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

Chapter 19

A sleepless night was unpleasant.

After getting up, Jiang Siyi looked listless, two dark circles under her eyes as if she had been out all night. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed powerlessly.

After washing up, she sat on the edge of her bed, feeling lost.

“Not up yet? You’re going to be late.” Hearing Shen Shiwu’s sudden voice from outside, Jiang Siyi almost fell to her knees.

“Coming.” She replied, but hesitated at the door for a few seconds before finally opening it.

She slowly made her way downstairs. Shen Shiwu was already sitting at the dining table, waiting. Seeing the girl’s head down, her expression slightly flustered, she chuckled. “Why are you suddenly so afraid of me?”

Jiang Siyi shuffled to her seat, feeling guilty, and didn’t reply, focusing on her food instead. After a couple of bites, she noticed something was off—

Why was it so quiet? Where was the housekeeper?

Shen Shiwu saw through her thoughts and said casually, “I made breakfast.”

“And I’m driving you to and from school today.”

Jiang Siyi was stunned. “Why?”

“Wu Ying has something to do, and her mother has to go with her. As for Auntie Wang, there was a fire at her neighbor’s house, and she had to go help.”

“???”

Shen Shiwu spoke calmly, without missing a beat, her fingers tapping the table rhythmically.

Jiang Siyi took a bite of her fried egg, knowing it was pointless to question the inconsistencies in her story. “Okay.”

She usually didn’t have much of an appetite in the morning, but today she ate most of her breakfast. Although she didn’t want to admit it, Shen Shiwu’s cooking was delicious.

As for why she didn’t want to admit it…

Because the more skills Shen Shiwu displayed, the more ridiculous she felt.

The memories of last night flooded her mind, and Jiang Siyi suddenly lost her appetite. She put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and said, “Let’s go.”

Sitting in the passenger seat of Shen Shiwu’s car, Jiang Siyi felt like needles were pricking her, so she pretended to sleep, at least to hide her discomfort.

The car slowly stopped at the school gate. Several students rode past on their electric scooters. Jiang Siyi pretended to just wake up and was about to grab her backpack and rush out of the car when she heard a click—

The car doors were locked.

“You still have eleven minutes before you’re late. Take your time.”

What is she trying to do?

Is she going to settle the score from last night?

A thousand possibilities flashed through Jiang Siyi’s mind.

“Xiao Si,” the other woman suddenly called her nickname, “you seem to be a little afraid of me, since last night.”

As expected.

Jiang Siyi retracted her hand from the door handle and slumped back in her seat, feigning nonchalance, but her heart was pounding.

It was just a confession, and I ran away!

She fidgeted with her sleeve, thinking, Scold me, hit me, do whatever you want. If you want to abandon me… that’s fine too.

She was an adult now.

She could take care of herself.

But it still hurt…

Jiang Siyi felt like a criminal awaiting sentencing, waiting for the other woman’s next words.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed or afraid.” Shen Shiwu rested her head on one hand and looked at her sideways.

The girl thought these were words of comfort after a gentle rejection.

She forced a smile. “Mm, I know.”

Many students were passing by, and a car parked at the school gate was conspicuous. Just as she was about to say she had to get out of the car, Shen Shiwu extended her hand.

Her slender, pale fingers held a letter.

Another click.

The car doors unlocked.

Jiang Siyi didn’t look closely, thinking it was the love letter from Yang Yi, and her face stiffened even more. “I don’t like her. You can keep it.”

She was about to get out of the car.

Her feet finally touched the ground, and she was about to sprint towards the school gate when her backpack was lightly tugged.

The letter was handed to her again from behind.

The surroundings were noisy. With only six minutes left before she was late, many students were rushing into the school, eating breakfast as they went, calling out greetings to their classmates.

Jiang Siyi sensed something, but she wasn’t sure.

Finally, she heard the woman behind her speak softly, “Sorry, this is my love letter.”

Shen Shiwu’s voice wasn’t loud, and afraid she wouldn’t hear clearly, she leaned closer. The car shielded them from view.

Jiang Siyi was completely stunned.

Some wishes she had once considered delusional seemed to be coming true on this ordinary Friday morning.

Even the usually biting winter wind felt gentle.

She took the letter, her hand trembling slightly.

“Is this… for me?” Jiang Siyi asked tentatively.

Shen Shiwu pinched her cheek. “If it’s not for you, is it for Xu Yuan?”

The warm breath on her cheek made the girl freeze. As if afraid the other woman would suddenly change her mind, she quickly took the letter.

“I, I’m going to be late, I have to go.”

With that, she ran into the school, her face flushed, not daring to look back.

Shen Shiwu watched the girl’s retreating figure, noticing her slender frame even under the thick winter uniform.

She frowned and messaged the housekeeper, asking her to buy more meat for dinner. She wouldn’t need to cook, as she would do it herself.

Just as she was about to get back into the car, someone called out to her—

“Hello, are you here to drop off your younger sister too?”

The woman, dressed in a black padded jacket, seemed to be around her age.

Concerned about Jiang Siyi, who hadn’t graduated yet, and afraid of affecting her, Shen Shiwu swallowed the words “girlfriend.”

She didn’t reply, about to walk around the woman and open the car door, when the other woman finally revealed her intention. “Can I get your contact information?”

“I have a girlfriend.”

“Oh, really?”

Shen Shiwu stopped.

“My girlfriend is eighteen, beautiful, and has many admirers.”

“If you want to hear our love story, how we got together, I can tell you all about it.”

The woman was clearly taken aback and quickly waved her hand. “No, that’s okay. I, I’ll be going now.”

She quickly left.

Shen Shiwu was in a good mood, looking for someone to share her joy with, and felt a little disappointed.

She clicked her tongue and sighed.

***

A love letter.

A love letter from Shen Shiwu to her.

The bell rang, but Jiang Siyi didn’t go back to the classroom. Instead, she hid in the bathroom.

The bathroom light flickered dimly. She carefully opened the letter and unfolded the paper inside.

It was too dark to read clearly, and she felt frustrated, searching for better lighting. Finally, she made out the first line—

[To my dearest Xiao Si.]

She squatted on the floor, feeling lightheaded.

[It’s eleven o’clock at night. You should be asleep by now. Sweet dreams, and I hope you dream of me. I’ve been struggling for a long time, and I finally decided to express my feelings for you through this love letter.]

The light dimmed again. Damn it.

Exasperated, Jiang Siyi went out into the hallway to read, despite the risk of getting caught. Who cared about that at this moment!

[Love is the root of all emotions. I only recently understood this. I used to think that I cared about you only because your life has been so difficult. I didn’t think there was anything more to it.]

[But I was wrong. I care about you because I love you.]

Jiang Siyi’s throat tightened, and she swallowed, feeling a lump forming.

Just as she was about to wipe away her tears, a shout brought her back to reality—

“Jiang Siyi! What are you doing standing there?”

Oh no, Sister Bao.

She discreetly hid the letter in her sleeve and turned around, pretending nothing had happened. “I just went to the bathroom.”

“I don’t believe you.” Fu Jing marched towards her, her hand outstretched. “Give it to me!”

“What?”

“I saw you holding something! Don’t pretend!”

Half an hour later, Shen Shiwu, having just arrived at the office, received another call from Fu Jing. The difference was that this time, she felt a little guilty.

“A love letter.” She waved her hand, signaling for her employees to leave. “It’s normal, since Xiao Si is an adult now.”

Sensing the silence on the other end, she added, “But dating isn’t advisable.”

Fu Jing, seeing that Jiang Siyi refused to show her the contents of the letter, gave up after a while and said into the phone, “Of course it’s not advisable! What if it affects her studies?”

Then she lowered her voice. “Jiang Siyi’s guardian, I think she’s really dating someone this time.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She showed me the other letters before, but this time, she refused to let me see the contents. Although I shouldn’t invade her privacy, I’m doing this for her future.”

Shen Shiwu was unusually silent.

Thinking of Jiang Siyi being scolded alone in the office, she turned off her computer. “I should go over there again.”

Half an hour later, the classic scene replayed.

Jiang Siyi stood while the other two sat. Shen Shiwu pulled over a chair for her, but she refused to sit, saying she preferred standing.

Actually, she was a little shy and didn’t dare to sit next to Shen Shiwu.

“Jiang Siyi’s guardian, what do you think?”

“Mm, I also think she’s probably dating someone.” She turned to Jiang Siyi and asked, “Are you?”

The girl, caught off guard, was flustered.

Asking me? Don’t you know?

She gave up and said defiantly, “Yes.”

“I am.”

Shen Shiwu nodded thoughtfully, while Fu Jing almost jumped out of her seat.

“Jiang Siyi! You know you’re about to take the college entrance exam, and you’re dating at such a crucial time! Which class is she in? I’ll find her!”

No need to search, she’s right in front of you.

Jiang Siyi thought silently.

Shen Shiwu simply smiled faintly and said seriously, “Don’t worry, teacher. As long as I’m here, she won’t be able to date.”

Heh, keep pretending.

You fickle woman, I’ll throw this love letter in your face!

Jiang Siyi gritted her teeth, but facing Fu Jing, she could only promise, “Don’t worry, teacher. I’ll break up with her.”

“Not only do you have to break up, but you also have to improve your ranking by dozens of places in the final exam. Otherwise, with your current score, how are you going to take the college entrance exam?”

Jiang Siyi nodded listlessly.

A long time passed, so long that she thought the world was about to end, before the conversation finally concluded.

Leaving the office, Shen Shiwu started walking downstairs, and Jiang Siyi followed. The woman turned around and smiled. “What, are you going to follow me to the office and skip school?”

Oh, right.

Jiang Siyi had almost gotten used to it and quickly stopped.

“So…” Shen Shiwu met her gaze. “Is our Xiao Si going to agree? Or agree, then break up?”

“Agree! I won’t break up, I won’t.”

She spoke quickly and urgently, a hint of fear in her expression.

Everyone was in class, and no one was around. Shen Shiwu leaned closer. “Then will Xiao Si promise me something?”

“Mm, I promise.”

She was in a good mood, even after being scolded, so she would agree to anything.

This made Shen Shiwu chuckle.

“Promise me you’ll study hard and improve your score in the final exam.”

“Can you do that, my girlfriend?”

Chapter 18

It was during class, so there weren’t many teachers in the office. The heating was on full blast, and Jiang Siyi felt sleepy standing there.

She squinted, like a drowsy cat.

“You can’t slack off during the final exam period.” Fu Jing took a sip of tea, her expression worried, her tone anxious. “Jiang Siyi was doing so well before, why is she falling behind now that it’s crunch time?”

Jiang Siyi, the one “falling behind,” had been having trouble sleeping again recently. She was about to yawn, her mouth half-open, when she saw Shen Shiwu glance at her.

Her movements stiffened, but, still annoyed, she stubbornly finished her yawn.

“Are you moonlighting as a thief? Sleeping in class every day, not even handing in your homework!” Fu Jing was exasperated and took several more sips of tea to calm down.

Shen Shiwu added, “Yes, she hasn’t been very well-behaved lately.”

Jiang Siyi looked up, stunned—

This was the first time Shen Shiwu had criticized her.

Yesterday, she had been saying “Xiao Si is very well-behaved,” and today, she had completely changed her tune. Jiang Siyi sniffed, her throat too dry to speak, so she simply turned her head away.

The two continued talking for a long time. The girl stared at her shoes, her eyelashes covering most of her eyes, feeling a tightness in her chest.

“Okay, let’s leave it at that. I was planning to call you over anyway, so this works out perfectly. You still have to go to the hospital, so hurry up and go.”

Go to the hospital?

What hospital?

Shen Shiwu nodded, said goodbye to the teacher, and led Jiang Siyi out.

A cold wind was blowing outside, ruffling their hair. Jiang Siyi almost turned back to go inside the office, but remembering Shen Shiwu was behind her, she stubbornly continued walking.

After a few steps, a scarf was wrapped around her neck.

The familiar scent enveloped her.

Jiang Siyi saw the woman come around from behind her, not bending down, but simply looking down as she carefully tied the scarf.

She tucked a few strands of hair that had gotten caught under the scarf and finally spoke, “I’m taking you somewhere.”

Jiang Siyi’s eyes widened slightly.

So, the hospital was just a pretense, and Shen Shiwu was actually taking her out?

Even after getting into the car, Jiang Siyi couldn’t understand what was happening.

Hugging her backpack, she wondered if she was being kidnapped.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To the movies.”

“???”

It was a recently released romance film. The first half depicted the mutual, unspoken crushes of the two main characters during their school days. The second half was about their reunion years later and their second chance at love.

Jiang Siyi couldn’t understand why Shen Shiwu had brought her to see this.

Whatever, it’s better than being bored in the classroom. She thought, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Feeling bad about eating alone, she lowered her voice and asked the person beside her, “Why aren’t you eating?”

The movie had already started. The surroundings were dark, illuminated only by the light from the screen, which flickered across Shen Shiwu’s face.

She turned to look at the girl, her cheeks puffed out with popcorn. “Eat.”

“Are you going to feed me?”

The movie had reached the confession scene, eliciting sighs and “awws” from the audience.

Jiang Siyi almost dropped her popcorn.

In the darkness, her face flushed.

Fine, I’ll feed you.

I’m not afraid of this little game!

So, with a righteous expression, she picked up a piece of popcorn and held it to Shen Shiwu’s lips. “Here, eat.”

Shen Shiwu looked down, then opened her mouth and took the popcorn, her lips brushing against the girl’s fingertips, seemingly intentionally.

Jiang Siyi quickly withdrew her hand.

Her fingertips felt hot, as if burned, so she tucked them into her sleeves to cool down.

“Sorry, I bit you.”

What kind of line is that?

Jiang Siyi’s face remained expressionless, her voice stiff. “It’s okay.”

But her heart was pounding in her chest.

It was indeed a touching movie, and many people were sobbing by the end. Jiang Siyi bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears. To distract herself, she stuffed her mouth with popcorn.

“Are you crying?”

Shen Shiwu handed her a tissue, faintly scented.

Jiang Siyi didn’t look at her, shaking her head. “No.”

In the final scene, the two main characters finally got their happy ending. The screen was filled with falling snow, reminding Jiang Siyi of the snowy night on New Year’s Eve.

This time, she really couldn’t hold back.

Just as a tear rolled down her cheek, it was quickly wiped away by the person beside her. Shen Shiwu seemed to have been waiting for it, her movements swift.

She leaned closer to the girl and gently scratched her nose. “Still saying you’re not crying?”

Jiang Siyi’s eyes glistened with tears. “I wasn’t crying just now. I’m just pretending to cry now.”

“…”

Two hours later, the movie ended. It was already past five, and Shen Shiwu said she would take her to dinner.

Jiang Siyi’s eyes were still red, and she nodded in agreement, like a little red-eyed rabbit.

They went to a Thai restaurant.

Jiang Siyi had never tried Thai food before, firstly because she couldn’t afford to eat out, and secondly… because she couldn’t afford to eat out.

Surprisingly, it was very much to her liking, especially the tom yum soup and mango sticky rice. Her appetite soared, and she tried every dish.

Shen Shiwu, seeing her enjoying the meal, was also in a good mood and asked, “Do you like it? I’ll bring you here again next time.”

“Okay.” The girl was peeling shrimp.

A few minutes later, Jiang Siyi saw the plate of curry shrimp being taken away and was about to protest inwardly—

My shrimp!

When another plate, filled with peeled shrimp, appeared in its place.

“You’re under a lot of pressure from studying, eat more.”

“…”

Having just been scolded by Sister Bao, she suspected Shen Shiwu was mocking her.

Whatever, I won’t argue with her for the sake of this shrimp.

Jiang Siyi hummed softly and continued eating happily.

The woman ate quietly, without making a sound, her chopsticks never clinking against the bowl. She seemed to be full now and was watching Jiang Siyi, her chin resting on her hand.

“Wha-what?”

“What did you think of the movie?”

Jiang Siyi choked slightly. “It was good.”

“That kind of feeling is true love. Do you understand?”

The girl’s eating slowed down considerably.

She took a bite of sticky rice and mumbled, “Of course I understand.”

“So… you really like Xu Yuan?”

Like her my ass!

Jiang Siyi slammed her chopsticks down, unable to hold back anymore, and blurted out, “I don’t like her.”

“I like someone else.”

Shen Shiwu stared at her. “Who?”

She hadn’t expected the girl to actually answer, or to be honest. But Jiang Siyi, seemingly exasperated, replied directly, “You.”

“I’ve always liked you.”

The atmosphere froze. Her voice wasn’t soft, and the waiter passing by glanced at them curiously.

After saying those words, Jiang Siyi lowered her head. Seeing her school uniform, she suddenly felt a surge of regret.

Why did I… say that?

She didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities, except for her looks, her writing skills… and maybe her personality wasn’t too bad.

But these were insignificant in Shen Shiwu’s eyes.

How could such an outstanding woman like a troublesome, disobedient high school student?

Jiang Siyi felt ridiculous, her nose stinging. She was about to cry again, so she grabbed her backpack and fled.

She ran aimlessly, attracting many stares.

It was dark outside, almost pitch black. The streetlights weren’t on yet, illuminated only by the car headlights.

Jiang Siyi was tired.

She squatted down in a corner, burying her face in her backpack, feeling lost.

Could she still go home?

Would Shen Shiwu still take care of her?

Tears quickly soaked her backpack. She hated herself for crying; it made her seem weak and pathetic.

But ever since she met Shen Shiwu, she had become much more prone to tears.

Shen Shiwu.

Are you really going to abandon me?

“Jiang Siyi.” A female voice called out from not far away, but the girl didn’t dare to look up.

She’s calling my full name.

Shen Shiwu definitely wouldn’t accept her.

The area was quiet, and she could clearly hear the approaching footsteps. Jiang Siyi’s heart pounded, and she instinctively wanted to run again, but the woman quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Jiang Siyi, why are you running?”

She was slightly breathless, her expression clearly anxious.

The girl was forced to stand up, but she still kept her head down, not daring to look at the woman, clutching her backpack for comfort.

“Running right after eating, aren’t you afraid of getting a stomach ache?”

Jiang Siyi froze for a few seconds, then shook her head slightly. “No.”

Seeing the tear stains on the girl’s face, Shen Shiwu sighed, her heart melting. She lifted Jiang Siyi’s chin. “It’s too cold outside. You’ll catch a cold. Let’s talk about this when we get home.”

Shen Shiwu didn’t abandon her.

The tears in Jiang Siyi’s eyes, chilled by the wind, felt cold, but her heart was slowly warming up.

She nodded. “Okay.”

***

Back home, Jiang Siyi immediately went to her room.

She closed the door and sat on the bed for a few seconds, still unsure how to face Shen Shiwu.

She remained silent for a long time, then, remembering she had school tomorrow, she took her pajamas and went to take a shower.

She had thought a hot shower would help her relax, but her heart still felt heavy and constricted. Jiang Siyi silently sobbed into her pillow, tossing and turning in bed.

Shen Shiwu, next door, wasn’t doing much better.

Ever since Jiang Siyi’s phone call that afternoon, her heart hadn’t been at peace.

But why?

Why did the thought of Jiang Siyi dating someone else make her so anxious?

It was strange.

She had never felt this way in her twenty-something years of life.

That afternoon, she had canceled many meetings, sitting alone in her office for hours. And now, she sat at her desk, staring blankly at the black computer screen.

After a while, Shen Shiwu rubbed her temples and opened the window.

As the cold wind blew on her face, she accepted the truth—

She liked Jiang Siyi.

It wasn’t pity or sympathy for the girl’s situation, but genuine affection.

This meant she had fallen for the daughter of her deceased mother’s friend.

Remembering her mother’s request to take good care of Jiang Siyi, she sighed, her breath forming white puffs of smoke in the cold air.

This is messed up, she thought.

But…

After being so restrained for so long, facing her true feelings didn’t seem so bad.

 

Chapter 17

Valid for a lifetime.

Shen Shiwu probably didn’t understand what such a promise meant to Jiang Siyi.

The sweet aroma of the cake filled the air.

Jiang Siyi looked down, realizing this was the first time in years someone had bought her a birthday cake.

A smile finally appeared on her face, and she softly said, “Thank you.”

Her head was patted again, and the woman’s voice sounded above her. “What are you thanking me for?”

Shen Shiwu bent down to meet her gaze. “You must be hungry, right? Let’s eat the cake now, okay?”

She always asked for Jiang Siyi’s opinion, even on small matters.

The girl nodded and hummed in agreement.

The clock on the wall ticked, still a long way from midnight. Jiang Siyi was stuffed and went to lie down on the sofa.

Shen Shiwu didn’t usually have a sweet tooth, but tonight she made an exception and had two slices of cake. She watched the girl rubbing her stomach and tilted her head. “There’s another cake.”

Jiang Siyi immediately sat up straight.

She quickly waved her hands. “I really can’t eat anymore!”

She realized Shen Shiwu was really treating her like a pig.

A pig that ate eight meals a day.

Just as she was about to speak, a phone rang. The familiar ringtone reminded Jiang Siyi of the previous incident.

She was slightly traumatized.

She watched Shen Shiwu answer the phone, her first words being, “Teacher Fu, what’s wrong?”

Oh my god, Sister Bao.

Alarm bells went off in Jiang Siyi’s head.

“Is that so?” Shen Shiwu’s expression remained unchanged, even with a hint of a smile.

“Xiao Si is very well-behaved. Maybe she’s just tired recently.” She glanced at the girl, who was eavesdropping.

Jiang Siyi, caught red-handed, stopped pretending and walked over to Shen Shiwu, mouthing, “Is the teacher complaining about me?”

The woman, seeing her anxious expression, gently scratched her nose.

A gesture of comfort.

Jiang Siyi’s face burned.

Feeling embarrassed, she quickly turned and ran off.

Shen Shiwu stared at her retreating figure, not paying attention to Fu Jing’s words, only saying at the end, “Okay, I understand. Thank you, teacher.”

After the call ended, Jiang Siyi lifted her head from her backpack. She composed herself and asked, “Did the teacher say I wasn’t paying attention in class?”

Shen Shiwu didn’t answer, but asked, “And?”

“And… not handing in my homework.”

After answering, Jiang Siyi realized something was wrong.

How did she end up confessing everything?

Shen Shiwu crossed her arms. “Is that all?”

There’s more!?

Jiang Siyi racked her brain, trying to remember. After thinking for a long time, she firmly replied, “Yes, that’s all.”

Shen Shiwu stood up and walked towards her. The next moment, Jiang Siyi’s arms felt empty; her backpack had been taken away.

The woman put the backpack aside and leaned down to look at her. “The teacher said you kicked someone’s desk.”

“…”

Jiang Siyi felt angry at the mention of this.

She pouted and explained the whole story.

After listening, Shen Shiwu asked, “Which boy? What’s his name?”

Her expression had turned cold, a stark contrast to her usual gentleness.

Jiang Siyi thought for a moment and reached for her phone. “I forgot. I’ll ask Xu Yuan.”

The screen lit up, displaying the time prominently.

Eleven minutes until she turned eighteen.

The girl, suppressing her excitement, quickly typed a message. By the time she received a reply, there were only five minutes left.

Just as she was about to say the boy’s name out loud, a warm hand covered the lower half of her face.

As for why only half her face…

Because Shen Shiwu’s hand was large, several times bigger than Jiang Siyi’s.

“We’ll talk about it later. Our Xiao Si will be an adult in three minutes.” Her eyes were gentle, but her tone was firm. “At this moment, let’s not mention anyone else’s name.”

Jiang Siyi blinked, stunned for a moment, then nodded.

This was the first time Shen Shiwu had shown this side of herself.

The long three minutes finally passed.

Shen Shiwu said she was going to get another cake, but when she returned, her hands were empty.

Jiang Siyi looked at her, puzzled.

Tick-tock—

Twenty seconds left.

When Shen Shiwu stood in front of Jiang Siyi again, the girl felt her hair being lifted, a coolness around her neck, as if something was being placed on her.

Three, two…

One.

The clock hands overlapped, and Jiang Siyi’s long-awaited eighteenth birthday finally arrived. She closed her eyes and touched the pendant.

Shen Shiwu gently caressed her face. “Xiao Si, happy birthday.”

Her tone was ambiguous. “You can date now that you’re an adult.”

Date.

She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if a stone was pressing down on a soft spot.

“You said before that you liked someone,” Shen Shiwu squatted down, meeting her gaze. “Can you tell me who it is now?”

It’s you.

It has always been you.

But how could she say it out loud?

Jiang Siyi suddenly felt that becoming an adult wasn’t so great after all.

She looked down at the necklace around her neck. The jade pendant was pure and flawless, the chain shimmering like moonlight on water.

It looked expensive.

She finally spoke. “I lied.”

“I don’t like anyone.”

Because she was too afraid of losing Shen Shiwu, she was willing to be a coward.

“This necklace is expensive, isn’t it? I…”

“It’s not expensive.”

Shen Shiwu patted her head. “It’s good that you don’t like anyone.”

“Our Xiao Si is so outstanding, not just anyone is worthy of you.”

The other woman seemed relieved. Jiang Siyi watched, her throat feeling dry. She rubbed her eyes, pretending to be sleepy. “Then I’ll go upstairs and sleep. I still have school tomorrow.”

“Okay, good night.”

***

For Jiang Siyi, life after turning eighteen didn’t change much.

The earth still rotated, and Shen Shiwu still treated her like a younger sister.

It was utterly pointless.

Xu Yuan, however, was excited, presenting her gift like a treasure. “Look! A signed copy from the famous writer, Chang Qian!”

“It’s authentic. I spent a fortune asking my mom’s friend to get it for me.”

Jiang Siyi’s eyes sparkled; she clearly loved it.

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? It’s your eighteenth birthday!”

She leaned closer and whispered, “So, did you confess last night?”

“No.”

“…You’re such a disappointment!”

Jiang Siyi sighed. “If I scare her away, who’s going to take care of me?”

“It’s not that easy to scare someone away. What if she likes you too? Besides, she’s using your mother’s inheritance. Wouldn’t she be struck by lightning if she ran away?”

“…”

The girl propped her chin up and said sullenly, “We’ll see.”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll teach you a trick.” Xu Yuan lowered her voice. “It can test if she’s interested in you.”

“She’s definitely not.” Despite saying this, Jiang Siyi leaned closer to listen.

After hearing it, the girl remained silent for a long time.

Only after the lunch break ended did she finally make up her mind, patting Xu Yuan’s shoulder. “Okay, I’ll try it.”

Three minutes later, Jiang Siyi stood alone by the phone. After making sure no one was around, she dialed Shen Shiwu’s number.

The other woman always answered quickly, and this time was no exception.

“Hello, Xiao Si, what’s up?”

Jiang Siyi fidgeted with the corner of her clothes, took a few deep breaths, and then lowered her voice. “Someone gave me another love letter.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a low voice asked, “Who?”

“Xu Yuan.”

Saying the name, Jiang Siyi almost laughed, but she quickly suppressed it and continued adding details. “I didn’t expect her to have a crush on me for so many years.”

“Just now, after class, she just stuffed a love letter into my hand. I didn’t even react.”

Shen Shiwu was currently inspecting the marketing department. Hearing this, she stopped in her tracks, standing by the back door.

An employee, mistakenly thinking she had left, started slacking off, only to be met with a sharp reprimand, “Do you think I’m blind?”

The voice was cold, laced with anger.

The employee quickly switched back to her work screen. “I’m sorry, Boss, I’m sorry…”

Jiang Siyi heard the whole exchange. Although she knew Shen Shiwu was a completely different person at home and at work, her palms still started to sweat.

She suddenly didn’t dare to continue.

Shen Shiwu held the phone, her emotions unreadable. After a while, she finally asked, “What do you think?”

“You’re an adult now. You can make your own decisions.”

Jiang Siyi’s heart sank.

As expected, she doesn’t have any feelings for me.

The girl’s mood plummeted, and she gritted her teeth. “What if I actually agree to date her?”

Shen Shiwu stared at the wall for a long time, then suddenly let out a humorless laugh.

She didn’t understand why she was angry.

“You can try.”

Her tone was still devoid of any threat, her voice as soft as usual, as if she was simply offering a suggestion.

But Jiang Siyi felt a chill run down her spine.

What do you mean?

Shen Shiwu, what do you mean!

The enraged Jiang Siyi abruptly hung up the phone and grumbled all the way back to the classroom, even the students passing by giving her a wide berth, afraid of incurring her wrath.

Xu Yuan saw her muttering to herself as she returned to the classroom and quickly rushed over. “What did she say?”

“You can try.”

“Is she crazy? What am I supposed to try?”

“…She said I can try.”

Xu Yuan hadn’t heard the tone of Shen Shiwu’s voice.

So, her jaw dropped, and she looked at Jiang Siyi in shock, then patted her shoulder sympathetically. “Well, good luck.”

“…”

The gloomy mood lingered.

During the last class, Jiang Siyi was sleeping soundly when she suddenly heard a commotion in the classroom—

“Is that Jiang Siyi’s older sister?”

“I think so. She’s so beautiful.”

The girl frowned, sensing something was amiss. Looking up, she saw Shen Shiwu standing in the hallway, talking to Fu Jing.

Noticing that she was awake, Shen Shiwu’s gaze met hers through the glass.

That single glance almost made the drowsy Jiang Siyi fall out of her chair.

Did she…

…come straight to the school?

Chapter 16

It hadn’t snowed in Qinan City for a long time.

As the grand fireworks display faded, snowflakes began to fall. Jiang Siyi’s lips moved, wanting to say something, but no words came out, only a puff of white mist.

The mist rose, dancing with the snow.

She had wanted to ask so many questions, like—

Why did you come back so soon?

Why did you go abroad in the first place?

But she had no right to ask.

The tears at the corners of her eyes had been wiped away, just like that rainy night when Shen Shiwu had wiped the rain from her face.

She bit her lip and took a few steps back.

Seeing the girl’s obvious attempt to distance herself, Shen Shiwu lowered her eyes.

It was snowing, and it was too cold outside. And… they needed a quieter environment to break the ice.

So she coaxed softly, “Xiao Si, let’s go back to the car, okay?”

Several snowflakes had landed on Jiang Siyi’s clothes, melting into small puddles.

It was indeed getting cold.

She rubbed her numb fingers and finally nodded.

The car was quiet. The girl huddled in her seat, feeling the warmth gradually returning, and finally unclenched her fists.

“I went abroad to visit my mother.”

She had intended to take Jiang Siyi with her, but that night, before she could say anything, she had been interrupted.

Thinking that the girl had school and plans with her friends for New Year’s Eve, Shen Shiwu hadn’t brought it up again, choosing to step back.

She took a dark red box out of her pocket.

Her voice was even softer, as if afraid of disturbing Jiang Siyi. “This is from my mother to you. A necklace from Auntie Jiang.”

Jiang Siyi’s hands clenched into fists again. She turned and took the box.

“Auntie Jiang left it behind many years ago.”

The girl opened the box and looked at the jade necklace inside, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions: sadness, but mostly surprise.

Her mother’s death had been sudden, and most of her belongings had been thrown away by that despicable Li Nan the next day.

Young Jiang Siyi had cried her eyes out that night, then gone to the garbage dump in the dark to search for them, but to no avail.

Jiang Siyi closed the box. This time, she didn’t cry. She looked at Shen Shiwu and said seriously, “Can I change my wish?”

She had changed her mind.

Shen Shiwu was stunned for a second, then readily agreed. “Of course.”

“I don’t need you to take care of me forever.”

The woman paused.

“I want you to ruin Li Nan’s company.”

This thought had actually crossed Shen Shiwu’s mind a few months ago. She had even thought of giving it to Jiang Siyi as a gift.

Just a company.

Taking it to appease a child wasn’t a bad idea.

But she hadn’t expected the girl to bring it up herself.

Shen Shiwu agreed without hesitation. “No problem.”

“But…”

She unconsciously gritted her teeth slightly. “You don’t have to choose.”

“I can fulfill both wishes for you.”

Being my older sister and taking care of me forever?

Jiang Siyi wasn’t a selfish person, but she couldn’t help it when it came to Shen Shiwu. She was unwilling to let go, wanting to monopolize the rest of the woman’s life… but she had no choice.

Finally, she let out a bitter laugh. “Okay.”

“Thank you, older sister.”

***

New Year’s Eve was just a beautiful interlude. Afterward, the high school students had to return to their monotonous study life.

Xu Yuan noticed another change in Jiang Siyi recently.

Or rather, a reversion to her old self.

“What’s wrong with you these past few days? Sleeping in class, not handing in your homework…”

The cafeteria was noisy, filled with students carrying trays. The two girls sat in a corner, a relatively quiet spot, but Jiang Siyi seemed to be deaf, only looking up after a long while. “Huh?”

“…”

“Are you pretending again? Is something bothering you?”

Jiang Siyi gulped down her oolong tea and continued playing dumb. “No.”

Seeing the other girl’s suspicious gaze, she sighed and finally spoke, but only vaguely. “Just experienced the feeling of unrequited love.”

Xu Yuan’s eyes widened. She stopped eating and accused Jiang Siyi of not treating her like a friend.

“You didn’t even tell me!”

“It’s not that.”

Jiang Siyi held her chopsticks and continued, “The situation is a little… special.”

“I might…”

She struggled to say the words. “I think I like Shen Shiwu.”

Xu Yuan chattered all the way back to the classroom.

No. 1 High School had a large campus with many buildings. In the summer, walking from the cafeteria to the classroom would leave you drenched in sweat.

And winter wasn’t much better.

The wind was strong, biting cold. Jiang Siyi pushed the chattering Xu Yuan. “If you keep talking, the wind will blow your teeth out.”

“Let it blow then,” she said nonchalantly. “I’m telling you, she’s not your real sister, just the older sister next door. What’s wrong with dating her?”

“Besides, you’ll officially be eighteen tomorrow.”

Jiang Siyi wrapped her winter uniform tighter and, before running off, considerately said, “I’ll go ahead,” then rushed into the classroom building.

Back in the classroom, it was still freezing. She didn’t understand why the school didn’t turn on the heating, when they were so generous with the air conditioning in the summer.

Xu Yuan hadn’t caught up yet, probably giving up and walking slowly.

Jiang Siyi tossed all her books into her desk and prepared to hibernate.

She couldn’t sleep.

Lying on her desk was just a way to hide her emotions.

Some idiot boy opened the window at the back of the classroom, and a gust of cold wind swept in, scattering several students’ test papers.

“What are you doing? Close it!” someone complained.

“Close it? This is fun!”

Jiang Siyi, already in a bad mood, snapped, “Try opening the window again.”

This made the students’ hearts skip a beat.

They had seen Jiang Siyi fight before; she was fearless.

The boy, probably thinking she had become much more docile recently, retorted, “I’ll open it, so what?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Siyi kicked his desk over.

Papers fluttered to the floor, a sea of white, like the snow on New Year’s Eve.

Before kicking the desk, she had considerately reassured the student sitting in front of him, “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”

The student, the class representative, a quiet girl, obediently replied, “Okay.”

The boy suddenly fell silent.

He remembered a boy on the first floor last semester who had gotten six stitches after fighting with Jiang Siyi and had spent a week in the hospital.

While Jiang Siyi had only gotten a few scratches.

He gave a nervous laugh, not wanting to lose face completely. After closing the window, he waved his hand dismissively, as if it had all been a joke, then squatted down to right his desk.

Jiang Siyi watched him coldly, scoffed, and went back to “hibernating.”

Even with the window closed, the classroom was still freezing. The girl tucked her hands into her sleeves, suddenly remembering the scarf Shen Shiwu had wrapped around her neck that night.

Cashmere, warm, carrying her scent.

It had been a gift, but Jiang Siyi hadn’t accepted it.

It didn’t belong to her.

Just like the scarf, Shen Shiwu didn’t belong to her either.

Xu Yuan finally arrived, finding the classroom unusually quiet. No one was speaking, making her think Sister Bao was there.

But after looking around, she didn’t see the teacher.

She had originally planned to encourage Jiang Siyi to pursue her love bravely, but seeing her sleeping soundly, she decided to let it be.

Returning to her seat, she secretly took out her phone and checked the delivery status of the birthday present she had bought.

***

School ended a little late today. Jiang Siyi messaged Auntie Wang as she walked, saying the teacher had kept them late and that she was on her way down.

The reply she received was, “Miss Jiang, the boss is picking you up today.”

She paused, then unconsciously quickened her pace.

It was late, the sunset fading. Students streamed out of the school in twos and threes, Jiang Siyi leading the way. But after swiping her card to exit the school gate, her pace slowed, like an elderly person taking a stroll.

Shen Shiwu always stood out.

Today, she was wearing a white coat, her hair slightly curled, her red lips eye-catching, radiating an aura of elegance.

“Xiao Si, over here.” She had already spotted the girl amongst the crowd.

Seeing her practically dragging her feet, Shen Shiwu walked over and adjusted her collar. “It’s colder than usual today. Why didn’t you wear the scarf I gave you?”

Jiang Siyi smelled the faint fragrance on her and turned her head slightly.

“I’m… not that cold,” she said.

The car was warm. Jiang Siyi sat in the passenger seat, her thick winter uniform making her look like a fluffy snowball.

She hugged her backpack, her hands still tucked inside her sleeves.

“Why are you picking me up today?”

Her hands still hidden, she fidgeted with the straps of her backpack as she asked the question.

“Because I wanted to,” she said, her side profile beautiful as she drove. “What, is Xiao Si about to become an adult and doesn’t want me to pick her up from school anymore?”

Jiang Siyi sniffed and mumbled, “No, it’s not that.”

“Should we eat out tonight?”

“No,” the girl refused after a moment of thought. “School is tiring. I want to go home and rest early.”

“Okay.”

She couldn’t help but feel that Shen Shiwu was driving faster than usual today. When they arrived home, she finally understood why.

The Shen villa had five floors. Usually, even climbing the stairs was tiring for Jiang Siyi, but Shen Shiwu had spent the entire day decorating every floor.

The girl in her school uniform stood frozen on the floor covered in flower petals, her eyes taking in the bouquets and balloons.

Then, Shen Shiwu appeared before her, holding a cake.

“Your birthday isn’t until after midnight. I was originally planning to have dinner outside to kill some time.” Her voice was slightly apologetic.

I shouldn’t have refused, Jiang Siyi thought.

“But why can’t we celebrate two birthdays?”

Shen Shiwu’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “The first birthday is for Xiao Si, who just turned ten.”

A golden “10” candle was placed on the cake, its light making Jiang Siyi’s eyes well up.

This was her first birthday since her mother’s death.

“You should be in fifth grade now,” Shen Shiwu said, her tone like that of a doting adult. “I want to tell the you of that time—”

“Wait a little longer.”

Her voice trailed off softly, like a whisper in the clouds, gentle and tender.

“Wait a few more years, and someone will come and take care of you.”

“And it’ll last a lifetime. They won’t leave.”

Chapter 15

After that incident, Jiang Siyi’s eagerness to become an adult seemed to lessen.

She clumsily and carefully hid her feelings for Shen Shiwu in her heart.

A hopeless endeavor.

It was best to cut her losses.

After Christmas, the students in her class discussed where to celebrate New Year’s Eve, as it was one of the few times senior students had some free time.

“Those juniors invited us to Hua Yi Square for New Year’s Eve.”

“So, are you going?”

It was supposed to be English class, but since all the teachers were in a meeting, the office was empty, so they had self-study instead.

Xu Yuan, having switched seats with the student behind Jiang Siyi, asked again, “Are you going or not?”

In previous years, she would have agreed without hesitation, but now…

Jiang Siyi was conflicted. After thinking for a moment, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

After school, she sat alone in the back seat of the car. Auntie Wang was as enthusiastic as ever, asking why she had become so quiet recently, wondering if it was because of the pressure of studying.

Jiang Siyi stared at the pedestrians outside the window and, after a while, softly replied, “Maybe.”

As the year drew to a close, many shops along the street had closed, and the few that remained were brightly decorated, glowing red in the evening light.

Riding with the window down was a habit of hers, but she was afraid Auntie Wang would get cold, so she only opened it a crack.

A few pitiful strands of wind squeezed in, and Jiang Siyi took a deep breath, feeling the tightness in her chest hadn’t eased.

Auntie Wang continued chattering, her words full of concern.

The girl nodded repeatedly in response but didn’t speak.

Shen Shiwu had been coming home late these days, and reminding her to rest early on WeChat had become a routine. So, when Jiang Siyi opened the door today, she didn’t have any expectations—

In fact, she shouldn’t have had any expectations to begin with.

However, unexpected things always happen in life.

Like now.

The moment she opened the door, Shen Shiwu was changing her shoes in the entryway, having just arrived home.

Seeing her, she smiled. “Xiao Si, you’re back.”

Her tone was still gentle, and she used her nickname, but Jiang Siyi found it jarring.

She replied softly, “Mm.”

“Are the results of today’s quiz out yet?”

Grades again.

Jiang Siyi was about to go upstairs after changing her shoes, but she stopped on the third step, squatted down, and opened her backpack.

Shen Shiwu approached.

Watching the girl silently hand her the test paper, Shen Shiwu was momentarily stunned before taking it.

“You improved again.”

“Only by two points.”

“That’s still great.”

Jiang Siyi fidgeted with the strap of her backpack, watching as Shen Shiwu carefully examined her test paper, and finally nodded after a long while. “It’s okay, I could have done better.”

A sudden sound broke the silence.

Shen Shiwu’s phone rang.

“Sorry, Xiao Si, I need to take this call. Go to your room first.”

Then she answered the phone. “What’s up?”

They were standing close together, and Jiang Siyi overheard a faint voice.

A female voice.

It was the first time she had heard Shen Shiwu speak to someone other than herself in such a gentle tone.

Jiang Siyi suddenly felt her feet heavy.

She didn’t even take her test paper back, turning and walking upstairs, but glancing back at the woman still standing there.

There was a smile on Shen Shiwu’s lips.

Her voice was soft, as if speaking to a treasured object.

Jiang Siyi mocked herself inwardly again.

See, Shen Shiwu’s gentleness isn’t a rare commodity. She’s just giving a small portion of it to me.

Not long after she returned to her room, she heard approaching footsteps.

Jiang Siyi had gotten into bed early today. Hearing the footsteps, she turned her back to the door.

“Xiao Si, do you want some fruit?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite. You eat it.”

After a few seconds, the other woman asked, “Can I come in?”

Jiang Siyi sniffed but didn’t answer. The person outside seemed to be waiting quietly, as she didn’t hear any footsteps leaving.

“Come in.”

Shen Shiwu entered the room and placed a plate of strawberries on the nightstand. Then she said tentatively, “I might have to go abroad for a couple of days before New Year’s Eve.”

Jiang Siyi clutched the blanket tighter.

“So…”

“Go ahead. I was just about to tell you, I’m celebrating New Year’s Eve with my friends.” Jiang Siyi finally turned around and looked at her, forcing a smile. “That cute girl who gave me the love letter will be there too.”

Shen Shiwu didn’t say anything, remaining silent for a few seconds. Then she let out a soft “Ah” and said calmly, “That’s a coincidence.”

“Mm, you can go. I’m tired and want to rest early.”

Shen Shiwu turned off the light, leaving only the faint light from the hallway. As the door closed, the only source of light disappeared.

A few minutes later, Jiang Siyi got up and turned the light back on.

She looked at the plate of strawberries and finally picked one up and took a bite.

It was sweet, but the bitterness in her heart overwhelmed the taste.

She didn’t take a second bite.

They taste awful, she thought.

***

“See you tonight at Hua Yi Square! Whoever doesn’t come is a dog!”

On Friday afternoon, the classroom was much livelier than usual. Everyone was packing their bags, discussing where to meet that evening.

And Xu Yuan was, of course, the most excited.

She looked at Jiang Siyi’s expression and clicked her tongue. “Are you hiding something from me?”

“You haven’t seemed yourself lately.”

Jiang Siyi feigned surprise. “Really?”

Then she explained, “No, I’m just tired from staying up late.”

“Okay.” Xu Yuan wasn’t one to pry. Seeing her say this, she went back to her excited chatter. “I celebrated New Year’s Eve at my hometown last year, only accompanied by the cows and chickens in the fields. Finally, I can have some fun this year!”

“Why did you go back to your hometown last year?” Jiang Siyi asked casually.

“My aunt missed my mom, so the whole family went back the day before. I didn’t even get any sleep.”

“Oh, I see.”

So, what about Shen Shiwu?

She rushed abroad in such a hurry, it must be because someone there misses her, or maybe it’s the other way around.

Shen Shiwu, Shen Shiwu.

Did you think of me, even for a second, while you were abroad?

“I’m done packing. Let’s go.” Jiang Siyi snapped back to reality, slung her backpack over one shoulder, and walked out.

Xu Yuan stared at her back, saying in a daze, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you carry your backpack like that.”

“What?”

“Your backpack. These past few months, you’ve been carrying it properly, with both straps.”

Xu Yuan caught up to her, dramatically exclaiming, “Just now, I saw a glimpse of your former rebellious self. Oh, time…”

Even on Fridays, No. 1 High School didn’t end early. The winter evenings always turned dark quickly, and now, the darkness seemed to press down, making it hard to breathe.

Xu Yuan was still chattering away beside her, but Jiang Siyi’s mind was elsewhere—

Why did she change herself for Shen Shiwu?

In Shen Shiwu’s eyes, she was just a dirty doll that could be discarded at any time, insignificant, lighter than the wind.

Why…

…was she so insistent on becoming a good student?

After a while, Jiang Siyi lowered her head and sent messages to the housekeeper and Auntie Wang, saying she wouldn’t be going home tonight.

Then she called Wu Ying. “Xiao Ying, no tutoring this weekend. Yes, something came up… Mm, Happy New Year.”

“Eh, didn’t your sister confiscate your phone?” Xu Yuan asked.

Jiang Siyi’s expression remained unchanged as she casually tossed her phone into her pocket. “She’s abroad. She gave it back to me before she left.”

“Said it was for easier communication.”

Speaking of which, Jiang Siyi remembered that Shen Shiwu had indeed sent her many messages, and her heart felt heavy.

But even after leaving the school, she still didn’t reply to any of them.

***

At eleven o’clock at night, Hua Yi Square was packed.

Amidst the laughter and chatter, the two girls, finding it too cold outside, sat inside McDonald’s, enjoying the warm air and having a late dinner that could be considered a midnight snack.

Xu Yuan rubbed her stomach and said, “I can’t eat anymore.”

Jiang Siyi sipped her cola and nodded in agreement.

“Oh, perfect timing, those juniors are here!”

In an instant, the corner table was surrounded. Yang Yi, dressed up today, spoke first, which was rare. “Senior, aren’t you going outside to watch the fireworks?”

Xu Yuan glanced at the time and realized it was less than half an hour until midnight. She excitedly pulled Jiang Siyi outside. “Let’s go have some fun!”

The night was dark. A loud “Bang,” mixed with laughter, echoed through the air. Looking up, a brilliant flower bloomed in the sky.

Jiang Siyi stared for a long time, so long that she almost dropped her cola.

What time was it abroad?

It definitely wasn’t this lively.

Shen Shiwu… what was she doing now? Who was she with?

The chaotic thoughts made her head ache, her temples throbbing. Amidst the joyful atmosphere, Jiang Siyi felt like crying.

The night was dark, but the fireworks illuminated it in bursts.

The girl blinked several times, trying to hold back her tears. She was too focused, or perhaps the surroundings were too noisy, that she didn’t recognize the familiar sound of approaching footsteps.

Her hand suddenly felt lighter.

Someone had taken her iced cola.

Jiang Siyi’s attempt to hold back her tears failed. Her gaze, previously fixed on the sky, followed the movement and lowered.

She stared blankly at her empty hand as a tear fell into her palm.

“One minute left! It’s almost the new year!” Someone shouted, and the others joined in—

“Look at the big screen!”

A large screen hung in the center of the square, usually displaying advertisements, but now it showed a large, prominent countdown timer.

Tears streamed down Jiang Siyi’s face.

Looking up, she saw Shen Shiwu in a black coat, her long hair slightly disheveled, as if she had rushed here.

She was holding the iced cola in her right hand.

And in her left… a cream-colored cashmere scarf.

With just a blink, Jiang Siyi felt warmth around her neck. The scent of Shen Shiwu, the one she had been longing for all these days, enveloped her.

Like blackcurrant mixed with a hint of cedar.

With only three seconds left in the countdown, countless voices shouted in unison—

“Three, two!”

Jiang Siyi blocked out all the noise, all her senses focused on Shen Shiwu. The tears in her eyes, sensing her emotional turmoil, obediently fell.

Shen Shiwu looked down at the girl in a white padded jacket. In such cold weather, she was only wearing a thin, low-necked sweater underneath.

She wrapped the scarf around her neck once more, then leaned closer, her voice as soft as spring willow catkins, yet with a hint of helplessness.

“You didn’t take good care of yourself.”

Jiang Siyi didn’t reply, because she couldn’t speak.

Shen Shiwu reached out and wiped away the tears from the corner of her eye. Amidst the countless shouts of “One,” she cupped the girl’s face and whispered,

“Xiao Si, Happy New Year.”

At the same moment, the most brilliant fireworks of the night exploded in the sky, a tapestry of colors, countless blossoming flowers, turning the night into day.

The spectacle continued for several minutes, wave after wave, seemingly endless.

Amidst the gasps of awe, Shen Shiwu only looked at the sparkle in Jiang Siyi’s eyes.

She stared for a long time, then slowly said, “This is my apology.”

Chapter 14

So this is how serious Shen Shiwu is when she’s working.

The door opened and closed softly as the woman left with the documents.

Jiang Siyi continued playing on her phone until her backpack was snatched away by the person beside her.

“Shouldn’t you be doing your homework?”

The tone was completely different from before.

Jiang Siyi immediately turned off her phone and looked up to see Shen Shiwu opening her backpack.

“What’s this?”

Shen Shiwu pulled out a small piece of paper from between the worksheets.

It was rectangular, clearly torn from a corner of a sheet of scratch paper. Something was written on it, and it was folded.

Jiang Siyi quickly snatched it back.

She clutched it in her hand and cleared her throat. “Nothing, just a note I passed with a friend.”

Shen Shiwu looked at her quietly, not saying a word.

After a moment, she nodded. “Fine.”

She returned the backpack to Jiang Siyi. “Do your homework.”

Then she went back to work.

The desk was large, enough for five people to sit comfortably. Jiang Siyi felt that the other woman was truly angry this time, so she didn’t dare to say anything and started working on her worksheets.

The heating in the room was on full blast, and soon Jiang Siyi, wearing a thick sweater, started to feel hot. She rolled up her sleeves, but couldn’t focus.

Until Shen Shiwu suddenly stood up.

The woman glanced at her watch and said, “I’m going downstairs for a meeting. It’ll be about an hour and a half.”

“Okay.”

“If you’re bored after finishing your homework, you can come downstairs.”

After she left, Jiang Siyi tossed her pen aside and turned down the thermostat. Then she sat with her legs crossed, like a creditor, and started looking around.

The entire room was either black, white, or grayish-brown.

Monotonous and gloomy, like the prelude to a rainstorm.

Bored out of her mind, Jiang Siyi started thinking about what colors she would choose if she were to redecorate.

As she was idling, there was a knock on the door, and a voice called out, “Boss, I’m here to deliver the report.”

Jiang Siyi felt inexplicably awkward. Hearing the door open, she subconsciously lowered her head and picked up her pen.

“Boss, please take a look…”

Approaching the desk, the newcomer realized something was amiss.

A schoolbag, worksheets, and…

A high school girl!?

“Shen… your boss, is downstairs in a meeting.” Jiang Siyi looked up, saw the woman’s surprised expression, and said calmly, “You can leave the documents here.”

“O-okay.”

The woman quickly retreated, and at the same time, Jiang Siyi’s composure crumbled.

She slumped back in her chair, thinking that thanks to Shen Shiwu, she had experienced being a “boss” for a while.

Jiang Siyi had never been self-motivated.

Although she had changed a bit recently, it wasn’t by much. If no one was supervising her, she would only do her homework for half an hour at most.

So, restless, she carefully opened the door and peeked outside.

Just as she peeked out, her chin was gently lifted.

“What are you looking at?”

Jiang Siyi looked up and saw Shen Shiwu staring down at her.

The warm touch tickled.

The girl pulled back, her heart pounding a few seconds later.

“Didn’t you say it would be an hour and a half? That was fast.”

“I was afraid someone would get restless.”

Jiang Siyi lowered her head. “Oh…”

To hide the smile spreading across her face, she turned and walked back inside.

“How’s your homework coming along?”

She felt there was a change in the other woman’s tone. Although it was still gentle, it seemed to be lacking something.

“Not finished yet.”

“Let me see how much you’ve done.”

“…No.”

Jiang Siyi practically lay on the desk, shielding her worksheets with her arms. She glanced at the person beside her and then looked away. “Not much.”

She had only done two problems.

And they were both multiple-choice questions.

Normally, Shen Shiwu would tap her head with a pen and say, with a mixture of exasperation and indulgence, “You…”

But now, she simply said, “Okay.”

This drove Jiang Siyi crazy.

What did she mean? Was it because of the note?

After agonizing over it for a while, she crumpled the note, making it even more wrinkled, and handed it to Shen Shiwu. “Here, you can read it if you want.”

But the woman didn’t even glance at it. “I don’t have the habit of prying into other people’s privacy. Take it back.”

“…”

Jiang Siyi had been a crybaby as a child, but after learning to hide her emotions, almost no one knew about it.

But now, she couldn’t hold back anymore. Her nose stung, as if she had been greatly wronged.

When Shen Shiwu looked over, she saw the girl with her head down, tears falling onto the worksheet.

Crying silently.

The woman sighed inwardly, took a few tissues, and softly coaxed, “Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

You bad woman. You used to call me “Xiao Si” all the time, and now, even when I’m crying like this, you don’t call me by my nickname!

The more Jiang Siyi thought about it, the more upset she became. She turned her face away, biting her lip as silent tears streamed down her face.

Shen Shiwu, seeing only the back of the girl’s head, cupped her face and gently turned it. “What’s wrong?”

“I think you’re starting to dislike me.” She sobbed, her eyes filled with resentment.

“Hmm? What made you think that?”

Jiang Siyi’s eyes were red. She thought for a moment, then hesitated.

Finally, she looked away, as if it was difficult to say. “You don’t call me by my nickname anymore.”

Shen Shiwu wiped away her tears, a smile appearing in her eyes. “So you like it when older sister calls you that?”

“Xiao Si.”

Jiang Siyi swatted her hand away and stared straight ahead, silent.

“Just because of this? Anything else? I’ll change.”

“…No.”

The woman pinched her cheek. “Then stop crying.”

“I’m not crying.”

“…”

It’s still more comfortable at home. Jiang Siyi thought, finally getting into the car to go home in the evening.

After doing so many problems, her brain cells felt fried, and she slouched in her seat.

“Seatbelt,” Shen Shiwu reminded her softly, leaning over to fasten it for her.

Jiang Siyi immediately sat up straight.

“Once it’s past midnight, it’ll be Christmas Eve.” During dinner, the woman suddenly spoke. “Does Xiao Si have any wishes?”

You can make wishes on Christmas Eve?

No one had ever told her that before.

Jiang Siyi poked at her food. “Yes.”

“Can you tell older sister?”

“Of course not. Wishes don’t come true if you say them out loud.”

Shen Shiwu put a piece of braised pork in her bowl and nodded. “That’s true.”

“Then write it down.”

“…”

Jiang Siyi didn’t understand why the woman was so insistent on this.

Back in her room after dinner, Shen Shiwu sat on the edge of her bed. “I won’t peek, don’t worry.”

Liar, why would you make me write it down if you weren’t going to read it?

The girl complained inwardly and started twirling her pen. Staring at the blank paper, she wanted to write but hesitated.

All her wishes were related to Shen Shiwu.

If she saw them, it would be disastrous.

Maybe… write it vaguely.

So Jiang Siyi quickly wrote down a line of elegant characters—

I want Shen Shiwu to take care of me forever.

Although it sounded a bit shameless.

But wishes were supposed to be far-fetched, right?

She capped her pen, folded the paper, and handed it to Shen Shiwu. “Here.”

Shen Shiwu didn’t bother pretending anymore and took the paper, holding it in her hand. “I’m reading this openly.”

“…Oh.”

“Alright, Wu Ying is coming over to tutor you tomorrow. Remember to go to bed early.”

After Shen Shiwu left, Jiang Siyi remained at her desk. She fidgeted with her fingers, tore off another piece of paper, and started writing seriously—

I hope Shen Shiwu never falls in love with anyone else.

I hope these eleven days pass quickly.

I hope…

…that in the future, she’ll like me a little too.

Just as she was about to hide the paper at the bottom of her drawer, there was a knock on the door. Jiang Siyi panicked, asking, “What’s wrong?”

There was no response.

She quickly opened the door.

Outside, Shen Shiwu was looking at her, a smile in her eyes.

“Little Jiang, there are two minutes until Christmas Eve.” She leaned in slightly.

Perhaps it was the soft lighting, but the woman’s eyes seemed exceptionally bright.

“Ah, now there’s only one minute left.”

Jiang Siyi couldn’t help but take a few steps back, her heart pounding in her chest.

Thump—thump—

“Some say that if you take a bite of an apple at midnight on Christmas Eve, your wish will come true.” Shen Shiwu smiled, watching the girl’s flustered expression. “Does Xiao Si believe it?”

She brought her hands from behind her back, revealing two shiny red apples.

Which meant…

“Did you… see my wish?” Jiang Siyi was so nervous she almost closed her eyes.

“I did.”

Shen Shiwu dangled the apples. “It’s almost midnight. If you don’t take one soon, it’ll be too late.”

“Three, two…”

Jiang Siyi panicked, grabbed the woman’s wrist, and stood on tiptoe, taking a large bite of an apple.

“One.”

The clock on the wall continued ticking, the hands overlapping for only a moment before moving on tirelessly.

The girl shook her head, like a proud kitten, her expression triumphant. “I ate it!”

As if remembering something, her voice lowered. “So my wish will come true.”

She looked at Shen Shiwu expectantly.

Shen Shiwu closed her eyes for a moment, then said seriously, “Yes, your wish will come true.”

If Jiang Siyi’s face had only been slightly pink before, now it was as red as a rose petal.

She tugged on Shen Shiwu’s sleeve with her other hand and asked, mustering her courage,

“Do you really… want to take care of me forever?”

Talking about “forever” now seemed unrealistic, but Jiang Siyi felt like she was under a spell.

She desperately wanted to hear the answer from the other woman’s lips.

Shen Shiwu could have easily avoided the question.

But…

Her voice was soft, as if soothing the girl’s anxious heart.

“Of course.”

“I can be Xiao Si’s older sister forever.”

Just an older sister.

Clatter.

Perhaps because Jiang Siyi had loosened her grip, the apple in Shen Shiwu’s hand fell to the floor.

“It’s dirty.” The girl squatted down and picked it up, her voice almost self-deprecating.

“Looks like the wish didn’t come true after all.”

Chapter 13

During the two days of mid-term exams, Shen Shiwu personally drove her to and from school, a level of attention that made Jiang Siyi feel like she was taking the college entrance exam.

“I even took the bus home by myself for the high school entrance exam.”

The girl sat in the passenger seat, holding a stack of stapled test papers.

Her casual remark, however, tugged at Shen Shiwu’s heartstrings.

“Being independent is great, but it’s okay to rely on others sometimes.”

Jiang Siyi paused in her flipping through the papers and nodded slightly.

In truth, she had already become reliant on Shen Shiwu.

She just hid it so well that the other woman hadn’t noticed.

Jiang Siyi traced the surface of the paper with her fingertip, staring blankly at a reading comprehension question.

She was usually quite good at these types of questions, able to grasp the author’s intended emotions and answer accurately.

But no matter how well she did, she couldn’t apply the same principles to her own life.

Because Jiang Siyi couldn’t figure out what she felt for Shen Shiwu.

“We’re at school, Jiang Siyi.”

“Good luck with your exams.”

The girl finally snapped back to reality.

She felt a little flustered, almost forgetting her backpack as she got out of the car and rushed into the school under Shen Shiwu’s slightly puzzled gaze.

The exams went relatively smoothly. She filled in all the answers she knew, and as for the troublesome, complicated problems…

Little Jiang believed in knowing her limits.

During lunch, Jiang Siyi, who had vowed not to engage in puppy love, called out to Xu Yuan, signaling for her to listen.

“What?”

“Well…”

Seeing her hesitation, Xu Yuan became wary. “Don’t tell me you have a crush on me? That’s not allowed.”

“Get out!”

Jiang Siyi rolled her eyes. “Have you ever liked someone? What does it feel like?”

Xu Yuan quickly backed away. “You really do have a crush on me!”

Seeing the girl’s darkening expression, she stopped joking and said cheerfully, “Yeah, in junior high, I really liked the lady who had a food stall by the school gate. You have no idea how delicious her roasted chicken legs were…”

“That’s not the kind of ‘like’ I’m talking about.”

Jiang Siyi waved her hand. “It’s… the kind of ‘like’ where you want to date them.”

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I had a crush on a transfer student in my class in ninth grade.”

“As for what it feels like…” She paused. “It’s like constantly wanting to get their attention, thinking about them all the time.”

“Blushing and your heart racing whenever they’re near.”

Xu Yuan chattered on, then concluded, “Just search ‘what does it feel like to have a crush’ on Baidu.”

After thinking for a moment, she realized something and poked Jiang Siyi with her finger, smiling. “So you really do like someone.”

“Tell me, who is it!”

She couldn’t possibly say it was Shen Shiwu.

Jiang Siyi pretended not to hear, burying her head in her food, playing dumb.

***

No. 1 High School had a long-standing rule: mid-term exams were held at different times for each grade. And since senior year students had so many exams, their mid-terms were postponed for a few weeks.

By the time they were over, it was almost Christmas.

On the weekend, Jiang Siyi was sleeping soundly when she was woken up by the vibration of her phone. She reluctantly opened her eyes and irritably checked the group chat.

This actually woke her up completely.

Because after only two days, the exam results were out.

This speed showed that it wasn’t just the students who were going crazy in senior year.

The teachers were almost possessed too.

She quickly sat up and zoomed in on the spreadsheet, searching for her name.

“Chinese, 121. English, 90. Math…”

“93!”

She actually passed.

Jiang Siyi kicked off the covers and almost rushed downstairs barefoot. The housekeeper was preparing breakfast and was surprised to see her in such a hurry. “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Shen Shiwu?”

“Miss Shen went to the company early this morning.”

“Oh…”

Didn’t she say she was staying home today?

Jiang Siyi pouted, feeling a little down.

Not long after the housekeeper left, just as she was about to go upstairs and do the homework Wu Ying had assigned, her phone rang.

It was Shen Shiwu.

She answered, her voice flat, “Hello.”

“The housekeeper said you were looking for me?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

She walked back to her room, slamming the door shut.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then, as if remembering something, Shen Shiwu explained, “I have an important contract to discuss today, so I couldn’t stay home with you.”

“Sorry, Xiao Si.”

Jiang Siyi sniffed, pretending to be magnanimous. “I said work is important.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

After hanging up, she obediently took out her homework and started working quietly. If she had seen herself like this a few months ago, she would have been shocked.

“Miss Jiang!”

A voice interrupted her train of thought.

She looked down from the window, puzzled, and saw Auntie Wang waving at her.

“Miss, the boss’s office is huge. You can run around in there all you want.” Auntie Wang joked as she drove.

“Did Shen Shiwu ask you to pick me up?”

“Of course, otherwise how would I dare to come and get you without permission?”

Jiang Siyi opened the window slightly, her mood finally improving.

Seeing the Christmas trees displayed in the shops along the street, she blinked and murmured, “The year is almost over…”

Auntie Wang, always sharp-eared, thought the girl was talking to her and replied, “Yes, time flies.”

“After the new year, you’ll be an adult, right?”

Jiang Siyi nodded. “Yes, I’ll be eighteen.”

She felt inexplicably excited at the mention of this.

“Old enough to date.”

Hearing this, Jiang Siyi clutched her backpack and buried her head, remaining silent for a long time.

Auntie Wang, puzzled, was about to ask what was wrong when she heard the girl’s quiet voice, “Auntie Wang.”

“What is it?”

“Shen Shiwu… she’s in her twenties, has she ever dated anyone?”

“I thought it was something serious. Turns out you just want some gossip.”

Auntie Wang chuckled. “At least in the few years I’ve been working here, the boss hasn’t dated anyone.”

Jiang Siyi rolled up the window tightly, afraid of missing a word.

“What about before? Didn’t she date anyone in school?”

“I wouldn’t know about that.” The driver offered a suggestion. “You can ask the boss directly.”

“She’s so good to you, she’ll definitely answer you.”

Jiang Siyi suddenly felt uneasy.

She thought about it and decided it made sense. “Mm, I’ll ask her later.”

Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Siyi regretted her decision. She wished she had stayed home.

Looking at the employees all dressed in professional attire, she looked down at her own sweater and quickly lowered her head, clutching her backpack.

She felt like a first-grader who had wandered onto a university campus.

“Boss, Miss Jiang is here.”

Only when she saw Shen Shiwu did Jiang Siyi raise her head.

“Okay, you can go now.”

After the door closed, Jiang Siyi held her backpack, her expression blank, and asked stiffly, “Why did you call me here?”

“To hang out.”

…Treating your company like an amusement park?

She responded with an “Oh” and randomly picked a chair to sit down.

“Sit next to me.”

Jiang Siyi couldn’t help but feel that the other woman had been calling her by her nickname less and less recently.

Heh, you fickle woman, changing so quickly without even a warning.

With a sullen face, she reluctantly moved her chair closer.

“Jiang Siyi, I already know your mid-term exam results.”

“Oh.”

“You passed math.”

“Mm.”

Seeing her unresponsive attitude, Shen Shiwu suddenly leaned closer. “Still angry?”

Jiang Siyi could feel her heart racing.

Remembering Xu Yuan’s words, she tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack.

“A little, I guess.”

“It was my fault. I didn’t keep my promise.” Shen Shiwu thought for a moment. “What does Xiao Jiang want? To make it up to you, I’ll get you a present, okay?”

Jiang Siyi’s eyes flickered.

“Anything?”

“Of course.”

She clutched her backpack tighter, as if seeking comfort, then said, “Then I’ll ask you a question, and you have to answer truthfully.”

It sounded like she was interrogating a criminal.

Shen Shiwu nodded. “Ask away.”

The girl kept her head down, not daring to look up.

Her voice suddenly became soft. “Have you… ever been in love?”

Shen Shiwu hadn’t expected this question at all.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, watching the girl staring at the floor as if trying to see through it, and replied, “No.”

Jiang Siyi bit her lip, then nodded after a while. “Oh.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because…”

She had a sudden inspiration. “A lot of people are chasing after me.”

“So I just wanted to ask you what it’s like to be in love.”

Shen Shiwu stared at her for a moment, then said slowly, “Today is December 23rd. You’re eleven days away from being an adult.”

She tapped her pen against the table.

The tapping sound, mixed with Jiang Siyi’s heartbeat, was incredibly jarring.

“You can think about these questions after eleven days.”

Jiang Siyi’s voice was muffled. “I know…”

Before she could finish, the woman beside her asked, “Do you have someone you like?”

Jiang Siyi finally looked up at her, then quickly averted her gaze a few seconds later.

She lowered her eyelashes. “Maybe.”

There was a thud as Shen Shiwu threw her pen onto the table.

She hesitated, then resumed her usual gentle tone. “Even if you do, no dating before you’re eighteen, understand?”

Feeling the woman’s hand ruffling her hair, Jiang Siyi sniffed. “Of course not.”

It wasn’t like she could just date someone if she wanted to.

Just as she finished speaking, there was a knock on the door, and a female voice called out, “Boss, can I come in?”

“What is it?”

“Yes, I have a document I’d like you to review.”

Shen Shiwu finally responded.

The woman who entered seemed startled to see Jiang Siyi, then quickly smiled. “Boss, this is the market research report. Do you see any problems?”

Jiang Siyi’s gaze was fixed on the apple in her left hand.

Perhaps noticing her stare, the woman placed the apple on Shen Shiwu’s desk. “Boss, Merry Christmas Eve!”

Calling her “Boss” so casually and intimately.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was calling her “wife.”

Jiang Siyi was about to take out her worksheets from her backpack, then changed her mind and started playing on her phone instead.

“I don’t like apples. You can have it.” Shen Shiwu flipped through the pages and quickly handed them back. “Not good enough. Redo it and submit it before noon tomorrow.”

“Okay… Boss.” She picked up the apple and turned to Jiang Siyi, who was sitting beside her. “Little girl, do you like apples?”

You’re the little girl!

I should have dressed more maturely today.

The girl thought to herself, ignoring the woman for a moment.

“If she wants one, I’ll buy it for her,” Shen Shiwu said, her expression displeased. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

Chapter 12

Hearing the term of address, Shen Shiwu’s eyes flickered.

Seeing the girl practically burning with embarrassment, she had wanted to enjoy the scene a little longer. However, the teacher on the podium asked everyone to be seated, so she reluctantly stood up.

Jiang Siyi’s seat was by the window. Although the curtains were drawn, Shen Shiwu could still imagine the girl staring out the window, lost in thought.

Thinking this, a smile played on her lips.

This was Jiang Siyi’s first parent-teacher meeting. Listening to Fu Jing’s formal speech, she couldn’t help but think—

I’d rather climb over the wall and buy spicy hotpot!

“Alright, students, you may leave now.”

Jiang Siyi, completely unfamiliar with the procedures of a parent-teacher meeting, was still confused until Xu Yuan came over and pulled her away. She then remembered to say goodbye to Shen Shiwu.

“So parent-teacher meetings are this boring?”

“What did you expect? Not only boring, but it’s also disastrous when you get home.”

Outside, it was drizzling. Most students chose to lean against the railing and wait, but these two were sneaking around.

It was almost eleven o’clock. Xu Yuan asked, “Are you hungry?”

Jiang Siyi was silent for a few seconds. “Yes.”

“Let’s go?”

Exchanging glances, they grabbed an umbrella and dashed towards the cafeteria.

Because of the senior year parent-teacher meeting, the cafeteria remained open.

“I’m soaked! Why is it raining so heavily?” A large part of Xu Yuan’s clothes were wet, while Jiang Siyi was slightly better off, only a few strands of her hair damp.

“Who told you to run so fast, like a starving ghost?”

As they walked inside, Xu Yuan held up her index finger, defending her actions. “At our pace, by the time the other grades start school, we won’t even get to eat, we’ll be crushed by the crowd.”

“So?”

“So we have to practice!”

Jiang Siyi gave her a thumbs-up. “Okay, I won’t watch the sports meet without you.”

“…”

Since they were sneaking out, they ate quickly, as if someone was counting down beside them.

However, when they came out of the cafeteria, they found Fu Jing angrily looking for someone.

“Quick, duck! Sister Bao!”

Jiang Siyi almost fell to her knees as she was pulled down.

“Where are they?”

“Right in front of you.” Xu Yuan, seeing three umbrellas lined up, felt her heart sink. “We’re doomed. On her left is my mom, and on her right is your sister.”

Hearing that Shen Shiwu was among them, Jiang Siyi really wanted to die.

She said decisively, “There’s a staircase in Cafeteria Two that leads directly to the convenience store. We’ll take a detour back to the classroom. If anyone asks, we’ll say we had diarrhea and went to the bathroom.”

As expected of teammates who had been together for two years, before she could finish speaking, Xu Yuan was already pulling her away.

Not far away, Shen Shiwu watched Jiang Siyi flee like a rabbit, her worried expression softening considerably.

She deliberately pointed in the opposite direction. “Let’s check the gymnasium. Maybe they’re hiding there.”

The two, having just made it to the first floor of the classroom building, felt like they had just survived a battle royale.

Xu Yuan leaned against the wall, catching her breath. “I almost threw up my lunch.”

Jiang Siyi brought over the trash can from the classroom next door. “Here.”

“…”

Parent-teacher meetings were usually over quickly. Back in the classroom, most of the parents had left, with only a few still discussing things with the teachers.

Jiang Siyi scanned the room, making sure Shen Shiwu wasn’t there before stepping inside.

Just as she and Xu Yuan were comparing their alibis, the sound of high heels clicking approached.

It wasn’t just Shen Shiwu who wore high heels; Fu Jing often did too.

But strangely, Jiang Siyi could always tell if it was her.

Being taken care of by her had seemingly given her a special ability.

As expected, the familiar female voice called out, “Jiang Siyi.”

It had been a long time since Shen Shiwu had called her full name. Hearing this, Jiang Siyi slowly stood up and turned around. “Yes?”

“Older sister is leaving. Aren’t you going to see me off?”

She didn’t even ask where she had been.

Jiang Siyi finally dared to look up at her. “Of course, I’ll see you off.”

As they walked down the stairs, seeing no one around, Shen Shiwu asked, “Did you have enough for lunch?”

Huh?

Jiang Siyi abruptly turned her head. “You… you saw us?”

“Your hide-and-seek skills need some work.”

The girl responded with an “Oh,” unusually not arguing back.

Practice, huh? Next time, I’ll hide so well you won’t be able to find me.

“But it’s best to tell me next time, okay?” Reaching the first floor, Shen Shiwu looked at her. “Otherwise, I’ll worry.”

She knew the girl had been wild for so many years, not used to reporting her actions, not even bothering to say a word.

But that was before.

Jiang Siyi unconsciously fidgeted with her fingers and slowly nodded.

“Understood.”

The rain suddenly intensified.

She watched as the woman’s figure disappeared into the rain under the umbrella, her ears still echoing with the last words she had said before leaving:

“Our Xiao Si is the most obedient.”

She couldn’t help but lean against the wall and peek outside, watching the woman walk further and further away, a sudden emptiness in her heart.

Only when half her head and shoulder were soaked by the rain did she snap back to reality and slowly went upstairs.

After the parent-teacher meeting, school officially started. Occasionally, passing by the new students’ military training, Xu Yuan would pull her over to watch for a while.

“Hey, that junior is so cute.”

“She looks a bit like Yang Yi.”

Jiang Siyi finally remembered that Yang Yi was the round-faced girl and asked, puzzled, “Why are they starting school early, just like the seniors?”

“They’re top students. There’s a new advanced class this year, and they have to start school in August.” Xu Yuan sighed. “So tragic.”

Hearing the words “top student,” Jiang Siyi’s mind was filled with one thought—

When will Shen Shiwu call her that?

“Daydreaming again? Oh, don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind?”

Jiang Siyi rolled her eyes and said slowly, “I don’t do puppy love.”

Xu Yuan didn’t understand why, after breaking so many school rules, Jiang Siyi was so adamant about following this one, so she asked.

Jiang Siyi, hearing the question, inexplicably pictured Shen Shiwu confiscating the love letter.

After a moment, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because someone won’t allow it.”

“Who? Sister Bao?”

“Sister Bao my foot.”

The girl nudged her with her elbow. “My sister.”

Xu Yuan gasped. “But at the parent-teacher meeting, your sister seemed very gentle. She didn’t even scold you.”

“Unlike me, I got a good scolding from my mom.”

Actually, Jiang Siyi herself found it strange.

She had been rebellious for so many years. Logically, a gentle woman like Shen Shiwu shouldn’t be able to control her.

But the reality was quite the opposite.

In the end, Jiang Siyi decided to make something up.

She scoffed. “You have no idea. She’s terrifying at home, like a demon.”

Xu Yuan was surprised. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh my god, I couldn’t tell at all.”

Jiang Siyi waved her hand, lying without a change in expression. “Even the gentlest people have their breaking points. You just haven’t seen it.”

Xu Yuan’s expression turned serious, and she patted Jiang Siyi’s shoulder. “Hang in there. I hope you can survive.”

***

Although it was autumn, the heat hadn’t dissipated.

The osmanthus trees at school were starting to bloom. Jiang Siyi knew this because she observed them during every PE class.

These days, PE was the only class she slacked off in. For all other classes, she would sit with her chin propped up, listening attentively.

She had scored a 56 on the last math quiz, and Fu Jing had praised her for her progress, even rewarding her with a lollipop.

She gave the lollipop to Shen Shiwu when she got home.

And of course, she received more praise.

Time flew by, and the mid-term exams were approaching. The weather finally cooled down, at least it wasn’t scorching hot anymore.

“It’s finally cooler!” Xu Yuan stretched in the hallway, feeling refreshed. Glancing to the side, she saw Jiang Siyi poring over her worksheets.

Good heavens, was her friend possessed?

The day before the mid-term exams, Fu Jing called Jiang Siyi to her office and even pulled out a chair for her to sit.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been doing well recently. Have you finally decided to study hard?”

In the past, whenever she was called to the office, it was usually because she had done something wrong. Experiencing the “good student” perspective for the first time, Jiang Siyi sniffed, still not quite used to it.

“Mm.”

Actually, she just wanted to impress Shen Shiwu.

Fu Jing was clearly pleased. She nodded and took out a chocolate bar from her drawer.

That evening, the chocolate bar appeared on the dining table.

Shen Shiwu watched as the girl poked it with her finger, then pushed it towards her. As soon as she looked up, the girl quickly lowered her head and continued eating, as if she hadn’t done anything.

“Another chocolate from an admirer?”

Jiang Siyi almost choked on her food.

“Sister Bao gave it to me.”

“Giving it to older sister again?”

The girl’s cheeks puffed out like a hamster’s as she ate, looking adorable.

Hearing the question, she almost buried her face in her bowl.

“I don’t like sweets.”

“Then how did you finish the little cakes I bought last time so quickly?”

Jiang Siyi finally looked up, her gaze fixed on the chocolate bar.

The hamster seemed to be getting angry.

As expected, she snatched the chocolate, muttering, “Eat it or don’t.”

Although angry, the hamster’s appetite wasn’t affected, and she continued eating, her ears turning red.

Shen Shiwu passed by her while getting more rice, and patted her head, trying to appease her.

She repeated the process when she came back.

Jiang Siyi hummed softly, putting the chocolate in her pocket, thinking she would eat it later if she got hungry.

Then she saw the other woman stand up again and pat her head.

“…”

Enough! Am I a dog?

When Shen Shiwu returned to the table, Jiang Siyi deliberately peeked into her bowl.

Heh, only taking a mouthful each time. Are you trying to digest your food by walking around?

Perhaps sensing the girl’s resentful gaze, Shen Shiwu put down her bowl, rested her chin on her hand, and extended her other hand—

“Older sister likes sweets.”

Tsk.

You didn’t take it when I offered it to you, and now, after asking all those weird questions and making me blush, you want it back.

Jiang Siyi sneered inwardly.

“No.”

The other woman actually retracted her hand.

Heh.

But the next second, Shen Shiwu tilted her head and looked at her, asking, “Does Xiao Si dislike older sister now?”

“?”

Keep pretending.

Feeling the woman’s intense gaze, Jiang Siyi finally closed her eyes and extended her hand.

“Here, take it!”

Shen Shiwu chuckled softly, took the chocolate, unwrapped it, broke off a piece, and ate it slowly.

“Why do other children write a whole page when they write to their parents,” she suddenly asked, “but Xiao Si only writes one sentence?”

Thinking of the letter she had written for the parent-teacher meeting, Jiang Siyi choked, then stammered, “Concise and comprehensive, what do you know?”

She warned the other woman inwardly—

Don’t you dare read it out loud.

Otherwise…

She would really die of embarrassment.

Shen Shiwu responded with an “Ah,” then slowly took out a piece of paper from her pocket.

“Thank you for taking care of me. Although you’re using my mother’s inheritance, I will definitely repay you in the future.”

Shen Shiwu could even imagine the girl’s expression as she wrote those words—

Serious, determined, and a little stubborn.

The woman’s smile deepened.

So cute.

Jiang Siyi felt like she was about to combust.

She swallowed the last of her food, put down her chopsticks, and tried to sneak upstairs.

Just as she was about to make her escape, Shen Shiwu stood up and blocked her path.

“…”

Seeing the woman approaching, Jiang Siyi could only retreat.

Her back hit a chair, and she almost fell.

Fortunately, Shen Shiwu caught her arm.

“I don’t need you to repay me.” The woman leaned down and tapped her forehead.

“I just want you to be happy every day.”

 

Chapter 11

Shen Shiwu had asked the question playfully, intending to tease.

So, when Jiang Siyi, with a straight face, uttered that single word, she was surprised.

Seeing the girl feigning composure, her earlobes bright red, she leaned closer. “What did Xiao Si just say? I didn’t hear clearly.”

“…”

Jiang Siyi hugged her backpack and turned away, letting the wind from the open window blow on her face, ignoring Shen Shiwu.

Saying it once was embarrassing enough.

And you say you didn’t hear!

She sneered inwardly, vowing to become mute from now on.

“Miss Jiang said she wants to call you,” Auntie Wang, ever helpful, chimed in.

Jiang Siyi’s lips twitched.

“Oh, is that so?” Shen Shiwu feigned realization. “Since it’s Xiao Si’s request, I naturally can’t refuse.”

She then lowered her head and messaged her assistant, instructing her to arrange it immediately.

Meanwhile, Jiang Siyi, sitting beside her, felt her face stiffening in the wind.

She stubbornly kept her face turned away, annoyed that the blush wouldn’t fade.

After dinner at home, seeing Shen Shiwu follow her into her room, Jiang Siyi knew she wouldn’t be able to freely use her phone again.

“I asked you to mark anything you didn’t understand. Did you do it?” Shen Shiwu asked, watching the girl slowly unzip her backpack.

Jiang Siyi took out the worksheets from class and hummed, “Of course.”

Shen Shiwu was wearing her glasses again.

She took the worksheets and nodded. “Mm, you corrected all the wrong answers. But where are the marks? You didn’t circle anything.”

“Don’t tell me you understand everything?”

That was obviously impossible.

Jiang Siyi slumped back in her chair and sighed. “If nothing’s circled, it means I don’t understand the whole worksheet.”

After all these days, she had figured out Shen Shiwu’s temperament.

It seemed no matter what she did, the other woman wouldn’t get angry.

Just like now, the woman only tapped her head lightly with a pen and said, “Then let’s start from the first question.”

Outside, the sky was pitch black, while inside the room, the girl filled two large sheets of scratch paper with calculations.

Just as she was about to start on the third sheet, Shen Shiwu, sitting beside her, finally spoke, “Finish this problem and then you can rest.”

Finally!

Jiang Siyi took a deep breath and started working on the last problem with tears in her eyes.

Another half an hour passed. The answer was finally correct. Jiang Siyi let out a triumphant yell and collapsed onto the desk, exhausted.

Shen Shiwu helped her put all the worksheets back into her backpack. Just as she zipped it up, she commented, “It’s really easy to pack your backpack, Jiang Siyi. You never even bring your homework home. Although, you did bring a hat.”

She chuckled softly. “And it’s my hat.”

Jiang Siyi immediately sprang up.

“I just wanted to return it to you… I keep forgetting.”

Seeing the other woman playing with the hat, Jiang Siyi cleared her throat, feigning indifference. “Here, take it.”

Seeing how late it was, Shen Shiwu nodded and left with the hat. She reminded Jiang Siyi to go to bed early and not stay up late.

As soon as the door closed, Jiang Siyi looked at her backpack, which contained only a few worksheets, and fell into deep thought.

When she was bored at school, she could at least stare at Shen Shiwu’s hat. Now, her only source of emotional support was gone.

Emotional support.

Jiang Siyi froze, startled by her own thoughts.

She smacked her head, trying to clear her mind, and then rushed into the bathroom to splash water on her face.

***

Every day after that, Jiang Siyi was tormented by various types of problems.

But hard work always pays off. For example, in the recent quiz, she had actually scored a 56 in math.

As soon as class ended, she rushed out, holding the new phone card Shen Shiwu had given her, and stood impatiently by the phone, waiting for the call to connect.

“Hello? Shen Shiwu!”

During this time, not only had Jiang Siyi not started calling her “older sister,” but she had grown bolder, calling her by her name directly.

Shen Shiwu was in a meeting. She signaled for her employees to pause and said into the phone, “What’s up?”

“Guess how much I scored in math?”

The girl’s voice was cheerful, suggesting she had done well, or at least was satisfied with her score.

“Forty?”

“Fifty-six!”

Jiang Siyi clutched the test paper, as if the other person could see it through the phone.

“So? Impressive, right? Fifty points higher than my previous score of six!”

Shen Shiwu chuckled and shook her head, then played along. “Mm, our Xiao Si is the best.”

The girl chattered on, and the woman listened patiently, responding to every sentence without a hint of impatience.

When the five-minute limit was reached, Jiang Siyi pouted. “Time’s up. I’ll tell you the rest when I get home.”

“Okay.”

Only after the call ended did Shen Shiwu turn around. She saw some of her employees still wearing shocked expressions, as if they had seen a ghost.

She tapped her fingers on the table and asked in a low voice, “Any problem?”

“No, no!” They replied in unison.

Jiang Siyi wasn’t doing much better.

As soon as she hung up, she saw the students queuing behind her staring at her.

Her reputation at school wasn’t good. Because of her constant wall-climbing and fighting in previous semesters, she had been reported countless times.

The students behind her, seeing her turn around, took a few steps back in fear.

Xiao Jiang: “…”

She looked away, pulled out the phone card, and walked back to the classroom, test paper in hand, her steps light.

After she left, the students couldn’t help but whisper amongst themselves.

—”Was that Jiang Siyi? Who was she talking to on the phone? Could it be her girlfriend?”

—”How would I know? Go ask her yourself if you’re so curious.”

—”She’s the big boss of No. 1 High School. Do you want me to die?”

And the “big boss” Jiang Siyi was kicked out of the classroom a few minutes later by the teacher.

“Looking at your math test during English class? Jiang Siyi, get out!”

The girl could only squat in the hallway, test paper in hand.

Out of boredom, she stared at the giant, century-old tree in front of the classroom building, lost in thought.

“Why can it live for so long?”

A few seconds later, her imagination ran wild—

“If I could, I would turn this tree into Shen Shiwu, and I would become a little bird.”

“But I can’t be two trees, because what if we get tired of each other one day?”

She lowered her eyes and mumbled, “Oh right, I’m so terrible.”

“It probably won’t be long before Shen Shiwu gets tired of me…”

A young girl’s heart is always sensitive.

And Jiang Siyi, who had lacked security since childhood, was even more so.

She leaned against the wall, her body slowly sliding down.

During the last class, Fu Jing announced that the parent-teacher meeting would be held the day after tomorrow. The classroom was filled with groans again.

“Quiet!”

“These are the last two parent-teacher meetings of your senior year. You’ll miss them after graduation.”

As if.

Jiang Siyi started packing her bag early.

She carefully folded the math test paper and placed it inside her textbook before putting it in her bag.

Then, instead of listening to Fu Jing’s announcements, she picked up a pen and started memorizing vocabulary.

Little Jiang, after spending a class squatting in the hallway, had finally seen the light.

Self-pity was pointless.

She had to study hard and impress Shen Shiwu!

So that day, she even held her textbook as she got into the car.

Auntie Wang exclaimed, “Miss Jiang, are you taking the college entrance exam tomorrow?”

The driver had a sense of humor. Jiang Siyi chuckled. “No, I just decided to study hard.”

Auntie Wang gave her a thumbs-up and encouraged her all the way home. By the time they arrived, Jiang Siyi felt energized, like she could solve hundreds of problems in one go.

Shen Shiwu was busy with work that day and had assumed Jiang Siyi would slack off without her supervision.

However, when she got home, she was surprised to find that the girl had not only finished most of her homework but had also marked the problems she didn’t understand.

Shen Shiwu was very pleased and ruffled her hair. “Where’s your math test?”

The girl, who had been eager to tell her about it earlier, was now silent.

“The teacher collected it after I corrected it.”

Shen Shiwu didn’t doubt her and sat down to help her with her homework.

That night, Jiang Siyi, who hadn’t had trouble sleeping in a while, couldn’t fall asleep. She got out of bed, opened her backpack, and hid the math test paper at the bottom, not even caring about the creases.

Only 56 points.

And you acted like a fool, showing off.

She hugged her backpack, scolding herself for being useless.

Then she secretly set a goal.

At least 90 points or higher.

Since she couldn’t sleep anyway, she might as well study.

Jiang Siyi turned on the desk lamp, took out the homework Wu Ying had assigned, and started working, quickly filling a sheet of scratch paper.

***

Perhaps to reflect the students’ moods, it rained heavily on the day of the parent-teacher meeting.

In previous years, Jiang Siyi would have definitely skipped school.

In such heavy rain, even climbing over the wall would be difficult.

Parents were gradually arriving at school, but Shen Shiwu arrived particularly early.

Jiang Siyi saw her through the window and twirled her pen faster.

Fu Jing was still talking non-stop on the podium. Seeing Jiang Siyi practically bouncing in her seat, she smiled. “Sit still.”

Finally, she gestured for the parents to enter the classroom. Jiang Siyi, who had been restless just moments ago, now tossed her pen aside, waiting for Shen Shiwu to approach her.

“All the other children are getting up to find their parents, why are you still sitting there?”

Shen Shiwu sat down on the chair next to her and asked, looking at her sideways.

“Because I’m not a child.”

Jiang Siyi hummed softly.

Soon, whispers and gossip came from behind.

“Is that Jiang Siyi’s older sister? So pretty.”

“She looks like a celebrity.”

Seeing countless eyes on Shen Shiwu, Jiang Siyi pouted and abruptly stood up.

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Siyi couldn’t quite describe her feelings, but she wasn’t happy.

She looked down at Shen Shiwu, her voice unusually soft.

“Older sister,”

“You sit inside.”

Chapter 10

Smiling tiger.

What a smiling tiger.

At eight o’clock in the evening, Jiang Siyi had poked eight holes in her worksheet and drawn countless stick figures. She peeked at the person behind her and found that Shen Shiwu was still sitting on the edge of her bed, not having left.

She could still make up something for the humanities subjects, but for math, Jiang Siyi just wanted to sleep.

During the day, Wu Ying had given her a formula sheet, telling her to use it if she couldn’t memorize them. And our obedient little Jiang had indeed done so.

Except she had been staring at the same problem for half an hour, not knowing which formula to apply.

Shen Shiwu, finally finished with her work, looked up. Seeing the girl seemingly hard at work, she was about to praise her, but when she stood up, she saw the masterpiece.

Half the worksheet was filled with doodles, but not a single problem was solved.

Oh, wait, there was a “Solution” written down.

“Didn’t even guess on the multiple-choice questions?” She sat down on Wu Ying’s chair, picked up a pen, and tapped the table.

Hearing this, Jiang Siyi quickly filled in a “C.”

“…”

“Mm, very obedient, deserves praise.”

“You’re the obedient one.”

Jiang Siyi, rebellious for years, tried to regain some face, the words slipping out subconsciously.

“The drawings are good too. You’re talented. You could be an artist.” The woman continued.

Looking at the stick figures, even Jiang Siyi wanted to laugh, but Shen Shiwu could praise her so calmly.

“Aren’t you being sarcastic?”

“Do you think so?”

Jiang Siyi looked at her for a moment, then averted her gaze. “Well… not really.”

Shen Shiwu folded the worksheet and put it aside, then softly called, “Xiao Si.”

Jiang Siyi, hearing her nickname, felt a shiver run down her spine.

“What do you want to do in the future?”

Want…

Want to be a writer.

But Jiang Siyi wouldn’t say it out loud.

Because for a failing student, such a dream seemed ridiculous.

She smacked her lips and mumbled, “I don’t know.”

That night, Jiang Siyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Finally, she got up, opened her drawer, took out the notebook hidden at the bottom, scanned the text, checked it several times, and sent it to the email address.

Lying back in bed, after a long time, she finally fell asleep and had a dream.

She dreamt that years later, she had become a writer and even won an award. But when she wanted to show off to Shen Shiwu, she couldn’t find her anywhere…

She called out the woman’s name several times in her dream.

But the only response was the thunderous applause from the audience and countless media reports.

Seemingly a good dream, but upon closer inspection, it felt more like a nightmare.

So she woke up early, even before her alarm went off.

Having slept late and woken up early, her vision swam as she got out of bed, almost losing her balance.

Fortunately, she felt more awake after washing up. Seeing it was only past five, she quietly opened the door.

Shen Shiwu was still asleep. She went downstairs with her backpack, and a few minutes later, the housekeeper arrived to prepare breakfast.

“Miss Jiang, why are you up so early today?”

“Auntie, you can call me Xiao Si.” She leaned against the wall, cracking walnuts. “I slept early last night.”

Not only was the housekeeper surprised, but even Shen Shiwu, when she came downstairs, was momentarily stunned.

“Up so early?” She walked over and straightened the girl’s haphazardly tied ponytail.

“Yeah, I used my brain too much yesterday and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.” Jiang Siyi popped a walnut into her mouth.

Shen Shiwu was wearing glasses today. Although her beautiful eyes were hidden behind the lenses, Jiang Siyi could still see her own reflection in them.

She leaned down. “Our little Jiang worked hard.”

Jiang Siyi stood there for a few seconds, then quickly went to eat breakfast.

Since she was now a day student, Shen Shiwu had assigned her driver to pick up and drop off Jiang Siyi.

When the girl went outside, the driver was already there.

The driver was in her thirties, her long hair tied in a neat low ponytail, with a friendly smile. Seeing Jiang Siyi, she respectfully greeted, “Boss.”

Shen Shiwu nodded and said to the girl beside her, “This is Auntie Wang. She’ll be responsible for driving you to and from school every day.”

Even after getting into the car, Jiang Siyi was still wondering.

She even arranged a driver for me. Just how much money did her mother leave them? Wouldn’t it be all spent in a few days?

School started at 7:20 am, and day students had to arrive before then to avoid being marked as late.

Her home wasn’t too far from school, a fifteen-minute drive.

With plenty of time to spare, while waiting at a red light, Jiang Siyi, unable to stay still, started chatting with Auntie Wang.

“Auntie, is your company usually busy?”

“Yes, very busy, especially the boss. She has several meetings a day.”

“Oh…”

Jiang Siyi hugged her backpack and continued asking, “What’s your monthly salary?”

Auntie Wang chuckled. “Why do you ask?”

The girl shifted in her seat. “I want to be a driver in the future.”

After a moment of silence, Auntie Wang finally replied, “Tens of thousands a month.”

Jiang Siyi counted on her fingers.

That would be… per year…

No, she had to stop Shen Shiwu from spending money like water.

What if they really did use up all the inheritance!

So, after arriving at school, she wanted to discreetly take out her phone and send a message, but she couldn’t find it.

Ah, she almost forgot.

Her beloved phone had met its glorious end this morning—

Confiscated by Shen Shiwu.

Jiang Siyi zipped up her backpack resignedly, sneered, and turned to walk towards the classroom.

Before leaving home, Shen Shiwu had told her to pay attention in class and write down anything she didn’t understand so she could ask her later. The girl propped her chin up and yawned forty times during the first class.

Finally, it was lunchtime. Xu Yuan dragged Jiang Siyi to the cafeteria, arriving just in time to be among the first in line.

“You’re a day student too! Great, now we can take the bus together after school.”

“Probably not. Shen… my sister, she arranged for someone to pick me up.”

She didn’t mention it was a private driver, as she didn’t want to seem like she was showing off.

Xu Yuan’s excitement deflated, then she smiled again. “That’s okay too. I don’t have to worry about finding you a lunch buddy anymore.”

There was still some time before the lunch break ended.

It wasn’t too hot today, so they decided to take a stroll around the school before heading back to class.

“Did you know, the class president of the next class seems to have a crush on Yang Yi’s friend.”

That’s a tongue twister.

After a few seconds of processing, Jiang Siyi asked, “Who’s Yang Yi?”

Xu Yuan looked at her exasperatedly. “The junior who confessed to you!”

Ever since the love letter incident, Xu Yuan would occasionally bring up Yang Yi, but Jiang Siyi was either daydreaming or about to daydream.

She responded with an “Oh,” then asked, “Who’s the class president of the next class?”

Xu Yuan smiled and told her the name. Jiang Siyi nodded, but it was clear she couldn’t match the name to a face.

Remembering Shen Shiwu’s words about no puppy love, Jiang Siyi blurted out, “As good students, we can’t date right now.”

“Pfft, you, a good student? Who was the genius who climbed over the wall to buy spicy hotpot during evening self-study last semester?”

Jiang Siyi clicked her tongue. “And you dare say you didn’t eat any?”

“…Just a little bit.”

As they chatted, they unknowingly arrived at the dormitory building. Their luggage was still inside, and they planned to take it home this weekend.

Looking at the students rushing into the dormitory after lunch, Xu Yuan sighed, “They’re definitely rushing to use the phone.”

The dormitory had wall-mounted phones, but there were only six per floor, so they often had to wait in line. Boarding students had to queue up just to call their parents, and they were only allowed five minutes.

Phone…

Oh right, even if she couldn’t send messages without her phone, she could still call Shen Shiwu.

“Why are you smiling? Are you possessed?” Xu Yuan was puzzled.

Jiang Siyi quickly suppressed her grin. “You’re the one possessed.”

The phones weren’t just in the dormitories; there were several in the classroom building as well.

So, during the second break in the afternoon, Jiang Siyi scanned the classroom, saw that everyone was asleep, and slipped out.

She went downstairs and chose the most secluded phone, hopefully inserting her phone card, only to realize that she hadn’t saved Shen Shiwu’s number on it.

The phone cards were universal, usable from elementary school through high school.

Back then, she had only saved her mother’s number on it, and after her mother passed away, the contact list had been empty.

She stared at the blank space.

Lost in thought for a long time.

When class started, she dragged herself back to the classroom. Xu Yuan, just waking up, saw her coming in and asked why she hadn’t taken her to the bathroom.

Jiang Siyi replied casually, “Seeing how sleepy you were, I was afraid you’d fall asleep in the bathroom.”

“…Get out!”

As soon as school ended, she saw Auntie Wang. Opening the car door, she found Shen Shiwu sitting in the back seat.

Remembering Auntie Wang’s words about her boss being busy, Jiang Siyi was surprised.

“Why are you here too?”

“I wanted to pick you up from school after finishing work. How was it? Did you pay attention in class?”

Jiang Siyi replied without missing a beat, “Of course.”

After lying, she asked, “How much inheritance did my mom leave you?”

“Afraid we’ll embezzle it?”

“No, I’m afraid it’ll run out.”

Afraid it’ll run out.

And you won’t take care of me anymore.

Shen Shiwu tapped her head. “I told you before, don’t overthink.”

Then she asked, “What are you holding in your hand?”

Jiang Siyi stuffed the phone card into her uniform pocket. “Nothing.”

“Lying to me already? When Xiao Si grows up, are you going to abandon me and run away?”

Jiang Siyi thought, Am I crazy? Where would I go with no money? Am I supposed to sleep on the streets…?

After muttering to herself, she took out the card and showed it to Shen Shiwu. “See, it’s just a card.”

“A phone card?”

“Yeah.”

Shen Shiwu nodded and then asked slowly, “Who are you trying to call?”

Her voice was always soft and gentle, like a gentle breeze.

But it always left Jiang Siyi flustered.

After an internal debate, she finally mumbled, her voice low,

“You.”