolled down the window. “Try to be good. I’ll be the first one here to pick you up on Friday.”

The latter half of the sentence sounded like she was coaxing a first-grader leaving home for the first time.

Jiang Siyi looked away, touching her nose. “I can take the bus home myself.”

That’s how she had always done it before.

“That won’t do. What if you get lost?”

“…Get out of here.”

Shen Shiwu couldn’t help but laugh again.

Jiang Siyi watched, complaining inwardly:

Why are you always smiling at me? Be careful you’ll get laugh lines.

Only after the Mercedes-Benz disappeared from sight did Jiang Siyi head towards the classroom building. Soon, a figure rushed up behind her. “Jiang Siyi!”

Xu Yuan hadn’t finished breakfast yet, still chewing on a custard bun.

“Why are you here so early today?”

Jiang Siyi thought for a moment. “Someone gave me a ride.”

The other girl’s expression immediately turned curious.

“Tell me, are you dating someone?”

“No.” Jiang Siyi smiled.

Chatting away, they walked towards their classroom, neither paying attention to the time.

“Late on the first day of school? Both of you, stand outside in the hallway for ten minutes before coming in!”

This class was their homeroom teacher, Fu Jing’s. She taught Chinese, and everyone liked to call her “Sister Bao” because she loved steamed buns (baozi).

Jiang Siyi and Xu Yuan stood side by side, the latter quickly finishing her breakfast.

She nudged Jiang Siyi’s arm, whispering, “Hey, do you think if I give her a custard bun, she’ll let us off?”

Kids this age often found humor in the simplest things when talking with friends.

So Jiang Siyi couldn’t help but laugh. “Sister Bao will kick you out along with your breakfast.”

Xu Yuan also found her own idea silly and chuckled a few times.

“What’s going on? What’s so funny?”

Fu Jing had silently approached them without a sound.

“I just collected everyone’s summer homework. Where’s yours?”

Xu Yuan panicked. She had done the homework, but she had only written down the answers, skipping all the steps and processes.

Figuring something was better than nothing, she quietly opened her schoolbag.

Jiang Siyi, on the other hand, appeared much calmer.

She didn’t even remember having any homework.

Fu Jing, seeing her unfazed demeanor, said knowingly, “You didn’t do it again, did you?”

Jiang Siyi stared straight ahead, silent.

The homeroom teacher sighed and started her usual lecture about the importance of studying.

Jiang Siyi’s ears were numb from hearing it so many times. She tuned out the noise, lost in her own thoughts—

What was Shen Shiwu doing now?

With so many companies under her name, she must be busy.

When she was at home, Shen Shiwu didn’t go to the office that often. Now that she was back at school, wouldn’t she be spending all her time there?

“Jiang Siyi!” The woman’s voice boomed like thunder.

Jiang Siyi, whose name had just been called, was still lost in thought.

That rainy night, Shen Shiwu had called her name like that too…

Only much more gently.

“Your ability to daydream is getting more and more impressive.” Fu Jing, exasperated, started scolding her again.

Jiang Siyi finally snapped back to reality, responding halfheartedly with phrases like, “Yes, teacher,” and “Understood, Sister Bao.”

It was blatant perfunctoriness.

After an unknown amount of time, Fu Jing’s throat was dry, and she finally let them into the classroom.

Because Jiang Siyi and Xu Yuan were a bad influence on each other, their seats had been drastically changed since last semester.

One on the far left, the other on the far right.

Usually, during breaks, they couldn’t be bothered to walk across the classroom to talk, resorting to making faces at each other from across the room.

Like now.

As soon as they sat down, the bell rang. Sister Bao made a few final announcements and then clicked-clacked back to her office in her high heels.

Xu Yuan slumped in her seat, holding a stack of what looked like over ninety worksheets. “Sister Bao told me to redo them!”

Since the student next to her was still working, she considerately mouthed the words, making no sound.

Jiang Siyi twirled her pen, mouthing back, “She’s given up on me.”

As they were silently communicating, someone called from the back door, “Jiang Siyi, someone’s looking for you!”

She turned around and saw a few girls standing there.

The girl at the front had a round face and was quite cute. She called out, “Hello, Senior!”

Jiang Siyi was puzzled. “Do we… know each other?”

The round-faced girl’s voice lowered. “That day during PE class, I had low blood sugar, and you gave me two pieces of candy.”

Jiang Siyi finally remembered. She said casually, “No problem, it was nothing.”

She occasionally had low blood sugar herself, so she always carried candy with her.

The round-faced girl blushed and then mustered her courage. “Senior, can I treat you to lunch today?”

Xu Yuan, leaning against the window watching the scene unfold, yelled, “Yes! She’d love to!”

Then she saw Jiang Siyi glare at her.

The round-faced girl quickly said, “Great! I’ll wait for you at Cafeteria One!”

With that, she ran off like a rabbit, scurrying upstairs.

Jiang Siyi, who was about to decline, was left speechless.

I’m going to kill you, Xu Yuan.

“Why? If you don’t want a free lunch, I’ll take it.” Xu Yuan, after her mischievous act, said cheerfully, grabbing her cup to get some water.

Jiang Siyi accompanied her to the water dispenser and finally said, “Being associated with a failing student like me has only downsides, no benefits.”

Xu Yuan almost spat out her water.

“What about me?”

“You’re different. We’re birds of a feather, in this together.”

“…”

Cafeteria One was usually the most crowded, not because the food was particularly delicious, but compared to the other cafeterias, it was at least edible.

The round-faced girl’s eyes were sharp. As soon as she saw Jiang Siyi arrive, she waved.

She handed her meal card to Jiang Siyi. “Senior, swipe as much as you want, eat whatever you like.”

Jiang Siyi was about to say, “Really, there’s no need…”

When Xu Yuan pushed her forward along with the card, not forgetting to call out, “Okay, I’ll come find you after I buy my food!”

The round-faced girl nodded repeatedly, hiding her excitement as she returned to her seat.

“Save a meal when you can, especially since you deserve it.” Xu Yuan knew that Jiang Siyi earned her own money through part-time jobs, so she was always considerate of her.

Jiang Siyi remained silent for a moment. Holding her meal card, she thought of the money Shen Shiwu had loaded onto it, and her mood improved.

“By the way,” Xu Yuan finally asked after holding it in for a long time, “Who was that person with you at the arcade the other day?”

Jiang Siyi paused for a few seconds. “I guess you could say she’s my older sister.”

“You have an older sister?” She, as a good friend, hadn’t known.

“No, not biologically.”

Seeing the long line, Jiang Siyi briefly explained the whole story.

After she finished, Xu Yuan’s expression was a mix of emotions.

“What kind of novel plot is this?”

Jiang Siyi wanted to hit her with both meal cards. “What are you thinking? She’s using my mother’s money, so she should take care of me.”

“Then why didn’t she just give you all the money?”

“Having money and no restrictions, complete freedom, that’s the ideal life!” Xu Yuan felt relaxed just imagining it.

The surroundings were noisy. Jiang Siyi pretended not to hear her and nudged her with her elbow. “It’s almost your turn. Think about what you want to eat.”

“Let me see.”

Watching the person in front of her crane their neck and stand on tiptoes to choose dishes, Jiang Siyi thought to herself,

Being taken care of by Shen Shiwu is pretty good.

At least, I don’t have to talk to the walls anymore.

In the end, Jiang Siyi still used her own meal card. She felt it was unnecessary to exchange two pieces of candy for a meal.

The round-faced girl took the card, oblivious, and gestured for them to sit down.

It was Jiang Siyi’s first time experiencing being surrounded by people while eating.

The round-faced girl had many friends and brought five or six of them along. They were all very friendly, the kind who would chime in whenever someone spoke.

It wasn’t exactly noisy, but Jiang Siyi, usually only accompanied by Xu Yuan, wasn’t used to it.

“Senior.” The round-faced girl suddenly leaned closer.

“Hmm?”

Jiang Siyi looked down and saw a small, pale pink letter being handed to her.

The others were still chatting away, oblivious to what was happening.

The round-faced girl could barely speak, her voice soft. “Senior, this is for you.”

For Xu Yuan, this meal was incredibly enjoyable.

“Those juniors are so cute. They responded to everything I said.” She looked at Jiang Siyi’s distracted expression. “What’s wrong? Are you miles away?”

“Nothing. We have a dictation test this afternoon, I’m thinking about how to cheat.”

“Oh, don’t you usually just sleep through it and not hand it in? Becoming a good student now?”

Jiang Siyi put her hands in her pockets and told her to get lost.

But when she touched the letter, she felt it was hot, her fingers recoiling slightly.

Chapter 4

Music blared in the claw machine arcade, mixing with the chatter of the crowd, creating a lively atmosphere.

Xu Yuan wanted to share twenty game tokens with her, but Jiang Siyi waved her hand, insisting, “I’m really only playing five rounds.”

The other girl clicked her tongue and said fine, then went off to play on her own.

Thinking of finishing quickly, Jiang Siyi chose a machine and inserted two tokens.

Claw machines were truly addictive, especially when you were terrible at them and couldn’t catch anything. It only fueled the determination to try again.

And so, Jiang Siyi, failing repeatedly, used up all her precious few tokens.

The arcade was quite large. She was looking around for Xu Yuan, wanting to tell her she was leaving. Just as she turned around, a hand appeared in front of her.

The hand was pale, almost sickly, holding a box of tokens.

Jiang Siyi froze for a moment, a sense of guilt washing over her as she avoided eye contact.

The hand shook, the tokens inside clinking, accompanied by a pleasant female voice, “Not playing anymore?”

Jiang Siyi finally looked up. Feeling like a thief caught red-handed, she cleared her throat, her expression uneasy. “You… you finished buying that fast?”

It had only been a few minutes.

Shen Shiwu didn’t seem angry at all, no trace of annoyance in her eyes, her tone as calm and gentle as usual.

“The staff was quick. I didn’t wait long.”

“Oh…”

Just as she was about to confess her transgression, the bubble tea was presented to her. The other woman didn’t seem to need her to admit her wrongdoing, simply saying, “It’s too hot. Drinking something too cold will upset your stomach.”

“So I didn’t add ice.”

Jiang Siyi sipped through the straw and hummed in response.

“So, really not playing anymore?” Shen Shiwu smoothed a strand of hair from her face. “I still have a lot of tokens.”

Older sister.

The girl sipped her bubble tea, her tongue tingling slightly. Hiss, maybe the staff accidentally dropped a piece of ice in.

She swallowed the coconut jelly and protested, “Who said you could call me ‘little sister’?”

Her only family was her mother.

Besides her, no one else was allowed to act close to her.

Shen Shiwu wasn’t in a hurry. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned in slightly. “Then let me ask for your permission now.”

“Jiang Siyi, may I be your older sister?”

Perhaps because the other woman was so agreeable, or perhaps because she knew about the inheritance, Jiang Siyi’s rebellious streak resurfaced.

She turned her head away and declared, “I don’t allow it.”

Shen Shiwu feigned distress. “Is that so? What does older sister have to do to make you acknowledge me?”

“…”

“Depends on your performance.” The bubble tea was sweet, and Jiang Siyi’s mood had improved considerably. She became more talkative, even pointing at a machine. “I want that plushie.”

“Alright,” Shen Shiwu chuckled. “Older sister will get it for you.”

She didn’t know how many tokens the other woman had bought, but in the end, Jiang Siyi was holding two large bags of plushies, speechless.

Xu Yuan was also having fun on the other side, but she only managed to catch three. She excitedly turned to look for Jiang Siyi, and her jaw almost dropped when she saw the mountain of plushies.

Something wasn’t right.

And something else was definitely off.

Who was the woman standing next to Jiang Siyi?

Xu Yuan knew about her family situation. Sometimes, when Jiang Siyi didn’t want to talk about it, as a friend, she naturally wouldn’t pry.

She hesitated for a moment before leaving, sending a message to Jiang Siyi saying she had something to do at home.

Jiang Siyi didn’t think much of it and replied with an emoji.

This trip had been quite fruitful. She had left empty-handed and returned home after dinner with seven or eight shopping bags.

Getting out of the car, she watched the other woman carrying three or four bags in each hand. Without hesitation, she went to help.

Shen Shiwu handed her two of the lighter bags.

They were actually quite heavy.

Jiang Siyi looked at the woman’s steady back and clicked her tongue.

She looks slender, but she’s quite strong.

Back home, she was a little tired and sat on the sofa, eating the fried chicken Shen Shiwu had bought. Afraid the other woman had a thing about cleanliness, she ate extra carefully, afraid of dropping crumbs.

“Doesn’t it taste good?” The woman, seeing her eating slowly, leaned closer and asked.

“It’s okay.” Jiang Siyi paused, then turned her head. “Do you want some?”

“You eat. I don’t compete with children for food.”

“…”

She was seventeen! Just a few months away from adulthood, and still a child?

Jiang Siyi gave her a resentful look and said, “I’m almost eighteen. Don’t call me a child.”

Shen Shiwu leaned casually against the sofa and asked, “When’s your birthday?”

“January 3rd.”

The woman nodded. “That’s soon.”

“Which means you’ll be taking the college entrance exam next year, right?”

Jiang Siyi felt the fried chicken in her mouth suddenly lose its flavor.

She tried to change the subject, hoping to shut the other woman up, and dangled the fried food. “You really don’t want any? It’s really good.”

Shen Shiwu never touched these kinds of things, including bubble tea.

But now, looking at the girl’s sparkling eyes, she blurted out, “I’ll have a bite.”

Jiang Siyi’s scheme worked. Seeing the other woman chewing slowly, she asked, “Tastes good, right?”

“Yes, it’s good,” Shen Shiwu nodded, then continued the previous topic. “You’re taking the college entrance exam, right?”

“…”

Seeing that she couldn’t avoid it, the girl could only reply, “Yes.”

Shen Shiwu pondered. Knowing the girl’s grades were poor, she wanted to find a comfortable entry point, at least not to make her feel resistant.

Who knew that the next second, the girl would start chattering, spilling everything—

“The college entrance exam has seven subjects, and we choose three. I chose politics, history, and geography.”

“I’m terrible at math, but my Chinese is okay. I rely on essays to boost my score.”

Finally, she concluded as if summarizing a meeting, “Yeah, anyway, the exam is going to be a disaster.”

Shen Shiwu understood. This girl either didn’t speak, or she wouldn’t stop talking.

She chuckled softly and then reassured her, “It’s okay. There’s still time. I’ll teach you slowly.”

At this moment, Jiang Siyi clearly didn’t know how terrifying this sentence was. She even thought Shen Shiwu was a really nice person.

A sense of going above and beyond, of seeing things through to the end.

But only her Chinese essays were decent; the rest were an assault on the teacher’s eyes.

Jiang Siyi thought for a moment and said, “Forget it, I’ve already given up.”

“You’re not planning on going to university?”

“I won’t get in. The score requirements here are too high. It’s better to start working early.” The girl mumbled, the fried chicken now cold. She poked at it for a while before putting it in her mouth.

Shen Shiwu remained silent for a long time.

What, did my self-deprecation piss her off?

Jiang Siyi wondered, wanting to see what the woman looked like when she was angry.

After a while, Shen Shiwu finally spoke.

“If Auntie Jiang were still alive, she definitely wouldn’t want to see you give up on yourself.”

Damn.

Jiang Siyi paused, her eyes reddening slightly.

Bringing up my mom, huh?

She sniffed, her voice defiant. “Who says? She just wants me to be happy.”

Seeing her like this, Shen Shiwu thought she shouldn’t use this tactic again. She moved closer, almost coaxing her. “Okay, let’s not talk about the college entrance exam anymore.”

She glanced at the time. “Do you want to go upstairs and rest?”

Jiang Siyi didn’t reply, simply heading upstairs in silence.

In the living room downstairs, Shen Shiwu stared into space and then sighed softly.

***

In a blink of an eye, the day of the early school start arrived. It was only August, and the poor senior year students had to endure the scorching sun and head back to school.

The shadow of a Mercedes-Benz glided along the camphor tree-lined road.

Jiang Siyi, her sleep schedule completely messed up after half a summer vacation, was catching up on sleep.

“We’re almost at school, Jiang Siyi.”

After spending so much time together, the two had become quite familiar with each other.

At some point, Shen Shiwu had changed the way she addressed her to “Jiang Siyi,” only occasionally calling her “little girl.”

Jiang Siyi opened her eyes resignedly and drowsily looked out the window.

Scan complete.

“I can still sleep for two more minutes.”

With that, she promptly fell back asleep.

Shen Shiwu shook her head helplessly. Following the school staff’s directions, the car drove into the school and all the way to the dormitory building.

Only then did Jiang Siyi fully wake up.

In theory, to prevent traffic congestion, parents weren’t allowed to enter the dormitories. They had to drop off their children and luggage and leave immediately.

But rules were meant to be broken, and people were flexible. Hardly anyone followed this rule.

However, Jiang Siyi, who was constantly getting into trouble, was surprisingly obedient in this regard.

She grabbed her suitcase and bags, like someone going to the city for work, and waved to Shen Shiwu. “Bye.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Chasing me away?”

“No, it’s just that I’m used to doing things independently.” Jiang Siyi pulled the new suitcase Shen Shiwu had bought her and started up the stairs.

Oh no, it’s heavy.

She panted, pausing after each step. Finally, she couldn’t help but curse the school inwardly—

Why did you have to build stairs in front of the dormitory?

Shen Shiwu leaned against the car, arms crossed, watching her like she was enjoying a good show. Her striking appearance attracted glances from passersby.

Finally, Jiang Siyi, fanning herself, was feeling the strain.

She hadn’t been this weak before. It must have been from lazing around at Shen Shiwu’s house for a month.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She said a little awkwardly, “Maybe… maybe you should help me after all.”

Terrifying, this woman is terrifying.

Jiang Siyi watched as Shen Shiwu effortlessly carried her suitcase up to the third floor.

Then she came back down and carried up the large duffel bag filled with blankets and pillows, heavy enough to crush someone.

After all that, she was only slightly breathless, a stark contrast to Jiang Siyi, who felt half-dead.

“Hand me the hook, the one for hanging the mosquito net, yes.” After the initial shock, Jiang Siyi decided to show off her skills.

Everything went smoothly until Shen Shiwu commented, “Did you hang the hook in the wrong place?”

“…”

All her efforts were wasted.

Ugh, what’s going on today? On previous school starting days, she had handled these things with ease.

Well, it must be because of Shen Shiwu.

She had to take it down and rehang it, but then she caught her roommates staring at the woman.

Those burning gazes made her pause.

“What’s wrong? Want me to do it?”

“No.”

The girl’s tone was fierce as she resumed her battle with the mosquito net.

Shen Shiwu, not understanding, looked at her less-than-pleasant expression, thinking she was annoyed, and comforted her, “It’s okay, take your time.”

“I’m here.”

Jiang Siyi responded with an “Oh,” seemingly indifferent, but her movements became gentler.

An hour later, after her roommates had all left, the project was finally complete.

Her arms were too sore to lift. Just as she was about to lie down on the bed to rest, she saw Shen Shiwu slowly walk into the dormitory.

“Our Jiang Siyi is truly remarkable.”

Jiang Siyi genuinely thought she was being praised.

But this sudden comment made her feel a little embarrassed. Just as she was about to wave her hand and say, “It’s just hanging a mosquito net and making a bed, it’s easy,”

She heard the other woman continue, her lips curving slightly,

“Even the dormitory’s disciplinary notice board is filled with your name.”

“I counted,” she leaned in closer, “a total of twenty-seven.”

Although the woman still wore a gentle smile, Jiang Siyi, usually so unrestrained, felt a long-forgotten sense of…

Oppression.

Chapter 3

The word “support,” since her mother’s passing, had vanished from her life.

Shen Shiwu didn’t ask about the reason behind her increasing rebelliousness, nor did she lecture her like her class teacher.

She accepted it calmly and told her it didn’t matter.

Jiang Siyi felt her eyes welling up. She blinked several times, her eyelashes fluttering like tiny butterflies.

“Then why are you helping me?”

She couldn’t understand.

The people who had been kind to her were few and far between. Accustomed to loneliness, Shen Shiwu’s sudden appearance and words left her bewildered.

She felt lost, confused, and the childhood memories alone weren’t enough to build trust.

“Does there have to be a reason?” Shen Shiwu actually pondered for a moment. “I find you cute, so I want to help. Is that not allowed?”

This wasn’t a lie.

She genuinely found Jiang Siyi as adorable as she was in her childhood.

Jiang Siyi struggled to form a response, her face flushing red in the process.

After a while, she composed herself. “I’m asking you seriously.”

Hearing this, Shen Shiwu sighed inwardly and told the truth. “Auntie Jiang and my mother were good friends.”

The implication was clear.

So that’s it.

Pitying me and offering help, huh?

Jiang Siyi thought sullenly.

If only Mother were still here.

If she were, I wouldn’t be like a stray dog, with no place to call home.

“Anyway, just stay here and relax…” Shen Shiwu was interrupted mid-sentence. She heard the girl say:

“I’ll move out as soon as I graduate high school.”

“If there’s anything you spend money on, I’ll pay you back with interest.”

Her tone was firm, as if discussing a business deal.

Shen Shiwu simply watched her, her expression exceptionally calm. Only after the girl rambled on for a while did she finally break into a smile, unable to contain it any longer.

Sometimes, when Jiang Siyi got stuck, suddenly forgetting what she was saying, Shen Shiwu would soothe her, “Don’t worry, take your time.”

Her smile lingering.

“Okay, that’s all for now.” Jiang Siyi licked her lips, her mouth dry from talking. She saw Shen Shiwu resting her chin on her hand, watching her. “Finished?”

“Yeah, finished.”

The woman got up and left, returning with a glass of water.

“Drink this.”

Jiang Siyi often overthought things. Now she wondered why she wasn’t offered tea.

She took the glass and thanked her.

Perhaps catching the girl’s gaze, Shen Shiwu gently explained, “You’re too young to drink tea. It’ll keep you up at night.”

Huh.

This is age-restricted now?

Jiang Siyi didn’t believe her nonsense.

After finishing the large glass of water, her dry throat felt much better. Sleepiness washed over her.

“Which room am I staying in?”

“Any room on the second floor except my bedroom. They’ve all been cleaned.”

Seeing the girl respond with an “Oh” and about to head upstairs, Shen Shiwu spoke up just in time, “Wait a minute.”

Jiang Siyi turned around, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

The woman emerged from the bathroom on the first floor, holding a hairdryer. She walked over and gently grasped the girl’s wrist.

“Your hair needs to be completely dry.”

That night, surrounded by the scent of unfamiliar shampoo, Jiang Siyi fell asleep early.

However, she woke up again at three in the morning and couldn’t fall back asleep no matter how hard she tried.

Perhaps this was retribution for sleeping from morning till seven in the evening yesterday.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, finally resigning herself to playing on her phone.

The class group chat was flooded with messages, mostly lamenting the early start of school. The thought made her sigh. What store would hire her for just one month of summer work?

Without a part-time job, she wouldn’t have any money.

Without money… how could she repay Shen Shiwu’s debt?

Thus, she tossed and turned, staying awake until dawn.

Next door, Shen Shiwu was also awake.

“You have to take good care of Siyi, understand?” Shen’s mother, abroad, was video chatting with her daughter.

“Of course,” the woman replied, tapping her fingers on the desk. “But I have a question.”

“Didn’t Auntie Jiang leave anything behind? Like an inheritance?”

“That bastard Li Nan swallowed it all,” Shen’s mother fumed. “No matter how rebellious Siyi is, she’s still a child. How could she outsmart him?”

Shen Shiwu’s eyes darkened.

“Your Auntie Jiang helped me out a few times when she was alive. If it weren’t for my poor health and inability to fly long distances, I would have come back to raise Siyi myself.”

“Don’t you trust me to take care of her?”

Shen’s mother smiled, her eyes crinkling kindly. “Good, you two get along well.”

***

The next day, the heavy rain from the previous night had stopped, replaced by gentle sunlight.

It was a beautiful, clear day.

Although Jiang Siyi woke up early, she stayed in her room, sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze after washing up.

Shen Shiwu figured teenagers tended to sleep in, so she didn’t knock on her door until noon.

Jiang Siyi, whose backside was nearly numb from sitting, finally heard a noise outside and pretended to call out, “What’s up?”

The woman’s voice was gentle, “Are you up? Come down for lunch.”

Jiang Siyi, who had been up for ages, replied, “Oh, give me ten minutes.”

Sitting at the dining table, the housekeeper brought over seven dishes and a soup, an extremely lavish meal.

Jiang Siyi, holding her chopsticks, was so hungry she couldn’t help but say, “I’m starting.”

Shen Shiwu was amused, and said indulgently, “Go ahead.”

Since last night, the housekeeper had been curious about the young girl the mistress had suddenly brought home.

But no matter how curious she was, she couldn’t ask. Watching the two eat, she addressed Shen Shiwu, “Miss, I’ll be going then. I’ll come back in the evening.”

“No need to come back for dinner. We’ll eat out.”

“Oh, alright.”

Jiang Siyi, enjoying her meal, looked up in confusion.

“I’m taking you to buy some clothes and other daily necessities,” Shen Shiwu explained.

“No need, I brought everything.” Jiang Siyi didn’t want to waste money.

The woman saw right through her thoughts and casually said, “The housekeeper hung your clothes out to dry this morning, and…”

She paused.

Jiang Siyi, chewing on a piece of braised pork, asked, “And what?”

“They were graced by bird droppings.”

“…”

Shen Shiwu continued eating without changing her expression, as if she hadn’t just said those words.

“Really?” Jiang Siyi was a little skeptical. “It was that accurate? All on my clothes?”

“Really.”

She tried to glean something from the woman’s micro-expressions, but the woman was impeccably composed.

Jiang Siyi poked at her rice, too lazy to dig deeper.

The consequence of not asking further was that she was dragged out the door right after finishing her meal.

In the car, Jiang Siyi looked sideways at the woman driving, feeling apprehensive, but still stubbornly declared, “I’ll pay for myself.”

The other woman humored her, “I know.”

Arriving at the mall, she was led into a store.

The last time she had been in a physical store was… she couldn’t remember, but it was a long time ago.

“Do you like these two dresses?” Shen Shiwu waved to the shop assistant, signaling her to leave them alone, and then asked the girl.

Both were floral dresses, just in different color schemes.

Jiang Siyi actually liked this style very much.

But considering her empty wallet, she still shook her head. “Not really.”

Shen Shiwu raised an eyebrow slightly and put the dresses back.

Jiang Siyi felt a little uneasy. She softly urged, “Just buy something cheap. I wear a uniform at school.”

Wearing the school uniform was one of the few school rules she followed.

People bustled around them. Shen Shiwu noticed the girl’s embarrassment and discomfort. She made a thoughtful sound, as if considering something, then said, “Auntie Jiang left a small portion of her inheritance to my mother.”

She slowly soothed the negative emotions in the girl’s heart.

“So it’s only natural for me to spend money on you, understand?”

At the mention of her mother, Jiang Siyi’s eyes flickered.

Then she finally grasped the key point. “Inheritance?”

In fact, Shen’s mother hadn’t taken a penny. Shen Shiwu lied for two reasons.

One, to reassure Jiang Siyi about spending money and to allow her to grow up without worries.

Two, to remind her about the existence of the inheritance.

The woman nodded, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to explain later, and proceeded to pick out a pile of clothes and head to the checkout.

“What are you daydreaming about? Be careful not to get lost.”

How could she get lost here? And she wasn’t a kindergartener.

Jiang Siyi pouted but followed anyway.

“Hello, the total is two thousand nine hundred and eighty.”

T-two thousand?

Almost three thousand?

Jiang Siyi watched as the woman calmly paid, trying to convince herself.

It’s okay, she’s spending my mom’s money.

I deserve this.

Thinking this all the way, she quickly accepted the reality and finally stopped worrying about the money.

“So, from now on, if I want something, will you buy it for me?”

Shen Shiwu smiled. “Yes, I’ll even pluck the stars from the sky for you.”

Jiang Siyi tilted her head and snorted softly.

She didn’t want stars.

She didn’t need that much money either, just enough to get by.

What she longed for most was love.

Later, they entered a lingerie store. Jiang Siyi walked in calmly but came out blushing.

Shen Shiwu looked at her. “There’s no shame in buying underwear. It’s normal, understand?”

Her mother had passed away early, and no one had ever taught Jiang Siyi about these things. She had figured it out on her own.

The girl responded with a hum and then said, “I want bubble tea.”

It was the first time she had actively asked for something, even if it was just bubble tea. Shen Shiwu was quite happy, feeling that her child-rearing mission had made a leap forward.

It was summer vacation, and almost every store was packed, including the bubble tea shop. There were no empty seats.

Shen Shiwu found a place to sit outside, placing several shopping bags at Jiang Siyi’s feet. “What do you want? Wait here, I’ll go buy it.”

The girl told her the name of the drink she wanted and then, watching the woman’s retreating figure, started playing with her phone out of boredom.

“Holy crap, Jiang Siyi!” She knew who it was without looking up.

Xu Yuan lived near the mall and often came here to eat. She was shocked to see Jiang Siyi.

She came over with a bag of fried chicken, the aroma making Jiang Siyi a little hungry.

“Want a bite?”

“Nah.”

She would ask Shen Shiwu to buy her some later.

Xu Yuan ate as she looked her over. “Why aren’t you at your part-time job today?”

When she saw the pile of shopping bags next to Jiang Siyi, she was even more surprised. “Did you win the lottery?”

Jiang Siyi didn’t know how to explain the situation.

She touched her nose and mumbled, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when school starts.”

Seeing this, Xu Yuan didn’t press further, but pulled her along. “Want to go play the claw machines?”

“No.”

“Come on, just play with me for a bit. It’s just that store over there, a few seconds away.”

The bubble tea shop was overflowing with customers. Jiang Siyi looked inside and saw Shen Shiwu was still waiting.

She calculated the time, figuring she could play for a few minutes and then run back. Shen Shiwu probably wouldn’t notice.

So, Jiang Siyi took off with the shopping bags.

She still had some conscience, telling Xu Yuan as they walked, “I’m only exchanging ten coins, five tries.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

The shop assistant’s hands moved swiftly, quickly finishing Shen Shiwu’s drink. However, when the woman walked outside, her face darkened considerably.

Because Jiang Siyi was gone.

Chapter 2

Years ago, in the midst of summer, the chirping of birds and cicadas filled the air, disturbing the peace.

In the dilapidated alley, the cement ground was littered with sun-bleached advertisement stickers and fallen leaves.

A young girl rode an electric scooter, kicking up a gust of wind.

The yellowed shop sign creaked precariously.

Jiang Siyi slammed on the brakes, nearly overshooting the shop. She crunched the candy in her mouth and, without bothering to lock the scooter, lifted the rubber curtain.

“Auntie, a friend recommended this place. I’m here to buy a used phone.”

The candy in her mouth crackled.

Auntie Wang got up from her recliner, the fan in her hand still moving. She pointed to the left side of the glass counter. “With your budget, take a look at this row.”

Jiang Siyi, tired of standing, grabbed a round stool and sat down.

“—For the next three days, Qinan City will experience continuous high temperatures and rainy weather, especially tonight, there will be heavy to torrential rain. Residents are advised…”

The old radio crackled with the weather forecast. Jiang Siyi pointed to a white, older model phone. “This one is fine. Twelve hundred, right?”

She took out a wad of cash, counted out twelve bills and placed them on the table, then put the remaining three or four bills back in her pocket.

Auntie Wang spat on her finger and started counting the money.

“Alright, no problem. Take it.”

After confirming the amount, she tucked the money into the drawer and lay back down, listening to the weather forecast.

From time to time, she would mutter, “This weather forecast is getting more and more inaccurate. The sun outside is almost blinding me, and they’re saying rain…”

Jiang Siyi turned on the phone on the spot, satisfied. After confirming the touchscreen and other functions were working, she replied, “Exactly. I don’t believe it’ll rain tonight. I almost fainted from the heat riding my scooter here this morning.”

Auntie Wang chuckled, finding the girl amusing, and offered her a handful of sunflower seeds.

“You look like a student. Don’t you have to go back to school to get your report card today?”

“I’m just about to go. I had to buy a phone first, didn’t I?” She laughed. “Gotta go, bye Auntie.”

It was just past seven o’clock. There was no need to arrive at school too early to pick up the report card; the rule was that arriving after nine o’clock counted as being late.

There was plenty of time. Jiang Siyi fiddled with her phone as she slowly walked outside.

The sun was blinding.

She looked up, paused, and wondered if she was seeing things.

Because her scooter was gone.

Jiang Siyi took a few steps forward, looking left and right, but couldn’t find even a tire.

“…Who stole my scooter!?”

***

“Little girl, you go to school first. The police officers are checking the surveillance footage. We’ll notify you if we have any news.”

Fearing the police wouldn’t take her seriously, Jiang Siyi, sitting in the chair, squeezed out a few dry tears.

She could only nod, leave her phone number, and walk out of the police station.

Her phone was already logged into WeChat, and messages from her friend Xu Yuan flooded the screen.

[It’s almost nine o’clock, why aren’t you here yet? Did you buy a phone all the way to outer space?]

[We’re doomed. Ms. Bao is here. Just wait for the scolding.]

Let it be.

She was used to being scolded anyway.

Glancing at the time, it was three minutes to nine. There was no way she could make it.

Thinking this, Jiang Siyi actually relaxed.

Busy all morning and her stomach still empty, she strolled along the street and, seeing the white steam rising from a breakfast stall, quickened her pace.

After buying two steamed buns, she squatted by the roadside, checking the navigation, and found that it would take an hour to walk to school and an hour and a half to walk home.

The nearest bus stop was about fifteen minutes away.

“…”

Damn it.

This place was really remote.

Remembering that she had little money left from her part-time job, she gritted her teeth and walked briskly under the scorching sun for almost twenty minutes.

When she saw the bus driver, she had never felt so grateful for anyone before.

Finally, after much hardship, she returned home. She didn’t reach for the air conditioner remote but turned on the fan instead.

Although she was the daughter of the owner of this villa, she was merely a tenant.

Paying electricity bills in the summer, water bills in the winter.

This kind of life had been going on for many years.

Xu Yuan was still bombarding her with messages on her phone.

[It’s over. We’re starting school a month early next semester for our senior year.]

[We only had a few days off! They’re not treating us like human beings!]

Now Jiang Siyi was also a little distraught. She still had her part-time job, which meant she would have to work a month less.

Just as she was about to reply, her class teacher called.

After answering, the teacher’s voice was stern: “Jiang Siyi, now you don’t even bother coming to pick up your report card?”

“Being late usually is one thing, but today it’s nine o’clock! You couldn’t even get up?”

“Ms. Bao, my scooter was stolen today. If you don’t believe me, come with me to the police station.”

“Go my foot!”

The teacher went on and on, scolding her and then earnestly explaining the importance of studying, eventually moving on to the key points for the college entrance exam.

Jiang Siyi absentmindedly hummed in agreement, putting the phone on the bedside table and starting to doze off.

“Jiang Siyi? Are you listening? Are you asleep?”

“Uh-huh.”

“…”

The call finally ended, and Jiang Siyi, finally at peace, pulled the covers over her head and fell asleep.

It wasn’t until seven in the evening that the housekeeper knocked on her door.

“Miss, your father wants you downstairs.”

Tsk.

Jiang Siyi lay in bed for a while before slowly getting up. Reaching the staircase landing, she paused, then went back to her room to pack her things.

Li Nan waited for almost an hour without seeing her come down, frowning. “What’s she doing?”

“Sir, Miss is packing her luggage.”

This time the man laughed, as if some great fortune had fallen upon him.

He lit a cigarette, his expression ugly. “Since she wants to leave so badly, throw her and her luggage out.”

The night was thicker than coffee.

Before leaving, Jiang Siyi had a huge argument with Li Nan, calling him a shameless gold digger and cursing him to die suddenly and be reborn as a fly in his next life.

The man, never able to win an argument against her, his face flushed with anger, could only tell the housekeeper to quickly close the door.

The girl’s slender figure was drenched by the rain.

She pulled her suitcase, the wheels squeaking against the ground.

Where she could go, Jiang Siyi naturally didn’t know. The heavy rain lashed against her face, eventually numbing her. She could only pin her hopes on her friend Xu Yuan.

Taking out her phone from her pocket, she wiped the water droplets off the screen, trying to figure out how to start the conversation.

The nearby streetlight flickered, like a ghost, dimming and brightening.

Jiang Siyi, who feared nothing, was only afraid of ghosts and monsters.

She clutched her phone, thinking she should leave this spooky place first. She quickened her pace, the squeaking sound behind her growing louder.

After an unknown number of squeaks, the suitcase finally seemed to give way,

Crashing into two halves.

Jiang Siyi looked up at the sky, wondering why there hadn’t been any thunder.

After a long silence, she finally squatted down to carefully gather her belongings.

After all, these were all her possessions.

Suddenly, amidst the sound of rain, someone called her name.

Jiang Siyi’s hair stood on end.

The girl’s hands froze, neither moving nor staying still.

After a while, she mustered her courage and peeked behind her.

Under the flickering streetlight, a woman stood, holding an umbrella.

Jiang Siyi gasped.

From her perspective, the woman’s long hair was lost in the darkness, her face flickering in the light, her features indistinguishable.

The hand holding the umbrella was steady, unmoving despite the heavy rain.

The more she looked, the more the woman resembled a ghost.

Jiang Siyi almost went weak in the knees, her knees hitting the ground.

Fortunately, she regained her composure. Just as she was about to yell “Who are you?”, she heard the other person softly call her name again.

“Jiang Siyi.”

Thud.

This time, she really knelt down.

The other person seemed to notice something was wrong and took a few steps forward.

Only then could Jiang Siyi make out the woman’s facial features.

Somewhat familiar.

She straightened up, squinting, her vision obscured by the rain, only aware that the other person was getting closer and closer.

Finally, a crack appeared in her memory.

She remembered.

This was the daughter of Auntie Shen from next door.

Wasn’t she abroad? Why was she back?

When they were only a few steps apart, Shen Shiwu suddenly stopped. Her eyes were slender, the corners upturned. Later, Jiang Siyi would look it up and learn they were called “peach blossom eyes.”

“Coming with me?”

Jiang Siyi couldn’t gauge how heavy the rain was that night.

She only remembered swallowing the bitterness, her nose stinging.

“If you want to, come on your own.”

The woman’s voice was like a gentle mountain stream, beckoning her to a warm place.

Perhaps because she was soaked and uncomfortable, her legs started moving. Her footsteps were swallowed by the ground, light as if afraid it was all a dream.

The rain finally lessened.

Actually, it hadn’t, but now she had an umbrella over her head.

The rainwater on her face was wiped away.

Jiang Siyi heard the person in front of her say, “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”

***

Just like that, she was taken home by a woman she barely knew.

Jiang Siyi watched the housekeeper make several trips to bring all her belongings inside. She lowered her head slightly, feeling embarrassed.

This was one of the few times in her life she felt apologetic.

“Go take a shower first.” Shen Shiwu led her upstairs and thoughtfully brought her some clothes. “You can wear mine for now. I’ll take you to buy new ones tomorrow.”

Although Jiang Siyi was rebellious, she wasn’t ungrateful.

She nodded and took the clothes, thanking her.

The woman seemed to chuckle and then said, “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

After a hot shower, she felt much more comfortable. Her hair half-dried, Jiang Siyi put down the hairdryer and went downstairs in her slippers.

Shen Shiwu was looking at her computer. Seeing her come down, she said something in English to the person on the other end and closed the laptop, placing it aside.

“Come sit.”

Since she had said so, Jiang Siyi plopped down beside her.

“Anything you want to ask?” Shen Shiwu took a sip of tea to moisten her throat.

Jiang Siyi watched, wanting to say, Be careful, you might not be able to sleep tonight if you drink any more tea. But the words changed as they reached her lips. “Why did you bring me to your house?”

The other woman raised an eyebrow. “You still recognize me?”

As a true admirer of beauty, Jiang Siyi remembered everyone who was good-looking.

And someone of Shen Shiwu’s caliber, she could remember until she died.

“I remember. You’re Auntie Shen’s daughter.” The girl thought for a moment, adding, “I think I scared you when I was little.”

Back then, when her mother was still alive, Jiang Siyi was even more mischievous than she was now. She had always been a free spirit, restless and playful.

Seeing that a beautiful older sister, six years her senior, lived next door, she became even more energetic.

She often wore masks bought from elementary school charity sales, pretending to be a ghost, just to get the other person’s attention.

Later, after being scolded by her mother, she calmed down a bit.

Then later.

Her mother passed away.

And the beautiful older sister next door went abroad, never to return.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the woman’s soft laughter. The woman’s smile was beautiful, her eyes crinkling at the corners, brighter than the moon.

“So, are you more well-behaved now, or more mischievous than before?”

After this question, Jiang Siyi didn’t say anything.

Thinking of the constant disciplinary actions she received at school, she chose to remain silent.

“Seems like the latter.”

Hearing this, the girl thought silently.

So, are you going to kick me out now?

However, Shen Shiwu’s next words were completely unexpected.

“It doesn’t matter.” The woman ruffled her hair, her palm becoming slightly damp from the still-wet strands.

“From now on, someone will have your back.”

Chapter 1

The city of Qinan was shrouded in a persistent drizzle. Though gentle, the rain had been falling for three weeks straight.

Stepping off the international flight, the cold air seeped into her bones. While waiting for her luggage, her assistant muttered in bewilderment, “It’s already early summer, why is it still so cold in Qinan?”

The woman in the red dress beside her, eyes fixed on her phone screen, didn’t react.

Only after retrieving her luggage and heading outside did she calmly reply, “Because of the rain, I suppose.”

“Maybe,” the assistant glanced at her, already feeling chilled. “It’s really cold out here. Shouldn’t we wear a coat?”

“No coat, it’s ugly.”

“…”

“Fine, fine,” the assistant, long accustomed to this, changed the subject. “Be prepared, okay? Don’t answer any questions later, understand?”

Jiang Siyi, sleep-deprived from the night before, didn’t respond, only pulling her mask higher. Her eyelids felt heavy, her expression drowsy.

Seeing her half-dead state, the assistant felt relieved. Because when Jiang Siyi was in a bad mood, no one could get her to speak.

The crowd outside the airport consisted mostly of readers and media. After signing autographs, Jiang Siyi ignored all the media’s questions and interviews.

They were all about her private life. It was good enough that she wasn’t throwing a tantrum.

“Miss Jiang, you mentioned your first love in the preface of your new book. Was she one of the sources of your inspiration?”

Just as she was about to get into the car, amidst the clamor, a reporter from some media outlet threw out this question.

Seeing the person beside her pause, the assistant thought, Uh oh, this isn’t good, and was about to remind her not to speak—

When she heard Jiang Siyi’s voice, calm and unhurried, as if discussing the most ordinary of topics.

“Not one of.”

The crowd behind them instantly erupted, jostling to push forward.

After speaking, Jiang Siyi got into the car, her expression indifferent, and began to doze off as if shutting out the world.

The assistant sighed inwardly and quickly followed suit.

The car door closed, effectively separating them from the chaos. Looking at the person beside her, seemingly asleep, she couldn’t help but say, “You never listen to advice.”

“Sister Lin is right, no one in this world can control you.”

Jiang Siyi remained asleep, motionless, but her mind grew increasingly hazy. She shifted, trying to find a comfortable sleeping position, but couldn’t settle down.

“Tell Aunt Lin something for me,” she finally spoke after a long while.

“Tell her what?”

“Tell her I’m not going back to London.”

Like a pebble skipping across a calm lake, a ripple spread through the air.

The assistant’s throat bobbed several times, and in the end, she just sniffed and nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell her.”

The car slowly stopped in front of a traditional Chinese courtyard house. Nestled between mountains and water, with a small stream meandering nearby, it seemed to stretch to the horizon.

“Wow, this house is impressive,” the assistant exclaimed. “Is this the one you bought two years ago?”

Jiang Siyi nodded in affirmation. Getting out of the car, she saw it was only a light rain, so she didn’t bother opening her umbrella and simply walked inside with her luggage.

“My goodness, at least use an umbrella!”

“It’s fine, I won’t die.”

Buying this house had cost Jiang Siyi a large chunk of her savings back then. Yet, she had never lived in it once.

“It’s so clean, not a speck of dust,” the assistant poked her head around, running from the backyard to the front hall, then into the study.

“Yeah, the housekeeper comes to clean every month.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” She finally stopped, sitting down on the sofa to rest. “You’ve been looking forward to returning to China, haven’t you?”

Jiang Siyi didn’t deny it. She first piled her suitcases in the corner, then sat down on the sofa, feeling exhausted.

“So, what are your plans now?”

“I still have to go back to England. My family is there, I have to go back.”

Jiang Siyi stared at the ceiling, blinking slowly after a long moment.

“My plan,” she suddenly smiled, “is to live in seclusion in the mountains.”

That evening, Miss Jiang, who had vowed to live in seclusion, stepped into a bar in her stilettos, her long hair swaying.

She was still wearing the same red dress, vibrant and eye-catching, even more flamboyant than the red wine in the tall glasses.

“A Mojito, please.”

Since it was a lesbian bar, it was full of women. The music was deafening. Jiang Siyi sat alone at the bar, staring blankly at the wooden countertop.

“Excuse me, this Pink Lady is a gift for you from that lady over there.” The bartender was polite, his finger briefly pointing in a direction before quickly retracting.

“Who?”

Jiang Siyi hadn’t seen clearly at all. She frowned and waved her hand. “No thanks, please thank her for me.”

Just as she finished speaking, someone patted her shoulder.

“Hey there, pretty lady, I sent the drink. Why are you alone at a lesbian bar?”

The bartender tactfully left, a smile hidden on his face.

Jiang Siyi took a sip of her Mojito and turned to see a hot girl in a crop top talking to her.

She had been hit on countless times. After so many years, she had become quite adept at it.

Of course, adept at rejecting.

“I’m here to kill time. When dawn breaks, I have to pick up my ex-girlfriend from prison.” Jiang Siyi pushed the Pink Lady towards her. “Want to join me?”

The hot girl was instantly speechless.

She stood there for a moment, then left without taking the drink.

The changing lights of different colors hurt Jiang Siyi’s eyes. She simply closed them, savoring the moment the alcohol reached her brain. After several sips, she opened her eyes, staring at the abandoned drink and murmuring, “What a waste.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a pair of slender hands entered her view like an uninvited guest. The woman picked up the butterfly-shaped glass and drained it in one gulp.

“Pink Lady…” Shen Shiwu placed the glass back on the table with a clink, then chuckled softly. “Quite the connoisseur.”

The moment their eyes met, Jiang Siyi instinctively froze. The loud DJ music filled the air, a lively atmosphere, yet she felt as if she could hear her own heartbeat.

She had imagined the scene of their reunion.

But meeting in a bar wasn’t within the scope of her imagination.

“What, don’t you recognize me?”

The woman didn’t look drastically different from her memory. Her hair was still slightly curled, her features, etched by time, were as picturesque as ever.

But compared to her former gentle demeanor, she now possessed a more aggressive aura.

Jiang Siyi almost lost her grip on the glass.

Under the woman’s gaze, she forced herself to remain calm, wiping away the few drops of spilled alcohol with her fingertips.

However, her seemingly calm composure was as sharp as a thorn in Shen Shiwu’s eyes.

“Jiang Siyi.”

Only after hearing her name did Jiang Siyi finally react.

Her gaze still lingered on the crystal-clear glass in her hand. She spoke without much emotion, “What a coincidence, you’re here for a drink too?”

Shen Shiwu seemed to be amused by her words. She sat down beside her, and if you only looked at her posture, she looked much like she did years ago, sitting at the desk supervising the girl’s homework.

“I’m not here for a drink.” The woman suddenly leaned closer, her long, slender fingers flicking lightly, and the glass in the other person’s hand instantly tipped over onto the table—

“I’m here to take you home.”

Home.

Jiang Siyi’s eyes suddenly welled up.

The liquid in the glass flowed everywhere, about to stain her clothes, but she didn’t move.

She was in a daze, remembering that rainy night four years ago.

Shen Shiwu had also taken her home then.